Chapter 9: System Warning

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Uchiha Ryoichi muttered curses as he walked away, leaving behind Uchiha Gin with a look of reluctant longing.

To Uchiha Gin, the few people around him were nothing more than lush green chives, ripe for harvesting one by one.

“Looks like I can’t count on Uchiha Ryoichi tomorrow,” Gin thought regretfully. Despite this, he couldn’t help but call out, “Ryoichi, you’ll be behind bars. Let’s spar another day.”

Without turning back, Uchiha Ryoichi extended a hand and made a friendly gesture with his middle finger. It was clear he was eagerly anticipating the challenge from Uchiha Gin.

“Tsk, the locals from the Uchiha clan sure lack manners,” Gin muttered with a look of disappointed frustration.

Having exhausted the number of battles allowed for the day, according to the system’s description, even if he entered battle again, the Steel Heart Treasure Box wouldn’t trigger anymore.

He carefully examined the treasure box in his mind. Its appearance was as flashy and ostentatious as he had seen in his previous life.

During the fight just now, the system had, as in the previous day’s battle with Senju Itama, played an intense background track, but this time, being prepared, Gin had muted the music.

He tried clicking on the treasure box but received no response. Internally, he wondered, “Is there no item description?”

Suddenly, the long-silent system finally appeared, patiently explaining, “System is a beta server; 90% of content is not yet loaded. Please be patient, host...”

Before Gin could ask further, the system vanished again, ignoring all his calls.

“Looks like I need to complete four battles to find out what rewards this treasure box holds.”

After fruitless probing, Uchiha Gin gave up on studying it for now. After all, he had only activated the system for a day; its functions would have to be explored gradually.

He then turned his gaze to the other Uchiha nearby. A sinister gleam flickered in his deadpan eyes. Uchiha Hikaku, who was cleaning his short sword, and Uchiha Dairo, who was meditating to refine chakra, both shuddered involuntarily.

Early the next morning, Uchiha Gin sought out the usually taciturn Uchiha Hikaku first.

“Hikaku brother, I’ve heard your swordsmanship is divine. As it happens, I was once taught a sword technique by Clan Chief Tajima. I’d like to take this opportunity to spar with you and improve together.”

Hikaku was momentarily stunned on hearing this before replying, “We’re about to set off soon; there’s no time to spar now. Let’s wait until after we rest.”

But Hikaku was not so easily deterred. He added, “It won’t delay anything. Let’s settle this with just one move.”

Seeing Hikaku trying to back out again, Gin pressed on, “Or perhaps, Hikaku brother, you’re afraid of losing to me? That’s understandable, given that the technique was taught by the clan chief himself. Ordinary Uchiha would indeed struggle to withstand it.”

He sighed dramatically once more, his demeanor almost teasing.

Hikaku stared at him in surprise, thinking, “Since when did this kid become so arrogant?” He immediately drew his short sword from his waist and the long katana from his back, crossing them in front of him and assuming a stance.

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“Please teach me!” Hikaku declared.

Noticing Hikaku’s dual-wield style, Uchiha Gin steeled himself and drew the katana from his own back.

Gripping the sword with both hands, his eyes cold and sharp, he seemed to be searching for a weakness in Hikaku’s form.

The two stood motionless for a long moment. Hikaku was looking for an opening, but he found that Gin was riddled with flaws.

Gin, meanwhile, was waiting for a prompt from the system. As none came, he hesitated.

“I’ll let you make the first move, Hikaku brother,” he said finally.

Recalling his previous two battles, it was always the opponent who struck first, so after a long silence, he spoke.

Hikaku was uneasy as well. Though Gin’s movements were casual and even full of apparent flaws, his expression was calm, as if he was confident of victory.

This made Hikaku’s mind race, sweat pouring down his body. As soon as Gin finished speaking, Hikaku suddenly lunged forward, testing with his first strike.

Gin’s nerves instantly tightened as he saw Hikaku’s sudden attack. At that moment, a voice from the system echoed in his mind:

“Detected host entering battle. Steel Heart Treasure Box begins accumulating...”

