章 78: 78. Exchange
"Yeah, right there! Put some strength into it! I refuse to believe you can make me give in!"
Uchiha Gin lay on the bed, looking utterly relaxed, enjoying the massage service from Uchiha Izuna.
While being pampered, he turned his head and said to Uchiha Madara beside him,
"Cousin, peel me an apple, and cut it into little rabbit shapes."
(▼皿▼#)
Madara, having just tossed away the banana peel left by Uchiha Gin, veins popped on his forehead.
But seeing Gin's arms wrapped in bandages, Madara swallowed his frustration, picked up a fruit knife, and angrily stabbed into the apple beside him.
"Hey, if you're doing it with that attitude, I won't eat it. It'll affect my recovery."
Uchiha Gin smirked mischievously, making Madara grind his teeth in annoyance. He then imagined the apple was Gin and violently sliced it to pieces.
"Not bad, your knife skills are impressive! No wonder you're good in combat," Gin said approvingly, nodding in acknowledgment.
"How's the pressure, cousin?"
Izuna, who had been working diligently on the massage, looked up, his face flushed, and asked Gin.
"Very good! With this level of skill, you'll surpass everyone in taijutsu in the future. I feel inferior compared to you," Gin replied, satisfied with the tingling sensation in his legs from the massage.
"Host failed the mission but gained 16 points of Mind Energy. The Steel Heart treasure chest is now unlocked. (Total Mind Energy: 52)"
Gin heard the delightful sound of the system notification in his mind.
He grinned ear to ear as he admired the accumulated points.
After narrowly escaping death from Senju Butsuma's punch, Gin had been recovering, looked after by his two younger cousins.
The day after surgery, he woke up and immediately sent Izuna, who had briefly met Senju Itama, to inform the boy of his hospitalization and to stop him from wandering around recklessly.
"What? That curly-haired monkey got hurt?"
Senju Itama, who recognized Izuna from their brief encounter, was shocked.
"Is it serious?"
"It's very serious! He was sent flying, both arms broken, and there's a huge dent in his chest," Izuna explained, without embellishing, the extent of Gin's injuries.
"Isn't that as good as dead?!"
Hearing how bad the injuries were, Itama felt his chest tighten and suddenly burst into tears.
"Hey, don't cry! My cousin's already woken up. The doctor said he'll recover soon. He just wanted me to bring this to you."
Izuna, flustered by Itama's sudden tears, quickly handed him a scroll before rushing off to buy fruit for Gin.
Back home, once calm, Itama hesitantly opened the scroll. The message inside read:
"Senju brat, I, the great Gin, was gravely injured and need to rest in the hospital for a few days. Take care of yourself during this time. Be careful when you go out. If anyone gives you trouble, just mention my name. I guarantee they won't dare lay a hand on you. P.S.: Here's some money for you. Don't starve yourself."
At the bottom of the scroll was a storage seal. Curious, Itama activated it, and with a poof, the scroll erupted into a cloud of smoke.
As the smoke cleared, Itama's eyes were dazzled by the sight of a few gold bricks.
Should be enough, right?
Lying on his hospital bed, Uchiha Gin gazed at the unfamiliar ceiling, wondering if he should have given more.
"Cousin, who owns that big house next to yours?"
Izuna, who was massaging Gin, suddenly raised his head and asked.
When Izuna had gone to Gin's house the other day, he had noticed a luxurious mansion next door he'd never seen before and had been curious ever since.
"I built it recently. Impressive, right?"
Gin crossed one leg over the other, his tone suggestive.
"If you treat me well, I'll build you one too someday."
"Got it, cousin! How's the pressure now?"
Catching on instantly, Izuna used his newly honed massage skills, making Gin feel like he was in heaven.
"Perfect! Izuna, you could open a massage parlor for the blind someday—it'd be a hit!"
While bedridden, Gin had nothing better to do and decided to provoke Izuna into playing some competitive games with him.
To his surprise, this triggered the Steel Heart, and overjoyed, Gin made sure to exploit it to the fullest. Now, his daily hospital routine had become quite predictable:
Provocation—Challenge—Defeat
A routine Gin navigated smoothly.
"Cousin, it's time for my appointment with Father. I'll be leaving now."
Madara, having finished cutting the apple into rabbit shapes, placed the plate in front of Gin.
Seeing how well-crafted the rabbits were, Gin turned his head, curious, and asked,
"Wow, cousin, your carving skills are impressive! Been practicing secretly?"
"I, Uchiha Madara, have always dreamed of becoming an artist!"
Madara raised his head proudly, speaking with utmost seriousness.
"Great! I support that dream!"
Gin gave Madara a thumbs-up with the only finger he could still move. Everyone deserves support when chasing their dreams.
"But you'd better hurry. You don't want Uncle waiting too long."
Now wasn't the time to talk about dreams.
The future of the Uchiha clan still rested on Madara's shoulders, and Gin couldn't let him stray from that path.
But who knows? Maybe in the future, after Konoha's founding, Gin would fully support Madara's artistic ambitions.
Waving goodbye to both, Madara hurriedly left.
"Ever since my brother awakened his Sharingan, Father has become stricter. He trains Madara until late every day,"
Izuna suddenly sighed as he continued massaging Gin's legs.
"Your brother severed ties with that bowl head and cleared his mind. Now, he's voluntarily pushing himself harder. Both being children of clan leaders, he doesn't want to lose to that Senju brat."
Understanding Madara's mindset, Gin explained to his younger cousin, then fell into silence, enjoying the massage.
In the system space, Uchiha Gin eagerly rubbed his hands together, eyeing the Steel Heart treasure chest before him. Beside it lay the three Steel Heart orbs from his previous round. As he clicked to settle, the treasure chest began spitting out orbs to the background music.
Three more!
Gin was excited as he looked at the six orbs on the chessboard and extended his Right Hand of the Gods.
"Give it to me!"
*[Gold Bricks 10]
"A warm-up! The moment's coming. Give it to me!"
*[Gold Bricks 10]
"Come on! Something special!"
After pulling two batches of gold bricks, Gin hesitated, his right hand hovering in midair.
"Has my Right Hand of the Gods lost its touch?"
Not that it ever had one…
With no other choice, Gin resorted to the Sacrificial Ritual.
He recalled Izuna's smiling face and thought, Sorry, little cousin.
I'll make it up to you later.
"Using ten years of Izuna's lifespan, give it to me!"
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