Chapter 48: Malice from the Uncle

"How can you slander an innocent person out of thin air?"

Hearing this, Madara Uchiha flushed and roared at Gin Uchiha; had he known, he wouldn't have bared his heart to this unreliable cousin.

"I actually thought that since you were older, you could offer me some constructive advice, but I didn't expect you to be such a shallow person! I, Madara, am ashamed to be associated with you."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and stormed out the door like the wind.

"Hey, don't go! Let me give you some pointers, otherwise you'll be pinned underneath for the rest of your life!"

Gin Uchiha cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly at Madara Uchiha's retreating back, drawing side-eyes from passersby in the hallway, who began to whisper among themselves.

Madara Uchiha wished he had two more legs so he could hurry and escape this place of trouble.

At the door, Izuna saw his older brother fleeing in such a disheveled state, immediately put down the medicine he had just collected, and chased after him, staging a grand scene of youthful pursuit.

A bewildered Tajima Uchiha watched his two sons run off one after another, then turned his head and asked with a face full of confusion,

"Gin, how did you tease Madara again?"

"Hehe, it's nothing. Just go back and ask Izuna; he said he wanted to report this to you personally."

Gin Uchiha squinted his eyes and smiled.

"How truly rude. I will certainly educate this child properly when I return."

Tajima Uchiha shook his head, appearing as if he felt apologetic for Madara Uchiha's behavior.

"Uncle, speaking like that really treats me like an outsider."

In private, with no outsiders present, Tajima Uchiha would let Gin Uchiha call him Uncle instead of Clan Leader.

"Gin, it was my mistake. You had just returned from a mission, and I had you go straight to work without giving you any time to rest."

Tajima Uchiha engaged in self-reflection with a look of guilt.

"You are being too formal, Uncle. It is all my own fault for not being skilled enough and getting injured by the Senju clan."

When Gin Uchiha had just woken up, he heard the conversation between Madara and Izuna; his coma had been defined by Miao Uchiha as an old injury from his previous mission, so he naturally went along with it, not wanting to expose his own actions.

"You must rest well for your head injury so you don't develop any lasting complications."

Tajima Uchiha patted Gin Uchiha on the shoulder, acting like a kind elder.

However, from the other's gaze, Gin Uchiha vaguely sensed a flash of scrutiny.

"Gin, the report for the last mission hasn't been finished yet, has it? After you encountered people from the Uzumaki clan, what happened? Did you meet anyone suspicious?"

After offering his condolences to Gin Uchiha, Tajima Uchiha brought up the last mission, appearing casual.

Thinking carefully, when he was making the report last time, he was forcibly interrupted after exposing his Sharingan, and he hadn't filled it in afterward.

"After we encountered the Uzumaki clan, because of the disparity in numbers and strength, we were quickly left with no way to parry."

Gin Uchiha, appearing thoughtful, began to narrate after a moment, "The muscular man leading them beat Captain Fuuka until he retreated in defeat, but fortunately, I caught a young Uzumaki clan member in the forest."

Recalling the cute buns of Mito Uzumaki, Gin Uchiha continued with a smile,

"That Uzumaki child seemed to have a rather important status. I used her as leverage to lure away that muscular man, and in the end, I reached a deal with him: I released the child, and he let us go."

After hearing Gin Uchiha's half-true, half-false account, Tajima Uchiha nodded,

"Calm in the face of danger; you are worthy of being my nephew."

"It is all thanks to your usual cultivation, Uncle."

Gin Uchiha flattered him.

"Did you encounter any other strange people or things?"

Tajima Uchiha asked again, unwilling to give up.

"Uh, now that you mention it, it does remind me. During the process of being captured by me, that Uzumaki child took out a ninja tool and tried to resist."

Gin Uchiha hammered his hand, as if he had remembered something.

"What kind of ninja tool?"

Tajima Uchiha became interested.

"Just a pearl, nothing special. After the other party used it, only a rune struck at me, but there was no special reaction after it hit. Perhaps it was broken."

Gin Uchiha shrugged, indicating he felt no discomfort.

"Where did it hit?"

"Here."

Gin Uchiha pointed to his head.

"I see. Then, Gin, you should rest well. Don't go to work for a while."

Tajima Uchiha first frowned imperceptibly, then stood up and said to Gin Uchiha.

"I am already fine. I can go to work as usual tomorrow."

Gin Uchiha got off the bed and performed a few high-difficulty movements for Tajima Uchiha to prove he had no problems.

"Alright, don't push yourself."

Unable to refuse, Tajima Uchiha had no choice but to nod and agree.

Gin Uchiha smiled and watched his uncle leave. Once the other had walked far away, the smile rippling on Gin Uchiha's face faded.

This Tajima Uchiha was hiding something from him.

During their exchange just now, Gin Uchiha somehow felt a sense arise in his heart; that sense told him that Tajima Uchiha held extremely subtle malice toward him.

"Is it an illusion?"

Gin Uchiha pondered in his heart, but once this feeling took root, it could not be easily removed.

Before long, a tidied-up Gin Uchiha bid farewell to the hospital bed. Seeing that it was getting late, it was time for him to go home.

He bought quite a few vegetables while passing the market; in case he didn't come back one day, he could let that brat Itama Senju survive for a few days.

After choosing a few durable ingredients, just as he was about to pay the vendor, he actually felt a wave of malice from the vendor in front of him.

This feeling came suddenly, leaving him baffled for a moment. In the end, he chose to toss the money to the vendor, who was avoiding his gaze.

Carrying his things, he walked back with his head down, silently pondering that feeling from just now—whether it was an illusion or something else.

Pushing open the door to his home, there was no Itama Senju to ambush him this time. The room, which had been somewhat messy, had actually been tidied up to look brand new.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, a black-haired version of Itama Senju wearing an apron poked his head out of the kitchen, looking up and down at the displeased Gin Uchiha.

"Why are you so early today?"

"What are you doing, you brat?"

He tried using the same sense on Itama Senju and found no feedback of malice.

"Hmph, I only made enough for myself. If you want to eat, make it yourself!"

Only then did Gin Uchiha notice that the brat was actually holding a spatula.

"Oh my, you, the young master of the Senju family, can actually cook?"

Gin Uchiha curiously squeezed inside, only to see an indescribable mass of matter in the pot.

"Hey, hey, hey, what kind of Lovecraftian dish are you making?"

"Who are you looking down on? Taste it, it's absolutely delicious!"

Hearing the skepticism in the other's tone, Itama Senju immediately shoveled a plate of pixelated matter from the pot and handed it to Gin Uchiha.

"Forget it, forget it. I don't have the fortune to enjoy it. I'm afraid that if I eat it, I'll be able to see my Uchiha great-grandmother."

Politely refusing, Gin Uchiha still wanted to live a few more years.

"Don't come begging me to let you have a bite later."

Itama Senju was honey-sweet confident; he picked up a lump and stuffed it into his mouth.

A few seconds later.

"I beg you, don't die!"

As he shook the foaming-at-the-mouth Itama Senju, Gin Uchiha felt ten thousand regrets in his heart.

Had he known, he should have just finished the whole pot himself; at most, he would have had diarrhea a few times, but this brat was truly daring to die.

Fortunately, it was a narrow escape in the end. Itama Senju vomited wildly from being shaken, throwing up everything he had just eaten, and thus saved his life.

Looking at the extremely weak brat in front of him, Gin Uchiha felt a lingering fear. Now, this brat's life was tied to his own; if anything were to happen to him, he would have to lose his own life as well.

Picking up the brat, the thin, small body was very light and soft as if boneless. Looking at the brat's sleeping face, Gin Uchiha found that the brat didn't look that annoying; the small, round face was even a little cute.

He shook his head, dispelling the strange thoughts in his heart. He wasn't Madara Uchiha; how could he have any ideas about a man of the Senju clan?

(End of chapter)