Farewells Are for Better Reunions

Uchiha Gin arrived and watched the two brats with a strange expression. He did not speak up to remind them until Senju Itama was practically about to roll over.

If Uzumaki Mito played this Senju Brat to death, he would be Kicked the Bucket too.

"Ah! You're back? How's my Brother?"

Seeing that the newcomer was Uchiha Gin, the Girl tossed aside the branch in her hand, circled him twice, then started feeling him all over.

"You're not even hurt. Did you not go?"

Uchiha Gin raised a finger and flicked the chattering Girl on the forehead.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Covering her red, swollen forehead, Uzumaki Mito spoke with tears in the corners of her eyes.

Men and women should not touch casually—except mature women in black stockings.

Ignoring the Girl's nonsense, he pulled out the black-and-red Bead that was still trembling and handed it to her.

The Girl, whose eyes were still glistening with tears, was instantly dumbfounded. She could barely speak.

"Y-you actually succeeded?"

Even without using her sensory abilities, Uzumaki Mito could identify the aura coming from the Bead. Her elder Brother, Uzumaki Hanado, was sealed inside.

"What are you going to do with him?"

With pursed lips, the Girl asked uneasily. She truly had not expected her Brother to lose to this unreliable Uchiha before her.

Although her talent allowed her to sense that he was not an evil person, conflicts between factions sometimes took precedence over human nature.

Narrowing his eyes, Uchiha Gin rubbed the Bead in his hand a few times. Without even thinking, he tossed it toward the worried Girl.

"Huh?"

Uzumaki Mito hurriedly caught the Bead and stared at Uchiha Gin in disbelief.

"You're just giving him back to me like that? My Brother is an important member of the Uzumaki Clan. If you handed him over to your clan, you'd definitely receive a generous reward."

"You may be young, but you sure think big."

Uchiha Gin looked at the Girl before him. If he followed her suggestion and returned, the Clan Leader would certainly arrange everything neatly for him—but that would also forge an irreconcilable grudge with the Uzumaki Clan.

"As the saying goes, 'One more friend means one more road, one more enemy means one more wall.' If I can't make it in the Uchiha Clan someday, I can always come to you for shelter."

Uchiha Gin said indifferently, rolling his Dead Fish Eyes.

Hearing that, Uzumaki Mito gave him a strange look. She first put the Bead away in her bag, then walked over and took his left hand.

Uchiha Gin was somewhat stunned when the Girl suddenly grabbed his hand. He saw blue light emerge from the hands holding his, and just as he was about to pull away, she stopped him.

"Don't move. I'm using a secret Uzumaki Clan technique to place a Chakra mark on you. If you truly have nowhere to go someday, you can use this mark to seek the Uzumaki Clan's help."

Just as the Girl was seriously performing the technique, a powerful burst of red light abruptly knocked her away.

"What happened? How did it fail?"

The Girl, whose technique had been interrupted by a strange force, came over again. She grabbed Uchiha Gin's left hand and examined it repeatedly, but even with her sensory abilities, she could not find anything unusual.

It actually failed? Uchiha Gin pulled back his left hand, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist. He did not feel any discomfort. Maybe the Girl simply was not skilled enough with the secret technique yet.

"If that won't work, how about the other hand? A foot would work too."

Uchiha Gin made as if to stick out a foot, frightening Uzumaki Mito into grabbing his right hand for a second attempt. This time, it went smoothly.

As a cool sensation flowed into his left hand, Uchiha Gin saw a whirlpool-shaped mark appear on the back of his right hand. It was the Uzumaki Clan crest, and it disappeared after only a few seconds.

"What are you planning to do next?"

Uchiha Gin, now bearing the Uzumaki Clan's mark, lowered his head and looked at the Girl's two swaying Bun Hairstyles as he asked.

"Only Father can undo Brother's seal. I've been out playing for so long; it's time for me to go back."

She knew how important her Brother was to the clan. Even if she still wanted to roam the world, she could no longer remain outside.

"So this is goodbye, then?"

Uchiha Gin raised his brows.

"Those who wander the world cannot always act as they please."

Uzumaki Mito put on a mature expression and sighed solemnly.

"Uh... as long as you're happy."

Uchiha Gin, his face full of black lines, waved goodbye to Uzumaki Mito as she once again carried her huge bundle.

Just before departing, the Girl walked a few steps, then stopped. Tilting her head at a forty-five-degree angle like a newlywed bride, she spoke with wandering eyes. "Mr. Trafficker, we'll meet again, right?"

"Definitely."

Knowing the course of the Girl's future fate, Uchiha Gin nodded without hesitation.

"Oh."

Hearing that, the Girl turned around. The corner of her mouth curved upward slightly where he could not see it, and she headed home with light, cheerful steps.

Watching Uzumaki Mito's retreating figure, Uchiha Gin turned and returned to the cave. He kicked the unlucky little brat, Senju Itama, who lay on the ground with his eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious.

"Stop playing dead, little bro. It's time for us to go too."

Senju Itama helplessly opened his eyes after being exposed, his gaze full of pleading.

"As long as you promise not to keep talking nonsense along the way, I'll take the sock out."

Uchiha Gin said, understanding what he meant.

The brat nodded repeatedly, tears nearly spilling from his eyes in desperation.

After removing the smelly sock from his mouth, Senju Itama greedily gulped down fresh air. Then, as though he had remembered something horrifying, he curled up and began retching wildly.

Only after the brat had vomited until he was nearly out of bile did Uchiha Gin grab him and head toward the battlefield where Uchiha Ryoichi and the others were.

He moved as swiftly as if flying, completely different from when he had been panting in exhaustion while carrying this brat earlier. The Uzumaki Clan bloodline is really useful. No wonder they were the clan that inherited the Sage Body in the original story.

Feeling the explosive power and vast Chakra within his body, Uchiha Gin sighed inwardly.

Ding! The host has successfully rescued Uchiha FengHuo's squad from a desperate situation. Points +50, Random Magic Orb x4.

The sudden notification made Uchiha Gin halt in mid-step. He had not even reached the destination yet—how had the mission already been completed?

Without pausing any longer, he rushed toward the battlefield as though the wind was beneath his feet.

By the time Uchiha Gin arrived carrying Senju Itama, only the members of the Uchiha Squad remained at the scene.

Uchiha FengHuo stood guard nearby, while Uchiha Tsuru bandaged Uchiha Ryoichi's injured arm. Uchiha Dairou had only suffered minor superficial injuries and was sitting to one side, meditating to restore his Chakra.

"Uchiha Gin! You're alive?"

After learning from Uchiha FengHuo that Uchiha Gin had chosen to hold off Uzumaki Hanado, Uchiha Ryoichi could not help opening his Sharingan to inspect him when he saw that Uchiha Gin had appeared before them completely unharmed.

"Just got lucky."

Uchiha Gin replied. He was also curious about how the battle had ended. There were no Uzumaki Clan corpses at the scene either.

"Where are the Uzumaki Clan people?"

"That long-haired Uzumaki Clan member seemed to sense something during the battle, then suddenly unleashed a strange ability." Uchiha Dairou opened his eyes and explained.

"What kind of strange ability?" Uchiha Gin asked curiously.

"He suddenly sprang up, and many Chakra-forged chains emerged from his body. They were extremely troublesome, but he didn't seem interested in continuing the fight. He took the opportunity to wrap up those injured Uzumaki Clan members and flee."

Uchiha FengHuo walked over and continued the explanation.

"Gin, how did you escape?"

Uchiha FengHuo, who had faced Uzumaki Hanado head-on, knew very well that with Uchiha Gin's strength, he would have been blasted to pieces in a single exchange.

Yet Uchiha Gin before him was not only completely unharmed, but also in excellent condition. Aside from relief, Uchiha FengHuo felt even more doubt.

"That Uzumaki Clan member wasn't after my life. His main goal was his Younger Sister. The Girl I captured happened to be his Younger Sister, so I told him that when I escaped the first time, I hid her in a secluded place and placed her under a genjutsu. If he didn't give the proper password, she would die on the spot."

Uchiha Gin calmly gave the excuse he had thought up along the way.

"And then he let you go?"

"That's right!"

"The Uzumaki Clan really is as stubborn as the rumors say!"

Uchiha FengHuo recalled the Uzumaki Clan's reputation and could not help complaining.

"Alright. From now on, travel at full speed. We'll do our best to reach the Clan Grounds by tomorrow!"

Uchiha FengHuo waved his hand and gave the order.