Chapter 21: Strange Dreams and Strange Strength

Uchiha Gin had a dream, a dream that unfolded like a dynamic picture book.

The first scene: a young boy holding the hand of a weeping girl, saying something to her.

The second scene: the boy kneeling in despair amidst a sea of fire, before him lay the mangled corpses of the elderly, the weak, women, and children.

The third scene: standing around the kneeling boy were numerous hideous black shadows, while in the background, a blood-red moon rose slowly.

The fourth scene: the flames surrounding the boy were cast into an eerie black by the red moon.

The fifth scene: where the boy's eyes should have been were two bloody hollows, blood flowing incessantly, yet his lips were curled into a brilliant smile.

Just as the pages were about to turn further, Uchiha Gin felt a sharp sting in his head, and the dream came to an abrupt halt.

He struggled to lift his eyelids. The full moon still hung in the sky, and the surrounding scenery remained unchanged. From the tent in front of him came the indistinct, muddled sleep-talking of Senju Itama, making everything feel all the more real.

He tried to get up, only to find his entire body felt as if it had fallen apart—especially his back and head, which felt as though they had been struck head-on by a train. It was a sensation similar to when he had first transmigrated.

Uchiha Gin raised his arm to check for injuries, only to find that his right arm, which had been easily snapped by the woman before he lost consciousness, was now perfectly intact.

"It seems I made it through this wave of skills."

The fact that his injuries had recovered meant that the skills refreshed tonight had already been fully released.

"Daily random skill refreshed in the backyard: [Super Strength]. Obtained: Super Strength * 1."

The system prompt rang out.

"!!!"

Ignoring the psychological pain, Uchiha Gin performed a somersault to stand up, scrutinizing his thin, pale hands.

He attempted to clench his fists tightly, and immediately felt a peculiar warm current surge from his heart toward his hands. A violent power seemed poised to burst from his body.

Staring at a massive rock nearby, Uchiha Gin raised a fist and struck it with force.

The moment they made contact, the hard rock was struck by a massive gust of air carried by his seemingly frail fist, creating a huge crater.

Cracks like a spiderweb spread from the point of impact across the entire rock. Looking at his results in disbelief, Uchiha Gin’s throat went dry.

"Is this the legendary Super Strength?"

"Super Strength: An ability of the Senju clan. By precisely controlling chakra and concentrating it in any part of the body, a powerful gust of air is released, capable of easily shattering walls."

The system explained thoughtfully.

He stood up to stretch, and the soreness that had permeated his body slowly began to fade. The damage caused by the backyard's skill refresh would recover once the skill usage ended; while his brain would still remember being hit, his body would suffer no lasting harm.

After the excitement subsided, Uchiha Gin sat cross-legged, closing his eyes to recall the heroic figure of the woman who had descended from the sky.

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

"Tsunade? Is she really not here to avenge Uzumaki Mito?"

Recalling the Tsunade from moments ago—whether she was still a young girl or not—Uchiha Gin couldn't help but mutter a complaint.

He had just bid farewell to Uzumaki Mito during the day, only to have a "close encounter" with her direct granddaughter at night.

"She really doesn't hold a grudge overnight!"

Thinking of his bountiful harvest, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow.

"But at least I got a useful skill."

With the comprehension of Super Strength, Uchiha Gin's strength had reached a new level. He should now be able to go toe-to-toe with an unsuspecting Uchiha Fuka.

While the surge in strength made him happy, the thought of Senju Itama's mission gave him another headache. It was supposed to be an initial mission, so why was it so tedious?

Unable to figure it out, he simply gave up on thinking and returned to the tent to look at the snoring Senju Itama.

Suddenly, anger rose in his heart, and a streak of mischief took hold. He grabbed the sleeping brat by the collar, tossed him outside, and lay down on the mat that had just been warmed by the boy.

Feeling the warmth beneath him, Uchiha Gin finally fell into a satisfied sleep, leaving the startled Senju Itama to shiver in the cold wind outside the tent.

"Achoo! Achoo~"

Listening to the sneezes outside the tent, a very sweet-sleeping Uchiha Gin stretched. When he walked out, he saw Senju Itama curled up by the tent. Ignoring the boy's resentful gaze, Uchiha Gin swiftly packed up the tent.

According to their itinerary, they should arrive back at the clan today without incident. Looking at the brat he had "looked after" quite a bit along the way, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but worry for himself.

"Should I take this kid and defect to the Senju?"

A bold idea popped into his head, only to be extinguished the next moment.

The two clans were currently fighting a fierce war; the Uchiha and Senju clansmen were killing like mad. If he defected now, he would likely be branded a spy and executed on the spot.

Even if we take a step back and say he successfully defected, he would certainly be branded a traitor by the Uchiha side. He might even be "spirited away" by Uchiha Fuka in his sleep.

None of it was ideal. Uchiha Gin shook his head secretly; he could only take things one step at a time.

He immediately packed his belongings and took Senju Itama to regroup with the others. The group was already sitting together in the distance, waiting to depart.

Seeing Uchiha Gin, who arrived last, the others tactfully remained silent, instead watching him with wary expressions.

This left Uchiha Gin bewildered. Had someone awakened a "Mind Reading System" and heard his little thought of running away? Uchiha Gin began to overthink.

"We aren't going to spar with you."

Seeing that Uchiha Gin was silent but wearing a strange expression, Uchiha Ryoichi spoke up first.

"That's right, that's right," Uchiha Tsuru and Uchiha Darou added in unison, nodding.

*So that's what it was!*

Uchiha Gin breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that in his quest to farm the "Steel of the Heart" treasure chests over the past few days, he had made these people a bit neurotic. He said readily,

"Rest assured, everyone. We'll be home soon. I won't waste your time or energy. As for sparring, let's save that for when we get back!"

"No thanks, Uncle. We're not interested."

This time, all three shook their heads in unison.

"..."

"Alright, once we're packed, we set off."

Uchiha Fuka, who had appeared behind them at some unknown moment, spoke up.

"Yes, sir!"

The rest of the journey was relatively smooth. As the group pushed forward without pause, they drew closer and closer to the Uchiha territory.

As the wisps of cooking smoke rose in the distance, the members of the Uchiha squad finally let their hearts settle—except for Uchiha Gin.

"Who goes there!"

Just as they were approaching the Uchiha territory, two figures flashed out from the darkness. Their long black hair and crimson eyes clearly revealed their identities.

"We are an Uchiha squad returning from a mission. I am the captain, Uchiha Fuka. We are reporting back after mission completion."

As the captain, Uchiha Fuka spoke while revealing his Sharingan.

"So it is Lord 'Vanishing Fuka.' You are fast; you are the first squad to return. Go back and rest!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Fuka identify himself, one of the Uchiha spoke respectfully.

These patrolling Uchiha were merely low-level combatants whose strength had not yet reached the level required for external missions. Naturally, they held great respect for the renowned Uchiha Fuka.

They glanced briefly at Uchiha Ryoichi and the others behind him, but their eyes finally settled on Uchiha Gin, who was carrying a child on his back.

"Who is that guy? Why is he carrying a brat?"

One of the patrolling Uchiha couldn't help but ask. In the next moment, his companion quickly reached out to cover his mouth, gesturing with a terrified expression for him to shut up.

As soon as the permitted Uchiha squad departed, the patrolling Uchiha whose mouth had been covered broke free from his companion's grip and asked,

"Why did you stop me from questioning him?"

"You should thank me. I just saved your life."

Wiping the saliva from his palm, the other Uchiha spoke with a look of relief.

"?"

The Uchiha who had just been silenced was left full of questions.

"That guy... is Uchiha Gin!"