Chapter 93: Clearly I Was First

In the end, Thin Ice Bro managed to save himself.

"So… you really are A-Yin?"

The girl, still half-skeptical, frowned slightly, staring at the boy who was now sitting on the ground, panting and looking a little worse for wear — though that trademark curly hair of his gave her pause.

"Absolutely!"

Gin sat there leaning against the stone coffin, still catching his breath, deeply afraid that a single wrong word would get him grabbed and smashed by that Susanoo again.

Inwardly, though, he swore to himself:

Just you wait. When my Susanoo gets a big Buddha, you'll see who's boss!

"Then… why do you look so old?"

The girl's brows knitted together. The sunny boy who had once been her lively, bright childhood friend was now, well… not quite that anymore.

Her own face still glowed with the youthful radiance it had back when she was sealed away. Not a single mark of time had touched her.

Gin cleared his throat, picked his words carefully, and explained:"Since the day you were sealed, it's been over ten years now."

"…That long?"

Even though she'd been trapped in darkness for who knows how long, she'd thought maybe a few days, weeks, at most a few months. But more than ten years…?

"How old are you now?"

She leaned her head out, eyeing him.

"Just turned thirty!" Gin said proudly.

"Tch!"

Her heart sank. If he was already thirty… such a good guy, he was probably surrounded by fawning girls by now, maybe even with kids who could already spit out a Great Fireball.

But I was first…

A flash of indignation lit in her chest. Glancing down at her current state — charred, filthy — she gritted her teeth and said:

"Bring me water. And clothes."

She couldn't let him see her like this.

Gin, who'd been too embarrassed to offer help outright, jumped to his feet, forming a quick seal. Thanks to all the NPCs he'd farmed, he had plenty of Water Release on deck.

"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Violent Water Wave)!"

Controlling the chakra flow carefully, he sent a controlled water stream down into the coffin.

The girl tilted her head slightly as she felt the water splash over her, watching Gin puff his cheeks and spit water like a fire hose, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.

In that water, she washed herself clean of all the soot and char. Soon, a pale, delicate figure emerged from the darkness of the coffin.

"All right. Clothes."

She cut off his water technique, hair still damp and clinging to her cheeks, looking back at him with a vulnerable yet proud expression.

Gin blinked, momentarily flustered, but quickly forced down any stray thoughts. He rummaged through his pack for something she could wear.

His expression stiffened. Of all the things he'd packed, he hadn't thought to bring extra clothes.

But then, at the bottom of his system bag, he spotted something — a dark green, gold-trimmed hooded cloak.

"Here! It'll have to do for now."

The girl, now drying her hair with a quick burst of Fire Release chakra, caught the cloak and felt its smooth fabric under her fingers. She nodded approvingly and put it on.

The moment the cloak settled on her shoulders, her spirit lifted — her chakra began to recover, and her head cleared.

Of course… A-Yin still takes care of me best, she thought with a quiet little grin, already imagining the faces of all those scheming hussies when she came back.

Meanwhile, Gin stood there with mixed feelings.

It was time to get serious.

"Xiao Guang, let's go. Uncle's waiting for us outside."

The girl pouted slightly. "Uncle? So the clan leader came too?"

She'd really hoped to have A-Yin all to herself for a bit longer.

"My legs… feel weak…" she murmured just as Gin was about to leap up. Leaning against the coffin, she put on her best pitiful look. "You'll have to carry me."

Gin twitched. You sure didn't seem weak when you were crushing me to death earlier…

But what choice did he have? With a helpless sigh, he let her climb onto his back and then leapt out of the pit.

Locking on to Tajima's chakra signature, he hurried toward his uncle — danger could come at any moment.

"A-Yin! You did it!"

Tajima, still wearing the magic-resistant cloak he'd shamelessly claimed, opened his eyes and smiled faintly as Gin arrived.

"Clan leader!"

The girl gave Tajima a sweet smile as she was set down. After all, he was the one who'd treated her like his own daughter back then, even giving her A-Yin's eyes.

But this was no time for chatter.

"We should head back to the compound now," Gin urged.

Tajima nodded gravely — no arguments there.

But then a chilling voice rang out:

"Jie jie jie… where do you think you're going?"

Both Gin and Tajima froze.

Gin immediately cursed inwardly: Damn… here we go.

From the shadows of the ground, a figure began to rise, black mud squirming.

"Who are you?" Tajima demanded, voice sharp.

"The one who'll kill you," came the hissed reply. "Your time is up, Uchiha Tajima!"

The shadowy figure fully emerged — it was none other than Wǎngliǎng.

And then, from the black mud at his feet, a hunched figure slowly stepped out.

"Heh heh… Uchiha Tajima. Do you remember me?"

The hunched man raised his head, his single gray-white eye glaring.

"…You're… Uchiha Yao?"

Tajima's eyes narrowed in disbelief. This man should never have been able to leave the dungeon…

"You're surrounded now, Uchiha Tajima," Yao sneered coldly, his voice heavy with decades of hatred.

"Now… let's count your sins!"

(End of Chapter)

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