178. Plotted

"Heh heh heh..."

Otsutsuki Akemi walked out of the clan leader’s castle, her laughter echoing.

Her joyous mood gave her steps a slight bounce, almost as if she’d returned to the days of her youth.

Back then, she had been the clan’s top beauty, unmarred by the issues that later affected her figure.

Humming a cheerful tune, her bouncing steps seemed to cause a tremor in the floating castle, shaking loose dust from the walls.

Inside the Castle

A luxurious crystal chandelier swayed from the tremor, dust falling and almost landing on Otsutsuki Tsukihime’s smooth, silken hair.

Bang!

A flash of blue light appeared around Tsukihime, forming a shield that deflected the falling dust.

Recognizing the culprit, she wasn’t angry; instead, her lips curved in a slight smile, and a hint of nostalgia flickered in her pure white eyes.

"Akemi again... It’s been a while since she’s been in such high spirits. The old her would never cause such a ruckus."

In her mind, she saw a charming, graceful figure, full of allure and elegance, whose mere presence could make countless men bow.

Who would have thought that the once-dazzling Otsutsuki Akemi would end up like this?

"Forget it; let her be."

Tsukihime allowed herself a rare smile. But when a cool breeze blew over her, her smile turned into an irritated frown, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"Hmph! If that little thief dares come again tonight, I’ll make sure he regrets it!"


---

Elsewhere

"Hey, black puppet, what’s that place up there?"

Uchiha Gin, flying through the sky, pointed at a floating island with a temple-like structure, his eyes full of curiosity.

Beep beep beep. "Mr. Gin, are you asking me?"

The black puppet’s yellow eyes were expressionless. Instead of answering directly, it asked its own question.

"Do you not like me calling you that?"

"I can sense emotion in human speech, Mr. Gin, and you were clearly mocking and disrespectful."

This puppet’s advanced reasoning surprised Uchiha Gin, making him wonder if this was the ninja world’s equivalent of an AI.

"My apologies, I didn’t mean to joke."

Uchiha Gin scratched his head sheepishly, whether sincere or not.

"That place used to be where the Otsutsuki clan servants would offer worship. It holds an imitation of an ancient treasure once revered by the clan."

"Can I take a look?"

"Certainly."

Raising its hands, the black puppet sped up their airship, quickly bringing them to the ruined temple.

Stepping into the temple, Gin saw an enormous stone sphere engraved with patterns resembling the Tenseigan from the legends. It appeared to be a life-sized model of the eye, preserved as a relic of the clan’s former glory.

Beep beep.

A sharp noise broke his focus. The black puppet seemed to be receiving a message, its yellow eyes flashing. When it turned back, it spoke in an unwavering tone.

"Mr. Gin, it’s getting late. I need to return."

"Right, it’s time to eat anyway."

Gin’s stomach growled, and he followed the puppet out, reboarding the airship.

By now, the artificial sun had transitioned to an orange-red dusk, and their airship descended in front of Akemi's palace.

Entering the palace, small, efficient servants had already set out a meal.

Gin didn’t hold back, enjoying the feast. Afterward, two puppet maids took him to a steaming bathhouse. Seeing the warm, sulfur-scented pool, he was puzzled.

"Who has a hot spring in their house?"

"Lord Gin, please bathe and change."

The maids, less sophisticated than the black puppet, simply followed their directives, moving to undress him.

"Go away; I can manage myself!"

Gin backed away, flustered, covering his collar. Despite being puppets, their lifelike features unsettled him, as he wasn’t comfortable undressing before strangers.

"Lord Gin, please bathe and change."

But his protests didn’t deter them, as they tugged at his clothes persistently.

Tch!

Gin thought, annoyed, Why didn’t I ask ancestor Uncle for puppet-control techniques?

Seeing no choice, Gin prepared to use force to protect his privacy.

His black pupils shifted, preparing his Mangekyo Sharingan to teleport the maids away.

He figured losing one or two puppets wouldn’t be noticed.

"Eh? What’s happening?"

As he activated his power, he sensed a familiar presence beneath him, radiating from the earth’s crust.

Sigh.

Although it didn’t seem malevolent, Gin disconnected from the presence, sticking to his usual cautious approach.

"Guess I’ll try something else."

Unable to teleport them, he activated his Byakugan to search for a switch to power down the puppets.

"Huh? What’s this symbol?"


In the perspective of the Byakugan, Uchiha Gin carefully examined the two kimono-clad puppets, which seemed no different from ordinary people. When he accidentally activated his x-ray vision and swept his gaze across their chests, he wasn't drawn to the soft, pale skin but rather intrigued by the moon-shaped mark etched on them.

It seemed that the mark could only be seen in the Byakugan state. When he used his Sharingan earlier, he hadn't noticed it. It appeared to be a switch placed on the puppets by the Otsutsuki clan.

