154. False Alarm

"Is she trying to trick me?"

Uchiha Gin, who was pretending to be dead, kept his face cold and motionless.

Though his heart was in turmoil, as a professional actor, he couldn't break character over a single sentence.

“Gin-san, do you think I’m trying to deceive you?”

???

Uh-oh. Did little Haruka awaken her Mangekyō Sharingan along with a mind-reading ability? She can see right through me!

"I was really hurt earlier, Gin-san~"

Relieved, Uchiha Gin relaxed; it seemed the girl hadn’t awakened any mind-reading powers.

He nearly let his guard slip again.

Seeing him still pretending, the girl didn’t rush to expose him. Instead, she smiled, casually running her fingers through his curly hair.

"Wow~ it feels so nice! I've always wanted to do this!"

Six years ago, when Uchiha Haruka first met Uchiha Gin, she was captivated by his unique curly hair.

She’d kept her fascination hidden, only indulging in occasional daydreams about it.

"See, Gin-san? If you persevere, dreams do come true eventually, right?"

After playfully tousling his hair into a mess, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, leaving a warm breath and her distinct fragrance lingering on his face.

“Heh~ still playing dead?”

The girl chuckled softly, gazing at him with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

When he didn’t respond, she mischievously ran a finger down his face, over his chest, and lower.

"Gin-san, I didn’t expect you to be secretly working out!"

Her playful voice teased him, hands resting on his abdomen, her fingers tapping rhythmically on his abs.

“If you don’t respond, I might just go all out~”

Though his abs had tensed up, as a professional actor, Uchiha Gin stayed expressionless. He was gambling that her actions were just her way of dealing with grief.

After all, being an Uchiha, this kind of thing wasn’t uncommon.

"Gin-san, I’m going all the way now~”

The girl smirked, sensing his enjoyment of her actions, and slid her hand further down, loosening the last layer of defense below his waist.

"No!"

Uchiha Gin’s horrified shout exploded in her mind, the mental shock almost making her dizzy.

Fortunately, her newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan had strengthened her, or she might have fainted.

Hearing the familiar voice in her mind, Haruka paused, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face.

"Tsk! So close, and I would’ve success!"

“Gin-san, not going to keep pretending?”

Withdrawing her mischievous hand, Haruka's expression cooled as she began a mental conversation with Uchiha Gin.

"Phew~ if I didn’t say anything, it would’ve been over for me!"

Gin’s mental figure sighed in relief, thinking about how he almost lost his long-preserved dignity to this little girl.

"I had no choice; otherwise, how else would Gin-san respond?"

Haruka replied, still marveling at this new mental ability interface.

"So, who taught you to use such methods?"

Gin was speechless. Haruka, who he thought was such a good kid, knew these tricks?

"Uh, it was... Mother, yes! She had a book titled The Secret Techniques of Female Ninja hidden under her bed. I learned it from there and tried it for the first time today."

Gin’s question flustered Haruka, but her quick wit kicked in, and she spun a believable story.

"Sorry, Mother. From now on, we’re no longer just mother and daughter!"

"Lady Eimi! How could she leave that kind of thing where a child could find it?"

Uchiha Gin grumbled, now convinced he’d need a long talk with her about Haruka's upbringing.

"Haruka, remember: that technique should only be used as an adult and with someone you truly like."

Uchiha Gin’s spiritual figure reached out to pat her head, speaking gently.

"Hmph! If you really died, lots of people would be heartbroken!"

Though just a spiritual form, Haruka felt the sensation of his hand, pouting in frustration.

"Haha, just an improvisation to stay a step ahead of my cousins. After all, it’s a good script, right?”

Gin laughed. Now that Haruka knew, he didn’t mind sharing the truth.

"Can I say it was awful?”

Haruka rolled her eyes, unimpressed by his pride.

“Gin-san, OUT!"

Gin’s pride took a hit, his spiritual form collapsing in defeat.

"But anyway, how did you figure out I was pretending?”

Gathering his strength, Gin asked her. His death-act was perfect, beyond anyone else’s skill.

"Actually, right after I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, I discovered a unique eye technique.”

Though ninja typically kept their abilities secret, she trusted Gin and started explaining her newfound ability.

“My eye technique is called Revealing Gem, and its power is time reversal.”

"Revealing Gem? Time reversal?"

Gin frowned, shocked to hear of a technique he’d never come across in any records.

Haruka took a moment to gather her thoughts, explaining her ability in detail.

“In short, my eyes allow me to lock onto a specific person or object and trace its time back, letting me see past events in detail.”

Gin’s heart sank. If Haruka's eye technique was as she described, his secret of being from another world was at risk.

"And you saw..."

Gin steadied himself, cautiously asking her.

“The Revealing Gem sounds powerful, but it’s not as frightening as it sounds,” she reassured him.

“I can only see a few minutes back. Beyond that, it’s just darkness.”

That was true. Moments ago, she’d used the Revealing Gem on his corpse and watched him briefly open his eyes and glance around.

Not quite believing it, she had watched that scene repeatedly, risking eye strain until she nearly fainted.

“Ha?”

Gin was filled with regret, realizing his small slip-up had ruined the whole act. This couldn’t get out, or his reputation as a master actor would be ruined!

Thinking this, he looked at Haruka with a deeply serious gaze, plotting in his mind.

"Haruka"

His eyes were filled with righteousness, speaking earnestly to Haruka, who was pondering how to tease him.

“All my sacrifices were for the future of the Uchiha clan!”

"Well, since the mission is done, maybe we could tell the young masters the truth?”

Haruka's eyebrow arched, a glint of slyness in her gaze.

"Ahem... I suppose there's no need to tell them everything?"

Gin’s plans unraveled as he nervously replied.

“Why not? If they knew how deeply you care, they’d be so grateful!"

Haruka's innocent smile hid a devilish glee, watching him break into a cold sweat.