Uzumaki Pot King

The moment Zhouxuan stepped out of the clan leader's building, he saw Ashina sneaking over with a furtive look.

"Second Brother, does Father know everything? I knew Father was too wise for us to hide it from him..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhouxuan threw an arm around his younger brother's shoulders and cut him off. "Father, Big Sister, and the elders don't know anything. Whatever you do, don't give me away!"

Ashina said bitterly, "Second Brother, I really don't understand. Why did you insist on making me be the one to bring up building a village? Couldn't you have told Father yourself?"

"Father has always thought you were hopeless, and plenty of clansmen think you're nothing special. This is the perfect chance to shut them up and spread word of your genius!"

"Genius my ass. Keep your voice down!"

Zhouxuan rapped his younger brother sharply on the head, glanced around, then pulled Ashina toward a secluded spot.

"I don't care, Second Brother. If you don't give me a convincing reason this time, I'll report you to Father!" Ashina declared firmly.

"How many scapegoats have I taken for you over the years? Chidori, Rasengan, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique—you clearly developed them all, yet every time, you insist on pinning them on me!"

The moment he brought up taking the blame, Ashina felt wronged. Only he knew that his second brother was a genius.

Years ago, whenever his second brother developed a new ninjutsu, he would force the technique scroll into Ashina's hands, using threats and bribes to make him pretend he had happened to find it in the clan's ninjutsu archive before turning it over to the clan. As a result, Ashina had not only earned the reputation of a genius within the clan, but also the nickname Son of Fortune.

Besides, the ninjutsu his second brother developed were genuinely powerful. The reason the Uzumaki Clan had repeatedly won victories on the battlefield these past years was largely thanks to those techniques. Yet the clansmen knew nothing of it and had always considered his second brother utterly ordinary.

Zhouxuan laughed in exasperation and smacked Ashina's head again. "What do you mean, taking the blame? Do you even know how to talk? I was clearly giving you credit."

Ashina covered his forehead, looking aggrieved. "You pinned things I didn't do on me. If that isn't taking the blame, what is?"

"At this rate, I'll have to change my name to Uzumaki Pot King!"

Zhouxuan did not like hearing that. "Is helping me with one little thing really that unbearable?"

Ashina said, "If Second Brother needs help with anything else, I'll do whatever you ask. But I won't take the blame anymore. I was young and foolish before, so it was my own fault for letting you trick me. But now I have a mind of my own!"

Zhouxuan: "..."

My stupid little brother seemed to have grown up?

He could even say things like having a mind of his own?

What Zhouxuan did not know was that, over the past few years, Ashina had often overheard clansmen discussing him, openly and in private. They all believed the next clan leader would be either him or his elder sister Mito—never his ordinary, mediocre second brother.

Ashina could not accept that. He felt that he had "stolen" his second brother's reputation as a genius. His second brother was clearly an unmatched genius at developing ninjutsu. The techniques he had developed had saved countless clansmen on the battlefield. If the clansmen knew even a little of his second brother's true abilities, they would never say such things.

Although he had thoroughly enjoyed the praise from his elder sister and the elders during the meeting just now, he knew very well that the honor did not belong to him. It belonged to his second brother. He could no longer "steal" his second brother's honor.

"Alas."

After a moment of silence, Zhouxuan suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

That sigh made Ashina feel even worse.

"Since you've said that, Second Brother won't hide it from you anymore," Zhouxuan said.

"Haven't you always wanted to know why I made you take the blame? I'll tell you why today."

Ashina's eyes widened. His anticipation instantly surged as he desperately wanted to know why he had been made the scapegoat.

"Because... I'm afraid of dying!"

"Afraid of dying?" Ashina asked in confusion.

"Yes." Zhouxuan spoke leisurely, as though he were laying all his cards on the table. "My mind may be a little sharper, and I may be able to develop ninjutsu like the Rasengan and come up with plans like building a village, but strength is still my greatest weakness. Second Brother is sixteen this year, yet I'm still only a chunin. And the worst part is, I'm even a special chunin! Do you know how heartbroken and miserable that makes Second Brother?"

"Second Brother..."

Ashina immediately felt pity for him.

"Second Brother wants to become stronger too. I want to become a jonin at twelve like you did, but I can't..."

Zhouxuan put on a dejected expression. Seeing that his younger brother looked even sadder than he did, he nearly blurted out, "Second Brother was already on the battlefield at twelve, gouging out eyes and tangling with Kage-level experts."

"Ashina, imagine this. If a genius appeared in the Kaguya Clan, our Uzumaki Clan's mortal enemy, and he developed many powerful ninjutsu while also coming up with an idea that could suppress our clan forever, what would you do?"

"Of course I'd kill him!" Ashina answered without hesitation.

"That's exactly it," Zhouxuan said. "If the Kaguya Clan learned that I had contributed so much to our clan, they would definitely do everything in their power to kill me on the battlefield. But I'm only a special chunin. They could casually send any chunin to kill me."

"But you're different. You're already a jonin, and you're strong. Every operation you join is with the clan's jonin, so the Kaguya Clan can't target you on the battlefield."

Hearing that, Ashina suddenly understood.

So he really had been taking the blame for his second brother!

"Second Brother is ashamed. As your elder brother, I should have been protecting you. Yet because I'm weak and afraid of death, I had no choice but to use you as a shield... Fine. Since you hate taking the blame so much, I'll go confess to Father right now. I'll tell him that I came up with the village-building plan, and that I developed all those ninjutsu before. If the Kaguya Clan wants to kill me, then let them come!"

With that, Zhouxuan started toward the clan leader's building.

"Don't!"

Ashina came to his senses and hurriedly grabbed Zhouxuan.

"Second Brother, you mustn't confess! I don't hate it. I'll take all the blame for you!"

"No. Even if I, Uzumaki Shusen, die on the battlefield, I will never let my younger brother take the blame for me again!" Zhouxuan declared righteously as he struggled hard.

"Second Brother, don't be like this!"

Ashina was nearly in tears. "I was foolish and immature. I thought Second Brother was only giving me credit, without knowing there was such a reason behind it."

"Don't worry, Second Brother. You may be weak, but I'll stay by your side on the battlefield and protect you every step of the way. I will never let any enemy hurt you!"

Zhouxuan said shamefully, "But you've grown up now. If I keep using you as a shield, I won't be able to forgive myself."

"Second Brother! What are you saying? We're blood brothers!" Ashina was so anxious he practically jumped in place.

"If you won't let me take this blame for you, then I'll never be able to forgive myself!"