196. Free Tenseigan

As dawn’s first light crept through the silent, primeval jungle, dew gathered on the broad leaves glistened, reflecting a rainbow of colors in the golden light.

“Phew~ finally out.”

With the sound of footsteps rustling through the undergrowth, a tall figure pushed aside a massive bush blocking his view.

A head of fluffy black curls appeared, accompanied by a pair of lifeless, fish-like eyes on a handsome face that was now lit up with joy at the sight of the flat road ahead.

Wasting no time, he took off at a brisk pace, inhaling the scent of civilization.

After days of wandering the wilderness, Uchiha Gin was nearly brought to tears.

“Sigh, if it wasn’t to test my new powers, I’d have been out of there ages ago.”

Looking down the endless road stretching ahead, Gin scratched his head and sighed softly.

He had actually escaped from the sealed land days ago, but curiosity about his new abilities drove him to stay and practice them in the uncharted wilderness.

He hadn't expected that this new power, acquired from the moon, would be so challenging to control. Even with his exceptional talent, it had taken him several days just to reach basic proficiency.

“Well, it’s time to go home. If I don’t get back soon, Hikari and the others will start worrying.”

Peering down the road, Gin prepared to return to the Uchiha clan’s territory.

He had promised in a note that he’d only be gone for a week, and it had already been six days.

Hikari was one to value promises, and if he didn’t return soon, the family might send out a search party.

With that thought in mind, Gin gathered his strength, a faint blue glow emanating from him, as if he were about to unleash some profound power.

Jingle~ jingle~

Just as the power was about to erupt, a distant sound of camel bells echoed, their pleasant chime interrupting Gin’s focus, causing the blue aura around him to dissipate and the blue-white light in his eyes to fade.

“Huh? Did I forget something?”

The unfamiliar sound of bells, not typical of the Land of Fire, made Gin scratch his head, feeling like he’d forgotten something minor.


His eyes, still carrying that vacant look, spun around as he spotted a weary caravan approaching him. It was only then that he realized he had indeed forgotten something.

Seeing a strange man blocking the road, the caravan guards drew their swords, eyeing Gin warily.

Leading them was a scarred man in a turban, whose weathered face grew tense. As a seasoned ninja, he couldn’t discern Gin’s true strength, only feeling an overwhelming aura that made cold sweat bead down his back. Cautiously, he was the first to speak.

“Who are you?”

“Uh, you’re a caravan from the Land of Wind?”

Startled back to reality by the raspy voice, Gin, looking slightly embarrassed, addressed the turbaned man. He was in trouble—caught up in his excitement, he had forgotten his real mission!

“We’re wandering merchants passing through the Land of Wind. Though some of us are from there, others are from different nations. Is there something you need?”

Noticing Gin’s furrowed brow and displeased look, the turbaned man’s grip on his sword grew sweaty.

Though his skills were moderate—only at a mid-level rank—his experience as a guard for long-distance travel meant he had his own survival rules.

When faced with someone unreadable, he knew it was best to tread lightly and avoid provocation.

“Troublesome, so troublesome~”

Annoyed, Gin tugged at his fluffy curls, pacing back and forth on the road, clearly unperturbed by the guards’ tension.

The more he ignored them, the more anxious the turbaned man became, especially as Gin’s face darkened.

Desperate, he bit his lip and pulled a small, heavy pouch from his pack, cautiously approaching Gin with hands raised, his sword cast aside.

“Sir, these are some rare goods from the Land of Wind. Please, spare us.”

“Huh?”

Puzzled by the display, Gin looked at the beefy, fawning man before him and asked, “Are you trying to bribe me?” His curiosity piqued, Gin took the pouch, noting its weight with an arched brow and a teasing tone.

“You think this is enough to sway me?”

“Hmph~ who are you trying to fool, bringing out mere trinkets?”

“My deepest apologies. The Land of Wind has fallen into chaos lately, and resources are scarce. I couldn’t offer much, but my men need to eat. Please, understand, sir,” the man replied with deference, hoping that Gin’s willingness to talk meant he wasn’t a bloodthirsty sort.

