Really? Madara was a little doubtful. His little brother had that kind of skill? Besides, how many ninja even knew how to cook? Wasn't this just fooling around?
"Neglecting your proper duties. Wouldn't it be better to spend that time training?"
"Who knows." Izuna shrugged, finding it a little strange. Since his little brother's cooking was delicious, shouldn't he be praised for it? "Anyway, our third brother doesn't go to the battlefield often. He spends more time at home than we do."
A little over ten minutes later, the two chatting in the living room did not have to wait long before waves of delicious aromas drifted out from the kitchen.
"Mmm~" Izuna took a deep sniff. "I bet this dish smells like braised pork."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've had it before!"
Madara sniffed the air. It really did smell like meat, just as Izuna had said, and the scent was enough to stir anyone's appetite. He was somewhat surprised. He had not expected his third brother to possess such skill in cooking.
What a joke! Uchiha Gen had been single for over thirty years in his previous life. Only he knew who would care for him, and he had learned it all by painstakingly following recipes step by step.
And not to mention anything else, when it came to food, who outside dared compete with China?!
"Hahaha, chicken soup's here~"
Believing lunch ought to be more lavish, Uchiha Gen made several extra dishes. He also knew his family's appetites well, so all five dishes were packed with large chunks of meat.
"Huh? What are you looking at me for? Eat!"
"Heh heh, you're the chef. Have a bowl of chicken soup first to warm your stomach."
Madara did not give Uchiha Gen a chance to argue. He served himself a bowl of chicken soup and placed it in front of him.
"Uh... all right, then."
Uchiha Gen did not stand on ceremony. His eldest brother had served him the soup, and he could not refuse such kindness.
Gulp gulp~
"Ha, it still tastes authentic. Come on, let's eat."
There were dishes and soup, and the three brothers were sitting at the same table. Madara and Izuna looked around, then asked Uchiha Gen:
"Where's the alcohol?"
"...Alcohol? I'll go get some for you."
At the mention of alcohol, Uchiha Gen's stomach twitched. He swallowed hard, still feeling a little scared afterward.
Soon, Uchiha Gen returned with only two bottles of cloudy liquor. Madara's expression immediately darkened when he saw them.
"Why are there only two bottles?"
"I don't drink. I'm still too young."
"Nonsense!" Izuna swallowed a chunk of meat in one bite and said indistinctly, "You're clearly about the same age as me. We're only a few months apart."
Uchiha Gen stared with innocent eyes, repeatedly reaching for food as though he had heard nothing.
That afternoon, at the Uchiha Training Ground.
Uchiha Gen tied back his long hair with a band. Not only was its color now different from that of the Uchiha Clan, even its texture had changed.
Most Uchiha had hair that stood up strand by strand, like the spiky fur of an exploded hedgehog. Uchiha Gen's hair, however, was snow-white and exceptionally soft.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready!"
Madara stood between them with his hands tucked into his sleeves. He looked at his two younger brothers, then shouted:
"Begin!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Uchiha Gen and Izuna simultaneously used the Body Flicker Technique, darting back and forth across the Training Ground as they searched for the best chance to attack.
They had agreed before the match that neither side could use the Mangekyō Sharingan, so their perception was on the same level.
Izuna had ultimately spent far longer on the battlefield. He was the first to find an opening, and the shuriken hidden in his sleeves shot out one after another as he moved.
Because it was only a spar, all their bladed weapons had been dulled. As for accidental injuries from ninjutsu? Madara was there to oversee the fight.
Uchiha Gen's ears twitched. A subtle abnormality in the wind speed immediately allowed him to detect the shuriken's trajectory, and his running figure came to an abrupt stop.
"Fire Release! Fierce Tiger Flame!"
Ferocious flames instantly erupted outward, covering a considerable range. A faint tiger's roar could be heard within the fire.
"Good!"
Izuna was unafraid as well and immediately formed hand seals.
"Fire Release! Great Fireblast!"
The two ninjutsu collided. Uchiha Izuna maintained the blast for only an instant before suddenly sensing that something was wrong, immediately using the Body Flicker Technique to evade.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three kunai embedded themselves exactly where Izuna had just been standing.
"Fire Release! Twin Dragons Emerge from the Sea!"
Two lifelike fire dragons entwined together and flew toward where Izuna's Substitution Technique was predicted to have placed him.
With a bang, an inconspicuous log revealed Izuna's true form. His hands flashed through hand seals.
"Fire Release! Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
The three fire dragons collided. Then Izuna's expression changed again. His Great Fire Dragon had actually been torn apart by Uchiha Gen's twin dragons, which absorbed its force and charged toward him!
Madara saw it all clearly from the side. After several exchanges of ninjutsu, his third brother Uchiha Gen had not formed a single hand seal. Every technique had been released without seals. He was deeply shocked. He had not expected Gen's Chakra control to reach such a level. Madara believed that in this regard, Gen had already surpassed him. It seemed Izuna was in for a hard time now.
Time slowly passed. The two repeatedly clashed with ninjutsu, but Uchiha Gen's seal-less techniques ultimately proved superior. Sometimes, he could even release three C-rank Fire Release techniques in succession within a single second.
The relentless offensive left Izuna unable to keep up. His hands and feet were nearly too busy to handle it all. He had not expected to be pressed so hard by his younger brother, and his face flushed.
The Uchiha were not known for having large reserves of Chakra. Before long, both had nearly exhausted theirs and chose close combat almost simultaneously.
"Third Brother! I admit you're slightly stronger than me in ninjutsu, but you're no match for me in close combat!"
Uchiha Gen smiled faintly. He had not even revealed a single trump card yet. Only now was the match truly beginning.
"We'll find out if we try."
Duang!
Their kunai collided, scattering sparks. Uchiha Gen's body jolted, and he was actually sent flying backward.
"Damn!"
"See? I told you!"
Izuna had not held back in that collision. It might have been a spar, but seeing his younger brother perform so brilliantly had also stirred his competitive spirit.
Uchiha Gen staggered back more than ten steps before steadying himself. Facing the oncoming Izuna, he did not try to trade blows and instead chose to evade once more.
Izuna's close-combat skills had been honed between life and death, every move aimed at vital points. After dozens of exchanges, Uchiha Gen had been beaten into a thoroughly disheveled state.
"Damn it! Try this!"
Uchiha Gen controlled his Chakra to leave Substitution Marks on the shuriken, then flicked his wrist and threw three of them at Izuna.
"An attack like this is useless. Playing with shuriken in front of an Uchiha is truly childish."
Izuna's lips curved into a confident smile. With a slight turn of his head, he slipped past them.
Yet his battle instincts made him pause for a moment. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the kunai. One of them seemed somewhat different...
"You lost, Second Brother!"
What?!
Uchiha Gen was clearly still in front of him, yet his voice rang out from behind Izuna.
Goosebumps instantly spread across Izuna's body. In that moment, he actually felt the presence of death.
Clack!
Uchiha Gen stood behind Izuna with a kunai in hand. Izuna raised a hand to touch the back of his neck. It felt slightly chilly. Looking down, he saw a tuft of black hair slowly drifting to the ground.
Before you continue