Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 149: Charge! Ebizō's Marathon Retreat

Bang!

A loud explosion echoed through the sky as an orange smoke trail ascended into the air, cutting through the endless darkness like an arrow of light. In that instant, the roles of hunter and prey reversed.

Within moments—10 miles, 20 miles, 30 miles away—orange-yellow signal flares shot into the air as if responding to the first one. What followed was a golden flash streaking across the battlefield at high speed!

Uchiha Ci gripped his kunai tightly, taking a deep breath as he glanced at the giant words above him: "Sword of Ninja Love." His gaze turned fierce as he leapt forward without hesitation.

He understood it now. He understood everything!

Tonight's ambush was never truly aimed at the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.

At the moment when Sunagakure seemed on the verge of victory, Konoha—after enduring three waves of offensives and countless humiliations—needed its own decisive triumph.

Sunagakure sought to bait Konoha into action by leveraging intelligence and Rasa's head, aiming to secure dominance across multiple battlefronts.

But Konoha countered this scheme by offering irresistible targets in every direction:

The Fourth Kazekage's life.

A decisive victory on the main battlefield.

And here—a chance to destroy Konoha's intelligence command center and kill Aburame Ryōma, the Root sub-commander operating behind enemy lines.

Ebizō had keenly identified this setup, so he opted for the safest choice. To that end, he meticulously laid out a series of traps against Aburame Ryōma, ensuring the latter couldn't resist or even send out intelligence.

But now, Uchiha Ci—embedded in the ambush team by Orochimaru—had torn it all apart!

The tide of battle shifted in an instant.

Ebizō had taken the bait. With this, Konoha's objective was within reach. Killing Ebizō would deal a far heavier blow to Sunagakure than assassinating the Fourth Kazekage.

Ebizō was a renowned spymaster, a battlefield tactician, and the brain of Sunagakure's frontlines. The Fourth Kazekage, on the other hand, was merely a hastily elevated pawn.

The choice was obvious.

Aburame Ryōma's words—"Every action and sacrifice is for this moment"—were not mere rhetoric.

As Uchiha Ci saw the "Sword of Ninja Love" belonging to Minato Namikaze, everything fell into place in his mind.

But he couldn't accept it. He refused to accept it!

Orochimaru had calculated everything, estimating that even with Uchiha Ci's abilities and Manda's support, he could only barely break through the formation of 300 Sunagakure ninja. If not for the unexpected grenade explosion earlier, Uchiha Ci would have been exhausted and rescued by Root operative B.

In that case, it would've been Konoha's ambush squad arriving here.

Before Minato Namikaze's arrival, Aburame Ryōma and this squad would serve as sacrificial pawns to delay the enemy.

And the ones to die would be his people!

"Orochimaru!!!"

"You despicable bastard!"

Uchiha Ci roared as he charged into the enemy ranks.

Crouching low like a drawn arrow, he slid across the ground, stirring up a cloud of sand. Forming the Tiger hand seal, he unleashed a barrage of fireballs like phoenix seeds.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Strengthened by the Curse Seal of Heaven, he fired off surprise attacks with single-handed seals. The unexpected fireballs bombarded the Sunagakure ninja ahead of him.

"Why's this guy cursing Orochimaru while fighting us?" one ninja muttered in shock before being blown away by the fireballs.

Uchiha Ci flipped mid-air, snatching a sword from a fallen enemy. Forming the Snake seal with his fingers, he coated the blade in water chakra.

"Water Release: Water Fang Blade!"

The blade emitted a high-pitched screech as he hurled it forcefully, striking down another enemy blocking his path. Landing, he twisted his feet and charged forward again.

He felt the unnatural energy within him corroding his body more intensely as he channeled chakra. His vision shifted sharply, almost as if a 360-degree thermal sensor had been installed in his eyes.

He spotted a group of Sunagakure Anbu carrying puppets rushing toward him under Ebizō's orders. Their positions were precise, blocking every possible escape route.

One of the puppet masters sneered. "Puppet Technique: Poison Fog Spray!"

