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

Chapter 185 Butterfly Shadows Above the Moon (Countdown to the Moon Chapter)

With the dust settled on the victory or defeat, the Uchiha clan's courtyard was once again filled with a joyful atmosphere.

The three girls with purple marks on their heads put aside their grudges and began to chatter excitedly about their experiences with the Yin Seal, creating a lively scene.

The pitch-black night sky did nothing to dampen their burning passion. As Uchiha Eimi brought out her secret-recipe sweet drink from inside, the atmosphere instantly reached its peak.

"This toast is to wish everyone success in their cultivation! Cheers!"

With a beaming smile, Uchiha Eimi was the first to raise the mysterious drink in her hand, which smelled of alcohol, and called out loudly.

"Cheers!"*3

Infected by this enthusiasm, the three of them set aside their formalities, raised their drinks, and prepared to enjoy a good drink.

"Ugh~ It's so spicy!"

Senju Itama, who had never drunk alcohol before, had just taken a sip of the mysterious beverage in her hand when, in the next instant, she spat out the scalding liquid from her mouth as if using a water jet technique. She stuck out her tongue, gasped for breath, and her pretty face scrunched up, clearly showing her rejection.

"Huh? Isn't Koita already old enough to drink alcohol?"

Having already downed several drinks, Uchiha Eimi's alluring face was flushed, and her voice carried a hint of tipsiness. She raised an eyebrow and asked with a puzzled expression,

"No way! I'm only seventeen!"

Feeling the scalding heat in her mouth, Senju Itama retorted angrily.

"Oh my, because the transformation of the small room was so amazing, it gave me the illusion that you've matured a lot~"

It seems that Uchiha Eimi holds a grudge and is looking for opportunities to retaliate, both openly and secretly.

"Mother, I'm not old enough to drink alcohol, please give me another drink."

The ever-cautious Uchiha Rinpoche, after just one sniff, decided not to drink the suspicious beverage. After witnessing Senju Itama's disgraceful behavior, she turned her face slightly cold and went directly to Uchiha Eimi, demanding that she get a different drink.

"Sigh~ Mom's got such good intentions, why can't you understand, little Zhili!"

Shaking her head in apparent distress, Uchiha Eimi changed her daughter's glass of normal sweet water, her beautiful eyes filled with anger at her daughter's lack of ambition.

Gintoki really loves drinking!

"Glug glug~ Another cup, please!"

Unlike the two who were not yet of age, Uchiha Hikaru unhesitatingly downed the drink in his cup in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and shouted loudly at Uchiha Eimi.

"Alright~ Finally, someone who can drink! Hmph! Little Zhi, you two go to the kids' table!"

Seeing Uchiha Hikaru drinking heartily, Uchiha Eimi smiled and got up to pour her a drink. Then she gestured to Uchiha Rinpoche, indicating that they should change tables, as this was not a place for children like them.

"Hmph! An old woman is an old woman."

Seeing Uchiha Hikaru's smug look, Senju Itama couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"Hmm?" *2

The old woman's radar has activated.

"A small subdivided flat? What did you just say?"

With a rosy complexion, Uchiha Eimi's slightly narrowed eyes held a crimson glint, and her calm tone carried a chilling coldness.

"Waaaaah~ I didn't say anything!"

Faced with such power, Senju Itama immediately backed down and slunk away to the children's table.

Just as everyone was having a great time, Uchiha Rinpoche seemed to sense something. A hint of melancholy appeared in his cold eyes as he looked up at the full moon hanging high in the sky and couldn't help but speak up.

Where did Mr. Yin go?

"Hey! That curly-haired gorilla left a note and disappeared without a trace, saying he had an urgent mission. I bet he just went out to have some fun, and he's probably having a great time with some woman right now!"

Although he promptly spat out the drink, Senju Itama, who had never tasted alcohol before, was clearly somewhat intoxicated. His hazy eyes were filled with displeasure, and he began to ramble incoherently.

"Snapped!"

After downing another cup of sake, Uchiha Hikaru, hearing Senju Itama's sarcastic remark, slammed his empty sake cup on the table.

Her eyes turned bloodshot, and her unfriendly tone carried a hint of drunkenness. As she spoke, a cherry-red figure appeared behind her, a wood-chopping knife gleaming in her hand.

"If Ah Yin really goes to see some other woman, I'll cut off his penis!"

"Agreed!"

Senju Itama's face turned bright red as she raised her drink and shouted loudly.

The two, who had been adversaries for many years, reached a rare consensus.

Seeing that everyone present was getting a little tipsy, the only one who remained sober, Uchiha Rinpoche, took a sip of his sweet drink, looked up, and admired the rare beauty of the moonlight with his dark, beautiful eyes.

"Hey, look, isn't there something on the moon?"

Just as she was lost in thought, with the help of the Uchiha clan's superhuman eyesight, the girl vaguely saw a moving black shadow on the bright moon. Surprised and curious, she asked, "I didn't drink anything, so how am I drunk?"

"Where is it? Are you drunk?"

Already somewhat dizzy, Senju Itama questioned without even looking.

"It really exists! Look!"

Uchiha Rinpoche, who thought he was seeing things, activated his Sharingan, and now he could see much more clearly.

