257. You Go Die

Honestly, venturing out at this scorching time of day was truly unwise. The blazing sun beat down on the girls, their fair, exposed skin stinging under its relentless heat.

Especially for Senju Itama, who was carrying the heavy pot. She was drenched in fragrant sweat, large beads sliding off her fair chin and dripping incessantly.

"Gin-san, aren't you hot?"

Following beside Uchiha Gin, Uchiha Haruka tugged at her high collar, releasing a puff of warm, fragrant air in an attempt to cool herself. Her black, doe-like eyes fixed on her teacher, full of curiosity. Unable to hold back, she asked,

"Why aren’t you sweating at all, Gin?"

Equally uncomfortable from the heat, Uchiha Hikari furrowed her delicate brows. The sensation of sticky sweat between her toes was unbearable, leaving the young girl fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Oh, my bad, I completely forgot," Gin replied sheepishly, a hint of awkwardness flashing across his handsome face.

Among the group, only Gin remained unaffected by the sweltering heat, looking as fresh as ever with not a drop of sweat in sight.

"Come closer to me," Gin said casually. He adjusted the range of the Eternal Winter Necklace around his neck to its maximum.

"Closer? Won't that just make it hotter?"

Although skeptical, the girls didn’t waste any time moving closer. Their complaints belied their eagerness, each scrambling to secure the best spot.

"Huh? Why is it so cool here?"

Senju Itama, who had secured a prime spot leaning against Gin’s right side, was instantly struck by the refreshing chill. Her wide eyes brimmed with curiosity as she exclaimed,

"Is this a new jutsu, Gin-san?"

Haruka, also enjoying the sudden coolness, rubbed her chin thoughtfully, sensing the icy aura around them. She asked,

"Nope, it’s technology~"

Gin casually dismissed the notion of using jutsu. After all, why waste chakra when a tool could solve the problem?

"Ugh, another weird ninja tool, huh?" Hikari teased with a smile, her previously furrowed brows relaxed as she enjoyed the refreshing air.

"Exactly. Tools from the Land of Crafts—once you use them, you’ll never go back," Gin replied with a smirk, giving full credit to the Land of Crafts' engineering genius, Seimei.

"Wow! Gin-san, get me one too!"

Banma, her eyes sparkling, grabbed Gin’s sleeve, her sticky hands leaving damp marks.

"Hey! Ever heard of boundaries? Who raised you like this? A little restraint, please!" Gin playfully rebuked, tapping her on the head before straightening his disheveled clothes.

"Restraint? Yeah, no thanks. Now hand it over!" Itama shot him a dramatic eye roll and made a move to search his pockets.

"Alright, alright! You’ve already maxed out your inventory space! Just wait till we get back," Gin relented, gently pushing her away while rolling his eyes in exasperation.

The group, now comfortably cooled, picked up their pace and soon arrived at the edge of a dense forest heavily guarded by barriers. Two familiar figures awaited them at the entrance.

"Why are you only arriving now?!" Senju Tobirama snapped, glaring at his sister and the casually smiling Gin. His irritation was palpable.

"I overslept," Gin replied nonchalantly, his carefree attitude only serving to fuel Tobirama’s frustration.

"Tobirama, calm down. We’re all just clones anyway," Hashirama interjected, his warm, apologetic gaze sweeping over the group.

"Brother Gin, sorry for the inconvenience. My main body has been tied up with work," Hashirama explained with a sheepish smile.

"No problem at all, Hashirama. Your dedication is a blessing to the village," Gin replied smoothly, his polite tone carrying a hint of amusement.

Following their guides, the group ventured deeper into the forest toward the beasts’ containment site. Hashirama explained as they walked,

"The eight tailed beasts, except for the Nine-Tails, are all secured within my Four-Pillar Prison. Once I release the seals, you can handle them as you see fit."

"And the Nine-Tails?" Gin asked, intrigued.

"I made a pact with the beasts: the winner earns their freedom. The Nine-Tails was the victor, so I released it," Hashirama explained with a chuckle.

"Didn’t even pluck a few tails before letting it go?" Gin muttered regretfully, shaking his head.

Soon, the group emerged into a clearing where seven massive cages stood in a row, each housing a slumbering tailed beast. Despite their lethargy, the overwhelming aura of their power was undeniable.

"Think you can handle it?" Gin asked the girls, his tone laced with both challenge and encouragement.

"Of course, Gin-san!" Haruka replied, her Sharingan gleaming with excitement.

"I’ll follow your lead," Hikari said with a confident smile, her calm demeanor belying the sharp intent in her gaze.

"Look, it’s a turtle!" Gin-san exclaimed with childlike glee, pointing at the Three-Tails.

Gin smirked. "Alright, let’s get to work."


