Chapter 21: Strange Dreams and Bizarre Strength

Uchiha Gin had a dream. It played out like the pages of a dynamic comic book being flipped.

In the first panel, a young boy held the hand of a weeping girl, whispering something to her.
In the second panel, the boy knelt in despair amidst a sea of flames, surrounded by the mangled corpses of the old, the weak, women, and children.
In the third panel, the kneeling boy was surrounded by hideous, shadowy figures, with a blood-red moon slowly rising in the background.
In the fourth panel, the flames surrounding the boy were illuminated by the red moon, turning a grotesque, pitch black.
In the fifth panel, the boy’s eyes had been replaced by two bloody pits, with fresh blood flowing incessantly, yet his lips were curled into a brilliant, radiant smile.

Just as he was about to turn the page, Uchiha Gin felt a sharp sting in his brain, and the dream came to an abrupt halt.

He struggled to lift his eyelids. The full moon still hung in the sky, and the surrounding scenery remained unchanged. Inside the tent ahead, he could hear the muffled, incoherent murmurs of Senju Itama’s dreams, making everything feel all the more real.

He tried to sit up, only to find his entire body feeling as if it had been shattered. His back and head, in particular, felt as though they had been struck head-on by a train—a sensation reminiscent of when he had first transmigrated.

Uchiha Gin raised his arm to check for any signs of injury, only to find that his right arm, which had been effortlessly snapped by the woman before he lost consciousness, was completely healed.

"Looks like I survived this round of skills."

The fact that his injuries had recovered meant that the skills refreshed for the night had finished executing.

"Backyard daily random skill refresh: [Strength Enhancement]. Obtained: Strength Enhancement *1..."

The system’s notification chimed.

"!!!"

Ignoring the lingering psychological pain, Uchiha Gin vaulted to his feet like a sparrow, scrutinizing his own thin, fair hands.

He tried clenching his fist, and immediately felt a special, warm current surge from his heart, converging into his hands. A violent, explosive force seemed ready to burst forth.

Staring at a massive boulder nearby, Uchiha Gin raised a fist and slammed it down with all his might.

The moment they made contact, the seemingly frail fist, wrapped in a surge of immense air pressure, punched a deep, gaping hole into the hard rock.

Cracks, resembling a spiderweb, spread from the point of impact across the entire boulder. Looking at the result in disbelief, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but feel his throat go dry.

"Is this the legendary Strength Enhancement?"

"Strength Enhancement: An ability of the Senju clan. It involves precise control of chakra, concentrating it into any part of the body to release a powerful blast of air, capable of shattering walls with ease," the system helpfully explained.

He got up and stretched, and the soreness that had permeated his body slowly faded away. Injuries caused by the Backyard's daily skill refresh would recover once the skill’s effects ended; although his brain remembered being hit, his body sustained no lasting damage.

Once his excitement subsided, Uchiha Gin sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to recall the heroic figure of the woman who had descended from the sky.

Despite having only caught a fleeting glimpse, as a fan of the original series, he recognized the "technician" immediately.

"Tsunade, is it? Are you really not here to avenge Uzumaki Mito?"

Recalling the woman—who might not yet be a woman—Uchiha Gin couldn't help but mutter to himself.

He had just said goodbye to Uzumaki Mito that day, only to have "intimate contact" with her own granddaughter that night.

"Talk about not holding a grudge overnight!" Uchiha Gin thought, arching his eyebrows at the fruitful harvest.

"At least I finally got a useful skill."

Having mastered Strength Enhancement, Uchiha Gin’s strength had reached a new level. He should now be able to go toe-to-toe with Uchiha Fuka, provided the latter didn't know his true capabilities.

While the boost in strength delighted him, the thought of the mission involving Senju Itama gave him a headache again. It was supposed to be an introductory mission, so why was it so cumbersome?

Unable to figure it out, he gave up thinking and returned to the tent, looking at the soundly sleeping Senju Itama.

Suddenly, anger welled up in his heart. He grabbed the sleeping brat, tossed him out, and lay down on the mat that the boy had just warmed up.

Feeling the warmth beneath him, Uchiha Gin finally fell asleep, leaving Senju Itama to shiver in the cold outside.

"Achoo! Achoo—!"

Listening to the sneezing outside, Uchiha Gin, who had slept very well, stretched and walked out to see Senju Itama curled up by the edge of the tent. Ignoring the boy’s resentful gaze, he briskly packed up the tent.

Going by the distance, they should be able to return to the clan by the end of the day if all went well. Looking at the boy he had "taken care of" quite a bit along the way, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but worry for himself.

"Should I just take this brat and defect to the Senju?"

A bold idea popped into his mind, only to be extinguished in the next instant.

The two clans were currently locked in a fierce, all-out war. The members of the Uchiha and Senju were killing each other with abandon; if he defected now, he would likely be executed as a spy on the spot.

And even if he somehow managed to defect, the Uchiha would brand him a traitor, and Uchiha Fuka might just "disappear" him in his sleep.

Neither option was good. Uchiha Gin shook his head secretly; he would just have to take things one step at a time.

He packed his bags and took Senju Itama to rendezvous with the others, who were already sitting together, waiting to depart.

Seeing Uchiha Gin arrive last, the group remained silent, instead eyeing him with visible caution.

This left Uchiha Gin confused. Did someone awaken a "mind-reading" system and hear his thoughts about running away? He started to let his imagination run wild.

"We are not going to spar with you," Uchiha Ryoichi said first.

"That's right, that's right," Uchiha Tsuru and Uchiha Taro nodded in unison.

So that was it!

Uchiha Gin sighed in relief. It seemed that his attempts to farm the "Heartsteel" treasure chests over the past few days had made these guys a bit neurotic. He replied readily, "Don't worry, everyone. We’ll be home soon, so I won't delay your time or energy. Let’s save the sparring for after we get back!"

"We won't, uncle, we won't." The three of them shook their heads in unison.

"..."

"Alright, let's move out," Uchiha Fuka appeared behind them, speaking up.

"Yes!"

The rest of the journey was relatively smooth. As they trekked on, the Uchiha clan grounds drew closer.

Seeing the wisps of smoke rising ahead, the members of the Uchiha squad finally felt their hearts settle—all except for Uchiha Gin.

"Who goes there!"

Just as they were about to reach the Uchiha grounds, two figures flashed out from the darkness. Their long, raven-black hair and crimson eyes clearly revealed their identities.

"We are the Uchiha squad returning from a mission. I am the captain, Uchiha Fuka, here to report our completion."

As captain, Uchiha Fuka revealed his Sharingan.

"Ah, it’s 'The Invisible' Fuka-sama. You’re fast; you’re the first squad to return. Go on in and get some rest!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Fuka’s name, one of the Uchiha guards said respectfully. These patrollers were low-level fighters who lacked the qualifications for field missions; they naturally held great respect for the already renowned Uchiha Fuka.

They glanced briefly at Uchiha Ryoichi and the others, then fixed their gaze on Uchiha Gin, who was carrying a child on his back.

"Who’s that guy? Why is he bringing a brat along?" the guard couldn't help but ask. The next moment, his companion hurriedly covered his mouth, looking terrified and signaling him to stop talking.

As the Uchiha squad walked past, the guard who had been silenced pulled away and asked, "Why did you stop me from questioning that guy?"

"You should thank me. I just saved your life," the other guard replied, wiping the spit from his hand with a look of lingering fear.

"?"

The guard who had been silenced looked confused.

"That guy... that’s Uchiha Gin!"