Naruto: Uchiha Madara's Cousin

Sidestepping the shuriken aimed straight at his face, Uchiha Gin helplessly looked at the panting young boy in front of him.

Just moments ago, the little kid squatting at his doorstep had, without warning, whipped out a shuriken and thrown it at him.

With his 10-point boost in physical skills, Uchiha Gin easily dodged the attack.

Seeing that his sneak attack had failed, the kid—who bore an uncanny resemblance to Uchiha Sasuke—refused to give up and pulled out another set of shuriken, hurling them at him.

"Is this really how you greet your dear cousin, Izuna?" Uchiha Gin recognized the boy from his memories.

This was Uchiha Izuna, the second son of Uchiha Tajima, the brother of Uchiha Madara—who would go on to be half of the mastermind behind many events.

Talented but too prideful, he was eventually deceived by a cunning white-haired Senju, slashed at his kidney and dying young after unlocking the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Izuna's death set the stage for many future events.

Without it, Uchiha Madara might never have unlocked the Rinnegan. But right now, Izuna was just a fledgling who had recently awakened his brotherly devotion.

"Damn it, how did you suddenly get so strong?" Izuna grumbled, frustrated as he checked his now-empty ninja pouch.

"What do you mean 'strong'? I've been like this for years. Maybe you should reflect on yourself instead. Have you increased your chakra levels or trained seriously at all?" Uchiha Gin shot back sarcastically, watching Izuna's growing dissatisfaction.

"Damn you!" Izuna, now enraged, drew a katana from his back and charged at Uchiha Gin.

But Gin, still nimble, easily dodged the attack, continuing to taunt him as he moved out of the way.

"Is that all you've got, little brother?"

Izuna's eyes were practically glowing red with rage, his fury bringing him close to unlocking his Sharingan.

"Oh, come on, you've already activated your Sharingan over this?" Gin teased, nearly making Izuna pass out from anger.

Four years ago, ten-year-old Uchiha Madara had effortlessly defeated his older cousin in front of Izuna, an event that left a deep mark on the young boy.

Now, on his own tenth birthday, Izuna wanted to challenge Gin and prove himself, hoping to keep up with his elder brother.

But what Izuna hadn't expected was that his cousin—who usually seemed arrogant and weak—would be this formidable.

To be clear, Izuna's current skill level was close to that of a mid-level shinobi.

Yet, faced with Gin's skill, he realized his cousin was no easy opponent. Determined, Izuna steeled himself and began a series of hand seals:

Serpent—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger.

The classic Great Fireball Technique.

With his cheeks puffed out, Izuna released a fiery blast of chakra from his mouth, sending a massive fireball hurtling towards Gin.

Panting heavily after unleashing his ace ninjutsu, Izuna watched closely to see how Gin would handle it.

The incoming fireball's heat caused Gin's already curly hair to curl even more. Glancing back at the groceries he'd just bought and the unconscious Senju Itama lying behind him, Gin had no choice but to brace himself.

Channeling chakra into his hands, Gin punched the oncoming fireball with brute force. The intense flames were temporarily held back by the wind from his fists.

"Are you crazy? Dodge it!" Izuna yelled in panic, realizing Gin wasn't trying to avoid the attack.

Sparring was one thing, but killing a family member, especially during training, was forbidden. Even more so since Gin was his cousin.

Feeling the heat against his fists, Gin decided the timing was right.

With one more strike, he dissipated the fireball with his monstrous strength, letting himself fall backward and roll a few times on the ground as if he had been knocked out.

Izuna, seeing his cousin seemingly unconscious with burn marks on his body, rushed to his side, deeply regretting his actions.

"Cousin, please don't die! I'll go find a doctor right away!" Panicking, Izuna was about to run for help when Gin "weakly" opened his eyes.

"Cough, cough... as expected of my little brother. That fireball of yours had the power of our clan leader... cough, cough..." Gin's voice was barely audible as Izuna stopped in his tracks and rushed back to help him up.

"Cousin, you're alive!"

"...of course I'm alive, you little brat." Gin rolled his eyes internally.

"You've really grown strong, Izuna. I'm proud of you," Gin praised him before adding, "This time, I lost, but next time, it won't be so easy. Get ready for my challenge."

"Hmph, I'll be waiting for it!" Izuna replied with confidence.

In Gin's mind, the system chimed in: Host failed. Gained 10 points of Heart Energy. Unlocking the Steel Heart Chest requires three more battles. (Current Heart Energy: 10)

Watching the young and naive boy fall into his trap so easily, Uchiha Gin smiled in satisfaction.

This kid was a high-quality "crop," and he wouldn't let him wither prematurely.

After standing up, Gin declined Izuna's offer to go to the clan for medical attention.

"This minor injury is nothing for a true Uchiha warrior. I've suffered far worse in battle," Gin remarked proudly.

Izuna, hearing this, was filled with respect and began reassessing his once carefree cousin.

As they picked up the scattered shuriken, Gin asked, "So why did you come to challenge me today, Izuna?"

"Well, today's my tenth birthday. My brother defeated you when he was ten, so I thought..." Izuna scratched his head sheepishly.

"Today's your birthday?" Gin asked, surprised.

"It's just a day, no big deal," Izuna responded casually.

"That won't do! Come on, help me bring the groceries inside, and I'll cook you a feast!" Gin immediately invited Izuna to bring in the food, while he grabbed the unconscious Itama.

"Who's this kid with the strange hair color?" Izuna asked, curious about the Senju child lying on the floor.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go inside," Gin replied quickly, not wanting to explain.

Inside, as Gin prepared a meal with the skills from his previous life, Izuna crouched next to Itama, who was starting to wake up from his oxygen-deprived sleep.

"Who are you?" Itama asked, still groggy and confused.

"I should be asking you that," Izuna retorted.

"My brother always said—"

"My brother said that too!"

The childish comparison continued endlessly.

Opening the curtains, Gin emerged from the kitchen, holding two plates of food.

"Alright, enough. Whoever can tell me the best thing their brother has done wins the prize."

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