Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 144: Facing Reality, Shisui's Outburst!

Silence became the battlefield tonight.

All the ninja from the assault unit stared dumbfounded at the young man who had just uttered such audacious words.

"You must be joking!"

"I admit, kid, you've got something special!"

"But don't you think you're being too arrogant?"

"Damn brat!"

"What do you mean you'll launch the assault alone?"

The crowd was initially stunned, but soon anger boiled over, and curses erupted like a tidal wave.

So, here we are all hyped up and ready for action, and you tell us to pack up and go home because you're going to handle it solo?

Uchiha Ci had anticipated this reaction. He calmly raised a hand, suppressing the uproar.

His gaze carried the characteristic disdain passed down through the Uchiha lineage, and with an air of condescension, he sneered at the group:

"That's right!"

"I'll go alone!"

"You lot are just deadweight that'll only hold me back!"

At this, Uchiha Shinichi immediately stepped forward, standing directly in front of Ci, and barked angrily:

"What did you just say?!"

"Uchiha Ci, don't get too full of yourself!"

"Full of myself?"

Uchiha Ci chuckled lightly, his calm black eyes locked onto Shinichi as he coldly replied:

"As an Uchiha jōnin, Uchiha Shinichi, others might not know, but surely you do, don't you?!"

"Are you really clueless about the massive gap between elite ninja and ordinary ones?"

With a piercing gaze, Ci looked down at the crowd coldly. He swung his left arm, pointing toward the red signal smoke rising in the distance, and shouted:

"I know!"

"And because I know, I can't let you go!"

"I'm not afraid to tell you—my superior, Aburame Ryoma, is the one handling the mission there!"

"He alone could wipe out this entire assault unit!"

"And whatever forces compelled Ryoma to launch a red flare signal must be an entity beyond what ordinary ninja can handle. Even approaching it would be a death sentence!"

Uchiha Ci exhaled deeply and stared at the now-silent group. After a moment of silence, he spoke again:

"As your leader, I want you to survive. Stop throwing your lives away for meaningless goals."

"This is the reality of the world."

"Those with power disregard the weight of life without even realizing it. If you rush in recklessly, you'll be cut down like weeds in an instant."

"The truly naïve fools are those who fail to see reality!"

"If you can't keep calm and act rashly, the more you desire, the more you'll lose—be it your life, dreams, friendships, family, or love. Everything can vanish in an instant."

He raised his hand, gesturing to the desolation around them—ruins created by his own devastating power—and swiped it through the air with conviction.

"Isn't what I've just demonstrated proof enough?!"

The crowd stared at the ruins before them, their throats dry as they involuntarily swallowed hard.

Faced with such divine-like power—the 40-meter sword strike, the despair-inducing 50-meter fire dragon, and that earth-shattering explosion—anyone could imagine themselves in the position of the Sand ninja who had been annihilated.

They could feel the weight of Uchiha Ci's words as if they were gospel.

A heavy silence fell upon the group.

When reality was laid bare, and pretense was stripped away, the only thing left was a sense of helplessness.

But then—

"No!"

A resolute, youthful voice suddenly broke through the silence!

Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.

It was Uchiha Shisui, Ci's younger clan member, standing before the group and beside Ci.

He coldly glared at the boy next to him, then decisively let go of the arm he had been supporting.

"Hey, Shisui, what are you doing?!"

Ci exclaimed in shock as he suddenly lost his balance, collapsing heavily to the ground amidst the rubble.

A cloud of dust rose, and despite his struggles, he couldn't even get up.

This scene left everyone in the group deeply shaken.

Was this really the same prodigy who had single-handedly dominated the battlefield like a dragon?

How had he become so weak and powerless, unable even to stand?

"Uchiha Ci!"

Shisui gritted his teeth, his eyes red with anger as if on the verge of tears. He looked down at Ci and yelled furiously:

"I knew it!"

"You idiot! You're doing it again!"

"Time and time again, you pull this same stunt!"

"Take a good look at yourself!"

"This is the real you right now!"

"Weak and pathetic, crawling on the ground like a worm!"

"You talk a big game, but in reality?!"

Shisui abruptly drew his blade and slammed it into the ground between Ci's legs, causing him to flinch and instinctively scramble backward.

Ci stared at the blade, still trembling from the impact, and felt a chilling breeze sweep over him.

He had narrowly avoided a truly dire fate.

Looking up at the enraged Shisui, his mind reeled, wondering what had caused this little cousin of his to explode like this.

Shisui, however, lifted his head and coldly revealed the truth:

"I know what you're planning!"

"You want to take on this mission alone, wearing the assault unit's insignia, charging into certain death!"

"You want to ensure our presence is remembered, taking on the most dangerous task, accepting the blame if we fail, and leaving the glory to the survivors!"

"You intend to sacrifice yourself to bridge the gap between our clan and the village—just like our ancestor, Uchiha Kagami!"

Shisui's voice trembled, his eyes red and brimming with tears. He leaped onto Ci and punched him squarely in the face, shouting:

"Are you kidding me?!"

"You call us naïve?!"

Shisui grabbed Ci's tattered collar, tears streaming down his face, his voice choked with emotion:

"The truly naïve one here is you!"

Ci stared wide-eyed at Shisui, his mind reeling in shock.

Good grief, what is wrong with this kid?!

Ci swore he hadn't thought that far ahead.

All he wanted was to ensure the weak wouldn't throw their lives away and to save Aburame Ryoma, his comrade, from danger.

He hadn't imagined any grandiose sacrifice or noble ideals. Yet here was Shisui, concocting an elaborate script full of righteousness and selflessness.

"You…you…"

Ci's lips trembled as he stared at Shisui, utterly dumbfounded.

His heart told him to lash out, but Shisui's earnest eyes, filled with stubborn determination, held him back.

The onlookers misinterpreted this scene as Ci being completely exposed and unable to retort.

So that's how it is!

The crowd's understanding shifted.

It turned out that everything Ci had said earlier—all the bravado—was just to protect them.

He had been willing to sacrifice his life for theirs, to take the blame, and to ensure their survival.

Realizing this, the group's perception of Ci began to change subtly.