Chapter 89: Dig, Dig, Dig

 The next day.

"Let's move," Uchiha Tajima said weakly, waving a hand, his frail form looking like a breeze could topple him.

"Maybe rest another day?" Uchiha Gin suggested, eyeing Tajima's near-collapse state.

"No mere hardship can break me," Tajima declared, mustering resolve, his face stern.

Gurgle, gurgle. His stomach betrayed him, and his face greened. "Fine, a short break, then we go." Clutching his gut, he hurried off.

"Tch, hope it's still functional later," Gin muttered, offering sincere, if cheeky, well-wishes.

"Hey, Uchiha Gin!" A familiar voice called from behind. Spinning around, Gin saw no one, wondering if he'd imagined it.

"Down here!" Looking down, he spotted a black, mushroom-like head sprouting from the ground—Wangliang.

"How'd you follow me?" Gin asked, stunned. Wangliang, Yao's shadow, had been tailing him, seizing the moment Tajima was gone to relay intel.

Scrutinizing the inky figure, Gin wrinkled his nose, not out of distrust but… "What's that smell?"

Pinching his nose, he backpedaled, eyes wide with horror. "Did you soil yourself?"

"No!" Wangliang nearly leapt from the ground, itching to smack Gin.

"Playing sewer rat, then?" The stench, sans soiled pants, hinted at bizarre habits.

"Enough nonsense!" Wangliang's featureless form somehow conveyed rage. "Clever move with the poison. Tajima's weakened—we can take him easily."

Huh? "Heh," Gin laughed awkwardly. By fault allocation, Tajima, who ignored warnings and chugged the spicy broth, bore 99% of the blame.

"Don't worry. When Nameless is unsealed, Master will join us. Ambushing Tajima will be child's play," Wangliang said, brimming with confidence.

Yao's coming? Gin's heart jolted. His memory "TV marathon" revealed Yao's betrayal as the root of his life's upheaval, with Wangliang as the key instigator.

"Got the headband Master gave you?" Wangliang asked suddenly.

"Always carry it," Gin replied, thinking of the plain headband gathering dust in his system bag.

"Good…" Wangliang's eyes gleamed with smugness. That headband was tampered with.

Briefing done, Wangliang melted into the ground, untraceable even to Gin's senses. His stealth was top-tier.

Tajima returned, dragging his depleted body, trembling as he spoke. "L-let's… go."

Gin scratched his head, a twinge of guilt for his 1% role in Tajima's misery.

"Uncle, it's chilly. Wear this cloak—top-notch warmth." Rummaging in his bag, Gin produced a gold-trimmed white cloak.

"I appreciate it, but…" Tajima forced a smile, eyeing the gaudy cloak, clashing with his style, and waved it off.

"Come on, we're family, no need for formalities!" Gin insisted, draping it over Tajima. About to protest, Tajima felt a surge—last night's debuffs vanished, his strength and… muscle control restored.

"What's this?" Tajima marveled, touching the cloak. This thing's that good?

"Don't underestimate it, Uncle. I paid big to a Land of Artisans trader for this," Gin said, feigning a pained look. "They say it's forged by their master, restores stamina and chakra."

"Impressive!" Tajima's disdain turned to admiration.

"You've grown, thinking of your uncle. I'll keep it. Don't test old-school ninja with fancy gear again, understood?" Tajima said, claiming the cloak.

Huh? Gin's mind reeled with question marks. I was just lending it! Clan leaders are this shameless?

Draped in the system's magic-resistance cloak, Tajima strode ahead, wind at his heels. Gin, pouting, followed.

After half a day's trek through a grand canyon, they reached their destination.

"It's around here. Look for Senju clan markers," Tajima said, splitting up for a carpet search.

"How do we search this huge area?" Gin sighed, facing an endless forest sea. With Tajima gone, his eyes whitened, activating his pseudo-Byakugan.

Byakugan's range trumped Sharingan for scouting. With faint blue-glowing eyes, Gin sped through the forest, scanning 360 degrees.

After a full sweep, no suspicious signs appeared, making him question the intel.

As he considered giving up, his left hand flared red, a scarlet pattern flickering on his skin.

He'd nearly forgotten this mark—Koharu's Mangekyo pattern, tied to her pupil technique, Yasaka Magatama, a control-and-leech skill.

"You guiding me to Koharu?" Feeling the mark's heat, Gin probed. The pattern pulsed wildly, as if responding.

"Lead on!" Gin nodded, extending his left hand. The dim mark blazed when pointed in one direction.

"There!" Following the mark, Gin sprinted miles, arriving at a flat plain with a lone boulder.

The mark pointed here. Without hesitation, Gin flashed to the boulder, inspecting it. At its base, he found a weathered Senju clan emblem.

"This is it." Transforming into a digging fiend, Gin pulled a massive golden shovel from his system bag, attacking the boulder, humming, "In a little garden, dig, dig, dig…"

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