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The father and son duo, fully equipped, led a bewildered Uchiha Gin through the forest outside the Uchiha clan grounds.
It was Uchiha Gin's first time seeing Uchiha Izuna in full battle gear—a simple chest armor and a samurai sword nearly as tall as him.
"Big brother is always hanging out by Naka River with that bowl-cut kid!" Izuna led the way ahead while complaining in a tone full of resentment.
"In fact, I suspect that child might be from the Senju clan," whispered Uchiha Tajima, Gin's father, walking beside him. His eyes gleamed with a murderous aura. "Yesterday, Madara already sensed my and Izuna's intentions, which is why he left early today. I hope that kid hasn't been deceived by outsiders."
No wonder Madara had disappeared so early. It turns out he went to warn his Hashirama friend.
"If he really is a Senju, they've definitely set up an ambush. Be careful, Gin." Tajima, using the mind of a strategist, predicted the possibility of the Senju being nearby, warning the "weaker" Uchiha Gin ahead of time.
"No problem," Gin nodded immediately.
"Look! Brother is over there." The group hid silently in the forest, carefully approaching a large tree by the river. In the distance, they could see Uchiha Madara standing across the river, staring at a boy on the other side.
By the river, Madara, with a slight smile, threw a stone he'd been holding across the river. The bowl-cut boy on the other side also threw a similar stone, both landing perfectly in each other's hands after skimming the water.
However, Madara's smile quickly faded when he glanced at the stone and saw the writing on it. The expression of the boy on the other side changed to match.
"Hashirama, sorry, we can't play today," Madara, seeing the writing on the stone, immediately decided to call it off, turning around and waving. "I just remembered I have something to take care of."
"Is that so? Then I'll head back for now." The boy with the bowl cut, also seeing the writing on his stone, hesitated but waved goodbye.
Both boys turned, and with a sudden push of their feet, sprinted off in opposite directions.
"That fast! Are they trying to escape? Hashirama, you leaked the information!" said the figure hiding behind the bowl-cut boy, a little anxious. Turning to a small white-haired figure beside him, he said, "Let's go, Tobirama."
"Yes!" the white-haired boy nodded and followed.
"This is bad! They're escaping!" Uchiha Tajima, seeing the bowl-cut boy on the other side turn and retreat quickly, immediately realized they knew about the ambush. He waved his hand and commanded, "Gin, Izuna, chase them!"
With that, he flew off in pursuit.
"Yes!" "Yes~!" Izuna and Gin, full of energy, followed closely.
Both sides, upon seeing each other rushing fiercely, stopped simultaneously, their ninja water-walking skills allowing them to pause right on the river. They glared at each other, full of tension.
Splash!
The tense atmosphere was suddenly broken by a loud splash.
"Sorry, sorry! Haven't practiced this in a while," said Uchiha Gin apologetically as he struggled to steady his soaked feet on the water's surface. The silence was deafening.
"Looks like we had the same idea," said Uchiha Tajima, his Sharingan flickering as he twitched slightly at the corner of his eye. He took a deep breath, gripping the hilt of his sword as he glared at his familiar opponent across the river. "Senju Butsuma."
"And Tobirama!" added Izuna, his face showing disdain as he tried to restore the Uchiha clan's dignity by challenging the white-haired kid on the other side.
"That's right, Uchiha Tajima." The middle-aged man wearing armor similar to the first Hokage, and the current leader of the Senju clan, Senju Butsuma, stood guarded, his face cold. "And Izuna."
The white-haired Tobirama, unable to tolerate Izuna's provocation, responded with battle-ready eyes, his large samurai sword resting on his back.
"Hey, little cousin, how do you know that white-haired kid across from us?" Gin, feeling left out as the background character, couldn't help but quietly ask Izuna, who was brimming with fighting spirit beside him.
"I've fought the Senju clan alongside Father many times. That striking white hair is always active on the battlefield. We've fought quite a bit. He's Senju Butsuma's child, named Tobirama," Izuna explained, even in such a tense moment, finding time to answer his dear older cousin's question.
"It's time!" As a leaf fell from the sky, both sides moved simultaneously, attacking in perfect sync.
The big ones fought the big ones, and the small ones fought the small ones.
Uchiha Tajima faced off against Senju Butsuma, the battle of the clan leaders.
Izuna clashed with Tobirama, their long weapons colliding, sending water splashing.
"What about me?" Gin, feeling lost, watched as everyone paired off, leaving him alone, unsure of what to do.
Scanning the battlefield, he locked eyes on the dazed bowl-cut boy and suddenly felt a strange thrill. Not wanting to miss the chance to face the future God of Shinobi, Gin lunged toward Senju Hashirama, shouting, "Senju brat, do you dare face me, Uchiha Gin, in battle?"
"Huh?" Hashirama, who had been deep in thought about avoiding conflict with Madara, was startled. He looked up to see a scruffy-looking Uchiha charging at him and instinctively assumed his iconic battle stance, ready to fight.
"Detected battle with the host. Steel Heart System initiating..." a system notification rang out.
"Take this punch!" Gin, mid-air, prepared to unleash a powerful punch aimed at the future God of Shinobi, a blow that even the God would feel for days.
Just as Gin's punch was about to land on Hashirama, a figure quickly arrived and kicked Hashirama out of the way.
"Cousin, no need for you to step in. I'll be his opponent," said Madara, who had been standing idly by, now intervening.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, cousin," Gin, realizing he'd been outdone, shrugged and stepped aside.
With everyone now paired off, Gin once again became the background character, left watching the fight unfold.
"Izuna! Don't go head-to-head with the Senju! Spit on him, and he'll choke!" Gin, now a spectator, offered some strategic advice to Izuna.
"Despicable Uchiha!" Tobirama, hearing such a nasty tactic, grew furious. It seemed there was another Uchiha as cunning as him—this one could not be allowed to live.
Izuna, currently locked in a standoff with Tobirama, had no energy to reply but began seriously considering his cousin's tactic.
Just as the two youngsters were at a stalemate, both clan leaders leaped into the air, hurling their weapons at the two boys, aiming to end their lives.
"Not good!" Seeing their fathers suddenly attack their younger brothers, Madara and Hashirama, who had been sparring, immediately stopped and rushed to save their siblings. But they were too far away.
"Izuna!"
"Tobirama!"
The two older brothers shouted simultaneously, trying to get their younger brothers to dodge. But the stubborn boys, both waiting for the other to retreat, remained locked in place.
Clang! Clang! Splash!
Just as the kunai and short blades were about to strike the two boys, a flying samurai sword intercepted them, sending all three weapons crashing into the water with a loud splash.
Everyone turned to look for the owner of the samurai sword. Their gazes finally settled on Uchiha Gin, standing at the riverbank.
"If I told you it was an accident, would you believe me?" Gin asked, with an awkward grin.