At the Uchiha residence—
Uchiha Hikari and Itama both frowned as they stared at Gin, who had just solemnly sworn on their ancestors. They had nothing to say—after all, not many people would dare lie after swearing that way.
"…Alright then, let's eat!"
Seeing their hesitant looks, Gin clapped his hands and stood up. Rolling up his sleeves, he headed toward the kitchen while calling back,
"You two have had it rough lately. Let me cook something to treat you."
"Yay! I want sweet and sour fish!"
Itama's doubtful face immediately lit up at the word "cook," tossing all previous suspicions aside as he shouted his order.
"Aren't you afraid of getting diabetes?"
"You're the one who should worry, sweet-tooth!"
Snapped back Itama, instantly riled up.
"What about you, Hikari? What do you want to eat?"
"As long as it's made by Gin-nii, I'll love it."
Hikari's crimson eyes had already faded to black. With a bashful gaze and a gentle tone, she softly replied to Gin.
Tch! Ease up, old woman. The tea fumes are choking the room.
Just moments ago, Itama had felt like they were on the same side, but after witnessing Hikari's green tea energy, he nearly gagged.
Gin turned into the kitchen, a trace of relief flashing across his face.
Phew, that was close. If Hikari ever found out about him and Mito… she'd lock him in a Tsukuyomi space and torture him with who-knows-what terrifying tools.
Itama snorted and dropped the friendly act toward Hikari, striding to the sofa and sitting down with an expression full of challenge in his dark eyes.
"Tch! Why the attitude? You didn't win anything."
Hikari sneered, rolling her eyes as she spat, the gentle persona from just moments ago gone.
As Itama readied a retort, his eyes caught something strange—right beside him was a strand of red hair.
His heart clenched. With a poker face, he carefully tucked the hair away and fell silent, lost in thought.
"Ehehe~ Chicken soup is ready~"
Just then, Gin's cheerful voice broke the tension. Carrying a clay pot, he walked out of the kitchen beaming.
"You two dig in while it's hot. I'll be back in a bit—there's still fish frying."
Gin could feel something was off between the two, but couldn't place it. He gave a reminder and returned to the kitchen.
With the final dish set on the table, Gin dusted his hands, removed his tight apron, and called out to the glaring duo,
"Alright, stop playing around and come eat!"
At his call, Hikari and Itama reluctantly looked away from each other.
Faced with the spread of delicious dishes, the two immediately launched into a feast, devouring everything in sight.
Gin tapped Itama's forehead with his chopsticks.
Itama's cheeks bulged with food as he mumbled back defiantly.
"You're still the same brat after all these years."
Gin's gaze lingered on the nearly grown-up Itama. Without realizing it, this kid had been by his side for years. Though brash and foul-mouthed, his character was solid—far more upright than that silver-haired second brother.
"By the way, Hikari, how's your training going?"
Remembering why they were out today, Gin turned to ask the quietly sipping girl.
"Ah, with Madam Eimi's guidance, we've already grasped some basics."
Caught off guard, Hikari accidentally scalded her lips with hot soup. Still, she looked up, pouting slightly as she replied.
"You both better keep working hard!"
Gin smiled, nodding in encouragement.
"Still, I didn't expect the first one to master the Yin Seal would be Madam Eimi."
Hikari and Itama had been visiting Uchiha Eimi regularly to learn about the Yin Seal. Six years ago, Gin had passed it to Eimi for study. After Hikari and Itama heard about its benefits, they'd shown great interest too.
Following the logic of "if I'm teaching one, might as well teach a group," Gin encouraged others to try learning it as well. But after some effort, the two cousins were the first to give up, insisting it was impossible for men.
Gin had been furious. He scolded them loudly and even threatened to prove them wrong by dropping his pants. They left in shame.
Others kept trying, but none made progress. Gin couldn't help much either—what worked for men might not work for women and vice versa.
Still, he believed talented folks like Eimi and Hikari would eventually master the technique. As for Itama… well, let him fool around. As long as he didn't die, it was fine.
"Honestly, I can't quite see through Madam Eimi."
Hikari pouted, her teary eyes reflecting confusion. The gentle purple-haired woman seemed fragile, yet her talent and hidden strength were undeniable.
"Oh come on. Eimi's just a poor widow. If she did manage to succeed with the Yin Seal, it's probably just luck."
Gin waved dismissively. He'd known Eimi for over ten years and never noticed anything suspicious about her.
Still feeling something was off, Hikari chose to bury the doubt and returned to her soup.
Meanwhile, at Eimi's house—
"Little Eimi, are you following this?"
The curvaceous woman kneeling on the tatami adjusted her glasses and sighed. Her pear-shaped figure was silhouetted perfectly from behind.
"Uhh, I recognize every word you said, but when they're together, it's like a foreign language."
Across from her, Eimi's daughter Uchiha Ji-zhi frowned.
"Ugh! How did Mama end up with such a dumb child!"
Eimi flopped onto the mat, rolling in frustration. Her pale, soft curves jiggled with every move.
"Mother! Please compose yourself!"
Six years had passed. Ji-zhi's baby fat had vanished, and her looks and figure were catching up to her mother's. Though barely of age, she was already becoming a stunner in her own right.
"Hmph. I gave you extra lessons—you can't lose to those two."
Eimi sat up again and poked her daughter's forehead.
"Of course not. This time, I won't lose."
Ji-zhi's eyes flashed with determination as she glanced at her mother's forehead, where a purple rhombus mark gleamed.
"Well then, Mama will teach you the final secret technique."
Eimi's tone softened, pride in her eyes.
"Wait, then what have you been teaching me all this time!?"
Ji-zhi was dumbfounded.
"Oh come on~ those were based on my own experiences… when I was drunk~"
Eimi tilted her head and winked playfully.
"…So you've missed my hands that much?"
With a blank expression, Ji-zhi rose. Behind her, a large, sakura-pink hand materialized, looming over Eimi's head like a vengeful spirit.
"Wait wait wait! That size will kill Mama!"
Eimi trembled as she pleaded with tearful eyes.
"Then quit stalling and give up the technique!"
"The truth is, Yin Seal is simple. Beyond understanding its mechanics, mindset is everything."
Eimi began explaining seriously now.
Ji-zhi frowned. That sounded awfully subjective.
"Yes. You need a deep, powerful obsession—something you truly desire. That makes training much more effective."
"…Then what was your obsession?"
Ji-zhi's tone softened. She thought back to the years when it was just the two of them. Surely her mother had learned this technique to live longer and stay with her daughter…
"My obsession? Ugh, I saw another crow's foot at the corner of my eye. I couldn't let wrinkles ruin my beauty. What if Gin saw me and got sad~?"
The sakura-pink hand slammed down mercilessly.
"…As I thought, you're just another enemy."
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