218. I Will Tell Mito

Boom!

As Uchiha Gin and his uncle were mid-conversation, the speeding small boat abruptly stopped on the water near their steel giant. A moment later, a massive figure leapt aboard with a deafening whoosh, landing firmly on the deck. The force of the landing left a deep dent in the steel-plated surface.

"Hey! Uzumaki Hanamichi! You did that on purpose, didn’t you? This is a brand-new Uchiha-made destroyer!"

Uchiha Gin's heart ached as he stared at the damage. With a flash, he appeared next to the hulking man and, without hesitation, kicked him squarely in the backside, sending him flying. He then crouched over the dented deck, gently caressing it with a pained expression, as if nursing a wound.

"Hmph! This is what you call a 'maritime juggernaut'? Looks more like scrap metal to me,"

Uzumaki Hanamichi muttered dismissively as he rolled back onto his feet and dusted himself off. His face bore a slight hint of age and weariness, but his eyes betrayed a spark of admiration, though his tone dripped with mockery.

"Oh, really? Well, since you’re unimpressed, I guess I’ll just message Mito about it then."

At the mention of Uzumaki Mito, the once-proud Hanamichi froze. His face twisted in visible discomfort, and the brash arrogance he had displayed seconds earlier crumbled instantly.

"Alright, alright, you win. Please, for the love of everything, don’t tattle to Mito!"

The mere mention of her name turned the towering man into a meek child. Seeing his reaction, Uchiha Gin chuckled and patted his shoulder amicably.

"That’s better. We're all family here, after all. Harmony is good for business."

Meanwhile, Uchiha Tajima and Uchiha Haru stood to the side, their jaws slack. Seeing the intimidating, red-haired mountain of a man cowed by Gin left them momentarily speechless. After a long pause, Tajima elbowed Mio and whispered, "That’s Uzumaki Hanamichi, right?"

"Without a doubt. That physique and the life energy coursing through him... It has to be him," Haru replied, rubbing his eyes as though to confirm he wasn’t hallucinating.

"When did Gin get so chummy with the Uzumaki clan? And judging by that guy’s attitude, it’s not just a simple hired help situation."

Initially, Tajima had assumed Gin had used his wealth to hire Uzumaki ninja as guides. But seeing Hanamichi’s casual familiarity, he began suspecting that his nephew might have some deeper connection with the Uzumaki clan.

"Alright, Uncle, let me introduce you. This overly muscular, under-brained guy here is Uzumaki Hanamichi, the second-in-command of the Uzumaki clan."

Gin’s voice broke their train of thought as he approached, leading the hulking redhead to them with a grin.

"I know who he is—Uzumaki Hanamichi, the strongest warrior in the Uzumaki clan."

Tajima cut off Gin mid-introduction, his gaze sharp as he scrutinized Hanamichi.

"And you must be Uchiha Tajima, the former head of the Uchiha clan. Hmph. Judging by your aura, you’re nothing special,"

Hanamichi said with a sneer, his words dripping with condescension as he assessed Tajima’s weakened state.

Bang!

Before Tajima could react, Gin darted forward, launching a flying kick at Hanamichi’s side. The kick sent the massive man hurtling into the ocean with a resounding splash.

"Hanamichi, you’re a leader now. Can’t you at least try to sound a bit more civilized?"

Gin landed gracefully on the deck after a midair spin, speaking in a tone of mock reprimand to the floundering Hanamichi.

"Bah! Besides using underhanded tricks, what else can you even do?"

Sputtering and coughing up seawater, Hanamichi struggled back onto the ship, completely drenched. Without hesitation, he grabbed Gin by the collar, his booming voice filled with righteous indignation.

"I’ll tattle to Mito!"

"...Fine. You win."

At the mention of his terrifying younger sister, Gin’s confident demeanor crumbled. His expression soured, and he quickly pried himself free from Hanamichi’s grip, muttering begrudging surrender.

"Gin, when did you get involved with the Uzumaki clan?"

Tajima’s curiosity only deepened as he observed their interaction. He walked over, casually nudging his nephew and asking the question outright.

"Heh. I don’t have any specific hobbies—just a knack for making friends," Gin replied with a sly grin.

"But didn’t you almost die at this guy’s hands during a mission years ago?"

Tajima narrowed his eyes at Hanamichi, recalling the time Gin had narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Uzumaki warrior.

Gin simply shrugged with a smirk, leaving his uncle more puzzled than ever.