Ten puppets opened their mouths simultaneously, releasing green mist toward him.

Uchiha Ci's Sharingan spun, noting the attack's wide coverage. Knowing he couldn't dodge, he held his breath and prepared to counter with Wind Release: Vacuum Wave.

But the enemy seemed prepared. One puppet fired a massive bolt resembling a crossbow arrow straight at him, aiming to pierce through his wind defense and pin him in place!

At that moment, a tall figure clad in Uchiha robes and a Jōnin vest entered the fray.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Jutsu!"

Four fire dragons roared, attacking from all directions. The flames obliterated the Sunagakure Anbu ahead of Uchiha Ci, clearing a path.

"Ci," said Uchiha Shinichi, his three-tomoe Sharingan glowing. Back-to-back with Uchiha Ci, he stared down the nine Sunagakure puppet masters and said gravely, "Go. Do whatever you need to do!"

Gritting his teeth, Uchiha Ci nodded. Without hesitation, he bolted toward Ebizō, leaving Shinichi to hold the line.

Ebizō frowned as he watched the orange smoke in the sky. Realizing the mission had failed, he sighed. If only Aburame Ryōma and the ambush squad were here, he might have finished them off before retreating.

But facing Uchiha Ci—a cockroach-like opponent—he shook his head.

"Child, stop struggling," Ebizō said calmly. "I've already grasped all your intelligence. You can't stop me."

With that, he waved his hand. A group of Sunagakure ninja surged forward to block Uchiha Ci. Behind them, Ebizō…

Assumed a runner's stance—like a marathon sprinter.

And fled.

Uchiha Ci's pupils shrank as he cursed mid-charge.

"Coward! You old dog! Fight me before you leave!"

Before Uchiha Ci could respond, a group of Sand Shinobi approached with cold expressions. Among them, three Sand Shinobi sneered as they swung massive rolls of cloth scrolls, activating the Sealing Technique: Cloth Binding Jutsu to ensnare Uchiha Ci.

"Kid, you're quite the anomaly. For a Uchiha, you can't even use genjutsu."

"That means you're destined to meet your end here."

With this grim declaration, on the other side, two other Sand Shinobi discreetly formed hand seals. One began casting a genjutsu aimed at Uchiha Ci, while the other summoned a puppet. With a sharp gesture, the puppet moved to execute its Puppet Technique: Blade Assault, aiming to finish Uchiha Ci on the spot!

Meanwhile, the remaining Sand Shinobi unleashed their unique skills—ninjutsu, genjutsu, and puppet techniques—targeting Uchiha Ci with relentless precision.

In an instant, the desert night lit up as if it were broad daylight, with colorful techniques streaking through the air.

Uchiha Ci's pupils constricted sharply. This group of Sand Shinobi from the Anbu, under the command of that wily old Ebizō, truly lived up to their reputation as elite. From their auras alone, Uchiha Ci estimated their strength to be at least that of Special Jōnin, if not higher.

Every attack carried lethal intent, designed to exploit Uchiha Ci's weaknesses.

Poisons, genjutsu control, sealing techniques, puppet-binding techniques—they all came at him simultaneously!

As he watched, Uchiha Ci couldn't help but feel a wave of nausea, as if staring at a disgusting spread of garbage. The capabilities of these shinobi were utterly revolting.

Suddenly, his vision twisted. The once-lethal battlefield of the desert transformed into a serene meadow filled with birdsong and blooming flowers.

It was the Illusion Technique: False Sorrounding! One of the Sand Shinobi had cast this genjutsu on Uchiha Ci.

"Damn it! I'm bad at genjutsu, but I'm not blind!"

With a fierce bite of his lip, Uchiha Ci glared angrily at the seemingly peaceful yet treacherous scene before him.

His Sharingan spun, the tomoe revolving in his crimson eyes.

Genjutsu: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change!

In an instant, using the eye techniques taught to him by Uchiha Shinichi, Uchiha Ci countered the genjutsu head-on with pure ocular power.

The illusionary field shattered explosively, collapsing into nothingness.