Chapter 18: Sealing the Whirlpool Flower Path

Chapter 18: Sealing Uzumaki Kado

Touching the bead in his bosom, Uchiha Gin recalled Uzumaki Mito's words

"The sealing technique of this bead can only be released at close range, and only when the opponent has lowered their guard."

Uzumaki Mito, sporting her cute bun hairstyle, puffed out her cheeks as she gave Uchiha Gin instructions.

"Your brother is such a powerful taijutsu ninja. If I try to get that close to him, I'll probably be slapped to death halfway there before I even reach him," Uchiha Gin said dejectedly, taking the bead.

"Stupid. Why don't you use your brain? Who told you that you had to go head-to-head with him?" Uzumaki Mito said, exasperated by his lack of wit.

"Then I'll have to act as the situation develops."

Having not yet made up his mind, Uchiha Gin tucked the bead securely against his body and bid farewell to the worried Uzumaki Mito.

The memory came to an abrupt halt.

Looking at Uzumaki Kado, who was radiating an aura of red chakra, Uchiha Gin could only sigh inwardly. He had no choice but to go all out.

He took the first step, walking toward Uzumaki Kado. Seeing Uchiha Gin approaching boldly, Uzumaki Kado said warily, "What are you trying to do?!"

The massive Great Fireball from earlier had left a significant shadow on his mind; he was afraid the opponent would hit him with another one.

Hearing the reprimand, Uchiha Gin thrust his katana into the ground and raised both hands to indicate he had no ill intent.

This scene actually left Uzumaki Kado bewildered. He had expected the opponent to fight to the death, but currently, the situation seemed vastly different from what he had imagined.

"Is the young clan leader of the Uzumaki clan actually afraid of an ordinary Uchiha like me?" Uchiha Gin said with an air of composure, his words laced with provocation.

"Afraid of you? Ridiculous!"

Easily provoked by the taunt, Uzumaki Kado instantly flashed in front of Uchiha Gin, looking down at him from a height.

Uchiha Gin was over 1.8 meters tall, which was considered "above average" within the Uchiha clan, but standing before the two-meter-plus Uzumaki Kado, he still appeared somewhat diminutive.

At this close range, Uchiha Gin was able to scrutinize the young clan leader for the first time. The boy had the delicate, handsome face of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old, yet it was paired with a body like Schwarzenegger's. The intense contrast gave one a sense of vertigo.

Ignoring Uchiha Gin's strange expression, Uzumaki Kado spoke first.

"You despicable Uchiha, where have you hidden my sister? Tell me now, and if you guarantee she remains unharmed, I might consider sparing your life."

The powerful Uzumaki Kado did not harbor much caution toward the weak. In his view, even an Uchiha Gin with a two-tomoe Sharingan was merely a toy he could manipulate at will.

He suspected that the massive Great Fireball from earlier had been released by the opponent extracting his own life force—a method somewhat similar to that of their own clan.

With this suspicion in mind, Uzumaki Kado had chosen to stand and talk rather than immediately breaking Uchiha Gin's limbs.

"As long as the young clan leader is willing to let us go, I guarantee not a single hair on my sister's head will be touched," Uchiha Gin said, acting very submissive.

"Sparing just you is already my limit. Do not think about bargaining with me."

Uchiha Gin might be a descendant of the Uzumaki clan; even if his bloodline had been "tainted" by the Uchiha, he had to be brought back to the clan to await his father's judgment.

A flash of struggle crossed Uchiha Gin's face, as if he were wrestling with a decision, before he finally seemed to reach a conclusion.

"Very well. If the young clan leader promises not to harm me, I will immediately lead you to your sister."

"At least you know what's good for you."

Hearing the answer he wanted, Uzumaki Kado puffed out his chest, his high head seemingly displaying his pride to the world.

"Then it's a deal."

With those words, Uchiha Gin extended a clenched fist.

"What is the meaning of this?" Uzumaki Kado asked, frowning.

