236. Sneaky Woman

“Izuna, eat slower—nobody’s competing with you~”

Madara Uchiha looked at his younger brother, who was wolfing down his food, with a pained expression. The once-vibrant, jet-black hair that used to stand high now clung lifelessly to his scalp. His previously youthful, collagen-rich face was now sallow and gaunt.

He looked like a weary old man, no wonder Uchiha Gin mistook him for a passing elder.

“Here, eat some garlic—it’s good for vitality.”

Uchiha Gin, as if realizing something, suddenly became enthusiastic. He generously pushed the garlic leftovers on his plate toward the ravenous Uchiha Izuna, hoping to silence him and stop his grumbling.

“Thank you~” Izuna mumbled, his voice muffled by food.

“Cousin, what’s going on with Izuna? Did something happen in the clan?”

Madara, his brows furrowed, turned his questioning gaze toward the evasive Uchiha Gin. Before his retreat, he had entrusted the clan’s affairs to his cousin and Izuna.

Why was Gin only slightly worse for wear, while Izuna looked like he’d been drained dry? It seemed as if Izuna had performed a forbidden technique that overtaxed his lifespan.

“Uh… Maybe the kid overindulged himself while you were away,” Gin stammered, scratching his face nervously, placing the blame entirely on Izuna's lack of self-restraint.

“Brother, Cousin is inhuman!”

On the other side, Izuna, now rejuvenated after licking his plate clean, grabbed Madara’s sleeve with teary eyes and a hoarse voice, accusing Gin loudly.

“Wash your hands first, then explain,” Madara said, sighing at his brother’s miserable state. With a knowing glance at Gin’s self-righteous face, Madara realized Izuna had undoubtedly been duped by his cousin again.

“Cousin, did you seriously not accomplish anything?”

After consoling Izuna, Madara scratched his head and questioned Gin with a hint of exasperation, though without any real reprimand.

“Well, not exactly. I helped arrange severance pay for the brothers in the dungeon without spending a penny of the clan’s funds,” Gin said, his eyes gleaming mischievously as he awkwardly scratched his head, recounting his "achievement."

“You’re proud of that? Yesterday, you managed to offend every single member of the new Shinobi Alliance!”

Izuna's forehead veins bulged as he fumed over Gin’s smugness. Gin’s actions had caused a citywide uproar; according to reports, the Shinobi Alliance spent nearly 30 billion Ryo to ransom prisoners from the dungeon, and they surely harbored grudges against the Uchiha clan for Gin’s antics.

“Is that true?” Madara frowned. Although he wasn’t worried about the Shinobi Alliance’s retaliation, Gin’s physical frailty made him vulnerable to underhanded tactics.

“Don’t worry, those guys are my buddies. I’ll introduce them to you next time,” Gin protested against Izuna's slander, assuring them that the alliance members were friendly and reliable.


---

“Izuna, any updates on Hashirama’s side?”

Knowing Gin had been slacking, Madara sighed and shifted his attention to Izuna, asking about the village’s situation.

“It seems Senju Hashirama has been negotiating with the daimyo to secure Konoha’s legal status,” Quanna replied after some thought.

“Did he succeed?”

“It’s almost certain. The nobility supports it—they want peace to stabilize tax revenue, which benefits them too. The daimyo even invited Hashirama for a meeting, so it’s as good as done.”

Although disliking the Senju clan’s limelight, Izuna acknowledged that this development was beneficial for the ninja profession and the clans’ future.


---

Half a month later, members of the Shinobi Alliance and the Hyuga clan began migrating to Konoha. The once-empty clan districts filled with life as the streets grew lively. After welcoming the final group, Hashirama led a team to the capital for the meeting with the daimyo.

A few days later, Hashirama returned to Konoha, beaming with joy and bringing good news.


---

In Hashirama’s temporary office, representatives from various clans gathered. Hashirama sat on one side of the desk, Madara on the other. Both men radiated excitement.

“Big Brother, everyone’s here. You can announce it now,” Tobirama, acting as the secretary, whispered a reminder.

“Madara, why don’t you do it?” Hashirama turned to his friend with a smile, prompting Tobirama to roll his eyes.

“This was your achievement. You sacrificed a lot—I won’t steal your limelight,” Madara said, his expression briefly softening before turning cold as he glanced at Tobirama, deep in thought.

“Well, if you insist!” Hashirama laughed, picking up the document and standing.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have great news to share!”

The room fell silent as the representatives straightened in anticipation.

“The daimyo has signed an agreement establishing a ‘one nation, one village’ system. Konoha is now the sole legal ninja hub of the Land of Fire. The daimyo will fund us annually for infrastructure and training, while we ensure the nation’s security and handle missions professionally.”

The announcement caused a stir, with murmurs filling the room.

“Does this mean we’re permanently under the daimyo’s employment?” asked the Nara clan head, his sharp eyes narrowing.

“Not at all. Konoha is an equal partner with the Land of Fire, a mutually beneficial relationship,” Hashirama clarified with a smile.

“Then I have no objections,” the Nara head said, satisfied.

Cheers erupted as others celebrated their formal incorporation into the system.


---

Later, standing atop a familiar cliff overlooking the bustling village, Hashirama and Madara shared a moment of quiet pride.

“Hashirama, why not mention your sacrifices? They think you just sweet-talked the nobles,” Madara said, breaking the silence.

“Nothing much—just a marriage alliance. The daimyo wanted my son to marry his daughter,” Hashirama admitted with a hearty laugh.

“...That would explain the trust. But such a match might hinder your son’s potential,” Madara said with a sigh.

“Well, what choice did I have? If only you had children, I’d have suggested you instead!” Hashirama teased.

Madara’s gaze darkened as he remained silent.





"Hmm, it's not like there's no one. My family has a very suitable candidate~"

Uchiha Madara, who was greatly irritated, couldn’t come up with a rebuttal for a while. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he awkwardly smiled and said:

"Ah? You have an illegitimate child?"

Senju Hashirama was shocked, not expecting Madara to make the same mistake that many men do.

"Bah! Don’t slander me, I was talking about my cousin. He's still single now. Though he looks lazy most of the time, if he tidied up, he could still barely maintain some charm. If sent to the capital, the Daimyo would likely accept him."

Madara laughed joyfully, while completely selling out Uchiha Gin.

"Ah, yes, I remember the Daimyo mentioned that he has an unmarried older sister who's over fifty, and their ages are quite close. Truly a match made in heaven~"

Hearing Madara's teasing words, Hashirama took advantage of the situation to start mocking Uchiha Gin.

"Ha ha ha~~"

When they finished speaking, the two exchanged glances. Time seemed to rewind several decades, back when the two naive boys would chat like this, and memories flooded back, their joyful laughter echoing across the sky.

"Achoo!!!"

At the same time, on a small island in the ocean, a curly-haired man covered in unknown liquid sneezed loudly. He wiped his sore nose with his still relatively clean forearm and muttered in confusion:

"Who’s thinking about me again? Akemi?"

"Human trafficker, hurry up, I can’t wait anymore~"

In front of him, a smooth jade-like back lay flat, its snow-white skin without any visible pores. The voice’s owner turned her head in confusion, looking at Uchiha Gin, who had stopped his actions, and coquettishly urged him:

"This back, it would be a waste not to use cupping~"

"You say you come and yet you bring props? Are you dissatisfied with my techniques?"

Uchiha Gin, with hands covered in some viscous unknown substance, placed them on the restless feet of the girl in front of him. His fingers rubbed between her toes, applying a slightly numbing slime to the most vulnerable parts of her feet, giving her a strange sensation.

"Ah~ it’s so itchy~"

Feeling the tingling sensation in her feet, the girl, unable to bear it any longer, tilted her head back. Her white, jade-like teeth bit her full red lips as her bright red hair arced through the air.

"Ah~ ah~"

As Uchiha Gin’s fingers, glowing with blue chakra, penetrated the pressure points in her feet, the girl curled up like a boiled shrimp, her sweat quickly soaking the snow beneath her.

"Ah? Is that it? I haven’t even boarded yet?"

Uchiha Gin, who had just finished massaging her feet, looked up in confusion at the girl’s trembling, tightly crossed legs, and couldn’t help but comment:

"Wow~ Your technique is as good as ever, human trafficker."

As the climax passed, the exhausted Uzumaki Mito, her black eyes filled with spring-like moisture, stared at Uchiha Gin beside her and softly commented. She extended a snow-white hand to mischievously touch his little brother’s face, her pink tongue licking her red lips.

"Hey, hey, slow down. Now that you’re a Daimyo, can’t you be a bit more composed?"

Uchiha Gin, squinting, felt a pleasant numbness and couldn’t help but let out a contented sigh. But as the speed of Uzumaki Mito’s movements increased, he lowered his head in confusion and asked:

"Pop!"

"Whoah~ hmph, why does it smell like another woman? Don’t think I can’t tell. Did you secretly visit another woman before coming to me?"

Activating her senses, Uzumaki Mito clenched her delicate fist, her teeth gritting as she demanded an explanation.

