The system's activation speed was actually tied to his own strength — this gave Uchiha Gin some motivation to move forward.
It seemed that the reason the system was finally able to fully load the Senju Itama mission last night was all thanks to the unexpected awakening of his single-tomoe Sharingan inside Tsukuyomi.
With the Sharingan unlocked, his strength had evolved from cannon-fodder Genin to ordinary Genin. Still lagging behind the powerful Konoha 12, but probably able to go fifty-fifty with Hinata.
"Kukuku…" Gin chuckled creepily, covering his face with one hand, making the bound Senju Itama behind him sneak a glance and mutter to himself.
"What kind of illness is this guy having again?"
Seeing Gin laughing like a madman, Senju Itama couldn't help but snark, earning himself a sharp flick on the head from Gin.
Rubbing the growing bump on his head, Itama pouted in grievance but held back his tears.
Regaining his composure, Gin looked at the little brat and found him… not all that annoying anymore. Smiling, he said something that sent chills down Itama's spine:
"Kid, maybe it won't be long before you reunite with your family."
"Don't you dare!!! I—argh!" Completely misunderstanding, Itama began his usual fruitless barking, only to have something stuffed into his mouth to silence him.
Feeling the salty, sweaty taste, his eyes rolled back and he fainted on the spot.
"The sea air really makes socks damp quick," Gin noted solemnly, retrieving his foot from Itama's face after stuffing a days-old sock in his mouth.
"We're about to enter Uzumaki territory up ahead. Hide your chakra well so they don't sense us," ordered Uchiha Fenghuo at the front.
"The Uzumaki clan aren't just good at fūinjutsu, their sensory abilities are also top-notch. We're on a mission — don't stir up trouble with them."
"Is it possible… we've already been noticed?" Gin muttered at the rear.
"Detected host encountering battle, Heart of Steel chest begins charging."
The prompt sounded in his mind — enemies were already approaching.
Far ahead, a red-haired figure opened his eyes, pupils glowing like blood. "There are five ahead — five with cold, oppressive chakra, likely Uchiha. And one full of vitality."
Another muscular red-haired man asked, "Are you certain?"
"My Kagura Shingan never fails," replied the red-eyed man. "Then let's go!" the red-haired man commanded, and his group shot forward.
Still moving through the forest, Fenghuo suddenly felt his chakra flow falter. Instinct and years of assassination experience stopped him in his tracks. "Ambush!" he called, opening his three-tomoe Sharingan. The others quickly followed suit.
Several red-haired men emerged from the trees, led by the muscular man, who frowned when he saw only four. "Impressive, Uchiha. You sensed our seal trap."
Fenghuo's eyes narrowed. "Our clans have no quarrel. Why ambush us?"
"You should be six — where are the others?" another red-haired man asked coldly. Fenghuo's heart sank — they were after the Senju kid.
Behind him, Gin had already fallen far back, lagging as usual, which no one thought strange.
The red-haired leader identified Fenghuo immediately: "'Silent Flame' Fenghuo. What is this mission really about?"
Fenghuo's eyes turned cold. "Attack!" he ordered. The four Uchiha lunged at the Uzumaki.
Meanwhile, Gin encountered his own "enemy." From the woods leapt a red-haired girl. The system chimed again: "Detected host encountering battle, Heart of Steel chest begins charging."
She really doesn't even give me a chance to stack defeats, huh?
Uzumaki Mito — youngest daughter of clan head Uzumaki Ashina. From an early age she showed astonishing talent for seals and was doted on as his beloved pearl. But when she learned she was being promised to the distant Senju clan, she was furious.
In a huff, she took her father's treasures and slipped aboard a departing ship, vowing to begin her runaway adventure.
"From today, I'm going to be a roaming heroine of justice!"
On the ship, a storyteller from the Land of Iron had told tales of wandering swordswomen, and the naive, hot-blooded ten-year-old girl had made up her mind.
She beat up local bullies at the docks, sealed rogue shinobi preying on women, and earned herself quite a reputation as the "Red-Haired Heroine."
Now, patrolling the seaside village she'd taken under her wing, she popped candy into her mouth and beamed: "Another peaceful day!"
But she remembered the storyteller's words — heroes should wander the world. She packed her snacks and bid farewell to the villagers, stepping into the forests beyond.
Along the way she spotted a black-haired man carrying a bound boy, flicking his forehead and then shoving a filthy sock into his mouth. "This must be one of those traffickers! But… don't they usually haunt the north?" she wondered.
Mito followed stealthily, waiting for the perfect moment.
And so it came to pass: a red-haired, chubby-cheeked girl with her hair in a bun, cheeks stuffed full of snacks, burst out of the woods.
Left hand clutching half a dried fish, right hand gripping half a baked bun, she shouted through a mouthful of food:
"Koo woo te yin fang zi, fang xia la guo lan hai! (You evil trafficker, put that boy down!)"
(End of Chapter)
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