Senju Itama, carrying the Amber Purifying Pot, was ready to sprint forward to get a closer look at the beast of her dreams—Isobu.

"Come back here!"

Luckily, Uchiha Gin was quick on his feet. Just as the girl tried to rush out, he grabbed onto the Amber Purifying Pot on her back and leaned in to whisper near her puffed-up, annoyed face.
"Remember what you promised me earlier? Already forgot?"

He couldn’t let Itama act too conspicuously. If the Senju brothers noticed something was off, it would be difficult to explain. Gin glanced subtly at Senju Hashirama and Tobirama ahead.

Surprisingly, the Senju brothers weren’t paying attention to their side of things. Instead, they were critiquing the tailed beasts.

Tobirama’s wandering gaze landed on the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, who was barely breathing inside its cage. Nudging his dazed older brother with his elbow, he said, "Brother, doesn’t that octopus look dehydrated?"

Hashirama, who had been smiling warmly at his sister moments before, was startled. However, after catching the hint in Tobirama’s eyes, he quickly played along. He frowned and responded, "Uh, yes, it does. Can you do something to rehydrate it?"

Shaking his head as he looked at the vast forest around them, Tobirama sighed dramatically. "Tsk, under these conditions? Rehydration seems impossible."

Hashirama clutched his chest in mock despair. "Ah! If this keeps up, won’t it turn into dried goods?"

After calming the eager Bankan, Gin joined the brothers and offered a very straightforward suggestion.

"Hey, rehydrating isn’t that hard. Just pour a few scoops of water, and that’ll do it."

"Hmm... scoops of water?"

"Brilliant!"

The Senju brothers nodded in agreement, praising the plan as absolutely feasible.

Meanwhile, inside the cages, the imprisoned tailed beasts noticed the humans' sudden arrival.

"Hey, hey, look! Those humans are here again!"

The beasts’ consciousnesses converged into their shared "chatroom," and the Nine-Tails' massive jaws twisted in a melancholic grin.

"Are they here to eat us?"

Three-Tails Isobu, trembling slightly, muttered, "They’re going to cook us for sure, just like they said earlier."

"Foolish turtle, we’re not real animals," corrected Four-Tails Son Gokū, licking its claws weakly. "At most, they’ll siphon some chakra off us."

"If only Indra’s descendant showed up... I’d teach him a lesson!"

"Calm down, old monkey. The outside world is full of Indra’s descendants," grumbled Gyūki, still polishing its horns.

"Hmph! That guy was an exception. No way the rest are like him!" Son Gokū’s face flushed with a hint of embarrassment, but its vibrant fur hid it well. Sneering, it added, "What are they even here for? To release us, maybe?"

"Impossible. If they wanted to, they would’ve freed us with Kurama earlier," Seven-Tails Chōmei interjected with certainty.

"Don’t bring up that traitor!" Gyūki slammed the ground angrily, gnashing its teeth.

"Kurama, throwing away the dignity of being a tailed beast... it doesn’t deserve to carry the Sage’s legacy!"

Suddenly, Shukaku joined the chat. "What’s going on? I just logged in—what’s the drama?"

The other beasts eagerly filled Shukaku in on Kurama's "betrayal," each adding exaggerated details. Hearing this, Shukaku’s eyes glinted maliciously.
"Hmph! I always knew that fox was shady."

"Exactly! Kurama, come out if you dare!"

Fed up, Kurama briefly logged into the chat. "Idiots," it spat, before promptly logging off again.

The other beasts, stunned for a moment, exploded in rage. "Kurama! I’ll catch you at dawn!"

Far away in the Land of Fire, Kurama, lounging in a secluded valley, smirked. "Weaklings should practice more instead of whining."

Satisfied with its newfound freedom, Kurama took a deep breath and chuckled to itself. "Good thing that Ashura descendant kept his word. I’m done getting caught. Time to play it safe, just like Isobu."

Meanwhile, back at the cages, Uchiha Gin observed the massive forms of the tailed beasts with curiosity and excitement.
"Alright, little Haruka. Let’s see if you can control this big kitty," he said, gesturing towards the Two-Tails, Matatabi.

With Gin’s approval, the purple-haired girl stepped forward, excitement gleaming in her eyes. "Yes, Gin-san!"

Hashirama warned them, "Be cautious. Once I loosen the seal, the beast’s energy will recover quickly."

As Matatabi felt the seal weaken, its predatory instincts flared. With burning blue flames engulfing its body, it roared, "Humans, prepare to die!"

Unfazed, Haruka calmly approached, extending her hand to touch its fiery fur. Her curious expression seemed to dismiss Matatabi as nothing more than a large pet cat.

Enraged by this apparent insult, Matatabi growled, "You dare mock me?!"

Little did it know, its fate was already sealed.