"Acting all edgy at your age? Quit mimicking those brooding genin," Uchiha Gin scolded, delivering a sharp forehead flick to Uchiha Izuna, who yelped in pain.
"It's cool! All the clan kids are into it now," Izuna whined, clutching the lump on his head, tears welling.
Lately, the clan's children had picked up a "dark phase" game, smearing on smoky makeup and muttering cryptic nonsense, baffling the adults.
"Tomorrow's the third day. What's this mission the clan head mentioned?" Gin asked, ruffling his curly hair. Izuna had told him about a task with Uchiha Tajima, and time was nearing.
"Oh, I was just coming to tell you!" Izuna perked up, remembering his purpose. He'd gotten sidetracked tailing a suspicious-looking Madara, curiosity overriding his original intent.
"Tomorrow noon, come to our house. Father will explain," Izuna relayed Tajima's instructions with a serious nod.
Leaving the wannabe stalker to his antics, Gin grabbed some ingredients from the market and swaggered to his new home.
At his freshly built two-story house, he stored the groceries just as the general store's delivery arrived. The deliverymen, familiar from a prior visit, gawked at the lavish building that had seemingly sprouted overnight, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Wasn't this empty last time? Where'd this mansion come from?
Too busy to explain, Gin focused on checking the goods. The men, slightly intimidated, didn't pry, confirming the order and hurrying off.
Sorting the haul alone was a chore. Never one to waste free labor, Gin returned to the old house and shook awake a snoring Senju Banma. "Up, kid, time to work."
"Mmph… can't eat more…" Banma mumbled, still dreaming, his tough Senju hide ignoring the nudge.
Gin's eyes narrowed, zeroing in on Banma's plump backside. He unleashed a full-force slap.
SMACK!
The sound echoed impressively.
"Aaah!" Banma shot up, clutching his stinging rear, glaring at the smug culprit, steam practically rising from his head. "You creepy jerk, I'll end you!"
Fed up, Banma lunged, ready to take Gin down with him.
"Chill, serious business," Gin said, easily holding back the fuming kid with one finger, grinning. "I'm moving."
"Huh? What about me?" Banma froze, blurting out.
"You stay here. I'm moving out—this couch is killing me," Gin said casually.
"Uh… can I take the couch then?" Banma mumbled, looking away, voice odd. "If I sleep on the couch and you take the bedroom, you don't have to move, right?"
His expression screamed he'd betrayed his ancestors.
"Miss me already?" Gin asked, surprised Banma would surrender the bedroom.
"It's just for the sweet-and-sour fish! Don't get cocky!" Banma snapped, crafting a flimsy excuse.
"So I'm just a cook to you?" Gin clutched his chest, feigning heartbreak.
"What else? You think I'd care about a Uchiha for any other reason?" Banma tilted his chin, sneering, his Senju pride rejecting anything but enmity.
"Tch, annoying brats," Gin sighed, shaking his head, exhausted.
Ignoring Banma's haughty nose-in-the-air act, Gin studied the old house's wall. Under the kid's shocked gaze, he unleashed a Monster Strength punch.
BOOM!
The wall crumbled, debris scattering.
"You're moving out, not demolishing the place! Where am I supposed to live?" Banma panicked, kicking Gin's shin.
"Calm down, all Senju this hotheaded?" Gin brushed off dust, unfazed. Thanks to system-enhanced bloodline boosts, his physique had soared—no longer the weakling who'd lose a fistfight to this kid.
"Huh?" Banma, still hopping mad, finally noticed the breached wall.
Beyond it lay a new world. Curiosity overriding anger, he ditched Gin, scampering through the hole like a rabbit.
"Wow!" Banma gaped, speechless at the unfamiliar decor, jaw dropped, only managing awestruck "wows."
The house's interior, designed from Gin's past-life luxury homes, was decades ahead of this era—no wonder a local like Banma was floored.
"The stairs spiral? What's that hanging thing?" Banma, snapping out of it, bombarded Gin with questions about the novel setup.
"Why do you care? You're not living here," Gin said, grabbing the scampering kid by the head, grinning.
"No way, I want the new house!" Banma wailed, flopping to the floor in a tantrum, ranting about Uchiha mistreating prisoners, broken promises, and zero perks.
"" Gin's patience snapped, a vein throbbing. He raised a fist, waving it at the crying, kicking kid. "Know your place."
The threat worked. Banma, mid-roll, bolted upright, darting back to the old house, peeking pitifully through the hole. "What about meals?"
"You can eat here, but sleep there," Gin said, balancing not pushing the kid too far.
"Sweet!" Banma cheered.
"Don't celebrate yet. You're cleaning this place daily, or no food," Gin added. No free lunches—a house this big needed upkeep.
"Got it?" Gin barked.
"Got it!" Banma, caving to food's allure, swallowed his Senju pride, clenching tiny fists, vowing silently, Give me time, I'll rise above this!
---
If you want to read more than 20 chapters early feel free to visit pa tre on . com /Archus