The breath of death loomed over him. At this critical moment, Uchiha Gin's eyes turned blood-red.
The tomoe in his right eye spun wildly, and his visual power surged as if it was endless.
Kaguya Sosuke, thinking he had already succeeded, wanted to witness the tragic sight of Uchiha Gin in front of him.
But instead of the expected spray of blood or Gin's wails, all he felt was a searing pain from the wound in his chest.
[Amaterasu]
A black lotus bloomed in his chest, the unbearable pain suffocating him as the burning sensation spread from his lungs to his entire body.
The bones, rapidly growing due to his bloodline limit, shattered upon contact with the strange black flames. Kaguya Sosuke, unable to sustain his bloodline's power, collapsed as the blooming bone flower disintegrated into the wind.
Uchiha Gin pulled back his arm, flying backward.
Before Kaguya Sosuke could counterattack, Uchiha Gin, now kneeling on the ground, struggled to support himself with one hand while wiping the blood tears from his right eye with the other.
His pale face revealed his exhaustion as he said, "As expected of the legendary Shikotsumyaku. You are indeed strong. I, Uchiha Gin, acknowledge your strength in taijutsu. I admit defeat!"
With that, he weakly closed his eyes and dismissed Amaterasu.
"Host failed. You gained 12 Mind Power. Two more battles required to unlock the Steel of Heart reward. (Current accumulated Mind Power: 22)"
The black flames on Kaguya Sosuke's chest extinguished.
Already at death's door, he coughed up large amounts of blood.
The grotesque wound on his chest had been charred by the intense heat, emitting the smell of cooked flesh.
After Kaguya asosuke was gravely injured, the dazed look from their initial encounter faded, and his eyes regained clarity.
Seeing the slightly disheveled Uchiha Gin, he frowned as if deep in thought, "You… who are you, kid?"
"Have you remembered something?"
Noticing that his opponent seemed more lucid, Uchiha Gin hurriedly asked.
The Kaguya clan member in front of him seemed to know what had happened during the massacre at the Uchiha camp six years ago.
Now, he was desperate to learn the truth behind the Kaguya clan's attack on their homeland and the missing memories of the original host.
"No, you're not him… Your eyes…"
Kaguya Sosuke, tortured to the brink of death and having drained what little life force he had left to use his bloodline, was experiencing a brief moment of clarity before the end.
As his voice grew weaker, Uchiha Gin, realizing Kaguya Sosuke was nearing death, hurriedly asked, "Who ordered the massacre at the Uchiha clan grounds? Where did the rest of the Kaguya clan go?"
Upon hearing this, Kaguya Sosuke's dull pupils filled with terror. He struggled to retreat, muttering incoherently, "Everyone's dead… Anyone who saw the moonlight is dead!"
"Who died? What moonlight?"
Hearing the new clue, Uchiha Gin rushed forward and grabbed Kaguya Sosuke by the shoulders, his Sharingan staring intently into the dying man's eyes.
"Two tomoe? Hahaha… You're not… you're not…"
Seeing the two tomoe slowly spinning in Uchiha Gin's eyes, Kaguya Sosuke muttered nonsensical words before going limp, dead.
Damn riddlers!
Uchiha Gin placed Kaguya Sosuke's corpse down, frowning as he left the cell.
After walking a short distance, he encountered Uchiha Mitsu, who was shocked to see Gin's disheveled appearance.
Upon noticing Gin's bloodstained hands, Mitsu shuddered, recalling Gin's infamous reputation. He nervously asked, "Lord Gin, what happened?"
"Kaguya Sosuke attacked me while I was questioning him, but his strength had dwindled from being imprisoned too long, so I killed him in self-defense. Go get someone to clean it up."
Gin didn't hide the news of Josuke's death. A prisoner with a broken mind wasn't worth much, and he could simply file a report if needed.
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing how casually Gin spoke of killing a prisoner, Uchiha Mitsu felt a chill run down his spine. He swallowed nervously and quickly complied.
After Gin walked away, Uchiha Mitsu let out a sigh of relief. Gin's earlier demeanor had been so terrifying that it left him trembling.
Entering Kaguya Sosuke's cell, Uchiha Mitsu approached the corpse. The sight caused him to gasp.
Sosuke, emaciated and with both hands previously broken and bound, already looked pitiful. But now, all ten of his fingers had been cruelly extracted, leaving them dangling like limp noodles.
As if that wasn't horrifying enough, his chest had a massive, charred hole where his ribs had been shattered and his chest cavity scorched by some fire technique. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air, making Uchiha Mitsu nauseous.
After examining the body, Uchiha Mitsu recalled Gin's harmless-looking face earlier and found it hard to reconcile it with the brutal torture that had been inflicted on the prisoner.
"No wonder the clan rumors about Uchiha Gin are so vicious. Such cruelty is beyond normal people."
Uchiha Mitsu thought to himself, wanting nothing more than to drag his friend, Uchiha Tanaka, and run far away from Gin.
Unfazed, Uchiha Gin pushed open the door to the archives and found someone sitting in his workspace. The person smiled as they stood to greet him.
"Gin-kun, if you have any requests as a new employee here, feel free to let me know. I'll do my best to arrange things for you."
It was none other than Uchiha Hiro, an elder Gin had briefly met yesterday in the clan leader's office.
His rotund figure gave him the appearance of a jovial Buddha, though in his younger years, he was a ruthless executioner.
"No need to trouble yourself, Elder Hiro. Uchiha Mitsu has already taken care of everything for me."
Gin replied politely, "I'm new here, so if I fall short in any way, I hope you can forgive me."
"The archives work is tedious, but it's calming. The clan leader noticed you've been a bit restless lately, so he assigned you here to help you unwind and focus."
Uchiha Hiro explained Uchiha Tajima's reasoning.
"I'll follow the clan leader's orders."
Gin replied respectfully.
"Gin-kun, where did you just go? I was waiting for you."
Hiro asked casually.
"I was curious about a prisoner's information, so I went to take a look."
Knowing he couldn't hide it, Gin answered honestly.
"You're so dedicated, Gin-kun. Already hard at work right after arriving. Admirable!"
"Not at all, Elder Hiro. You are the true role model of dedication."
They exchanged the usual polite pleasantries.
Just as they were chatting, Uchiha Mitsu entered the room, blurting out, "Lord Gin, the prisoner's body has been cleaned up. You don't need to worry— Ah! Greetings, Elder Hiro!"
Uchiha Mitsu, not expecting anyone else in the room, was startled to see his superior and quickly knelt.
The sudden silence was palpable.
"Trust me, the prisoner attacked first."
Gin broke the silence, his face full of sincerity and innocence.
"Ahem, these prisoners are really bold, daring to attack. Thankfully, Gin-kun, you're strong. Otherwise, how could I explain this to the clan leader if you were hurt?"
Elder Hiro quickly followed up with comforting words, wearing a kind expression.
"Just a lucky fight."
Gin waved his hand humbly.
"Well, if everything's fine, I'll leave you to your work. The archive is in your hands now."
As Elder Hiro left, he patted Gin on the shoulder, encouraging him to do well.
After he left, Uchiha Mitsu stood up and awkwardly approached Gin, seemingly awaiting punishment.
"Mitsu, you seem sharp. I have a favor to ask."
Gin didn't hold a grudge but instead asked for his help.
"Anything, Lord Gin! If it's something you want, I'd go through fire and water to accomplish it!"
Uchiha Mitsu immediately put on a loyal expression, beating his chest in commitment.
"Thank you. I just need you to investigate which prisoners were brought to the dungeon six years ago."
Gin made his request.
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
---
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