In the end, Uchiha Gin managed to save himself.
"So, you're really Gin?"
The doubtful girl furrowed her delicate brows as she asked uncertainly after seeing Uchiha Gin's signature curly hair.
"Without a doubt!"
Uchiha Gin, who had just narrowly escaped, slumped to the ground, still shaken, and cautiously eyed the girl in the stone coffin, afraid that one wrong word would have him beaten up by Susano'o again.
In his humiliation, he secretly vowed to himself,
Once my Susano'o is awakened, you'll pay for this!
"Why do you look so old?"
The girl frowned, puzzled. The childhood sweetheart who had once been a fresh-faced young boy was now just an old man. Who could accept that right away?
Looking at the girl, whose face remained youthful and beautiful as it had been when she was sealed, untouched by time, Uchiha Gin carefully chose his words before explaining,
"Since you were sealed, more than ten years have passed."
"So much time has passed?"
Although she had been trapped in the dark stone coffin, the girl had no real sense of how much time had gone by. She had guessed it might have been days or months, but she never imagined over a decade had passed.
"How old are you now?"
Still shocked, the girl peeked out of the coffin and asked Uchiha Gin his age.
"Just turned 30."
Uchiha Gin replied proudly.
"Tsk!"
The girl felt a sinking sensation. So many years had passed, and such an excellent guy like Gin must have had many girls flocking to him by now. He probably even had kids who could already use the Great Fireball Jutsu.
It was supposed to be me first...
As that thought crossed her mind, a sense of urgency welled up within her. Glancing at her soot-covered body, she called out to Uchiha Gin,
"Bring me some water and clothes."
Determined not to leave a bad impression on Uchiha Gin, she decided to clean herself up first.
Understanding her situation, and fearing he might offend her by offering unsolicited help, Uchiha Gin immediately formed hand seals. He had gathered quite a few Water Style techniques from NPCs.
Water Style: Wild Water Wave!
Controlling his chakra, he shot a stream of water from his mouth, directing it straight into the stone coffin.
As the water cascaded down, the girl glanced at Uchiha Gin, who was puffing out his cheeks as he sprayed water, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Feeling a sense of pride, she began scrubbing off the burnt black residue on her body. Before long, her fair and tender skin reappeared, radiant as ever.
"Alright, give me the clothes."
Interrupting Uchiha Gin's water technique, the now clean girl had dried her hair using Fire Style chakra. Her damp locks draped over her shoulders, giving her a delicate and vulnerable look.
Seeing her like that, Uchiha Gin felt his heart race, but remembering her true age, he quickly squashed any inappropriate thoughts and rummaged through his pack for something suitable for her to wear.
After searching for a while, Uchiha Gin frowned. He hadn't been on many missions, so he had focused more on gathering food supplies and had forgotten to pack spare clothes. Just as he was at a loss, he noticed a dark green hooded cloak with gold trim in the corner of his system bag. It would be just enough to cover her entire body.
"Here! You can wear this for now."
Without much hesitation, Uchiha Gin tossed the cloak to the girl in the stone coffin.
The girl caught the dark green cloak as she finished drying her hair. Feeling its soft material, she nodded in satisfaction and immediately put it on.
The moment she donned it, she felt her mind clear, and her chakra began to recover slowly.
Effect: [Mercury] — Upon activation, grants temporary immunity to crowd control and boosts chakra refinement speed (activates once per day).
She touched the silky cloak, sensing its extraordinary qualities, and smiled contentedly.
Gin still cares about me the most, she thought.
When she returns, she'll deal with those "vixen-like" girls who dare approach him.
???
Uchiha Gin had no idea what she was so happy about. After waiting for a while, he watched as the barefooted girl hopped out of the stone coffin, his expression slightly complicated.
What comes next could be tricky, he thought, but it should be manageable.
It was time to end this.
"Hikari, let's go. My uncle is still waiting for us outside."
Uchiha Gin spoke to the girl, who was admiring her new cloak.
"Uncle? The clan leader is here too?"
Surprised that Uchiha Tajima had come as well, the girl pouted slightly, disappointed that her private time with Gin was being interrupted by this "third wheel."
"My legs feel weak."
Just as Uchiha Gin was about to jump up, he heard the girl behind him speak in a soft, delicate voice. He turned around helplessly to see her "weakly" leaning against the stone coffin.
"I have no strength left. You'll have to carry me."
Really? When you hit me earlier, you certainly weren't holding back. And now you're acting like a frail maiden?
With no other choice, Uchiha Gin lifted the soft, boneless girl onto his back. Feeling the warmth of her body against him, he pushed down the distracting thoughts in his mind and leaped out of the pit.
Using his sensing ability, he quickly located Uchiha Tajima not far away. With the girl on his back, he swiftly made his way toward his uncle, aware that danger could strike at any moment.
"Gin, you did it!"
Uchiha Tajima, who had been resting with his eyes closed, still draped in the magic-resistant cloak he'd borrowed from Uchiha Gin, opened his eyes at the sound of their approach. Seeing Uchiha Gin and the girl, he knew the rescue mission had been successful.
"Greetings, Clan Leader!"
The girl greeted Uchiha Tajima warmly.
Ever since he'd transplanted Gin's eyes into her, he had treated her like his own daughter. The two shared a close bond.
"We need to leave here and return to the clan quickly."
Now wasn't the time for chatting. The girl was safe, but this place was dangerous, and someone was watching them from the shadows. Uchiha Gin had no qualms about breaking ties with Uchiha Igaku and urged his uncle to leave immediately.
Uchiha Tajima nodded in agreement, ready to leave with Uchiha Gin.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Just as they were about to move, a raspy voice echoed nearby, forcing them to stop in their tracks.
Recognizing the voice, Uchiha Gin felt a headache coming on, while Uchiha Tajima warily stared at the figure emerging from the shadows, his tone imposing as he asked,
"Who are you?"
"Your killer, Uchiha Tajima. Your time has come!"
The figure, slowly rising from the ground, was none other than Spectre. His blackened face, barely visible, seethed with long-repressed resentment.
As the black mud around him stirred, a hunched figure emerged from the sludge.
"Heh heh heh, Uchiha Tajima. Do you remember me?"
The hunched figure raised its head, a single grey-white eye glaring at Uchiha Tajima.
"You're... Uchiha Igaku?"
Now recognizing the old man, Uchiha Tajima spoke in disbelief. This man shouldn't be out in the world.
"Weren't you imprisoned? How are you here?"
"You're surrounded, Uchiha Tajima."
Uchiha Igaku's face remained cold. He had waited for this moment for over twenty years, and now he was about to avenge his son.
"Now, let's recount your crimes!"
-
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