179. Slimming Jutsu

"Ah... so relaxing!"

After soaking in the hot spring, Uchiha Gin felt thoroughly refreshed. The fatigue of recent days melted away, and he put on the robe that the puppets had prepared for him. As he slid the door open, he saw two maid puppets waiting outside.

“You two… never mind, come in.”

Gin had initially considered sending the maid puppets back to wherever they came from.

However, he remembered they still contained his chakra, and if their original master, Ōtsutsuki Akemi, detected it, he’d have a hard time explaining.

So, he made up his mind, opened a portal to the Shadow Realm, and tossed the expressionless puppets into the shadowy dimension.

“This Shadow Realm is pretty handy!”

Though he felt a bit uneasy in the Shadow Realm, Gin was quite satisfied with its utility as a tool for stealth and ambush. He couldn’t help but approve with a grin.

“Mr. Gin, where are the puppets that were assigned to you?”

No sooner had he sent the two maids into the Shadow Realm than a black puppet appeared in front of him, its yellow eyes darting around unnervingly, clearly in search of the missing puppets.

“What puppets? I’ve been alone this whole time!”

Gin was a master at feigning ignorance. He raised his hands in feigned innocence, pretending he had no idea what the black puppet was talking about.

“Did they break down in some corner or something?”

The black puppet didn’t seem to doubt his words, stopping its eye movements and speaking in a cold tone to itself about the maintenance issues of puppets, as they apparently often malfunctioned.

“Sorry to have caused you such trouble.”

The black puppet didn’t press further and apologized to Gin, who shifted his gaze evasively.

“So your puppets break down too, huh?”

“People die too.”

“...”

Gin had no comeback, as it was true—people do die. But in his case, perhaps he was an exception.

"Just last night, an old, worn-out puppet’s head suddenly fell off in the middle of the night. So don’t worry, puppets are simply consumables."

After saying that, the black puppet gestured for Gin to follow. Curious, he trailed after the puppet, heading into an inner chamber he had always been intrigued by.

Knock, knock.

The black puppet knocked rhythmically on the door.

“Come in.”

Ōtsutsuki Akemi's clear voice came from within, and the black puppet pushed open the door without hesitation.

The moment Gin entered, he saw Akemi leaning over her desk, focused on reviewing documents, with a bit of drool trailing from the corner of her mouth.

“Hey, it’s Gin! How’s it been these past few days? Comfortable?”

Akemi finally looked up at the sound of his footsteps, her vibrant gaze meeting Gin’s amused expression.

Her lively tone had a hint of affection, and a soft smile broke out on her face.

“Very much so! Everyone here is so useful, and they speak so nicely. I really enjoy being here.”

There was no exaggeration in his words; this place was indeed a hidden paradise.

“Glad to hear it. Later, I’ll take you somewhere. Dress formally if you like, though a robe wouldn’t be out of place.”

Akemi nodded, her gaze lingering hungrily on Gin’s broad chest, her smile turning a bit bashful.

“Well, as the host wishes.”

Though he couldn’t quite read her intentions, Gin set his doubts aside for now. He sensed no ill will from her, so he doubted she intended any harm.

“Alright, when I finish this work, we’ll go. Feel free to rest in the meantime—there’s tea and snacks over there.”

Seeing that he didn’t object, Akemi resumed reviewing a list of names.


Sixty-six people, enough to take about a week if everyone had their turn, not counting the two days reserved just for the clan leader and herself.


A hefty undertaking, but one they must tackle to revive the clan. She hoped the little guy wouldn’t mind too much—perhaps she could reward him later to soothe any weariness.

Moved by her own kindness, Akemi even squeezed out a few crocodile tears.

Unaware of his prearranged “destiny,” Gin sat contentedly on the large sofa, snacking on seeds and observing Akemi's inner chamber.

It carried the opulence typical of the Ōtsutsuki clan but also had an unexpected touch of charm.

The decorations and trinkets had a girlish vibe, a pinkish atmosphere that was hard to reconcile with the formidable presence of Ōtsutsuki Akemi.

“Huh? That lady again!”

Gin’s gaze was drawn to a portrait of the white-haired beauty he’d seen in the bathhouse. Her alluring look stirred his curiosity even further.

Who was she? He could only sense Akemi's presence in the palace, so how could this woman be here?

Unable to resist his curiosity, Gin asked, “Akemi, do you have a sister by any chance?”

