167. Relatives

“Hey, big brother, don’t you think the moon looks pretty full tonight?”

As night fell outside the Uchiha clan’s camp, Uchiha Izuna lay on the grass, pointing at the round moon in the sky with a look of yearning in his eyes.

The moon cast a gentle glow, lending a moment of peace to the grim atmosphere.

“Hmph, what’s so special about the moon?”

Beside him, Uchiha Madara scoffed at his younger brother’s childish comment, continuing to polish his gleaming sickle. At this moment, his only interest was in Hashirama, disregarding anything else.

“Ugh, no sense of romance,”

Izuna pouted at Madara’s response, his black eyes reflecting the bright moon. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned to his brother with a mysterious look.

“Big brother, big brother, I have a secret to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Once, a long time ago, when our cousin was drunk, he pointed at the moon and told me that we have relatives up there.”

Izuna moved in close, glancing around warily, as he shared this long-buried secret with his brother.

“Are you an idiot?”

Madara paused, giving his brother a deadpan look. Unable to hold back, he scoffed.

“What? Our cousin never lies to me.”

Izuna had an unshakeable trust in their kind cousin, who never missed giving him a new year’s gift all these years.

“So, what are those ‘relatives’ doing on the moon, then?”

Madara sighed at his childish brother. He’s over twenty but still acts like a kid.

“Hah, you’re asking the right person! Our cousin explained it all.”

Izuna’s eyes sparkled as he straightened up, pointing to the silver moon and grinning.

“Our relatives on the moon are guarding a tree, and hanging on that tree… is our ancestor.”

“From now on, don’t drink with that cousin of yours—it’s killing your brain cells.”

A long silence fell as Madara looked up at the full moon for the first time. The moon hung like a quiet goddess, emanating a beauty that was hard to describe. Sure, it had some charm. But as for his cousin’s story? Ridiculous. Who would believe there are people living on the moon?


---

In a dense forest, Uchiha Gin sat by a shimmering lake, humming a familiar tune. The sun’s warm glow blanketed the serene landscape.

“If nothing else, this place really would make a nice vacation spot,” he mused, taking in the peace.

“Detected… Intruder…”

The moment of calm was broken by an abrupt noise.

“Crack!”

Annoyed, Gin zapped the source with a burst of electricity, silencing it in an instant.

“How do I get back home?” he sighed, dusting himself off. His black eyes took on a faint blue glow as he focused, scanning the shadows for clues.

“Hmm? Looks like there’s a settlement over there. Maybe I’ll find a local to show me the way.”

Thanks to his special vision, Gin soon spotted an ancient-looking city in the distance. He took off in its direction.


---

Shortly after he left, a group of cloaked figures arrived at his previous location. The middle-aged woman leading them froze as she saw the scorched earth and destroyed puppets strewn about.

"After all these years, an Earthling has managed to break in.”

The once-mighty Otsutsuki puppets lay in heaps, some charred, some torn apart, others scattered by lightning. Such force was beyond any normal clan member’s power.

“Whoever it is, they’re prepared. I’ll report to the clan leader; you stay here and investigate.”

With a wary look, she boarded a small, hovering vessel and sped into the sky.


---

Meanwhile, Gin strolled through the abandoned city, finding no trace of life.

“Hmph! It’s a ghost town. Not even a dog around.”

He brushed his hand over a crumbling wall, noting how the once-hard stones now fell apart at his touch.

“Outsider…”

A faint voice sounded in his ear.

“Guess I’ll find somewhere else…”

Gin ignored the voice, muttering the tried-and-true horror movie advice: never listen to strange whispers.

Outsider…

The voice grew clearer, now with a hint of impatience.

“Byakugan, activate!”

Gin feigned selective deafness, channeling chakra to his eyes to intensify his vision.

“Ah, honored kin from the Earth, you’ve finally arrived!”

The voice shifted into a more respectful tone.

“Oh?”

Gin tilted his head, raising an eyebrow in mock surprise.

“Ahem, pardon my rudeness. Respected kin, please step into the inner chamber.”

The voice, now guiding him with chakra, pointed the way.

With an amused smirk, Gin trotted in the indicated direction, passing through a hidden door into a dim hall.

“Why’s it so creepy in here?”

In the pitch-black chamber, his enhanced vision let him see everything. Mounds scattered across the floor made his skin crawl. Graves?

“Anyone alive in here?”

Seeing no sign of life, Gin called out, growing increasingly uneasy.

“If not, I’m leaving.”

As he turned to go, a cold voice echoed from the shadows.

“Wait, kin from the Earth.”

A figure slowly emerged—a long-haired man with closed eyes.

“Uh, hello. But are you sure you’re related to me? I don’t have any relatives this… ugly.”

Gin looked the man up and down, his voice laced with subtle disdain. The Uchiha clan has standards, after all.

“…”

The man was stunned, his prepared speech faltering as he imagined the look on Gin’s smug face.

Suppressing his frustration, he tried again.

“Child, although I don’t know how you arrived here, as a descendant of our revered ancestor’s bloodline, please hear me out.”

“Not interested.”

“Listen to me…”

“La-la-la, not listening!”

“…”

The long-haired man’s lifeless face filled with dark lines, and he opened his eyes.

“Uh, where are your eyes?”

Gin dropped his hands, noticing the man’s eyes were pitch-black. Finally, he sighed.

“Fine. You’re blind, you win. Go ahead.”

“Child of Earth, do you know who we are?”

“Skip that part. Just tell me who we need to take down. Don’t waste words like in the original story.”

Gin rolled his eyes again, growing impatient.

“...”

The man was speechless again but, determined to fulfill his duty, reached down his throat, pulling out a glowing purple orb and slamming it to the ground.

“I’m done. Someone else can explain this.”

Defeated, he lay down in a stone coffin, pulling the lid shut with a final remark.

“Even a perfect Byakugan can’t help if the brain doesn’t work right!”