"That’s what you call ‘No conflict, no friendship,’ right, Hanamichi Bro~?"

Uzumaki Hanamichi could only nod helplessly, his heart filled with frustration. Fighting was out of the question—he couldn’t win—and his sister always sided with the other party. Life was hard.

“That’s more like it! Hanamichi is totally reliable. Just follow him, Uncle.”

Seeing that it was almost time, Uchiha Gin, worried about his two younger cousins looking for him, gave a few instructions to the bewildered Uchiha Tajima. With a slight raise of his finger, he vanished on the spot.

"That technique again… how convenient."

As Uchiha Gin disappeared, Uzumaki Hanamichi seemed to regain his spirit, reverting to his original arrogance. His dark eyes were filled with envy. He had long coveted the Flying Thunder God Technique, but with no talent for spatial ninjutsu, he could never master it.

“Uchiha Tajima, um… can I call you Uncle Tajima? Have you guys packed everything yet?”

Once his envy subsided, Uzumaki Hanamichi turned toward the cautious Uchiha Tajima and spoke.

“Huh? Uh, yes, everything’s ready.”

To his surprise, Hanamichi's arrogant demeanor from earlier was gone, replaced by unexpected politeness.

“No, no, no, we’re all family. It’s only right to help.”

Remembering his sister, Hanamichi's heart ached as he waved his hand to indicate that his courtesy came from sincerity, not pretense.

“All right, then.”

Uchiha Tajima couldn’t understand what kind of genjutsu Uchiha Gin had used to turn the once overbearing Hanamichi into someone so agreeable.

“Let’s go, let’s go. Everything in the Land of Waves has been sorted out for you. The main city is almost built. Once you get there, you just need to take over and settle in.”

“Really?”

Uchiha Tajima was shocked. He had thought Uchiha Gin was sending him to the Land of Waves to expand the clan’s territory, but it seemed he was being sent there to enjoy life instead.

“Well, there are still some pirates around since our ships can’t catch them…”

After boasting a moment ago, Uzumaki Hanamichi suddenly remembered the pirates roaming the seas. Scratching his head awkwardly, he stared longingly at the Uchiha clan’s destroyer and confessed the truth.

“No problem. Leave those guys to us!”

As the creator of the destroyer, Uchiha Haru's eyes lit up at the mention of pirates. It was the perfect opportunity to test the ship’s combat capabilities, and she immediately volunteered to handle it.

“Boom~ Boom~”

With Uchiha Tajima’s command, several Uchiha clan members in the engine room infused their chakra into the destroyer’s power core. As the blazing chakra began to rise, the steel behemoth seemed to come to life, trembling with energy. Amidst the rumbling, the ark bearing the hopes of the Uchiha clan set sail into the deep blue sea.


---

Meanwhile, at the scene of the Uchiha-Senju alliance, several striking figures were searching for a certain curly-haired man.

“Huh? I could’ve sworn I saw Gin come in here…”

A tall, elegant Uchiha woman touched her smooth chin in confusion. Uchiha Hikari clearly remembered seeing Gin sneak off with his two younger cousins into a small dark room near the restroom. The two cousins had already left, but Gin was nowhere to be found.

“Could he have gone to the Senju side?”

Beside Hikari stood a sweet-looking woman with long purple hair. Her large, expressive eyes were filled with thought, and her dark pupils turned slightly as if she had just recalled something. Her tone carried a hint of mischief.

“I heard Senju Hashirama’s wife is here. Gin seems to know her from the past. Could it be…?”

“Impossible! Sister Momoka would never do that!”

A short-haired woman standing cautiously behind Uchiha Haruka immediately jumped out to refute the outrageous speculation, her voice filled with indignation.

“Why don’t you just go back?”

Ignoring the vehement denial, Uchiha Hikari glanced skeptically at the bustling Senju crowd and asked sharply.

“Now that the two clans are allied, Gin shouldn’t stop you if you want to return.”

If this tomboy went back, it would just be Hikari and Gin left at home. Wouldn’t that mean she had won?

“Hmph! Unless that curly-haired ape personally sends me, I’m not going back!”

Hearing Hikari’s words, Senju Itama froze for a moment before a strange sense of foreboding crept into her heart. She glanced at her older brother, who was laughing heartily in the distance, but her feet felt rooted in place. Taking a deep breath, she responded stubbornly.

At that moment, a voice inside her warned that if she left now, she might lose someone important forever.

“Hey, hey, hey! What are you all doing here? Even the restroom needs to be used in order, you know!”