181. Furious Clan Leader

"Boom~ Boom~ Boom~"

The copper bell hanging from the palace ceiling rang out right on time, its sound echoing in Otsutsuki Akemi's ears, making her already hesitant heart even more tense.

"Master Gin, are you really sure about this?"

Otsutsuki Akemi swallowed nervously, her white eyes looking hopefully at Uchiha Gin, who was relaxed and confident.

"Trust me, you can do it~"

With a wide grin, Uchiha Gin reassured the anxious Akemi. He had just helped her eliminate impurities from her body — though he "accidentally" missed a few spots.

Hey, it's manual work, so a little error here and there is understandable, right?

His lifeless-looking eyes drifted over her large frame, pausing momentarily on a particular area of focus.

That secret would stay buried within him!

"Then, please watch closely, Master Gin, as I perform my transformation!"

Encouraged by Uchiha Gin’s words, Otsutsuki Akemi felt a newfound strength rising within her. Gazing at the smiling man reflected in her white eyes, her heart beat a little faster. Taking a deep breath, she began to perform the Butterfly Transformation Jutsu, preparing to break out of her cocoon and achieve a stunning metamorphosis in front of her beloved.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

As she gathered blue chakra around her, it rose like flames. A pair of turquoise butterfly wings began to form behind her, on the verge of a rebirth through fire.

Suddenly, an urgent knock at the door shattered her long-prepared spell.

"Who is it! Didn’t I say no one is to disturb me?"

Interrupted at such a critical moment, Akemi's face was filled with displeasure, and she angrily shouted at the door.

But the knocking persisted, even quickening in pace.

Seeing the persistent knocking, Akemi suppressed her anger, waved a hand, and opened the door. She found the black puppet butler standing there.

"Why is it you? Why were you knocking so urgently?"

Surprised that her butler puppet interrupted her at such a crucial time, Akemi didn’t blame it. Instead, she asked curiously, wondering what was going on.

"Master, the alarm you set has gone off."

The black puppet's expression remained emotionless, and it stared at her with yellow eyes, speaking in a mechanical tone.

"Tch! Look at me, forgetting the important stuff~"

Hearing the reminder, Akemi slapped her forehead as if waking from a dream.


Tonight was an important day of offerings to the clan leader; how could she have forgotten?

"Master Gin, please come with me~"

Turning to look at the slightly bewildered Uchiha Gin, Akemi sighed inwardly.

If only they had met sooner. Her plan had already been submitted, so now she could only do her best to protect his life, leaving other matters for the future.

Adjusting his disheveled robe, Uchiha Gin frowned. He had planned to explore the mystery of the figure of the maiden tonight, determined to uncover the truth.

"Um, going out so late?"

He hadn’t expected that Akemi would still take him out so late at night.

He had hoped the Butterfly Transformation would keep her busy, letting him avoid this nighttime plan.

But it seemed inevitable now.

"Yes, don’t worry; just grit your teeth and bear it."

Lowering her head, Akemi glanced at Uchiha Gin’s reluctant face, feeling even more guilty. She could only force a smile, donning a metaphorical green hat to hide her sorrow, and spoke softly to him.

What’s this supposed to mean, casting him aside after he’s served his purpose? But he felt no malice from her — only overwhelming goodwill.

With no other choice, Uchiha Gin followed her reluctantly onto a luxurious airship. As it ascended, they drew closer to the fake moon in the sky.

Should he make a break for it?

The figurine maiden's allure was too strong, leaving him restless in her absence.

Watching Akemi at the prow, he began plotting an escape to visit that strangely captivating figurine maiden.

"Huh?"

Just as he began weaving hand signs for a clone, he noticed that the ship was heading directly toward her castle. If he judged correctly, Akemi's destination was indeed that very place.

"Elder Akemi, where are we going? Are you... crying?"

Seeing her tears, he asked cautiously, sensing something deeper was going on.

"No, no, it’s just the wind on the ship — some dust got in my eyes."

Startled by Gin's sudden presence, Akemi hastily wiped away her tears, forcing a smile as she tried to explain.

"Uh, the wind… is a bit noisy tonight."

Feeling only a gentle breeze, Uchiha Gin was baffled. Holding back, he managed to comment dryly. He hadn’t expected the usually bold Akemi to lie so casually, perhaps due to her excitement about recent weight loss progress?

"Here we are, Master Gin."

With a bitter smile, Akemi invited him to disembark as the airship landed at the most towering castle on the floating island.

"Where is this?"

Feigning ignorance, Uchiha Gin looked around, masking his curiosity.

"Master Gin, time is short; just follow me and don’t speak," she instructed him solemnly, leading him through the grand castle doors.

As they walked, he examined the surroundings. The castle was even more lavish than Akemi's palace, with tall windows inlaid with vibrant stained glass depicting various scenes. The sheer grandeur was captivating.

Countless puppets moved about, tirelessly maintaining the castle’s operation.

"Go inside and remember: do not speak out of turn, or even I can’t protect you."

At last, they stopped before a massive door guarded by several powerful combat puppets.

