Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Chapter 181 The clan chief is very angry, and the consequences will be severe.

"Thump~ thump~ thump~"

The bronze bell hanging from the palace ceiling rang precisely on time, its echoes reverberating in Otsutsuki Hikari's ears, making her already hesitant heart even more tense.

"Mr. Yin, are you sure everything's alright?"

Otsutsuki Hakuro swallowed hard, his white eyes pleadingly fixed on the composed Uchiha Gin, and cautiously asked,

"Trust me, you're the best!"

Uchiha Gin grinned broadly, encouraging the anxious Otsutsuki Hikari. He had just helped the other eliminate the impurities from his body.

Of course, he "accidentally" missed a few things, but hey! After all, it's a manual operation, so occasional oversights are understandable, right?

Dead fish eyes swept over the other's massive body, lingering briefly on a certain prominent area. This secret will remain buried in my heart!

"Then please witness my transformation, Mr. Gin!"

Inspired by Uchiha Gin's words, Otsutsuki Hikari felt an unprecedented surge of power within him. His white eyes reflected the smile of the man before him, and his heart skipped a beat. Then, he took a deep breath and activated the Butterfly Transformation Technique, preparing to complete his magnificent transformation from cocoon to butterfly before the one he loved.

"Knock knock knock!"

Blue chakra surged around Otsutsuki Biroku, like burning flames. As the chakra rose, a pair of azure butterfly wings slowly coalesced behind her. Just as she was about to be reborn from the ashes, a rapid knocking on the door interrupted her long-prepared secret technique.

"Who is it! Didn't I say that no one, no matter who they are, is allowed to disturb me!"

Otsutsuki Hikari, whose spellcasting had been forcibly interrupted, was filled with displeasure. He angrily roared at the door a few times, but the knocking continued, even increasing in frequency.

Unexpectedly, the person knocking persisted, so Otsutsuki Hikari had no choice but to suppress his anger and open the door. There, he found the black puppet waiting outside.

"Why is it you? Why are you knocking?"

Unexpectedly, it was her own butler puppet who interrupted her crucial transformation moment. Otsutsuki Hikari couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. Therefore, she didn't blame it, but simply asked what the other party was up to.

"Master, the alarm you set has been activated."

The black puppet's face was expressionless, its yellow eyes fixed on Otsutsuki Hikari, and a mechanical voice followed.

"Tsk! Look at me, how could I forget the important thing~"

Upon hearing the puppet's reminder, Otsutsuki Hikari slapped his forehead, as if waking from a dream. Tonight was an important day to offer sacrifices to the clan leader, how could he have forgotten?

"Mr. Yin, please come with me~"

Turning to look at the bewildered Uchiha Gin, Otsutsuki Hikari sighed inwardly. If only the two had met sooner. His plan had already been submitted, and for now, he could only do his best to protect Mr. Gin's life. As for the rest, he could only deal with it gradually.

After straightening his yukata, which had been torn apart by Otsutsuki Hikari, Uchiha Gin frowned. He had planned to investigate the figurine girl again tonight, determined to uncover the truth behind the treasure.

"Uh, it's so late, are you still going out?"

He hadn't expected that even so late, Otsutsuki Hikari would still take him out. He had thought that the Butterfly Transformation Technique would allow her to temporarily let him go tonight and cancel his plans to go out so late, but now it seemed that there was no way to avoid it.

"Yeah, don't worry, just grit your teeth and it'll pass."

Otsutsuki Hikari lowered her head, glancing at Uchiha Gin, whose expression showed some resistance. Her guilt intensified, but she could only suppress the bitterness in her heart, firmly placing the ethereal green hat on her head. She forced a weak smile and softly spoke to Uchiha Gin.

???

What does this mean? Are they going to discard me after I've served my purpose? But I can't sense any malice at all; the goodwill is overflowing.

After hearing Otsutsuki Hikari's seemingly random statement, Uchiha Gin's heart pounded with unease. Had his perception deteriorated to the point where he could no longer sense good and evil?

With no other choice, Uchiha Gin had to grit his teeth and follow Otsutsuki Hikari's footsteps, boarding a magnificent airship. As the airship slowly ascended, he drew closer and closer to the illusory moon in the sky.

Should I slip away? The allure of figurines is too strong; I feel restless if I don't see them for even a day.

Looking at Otsutsuki Hikari standing at the bow of the ship, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but hatch a plan. He prepared to take advantage of the other party's inattention and slip away to find the figure girl who inexplicably attracted him.

"what?"

Just as Uchiha Gin was quietly forming hand seals, preparing to summon the workaholic wooden clone, he inadvertently looked up and discovered that the ship he was on was getting closer and closer to the castle of the figurine girl. Judging from the route, that was Otsutsuki Hikari's destination.

"Elder Biluo, are we going to...? Why are you crying?"

Feeling a great deal of coincidence, Uchiha Gin dispersed the chakra in his hands, straightened up and went to Otsutsuki Hikari's side, just as he was about to test the purpose of his trip. Unexpectedly, he saw the other party with tears streaming down his face.

"Waaaaah~ I wasn't crying, it's just that the wind was a bit strong at the bow of the boat, and dust got into my eyes."

Seeing Otsutsuki Hikari quietly standing beside him, he was startled. Was Gin-sensei's footsteps so light? He hadn't even sensed the other's arrival. He quickly wiped away the bitter tears on his face, forced a smile, and explained...

"The wind is a bit noisy today."

Uchiha Gin, who could only feel a gentle breeze, was incredibly surprised. After holding back for a long time, he finally uttered a comment.

It's surprising that the handsome and stern-faced Otsutsuki Hikari would lie through her teeth. Perhaps she was overjoyed at the prospect of losing weight and burst into tears!

"Alright, Mr. Yin, we've arrived."

As they spoke, the spaceship landed steadily on the dock of the most majestic and towering castle on the sky island. Otsutsuki Hikari composed himself, a bitter smile on his lips, and reached out to invite Uchiha Gin to disembark.

"here it is?"

Uchiha Gin, who had landed on the grass, feigned ignorance and looked at Otsutsuki Hikari, who had brought him, with a puzzled expression, and asked,

"Mr. Yin, time is of the essence. You just need to follow me and don't say anything more."

As she gazed at the slowly opening golden gate, the bitterness in Otsutsuki Hikari's heart intensified. Not wanting to suffer any longer, she had no choice but to act decisively. After giving a few simple instructions, she led Uchiha Gin into the deep and mysterious castle.

Following behind, Uchiha Gin openly surveyed the castle they were in. He had only managed to sneak in last night using the Shadow Realm, and hadn't experienced any of the surrounding light. He was taking this opportunity to observe it carefully.

The interior of this castle is far more luxurious than the palace of Ōtsutsuki Hikari. The tall windows are inlaid with colorful stained glass, depicting many portraits and stories, making it a place that people linger.

As they traveled, countless puppets operated in every corner, maintaining the castle's operation day and night.

"Go inside, but remember not to say anything offensive, or I can't protect you."

Finally, the two arrived at a heavy door, where several powerful combat puppets stood. It was clear that the person inside was an important figure, but the more Uchiha Gin looked at them, the more familiar they seemed.

Isn't this the room of the figure girl?

"Knock knock knock~ Clan Chief, Otsutsuki Hikari requests an audience!"

Otsutsuki Hikari took a step forward and knocked on the heavy door. The dull knocking sound made Uchiha Gin's heart tighten.

No way, no way, I didn't intend to just walk in like that!

This room was originally the room of the Otsutsuki clan chief. So, is that figure girl the chief's bed warmer?

"Come in."

As soon as Otsutsuki Biroku finished speaking, a clear, cold voice came from inside the door, a voice that Uchiha Gin immediately recognized.

That voice...it's that of the girl with the figurine! She replied so quickly, she really is a maid!

Uchiha Gin froze, wanting only to run away on the spot, but before he could act, the door in front of him slowly opened. Left with no other choice, Uchiha Gin could only crouch down and steel himself as he followed Otsutsuki Hakuro inside, while simultaneously trying to reassure himself.

I didn't show my face yesterday, so they probably didn't notice.

"Elder Biluo, what brings you here so late?"

Otsutsuki Hikawa looked respectfully at Otsutsuki Tsukihime, whose face was cold and indifferent. Just as he was about to speak, Tsukihime spoke first, and her expression did not seem to be feigning.

"Isn't that written in the plan?"

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment. Otsutsuki Hikari's raised hand froze in mid-air, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts: had she offered herself up as a husband?

She even brought Mr. Yin over to serve him, but it seems the clan leader didn't even read the plan, right?

Thinking of this, a lingering sense of unease rose in Otsutsuki Hikari's heart, causing a crack to appear in her Dao heart.

Huh... a fox borrowing the tiger's power? Is this maid really that powerful? How dare she raise her voice at the Great Elder of the Otsutsuki clan?

