Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 140: Deadlock Gamble, Fire in the Hole!

Lying flat on the ruins-strewn ground, Uchiha Ci struggled to tilt his immobile head upward, helplessly watching the Sand Village Jonin charging toward him.

His face was full of panic, his expression one of utter shock, as if he couldn't fathom the possibility of the Sand Jonin surviving.

Seeing Uchiha Ci's incredulous expression, Sand Jonin Ryūsa couldn't help but let out a chilling laugh:

"Ha ha ha ha~!"

"You vile little Uchiha brat!"

"Today, I will personally end your life!"

In truth, Ryūsa felt wronged.

For him, today's mission was supposed to be a straightforward extermination task.

Who would have thought they'd encounter such a wild card?

Moreover, judging from the outfit of this kid in front of him, he clearly wasn't even a Jonin.

For their 300-strong Sand unit to end up nearly annihilated by a single individual... As the commander, he bore undeniable responsibility for this disgrace.

His future was already in ruins. Upon returning to the village, he would face endless blame!

Even if he tried to explain, to plead for leniency, to claim that this Uchiha was ridiculously powerful, who would believe him?

How could a mere non-Jonin Uchiha reduce a whole Sand military unit to this state?

It was utterly absurd!

At this moment, Ryūsa's situation mirrored the future incident where the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist stormed into the Land of Fire, only to be nearly wiped out by a green-clad bushy-browed passerby.

Apart from the loyal and well-connected Fuguki Suikazan, who managed to return to the Mist Village, every single one of the others defected without hesitation.

Especially during this period when the Daimyo of the Land of Wind was about to slash military funding, leaving the Sand Village with no choice but to bet the village's future on a war against the Hidden Leaf.

If Ryūsa were to return in utter defeat, with nothing to show for it, he would face a fate he could not bear!

With this realization, Ryūsa's eyes burned with rage. He lunged forward, kunai poised to pierce Uchiha Ci's throat.

At that moment, Uchiha Ci, lying prone on the ground, suddenly changed his expression. The panic and helplessness on his face vanished, instantly replaced by a ferocious grin that tore apart all pretense.

He raised the only part of his body that could still move—his left hand—and aimed it at the charging Sand ninja.

Unable to speak properly due to his crushed throat, he could only open his mouth and let out an enraged roar:

"Ugh!!"

Ryūsa flinched, thinking his opponent was about to unleash some desperate counterattack.

But in the next moment, nothing happened.

Ryūsa suddenly found the boy before him strangely serene, almost pitiful, making him momentarily reluctant to kill him.

This fleeting thought was quickly drowned by fury and fear.

By this time, Uchiha Ci had already achieved his goal.

In this desperate situation, no matter how many life-saving methods he possessed, without chakra, they were meaningless.

His only option was to push the Zero-Tails to its limits, drawing out the opponent's dark emotions and converting them into Dark Chakra.

Then, he funneled the Dark Chakra into the forbidden technique Body Revival for a brief moment, restoring a sliver of vitality to his body.

Uchiha Ci immediately refined this vitality into his own chakra, using it to repair the easiest-to-fix injury: his broken neck. This allowed his collapsing body to regain a shred of mobility!

Clenching the hilt of the Kusanagi sword between his teeth, saliva mixed with blood dripping freely,

he pressed his hand to the ground, forced his waist to lift into a handstand, and twisted his fingers to launch himself upward. The Kusanagi sword in his mouth slashed upward to block Ryūsa's kunai!

At this critical juncture, he couldn't afford any more injuries.

Another wound, another loss of mobility, and the repair process wouldn't be able to keep up. Even if he didn't die outright, his fate would be tragic.

But this strike was feeble. With a casual flick, Ryūsa sent Uchiha Ci flying backward.

He crashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Ryūsa's eyes filled with shock and confusion.

He couldn't comprehend how someone so grievously injured could still fight.

What Ryūsa didn't realize was that in this exchange, the Zero-Tails had once again absorbed his emotions.

Gaining another trace of chakra, Uchiha Ci bit down on the hilt of the Kusanagi sword and painfully straightened his broken right leg, forcing it to heal.

"Ugh!!!"

The agony made Uchiha Ci's eyes widen, sweat pouring down his face as he gritted his teeth through the pain.

Meanwhile, Ryūsa had recovered and charged forward once more.

Uchiha Ci spat out the Kusanagi sword, caught it with his left hand, and used it as a crutch to stand.

Planting his foot, he spun and slashed. With his right leg now supporting him, he blocked the opponent's attack more easily this time.

But with such a high-quality "battery" in front of him, Uchiha Ci wasn't about to let him off.

Feigning weakness, he allowed himself to be "beaten" and sent flying. In the process, he quietly repaired his left leg.

This repeated over and over. After being kicked away five times, Ryūsa finally sensed that something was amiss.

Wasn't this kid supposed to be on the verge of death?

How was he getting more energetic with each exchange?

From having a broken neck, hands, and legs, to now looking perfectly fine,

this was beyond bizarre!

What was even stranger was how the boy shouted mid-battle:

"Ha! You're truly a formidable opponent; I'm about to die!"

"One more hit, and I'm done for!"

"Phew! That was close, almost got stabbed in the heart!"

Ryūsa was utterly bewildered. He had never been this confused in his life!

Realizing something was wrong, Ryūsa leapt backward, putting a cautious distance between himself and Uchiha Ci.

Five meters.

Beyond this range, whatever illusion-like ability the boy had seemed ineffective.

"I won't engage in close combat. I'll finish him with Wind Release!"

Taking a deep breath, he stepped back even further and began forming hand seals.

Seeing this, Uchiha Ci frowned slightly, surprised at how quickly Ryūsa had seen through his abilities.

But the Dark Chakra he had converted through the Zero-Tails wasn't enough to fully heal his charred right arm.

Without the ability to form seals, and with no obstacles for his wire techniques,

it was unrealistic to approach a Wind Release Jonin. A direct charge would end like his earlier attempt in the desert—repelled before reaching his target.

Moreover, without sustained use of Body Revival, his body would eventually be shredded by the opponent's Wind Release.

When chakra was exhausted to this extent, the only thing left to rely on was strategy.

Narrowing his eyes, Uchiha Ci surveyed the battlefield. After calculating his options, he glanced at his charred right arm.

He couldn't afford to repair it completely, but fortunately, the arm could still be "recycled."

Taking a deep breath, he gripped the Kusanagi sword with his left hand and struck his chest with the hilt!

In an instant, a surge of violent chakra erupted within him.

Instead of repairing his body with Body Revival, Uchiha Ci poured all his Dark Chakra into Fire Release: Chakra Mode.

Flames erupted around him, gathering at his right arm.

Fire Release: Kirin Arm flared once more!

Ryūsa's scalp went numb as he watched, his body trembling with fear.

Memories of the enormous sword and fiery dragon he had barely survived flashed through his mind. He still couldn't comprehend how such powerful techniques were possible, let alone why this boy could use them again!

"Dammit!"

Gritting his teeth, Ryūsa swiftly completed his hand seals, drawing chakra into his throat.

Uchiha Ci activated his Sharingan, carefully observing the Wind Release forming in his opponent's mouth.

Ryūsa arched backward, inhaling deeply. His abdomen, chest, and even cheeks swelled like a toad's before he unleashed his jutsu.

"Wind Release: Ultra-Scale Sandstorm Breakthrough!"

This technique, modified from Shukaku's Infinite Sandstorm Breakthrough, generated a massive desert storm. It allowed the user to inhale large amounts of wind, causing their body to swell before releasing a catastrophic gale.

However, since a human body couldn't store as much wind as Shukaku's, using this jutsu caused severe internal damage. It was classified as a high-risk forbidden technique in the Sand Village.

But at this moment, to avoid being killed by Uchiha Ci's sword, Ryūsa had no choice but to stake everything on this technique!

Yet, as Uchiha Ci observed, his gaze turned ferocious, and he suddenly bared his teeth in a sinister grin.

"Now!"

"A perfect opportunity!"

Without hesitation, he gripped the Kusanagi Sword in his left hand, reversed the blade, and aimed it at himself! Gritting his teeth, he slashed downward with all his strength!

Shing!!

The Kusanagi Sword, sharp enough to cut through steel like mud, instantly severed Uchiha Ci's blazing right arm, engulfed in roaring flames.

Uchiha Ci flung the Kusanagi Sword into the rubble with a shake of his hand. Using his left hand, he grabbed his severed right arm, which glowed with an intense explosive light. Despite the excruciating pain, he looked wildly at Ryūsa, who was spewing terrifying winds, and burst into mad laughter:

"Ahahahahahahaha!"

"Sand Village!"

"Watch closely! This move is called—"

"Fire in the hole!"

Boom!

A violent gust surged forth in an instant! Uchiha Ci raised his severed right arm high and, in the midst of the storm, quietly opened his palm!

The burning, radiant right arm was instantly swept up by the winds, soaring high into the sky, carried far away!

Then—

After a moment of extreme silence—

Suddenly!

The entire battlefield trembled once more!

BOOM!!!

As the deafening explosion subsided, it seemed that something had been blown apart.

---

Only now did the author realize that this minor character remained unnamed after all this time. Let's fix that!

This character is an original figure from the Naruto universe, one of the four high-ranking officials of the Sand Village during Gaara's generation: Ryūsa, Kōsa, Sajo, and Teishi.

Character Details:

Ryūsa (41 years old, approximately 20 years old during his youth in this chapter):

A long-standing member of the village's high-ranking council. Somewhat young for his role, he has a broad chin and acts with utmost caution. Ryūsa only takes action after making calm and rational judgments.