252. The Secret of Uchiha Gin's Strength

Inside the Hokage’s office.

“This is pure fearmongering!”

Senju Hashirama protested vehemently, his face full of indignation after hearing his younger brother's analysis.

To him, the "One Country, One Village" system he proposed was the ultimate means to eliminate war and achieve lasting peace—a perfect system.

“Although what this white-haired guy says is unpleasant, it is indeed true,” Uchiha Madara said with a slight nod, addressing his indignant friend.

As one of the founders of Konoha, Madara’s yearning for peace was no less intense than Hashirama’s.

However, he had yet to find a path to peace that truly belonged to him.

Maybe I just haven’t read the stone tablet enough, he mused.

“Don’t jump to conclusions. I believe that as long as everyone can understand each other, peace will surely come,” Hashirama said, pouting slightly. His eyes sparkled with hope for a bright future.

“Heh.”

Senju Tobirama’s polite laugh carried a touch of mockery as he looked at his older brother like one would at a hopeless idealist.

“For now, let’s set this matter aside and observe the situation for a while. Our immediate concern is how to deal with the Tailed Beasts,” Hashirama interjected, cutting off any further debate.

Glimmers of confidence shone in his eyes as he silently resolved himself. Time will prove everything. When that happens, even if you two beg for forgiveness, I won’t forgive you easily.

“Hmph! Those Tailed Beasts must never be handed over to the Uchiha,” Tobirama insisted, stubborn as ever, refusing to give Madara any face.

To him, the Uchiha were far too extreme.

However, recalling his exceptional student, Tobirama hesitated slightly.

Well, except for that prodigy, he conceded internally.

“It doesn’t matter to me. If you don’t care about Hashirama’s health, I have nothing more to say,” Madara responded, crossing his arms.

He cast a worried look at the visibly exhausted Hashirama, shook his head, and withdrew from the argument.

“You!”

Madara’s strategic retreat enraged Tobirama even further. That a Uchiha could deploy such cunning words was infuriating.

Grinding his teeth, Tobirama glared at Madara, struggling to articulate a response.

“Thank you, Madara,” Hashirama said with gratitude.

“Sigh, Hashirama, this is the best I can do for you,” Madara replied with a resigned shake of his head.

But then, Tobirama’s eyes suddenly lit up, and a sly grin spread across his face.

“Big brother, letting the Uchiha handle the Tailed Beasts might not be impossible after all,” Tobirama declared.

“Huh? You’ve changed your mind?”

Hashirama’s face lit up with surprise. His usually obstinate brother had unexpectedly agreed with Madara.

“Madara, I’ll leave this matter to you,” Hashirama said excitedly, turning to Madara, who appeared equally surprised.

“Wait!”

Tobirama interrupted, quickly dashing any hopes of a smooth resolution.

“What now?”

Hashirama sighed in exasperation. He loved his brother dearly, but Tobirama’s attitude toward the Uchiha could be exhausting.

“I said the Uchiha could help, but I didn’t say Madara should be involved,” Tobirama clarified with a sly smile.

“What do you mean?”

Madara’s face darkened, sensing Tobirama’s scheming intentions.

“The Tailed Beasts can be managed by the Uchiha, but not by Madara,” Tobirama declared, finally revealing his conditions.

“Fine. Let Izuna do it,” Madara countered nonchalantly.

“Absolutely not!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tobirama rejected the suggestion outright.

“Then who do you suggest? Male, female, old, young—you pick!”

Madara raised a brow, challenging Tobirama to make his choice.

Tobirama’s expression grew contemplative before a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. He smirked and said one name:

“Uchiha Gin.”

“Absolutely not!” x2

The vehement reactions from both Hashirama and Madara startled Tobirama.

Madara’s face turned cold, his crimson eyes blazing with anger as the atmosphere in the room dropped to freezing.

“Don’t joke about this, Tobirama. How could you ask Gin to do something so dangerous?” Hashirama interjected, his voice laden with disapproval as he tried to signal something to his brother.

Has he forgotten what happened with Itama?

“Why the overreaction? Isn’t he a Three Tomoe Sharingan user? Shouldn’t he be strong enough to handle the Tailed Beasts?” Tobirama asked, genuinely perplexed.

“Tobirama, there’s something I’ve never told you about Gin. Since the topic has come up, I’ll share it now,” Madara said, his tone softening slightly as he recalled a dark memory.

“Gin once died—at the hands of your Senju clan,” he revealed, his voice ice-cold.

Tobirama and Hashirama were stunned, their eyes widening in disbelief as fragmented memories of a past battle resurfaced.

“Back then, your father struck Gin with such force that it shattered his arms and pierced his chest. He almost didn’t survive,” Madara said bitterly.

“...I’m sorry. That was our father’s doing,” Hashirama said softly, lowering his head in shame.

