Fugaku had been sent to the hospital, and his name would next be stepped on to win the clan's support.
It sounded a little underhanded on paper, but Uchiha Jin felt no guilt.
In the original line of fate, this clan head had watched his favored son slaughter the elders and children.
As leader, doing nothing had betrayed the trust of his people.
So he stepped on Fugaku's name with a clear conscience and a lighter mood.
What made him even happier was the sealed domain's response.
After taking the Horse talisman, the space had gone on cooldown and would not let him act again, ruining his plan to strip the Holy Master of everything at once.
Only just now had his link to the domain stirred again. He sensed that another extraction was possible.
After a quick word to Mikoto, he rushed back to his room and dropped into the sealed space.
The vast statue still towered in the quiet. Eleven zodiac talismans gleamed faintly across the stone.
Heat burned in Jin's gaze as it wandered over the statue.
More precisely, it roamed among the talismans like a shopper choosing the best goods.
At last he fixed on the Dog and the Rabbit.
His long fingers traced the air, as if already feeling the ancient stones packed with power.
"Brat, how about a deal?"
The Holy Master's sudden voice rolled like muffled thunder.
Jin arched a brow, surprised at the overture.
"No wonder the air felt different. You skipped your daily rant. What is there to discuss between us?"
"What if I said I am willing to help you strip the talismans?"
Reluctance edged the Holy Master's tone.
This time Jin was truly taken aback. He leaned in, eyes locked on the statue.
"Did your brain break, or has the captivity cracked your mind?"
"Hmph. Even if I refuse, you will still take them, will you not? But without my help, you can only pull one at a time."
A gleam flashed in Jin's eyes. "What do you want? Do not say let you out. You know that is impossible."
"I want to see the outside every day, even for a limited time."
For once, there was a hint of plea in that voice.
Jin went quiet for a moment. "You actually surprised me. When did you figure it out?"
"Who do you think I am?" The Holy Master's voice swelled. "I am a mighty demon sorcerer, one of the Eight. Of course I sense the world beyond. And the force you wield has nothing to do with chi magic. It belongs to no system I know. So I guessed this is not the world I came from."
Jin let the boasting ebb before he spoke.
"I will agree, but I want five talismans."
When talismans were at stake, he did not bother with courtesy.
"Five is out of the question." The Holy Master roared at once. "Three at most. Ask for more and I will drop the offer. You will still be stuck with one per attempt."
Three made Jin's brows draw together. It did not please him.
After a beat of thought he said, "Three, fine. Add one thing. I want the Ghost Shadow Army power you pulled from the Nika mask."
"You know me very well," the Holy Master said, voice sinking. "You even know that. Take it. It is useless to me."
"Deal." Jin brought his hands together. "Once I have them, you get one hour each day to observe the outside. With my approval, of course."
"Agreed."
As the word fell, the sealed space trembled. Four black chains speared from the void.
Three wrapped the talismans with perfect precision. The last plunged into the Holy Master's core.
Jin smiled as the targets locked and offered a gentle reminder.
"Do not resist."
For once, the Holy Master kept to his word and did not fight.
The chains drew taut. The statue shook, but this time there was none of the heavy drag from the first extraction.
They pulled cleanly. With crisp cracks, three talismans came free, and the fourth chain ripped out a twisting mass of black energy from within the demon.
Watching the talismans leave him, a thread of unwillingness flickered in those eyes, but the Holy Master said nothing.
When the three talismans and the Nika energy arrived before Jin, the smile he had been holding back finally broke loose.
"Do not forget our bargain," the Holy Master could not help warning.
"I know."
Jin waved lazily, then grabbed his spoils without another word as his figure thinned and faded from the sealed domain.