Geared up, the father-son duo of Uchiha Tajima and Izuna led a bewildered Uchiha Gin, dashing through the forest outside the clan grounds.
Gin got his first look at Izuna in battle gear: a simple chestplate and a katana nearly as tall as he was.
"Big brother always hangs out with that bowl-cut kid at the Naka River!" Izuna said, leading the way, his tone dripping with resentment.
"I suspect that boy is from the Senju clan," Tajima whispered to Gin, his eyes flashing with lethal intent. "Madara noticed Izuna and me yesterday, so he left early today. I hope he's not being deceived by an outsider."
No wonder Madara was gone so early—he'd tipped off his friend.
"If he's Senju, they'll have an ambush ready. Be cautious, Gin," Tajima warned, his strategist mind anticipating a Senju trap, mindful of Gin's "frail" state.
"Got it," Gin nodded.
"Look! There's big brother!" Izuna pointed.
The trio ducked into the forest, silently slipping behind a tree near the river. From afar, they saw Madara facing a boy across the water.
At the riverbank, young Madara tossed a stone he'd been holding. The bowl-cut boy on the other side threw a similar stone back. Both skipped across the water, landing in each other's hands.
Madara's faint smile faded as he read words on the stone. The bowl-cut boy's face mirrored his grim expression.
"Sorry, I can't hang out today," Madara said, reading the stone's message. He waved, turning. "Something came up."
"Yeah, I'll head back too," the bowl-cut boy replied, his face conflicted, waving goodbye.
Both boys sprinted in opposite directions.
"He's bolting! Hashirama, you leaked it!" a figure hidden behind the bowl-cut boy hissed, anxious as the target fled. Turning to a small white figure, he said, "Let's go, Tobirama."
"Right!" the white-haired kid nodded, following.
"They're escaping!" Tajima saw the bowl-cut boy flee after a brief encounter, guessing he knew of the ambush. He waved, ordering, "Gin, Izuna, pursue!"
Tajima led the charge.
"Yes!" "Got it!" Izuna and Gin, full of vigor, followed.
Both sides, spotting each other's aggressive approach, paused mid-river, using ninja water-walking skills, staring each other down warily.
Splash!
The tense standoff broke with a splash.
"Sorry, sorry, been a while—bit rusty," Gin said, sheepishly stabilizing his wet feet on the water, addressing the group.
Silence deafened the scene.
"Seems we had the same idea," Tajima said, his crimson Sharingan twitching faintly. Gripping his katana, he faced his old rival, voice icy. "Senju Butsuma."
"And Tobirama!" Izuna, trying to salvage Uchiha pride, taunted the white-haired kid across the river.
"Indeed, Uchiha Tajima," said a middle-aged man in armor like the First Hokage's, the current Senju clan head, Senju Butsuma. Holding a kunai, his face was equally cold. "And Izuna."
Unable to tolerate the Uchiha kid's jab, white-haired Tobirama, hefting a giant katana bigger than himself, retorted with battle-ready zeal.
"Hey, little cousin, how do you know that pale-faced white-hair?" Gin whispered to the eager Izuna.
"I've clashed with the Senju alongside Father plenty. That white-hair's always on the battlefield. We've fought a bunch. He's Butsuma's kid, Senju Tobirama," Izuna explained, sparing a moment despite the tension.
"Time to fight!" As a leaf fell, both sides moved in sync.
Big against big, small against small.
Tajima targeted Butsuma, a clash of clan heads.
Izuna faced Tobirama, their long weapons sparking water sprays on impact.
"And me?" Gin muttered, watching everyone pair off, leaving him to spectate.
Scanning the battlefield, feeling idle was unwise, Gin locked onto the stunned bowl-cut boy, eyes glinting with mischief, itching to act.
This was the future God of Shinobi. Gin couldn't pass up landing a flick on the First Hokage's forehead.
Seizing the moment, he charged at the dazed Senju Hashirama, shouting, "Senju kid, dare to face Uchiha Gin?"
"Huh?" Hashirama, lost in thought about avoiding conflict with Madara, looked up, spotting a curly-haired Uchiha with a sneaky grin. Instinctively, he assumed his classic defensive stance, ready to fight.
"Host detected in combat. Heart of Steel Chest accumulation started…" the system chimed.
"Take this!" Gin, mid-air, powered up a Monster Strength punch to give the future shinobi god a shock. This hit could floor even him for days.
As Gin's fist neared Hashirama, a figure darted in, kicking the defensive Hashirama away.
"Cousin, I've got this," said young Madara, who'd been idly watching his father and brother fight.
"Fine, it's yours, cousin," Gin said, easing off, shrugging. Outmatched, he stepped back.
Great, everyone's paired off, and he's sidelined again.
Reduced to a bystander, Gin retreated to watch the show.
"Izuna, don't match strength with a Senju—spit in his face, that'll drop him!" Gin, seeing clearly from the sidelines, advised the stalemated Izuna.
"Despicable Uchiha!" Tobirama, enraged by the dirty tactic, fumed. Another schemer like him? This guy had to go.
Izuna, struggling, had no breath to reply but mentally weighed Gin's suggestion.
As the boys deadlocked, the clan heads leaped high, hurling weapons at the clashing kids, aiming to kill.
"Danger!" Madara and Hashirama, faking their spar, saw their fathers target their brothers. In sync, they halted, rushing to save them, but were too far.
"Izuna!" "Tobirama!" they shouted, urging their brothers to dodge.
But the stubborn kids, caught in a weird contest, waited for the other to yield. Neither budged, locked in place.
Clang! Clang! Splash!
As kunai and blades neared the boys' heads, a flying katana intercepted, sending all three weapons into the river with a metallic ring.
Everyone searched for the katana's owner, eyes landing on Gin by the shore.
"Would you believe my hand slipped?" Gin said.
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