"No, no, no, she's my daughter!"
Hōkaku rushed over, only to hear Izuna mistake Shingetsu for Madara's daughter the moment he stepped through the door. He nearly fell apart on the spot.
He couldn't help grumbling inwardly. Seriously, why does everyone refuse to believe Shingetsu is my own daughter?
Especially Madara Uchiha. When Izuna asked him that question, he merely lowered his head and gently stroked Shingetsu's hair, his eyes brimming with tenderness. That attitude practically amounted to admitting it!
Hōkaku finally lost it. He leaped forward, scooped Shingetsu away, and pointed at Madara as he shouted:
"Cousin, why aren't you denying it?!"
"Hōkaku?"
Seeing his former deputy, Izuna froze for a moment. Then he looked at the father and daughter as though something had dawned on him, his lips curving and one eyebrow rising.
"This child really is your daughter?"
Izuna carefully studied Shingetsu's exquisite, adorable little face, then glanced at Hōkaku's barely handsome features and muttered:
"Hmm, she doesn't look much like you..."
Hōkaku felt his entire world collapse at those words and hurried to explain:
"No, no, no, she really is my daughter!"
Hōkaku spent ages explaining, but Izuna kept looking only half convinced, driving him mad.
Only after talking until his mouth went dry did Hōkaku realize that his little devil of a cousin was deliberately messing with him.
"Izuna, how could you do this to me?"
Looking at Izuna, who was now younger than him, Hōkaku felt utterly wronged. His thoughts drifted back to the past, vividly recalling the days when Madara and Izuna had "looked after" him.
Ever since childhood, he had been unable to beat Madara and constantly tricked by Izuna. Now Madara had even stolen his daughter. He must have owed them something in a previous life!
"Hahaha, all right, enough joking.