"A business plan? Oh, I see. Didn't I tell you to implement it as soon as possible?"

Sitting in her high position, Tsukihime Otsutsuki was clearly distracted. She didn't show much attention to Otsutsuki Hikari, and she completely ignored the cat-like figure following behind her.

Uchiha Gin was swept by the other party's cold gaze, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat, his senses going off like alarm bells in his mind.

No, you're all wrong. This guy isn't a maid; he's the head of the Otsutsuki clan!

Now, Otsutsuki Tsukihime's mind was only filled with the despicable thief who had offended her last night. Thinking of his wickedness, a barely perceptible hint of impatience flashed across her cold, beautiful face. She lowered her head to look at the respectfully behaving Otsutsuki Hakuro, silently repeating her thoughts.

Why is Elder Biluo bringing this stranger to bother me so late at night instead of going to sleep?

"Should I leave?"

Unexpectedly, the clan leader hadn't even read the plan. A crazy idea suddenly flashed through Otsutsuki Hikari's mind: she would pretend nothing had happened, retrieve the plan, revise it, and do everything possible to protect Mr. Gin's freedom. With that thought, she bowed deeply to Otsutsuki Tsukihime and said loudly...

"Chief, the plan is still imperfect, so I have come to retrieve it and will present it to you after it has been improved."

"Okay, I'll look for it."

Otsutsuki Tsukihime, who hadn't taken the plan to heart, stood up and began searching among the scattered books. Her bare white feet moved with elegant steps through the sea of ​​books, her pure white eyes slightly shifting, her face flushed with an unusual rosy hue.

Damn it, I forgot to wear anything underneath again, it's all that thief's fault!

Feeling the unusual friction against her inner thighs, Tsukihime Otsutsuki finally focused her gaze on the project proposals scattered in the corner. After glancing at the project title on the first page, she began to bend down and pick up the proposals strewn across the floor.

Her long, slender legs were faintly visible beneath her robe, and her peach-like, pert buttocks left a beautiful arc in the air. With this movement, the proud cleavage of her chest seemed about to spill out from the loosely fitted neckline, that playful glimpse of fair skin making Uchiha Gin, who was secretly peeking below, bend over even deeper.

Damn it! I'm a seasoned veteran, how could I be defeated by such childish scenery!

Completely unaware of her exposed cleavage, Tsukihime Otsutsuki picked up the project proposals one by one. When her eyes inadvertently glanced at one of them, she noticed her own name on it. Out of curiosity, she took a closer look.

"This one too, huh? Uh... Ah!"

Unexpectedly, what she saw shocked her. A captivating blush instantly spread from Tsukihime's bare feet all the way to the top of her head. After carefully arranging the plan, she quickly sat back in her high seat and began to read the plan presented by the clan for the first time.

"Hey! Chieftain, don't waste your time, that's just a first draft, I need to revise it a lot!"

Seeing that Tsukihime Otsutsuki had inexplicably become interested in the plan again, Bakuro Otsutsuki below was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Glancing at Gin Uchiha, who was lost in thought behind her, she mustered her courage and, feigning indifference, spoke up.

"Elder Biluo, what is the purpose of your trip?"

After reading the plan in her hand, Tsukihime Otsutsuki crumpled the paper with her fingers. Calming herself, she switched to her usual cold gaze, which pierced Tsukihime Otsutsuki's attempt to deceive her like a sharp sword.

"Um, I really just came to pick up the project proposal, believe me!"

Rumor has it that the clan leader's eyes can see through a person's soul. Otsutsuki Hikari, who had never quite believed it, was now feeling a little uneasy. However, she had already spoken her mind, and if she changed her mind at the last minute, wouldn't she be accused of deceiving the clan leader? So she gritted her teeth and continued to insist on what she had said, trying to convince Otsutsuki Tsukihime with an air of certainty.

"Hmph! If you're just here to pick up the project proposal, what's the explanation for the man behind you?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of annoyance flashed across Otsutsuki Tsukihime's cold and beautiful face. Even now, this Otsutsuki Hikari is still being stubborn.

Her eyebrows furrowed, her delicate nose wrinkled, and she bit her full, red lower lip slightly. Her pure, flawless eyes were filled with disappointment towards Ōtsutsuki Bōraku. Her ample bosom heaved with each heavy breath; it was clear that Ōtsutsuki Tsukihime was truly enraged this time.

"Is it that my Ōtsutsuki Tsukihime can't wield a sword anymore, or have you guys gotten too cocky?"

(End of this chapter)