164. Everyone Is My Enemy

In the Uchiha Gin household:

"Uh..." Uchiha Hikari and Senju Itama exchanged glances, both frowning at the confident Uchiha Gin.


They were speechless—after all, swearing on one’s ancestors wasn’t something people did lightly.

"Alright then, let's eat!" Gin, noticing their hesitation, slapped his hand down with a smile.


He got up, rolled up his sleeves, and headed towards the kitchen, calling out as he went, "You've both been working hard lately. Let me cook something special for you."

"Yay! I want sweet and sour fish!" Itama, who had been skeptical moments ago, lit up at the mention of Gin cooking, forgetting his doubts and shouting his order.

"Aren't you worried about getting diabetes?" Hikari quipped.

"You’re the one who should be worried, you sweet tooth!" Itama retorted, indignant.

"Hikari, what would you like?" Gin asked.

"As long as it’s made by you, Gin, I’ll like it," Hikari replied, her usual red eyes went back to black, a hint of shyness showing as she nodded.

Itama, who was just on the same side as her, felt a wave of nausea at her overly sweet response.

“Tone it down, lady,” he muttered to himself.

"Alrighty then!" Gin went into the kitchen with a slight look of relief. Whew, he thought, That was close.

If Hikari ever found out about my connection with Uzumaki Mito, she'd trap Gin in the Tsukuyomi and put Gin through all sorts of tortures.

"Hmph!" Itama scowled at Hikari after Gin left, taking a seat on the couch and looking at her with a challenging gaze.

"Ugh! What are you hmph-ing at? It’s not like you won," Hikari responded with an icy glare, the gentle expression she had shown moments ago completely gone.

Just as Itama was about to respond, he noticed a single red strand of hair lying next to him.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quietly pocketed it, his expression turning contemplative.

"Heh heh, here’s some soup!" Gin’s cheerful voice broke the silence between them. He emerged from the kitchen, smiling, with a pot in hand. “Eat up while it’s hot. I’ll head back for the fish.”

Gin sensed something was off but couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

After leaving some instructions, he returned to the kitchen.

With the last dish on the table, Gin took off his apron and gestured for the two, who had been staring each other down, to sit. “Enough with the staring contest—time to eat!”

At his words, Hikari and Itama reluctantly looked away from each other and started devouring the food in front of them.

"Slow down a bit!" Gin tapped Itama's head with his chopsticks, cautioning him not to choke.

"Naggy... hic... old man..." Itama retorted, his cheeks puffed with food.

Gin’s gaze softened as he looked at the nearly grown-up Itama, his expression nostalgic.

So many years have gone by, he thought.


This kid may be rough around the edges, but he's stayed by my side all this time. He may be brash, but he’s got a good heart.

“Oh, Hikari, have you made any progress in your training?” Gin turned to Hikari, who was sipping her soup delicately.

"Under the guidance of Lady Eimi, I’ve started to understand some things." Hikari's eyes widened briefly, and she pursed her lips, wincing as the hot soup scalded her.

"Keep it up!” Gin nodded encouragingly. “I didn’t expect Lady Eimi to be the first to master the Yin Seal.”

Hikari and Itama had been visiting Uchiha Yomei regularly to learn techniques for the Yin Seal.

Gin’s mind wandered to Eimi’s lovely purple hair, which contrasted well with the mark of the Yin Seal on her forehead.

Six years ago, Gin had entrusted the secrets of the Yin Seal to Eimi for study, and upon learning its effects, Hikari and Itama had shown great interest.

The ones who came along for fun gave up quickly, deeming the jutsu unfit for men.

Gin had been offended and had angrily lectured them on what it meant to be a true man, sending them off in shame.

Most others, though, were dedicated to training, despite making slow progress.

As for Itama, Gin had low expectations—he’d let him try as long as he didn’t get himself killed.

"I still don’t quite understand Lady Eimi," Hikari admitted, her eyes damp from her scalded lip.

Eimi appeared so gentle, yet her talent for training was equal to anyone’s, and her skills remained hidden.

"Don’t worry so much,” Gin waved his hand dismissively. “She’s just an unfortunate widow. Her success with the Yin Seal may have been a fluke.”

Hikari reluctantly let go of her doubts and returned to her soup.


---

At the Uchiha Rimi residence:

"Got it?" Eimi asked her daughter, her elegant figure outlined as she knelt on the tatami mat, pushing her glasses up in frustration.

“Mother, I know all the words you’re saying, but together, they make no sense to me,” her daughter Uchiha Haruka replied, exasperated.

"Ay-ay! How did I raise such a little dummy?” Eimi sighed, sprawling on the floor and pouting dramatically.

“Please, Mother, have some dignity.” Six years had passed, and Chiri, once chubby-cheeked, now looked more like her mother, both in looks and in her developing figure.

"Alright, alright. But remember, I’m giving you a special lesson—you better not lose to those other two!" Eimi said, nudging Haruka's forehead, clearly exasperated.

Haruka furrowed her brow and, seeing her mother’s determination, set her gaze on the purple mark of the Yin Seal on her mother’s forehead. “I won’t lose this time,” she replied, resolute.

“If that’s so, I’ll share the ultimate technique with you,” Eimi said, satisfied.

“Huh? So, what were you teaching me all this time?” Haruka asked, dumbfounded.

"Just some things I’d remembered… from when I was, um, drunk!" Eimi laughed sheepishly, trying to play it off.

Haruka's face turned blank, her patience wearing thin.

Slowly, a large, cherry-colored chakra hand formed behind her.

"Ah! Stop! With that size, you’ll crush me!” Eimi's smile faltered as she tried to talk her daughter down.

"Stop stalling. Show me the real thing." Haruka raised an eyebrow, her chakra hand ready to strike.

"To master the Yin Seal, it’s not just about technique but also your mindset," Eimi finally confessed.

"My mindset?" Haruka frowned, unimpressed with this mystical-sounding answer.

"Yes, you need to be driven by a strong sense of purpose to make real progress."

"Then what’s your purpose, Mother?" Haruka, thinking about her mother’s perseverance, guessed it must be her love and dedication to her family.

"Me? Oh, I just wanted to avoid more wrinkle,” Eimi replied, deadpan.

“Crack!” Haruka's chakra hand descended without mercy.

"Turns out, you're an enemy too,” Haruka muttered coldly.