Just as he expected, the system only triggered when the opponent made the first move.

But this meant that in future battles, Gin would have to start with some verbal provocation to draw the enemy’s attention, as stealth attacks or ambushes wouldn’t trigger the treasure box.

He would no longer be a shadowy assassin but a warrior who had to provoke taunts openly.

Before he could ponder further, seeing Hikaku closing in, Gin threw down his katana and raised both hands in surrender.

“I give up!”

Hikaku’s blade stopped just inches from Gin’s nose. Usually stoic, Hikaku’s face flushed red as if deeply insulted.

He hesitated for three seconds, about to withdraw his sword and say something, when Gin suddenly performed a forward roll, picking up the fallen katana and slashing upward at the now off-guard Hikaku.

Fortunately, Hikaku was a seasoned swordsman. With reflexes far beyond normal, he used his short sword to parry Gin’s blade and leapt back to adjust his stance.

“Using tactics like this—pretending to yield only to ambush when I let my guard down—damages the honor of the Uchiha clan. This surely wasn’t taught by the clan chief,” Hikaku said coldly, his tone full of disdain.

“Sir, did you just eat crap?” Gin replied with a serious expression, thinking, “Surrendering actively even triggered a system warning.”

At the moment Gin had dropped his katana and surrendered, instead of gaining energy, he heard a system alarm.

“Detected match-fixing behavior. Deducting 10 energy points. System has zero tolerance for match-fixing. If repeated, the Steel Heart Treasure Box will be revoked. Battle continues...”

Upon hearing the warning, Gin reacted instantly and launched a counterattack.

His attempt to cheat had backfired, costing him dearly. The desire to exploit the system was extinguished.

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“Looks like you have to play by the rules; no cheating the system,” Gin muttered.

Unable to earn energy points easily, he stopped pretending.

Entering serious battle mode, it took only three moves before Hikaku knocked him to the ground, nearly disarming his katana.

“That’s it?” Hikaku asked incredulously, looking down at the easily defeated Gin. “Weren’t you so confident just now? Why give up so quickly?”

“Host failed, gained 12 energy points. After one more battle, the Steel Heart Treasure Box rewards will unlock. (Current accumulated energy: 13),” the system notified.

Even more than last time.

“Ahem... what a thrilling fight. I, Uchiha Gin, hereby declare you the strongest swordsman!” Gin said with a wide grin, kneeling on one knee, one hand bracing himself on the ground, the other giving a thumbs-up, a shiny tooth flashing.

Hikaku was left speechless by the scene and turned away without a word, clearly feeling deeply insulted.

“After this bout, I’ve learned much. I hope we can spar again after today’s rest!” Gin thought, casting a wide net to catch more fish. Hikaku was definitely a valuable target not to be missed.

“Idiot,” Hikaku spat coldly from a distance.

Their battle was brief. The others at the camp tidied their gear, erased their traces, and soon set off on the journey home.

Still unconscious, Senju Itama was carried by Uchiha Gin. After trekking all day yesterday, Gin had grown accustomed to traveling with someone on his back, making today’s journey easier.

Fortunately, they met no enemies along the way. Near nightfall, Uchiha Fuhuo, who was scouting ahead, stopped and ordered everyone to set up camp.

Each pitched their tents on the spot. Uchiha Gin had just finished and was preparing to rest when...

“Bro... brother...” murmured Senju Itama, who had been unconscious for a day and night, slowly waking, calling out.

“Your brother is gone,” Gin whispered in his ear like a demon.

“Ahhh??? Waaah...” Itama cried.

“By the way, your little brother is gone too. Congratulations on becoming an adorable girl who squats to pee~”

Huh? Wasn’t that originally not...

Overwhelmed by the series of blows, Itama fully regained consciousness. Seeing the curly-haired, dead-eyed figure before him, he recalled being captured. But after calling out twice, something was stuffed into his mouth, choking him to tears.