Chapter 18: Sealing the Whirlpool Flower Path

Touching the bead tucked inside his robe, Uchiha Gin recalled the words of Uzumaki Mito.

"The sealing technique within this bead can only be released at close range, and only when the opponent has let down their guard."

Uzumaki Mito, wearing her cute hair buns, had puffed out her chubby cheeks while instructing Uchiha Gin.

"Your brother is such a powerful taijutsu ninja. If I try to get that close to him, I’ll probably be swatted to death before I even reach him," Uchiha Gin had said, disheartened, as he took the bead.

"You idiot! Can’t you use your head? Who told you that you had to fight him head-on?" Mito had replied, frustrated by his lack of wit.

"Then I suppose I’ll just have to play it by ear."

Without a set plan, Uchiha Gin had tucked the bead securely against his body and bid farewell to the visibly worried Mito.

The memory abruptly faded.

Looking at Uzumaki Hanado, who stood opposite him radiating an aura of red chakra, Uchiha Gin could only sigh inwardly. He had no choice but to commit.

He took the first step, walking toward Hanado. Seeing Gin boldly approaching him, Hanado said with caution, "What are you doing?!"

The giant fireball from moments ago had left a lingering shadow in his mind; he was terrified the other man might unleash another one.

Hearing the rebuke, Uchiha Gin plunged his samurai sword into the ground and raised his hands, signaling he had no malicious intent.

This gesture left Hanado completely baffled. He had expected the man to fight to the death, but the current situation was a far cry from what he had anticipated.

"Is the young patriarch of the Uzumaki clan afraid of a common Uchiha like me?" Uchiha Gin asked, his hands still raised, his tone laced with provocation.

"Afraid of you? Ridiculous!"

Easily baited by the taunt, Uzumaki Hanado instantly flashed in front of Uchiha Gin, looking down at him from his superior height.

At over 1.8 meters, Uchiha Gin was considered quite tall even among the Uchiha clan, but in front of Hanado, who stood over two meters tall, he appeared rather diminutive.

Only at this close proximity did Uchiha Gin get a good look at the young Uzumaki patriarch. The delicate, youthful face of an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old was attached to a body that looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s; the jarring contrast was enough to make one’s head spin.

Ignoring Gin’s strange expression, Hanado spoke first.

"Despicable Uchiha, where have you hidden my sister? Tell me now, and as long as I can be sure she is unharmed, I might consider sparing your life."

The immensely powerful Hanado didn't feel much caution toward the weak; in his eyes, even an Uchiha with two-tomoe Sharingan was merely a toy he could manipulate at will.

He figured the giant fireball from earlier must have been released by the opponent draining his own life force—a technique somewhat similar to those of his own clan.

***

Holding onto this suspicion, Hanado did not immediately move to break Uchiha Gin’s limbs, choosing instead to stand and talk.

"As long as the young patriarch is willing to spare us, I guarantee your sister won't lose a single hair," Uchiha Gin said, appearing very submissive.

"Merely sparing you is my absolute limit. Don't think about bargaining with me."

Uchiha Gin might be a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, and even if his bloodline had been "tainted" by the Uchiha, he still had to be brought back to the clan to await his father's judgment.

A flicker of struggle crossed Uchiha Gin’s face, as if he were wrestling with something. Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he said, "Alright then. Please promise that you won't harm me, and I will take you to see your sister immediately."

"You’re a sensible one."

Hearing the answer he wanted, Uzumaki Hanado puffed out his chest, his head held high as if showing off his pride to the world.

"Then it’s a deal."

Saying this, Uchiha Gin extended a clenched fist.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hanado asked, frowning.

"It’s a fist bump. I learned it from the countries to the north; it signifies that two people have reached an agreement," Uchiha Gin said, his face dead serious.

"What a bizarre custom."

Though he found it strange, the arrogant Hanado extended his own sandbag-sized fist and tapped it lightly against Gin’s.

The moment their fists touched, the serious expression on Uchiha Gin’s face morphed into one of a scheme successfully executed.

Seeing this, Hanado’s heart tightened. Just as he prepared to unleash his superior sensory perception, his entire body’s chakra stalled, turning as stagnant as dead water.

At the same time, he felt a powerful suction coming from the fist he had extended, as if a black hole had locked him firmly in place.

Looking closely, he saw that Uchiha Gin’s hand was now open, and a familiar bead rested quietly upon it. Several shadows extended from the bead, wrapping tightly around Hanado’s hand; no matter how hard he pulled, he could not break free.

"The Four-Symbols Sealing Bead! How is this in your hands?" Hanado shouted in shock. His father had only ever crafted one such bead, which he had gifted to Uzumaki Mito for self-defense.

The bead was inscribed with the Four-Symbols Sealing Technique. Using it would seal an enemy inside, and only Uzumaki Ashina could undo the seal.

Without answering the query, Uchiha Gin poured every ounce of his strength into his chakra, controlling the shadows extending from the bead to wrap around the immobilized Hanado layer by layer.

Until finally, the man was engulfed in shadows. Then, the bead in his hand exerted a powerful suction, twisting and rotating the two-meter-tall Hanado as it slowly pulled him inside.

***

As the last wisp of shadow was drawn into the bead, Uchiha Gin let out his breath and collapsed onto the grass.

Panting heavily, he looked in amazement at the trembling, black-and-red bead in his hand and sighed, "Sealing techniques truly are the most mysterious skills in the original story; they are terrifying."

If the Uzumaki clan hadn't been wiped out, their sealing techniques alone would have made them unstoppable. It was a pity they were killed off by the plot in such a muddled way.

"Ding! Uzumaki Hanado has been defeated. Mission: Rescue the Uchiha Fenghuo squad from their desperate situation. Completion rate: 80%..."

The system’s notification sound had never been so sweet.

After tidying up his equipment, Uchiha Gin, relying on his Uzumaki constitution, found that his chakra had already recovered by more than half.

The battle involving Uchiha Ryoichi and the others was still ongoing, but before that, he had to see someone else.

In a cave a few miles away, Senju Itama, who had been gagged with a smelly sock, slowly regained consciousness.

Seeing not the detestable Uchiha, but a girl with hair buns staring blankly at his face, a spark of hope ignited in his eyes.

Ignoring the foul, sour stench in his mouth, he struggled to make a humming noise.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm... ah!"

The strange sound interrupted the girl's thoughts. She turned to look at the boy who had been tied up by the Uchiha kidnappers.

"Aba-aba..."

Seeing the girl notice him, Senju Itama twisted his body even more vigorously, humming louder.

Watching the boy, Uzumaki Mito pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you have something to say to me?"

Receiving a response, Senju Itama nodded frantically. The fastidious girl looked on with some disgust, but she stood up and searched for a while until she found a tree branch.

She picked it up and aimed at the sock in the boy's mouth, but because it was so foul, Uzumaki Mito had to pinch her delicate little nose with one hand.

However, because she stayed too far back, not only did the sock fail to come out, but her clumsy attempt backfired, and she accidentally pushed it much deeper into his throat with the branch.

Feeling the sock not only stay put but move closer to his windpipe, Senju Itama shook his head violently in agony.

Afraid of dirtying her eyes, Uzumaki Mito turned her head away, ignoring the boy whose eyes had rolled back into his head, and continued to poke forcefully with the branch.

"Hey, hey, hey, what kind of weird play is this? If you keep poking like that, this poor kid is actually going to die."