Naruto: Uchiha Madara's Cousin

"Mmph, mmph, mmph~~"

The purple-haired woman was groaning in pain, her head firmly gripped by her own daughter.

In Uchiha Haruka's eyes, which were glowing red with a sinister smile, her delicate lips slightly parted, and despite her beauty, she spoke in a bone-chilling voice.

"My dear mother, you seem to miss Father too much. How about I send you down to reunite with him?"

"Haruka, wake up! I'm your mother!"

Hearing such treasonous words from her daughter, the once composed woman softened, trying to appeal to her daughter's sense of maternal love in an attempt to snap her out of this strange state.

"I'm perfectly clear-headed! Or could it be that Mother is the one who's sick?"

The red eyes swirled with the rotating tomoe, causing the purple-haired woman to feel a chill down her spine. She quickly cast a pleading glance toward Uchiha Gin, who was standing nearby, watching the scene unfold.

Having spent many years with these two, Uchiha Gin, who knew the usual dynamic between mother and daughter, sighed helplessly and stepped in to stop the darkened state of Haruka.

"Alright, alright, you two, stop this nonsense."

Regarding the matter of taking on a disciple, Uchiha Gin hadn't seriously considered it before. He was used to his lazy lifestyle and wasn't ready for the responsibilities of a master-disciple bond. However, he had watched Haruka grow up, and her natural talent was undeniable, even rivaling that of his two cousins.

"If you're not worried about wasting her potential, then let Haruka become my disciple."

"Haruka, hurry up and greet your new teacher!"

Upon hearing Gin's words, the previously pained expression on Uchiha Eimi, Haruka's mother, brightened.

She quickly pried her daughter's hands off her head with ease and, smiling, teased the now-shocked Haruka.

"Gin-san, please, there's no need to be so formal,"

Eimi chimed in, but Haruka, now confused, wondered how her mother had so easily freed herself from her grip.

Haruka tilted her head, puzzled, and awkwardly apologized to Gin.

"I'm serious, Haruka. Your talent is exceptional. With proper guidance, you'll undoubtedly become one of the top elites in the clan."

Uchiha Gin, usually lazy, suddenly became serious, exuding a reliable and composed aura. His normally dead-fish eyes were now full of vigor, and he offered Haruka high praise, something rare from him.

The purple-haired girl, hearing this, fell silent. Her usually calm eyes flashed with complexity. She longed for guidance, but with her father passing away early, the training scrolls he left behind had long been worn out.

Her mother was too busy making ends meet to assist in her training. Access to the clan's training grounds was limited, and with her impoverished life, Haruka had neither the time nor money to invest in constant practice.

Now, an opportunity lay before her, but as she looked at the man who held a special place in her heart, she hesitated. If she became his disciple...

"Are you doubting my abilities?"

Noticing Haruka's hesitation, Uchiha Gin rolled up his sleeves, flexing his strong biceps and giving her a thumbs-up, his white teeth shining brilliantly in the glaring sunlight.

"Uncle here, I'm really strong!"

Uh... Can I refuse?

Watching Gin transform into the "Might Guy," Haruka's eyes flashed with slight disdain. Was following such a teacher really a good idea?

"Cousin's really strong. Don't miss out!"

Uchiha Izuna, who had just finished his shaved ice, licked his spoon and reminded the now-silent Haruka. If Gin took on a disciple, he'd have less time to pester him, so Izuna was eager to encourage it.

"Indeed, I can't gauge Cousin's strength," Uchiha Madara, who had been quiet all along, added coldly, hoping to avoid dealing with Gin's bizarre jutsu again.

What?

Why are these two suddenly helping me out?

They usually oppose me at every turn. Is it because I've been hanging around them more lately?

Brothers really do have each other's backs when it counts.

Maybe I should visit them more often.

"?!"

Madara and Izuna, having just spoken, suddenly felt a chill down their backs. They thought it was from the shaved ice, but when they saw Gin's appreciative smile, their expressions froze.

Cousin! That's not what we meant! Don't misunderstand!

In the end, under everyone's watchful eyes, Haruka performed a simple disciple ceremony with Uchiha Gin.

"Gin-san, no... Teacher."

Haruka, her expression complicated, looked up and changed her address to "Teacher."

"No need to be so formal, Haruka. Just call me 'Gin-san' After all these years, I'm used to it. Suddenly being called 'Teacher' feels strange."

Hearing the word "Teacher," some inappropriate thoughts flashed through Gin's mind, which he quickly shook off, urging Haruka to stick to her old way of addressing him.

"Alright, Mr. Gin-san."

Now that she had formally become his disciple, Haruka naturally obeyed any "reasonable" requests.

