The girl, now deep in her emotions, started spiraling into wild thoughts. But just then, she heard movement outside again. Having learned from her previous mistakes, she was now alert and carefully listening.
"Piece of cake, this seal is nothing."
Recognizing the gist of what was said, the girl's spirits soared. She could feel the frozen time around her start to flow once more. She was back in the normal timeline, and freedom was just within reach!
Overjoyed, the girl prepared to push open the lid of the coffin that had trapped her for so long. However, when her charred fingers touched the lid, she hesitated.
She looked down at her bare body, smelled the burnt scent of her hair, and instantly withdrew her hand, gripping the coffin lid tightly, determined not to let it be opened.
Outside, Uchiha Gin was puzzled. Looking up at Uchiha Tajima, he asked,
"Uncle, I—"
"I understand. It's been years since you two have met. You must have a lot to talk about. I'll leave you two alone."
Misunderstanding the situation, Uchiha Tajima gave a knowing smile, then swiftly jumped out of the pit, thinking it best to give the young ones some privacy.
"I'm such a good uncle."
"Uh? No, I meant why can't I open this thing?"
Watching Uchiha Tajima's retreating figure, Uchiha Gin felt speechless, but since his uncle had stepped away, he figured he might as well take another look with his Byakugan.
Activating his mutated Byakugan, he glanced at the coffin, then immediately looked away, muttering,
"Why is it still like that? I'm sure I turned down the power!"
Just now, his glance had revealed the same ordinary girl inside, but he had intentionally reduced the Byakugan's penetration level to avoid any unnecessary awkwardness. He was only supposed to see through the coffin, not her. He made a mental note to study these eyes further.
Sigh!
Uchiha Gin would rather doubt the functionality of his Byakugan than think that something might be wrong with the girl.
"I'm just here to rescue someone. I'm just here to rescue someone..."
He chanted to himself like a mantra, convincing himself that everything he was doing was righteous. Then, with a clear conscience, he examined the coffin again to check for any remaining seals.
Inside the coffin, the girl felt a strange sense of being watched. Subconsciously, she released her grip and covered her vital areas.
"No signs of chakra."
Uchiha Gin rubbed his eyes in confusion. He couldn't detect any other traps or seals. Forcing himself to not think about the girl inside, he once again placed his hands firmly on the coffin lid.
This required focus: legs firmly planted, lower body stable, and chakra surging into his arms.
He braced himself, muscles bulging with effort.
"Get up!!!"
To his surprise, the once heavy coffin lid suddenly became light, and with too much force, Uchiha Gin flew backward, clutching the lid and crashing hard onto the ground.
"My back! My brand-new, perfectly functioning, super-strong core!"
Forgetting about the coffin, Uchiha Gin lay on the ground, writhing in pain and wailing miserably.
"Huh? That voice..."
Hearing the voice she had longed for, the girl's heart fluttered. But the tone and way of speaking were completely different from the boy she remembered. Nervously, she peeked her head out of the coffin, looking toward the sound's origin.
Still lying on the ground clutching his kidneys, Uchiha Gin felt a burning gaze. He instinctively looked up, only to spot a black, hedgehog-like figure trembling inside the coffin.
She's been discovered!
The girl, seeing that the figure outside wasn't the young boy she remembered, shuddered in fear and quickly retreated into the coffin.
Unfortunately, her hair, still affected by the earlier electric shock, had puffed up into a spiky mess, and there was no way for her to fully retreat into the small coffin.
"I've already seen you!"
Uchiha Gin struggled to his feet, brushing off the dust. He put on what he thought was a kind smile, hoping to give the girl from his memories a pleasant reunion.
"Don't come any closer!"
Before Uchiha Gin could move, the girl's terrified voice echoed from the coffin.
"If you come closer, I won't be kind to you!"
A shy reaction?
Uchiha Gin chuckled softly. It seemed she hadn't recognized him yet. He decided to give her a big surprise after so many years apart.
Sneaking closer to the coffin, he poked his head inside and whispered gently,
"Welcome back, little— Huh? Who are you?"
What he saw wasn't the serene and gentle girl he remembered, but a charred, nearly unrecognizable figure with hedgehog-like hair.
As he blinked in confusion, the girl inside, overwhelmed by embarrassment and anger, erupted.
"Die!"
Still in shock, Uchiha Gin didn't have time to react as the girl, her eyes glowing crimson, launched an attack.
A pair of large, crimson hands materialized behind her, grabbing the unsuspecting Uchiha Gin and lifting him into the air.
"If I kill you, Gin will never know about this."
A sinister aura began to radiate from the girl's figure, causing Uchiha Gin to feel a deep sense of dread.
"I'm a good person!"
Feeling the tightening grip of the chakra arms, Uchiha Gin struggled for breath. Seeing the crimson skeletal form behind the girl, he quickly realized her identity.
"Hikari! It's me, Gin!"
Who would have thought this seal had the effect of changing her appearance? She was now sporting an exclusive Lightning Country limited-edition look.
"Huh? Gin?"
The girl, who had almost been consumed by her anger, froze. The person she was about to kill had called her by name and even claimed to be Uchiha Gin.
Trying to calm her chaotic emotions, the girl loosened her grip and examined the person's face more closely.
"You dare impersonate Gin, you old fool? I'll show you the true power of Tsukuyomi!"
This guy had the nerve to call himself Gin? Didn't he realize how far he was from the cheerful, bright, and gentle boy she once knew?
As she recalled the elegance of the boy from her memories, the girl glared disdainfully at the man before her.
"I'll deal with him, and then make myself presentable to see my Gin."
"No, no, I really am Gin!"
Feeling the pressure mount once more, Uchiha Gin started to panic. He wasn't sure if his armor could withstand this kind of attack, but for now, he needed to convince her that he really was Gin.
"Hikari, when you were five, you peed your pants at my house! When you were six, I saved you from drowning! When you were seven..."
To prove his identity, Uchiha Gin began to recount all her most embarrassing childhood moments, hoping to jog her memory.
"Hmm?"
The girl's chakra arms paused. Her crimson eyes filled with confusion. These were things only she and Gin would know. How could this person possibly know?
"Tell me! What did you do to my Gin?"
The chakra arms squeezed tighter again as the girl's suspicions grew.
"I've lived my life walking on thin ice..."
-
Read 160+ chapters here (with update rate of 5-10 chapters/day):
Patreon.com/rashta
Join as a member and you will get:
- Read up to 300 chapters of Douluo Dalu: Qian Renxue's Younger Brother
- Read 50 Advanced chapters of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu