Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 186: Tonight, I Set Sail; Fugaku: You'll Need to Work First

Walking out of the Root Headquarters with the scroll containing the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique, Uchiha Ci suddenly felt a bit lost about his life's direction.

Counting what he already had on hand, he realized that the number of techniques waiting for him to practice had piled up significantly.

Orochimaru's Orochimaru Style: Substitution Technique could be excluded since, due to the Heaven Curse Mark, he had already completed the training ahead of time. That one was checked off the list.

Afterward, Orochimaru also gave him the Heaven Curse Mark Experimental Manual to aid in mastering the curse mark transformation.

He still had Jiraiya's Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique on him, as well as the Forbidden Technique: Izanagi that the Uchiha clan expected him to master. And now, Danzo had given him the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique.

Given the current development of the Third Ninja World War, the next major battle would likely break out within the coming months.

Currently, Konoha and the Sand Village were deadlocked in the Land of Rain after a major battle.

Meanwhile, the Stone Village had launched a revenge attack on the Mist Village, crossing most of the ninja world. Historically, the Stone Village achieved a significant victory near the Mist Village's Green Island Reef.

But because of the butterfly effect caused by Uchiha Ci, the Stone Village's ambush was dragged into a prolonged conflict. Even with the strongest war potential in the Third Ninja World War, the Stone Village found itself mired in a war of attrition against the Mist Village, unable to extricate itself. This extended supply line spanning much of the ninja world proved disastrous for them.

This prolonged war also gave Konoha an opportunity to launch a surprise attack against the Sand Village, driving them back to the border of the Land of Rain.

Among the five great ninja nations, four were already embroiled in the war.

But one nation had yet to officially enter the conflict: the Land of Lightning, the Cloud Village.

Historically, in the 47th year of the Hidden Leaf, the Cloud Village sent an elite force led by the AB Brothers to launch a surprise attack on the Land of Fire. They crossed the Lightning Valley, traversed the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water, and invaded Konoha from the Land of Fields.

At that time, Konoha received word and urgently dispatched Minato Namikaze to the border, leading to his first encounter with the AB Brothers.

Currently, the Cloud Village had delayed its invasion because the Land of Hot Water had become a bridgehead for the Stone Village's attack on the Mist Village. Their path of invasion was blocked.

However, with the Stone Village's ambush turning into a war of attrition, even their resources would soon be stretched thin. They would eventually seek a resolution.

When that time came, the Stone and Sand Villages would launch a joint attack on the Land of Fire from the Land of Rain. With the path cleared, the Cloud Village, which had been waiting for its chance, would likely begin its actions as well.

Uchiha Ci estimated that the window of peace left to him wouldn't be long.

The conflict between the Stone and Mist Villages was fundamentally rooted in grudges from the Second Hokage's era. However, such wars sustained only by hatred rarely lasted long.

As Yahiko had once said:

"Feel the pain, experience the pain, accept the pain, and understand the pain. Once both sides taste pain, they will fear it."

The Land of Water's terrain was notoriously difficult to penetrate. The Stone Village bore the burden of a long supply line, while the Mist Village was plagued by internal strife.

This war, prolonged by Konoha's manipulation, had left both sides in unbearable agony.

Wars with no tangible benefits were never meant to last.

After mentally simulating the state of the war for a while, Uchiha Ci found himself unconsciously walking onto Konoha's streets.

The lone moon hung high, its gentle glow illuminating the brightly lit Konoha Village. From above, the village's streets appeared as glowing rivers winding through the night.

Listening to the bustling voices around him, the jostling crowds, and the ninja academy students laughing and playing in the streets, Uchiha Ci snapped out of his messy thoughts.

Looking down at the scroll in his hand, he felt a headache coming on.

The Wild Lion's Mane Technique and Izanagi were manageable since they were combat-oriented ninja techniques. As long as he mastered the hand signs and chakra control, his current foundation made learning them feasible.

These two techniques, especially, were relatively straightforward—one required only three hand seals (Rabbit, Ram, Boar), and the other was a seal-free technique. With his Sharingan for assistance, entry-level mastery wouldn't take long. With practice, he could bring them to a combat-ready state without much trouble.

But the other two techniques were another story.

Orochimaru's Heaven Curse Mark training method, like his Orochimaru Style: Substitution Technique, came with dense experimental records. To understand them, he needed to study anatomy, medicine, and genetics. Without those, any attempt at training might go disastrously wrong.

Danzo's Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique was even more challenging. It was a pure Uzumaki sealing technique that, to Uchiha Ci, looked like incomprehensible scribbles.

Only his prior study of the Super Death Battle Barrier gave him enough context to recognize it as a sealing technique. But beyond that, he would need external help—possibly a small study group—to properly learn this self-destructing seal.

These techniques waiting for his attention felt like a lineup of diverse beauties, each beckoning him to conquer them. Thinking of the mental strain they would cause over the next few months, Uchiha Ci couldn't help rubbing his temples.

Just then, a seductive voice from a nearby building broke his thoughts.

Startled, Uchiha Ci looked up and realized he had unknowingly wandered back to the Konoha Red-Light District, a place that had left him with humiliating memories.

Looking at the pink-tinged doors, the graceful figures flitting behind them, and the suggestive sounds escaping, Uchiha Ci involuntarily swallowed.

Straightening his back, he snorted disdainfully.

"Hmph! Mere temptresses cannot shake my resolve!"

"But... as a villain, I must rise from where I once fell. Besides, training requires a balance of work and rest."

Bathed in the pink glow, Uchiha Ci hesitated momentarily before his face turned resolute—a true man among men!

"This isn't about indulgence. This is about overcoming my weakness!"

"As the rogue Uchiha, I must avenge the humiliation I suffered here. Tonight, I will rub dirt in the eyes of that scumbag who kicked me last time!"

"Hmph! A ninja must have no flaws!"

With that thought, to attain a state of unshakable perfection,

Tonight, I set sail!

Summoning his courage, Uchiha Ci stepped boldly toward the forbidden zone, pressed his hands against the door, and pushed it open, letting the pink light engulf him. His heart raced, and a sly smile spread across his face.

But in the next moment—

Clap!

The lights abruptly went out, plunging everything into darkness. A teasing voice echoed:

"Captain, I told you—if we used this genjutsu, this brat would definitely fall for it!"

In the pitch-black space, dozens of Sharingan eyes suddenly lit up, all fixed on Uchiha Ci.

From the darkened attic,

step, step...

heavy footsteps approached. A stern, half-lit, half-shadowed face emerged—it was none other than Uchiha Fugaku!

Uchiha Ci's eyes widened, and his smile froze.

At this moment, Uchiha Fugaku stared helplessly at the young man before him, his expression a mix of relief and a frown. He spoke in a low, steady voice:

"Young Clan Head,"

"It's time we talked about why you dismantled the ancestral shrine."