"Despicable Senju brats! You Forest Senju should just call yourselves Sneak Senju!" Uchiha Gin taunted, dodging the speeding kunai.
Senju Butsuma, seeing his attack miss, frowned, reassessing the curly-haired Uchiha. The guy who'd fumbled water-walking had somehow sensed his calculated ambush.
"No trick's too dirty in war!" Tobirama, brandishing a chopper bigger than himself, sneered, glaring at the Uchiha with disgust. "Breathing the same air as you evil Uchiha is torture."
True to his future Wood Leaf flair, the kid's tongue was sharp from youth.
Having failed his strike, Butsuma's mind raced. He had to act before Tajima reacted.
Clapping his hands, chakra surged, his Monster Strength-infused fist rocketing toward the weakened Madara.
This old man wouldn't quit, aiming to take out his little cousin right under his nose. Gin wouldn't let that happen. His eyes flashed red.
In his three-tomoe Sharingan, Butsuma's movements slowed frame-by-frame, his attack path laid bare.
"Want to touch my cousin? Ask me first!" Gin darted in front of the boys, crossing his arms to block.
Only when Butsuma's fist connected did Gin grasp Tajima's earlier warning.
The gap between them was vast.
Gin had thought his system boosts made him a Warring States contender, getting cocky.
Now, Butsuma's single punch shattered that illusion.
Crack!
Brutal force hit. Gin stared in disbelief as his forearms snapped, his chest caving from the fist's residual wind. Alarms blared in his mind, death's breath closing in.
Blood sprayed as Gin flew backward, painting a vivid arc in the air.
"Host defeated. Gained Heart Energy 14. One more battle required to unlock Heart of Steel Chest reward. (Current Heart Energy: 36)" The system pinged as he soared.
"Gin!" Tajima gasped.
"Cousin!" Madara and Izuna cried in unison.
Butsuma, stunned that this reckless Uchiha dared block his punch, blinked. His "Iron Fist Unmatched" nickname wasn't for show.
"Vile Senju clan!" Tajima, cradling the gravely injured Gin, blazed with fury. His crimson Sharingan locked onto Butsuma, three tomoe spinning wildly, nearly merging.
"Cousin, don't die!" Izuna sobbed, collapsing beside Gin, tears soaking his face, a red glint flickering in his eyes. Madara clenched his fists, his hateful glare ready to tear the Senju apart.
"Cough, cough…" Gin hacked, his injuries severe but stabilized by Uzumaki vitality. With his bones reset, he'd recover.
"Worth all the times I looked out for you two," Gin said, spitting out a blood clot, weakly smiling at his cousins' genuine concern.
"Don't move, Gin. I'll get you treated," Tajima said, shocked Gin could speak, fearing a final surge. Saving his nephew was priority over fighting. "Butsuma, next time, one of us dies!"
Carefully lifting Gin, Tajima glared at the eager Butsuma.
"Those eyes!" Butsuma, poised to strike, froze, spotting the eerie patterns in Tajima's eyes, halting his attack.
"Tobirama, Hashirama, retreat," Butsuma ordered. He could face Tajima alone, but with his sons present, a full clash would devastate the area, likely killing his boys regardless of victory.
Tobirama, reluctant, sensed Tajima's rising, chilling chakra. Knowing a fight was a toss-up, he followed his father without looking back.
"Madara, I'm sorry…" Hashirama, guilt-ridden, glanced at his former friend, apologizing silently before leaving.
Once the Senju were gone, Tajima deactivated his Sharingan, stumbling from the strain. Forcing Mangekyo to intimidate Butsuma had drained him, but it worked—otherwise, Gin and the boys might not have survived.
"To the clan, now!" The trio raced back.
At the clan grounds, Gin was rushed to the medical ward. Tajima loomed over the doctor, voice cold. "Save him, or you'll join him."
Sweating, the doctor hurried Gin into surgery, noting his arms and chest bones were shattered like he'd been hit by a cart. Miraculously, no organs were pierced. Surgery began.
Hours later, inside the operating room, the surgeon marveled, "His vitals are so stable—not like a critical case."
Pushing open the door, mask off, the doctor told the anxious group outside, "The patient's out of danger. He just needs rest to recover."
"Awesome!" Izuna jumped, elated.
"Hmph, knew he wouldn't die that easily," Madara said, turning away, eyes brimming with relief, voice proud.
"No issues? Could old injuries flare up?" Tajima's eyes lit up, then darkened, pressing the doctor.
"No signs of old injuries," the surgeon said, puzzled. Gin's body was oddly robust.
Tajima pondered. Uchiha Miao needed to check how Gin's body had healed so well.
"Madara, Izuna, you're in charge of caring for Gin," Tajima said. With Gin safe, his busy schedule called. He assigned the task to his sons and left.
"Count on me! I'll have cousin plump and healthy in no time!" Izuna vowed.
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