With the help of the young girl's Sharingan, she saw a fluttering figure above the moon hanging in the sky, like a butterfly dancing gracefully on the jade-like moon.

"Oh, yes, there really is."

Slightly drunk, Uchiha Hikaru also activated his Sharingan. Dissatisfied with his unclear vision, he immediately switched to the Mangekyou Sharingan, finally able to see the dark shadows flitting across the moon.

"Don't make a fuss, there are people on the moon."

The drunken Senju Itama looked at the astonished group and said with utter disdain,

"Ignore her, she's just talking nonsense."

"Hmph! I'm telling the truth, that curly-haired gorilla said that there are relatives on the moon."

Seeing that the others didn't believe him, Senju Itama slammed his hand on the table and brought up Uchiha Gin's words.

"Ah, you're just fooling a fool."

Uchiha Hikaru could not deny it.

"Tell me, whose relative is that small subdivided room?"

On the contrary, Uchiha Eimi's interest was piqued by these words. She swirled the wine glass in her hand meaningfully and asked,

"Ours."

Senju Itama replied with an air of seriousness.

"Looks like he's really drunk."

Upon hearing this, everyone became even more convinced that the guy was talking nonsense while drunk, so they stopped asking questions.

The Uchiha and Senju clans have no connection whatsoever, so how can they be considered to be related?

"How beautiful! I wonder if Mr. Yin can see it?"

Uchiha Rinpoche, who had a natural love for butterflies, gazed somewhat mesmerized at the figure fluttering on the moon and murmured to himself.

The scene shifts to the moon.

Inside the castle of the Otsutsuki clan chief, Otsutsuki Tsukihime, dressed in a fiery outfit, had unfocused eyes that foreshadowed her loss of consciousness, leaving only the instinct for destruction.

She extended a pair of delicate hands, a cyan-blue sphere of light gathering in her palms. The power contained within the small sphere made Uchiha Gin glance at her and begin to consider its power.

Should I be able to take one?

"Mr. Yin, I want to thank you for teaching me that technique."

The towering Ōtsutsuki Hakuro, as large as a small mountain, turned his head away, his white eyes filled with gratitude.

Facing the ninjutsu that once terrified her, she suddenly felt more confident after learning the Butterfly Transformation Technique.

"Clan Chief, I am no longer the Otsutsuki Hikari who you could easily manipulate!"

Sensing the sphere of light in Tsukihime's hand, ready to be unleashed, Otsutsuki Hikari's expression hardened. He slowly lowered his hands, his chakra surging within him. His gaze fixed on the enraged clan leader, he spoke slowly...

"Ouch! It hurts! It hurts so much!"

The Butterfly Transformation Technique's powerful absorption force was frantically pulling at the energy that had accumulated within Otsutsuki Hikari's body for many years. She felt as if ten thousand tiny knives were gouging out her fresh flesh.

The excruciating pain made her tremble uncontrollably, but even in this heart-wrenching agony, she gritted her teeth and persevered. At that moment, all she wanted was to protect the man behind her.

"Butterfly Transformation Technique! ~Transformation!"

As the stubborn energy within his body was drained by the secret technique, the enormous Otsutsuki Hiyori began to shrink rapidly, like a balloon that had been deflated. His aura stirred up a cloud of dust that obscured the view of everyone present.

"Cough cough cough"

Uchiha Gin, who had choked on his food, finally opened his eyes. Before he could even see Otsutsuki Hikari's condition, he heard a familiar voice, filled with excitement.

"Mr. Yin, I think I succeeded!"

As the dust settled, a pair of enormous cyan butterfly wings came into view, estimated to be tens of meters long when fully extended. But this was not its limit; the wings were still slowly growing, seemingly about to pierce the towering spire of the castle.

"boom!!!"

As expected, the butterfly wings, which had expanded to an unbearable size, poked a large hole in the castle ceiling. Their growth only gradually stopped after the entire roof had been ripped off.

"Whoosh~"

Otsutsuki Tsukihime, who had retreated from the smoke, did not give Otsutsuki Hikari a chance to introduce herself. She fired the ball of light she had prepared directly at Uchiha Gin without the slightest hesitation.

"Hey~ are we still going to fight?"

Locked onto by the ball of light, Uchiha Gin scratched his head helplessly and couldn't help but complain.

Why did they suddenly start fighting? These days everyone believes in making money through harmony. Wouldn't it be better if we all got rich together?

Seeing the ball of light hurtling towards him, a long-lost crimson glint appeared in Uchiha Gin's dead fish eyes, and a chilling power suddenly leaked out, instantly alerting a lurking consciousness.

"Ah? It's Yu Yi's scent! After hiding for so long, you finally couldn't resist showing your true colors!"

An aura carrying a certain will, following its scent, headed towards the castle where Uchiha Gin was located.

Let him be strong, I have my giant Gundam!

"Bang!!! Crack~"

Just as Uchiha Gin was about to enter the cockpit, a pair of fair, delicate hands caught both of the incoming orbs of light.

With a crisp crack, the two imposing chakra orbs, like eggs, were easily crushed by suddenly appearing hands, turning into a wisp of blue smoke and disappearing into the world.

"Let me tell you in advance, I am extremely strong!"

(End of this chapter)