"This is my first time taking on a disciple, so I don't have much experience."

Gin scratched his head. It had been an impulsive decision to accept Haruka as his disciple.

Based on what he'd read in novels, masters usually gave their disciples some treasure upon accepting them, so he reached into his system's backpack.

"Since I'm your teacher now, I can't not give you a gift. I noticed you don't have a suitable weapon, so here, take this short sword as a gift."

Gin rummaged through his inventory for a while before finally pulling out a weapon he'd used in the past. After some thought, he handed it to the bewildered Haruka.

Where did Gin-san pull such a big thing from?

Before Haruka could marvel at Gin's four-dimensional storage, the moment she touched the weapon, she felt a surge of violent lightning chakra coursing through the seemingly unremarkable gray short sword, causing her hand to tingle slightly.

[Electric Blade] — After three strikes, deals additional lightning-style damage and breaks defenses.

"This short sword will do for now. When I get something better, I'll replace it."

Gin, unsatisfied with the sword's appearance, frowned.

It didn't suit Haruka at all. However, it was the best he had for now, and he promised to upgrade her gear once better loot dropped.

"No, thank you, Gin-san. I really like it."

Haruka hugged the sword close, finding comfort in the chaotic lightning chakra within. It gave her a rare sense of security she had long lacked.

As she caressed the weapon, Haruka smiled in relief and asked Gin, "Does this sword have a name?"

"Uh... I usually just call it 'Electric Blade.' Not very imposing, I know. You can give it a better name if you want."

A weapon nobody even wants in the game's trash tier, and it needs a name?

"Then I'll call it the 'Sword of Lightning God.'"

Holding the sword aloft, golden lightning crackled around Haruka's body. Her purple hair flowed in the air, and she looked like a goddess of thunder descended from the heavens.

Swinging the sparking sword, the usually aloof girl finally showed the excitement typical of someone her age.

What the...?

That white-haired kid must've stolen my idea!

Gin clenched his teeth, imagining a future where some white-haired brat paraded around with a crudely-made "Sword of Lightning God," copying his electric blade. He seethed at the thought.

Hmph, just wait until I catch you. You'll regret messing with me.

"Congratulations, Cousin! Congratulations! After all these years, you've finally found a disciple."

Uchiha Izuna chimed in with a timely blessing, his eyes locked on the sword in Haruka's hands, nearly drooling.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Madara, though intrigued by the strange weapon, wasn't tempted. He was destined for the fan, after all.

"You wouldn't be able to use this thing, Izuna. I'll give you something else when I get back."

Gin could see the hunger in his younger cousin's eyes, but this weapon wasn't suited for him. He knew the future all too well, and Izuna's priority should be protecting his kidneys.

"Hehe, thanks, Cousin!"

Hearing Gin's assurance, Izuna's face lit up with a big smile, making him look like a cheerful Sasuke.

"It's getting late. We should head back and continue training."

Sensing the moment was right, Madara got up, preparing to leave with Izuna.

"Hey! Cousin, you haven't paid yet!"

Gin, seeing that Madara was about to sneak away, reminded him with a smirk. The bet had been that the loser of their sparring match would treat everyone to shaved ice, and Madara wasn't going to escape that easily.

"Now that we're family, do we really need to keep track of things like this?"

Madara paused for a moment, looking at the excited Haruka swinging her sword, his excuse was awkward at best.

"Come on, don't tell me the Uchiha Clan's leader would use his status to avoid paying for a meal?"

Gin teased, raising an eyebrow.

Realizing there was no way out, Madara reluctantly pulled out his wallet, laid down a few bills, and hurried off with his bewildered younger cousin.

"Sigh, that guy~"

Uchiha Gin shook his head helplessly. His eldest cousin wasn't really trying to skip out on the bill, but rather believed that he still had a chance to turn the tables in their earlier match and didn't truly lose to him.

"Haruka, it's unfortunate, but your teacher just accepted an assignment. We'll have to postpone the training until I return."

Watching his two cousins leave, Uchiha Gin turned to the excited girl and poured some cold water on her enthusiasm. He really did have a mission to attend to and couldn't start teaching her just yet.

"That's right, we do have a mission outside," Uchiha Hikari, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. Her gaze towards Uchiha Haruka no longer held any caution. Now that she was a disciple, what trouble could she possibly cause?

-

Read 220+ chapters here (with update rate of 5-10 chapters/day):

Patreon.com/rashta

Join as a member and you will get:

- Read up to 400+ chapters of Douluo Dalu: Qian Renxue's Younger Brother

- Read 120 Advanced chapters of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu