Strange Dream and Strength of a Hundred

Uchiha Gin had a dream, one that unfolded like the pages of an animated comic book.

In the first scene, a boy took the hand of a crying girl and said something to her.

In the second scene, the boy knelt despairingly amid a sea of flames, surrounded by the mangled corpses of the elderly, the weak, women, and children. In the third scene, grotesque Black Shadows stood all around the kneeling boy as a Red Moon slowly rose in the background.

In the fourth scene, the flames surrounding the boy were dyed an eerie black by the Red Moon.

In the fifth scene, the boy's eyes had become two bloody holes, blood streaming endlessly down his face, yet a brilliant smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth.

Just as the pages were about to continue turning, a sharp pain stabbed through Uchiha Gin's head, and the dream came to an abrupt end.

He struggled to lift his eyelids. The Full Moon still hung in the sky, and the surroundings had not changed. From the tent before him came Senju Itama's incoherent Sleep Talk, making everything feel even more real.

He wanted to get up, only to find that his entire body felt as though it had fallen apart. His back and head especially felt as if they had been hit head-on by a train. It was just like when he had first crossed over.

Uchiha Gin raised an arm to check for injuries, only to discover that the right arm the woman had effortlessly snapped before he lost consciousness was now completely intact.

"Looks like I made it through this round of skills."

Since his injuries had healed, it meant that tonight's refreshed skill had finished activating.

Backyard Daily Random Skill Refresh: Strength of a Hundred acquired. Strength of a Hundred ×1.

The system prompt rang out.

"!!!"

Ignoring the lingering pain in his mind, Uchiha Gin sprang to his feet with a kip-up and examined his thin, pale hands.

He tried clenching his fist, and immediately felt a peculiar warm current flow from his heart and gather in his hands. A violent force seemed ready to burst out of his body.

Staring at a huge boulder nearby, Uchiha Gin raised a fist and smashed it down with all his strength.

The instant the two connected, his seemingly frail fist, carrying a vast surge of air, blasted a massive crater into the hard stone.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread from the point of impact across the entire boulder. Staring at the result in disbelief, Uchiha Gin's throat went dry.

"Is this the legendary Strength of a Hundred?"

Strength of a Hundred: An ability of the Senju Clan. By precisely controlling Chakra and concentrating it in any part of the body, one can unleash a powerful burst of air capable of easily shattering walls.

The system thoughtfully explained it to him.

After getting up and moving around, the soreness throughout his body gradually faded as well. The damage caused by the Backyard's refreshed skills would heal once the skill's activation ended. Though his head would remember being hit, his body would suffer no actual injury.

Once his excitement subsided, Uchiha Gin sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, Recalled the heroic figure of the woman who had descended from the sky earlier.

Though he had only caught a fleeting glimpse of her, as a fan of the original work, he had recognized who the "technician" was immediately.

"Tsunade? She wasn't here to avenge Uzumaki Mito, was she?"

Thinking back to Tsunade, who might not even have still been a Girl, Uchiha Gin could not help voicing the jab.

He had just said goodbye to Uzumaki Mito during the day, then had a "close exchange" with her granddaughter that night.

"Really not letting a grudge last overnight!"

Uchiha Gin, who had gained quite a lot, raised an eyebrow at the thought.

"But at least I got a useful skill this time."

Having mastered Strength of a Hundred, Uchiha Gin's strength had risen another level. Now, he should be able to wrestle with an unsuspecting Uchiha FengHuo.

The immense boost in strength certainly made Uchiha Gin happy, but when he thought of Senju Itama's mission, his head began to ache again. It was clearly just a beginner mission, so why was it so troublesome?

Unable to figure it out, he Might as Well stop thinking and returned to the tent, where he looked at the soundly sleeping Senju Itama.

At once, anger rose in his heart and evil sprang to mind. He grabbed the little brat who was sleeping so comfortably, tossed him outside, then lay down on the mat the boy had just warmed.

Feeling the warmth beneath him, Uchiha Gin finally fell asleep in satisfaction, leaving Senju Itama, who had been awakened by the fall, alone outside in the cold wind.

"Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"

Listening to the sneezes outside the tent, Uchiha Gin, sleeping exceptionally soundly, stretched lazily. When he walked out, he saw Senju Itama curled up beside the tent. Ignoring the other boy's resentful gaze, Uchiha Gin swiftly packed up the tent.

Based on their route, they should be able to return to the clan today if nothing unexpected happened. Looking at the little brat who had received plenty of his "care" along the way, Uchiha Gin could not help worrying for himself.

"What if I take this little brat and defect to the Senju?"

A bold idea surfaced in his mind, only to be extinguished the very next moment.

The two clans were currently fighting fiercely, and both Uchiha and Senju Clan Members had gone mad with killing. If he defected, there was an eighty-percent chance he would be treated as a spy and executed on the spot.

Even taking a step back, if he somehow successfully switched sides, the Uchiha Clan would definitely consider him a traitor. He might even get "Divine Stealthed" by Uchiha FengHuo in his sleep one night.

Neither option would work. Uchiha Gin secretly shook his head. He could only take things one step at a time.

He promptly packed his belongings and took Senju Itama to meet up with the others. The group in the distance had long since gathered in a circle, waiting to depart.

When they saw Uchiha Gin arrive last, they silently exchanged looks instead of speaking, watching him with wary expressions.

This completely confused Uchiha Gin. Had someone awakened a mind-reading system and heard every bit of his intention to run away? His imagination began running wild.

"We're not sparring with you."

Seeing Uchiha Gin remain silent with a strange expression, Uchiha Ryoichi spoke first.

"Yeah, yeah."

Uchiha Tsuru and Uchiha Dairou nodded in unison.

So that was what this was about!

Uchiha Gin finally relaxed. It seemed that in the past few days, his efforts to refresh the Heartsteel Chest had made these people somewhat neurotic. He said readily,

"Don't worry, everyone. We're about to go home, so I won't waste your time or energy. As for sparring, let's arrange it after we get back!"

"No arrangements, Uncle. We're not arranging anything."

This time, all three shook their heads in perfect unison.

"..."

"Alright, now that we're packed, we'll set off."

Uchiha FengHuo, who had appeared behind them at some point, spoke up.

"Yes!"

The journey that followed was relatively peaceful. As they traveled without pause, they drew closer and closer to the Uchiha Clan Land.

Only when wisps of cooking smoke rose ahead did the members of the Uchiha Squad finally let down their guard—everyone except Uchiha Gin.

"Who goes there?!"

Just as they were about to approach the Uchiha Clan Land, two figures emerged from the darkness. Their jet-black long hair and scarlet eyes made their identities abundantly clear.

"We are an Uchiha Squad that went out to carry out a mission. I am the Captain, Uchiha FengHuo. The mission is complete, and we have returned to report."

As the Captain spoke, Uchiha FengHuo revealed his Sharingan.

"So it's Lord Divine Stealth FengHuo. You returned so quickly; you're among the first wave of squads to come back. Hurry and get some rest!"

After hearing Uchiha FengHuo identify himself, one of the Patrol Uchiha spoke respectfully.

These Patrol Uchiha were merely the lowest-ranking combatants. Their strength did not qualify them to undertake missions outside, so they naturally held great respect for Uchiha FengHuo, who had already made a name for himself.

His eyes briefly swept over Uchiha Ryoichi and the others behind FengHuo before finally settling on Uchiha Gin, who had a child on his back.

"Who's that guy? Why is he carrying a little brat?"

The Patrol Uchiha Clan Member could not help asking. The next instant, his companion hurriedly covered his mouth and gestured in terror for him not to say another word.

As soon as the Uchiha Squad was allowed through, the Uchiha Clan Member whose mouth had been covered broke free and asked his companion,

"Why did you stop me from questioning that guy?"

"You should be thanking me. I saved your life."

Shaking the saliva from his palm, the other Uchiha Clan Member said with a look of relief.

"?"

The Uchiha Clan Member who had just had his mouth covered looked utterly baffled.

"That guy is Uchiha Gin!"