Chapter 8: Beginning a Losing Streak

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“It was a dark and stormy night. As usual, I stood dutifully guard outside the clan leader’s office. Though the hour was late, I dared not relax for even a moment, for the clan leader was still tirelessly devising strategies for the war. Suddenly, I heard the sound of something crashing, followed by the clan leader’s furious roar...”

At this point, Uchiha Gin paused, his gaze sweeping over the captivated Uchiha clan members listening intently.

“Come on, tell us! What did the clan leader shout?”

Uchiha Ryoichi, eager for the key part, hurriedly urged.

“Yeah, yeah!”

Uchiha Tsuru and Uchiha Daro chimed in eagerly, while Uchiha Fuhuo, silent until now, stared at him with keen curiosity.

Feeling somewhat parched, Uchiha Gin reached behind for his water flask, only to find it empty.

Just as he was about to think of something, Uchiha Ryoichi already offered his own flask with both hands. Uchiha Gin, sensing his dry throat, accepted without hesitation and gulped down a hearty draught.

After comfortably finishing the water, Uchiha Gin raised a hand to signal the others to hold on, then gathered his thoughts and spoke mysteriously:

“Damn Senju Fuchimaru, I will crush your bones to dust, and I shall raise your wife myself!”

“What does that mean?”

Uchiha Ryoichi and the others were utterly baffled.

Uchiha Gin promptly put on a helpless expression, sighed, and shook his head.

“Why do you think someone as weak as me has managed to serve as the clan leader’s personal bodyguard all these years? What do you think keeps me in this position?”

“Isn’t it because the clan leader is your maternal uncle?” whispered Uchiha Tsuru, who rarely spoke, but in the confined space of the cave his words echoed like through a loudspeaker, ringing clearly in everyone’s ears.

“Ahem, as the saying goes, one should not avoid appointing the worthy just because of kinship.”

Uchiha Gin coughed awkwardly.

“My strength lies in absolute loyalty to the clan leader, and more importantly, in my ability to read his every move.”

“Read?”

“For a great ninja like the clan leader, even the slightest gesture or casual word carries hidden meaning.”

“Some words, though spoken, are as if unspoken; others, though left unsaid, hold deep meanings only a select few can grasp.”

“For this mission, the clan leader’s apparent order was to kill the Senju clan’s prodigy on sight, but the deeper, covert objective was to capture him alive.”

“Think about it: Senju Fuchimaru has always doted on his young son. A simple assassination would only provoke the Senju clan to fight to the death, causing needless losses. But if the son is captured alive, the clan leader can use him as leverage to control the Senju clan. For us Uchiha, this is a win-win scenario.”

“What a brilliant plan! Did the clan leader reveal this to you?”

Uchiha Fuhuo, who had been listening quietly, couldn’t help but marvel.

“No, I guessed it myself.”

“...”

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Though risky, this explanation was enough to fool Uchiha Fuhuo and the others. Once the mission succeeded, whether Senju Fuchimaru lived or died would no longer concern Uchiha Gin.

After a night’s rest, the group regained some strength and began escorting the bound Senju Fuchimaru back to the Uchiha clan territory.

Since they had ventured deep behind enemy lines, the journey home would still take nearly half a month.

Because Uchiha Gin had unilaterally spared Senju Fuchimaru’s life, he alone was entrusted with transporting the captive.

More importantly, he feared that the others might accidentally kill Senju Fuchimaru, which would result in mission failure and his own demise.

After a full day’s travel, the group camped by a small river at night. During this time, Senju Fuchimaru woke once, but before he could react, Uchiha Gin knocked him unconscious with a single slap.

He no longer had the energy to communicate with Senju Fuchimaru, already burdened as he was with a prisoner.

Though he had removed the cumbersome armor from Senju Fuchimaru, the boy still weighed thirty to forty pounds, straining Uchiha Gin’s frail body.

Lost in thought, Uchiha Gin suddenly remembered that his Heartsteel treasure chest had yet to be triggered today. He was still uncertain about the exact conditions needed to activate it.

After some contemplation, he rose and approached Uchiha Ryoichi, who was leaning against a tree.

Seeing Uchiha Gin approach, Uchiha Ryoichi frowned, puzzled why he wasn’t resting but instead coming to bother him.

During the day, because of Uchiha Gin’s slow pace, the group had covered nearly half the planned distance, causing some resentment in Uchiha Ryoichi, who wished to report back early.

“Brother Ryoichi.”

Uchiha Gin spoke first.

“Don’t call me brother—I’m younger than you.”

Uchiha Gin was twenty-four, Uchiha Ryoichi only twenty, a difference of four years, but their abilities were vastly different.

“Brother Ryoichi.”

Uchiha Gin was equally cheeky.

“...”

Seeing Uchiha Gin’s expression, Uchiha Ryoichi was at a loss for words.

“Brother Ryoichi, I want to spar with you.”

“...”

Uchiha Ryoichi was momentarily stunned, saying nothing.

Without hearing a prompt, Uchiha Gin thought to himself:

“Looks like issuing a challenge alone won’t activate the Heartsteel battle conditions.”

“No time.”

Uchiha Ryoichi had no desire to waste his rest time on a weakling like Uchiha Gin.

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“Scared? After all, my shuriken technique was personally taught by the clan leader, and I’ve yet to meet a worthy opponent.”

Uchiha Gin wore a wistful expression, shaking his head at the lonely heights of mastery.

“Damn it, if I don’t pepper you like a sieve today, I’ll change my family name to Senju!” Uchiha Ryoichi’s temper flared instantly.

Poor ancient soul—he never learned the Art of War.

“Host detected entering combat, Heartsteel treasure chest begins accumulating...”

Sure enough, upon hearing the system prompt in his mind, Uchiha Gin’s eyes brightened.

The upcoming battle with Uchiha Ryoichi would be among kin, so neither would deal lethal blows.

Uchiha Ryoichi struck first, flinging five shuriken from five different angles, aiming precisely at gaps in Uchiha Gin’s limbs. Drawing on the original owner’s memory, Uchiha Gin skillfully threw five shuriken in return.

As expected, the ten shuriken collided with pinpoint accuracy. Watching the scattered shuriken on the ground, Uchiha Gin’s respect for his predecessor rose—turns out the original self wasn’t merely handsome.

“Interesting. Now, try this.”

Seeing his shuriken blocked so precisely, Uchiha Ryoichi grew serious.

He removed the Fuuma shuriken