"You're really quite cheeky… sneaking right up to me like that."

The faint surprise on her face vanished quickly. Wrapped in her Susanoo, the girl didn't look worried at all — in fact, she radiated confidence in her own strength, not putting Gin in her eyes for even a second.

She didn't hesitate. The other giant, crimson hand of her Susanoo lunged at him with crushing force.

"What can I say?"

Perched on her Susanoo's shoulder, Gin only shook his head calmly and stretched his arm as if warming up.

"Uchiha-ryū taijutsu no ōgi (Uchiha-style Taijutsu Secret Art)."

His voice passed through the Susanoo's armor to her ears. Seeing him so calm when disaster seemed imminent only stoked her anger. She no longer held back — her Susanoo's massive hand slammed down.

"Hehehehe! Got you now!"

Her voice was filled with glee as her giant palm covered his figure completely. This time, A-Yin would not escape her grasp.

"Rōdai no hiji (Old Man's Elbow)!"

Gin's cold voice rang out as his elbow smashed upward with overwhelming power into the incoming giant hand.

For a moment, the girl felt a strange resistance through her Susanoo — before she could even react, she was horrified to see her giant hand disobey and crack.

Crack!

In front of everyone's stunned eyes, Gin's single elbow shattered the Susanoo's hand, sending it flying hundreds of meters before it disintegrated.

"You… you…!"

The girl stared blankly at her broken Susanoo, her jaw slack like it had unhinged. No matter how she racked her brain, she couldn't comprehend how Gin could overpower a Susanoo with nothing but taijutsu.

The sight not only left her doubting herself — even the others on the field froze in shock, all eyes fixed on the deadpan, arm-swinging Gin.

— A few minutes earlier —

The moment the distant Susanoo flared to life, Tajima's heart tightened. Afraid Gin might be injured by the blackened girl, he'd been about to leap in and help — only for Wangliang to suddenly block his way.

"Who… are you?"

Tajima's gaze was sharp. He'd been suspicious of this dark creature since the beginning — no way this black mass was of the Uchiha.

"He is the embodiment of my will. Heaven's gift to me, my weapon of vengeance," Yao interjected, smiling grimly.

"I had hoped to let you die tortured, tasting the same despair Kin did… but perhaps it's too late for that now," Yao muttered. He glanced at Wangliang, who seemed ready to finally have his revenge, and ordered:

"Wangliang. Now—"

BOOM!

Before he finished, a massive hand whistled past their heads and crashed into the distant hillside.

All three of them stiffened, turning their heads in unison to stare at Gin's direction.

"This… this is impossible. It must be genjutsu!"

The girl's crimson eyes widened as she tried in vain to detect illusions around Gin.

"Tch. That stung a little."

Gin ignored her words, shaking out his slightly numb arm. That strike had hit a nerve — apparently elbows should be used sparingly.

"Die!!"

The black energy in her mind clouded her reason completely, leaving only bloodlust. She finally wrenched her cleaver free, holding her pounding head as she prepared to strike again.

"I don't have time for this. Better finish you quickly."

If this dragged on, Tajima would be in real danger. Gin moved before she could swing.

Running forward, his hands came together, chakra flooding into them.

"Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees)."

The ground erupted as enormous trees broke through the earth, vines curling upward to ensnare her Susanoo.

Before her cleaver could fall, the ancient trees had already wrapped tightly around the crimson titan, sucking away her chakra and leaving her powerless.

"What is this jutsu?!"

She gritted her teeth, eyes fixed on Gin as she struggled to move, her Susanoo shrinking under the pressure.

Even the two older men stopped fighting to listen, shocked.

Wangliang had barely flinched when Gin smashed her Susanoo hand earlier — after all, second-stage Susanoo was breakable — but when Gin clapped his hands and summoned Wood Release, his whole face twisted.

Impossible. Uchiha, a descendant of Indra, wielding Wood Release? No — that was supposed to belong to Asura.

Unacceptable! How could Hagoromo have left such a loophole?!

"…Some things kids shouldn't ask about," Gin said dryly.

Satisfied, he stood atop his living forest and thought back to one particular night, when his backyard's light screen had spat out a certain NPC.

It had been a moonless night when a man with spiky brown hair and a flak jacket walked out, shouting excitedly as though afraid to miss his cue:"Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan!!"

Gin had panicked for a second hearing the name, but when he saw it was just Yamato, he relaxed — and promptly skewered him with two lightning spears.

"Backyard NPC skill drop: Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan. Acquired: Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan 1."

He recalled the moment clearly — Yamato's version was a weaker copy, but his own bloodline already carried Senju, Hyūga, Kaguya, and even Uzumaki… so when Gin cast it, it was far closer to the First Hokage's original power.

"…Xiao Guang. I'm coming in."

Landing square on her Susanoo's chest, Gin raised his foot and brought it down.

With a sound like an eggshell cracking, her "indestructible" Susanoo split open, leaving a gaping hole. Gin nodded in satisfaction and strode inside.

The girl's breath caught as his imposing figure closed in, her confidence shattered. Taijutsu was her weakness, her Mangekyō's techniques were sealed — she could only sit there, her face puffed like a bun, as he pinched her collar and hoisted her up like a kitten.

"Kill me if you must!"

Her defiant little face turned away, eyes shut tight, waiting for death to fall.

(End of Chapter)

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