As the system chimed, Uchiha Gin felt a cool sensation in his hands. The searing pain of Amaterasu vanished, leaving no trace.
His body showed no abnormalities, as if it had all been a dream. But his right eye throbbed uncomfortably, its double-tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly, a cold energy pooling within, urging release.
Guiding the energy instinctively, Uchiha Gin aimed at the open ground. Without instruction, he unleashed it.
A small black flame sparked on the ground, and his pupil power drained rapidly. Warm blood trickled from his eye, startling him into deactivating his Sharingan.
The tiny Amaterasu flame, no bigger than a lighter's, fizzled out as his Sharingan closed.
Gasping, drained by the meager flame, Uchiha Gin wiped the blood from his eye, puzzled.
Amaterasu was a Mangekyo-exclusive technique. How could his double-tomoe Sharingan use it?
"The system?" Unable to explain it logically, he blamed the system.
Resting briefly, he touched his still-sore right eye. Amaterasu filled his ninjutsu damage gap. Strange Strength was powerful but useless against agile foes.
"But in the manga, Amaterasu only burned White Zetsu and never killed anyone," he grumbled.
Returning inside, Itama still snored. Uchiha Gin lay on the sofa, staring gravely at his hands.
During the Amaterasu attack, he'd been ready to sever his hand, but an unexpected protection mechanism activated.
The Uzumaki crest on his right hand likely triggered the Fire Sealing Method, a safeguard from Mito's chakra mark, auto-activating against fire-based attacks.
"But the left…" He studied his unmarked left hand, probing it with chakra. It sank like water into sand, yielding nothing.
Recalling the fleeting strange mark, he searched the original owner's memories—nothing. Since transmigrating, he'd scoured those memories repeatedly.
Childhood memories were fuzzy, likely due to youth. The camp attack in his teens was fragmented, probably a defense mechanism against the trauma.
Later memories were mundane—a weakling's routine—until Uchiha Gin replaced him.
Screw it. Finding no answers, he gave up. He'd sleep and deal with his new job tomorrow. Relaxed, he drifted off.
The next morning, Uchiha Gin yanked off Itama's blanket. The boy, clutching Gin's childhood clothes, slept soundly. Unfazed, Gin flicked his forehead.
"Ow!" Itama woke, clutching his head, glaring. "What was that for?"
Ignoring the familiar whining, Uchiha Gin said, "I'm off to work. Food's in the kitchen. Don't try escaping—this place is crawling with Uchiha. If you're recognized, you know what happens."
Aware of his predicament, Itama pouted but nodded reluctantly.
"I'll grab some hair dye tonight to fix that conspicuous hair," Uchiha Gin added before leaving.
Following the original owner's memories, he headed to the dungeon.
He waved at passing Uchiha clansmen, but they fled like he was a beast, leaving him bewildered.
Recalling the original owner's poor reputation, he shook his head. Changing that wouldn't be quick.
At a grim gate, he knocked hard. A small hatch opened, revealing yesterday's dour Uchiha. Recognizing Gin, he closed the hatch, and the gate creaked open.
Uchiha Gin followed the somber clansman through a dark, narrow corridor, then another door. The path widened, lit by wall torches.
"I'm your superior now," the clansman said suddenly, his voice chilling, like it came from the underworld.
"What should I call you?" Uchiha Gin asked cautiously.
"Uchiha Ryuei," he replied coldly.
They walked endlessly, the dungeon seemingly bottomless. Finally, Ryuei stopped at a small door labeled "Archive Room."
Inside, scrolls were strewn across tables, floors, and shelves, like the place had been ransacked.
Meeting Uchiha Gin's confused gaze, Ryuei explained, "The previous archivist died on a mission, and his catalog is gone. You'll reorganize everything."
Uchiha Gin learned the former archivist's death left the records in chaos. Retrieving prisoner data meant sifting through scrolls, a slow, messy process. They needed a new archivist to sort and re-categorize.
Eyeing the scroll mountain, Uchiha Gin's head ached. He'd guessed Tajima wanted him grounded, but this desk job was extreme.
These scrolls would take ages to organize.
"Any helpers? There's so much…" he ventured.
"No spare hands," Ryuei said, his lifeless eyes emotionless, like a robot's.
"Fine," Uchiha Gin accepted reluctantly. "What about meals? Rest?"
"There's a cafeteria. You can go home at night," Ryuei said tersely.
Relieved he could return home—Itama's safety was his responsibility—Uchiha Gin nodded.
"For efficiency, you have free access to the dungeon cells," Ryuei added, his flat gaze shifting. "The prisoners' chakra is sealed, and they're bound, but they're extremely dangerous."
Surprised by the warning, Uchiha Gin blinked.
"Don't die. I'd hate to explain to Elder Yan," Ryuei added.
Gee, thanks.
Ryuei left without lingering, abandoning Uchiha Gin.
Shaking his head, Uchiha Gin started work, gathering scattered scrolls onto the room's lone desk.
Sighing at the towering pile, he grabbed a scroll and read: "Kaguya Josuke: Rogue ninja, killed two Uchiha clansmen, suspected mental instability, immune to genjutsu interrogation, details unknown… Currently held in Cell Block Two."
Kaguya? Intrigued by the clan from the manga, Uchiha Gin decided to check out this prisoner.
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