64. Dream Technique

Not wanting to do any work himself, Uchiha Gin used all his skills to persuade Uchiha Matawa to take over his duties.

"But... I can't make that decision," Uchiha Matawa, still dazed from Uchiha Gin's persuasion, hesitated. While tempted, changing positions required approval from higher-ups.

"I'll report this to Elder Hiro, don't worry about it!" Uchiha Gin, fully aware of what Matawa was concerned about, quickly brought up Matawa's superior to reassure him.

"Well..." Matawa hesitated, weighing the possibility in his mind.

"What's there to hesitate about? You can handle this!" Without giving him a chance to refuse, Gin shoved the files into Matawa's hands, gave him a confident "Good luck, I'm counting on you!" look, and slipped away. "You go ahead, I'm heading to the dungeon to investigate a prisoner."

Happy to have passed on the workload, Uchiha Gin felt a lightness in his steps as he walked leisurely toward the entrance of Dungeon No. 2. On duty today were Uchiha Matawa and Uchiha Tanaka, who hadn't successfully switched posts. Now that Matawa was off doing Gin's work, only Tanaka remained guarding the entrance.

"Matawa said he was just going to the bathroom, but he's been gone for so long. Did he fall in or something?" Tanaka grumbled quietly, bored out of his mind.

"Brother Tanaka, let me in to check on a prisoner," an unfamiliar voice snapped him out of his daze, and he quickly looked up.

"Uchiha... Gin!"

The man standing before him was none other than the nightmare that had haunted Tanaka's dreams for days—Uchiha Gin.

"Is there a problem?" Gin raised an eyebrow, noticing the startled reaction.

"No, no problem at all. Please, come in." Startled into action, Tanaka swiftly opened the gate and respectfully let Gin enter.

"I'm looking for this prisoner. Show me the way," Gin casually handed the file to Tanaka without even glancing at it.

"Uh, this prisoner... alright, follow me." Tanaka glanced at the name on the file and nodded.

"Matawa will be helping in the archives for a while. I'll report to Lord Ryūei and get you a new partner." Gin's words sent a chill through Tanaka's heart. Could it be that his good friend had already met his end? He blamed himself for getting Matawa into trouble.

Lost in his dark thoughts, Tanaka led Gin to the cell door, pointing at the prisoner inside. "Hahaha, come to interrogate me again, Uchiha brat? Use whatever methods you like! If I so much as frown, I'm no man!" The prisoner, a middle-aged man with light brown hair, had his hands bound behind him. His piercing blue eyes glared at them with a hunger for vengeance.

"There's a fly on your forehead," Gin commented nonchalantly.

"Huh?" Startled by the random statement, the prisoner furrowed his brow.

"See? He frowned." Gin pointed at him triumphantly.

"..." The air grew awkward. Not only did the prisoner, Yamanaka Joichiro, fall silent, but Tanaka, standing beside him, seemed frozen in place, staring at his feet as if counting his toes.

"Uh... Lord Gin, I'll leave you to it. There's no one guarding the entrance, so I should get back," Tanaka quickly excused himself, desperate to escape the awkwardness.

"No sense of humor, these older guys," Gin muttered, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Are you mocking me, boy?" Yamanaka Jōichirō snarled through gritted teeth.

"Just a joke. At your age, you should have a sense of humor, shouldn't you?" Gin said casually, flipping through the file. It read: Yamanaka Jōichirō – proficient in mental techniques, captured alongside Yamanaka Kazuno.

"I hear the Yamanaka clan's techniques are pretty impressive," Gin said, moving closer and inspecting the man's bound hands thoughtfully. "But in the end, your clan's mental techniques were countered by our Uchiha Sharingan."

"Hmph! If it hadn't been for your numbers, we wouldn't have fallen into your hands! If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one!" Jōichirō spat, still burning with anger.

"Alright." Gin nodded seriously, catching Jōichirō off guard as he suddenly freed his hands.

"Huh?"

Jōichirō was momentarily stunned, not expecting to be released so easily.

"What's the matter? All that talk, and you're actually just weak?" Gin taunted, clearly enjoying himself.

"System detected a combat encounter. Steel Heart treasure box accumulation has begun."

Gin smirked; the provocation had worked.

"You damn Uchiha brat! In gratitude for freeing me, I'll make sure your death is peaceful!" Jōichirō snarled, forming a strange hand sign.

Recognizing the gesture immediately, Gin knew this was a signature technique of the Yamanaka clan. The Yamanaka specialized in mental ninjutsu using Yin Release chakra, attacking the mind, reading memories, or controlling consciousness.

[Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu]

Jōichirō raised his hands, casting the Yamanaka clan's signature technique. The Mind Transfer Jutsu allowed him to project his spirit into his opponent's body, taking control for a brief period.

A "dream technique" among men!

As Jōichirō's mental energy surged toward him, Gin instinctively activated his Sharingan.

Through the power of his eyes, he could vaguely see a strand of Yin chakra carrying the mental energy, heading straight for his forehead. Unsure whether to pretend to be defeated to stack system rewards, Gin sidestepped the attack.

"Hah! Do you think you can dodge so easily?" Jōichirō sneered, and with a twist of his hands, the mental energy changed direction.

To Gin's horror, he realized it was too late to dodge. The mental force hit him squarely, flooding his mind. The dizziness felt like riding a roller coaster for days, making him want to vomit.

"Foolish Uchiha brat! You didn't expect the old man's jutsu could curve, did you?" Gin's voice sounded strange, the tone completely different from before. Jōichirō's body fell unconscious, slumping onto the floor.

"Let me end this quickly and painlessly for you," Jōichirō sneered, controlling Gin's body and pulling out a kunai from the pouch, shakily aiming it at his own neck.

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