This was clearly a significant place. The door seemed oddly familiar to Uchiha Gin — wasn’t this the room of the figure maiden?

"Clan Leader, Otsutsuki Akemi requests an audience!"

Stepping forward, Akemi knocked on the heavy door, sending a shiver through Uchiha Gin’s heart.

Could it be… was he actually about to enter openly? And the figure of the maiden was... the clan leader’s servant?

"Come in."

As her words fell, a cold voice sounded from inside, one he recognized immediately.

That voice — wasn’t it the figurine maiden? It came so quickly... so she was really a servant after all!


Uchiha Gin froze in place, wanting to flee on the spot. But before he could make a move, the grand doors slowly opened. Left with no choice, he hunched his shoulders and reluctantly followed Otsutsuki Akemi inside, trying to reassure himself internally.

I didn't show my face last night, she shouldn’t recognize me...

"Why are you here so late, Elder Akemi?"

Akemi, respectful and with a hint of apprehension, was about to speak when the cold-faced Otsutsuki Tsukihime preempted her with a question.

She didn’t seem to be faking her curiosity.

"Isn't it written in the plan?"

An awkward silence fell. Akemi's raised hand hung mid-air, and she felt as if a thousand galloping beasts were rampaging in her heart.


She even brought Master Gin here to serve her. It seemed that the clan leader had not even read the plan, right?

A wave of frustration brewed within her, causing a slight crack in her composure.

Wait… This maid… is she really that influential? How can she talk to the elder of the Otsutsuki like this?

"The proposal? Oh, right. Didn’t I instruct you to implement it quickly?"

Tsukihime, seated high above, appeared somewhat distracted, barely acknowledging Akemi.

She didn't even spare a glance at the figure sneaking behind her.

Gin felt a chill as her icy gaze swept over him, setting off alarms in his mind.

Oh no. This isn’t some maid—she’s the actual Otsutsuki clan leader!

Tsukihime’s mind, meanwhile, lingered on last night’s intruder.


Remembering that shameless thief, her cold expression briefly flashed with irritation as she looked down at Akemi, wondering why she’d brought this stranger to disturb her at such a late hour.

"Then… I’ll just be going?"

Realizing that the clan leader really hadn’t read the proposal, Akemi suddenly thought of a daring plan: she could just pretend nothing happened, retrieve the proposal, and amend it to protect Gin’s freedom as much as possible.

With this idea in mind, she bowed deeply and respectfully to Tsukihime.

"Clan Leader, there are some errors in the proposal that I wish to revise. I came here to retrieve it so I can make adjustments before resubmitting it."

"Fine, let me see."

Tsukihime rose, not having given much thought to the proposal, and began searching among the scattered documents around her.

Walking gracefully through the sea of papers, she moved with an elegance that showed a faint blush on her otherwise composed face.

Darn that thief… Forgot to put it back in place!

As she felt the roughness against her thigh, she finally found the proposal in a corner and bent down to pick it up, her delicate movements unintentionally revealing her long legs and the faint curve of her hips. Her neckline barely contained the swell of her chest as she bent forward, a hint of ivory skin flashing in Gin’s direction, tempting him.

Focus, Uchiha Gin. You've seen it all before. Don’t let this faze you!

Completely oblivious to her revealing posture, Tsukihime continued to pick up pages, though her curiosity piqued when she noticed her name on one.

Unable to resist, she read a few lines.

"This one too… Huh… What?"

She hadn’t expected the content.

Her face flushed from her toes to the top of her head. Trembling slightly, she stacked the proposal pages neatly, sitting back down with newfound interest and began reading it in earnest for the first time.

"Oh, Clan Leader! No need to waste time on that. It’s just a draft, and I plan to make major revisions!"

Seeing Tsukihime suddenly intrigued by the proposal, Akemi was on edge, casting a quick glance at Gin, who seemed lost in his thoughts. She tried to act casual, shrugging off the matter as unimportant.

"Elder Akemi, what exactly is your purpose here tonight?"

Finishing the document, Tsukihime clenched the pages, took a deep breath to calm herself, then looked sharply at Akemi, piercing through her with a gaze like a sword.

"I… I really only came to retrieve the proposal! You have to believe me!"

There was a rumor that the clan leader’s eyes could peer into one’s soul, which Akemi had never believed.

Yet, right now, she felt a pang of doubt. She'd already committed to her story, and switching it up now would only add to her guilt.

Gritting her teeth, she maintained her stance, hoping to win Tsukihime's trust.

"Hmph! And if you only came for the plan, how do you explain the man standing behind you?"

When Otsutsuki Tsukishime heard this, a trace of anger flashed across her cold and beautiful face.

At this point, this Otsutsuki Akemi is still being stubborn?

Her delicate eyebrows knitted together, and she bit her lip in frustration, her alabaster eyes reflecting deep disappointment.

Her breath grew heavy, her chest heaving with anger. Tsukihime was truly offended this time.

"Do you think I, Otsutsuki Tsukihime, am incapable of dealing with a situation like this? Or have you simply become too bold to care?"