Chapter 13: 13. Uzumaki Mito
The activation speed of the system being linked to his own strength gave Uchiha Gin the motivation to keep progressing.
It seemed that the reason the system could load Senju Itama's task completely was thanks to the accidental activation of his single tomoe Sharingan during the Tsukuyomi the previous night.
The activation of the Sharingan elevated his strength from a mere cannon fodder Genin to an average Genin. Though he still had some way to go before catching up with the stronger members of the Twelve Ninja Guardians, he should be on par with Hinata now.
"Hehehehe," Uchiha Gin covered his face with one hand and let out a strange laugh, causing the supposedly unconscious Senju Itama to open one eye sneakily.
"What illness is he suffering from now?"
Seeing Uchiha Gin laughing maniacally, Senju Itama couldn't help but complain, only to be met with a flick on the forehead.
Rubbing the swelling on his head with a pout, Senju Itama held back his tears.
Uchiha Gin, now composed, looked at the kid and realized he wasn't so annoying anymore.
With a grin, he uttered something that made Senju Itama's spine shiver.
"Kid, you might reunite with your family soon."
"Don't you dare! I...I..." Senju Itama, clearly misunderstanding, began to bark like a cornered dog.
Annoyed by the noise that could attract enemies, Uchiha Gin unhesitatingly stuffed something into his mouth.
Smelling the salty, sweaty taste, Senju Itama fainted on the spot.
"The humidity by the sea is quite something, my feet have already started sweating in just one day."
Satisfied, Uchiha Gin retrieved his hand, analyzing with a straight face as he looked at the unwashed socks he had shoved into Senju Itama's mouth.
"We're about to enter Uzumaki territory, control your chakra so they don't detect us," Uchiha Fuka suddenly reminded them.
"The Uzumaki clan excels not only in sealing techniques but also in sensory abilities. We're on a mission; let's not stir the hornet's nest."
"Is it possible they've already found us?" Uchiha Gin muttered from the back of the group.
A prompt rang in his head, "Host detected in combat, Heart of Steel chest accumulating."
Not far away, a red-haired figure opened his eyes, his blood-red pupils filled with coldness.
"There are five shinobi ahead. Four have cold, dark chakra, likely from the Uchiha clan. One has vibrant, lively chakra," the red-haired, red-eyed man said to his companions, all redheads like him.
"Are you sure about the lively one?" a burly redhead asked.
"My Kagura's Mind Eye never misses," the red-eyed man replied.
"Then it's them. Move out!"
The burly redhead waved his hand, and the others shot off in the direction of Uchiha Gin and his companions like arrows loosed from a bow.
Except for Uchiha Gin, the others, including Uchiha Fuka, who were still on the move, hadn't sensed the approaching enemies.
Hearing the prompt, Uchiha Gin deliberately slowed down, gradually trailing far behind the team.
The rest of the Uchiha clan were used to Uchiha Gin falling behind, so they didn't pay much attention. He'd catch up during the next rest stop anyway.
The Uchiha team dashed through the forest, with Uchiha Fuka at the front. Suddenly, he felt his chakra obstructed.
Before he could fully process it, a sense of danger washed over him, and years of assassination experience kicked in as he immediately halted.
"There's an ambush!"
Activating his three-tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Fuka scanned the surroundings warily. The three Uchiha behind him, not taking any chances, also activated their Sharingan.
At that moment, several red-haired men emerged from the trees.
Leading them was the burly redhead. He looked at Uchiha Fuka and his group, surprised to find only four.
"As expected of the Uchiha clan, you managed to sense our sealing formation."
The burly redhead crossed his arms and spoke with mock admiration.
Uchiha Fuka didn't feel flattered. Eyeing the redhead, he asked, "Our Uchiha clan has no quarrel with the Uzumaki. Why ambush us without reason?"
"You were supposed to be a group of six. Where are the other two?"
It wasn't the burly redhead who spoke this time, but the red-eyed man beside him.
Hearing this, Uchiha Fuka's heart sank. He thought to himself, "So they're after that Senju kid."
Glancing subtly toward the rear, he realized Uchiha Gin hadn't caught up yet and silently cursed, "That brat better not show up."
"I don't know what you're talking about. We're just a four-man squad on a regular mission," Uchiha Fuka said while secretly signaling his team.
"A regular squad? A regular squad led by the famous Uchiha Fuka? What's the real mission?"
The burly redhead revealed Uchiha Fuka's identity and bluntly demanded an answer.
"Attack!"
With his identity exposed, Uchiha Fuka and his team sprung into action, their Sharingan glowing red as they lunged at the Uzumaki clan. The battle erupted instantly.
Meanwhile, far behind, Uchiha Gin encountered his own "enemy."
As a red-haired figure emerged from the trees in front of him, the prompt rang again in his head, "Host detected in combat, Heart of Steel chest accumulating."
"No break from defeat, huh?" he thought.
---
Mito Uzumaki, the youngest daughter of Uzumaki Ashina, the leader of the Uzumaki clan, was born with extraordinary talent in sealing techniques.
She was doted upon by her father, who had her late in life, and was his precious jewel.
However, when Mito found out that she had been betrothed to a member of the distant Senju clan, she was furious.
In a fit of rage, she secretly boarded a ship leaving the Land of Whirlpools, taking some of her father's prized possessions, embarking on a runaway adventure to escape her arranged marriage.
"From today onwards, I'll become a wandering heroine of justice!"
Inspired by stories of wandering heroes told by a storyteller from the Land of Iron, the ten-year-old girl began her journey as a heroine.
First, she took down a group of thugs bullying the villagers at the docks using her Taijutsu, earning cheers from the crowd and boosting her dream of being a heroine.
Next, she used her sealing techniques to subdue some rogue ninja who were oppressing innocent women.
After sealing their chakra, she threw them into a mine to reform.
Her actions quickly gained her a reputation, and the name "Red-Haired Heroine" spread far and wide.
"It's another peaceful day!" Mito said contentedly, munching on a candy given to her by an old lady from the village she was protecting.
The village was a small fishing settlement by the coast, once chaotic but now peaceful thanks to Mitsu's intervention.
"I remember the storyteller saying that a hero must travel the world and make it their home."
Patting her small head, Mito decided it was time to leave her beginner's village and venture into the wider world.
"There are still many people out there who need my help!" Clenching her small white fists, she encouraged herself.
After bidding farewell to the villagers, who reluctantly saw her off, Mito set out for the deeper forests near the coast. They even packed her a big bundle of snacks for the journey.
As she ate while walking, Mito suddenly spotted a man with black curly hair carrying a child on his back.
She noticed the man had tied up the child and even knocked him on the head before stuffing a smelly sock in his mouth.
"This must be one of those infamous human traffickers my brother told me about! But weren't they supposed to be up north in the black labor camps?"
Suspicious, Mito decided to follow him quietly.
After trailing him for a while, Mito saw the man slow down. She prepared for a dramatic entrance to catch the "evil trafficker" by surprise.
And so, the scene unfolded:
A red-haired girl with her hair in a bun, cheeks puffed up from the food stuffed inside them.
In her left hand, she held a half-eaten dried fish, while her right hand clutched half a bun. Her speech was muffled due to the food in her mouth:
"Ew wilvwinvraper, few gov dha bovwai! (Evil human trafficker, let go of that boy!)"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone