Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 142: A New Mission, Dominating the Battlefield!

Uchiha Ci lay on the ground, expressionless, staring at Manda without speaking.

As Manda had said, he had completely run out of chakra and was in no condition to defeat the snake before him.

Manda, the giant summon from Ryūchi Cave, was the most powerful among the three great summoning beasts. When fully unleashed, it could simultaneously suppress Tsunade's Katsuyu and Jiraiya's Gamabunta.

However, the relationship between Manda and its summoners was quite different from the usual master-summon dynamic.

This enormous, arrogant, and brutal serpent was infamous for demanding living sacrifices every time it was summoned. It even refused to give face to Orochimaru, maintaining an equal partnership rather than a master-servant relationship. During the battle of the Sannin, when Orochimaru's hands were sealed and his power waned, Manda even threatened him and showed disdain for Kabuto, treating him with utter contempt. (Of course, Kabuto later turned Manda into the second-generation Manda, which attacked Turtle Island during the Fourth Ninja War.)

For Manda, betrayal was as natural as eating or drinking.

Yet Uchiha Ci not only refused to offer it sacrifices but also dared to exploit it—drawing his enormous blade to strike it and using it as a shield.

Such impudence!

This was truly intolerable behavior to a serpent of Manda's stature!

In all its years, Manda had never encountered a brat as audacious as this one.

However, despite having roamed the battlefield and devoured its fill alongside this brat, Manda had no real intention of killing Uchiha Ci at this moment.

Manda understood the balance between a single feast and a steady supply of meals.

If it wanted to act, it would have done so already instead of wasting time with idle threats.

In reality, it sought to bargain.

Eyeing Uchiha Ci intently, Manda's mind raced: Should I demand 100 living sacrifices from this kid? Or perhaps 150?

Uchiha Ci, fully aware that Manda was bluffing, showed no signs of backing down.

But as for offering benefits? That was out of the question.

He was practically broke, to the point of needing a sugar mama. How could he afford sacrifices for Manda?

If you've got the guts, eat me now so I can return as a Dragon King with five billion ryo!

His stance was clear: a penniless man fears nothing.

Thus, on a scorched and battered battlefield, man and snake stared each other down—neither willing to yield.

The stalemate dragged on until...

Suddenly, the rumble of footsteps shattered the tension, followed by a nervous shout:

"Brother Shinichi, that snake looks like it's about to eat Ci!"

"Shisui, I understand!" came an equally tense reply.

"Mei ichi, Ichi Ni, attack with me!"

In the blink of an eye, a series of loud cries erupted:

"Beast Imitating Technique: Fang Over Fang!"

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The sudden onslaught of wind and fire obscured Manda's vision, followed by two spiraling tornadoes striking its jaw.

Caught off guard, Manda reeled back as its massive head was slammed upward.

Before it could react, a tall figure leapt through the fiery maelstrom, landing atop Manda's head with a piercing gaze.

A pair of scarlet eyes, adorned with three tomoe, locked with Manda's own.

"Damn it! Sharingan?!"

"Another damned Uchiha!" Manda hissed, instinctively trying to shut its eyes.

But it was too late.

Uchiha Shinichi's Sharingan had ensnared it in a genjutsu, rendering the giant serpent temporarily immobile.

Uchiha Ci stared in disbelief as Shinichi, having subdued Manda, leapt gracefully down and landed beside him. Placing a firm hand on Ci's shoulder, Shinichi's concerned voice followed.

"Ci, are you alright?"

Shinichi crouched down, his face full of worry as he gazed at Ci, now reduced to a "one-armed swordsman."

Shock flickered in Shinichi's eyes, quickly giving way to remorse and guilt.

For an ordinary ninja, losing an arm was tantamount to the end of their career. Yet this young man had sacrificed so much to save them, fighting against 300 Sand ninja without hesitation.

It was unbelievable.

Uchiha Ci, sensing Shinichi's expression shifting into something reminiscent of pity, hurriedly straightened up.

"Don't misunderstand!" he blurted, nervously patting his blood-soaked stump with his remaining hand.

"This… this will grow back on its own! It has nothing to do with you!"

"Huh?" Shinichi blinked, then scrutinized Ci's severed arm with his Sharingan.

Sure enough, as Ci had claimed, his stump was regenerating, albeit slowly, with new flesh and bone emerging bit by bit.

"Good, good…" Shinichi breathed a sigh of relief, though he had no idea how this was possible.

"If you were gone, I wouldn't know how to face the elder!"

After a moment of silence, Shinichi reluctantly admitted, "Kid, I acknowledge your strength. You're even stronger than me."

"But don't do something so reckless again!"

His gaze swept across the ruined battlefield, the devastation illuminated by flickering flames.

"This is far too dangerous."

On the desolate Gobi Desert, under the moonlit sky, wildfires raged amidst the smoke and debris. The corpses of countless enemies lay scattered, their twisted forms illuminated by the flames.

Looking at the destruction he had wrought, Uchiha Ci felt a heavy weight settle in his heart.

Only now did he fully understand the terrifying power he wielded—and the brutal reality of being a ninja in war.

Once on the battlefield, there was no turning back.

Had he not been here today, his companions—Shisui, Shinichi, and the entire Konoha raid squad—would have perished.

Taking a deep breath, Ci avoided Shinichi's gaze and turned toward the approaching Konoha reinforcements. Among them, a Root ninja stood out, his fanatical eyes locked onto Ci.

After a brief silence, Ci addressed the man.

"You are…?"

The Root ninja immediately stepped forward, kneeling before the exhausted Uchiha. Placing a hand over his heart, he introduced himself.

"Lord Asura, I am Otsu."

The title startled Uchiha Ci, reminding him of the nickname "Asura" he had earned in Root.

Shaking his head, Ci fixed Otsu with a serious look.

"What is Orochimaru-sensei planning? Why did Aburame Ryoma's team send out that signal?"

Otsu solemnly replied, "Lord Orochimaru is leading a team to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage. I swear on my life, the situation at Ryoma's location must be genuinely dire for them to fire a red signal."

Hearing this, Ci frowned deeply.

He had initially suspected that Orochimaru and Ryoma had fabricated the signal to manipulate him into battle. However, Otsu's explanation and the broader context of the Sand ninja's coordinated attack made him realize the truth.

At this point, Orochimaru had assumed full command of Root and the battlefield. His ruthless strategies, willing to sacrifice even the raid squad, were the hallmark of the "Cold Lord."

Ci took a deep breath and asked, "Did Orochimaru mention my next mission after defeating the 300 Sand ninja?"

Otsu nodded solemnly, presenting Ci with a document.

"Lord Orochimaru instructed me to tell you: if you achieve victory, the Konoha raid squad will be placed under your command. From then on, you are free to act as you see fit on this battlefield!"

Holding out the document with both hands, Otsu declared:

"Konoha's raid squad will follow you—

To dominate the battlefield!"