"A fist bump. It's something learned from the countries to the north; it signifies that two people have reached an agreement," Uchiha Gin said with a serious expression, holding up his fist.

"What a bizarre custom."

Though it was strange, the conceited Uzumaki Kado still extended his sandbag-sized fist and tapped it lightly against the other.

The moment their fists touched, the serious expression on Uchiha Gin's face shifted into one of a schemer whose plan had succeeded.

Seeing that expression, Uzumaki Kado's heart tightened. Just as he prepared to use his superior sensory abilities, the chakra throughout his body came to a standstill, becoming as stagnant as dead water.

Simultaneously, he felt an incredibly strong suction coming from his extended fist, as if a black hole had locked onto him.

Looking closely, Uchiha Gin's fist had already opened, and a familiar bead lay quietly upon it. At that moment, several black shadows extended from the bead, tightly entangling his hand. No matter how much strength he used, he could not break free.

"The Four Symbols Sealing Bead! How did you get your hands on that?!" Uzumaki Kado shouted in shock. His father had only made one such bead, giving it to Uzumaki Mito for self-defense.

The bead contained a Four Symbols Sealing Technique; using it would seal an enemy inside the bead, and only Uzumaki Ashina could undo the seal.

Without answering the interrogation, Uchiha Gin exerted all his strength to drive his chakra, controlling the black shadows extending from the bead to wrap around the immobilized Uzumaki Kado layer by layer.

Finally, the man was completely engulfed in darkness. Then, the bead in his hand generated a powerful suction, twisting and rotating the two-meter-tall Uzumaki Kado as he was slowly sucked inside.

As the last trace of shadow was pulled into the bead, Uchiha Gin's strength gave out, and he slumped onto the grass.

Panting heavily, he stared in amazement at the trembling, reddish-black bead in his hand and marveled, "Sealing jutsu truly is the most mysterious skill in the original story. It's terrifying."

If the Uzumaki clan hadn't been wiped out, their sealing techniques alone would have made them unstoppable, killing gods and Buddhas alike. It was a pity they were killed off so haphazardly by the plot.

[Ding! Uzumaki Kado defeated. Mission: Save the Uchiha Fire Squad in desperate straits. Completion rate: 80%]

For the first time, the system's notification sounded melodious.

After a quick cleanup of his gear, Uchiha Gin's chakra had mostly recovered thanks to his Uzumaki constitution.

Now, only the battle involving Uchiha Ryo and the others remained unfinished, but before that, he had to go see someone first.

In a cave several miles away, Senju Itama, who had been stuffed with smelly socks, slowly regained consciousness.

Instead of seeing that hateful Uchiha, he saw a girl with a bun staring blankly ahead. A light of hope erupted in his eyes.

Ignoring the sour stench in his mouth, he began to make forceful grunting sounds.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm... ah."

The peculiar sounds instantly disrupted the girl's thoughts. She turned to look at the child who had been tied up by the Uchiha human traffickers.

"Abba, abba..."

Seeing that the girl had noticed him, Senju Itama wiggled his body even harder, his grunting growing louder.

Seeing Itama's state, Uzumaki Mito thought for a moment before asking, "Do you have something to say to me?"

Receiving a response, Itama nodded frantically. The cleanliness-conscious girl felt a sense of disgust; she stood up and fumbled around until she found a tree branch.

Picking it up, she tried to pick the sock out of the boy's mouth, but it was so incredibly stinky that Uzumaki Mito had to pinch her delicate nose with one hand.

However, because she was standing too far away, instead of picking the sock out, she accidentally used brute force to shove it even deeper.

Feeling the sock not only failing to come out but nearly reaching his throat, Senju Itama shook his head in agony.

Fearing she would be nauseated, Uzumaki Mito turned her head away, completely ignoring the child whose eyes were rolling back in his head from the poking, and continued to prod forcefully with the branch.

"Hey, hey, hey, what kind of weird play is this? If you keep poking like that, this kid is actually going to die."

(End of Chapter)