A familiar voice rang out. Uchiha Gin, who had just walked a little distance from the dungeon, turned his head to see two young boys not far away. After a brief moment of thought, he was ready with a response.
"Madara, Izuna, do you know what qualities a competent leader should possess?"
"???"
Izuna, who initially wanted to tease Gin, was thrown off by the unexpected question. Being young, he hadn't considered such matters before.
"Overwhelming strength?"
It was Uchiha Madara, the more mature of the two, who pondered for a moment while stroking his chin and gave this tentative answer.
"Not bad, but that's only one of the most basic requirements."
Gin nodded and then shook his head, his expression implying that the boys were still thinking too shallowly, which made the two bristle with annoyance.
"Then you tell us!"
Unable to contain his curiousity, Izuna waved his small fists.
"Hmph, let me enlighten you both on what qualities a true leader should have."
Gin looked around to make sure no one else was nearby and then gestured for the two brothers to come closer.
Curious, they leaned in, eager to hear what insights Gin had to offer.
"Besides strength, the most important thing is..."
"What is it?"
Their eyes gleamed with curiosity and anticipation.
"This!"
Gin made a mysterious gesture, holding out his hand with his thumb and forefinger forming a circle, a universal sign.
[Huh? What?]
The two boys were utterly confused.
"Tsk, as a leader, you need gold in your hands. Only then will people follow you loyally."
Gin spoke with a tone of disappointment, as if lamenting their ignorance.
"Isn't that too shallow?"
The more impatient Izuna immediately criticized.
"Don't rush. That's just the first point. There's an even more important factor that most people can't achieve."
Gin shook his finger and, striking a pose he thought was cool, declared confidently,
"Looks! Just like me. With extraordinary good looks, my colleagues help me do my work."
(_)(゜゜)
After explaining why he could leave work early, Gin turned away, giving the boys a smug wave as he walked off, leaving them in stunned silence.
"I've never seen anyone so shameless!"
It took Izuna a while to react, his face flushed with indignation.
Beside him, Madara looked like he was lost in thought.
Gin, humming a tune, strolled back home. When he opened the door, he found Senju Itama lounging lazily on the couch, slouched like a classic couch potato.
Senju Itama's shirt was slightly raised, and one hand absentmindedly scratched his exposed belly as he yawned, his eyes glazed over in boredom.
"You're quite laid-back, aren't you?"
Gin felt a surge of resentment. While he had been up early, working hard, this kid was just lounging around.
"Do you even know who's earning the money to support this household?"
"Huh? You're home early again?"
Only now noticing Gin, Itama quickly sprang up, putting some distance between them.
"All you do is eat and sleep. Useless at everything except not wasting food!"
Frustrated, Gin's finger poked dangerously close to Itama's by face.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go!"
Without warning, Itama bit Gin's finger, the pain instantly shooting through his body. No matter how hard Gin tried, Itama refused to release his bite.
Seeing that force wasn't working, Gin decided to try another tactic.
"I have a present for you. Let go, and I'll give it to you!"
"A present?"
Itama's lit up at the word "present," and he loosened his bite slightly.
"It's true, it's in the cabinet. Go check it out!"
Sensing victory, Gin hurriedly coaxed him. Any longer and his finger might end up in Itama's stomach.
"If you're lying, I'll bite you again!"
Still puffed up with anger, Itama released his grip and went to check the cabinet.
"Damn brat. The Uchiha clan is known for its honesty. Our words are as solid as nails."
Gin stared at the red marks on his finger, feeling disgusted by the sticky saliva left behind. He hurried to the bathroom and scrubbed his hand until it was raw and peeling.
"Wow! What a cute little turtle!"
Itama's excited exclamation echoed as he found the toy Gin had prepared.
"Hmph, kids will be kids."
Gin muttered, watching Itama spin around with joy as he held the little turtle plush.
At least Itama stopped bothering him, and Gin enjoyed a rare moment of peace.
That evening, Gin took charge of cooking, and Itama, still clutching his toy, devoured three bowls of food. Afterward, he even volunteered to help clean up.
The power of the toy turtle was truly terrifying.
Later, when night fell, Itama, exhausted from playing, cuddled his turtle and fell into a deep sleep.
Once the kid was sound asleep, Gin went out to the backyard as usual. The newly revamped decor lifted his spirits, and he stretched out on a wooden lounge chair he'd bought, waiting for his abilities to refresh.
"Now this is life!"
Gin stretched comfortably, relishing the moment.
"Living easy is the way to go."
Suddenly, the atmosphere around him shifted. After waiting for so long, it finally happened.
A light-filled wall rippled into existence, and a figure slowly emerged from it.
"New skin, huh?"
Gin looked curiously at the figure. His old friend Itachi Uchiha had appeared, but this time, he wasn't wearing his usual Akatsuki cloak.
Instead, Itachi looked a bit ragged, dressed in a form-fitting fishnet shirt, his face unusually pale.
Seeing Itachi's weakened state, Gin didn't let his guard down. His heightened senses told him that this "reskinned" Itachi was far stronger than any he had encountered before.
Not waiting for Itachi to make a move, Gin took the initiative. His right eye activated, and instantly, Amaterasu's black flames engulfed Itachi.
Could it really be that easy?
Gin's eyes, which controlled the Amaterasu flames, clearly sensed that he had hit his target.
But as the black flames burned fiercer, a pair of orange hands slowly tore through Gin's Amaterasu. A translucent orange skeleton began to take shape.
"Susano'o!"
Gin took a cautious step back, recognizing the name of the giant specter before him.
His strongest move, Amaterasu, had been effortlessly neutralized. Gin felt a surge of helplessness—he had no way to match this "giant mecha." Unless, of course, he could summon one himself.
He watched Itachi closely, waiting for the giant to attack.
His nerves were on edge, fully focused. The next moment, his eyes met Itachi's eerie Mangekyō Sharingan. Everything went dark as he found himself transported into the Tsukuyomi realm.
"&%+@.＊"…~&"
Cursing under his breath, Gin had been dragged once again into the world of Tsukuyomi.