章節 12: 12. Defective System
The three returned to the camp where Uchiha Ryoichi and Uchiha Tsuruhiko had already finished cleaning up the traces, ready to depart.
When they saw Uchiha Gin and Uchiha Taro, the two exchanged a glance with a strange expression.
As Uchiha Gin went to bring over Senju Itama, they approached Uchiha Taro.
"Did that guy Uchiha Gin ask you to spar with him?" Uchiha Ryoichi spoke up first.
Uchiha Taro, who was momentarily stunned, answered with confusion, "Yeah, how did you know?"
"Did he also mention that the clan leader taught him something?" Uchiha Tsuruhiko added.
Seeing Uchiha Taro's surprised expression, the two were sure that Uchiha Gin had played the same trick on him.
"That guy is just messing with us. After a few moves during the sparring, he immediately gave up."
"It wasn't just that. When I sparred with him, he even threw his sword to the ground."
"Basically, he was just mocking us."
Uchiha Taro, confused by their conversation, finally understood after a moment. "So you're saying that Uchiha Gin, claiming to ask for pointers, was actually just toying with us?"
"Exactly!" Uchiha Ryoichi and Uchiha Tsuruhiko replied in unison.
Hearing this, Uchiha Taro's face alternated between red and blue, his expression one of frustration.
"That guy!"
But then curiosity crept in, "If that's the case, what's he gaining from this?"
At this question, all three fell silent.
"Maybe he's just bored," Uchiha Fuka, who had been quietly observing, finally chimed in with a lazy tone. "After all, that kid might only be a shell of his former self."
"???" Uchiha Ryoichi and the others were left scratching their heads.
Just as they were about to ask more questions, Uchiha Gin came back, carrying the bound Senju Itama.
The three immediately stopped talking.
Uchiha Ryoichi and Uchiha Tsuruhiko looked away, one staring at the sky as if something fascinating was there, while the other focused on counting the ants crawling on the ground.
Only Uchiha Taro glared at him with dissatisfaction.
"Taro, I still have some doubts about that earlier question."
"Hmph!" Uchiha Taro, showing a look of disdain, walked away as if ashamed to be associated with him.
"o((?﹏?))o" Uchiha Gin was left completely baffled.
"Let's move!" Uchiha Fuka didn't care about their antics and gave the order to set out.
The territory Uchiha and Senju had long fought over was located within what would later become the Land of Fire.
The Senju clan's land was to the east, near the coast.
Their distant relatives, the Uzumaki clan, lived nearby in the Land of Whirlpools, while the Uchiha clan's land was to the west.
Uchiha Gin's group was currently fleeing southwest along the coast of the Land of Fire.
In the heat of June, the proximity to the coast provided some coolness in the otherwise stifling air.
According to the map, Uchiha Fuka estimated that they were close to leaving Senju territory.
Once they crossed the border, they could shake off the pursuing forces and head to the coast of the Land of Whirlpools, where they would be relatively safe.
At the back of the group, Uchiha Gin casually chatted with the bound Senju Hanma. "So, kid, I hear you have close ties with the Uzumaki clan."
"Of course, we're cousins. The Uzumaki clan leader often visits our Senju lands. Last time he came, he even talked about arranging a marriage between our clans."
Senju Itama wriggled uncomfortably, deliberately moving his body to avoid Uchiha Gin's warm hands touching any sensitive areas.
Knowing that escape or suicide was impossible, Senju Itama had given up.
After all, being captured meant certain death at the Uchiha stronghold, so he was making the most of the time he had left.
After spending a few days with Uchiha Gin, he realized that the only reason he was still alive was because of him.
Although Uchiha Gin seemed to have ulterior motives, he hadn't mistreated him.
During their banter, Uchiha Gin might punish him with an iron fist, but later, he would give him some dried meat (probably afraid the kid would starve to death).
He even told strange jokes that Itama couldn't understand but still found funny enough to make him laugh out loud (because staying happy meant staying alive longer).
Throughout their journey, Uchiha Gin had carried him without complaint (probably worried that the others might accidentally kill him).
At some point, Senju Itama started seeing Uchiha Gin in the same light as his most beloved elder brothers.
"What a pity, being so young and already trapped in a marriage,"
Uchiha Gin sighed after hearing Itama's words.
"Do you also want to marry a woman from the Uzumaki clan? I hear they live on misty islands, and their women are all pale-skinned beauties with fiery red hair. Must be quite a sight." Uchiha Gin teased as Senju Itama's face turned crimson.
"I-I don't want to marry an Uzumaki woman. They're all violent maniacs!" Senju Itama, flustered by the adult topic, turned his head away, his ears burning.
"Oh? Feeling shy now? Do you secretly have someone you like? Come on, spill it." Uchiha Gin, bored, decided to push further.
"I don't! I don't like Lady Touka!" Itama blurted out in his panic, revealing a name for the first time.
"Hahaha, you cheeky little brat."
Embarrassed beyond belief, Senju Itama wished he could disappear. How had he been tricked into revealing that?
"You wicked Uchiha!" Hanma barked, "I won't talk to you anymore!" He shut his eyes and fell silent.
"Such an easy-to-tease kid," Uchiha Gin chuckled, but his mind was occupied with how to deal with Senju Itama after the mission was completed.
Initially, he had used excuses and vague hints from the clan leader to buy time, but once they returned to Uchiha territory, the truth would come out.
Senju Itama would likely face a gruesome death at the hands of an enraged Uchiha Tajima.
"My mission said to rescue Senju Itama from Uchiha Fuka and the others. By now, I should have completed it. Why hasn't it ended yet?"
The mission details were vague, and Uchiha Gin couldn't figure out what was missing.
He felt like he was being roasted alive between two fires.
On the one hand, if he returned without completing the mission, he would surely die. On the other hand, if he let Itama go and returned, he would face severe punishment, which might not kill him but would certainly make him wish for death.
"Why am I so unlucky to be stuck with this system?"
Other people's systems came with powerful ninjutsu or amazing artifacts.
At the very least, they'd get attribute points to boost their strength.
But his? His treasure chest took four days to open.
After barely winning one battle, he had to start over after a loss.
Not only were his abilities did not improve, but the system dangled a sword over his head.
Could any other time traveler be more pitiful?
"System, when will this mission end? I've already rescued Senju Itama."
Out of desperation, Uchiha Gin called out to the system in his mind once again.
"Mission completion at 60%. You must protect the target, Senju Itama, until he returns to the Senju clan's territory."
For the first time, the system responded to his plea.
"@%$#&!*…" Uchiha Gin cursed, almost spitting blood from rage.
He calmed himself and asked, "The mission didn't mention anything about protecting Itama until he returned to his clan!"
"The system was still loading at the time. 80% of the content was not loaded, and the mission data was incomplete. Now that the mission module is fully loaded, the updated task is as follows: Rescue Senju Itama from Uchiha Fuka and the others, and protect him until he returns to the Senju clan's territory. Upon success, you will receive 10 points and a 'random orb.' If Itama dies, the mission fails."
"So the most important part didn't load?"
"Insufficient data. Please increase your strength. The system's loading speed is tied to the host's abilities," came the system's cold reply.
"!?!"
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-- 推薦票
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