Madara fell silent, unwilling to respond.

This wound from the past was not easily healed, even with their current alliance.


But what surprised him was that even Tobirama Senju, who had always been at odds with the Uchiha clan, showed a hint of guilt. In a barely audible voice, he said, "Sorry."

"Ahem, ahem... You should probably say these things to Cousin directly when you get the chance," Madara Uchiha replied.

For some reason, Madara felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. Looking at the guilty expressions on the Senju brothers' faces, he ultimately chose to forgive them.

After all, Cousin survived in the end, didn’t he?
"We will definitely visit him to apologize in person!"

Hashirama Senju's expression grew serious as he pulled Tobirama by the sleeve, sincerely promising,
"Let me continue. At the time, Cousin suffered a fatal blow, and his vital signs had disappeared. Just when we thought it was time to hold the funeral feast, he miraculously came back to life."

Nodding, Madara’s cold expression softened slightly as he addressed the Senju brothers,
"Resurrected from death? Was it some kind of forbidden technique?"

Hearing about such a miraculous resurrection, Tobirama’s curiosity was immediately piqued. His eyes lit up with a thirst for knowledge, and despite his dislike for Madara, he couldn’t help but ask.

"What technique?"

"Do you remember the mark on Cousin’s forehead?"

Rather than directly answering Tobirama’s question, Madara instead asked the two curious brothers.


"The mark? You mean that black one? Isn’t that just a tattoo?"

Momentarily stunned, the brothers simultaneously recalled the purple diamond-shaped mark on their sister's forehead.

They had always thought it was a fashion trend started by Uchiha Gin but didn’t realize it held deeper meaning.

"How could it be a mere tattoo? That mark is a wondrous medical forbidden technique called the Yin Seal," Madara explained, rolling his eyes subtly at their ignorance.

"You mean the forbidden technique that not only heals fatal injuries but also stores chakra and extends one’s life, even granting eternal youth?"

Even someone as knowledgeable as Tobirama couldn’t hide his shock upon hearing about such an extraordinary jutsu.

The brothers exchanged subtle glances, their eyes betraying a hint of delight.
“Our sister... she’ll always remain our little sister, won’t she?”

"That’s correct," Madara confirmed with a smug look. But just as the Senju brothers were marveling at the jutsu, Madara changed his tone, causing their hearts to tighten.
"However..."

"However what?"

"The technique isn’t without side effects."

"Side effects?!"

The brothers were alarmed. Their excitement quickly turned to worry.

"Why are you so anxious? The side effects apply to Cousin, not you two," Madara said, raising an eyebrow in confusion at their overreaction.

"Continue," they urged, exchanging glances and suppressing their unease.

"Our father once told me that the jutsu was developed by a relative of Cousin to improve his frail constitution. However, because his practice of the jutsu was imperfect and it was activated at the brink of death, it resulted in a series of side effects," Madara recounted softly.

"Although the Yin Seal saved his life and granted him eternal youth, Cousin was never able to improve his strength by even a step after his revival. There is no such thing as perfection in the world," Madara sighed.

"Do you recall the color of the mark on Cousin’s forehead? Most of the chakra he refined was absorbed by the Yin Seal to maintain his eternal youth, leaving just enough to sustain his abilities at a captain’s level."

At this, the Senju brothers remembered that while both Uchiha Gin and their sister had similar marks, hers was purple while his was a reddish-black.

"What about someone who practices it perfectly?" Hashirama asked, his face showing a mix of curiosity and intent.

"A perfect Yin Seal would have a purple mark with no side effects," Madara replied earnestly, though he wasn’t sure why Hashirama was asking.

Hearing this, the brothers felt relieved. Their expressions relaxed as they shifted their gaze to Madara’s forehead. Noticing no mark there, Tobirama, quick as ever, asked,
"If this technique is so incredible, why hasn’t it been widely practiced in the Uchiha clan? Not even you, the clan leader, seem to have learned it."

Such an amazing jutsu, with its healing properties alone, rivaled Hashirama’s natural abilities. Not to mention its ability to grant eternal youth, which would undoubtedly attract countless kunoichi to defect, no matter the cost, just to join the Uchiha clan.



"Hah~ I suppose it’s fine if you know. The Yin Seal is incredibly demanding to train in, particularly due to one strict requirement," Madara Uchiha said, scratching his face awkwardly, a hint of embarrassment showing. He and Izuna had once tried to practice the Yin Seal but made no progress at all.

"What requirement?"

Sensing something unusual in Madara’s tone, the curiosity of the Senju brothers peaked. They eagerly pressed him for an answer.

"The Yin Seal is a forbidden technique that can only be practiced by women," Madara replied, his gaze evasive as he revealed the prerequisite for the technique.

"What?"

Both brothers widened their eyes in unison, feeling as if a stampede of wild horses had just trampled through their minds.