“Chaos? What’s happening?”



Upon hearing that the Land of Wind was experiencing conflict, Uchiha Gin, who loved gossip, couldn’t resist asking more.

“If you’re interested, I’ll tell you everything I know, sir.” Seeing that Gin hadn’t even glanced at the “toll” he’d offered, but was interested in news from the Land of Wind, the man eagerly spilled the details of recent events.

It turned out that after a brief period of peace, the Land of Wind had plunged into chaos once more due to the rise of a new power.

Led by a powerful ninja named Reto, this group had swiftly annexed various factions and was steadily growing stronger, seeming to be on the path to unifying the Land of Wind.

“Reto, huh? Looks like it’s all starting to fall into place,” Gin murmured, stroking his chin. Another familiar name—a sign that the story was gradually getting back on track.

A flicker of life sparked in his usually dull eyes, as though he finally had something to look forward to again.

“Alright, this little offering doesn’t interest me.”

Having obtained the information he wanted, Gin tossed the pouch back to the visibly tense man, dusted off his hands, and motioned for him to leave.

“Thank you, sir! Thank you!” Relieved, the man eagerly caught the returned pouch and, bowing repeatedly, quickly led the caravan away toward the Land of Fire, not daring to look back in case Gin changed his mind.

As the dust from the caravan’s departure settled, Gin’s expression grew thoughtful.

He mentally mapped out the Land of Wind, estimating the distance from his location to Roran.

Even if he traveled day and night, the round trip would take him two days.

“Tsk! Who’d have thought I’d get to try this out so soon?”

If running wasn’t an option, what about flying?

With that thought, Gin closed his eyes, connecting to the Tenseigan deep within the moon.

As a blue-green chakra cloak began to form around him, he opened his eyes again, now glowing with the blue-white brilliance of the Tenseigan.

Waves of profound energy rippled through the sky.

“Is that... that brat using the Tenseigan's power?”

A certain black-cloaked figure, observing the Uchiha and Senju skirmish from afar, sensed the familiar surge of power and looked up, surprised.

Inside the moon.

“Clan leader, what’s going on with the Tenseigan?”

Otsutsuki Akemi, looking somewhat distracted, turned to ask Otsutsuki Tsukihime, who was engrossed in her book, munching on potato chips.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just that little thief borrowing the Tenseigan's power.”

Unfazed, Tsukihime casually replied without even looking up from her novel.

The Tenseigan had stirred many times recently, and there was no point in getting worked up since it didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh no! Is Master Gin in trouble?” Akemi's white eyes were filled with worry. Gin was so gentle; she hoped he was safe.

“Sigh... my one reliable brain is losing it. How will I handle things from here?” Tsukihime rolled her eyes, concerned for the future of the Otsutsuki clan’s governance.

“So this is what it feels like to fly?” Gin, cloaked in the blue-green chakra, marveled as he soared through the clouds. Below him, mountains, rivers, and lakes all shrank into irregular patterns.

In his current Tenseigan mode, Gin—who normally only had Byakugan—had no way of activating this powerful ability.


Yet, by a strange twist of fate, he had somehow absorbed a significant amount of Hamura Otsutsuki’s chakra through a massage chair of all things.

With the pure Byakugan fused with Otsutsuki chakra, unlocking the Tenseigan had been a natural progression.

Though he was borrowing the Tenseigan's power from the moon, every main character needs a little help, right?

“There, that must be it!”

As Gin sped through the air, he observed the landscape turning from green to an endless yellow, with the heat in the air increasing. Soon, he spotted a small patch of green in the desert, estimating that it was likely Roran. Slowing his flight, he gently descended near the city. When his feet touched the golden sand, his chakra cloak faded, and his eyes returned to their usual dark color.

Gin was back to looking like an ordinary, handsome guy—the type you’d instantly recognize in a crowd.

“Tsk! The Land of Wind really lives up to its name—hot as fuck!”