“Huh? What’s that question for, Gin? No, I don’t have any sisters.”

Lost in thoughts of how to reward him, Akemi was taken aback by his question but answered simply.

Shoot! Could it be an ancestor? Maybe his mother or grandmother?

“Oh, no reason, just curious. Don’t you have family?”

Her motherly aura is impressive.

“Gin, do you know how old I am?”

At the mention of family, Akemi fell silent for a moment, then looked up thoughtfully. Her pale eyes seemed to hold a lifetime of memories.

“Eighteen, I’d say?”

Knowing the trap of asking a woman’s age, Gin carefully chose his answer, giving her a flattery reply.

“Oh, you smooth talker,” Biluo chuckled, her laughter causing her ample frame to shake.

Gin looked away, fearing further “damage” from the sight.

“Sigh… Gin, I’m almost eighty years old.”

???

Gin was stunned. Although Akemi's appearance was admittedly “unique,” her voice and life force suggested she was no more than thirty.

Amused by his shock, Biluo playfully flicked a lock of her white hair back, explaining with pride, “We Ōtsutsuki are descendants of gods.”

“No kidding?”

Gin raised a brow.

Though he was skeptical, memories of his encounters with an Ōtsutsuki ancestor briefly validated her claim.

“Our clan’s lifespans often reach two hundred years. The paler the hair and eyes, the purer the bloodline.”

Gin recalled a distant ancestor who refrained from harming his kin out of respect for their pure lineage, instead imprisoning them as a minor reprimand.

“My parents didn’t have pure bloodlines, so they passed away early.”

After this explanation, Akemi's eyes flashed with sorrow.

“Then, who’s the woman in that painting?”

Curious, Gin finally asked, pointing to the portrait. Since her parents weren’t purebloods, then who was this woman with the white hair?

“Oh? Haha, you’re talking about that!”

Surprised at his question, Akemi's face lit up, her voice carrying a playful tone as she lifted her teacup, waiting to hear his guess.

“Take a guess. If you’re right, I’ll give you award~.”

“Your grandmother, perhaps?”

Gin reasoned that if it wasn’t her mother, it must be her grandmother. Such refined beauty is timeless, after all.

“Pfft! Gin, if you don’t know, don’t just make things up.”

Akemi choked on her tea, spitting out a fine mist before chiding him with mock annoyance.

“Sorry, sorry, I meant it as a guess.”

Realizing his poor choice of words, Gin explained sheepishly.

“Oh, come on, take another look!”

A bit irritated, Akemi leaned closer, her narrow eyes fluttering, full of hints.

“Uh… well…” Gin turned away instinctively. Just as he was about to give up, he caught a glimpse of a familiar mole near her mouth, and his curiosity piqued again.

Steeling himself, Gin took a closer look at her. Despite her… robust appearance, her features were actually quite charming, even strikingly graceful in their own way.

Uchiha Gin stared for quite a while and actually found Ōtsutsuki Akemi rather pleasing to the eye.

But as soon as the thought arose, he gave himself a scare, snapping out of it.

"Ahem... am I really that hungry?"

He quickly closed his eyes to purify his deteriorating mind.


After another glance at the beauty painting on the wall, Uchiha Gin had a vague suspicion, but he didn’t want to believe it. Such a change was truly rare in this world.

"Could it... be you?"

Clinging to the last shred of hope, Uchiha Gin asked with a trembling voice.

"Hehe, you've got a good eye!"

Ōtsutsuki Akemi smiled broadly, but this time it didn’t churn Uchiha Gin’s stomach—because he now knew that the mountain of flesh before him was once a stunning beauty.

His hope finally died. He had just been interested in a beauty, hoping to get to know her, perhaps to foster a pure friendship, but now that thought had to be buried deep, never to see the light of day again.

"Heh, the Ōtsutsuki clan certainly eats well."

Uchiha Gin chuckled awkwardly, attributing everything to the chefs of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

"So... you think I'm ugly too?"

Picking up on Uchiha Gin’s half-hearted comment, Akemi's earlier joy dimmed, revealing a trace of disappointment.

It seemed that Uchiha Gin was just another shallow man.

"No, no, not at all!"

Realizing he had touched a nerve, Uchiha Gin quickly waved his hands, his mind racing to find a way to fix things.

"Enough, you don't need to say it. I'm fully aware of my unsightly appearance."

