Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 166: We May Disappear, but the Sun Will Always Rise

The moment Shikaku Nara said those words, Obito's eyes widened instantly.

"Wait, hold on a second. Is there some kind of mistake here?"

"Ci—he's just a Genin like me! Isn't there something seriously wrong with this promotion system?"

"How... how could he possibly get promoted directly from Genin to Jōnin?"

Uchiha Obito stared in shock at Uchiha Ci, who was lying in the hospital bed, looking so frail that he seemed like he might float away.

It felt as if, one second, you were sitting at a roadside stall with your best buddy, eating skewers and cursing the heavens, and the next second, someone outside yelled to move a car, and your buddy casually pulled out the keys to a Range Rover right in front of you.

The psychological blow left Obito questioning his very existence on the spot.

"This can't be real! This is absurd!"

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Obito. He jerked his head up.

"Ci was taken in as a disciple by one of the Sannin, Orochimaru. Could it be... he got promoted to Jōnin through some kind of backdoor arrangement from Orochimaru-sama?"

"Sigh, you figured it out!"

Uchiha Ci weakly propped himself against the wall and climbed down from the bed. He glanced at Obito, his lips curling into a mischievous smile.

"Obito."

"I wanted to live as a normal person among you guys, but all I got in return was your mockery."

"Fine." Ci patted Obito's shoulder, grinning broadly.

"I won't pretend anymore!"

"I'm a peerless macho man. Time to reveal my hand!"

With that, Uchiha Ci brushed past Obito and followed Shikaku Nara and Aburame Ryoma out of the tent.

Obito was left standing alone in the middle of the tent, utterly dumbfounded.

---

As the tent's flap lifted, sunlight poured in, dazzling Uchiha Ci enough to make him squint. When his eyes adjusted, he noticed a group of familiar faces outside, all gazing in his direction.

Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, Genma Shiranui, Might Guy, and Ebisu—faces he recognized at a glance.

But as a pure clan ninja who never attended the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Ci knew them, but they didn't know him.

Their eyes met briefly before parting. Ci continued following Aburame Ryoma, heading toward the central command tent.

Watching Ci's departing figure, Genma Shiranui bit down on his ever-present senbon and remarked in astonishment:

"Did you guys see that? That guy seems to be Orochimaru-sama's new disciple. His name's Uchiha Ci, right?"

Standing nearby, Ebisu looked on with envy. A genius ninja from a great clan with a powerful mentor was worlds apart from a commoner ninja like him. He couldn't help but admire Ci, like a moth drawn to a flame.

"You may not know this, but there's more. He might be the fastest ninja in Konoha—or even the entire ninja world—to be promoted to Jōnin!"

"This morning's news confirmed it. Due to his exceptional performance in the last battle, Uchiha Ci was promoted to Jōnin through special recognition."

"A 12-year-old Jōnin! That's even more incredible than Kakashi!"

Rin Nohara looked at Ci's retreating figure in amazement. She couldn't help glancing at Kakashi beside her and asked,

"Exceptional performance in the last battle, promoted through special recognition? Could he be the one who fought alongside Minato-sensei—'The Asura'?"

Hearing this, Kakashi frowned as well, looking at the Uchiha clan emblem on Ci's black cloak. After a moment's thought, he shook his head.

"Impossible."

"'The Asura' is Konoha's secret weapon. He single-handedly fought against 300 Sand ninja, held his ground against their top-tier combatants, and ultimately killed the enemy's supreme commander.

"His strength might rival Minato-sensei's. There's no way someone that young could be 'The Asura.'"

"This Uchiha Ci is likely similar to Shisui, who was also promoted to Chūnin during this operation. He probably assisted 'The Asura' during the ambush and provided key support."

"That said, his strength should not be underestimated."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly, and a flicker of excitement stirred within him. As the most dazzling genius of his generation, it was the first time he had encountered someone who shone brighter than he did.

For a long time, after his father's death, his heart had been dormant. But now, it was starting to ripple with anticipation.

---

Meanwhile, Asuma Sarutobi, hands in his pockets, stood next to Kurenai Yuhi. He wasn't as impressed. With a sneer, he said:

"Uchiha Ci? I know about him. He's just some lucky Uchiha who got taken in as Orochimaru's disciple because the village needed it. And now he lucked out again by completing a mission with 'The Asura.'"

"He's just someone with connections."

At this point, everyone seemed to have a different perception of Uchiha Ci—mysterious, powerful, or just someone who relied on connections.

The discussions reached Ci's ears faintly as he followed Shikaku Nara and Aburame Ryoma through the camp. Along the way, more rumors circulated, each version wilder than the last.

Ci was surprised. Konoha had concealed his accomplishments, attributing them to his alternate identity as the Root ninja "The Asura."

Now, as far as the world was concerned, he was just an ordinary 12-year-old Jōnin.

Aburame Ryoma adjusted his sunglasses and smiled slightly as they walked. "You've heard the chatter, haven't you?"

"How do you feel? A little aggrieved?"

Ci shook his head. Separating his identities like this actually made his daily life much more convenient.

Killing Ebizō seemed to have had far greater repercussions than he'd imagined! The streets were buzzing with talk of the event. He wondered what kind of uproar the news would cause when it reached Konoha.

If he ended up being mobbed for autographs every time he stepped out, that would be a headache.

Although this separation of identities robbed him of some direct satisfaction, the feeling of hearing others praise his "disguise" in front of him?

Honestly, it was oddly delightful!

Ci grinned. "This arrangement works for me. By the way, who else knows about my true identity?"

Aburame Ryoma explained as they walked, "Only the Root and the higher-ups are privy to it. Your teammates from the operation have also been placed under strict gag orders."

He paused before continuing:

"To the outside world, it was 'The Asura' who killed Ebizō—not Uchiha Ci.

"You understand, don't you? We, the Root, are different."

"We live behind masks."

Ryoma glanced up at the blazing sun in the sky and then at Ci, who was smiling smugly at the praise. He chuckled and said proudly:

"Still, even if we disappear, the sun will always rise."

Ci turned back, puzzled. "What did you say?"

Ryoma tugged on his hood and coughed. "Nothing. Just keep moving."

---

At last, the three arrived at the central command tent.

Ryoma stopped outside, letting Shikaku escort Ci inside.

After completing various procedures like filling out forms, taking photos, and recording missions, Shikaku handed Ci a new ninja ID card.

"Here, kid, this is your updated license."

Ci examined it closely. It wasn't much different from his previous card, except for one detail in the mission records:

Uchiha Ci

Rank: Jōnin

Ninja Registration Number: 009888

Mission Record: 1 S+ Rank, 1 S Rank, 855 D Rank

Afterward, Shikaku crouched down and whispered in Ci's ear:

"This isn't something I should be saying, but Jiraiya-sama asked me to pass this along—

"Becoming a Jōnin at such a young age isn't necessarily a good thing. Watch out for hidden dangers."

"For example, the organization you serve—'The Root.'"

Ci looked up in surprise, but Shikaku quickly stood and acted as though nothing had happened. He handed Ci another document.

"Lastly, Uchiha Ci, the higher-ups have approved your request to return to the village for medical leave.

"You can go home now."