With a scientific mindset, Uchiha Gin extended his Byakugan's vision into the mark. After searching for a while, he sensed a familiar chakra—Otsutsuki Akemi's chakra.

Trying to erase the mark left by Akemi with his chakra, he was surprised to find the chakra was incredibly fragile. With just a light touch, it vanished instantly. The yellow eyes of the puppets dimmed, and their movements froze, as if their power had been depleted.

"Just as I thought, the Otsutsuki clan controls these puppets this way," Uchiha Gin muttered, observing the now lifeless puppets. After thinking for a moment, he tried to send his own chakra through his Byakugan into the kimono-clad maid puppets.

As soon as his chakra entered, the moon-shaped mark activated again, but this time, the chakra inside became shaped like Uchiha Gin.

"Master, may I serve you?" the two puppets asked in unison, their stiff demeanor replaced by an almost lifelike spark in their yellow eyes, now infused with a more advanced AI-like vitality.

"Squat down," Uchiha Gin ordered.

Without hesitation, both puppets obeyed immediately.

"Reach out."

They complied.

"Lie down."

They complied.

"Rub my stomach."

"…"

"Heh, I was just kidding."

Uchiha Gin chuckled awkwardly as he noticed the cautious expressions on the puppets' faces. "Master, please adhere to the three principles of puppetry," one of the maid puppets said coldly, her yellow eyes devoid of emotion.

"You two are, unable to take a joke," Uchiha Gin mumbled, feeling slightly disgruntled.

"Alright, alright, you two go wait outside. I'll bathe myself," he ordered, waving them off.

Once the puppets left, Uchiha Gin stripped down and sank into the hot spring, finally able to relax and enjoy the soothing sulfur scent in the air. This was the true moment of relaxation.

"Ah, last time I took a bath…" Uchiha Gin’s face turned pale as memories of a sealed event came rushing back. He quickly wiped the memory from his mind, focusing on the spacious hot spring palace around him.

As his gaze swept across the walls, he was drawn to one particular painting in the center.

"Whoa, this girl is stunning. I wonder which family she's from."

Uchiha Gin's superior dynamic vision allowed him to spot a beautiful woman in the painting. Her wavy white hair, captivating peach blossom eyes, and full red lips, paired with a small beauty mark at the corner of her mouth, gave her a mature yet alluring charm, with just a touch of youthful innocence.

"Hey? There's a signature. Let's see… 'Gifted to Otsutsuki Akemi.'"

Uchiha Gin squinted, reading the blurry inscription in the corner of the painting. Although the last character had been deliberately erased, he could make a guess based on the earlier part of the name.

"Heh, it’s definitely that bossy sister. I didn't expect Otsutsuki Akemi to have such a beautiful sister. This big/small sister, I've definitely got to make my move!"

Aside from the portrait, there was nothing else to catch Uchiha Gin's interest. So, he closed his eyes and continued to enjoy the hot spring, reminding himself that after the previous incident, he had developed a bit of PTSD regarding hot springs.

"Huh? Why are two puppets not responding?"

Back in her palace, Otsutsuki Akemi, reviewing the personnel list, looked puzzled for a moment, but then her expression returned to normal. She muttered to herself, "Maybe the chakra supply was cut off after so long."

Not thinking much of it, she continued arranging the list of 66 personnel.

"Well, the clan leader is definitely first. You can tell how eager she is. I’ll send clean, fresh little Gin to her bed tonight~"

Recalling how impatient the clan leader had been earlier, Otsutsuki Akemi smiled knowingly. "What girl isn’t a little anxious in spring? The clan leader is at that age, so it’s normal for her to be a bit impatient."

"I was like that back then too, only to be deceived by love, which made me stop trusting men."

"Second place is definitely mine. Even by seniority, who would dare claim second if I take third?"

With a proud grin, Otsutsuki Akemi reaffirmed her second-place position. A hidden black mole on her cheek became more prominent in the lighting.

"Hehe."

Meanwhile, deep within the moon's crust, a long-dormant figure slowly opened her eyes. Sensing that her chakra connection had been cut off, her white eyes were filled with disappointment. She was bound by countless chains in a circular space. A nearly imperceptible crack above her head allowed faint light to shine down on her face, revealing a stunningly beautiful woman. However, her brow was furrowed, and her cute "Bunny" brows were tightly knitted, with a look of sorrowful confusion.

"Hagoromo, you're here. Why are you hiding from me?"

Through the crack above her head, she managed to catch a faint trace of her eldest son’s chakra.

Feeling a pang of disappointment, she pouted and looked confused.

But after several attempts, she managed to send a trace of her mental energy through the crack, attempting to trace Hagoromo's chakra once more.

This time, she would surely give that rebellious child a good lesson!

Once the chakra faded, a look of satisfaction flickered in her eyes.

A slight greenish light followed, and her lips curled into a faint smile.

As for the silly boy in the village, she had already taken care of him.