Seeing Uchiha Gin's face turning pale, Akemi let out a sigh, with a touch of sadness in her gaze.

"So, who are you really?"

Relieved that she didn’t press further, Uchiha Gin adopted a sincere expression, curious about what could transform such a breathtaking woman into her current form.

"It all started sixty years ago. Back then, I was the envy of many, surrounded by admirers. The line of those who pursued me could stretch from here to the moon. But I had no interest in shallow men."

Recalling her past, Akemi's eyes sparkled with an unusual light, and she continued energetically.

"One day, a man came into my life. He wasn’t powerful, but he had skilled hands. Not only could he play beautiful music for me, but he could also paint marvelous masterpieces."

"You two got together?"

Uchiha Gin was surprised to learn she had such a story, but he couldn't see how it connected to her transformation.

"No, even though he stayed by my side painting and playing for me, I could tell his heart wasn’t with me."

She shook her head, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"And then what?"

Curious as ever, Uchiha Gin couldn’t resist asking, imagining some dramatic love triangle twist. But Akemi's next words caught him completely off guard.

"What happened next? I locked him up."

...?

The plot twist was so sudden that Uchiha Gin wondered if he had missed a chapter.

"Think about it: a man who feels nothing for me has to be hiding something. I investigated and found he approached me with ulterior motives—and he wasn’t even interested in women. He was... only interested in other men."

Akemi's brow furrowed as she thought back, her expression dark and unreadable. With her beauty at the time, it made no sense that any man could resist her unless he had... other preferences.

"A... Geh?"

The term sent chills down Uchiha Gin’s spine as if countless fingers were poking at him, making his normally steady spirit waver.

But with a firm resolve, he reminded himself: I am not into men!

"Ulterior motives? What could he possibly want from you?"

Uchiha Gin couldn’t imagine what a man interested in other men would want from her.

"It’s just some old family matters, nothing worth discussing."

Her unwillingness to elaborate told Uchiha Gin it likely had something to do with internal clan conflicts.

"To think I was actually interested in him, only to be deceived!"

Even after all these years, Akemi's tone held a trace of hurt, but she’d clearly moved on.

"Curious about my drastic transformation? It’s all because of him. I took feelings seriously back then, but after being deceived, I turned my sorrow into an appetite and began binge-eating."

Akemi touched her plump cheek, confessing with a bit of humor mixed with self-mockery. "You probably wouldn’t guess that within a year, I became what you see now."

"Didn’t you try to lose weight? It should be easy for a ninja, right?"

Considering her transformation spanned sixty years, Uchiha Gin found it odd that she hadn’t managed to slim down.

"I tried everything—physical training, medicines, even ninjutsu and taijutsu. None of it worked."

Akemi's eyes were filled with despair as she recalled the failure of every method she had tried.

"Really? Let me take a look. I know a bit of medical ninjutsu myself."

Intrigued by her unusual case, Uchiha Gin’s scientific spirit ignited, and he asked her to extend her arm for an examination.

"My, I didn’t know you were a doctor, Gin."

With a smile, Akemi placed her thick wrist in his hand, as if surrendering to fate.

Uchiha Gin probed her body with chakra, examining her vitality, circulation, and muscle density. Everything appeared robust, her body nothing short of superhuman.

The remarkable resilience of the Ōtsutsuki clan worked for and against them; their physiology was so strong that altering it was near impossible.

"Akemi, your case is... complex."

After completing his examination, Uchiha Gin looked up, noting the resigned expression on her face.

"It’s okay. After all these years, I’ve accepted it."

Akemi attempted to reassure him.

"Difficult, yes, but not impossible."

In fact, Uchiha Gin knew of a secret technique that might just work, though it wouldn’t be easy.

Akemi's heart leaped with hope, and she grasped his hand with an iron grip, her eyes pleading. "Doctor, save me!"

"Um... Elder Akemi, a little space, please."

Realizing she was practically crushing his wrist, Akemi apologized, easing her grip.

"No worries, I understand the feeling." He shook out his hand and adopted a serious demeanor, black eyes alight with scholarly determination.

"According to my diagnosis, there’s one ancient technique, the ‘Butterfly Transformation Jutsu,’ that might help you shed excess weight and reclaim yourself."

At that, Akemi bowed deeply, shouting, “Teacher, please instruct me!”

"Though we’ve only met by chance, I’ll teach you this technique. Train well, and I hope to see you shine once more.”