"Wait a second—you said only women can learn it. Then that curly-haired guy... is he...?"

Suppressing the urge to burst out laughing, Tobirama Senju shot Madara a strange look, his tone dripping with gossip.

Heavens! That curly-haired guy isn’t even a man?!

"Your expression is rude," Madara snapped. "As I said earlier, Cousin’s training was imperfect because the jutsu is restricted to women. However, since the Yin Seal was custom-designed by a relative for Big Cousin, he was barely able to train in it."

With a cold snort, Madara shared the information he’d learned from his father and Uchiha Haru with the Senju brothers.

"Oh~ I see. I thought..."

Thought what? That one must first, ahem make a sacrifice to master it?

"So, Uchiha Gin’s strength is actually average, and it’s only his eternal youth and long lifespan that stand out?" Tobirama frowned as he summarized Madara’s explanation.

An immortal turtle of the ninja world?

"You could put it that way, but Cousin isn’t completely useless~" Madara countered, feeling the need to defend Gin after Tobirama’s dismissive remark.

"Oh? And what exactly is his specialty?"

Does that curly-haired guy have some hidden talent or ability?

"Uh... he’s good at...!"

"..."

"Never mind that. Let’s move on. If it’s too much trouble, the Uchiha clan won’t participate in handling the tailed beasts anymore."

After some back-and-forth, Madara firmly rejected Tobirama’s proposal.

"In that case, let me ask you directly: does the Uchiha clan have any more Mangekyō Sharingan users?"

At this question, Madara’s expression instantly darkened. His gaze toward Tobirama turned hostile, filled with suspicion.

So, the plan wasn’t just to have Gin control the tailed beasts—it was also to probe the Uchiha clan’s secrets.

This Tobirama Senju, such a scheming mind. Compared to him, Izuna is as innocent as a blank sheet of paper.

"What do you mean by that?"

Madara’s voice was icy, and the atmosphere in the room grew tense. The faint glow of red appeared in his Sharingan, and the veins on his hands bulged, signaling he was ready to act.

Thud!

Suddenly, the tense atmosphere was shattered by a loud noise. Madara, confused, lowered his hands and looked at Hashirama, who had just struck Tobirama.

"Hashirama, was that really necessary?" Madara asked, puzzled.

"Well, Tobirama shouldn’t speak so carelessly. We’re all part of the same village now," Hashirama said as he withdrew his fist, his expression apologetic. Glancing at his brother, who was now embedded in the wall, Hashirama sighed quietly before turning back to Madara with a sincere look.

“Whew... Urgh!”

Tobirama, who had been punched into the wall, struggled to pull his head out. His face, now swollen and red, was full of grievance as he glanced at Hashirama and Madara chatting amiably, not even sparing him a glance. A sense of despair and abandonment welled up in his heart.

Does love really just fade away?

"Big Brother, you hit me for him?" Tobirama covered his face, attempting to appeal to his brother’s sense of familial love.

"I hit you to wake you up. I’ve told you repeatedly not to treat our own people like enemies using the tactics of the Warring States era. This was just a lesson. If it happens again, I’ll assign you to do community service in the Uchiha district," Hashirama said, unmoved by Tobirama’s pitiful look, acting as a paragon of fairness and justice.

"Their public restrooms have been clogged recently," Madara added with a sly smile, clearly enjoying the situation as he imagined Tobirama taking on the role of a handyman.

"Big Brother, you’ve misunderstood me! Everything I said was for the good of Konoha!" Tobirama protested, his face flushed with anger as he glared at Madara.

Turning to Hashirama, he explained his actions, his voice tinged with sorrow.

"Oh? How so?"

Facing such a high-minded explanation, Hashirama had no choice but to take him seriously.

"Madara Uchiha, you’ve used the Sharingan to control tailed beasts before, haven’t you?"

"So what?"

Madara, expecting another trap, raised his brow in suspicion.

"What level of Sharingan is required to perfectly control one or even multiple tailed beasts?" Tobirama asked, his face serious, showing no sign of personal animosity.

"Naturally, the Mangekyō..."

Madara trailed off, realizing halfway through his answer what Tobirama was getting at. Seeing the faint smirk on Tobirama’s lips, Madara’s heart sank, and he instantly understood the cunning plan at play.

"Tobirama, why are you asking this again?" Hashirama frowned, unhappy that the conversation had circled back.

"Fine. Since you’re so curious, I’ll tell you,"

Madara said, deciding to address Tobirama’s curiosity openly rather than letting him continue probing in secret.

"Wait! Madara, there’s no need to reveal clan secrets so lightly," Hashirama quickly interjected, trying to prevent potential conflict.

"There’s nothing to hide. Aside from Izuna and me, the Uchiha clan has two more Mangekyō Sharingan users," Madara declared, his tone calm yet resolute.