"Sins? You think you can still count them?"
Uchiha Tajima, who had lived his whole life sharp and decisive, scoffed at Uchiha Yao's words. His tiger eyes burned as he glared at the hunched, eerie figure before him."But I… Tajima of the Uchiha… have never once acted in a way that dishonors our clan!"
"Heh… spare me your hypocritical excuses."
Yao chuckled coldly, raising one withered hand and revealing a jar containing a single Sharingan floating in preserving fluid. He gave it a little wipe and sneered:"You think what you did to Kin could stay hidden forever?"
"…What are you talking about?"
Hearing him mention Uchiha Kin — who had passed away so many years ago — Tajima's brows furrowed, bitter memories bubbling up."My sister and brother-in-law… gave their lives to save me. Of course… I have guilt in my heart for them…"
"Still putting on that act, huh? A-Yin — this is the man you call your good uncle."
Yao's lone gray eye filled with contempt as he turned to Gin, who stood silently by, and hissed.
"…What? A-Yin… you two…?"
Tajima whipped his head around, eyes wide, staring at Gin in disbelief."What's going on? A-Yin!"
Even the girl on Gin's back, still curled up comfortably in his cloak, poked his spine with a finger and leaned to whisper in his ear, utterly confused:"A-Yin… what's happening?"
Gin let out a long sigh, ignoring her question. How the hell do I explain this mess…?
"Grandpa. Uncle. How about we… sit down and talk this out calmly?"
Trying to mediate, Gin spread his hands — but both pairs of eyes locked onto him, full of fire, and his scalp went numb.
"A-Yin. Take the hairband I gave you and put it on her," Yao suddenly barked, his voice cold and forceful.
Gin pulled the plain hairband out of his pack, then crushed it in his hand without hesitation. Black mist rose from the shards, swirled around him once, then faded silently into nothing.
Unseen to Gin, behind him, the girl's eyes flashed black for just a second.
Gin frowned at the dissipating smoke. Something about it didn't feel right…
"A-Yin… I gave you a chance. And yet you choose to stand against me? Do you think that honors your parents, who died so unjustly?"
Yao's lone eye gleamed with pain and fury.
"…Old man. Have you never stopped to think… maybe you're the one who's not quite right?"
Gin scratched his messy curls, his head starting to ache.
"You've already been brainwashed by Tajima's eye techniques! You can't even tell right from wrong anymore!"
Yao dismissed him and turned his hateful gaze back to Tajima."Wangliang. Do it!"
Gin's chest tightened. This guy still has cards to play? Even after I defected?!
"I've been waiting for this…"
Wangliang's oily grin spread wider as his black form liquefied into shadow and surged toward them.
Since when was this big mama's boy so bold…? Gin thought grimly, recalling how this thing normally worked from the shadows, scheming.
Gin shifted the girl off his back and stood, Sharingan spinning, his hand raised to defend.
"Stay still! I'm busy!" he barked over his shoulder as he felt the girl start to wriggle.
But then she giggled darkly."Busy? That's my favorite time."
That tone sent chills crawling up Gin's spine. His whole body prickled with goosebumps as the girl's small foot suddenly lashed out, sending him skidding several meters away.
Gin's organs churned as he just barely stabilized himself.
When he looked back, the girl stood barefoot in the grass, her dark green cloak cast aside, her delicate face now twisted in a deranged smile, her black eyes shining red.
"Hehehehe… finally… finally free of that damned seal…"
Covering her face, she laughed, then lifted her head to stare at him, her eyes brimming with a kind of mad love."And the first thing I see… is my beloved A-Yin…"
Her red eyes glowed, and a warped red skeletal frame bloomed behind her — Susanoo.
"Don't tell me this is because of Wangliang too…" Gin muttered, his teeth on edge.
"I love A-Yin the most~!"
Her sickly sweet tone contrasted with her rising, looming chakra. The Susanoo's skeletal frame grew denser, plates of armor forming as it towered higher — a half-bodied giant gripping a cleaver.
Standing within, she gasped softly, almost giddy, and smiled sweetly down at Gin."A-Yin… why didn't you come find me?"
No warning. The cleaver fell.
Hostile encounter detected. Steel Heart chest accumulating points…
Gin slammed his hands to the ground, chakra flooding out.
"Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth Wall)!"
With a thunderous rumble, a massive wall of earth surged up between them — sculpted with a comical little shiba inu face for good measure.
The cleaver smashed into it, shaking the ground, dust and debris exploding outward.
When the air cleared, the girl's gaze swept the area.
Her laugh froze on her lips.
Her Susanoo's cleaver was stuck — ensnared by thick, gnarled branches that had sprouted from the wall itself.
And when she looked closer…
Gin was sitting on her Susanoo's shoulder, casually flicking his ear with a deadpan look, his tone faintly mocking:"You really thought I was holding back this whole time? A measly second-stage Susanoo dares to speak to me like that?"
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