Chapter 143 – A Man’s Curiosity for the Unknown Is Innate

"How could that be! Big bro isn't that kind of person!"

Uchiha Izuna immediately retorted upon hearing Gin slander his brother.

"I was just joking. Why are you so worked up? Don't tell me you actually did it?"

Gin raised an eyebrow, teasing him.

"W-what are you talking about? I don't even know what it means!"

Izuna's face flushed red, eyes darting left and right, his voice stammering.

Wait… I was just joking. You didn't really…?

Gin's eyes widened in shock. At Izuna's age, indulging in that kind of activity? No way he could stand a chance against the abstinent little white-haired demon! This had to be stopped at the root.

"Where did you learn this?"

Gin's eyes blazed with righteous fury. Izuna, clearly guilty, began to falter under the pressure.

"I didn't do anything, I just… looked."

Izuna confessed, lowering his head.

"What?? You watched someone else doing it??"

Gin's expression turned grim.

No way! I have to put an end to this, even if I have to borrow uncle's Kotoamatsukami (Distinguished Heavenly Gods) to erase this behavior!

"You've got it all wrong! I just looked at those kinds of magazines!"

Hearing the misunderstanding, Izuna blushed furiously and shouted in protest.

Clang~!

Just then, a bowl of porridge slipped from Itama's hand in the kitchen, crashing to the ground and splattering everywhere.

Thud~

Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikari was sleepily descending the stairs. Hearing Izuna's outburst, she missed a step and nearly tumbled down.

(_) Itama

(*ΦωΦ) Hikari

The air fell into a terrifying silence.

After a short pause, Izuna's face flushed even redder. Suddenly, a surge of blood rushed to his head, his eyes turning crimson. His breath grew erratic.

Gin watched a cloud of darkness rise from Izuna's body.

The embarrassed boy, who had lowered his head, now lifted it with an eerie calm. His hollow crimson eyes stared blankly at everyone in the room. His lips muttered coldly:

"Hehe… if I kill them all, no one will know…"

Thump!

Gin didn't let him finish. He smacked Izuna's head with a flick of his finger, dragging him back from the edge of going full emo mode.

Listen up—if you awaken your Mangekyō Sharingan over this, then we don't want it!

"You're way too old to be having an edgy phase!"

"Uuu…"

Izuna, brought back to reality by Gin's physical intervention, looked like he was about to cry. After blurting something like that, how could he show his face again?

He might as well die now! He pulled out his tantō and prepared to end it all in a pure and innocent way.

"Whoa, calm down. I was curious about that stuff at your age too. It's a man's natural instinct."

Seeing Izuna about to commit seppuku, Gin hurried to stop him, using his own experience to guide his little cousin.

!!! ×2

"Really?"

Tears in his eyes, Izuna looked up in disbelief. His big cousin was also a man of culture?

"It's true!"

Gin could feel two piercing stares on his back, but he forced himself to stay calm for Izuna's sake.

"I love those kinds of magazines. There's nothing wrong with men reading them! The ones who don't—they're the weird ones!"

If I'm going down, I'm going down boldly. He stared Izuna dead in the eye, instilling in him "correct" values with unwavering conviction.

"Then… then I'm not wrong! Neither is Hiwa!"

Izuna's eyes sparkled with life again. He shouted, full of sudden confidence.

Tsk! That brat… back when I met him in the dungeon, he looked so well-behaved. Never expected him to grow up like this—and even corrupt my little cousin!

"That's right~"

But now wasn't the time to lay blame. Stabilizing emotions was more important. If Izuna also turned emo or, worse, lewd, then the Uchiha clan was doomed.

"Cousin, so what's your favorite type…?"

Izuna was clearly hooked now.

"Hehe, I'm definitely a ***-faction guy~"

Even with two burning glares behind him, Gin shamelessly chatted with Izuna about indecent magazines as if no one else was in the room.

…After a passionate and in-depth exchange…

"Whew! I never imagined you were so knowledgeable, cousin! I admire you! We need to have a study session sometime!"

At last, Izuna remembered why he'd come and pulled the brakes on the wild conversation.

"Next time for sure! Next time for sure!"

Gin wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Who would've thought this seemingly innocent little cousin was already such a pro?

If it weren't for the 100TB of data I had in my last life, I might've been exposed.

"So, what about big cousin? What's really going on with him?"

In this rare moment of peace, Gin asked about Madara's situation.

"You know he got defeated and captured, right?"

Izuna's expression turned grim.

"I know. Uncle told me everything."

Gin nodded. He'd heard how Madara was defeated and humiliated by the Senju.

"Though Father arrived just in time to save him, since then… he hasn't been the same. He locked himself in his room. No eating, no speaking."

Izuna looked deeply worried. He didn't want his admired big brother to become a broken man.

"No sound at all?"

Gin asked curiously. No eating or talking he could understand—but total silence?

"Well… I have heard footsteps. Maybe he's pacing while thinking."

Izuna thought for a moment.

"Footsteps?"

Gin was puzzled. Madara got beat up by Hashirama and locked himself away. Was he secretly training a new footwork style?

"So you came to me hoping I'd cheer him up?"

"Exactly! No one else is closer to him than you. You can bring him back!"

Izuna clenched his fists. He was determined—he absolutely needed Gin's help.

Hah. Just because we're "close," your dad had me sacrificed to unlock your Sharingan.

If I'd known you two would be so much trouble, I wouldn't have been so nice back then.

Gin grumbled inwardly but reached out and nodded at the hopeful Izuna.

"Fine, what can I say—I'm your big cousin. Let's go~"

"Now? Isn't it a bit early?"

Seeing Gin ready to head out immediately, Izuna hesitated.

Cousin didn't even prepare what to say yet. What if he says something wrong and makes big bro even angrier?

"No time to waste. I want to help him out of this slump ASAP!"

Gin marched ahead heroically. If he stayed any longer, Hikari's eyes would start glowing red.

"Huh?"

Izuna was left behind, confused. After a moment's daze, he chased after Gin.

"Hmph! That was too much, Gin! I'll deal with you when I get back!"

Hikari glared fiercely at Gin's retreating figure, gritting her teeth. Her heart ached.

It's all because I was sealed… Gin must've been lonely and depressed, which made him fall into that kind of stuff!

"Um… those *** magazines… what are they?"

Itama, confused and inexperienced, was totally lost during the earlier conversation. Now that the two guys had bolted, she hesitantly asked Hikari.

"Hmph, kids like you don't need to know. I'm already at the age where I can drive on the highway, you know~ Wahahaha!"

Hikari raised her chin smugly, taunting Itama with pride and exaggerated maturity. She even puffed out her little chest as she laughed victoriously.

Veins bulging, Itama clenched her fists, her Chakra Enhanced Strength bubbling just under the surface.

"Hmph! If you won't tell me, I'll go ask Rika-nee and Aunt Eimi!"

She took a deep breath, calming herself. Remembering Gin's warning, she slowly released her clenched fists and turned away.

Several hundred meters away, Gin finally slowed down. Confirming that only Izuna had followed, he sighed in relief and waited for his cousin to catch up.

"Let's go see what's up with your big bro."

Gin patted Izuna's shoulder with a grin, his eyes gleaming with scheming curiosity.

This is Madara's dark history. I have to document this thoroughly.

"Okay!"

Izuna didn't resist and led Gin back to the clan leader's estate.

Gin, led through several twists and turns, finally arrived at Madara's personal courtyard.

The place was beautiful and luxurious. Gin's heart ached in envy.

So this is the kind of lifestyle the clan leader gets? I'm jealous…

Uncle~ if both your sons don't work out, I volunteer!

I, Gin, will become the next clan leader!

Shuff~ shuff~ shuff~

Before they got close, Gin's keen senses picked up rhythmic footsteps coming from Madara's room.

What's he doing in there? Secretly training footwork?

BANG BANG BANG!!!

"Big bro! Open the door!"

Izuna rushed forward and banged on Madara's door. The moment he knocked, the footsteps stopped.

"I told you—leave me alone."

Madara's cold voice echoed from within. Even to his beloved little brother, he shut the door.

Disheartened, Izuna turned to Gin with pleading eyes.

Seeing this, Gin didn't hesitate.

You can't coddle someone in this condition.

He stepped forward, gathered Chakra Enhanced Strength, and slammed the door.

"Big bro, I'm coming in~"

(End of Chapter)

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