7. First Battle

As Senju Itama was fleeing with all his might, he found an Uchiha clansman blocking his path, despair etched across his face.

At just five years old, no matter how talented he was, he had little chance against an adult Uchiha.

The Uchiha in front of him had curly hair wrapped in bandages, and his dull, lifeless eyes showed no excitement about Itama running into him.

Instead, his slightly handsome face wore a conflicted expression.

Without giving it much thought, Senju Itama, kunai in hand, resolutely charged at the still-dazed Uchiha Gin.

Seeing Itama's determined expression, Uchiha Gin reluctantly drew the katana at his waist, preparing to engage.

Clang!

Their weapons clashed, producing a dull sound.

After feeling a heavy impact in his arm, Uchiha Gin was sent flying several meters, landing face-first on the ground before scrambling to his feet, looking astonished.

"Is this kid really that strong?"

"Is this guy really that weak?"

Standing there in disbelief, Senju Itama looked at the kunai in his hand. He couldn't believe he had actually repelled an adult Uchiha.

Uchiha Gin swore he hadn't held back during that strike.

Since it was his first battle after time traveling, he instinctively used all his strength, yet he was still knocked back by a five-year-old child.

Seeing Uchiha Gin awkwardly rise, hope sparked in Itama's eyes, and he swung his kunai even harder as he charged again.

At that moment, a system notification echoed in Uchiha Gin's mind.

"Host has engaged in combat. The Steel Heart Chest is now accumulating."

In his consciousness, the Steel Heart Chest began to tremble, then blasted loud background music like a speaker.

Hearing the familiar BGM in his mind, Uchiha Gin felt a jolt in his brain. Could this outdated system be any more unreliable?

Returning to the fight, Uchiha Gin barely dodged as Itama's kunai, limited by his height, was about to strike him below. Ignoring the distracting BGM, Gin managed to evade a potentially dangerous blow.

He then executed a classic Uchiha sword technique aimed at Itama, but the child blocked it with his kunai. Gin was left speechless, realizing his full-strength attack had been easily countered by a five-year-old.

At that moment, he truly recognized how weak the original owner of his body was.

Twenty years of life wasted; his combat skills could only be rated as that of a low-ranking shinobi in the future—not a standout, but more like a background character.

Even so, he couldn't afford to give up now. Uchiha Fuka and the others could finish their battles at any moment. If he let Itama escape, he would likely be killed by them.

Moreover, his mission was to rescue Itama from Uchiha Fuka and the others. If he let Itama go now, he couldn't guarantee he would complete the mission, and if he failed, he would have to start over.

The two exchanged several blows, but it was a messy back-and-forth, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

"As expected of a genius from the Senju clan. I, Uchiha Gin, acknowledge your strength in taijutsu."

Panting, Senju Itama replied, "You're not bad either, Uchiha Gin. I, Senju Itama, recognize your skills."

As it was his first real fight, Itama's youthful arrogance shone through, revealing the natural cluelessness typical of the Senju clan.

While they were locked in their standoff, Uchiha Fuka and the others had finished their own battles. Senju Koji had been hit head-on by Uchiha Fuka's Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, his fate uncertain.

"Is he dead? Did the Great Fireball kill him?"

The three Senju guards had also been defeated by the combined efforts of Uchiha Ryoichi and his allies, lying on the ground, bloodied.

Seeing that Uchiha Gin still hadn't killed Senju Itama, the group surrounded him.

Itama and Gin were still engaged in their "fierce battle," even forming an odd bond through their exchanges.

However, Itama was only five years old and couldn't match Gin's stamina as an adult.

In the next exchange, his legs buckled, and Gin sent him flying, crashing into a protruding rock. Itama lay there, unable to stand up.

"Host has won the battle. You have earned 1 Steel Heart Point. Three more battles are required to unlock the Steel Heart Chest reward. (Current points: 1)"

The system declared Gin victorious as Itama collapsed from exhaustion.

As the fight concluded, Uchiha Fuka and the others approached Gin.

The five surrounded the slowly rising Itama, recreating a classic scene from the original story.

Despair filled Itama's eyes as he looked at the five adult Uchiha encircling him, trembling as he gripped his kunai.

He understood that today, he might share the same fate as his older brother.

Uchiha Ryoichi playfully threw a shuriken, which whizzed past Itama's face and embedded itself in the rock behind him.

This action shattered Itama's last psychological defenses. His small body began to tremble, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Alright, our mission is complete. Finish him off quickly. The Senju reinforcements should be here soon."

Uchiha Fuka, who had taken a heavy blow from Koji's last attack, was not in good shape, his eyes sore from overusing the Sharingan.

Hearing this, the others turned their gazes to Uchiha Gin. He had fought the hardest during this mission, even daring to infiltrate Senju territory alone.

Despite his lack of strength, those who had heard his "Uchiha Declaration" instinctively felt that he should be the one to finish the mission.

Gin, sensing their expectations, did not hesitate. His expression shifting, he slowly drew his sword and approached the defeated Itama.

The blade rose, but instead of striking with the edge, Gin used the flat of his sword to knock Itama unconscious, shocking the others.

"???"

"Uchiha Gin, what are you doing?"

They questioned him for sparing Itama.

"A living Senju heir is more valuable than a dead one," Gin replied as he sheathed his katana and hoisted the unconscious Itama over his shoulder.

"Our mission was to eliminate the Senju kids. Don't complicate things; just kill him, and let's leave," Uchiha Fuka snapped, angered by Gin's defiance.

"I already told you, a living Senju is more useful than a corpse."

Just as the tension between them escalated, Uchiha Tsuruhiko's expression changed.

"One of my traps has been triggered. Senju reinforcements are approaching!"

Tsuruhiko had set traps around the area before the battle, and the activation of one alerted him immediately.

"Retreat now!" Fuka ordered, unwilling to risk further confrontation in his injured state.

"Yes!" the others responded as they quickly fled from the Senju territory. Gin, relieved for the moment, followed behind, still carrying the unconscious Itama.

The group sprinted with all their might, only stopping when they no longer sensed any pursuit.

Now safe, they found a cave to rest in. Gin tied up the unconscious Itama with iron chains.

Lacking the skill to seal chakra, he crudely bound Itama with layer upon layer of chains, wrapping him like a rice dumpling.

"Uchiha Gin, I expect a reasonable explanation."

Sitting by the fire, Uchiha Fuka looked at the tightly bound Itama and demanded an answer from the now-sweating Gin.

Anticipating this question, Gin prepared the explanation he had thought out earlier.

"I kept him alive because of the clan leader."

Gin's explanation caught the others off guard. They exchanged glances, puzzled, as the orders they had received from the clan leader were simply to eliminate the Senju.

Gin began to weave his lie.

"It all started when I was on guard duty outside the clan leader's door…"