"Ha? No, I haven’t seen anyone these past few days. Wait, is it Hikari?"

Uchiha Gin was taken aback by her keen sense of smell and recalled a vague memory of seeing crimson eyes after he had been comforting the sleepy Mito last night. He fell asleep confused, and when he woke up, Mito was already sleeping beside him.

"Tsk! Turns out someone stole a march on me. Damn, I thought she was a virtuous woman. I didn’t want to send her to Turtle Island for punishment, but now it seems she’s just a sneaky thief!"

Hearing Uchiha Gin’s muttering, Uzumaki Mito figured out who the scent belonged to and angrily huffed.

"Alright, alright, don’t be mad. I’ll let her try your taste next time~"

Wrapping her arms around the furious girl’s slender waist, Uchiha Gin softly caressed her white neck, his warm breath tickling her ear as he comforted her.

"Hmph~ That would let her take advantage!"

Suddenly feeling a familiar firmness behind her, Uzumaki Mito’s anger vanished, and she playfully swayed her waist, ready for a more intimate exchange.

"Ah~"

"How did you know that the one village, one country system would be implemented?"

After a satisfying exchange, the exhausted Uzumaki Mito leaned against Uchiha Gin’s strong chest. Her snow-white fingers gently circled it, her full lips slightly panting as her dark eyes shimmered with desire. Looking at the man she was infatuated with, she softly asked:

"It’s the trend of the times. And the implementation in the Uzumaki country is quite effective, right?"

Uchiha Gin used one hand to stroke her bright red hair, while the other was occupied with teasing her, making Uzumaki Mito laugh with delight.

"Take it easy~"

"Our Uzumaki country was originally a country built on villages. Everyone is united, so the one village, one country system faces no obstacles."

She brushed aside Uchiha Gin’s hand and, her face flushed, continued:

"The one village, one country system is beneficial to the national strength. Starting from now, any country that lags behind will fall far behind."

The Daimyo of the Fire Country had already signed the one village, one country agreement with Konoha, and over the next few years, the Fire Country’s overall strength would grow explosively. Other countries would surely follow suit.

"How about I bring the Uzumaki Clan to join Konoha? Staying in the Uzumaki Country is too boring~"

Already falling for Uchiha Gin, Uzumaki Mito no longer wanted to leave his warm embrace. She clung to his arm, suggesting they bring their clan to Konoha.

"Definitely not. What if one day the Uchiha clan can’t stay in Konoha anymore? At least we’d have a sea route to escape."

Uchiha Gin understood the principle of not putting all his eggs in one basket. With the two women at home, he could barely handle it. If Uzumaki Mito joined, it would be too much to handle.

"Alright, then you have to come see me every week~"

Uzumaki Mito pouted, knowing that this matter was unlikely to happen. The Uzumaki Country was developing rapidly and had already formed an alliance with the Wave Country, essentially dominating the entire eastern sea of the Fire Country.

"Of course. By the way, have you had any trouble recently?"

Uchiha Gin secretly massaged his sore back, forcing a smile as he replied, before asking about recent events:

"Nothing, really. I ran into an old man last time. I used the hammer you gave me and cracked open his head. Both his eyes ended up skewed like a cross-eyed person, ha ha~"

Hearing Uchiha Gin’s concern, Uzumaki Mito’s heart warmed. She smiled widely, her eyes narrowing into crescent shapes as she recounted the incident.

"I’m glad you’re fine."

Thinking of Uzumaki Mito wielding the giant ship-breaker and single-handedly sinking a ship, Uchiha Gin couldn’t help but feel a chill down his spine, wondering if his own giant ship might be her next target.

"We should go."

After a long embrace, Uchiha Gin propped himself up, brushing his hand over Uzumaki Mito’s forehead. Sensing the increasing intensity of the purple seal on her head, he slowly spoke:

"Mm."

Not wanting to continue their playful entanglement, Uzumaki Mito stood up and dressed. In a moment, she transformed back into the powerful ruler, her red hair tied up in a bun, reminding Uchiha Gin of old memories.

"I’ll send you back."

Once Uzumaki Mito was ready, Uchiha Gin placed his hand on her shoulder, and with a slight lift of his fingers, they vanished from the spot.

"Remember to come find me next week~"

The Flying Thunder God seal in Uzumaki Mito’s palace was activated, and as they parted, her eyes filled with reluctance as she looked at Uchiha Gin’s tall figure, calling out:

"I’ll go, wait for me~"

Uchiha Gin smiled broadly and turned into a flash of golden light, disappearing from the spot.

"Ugh~ Another week to wait. What fun tools should I use next time~"