Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 96: To Save or to Explode?

It was high noon.

Basking in the warm sunlight, Uchiha Ci stepped out of the izakaya.

Walking through the somewhat silent alleyways, he brushed past shadowy ninjas wearing straw hats and carrying their missions.

He found himself on the bustling, lively streets.

The vibrant voices of the crowd and the peaceful atmosphere gave him a surreal feeling, as if he had just been transported from the nerve-wracking survival struggles of the Shinobi World War into the calm routine of a peaceful city.

At that moment, he found two new items in his pocket.

One was a forehead protector certifying his identity as a Konoha ninja.

The other was a ninja identification card, also proving his status as a Konoha ninja.

However, this ID card was a little different:

Name: Uchiha Ci

Rank: Chūnin

Ninja Registration Number: 009888

Completed Missions:

S-Rank: 1

D-Rank: 855

It was clear—Uchiha Ci had been promoted, somehow inexplicably becoming a Chūnin.

Additionally, an S-Rank mission completion had been added to his record.

Konoha had turned what should have been a Uchiha clan mission to assist in the Hell Valley crisis into a village mission.

This was obviously no coincidence.

At a time when Namikaze Minato had not yet earned his title as the Yellow Flash to deter the entire ninja world, another prominent figure in the Hokage line, Orochimaru—currently regarded by Sarutobi Hiruzen as his successor and a strong candidate for the Fourth Hokage—had set his sights on taking a Uchiha as his disciple.

Given the sensitivity of this wartime period, even if both Orochimaru and the Uchiha agreed, it would be challenging to get approval from the Third Hokage and the Council of Elders—especially with Shimura Danzō, a staunch Uchiha opponent, among them.

To make this happen, both sides must have paid a steep price.

What Orochimaru sacrificed was unclear to Uchiha Ci, but he speculated that the Uchiha clan had given up their lucrative, long-standing mission for the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning, which brought in tens of millions of ryō annually.

Thinking about all this gave Uchiha Ci a headache.

Orochimaru had his eyes on his body, but the Uchiha clan's obsession with maintaining appearances made it impossible for Orochimaru to act forcibly. Instead, Orochimaru had resorted to an indirect approach to recruit him.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan, misunderstanding Orochimaru's rescue and mentorship as goodwill, had poured resources into positioning him within the Hokage faction.

This mutual misunderstanding had led to an absurd situation.

With the Uchiha and the Root Division both backing Orochimaru, would he still defect? Would Namikaze Minato still end up as the Fourth Hokage?

From another perspective, if Orochimaru didn't defect and had the Uchiha backing him, would the clan still face such dire circumstances that they were forced into a coup?

What a mess!

Uchiha Ci thought to himself that he had no intention of saving the Uchiha clan; he had only wanted to scam some life insurance!

Why had the plot veered so wildly off course?

Unknowingly, he had become the middleman, inexplicably bearing the weight of his clan's survival.

The worst part? Only he was aware of this. Both Orochimaru and the Uchiha believed they had gained something, blissfully unaware of the situation.

As a result, all the pressure landed squarely on Uchiha Ci.

Now, he faced a serious question: Should he save them or not?

To save the Uchiha, he would need to maintain his position as Orochimaru's disciple, stay vigilant against his teacher's sudden betrayal, guide Orochimaru back from his misguided research, support his bid for the Fourth Hokage seat, quell internal dissent within the clan, confront Konoha's manipulative Danzō, and guard against being stabbed in the back by his clan's two notorious sons.

What a hassle!

Uchiha Ci decisively chose option two—just keep scamming life insurance.

None of this had anything to do with a passerby Chūnin who just wanted to die in peace, right?

With this thought, Uchiha Ci felt a sudden clarity, as if the path ahead had become crystal clear.

Once Orochimaru took him as a disciple, it wouldn't be long before his teacher tried to betray him.

When the time came, he would seize the moment and explode right alongside him!

Then, he'd take his five billion ryō payout and retire happily.

With a sly grin, Uchiha Ci stepped into the bustling streets savoring the fleeting leisure after an intense battle.

Before leaving, he had borrowed 100,000 ryō from Seijiro.

After all, this wasn't Konoha anymore!

Without the troublesome Byakugan and Inuzuka dogs, he didn't even need to use transformation techniques to saunter into the luxurious hot springs district!

---

Meanwhile, at the tallest six-story pagoda in Kabukichō.

Terumi Mei leaned against the doorframe, lazily yawning and stretching her body.

Her graceful silhouette swayed under the sunlight, drawing countless glances from passing tourists.

Three days ago, she had escorted Hōzuki Mangetsu, who willingly accepted his seal, to the place where Yagura had left his mark—this grand hot spring entertainment center on Kabukichō.

After entering the room to meet Yagura, fierce arguments quickly erupted between Hōzuki Mangetsu and Yagura.

For three whole days, neither of them emerged.

If not for the fact that meals delivered to the room were being consumed, Terumi Mei would have suspected they'd starved to death inside.

Despite her young age, Terumi Mei earnestly wanted to contribute to the cause of saving Kirigakure.

However, the terms they argued about were far too complex for someone like her, who had yet to formally engage in Kirigakure's political affairs.

She could only grasp the general idea: the two men's disagreements over the coup always flared up when Hōzuki Mangetsu suggested "killing both the Daimyō and the Third Mizukage."

At such times, Yagura would immediately retaliate, showering Hōzuki Mangetsu with spit as he berated him.

"Are you insane? Who's going to fund us if you kill the Daimyō? You? Your Hōzuki clan?"

And so, the debate would spiral from border security to discussions about what the new government should look like, neither willing to yield.

Terumi Mei could tell that Hōzuki Mangetsu's points of view were all inspired by the heretical words once spoken by Uchiha Ci.

At these moments, her mind would wander back to that courageous young man.

Resting her chin on her hand, she leaned against the railing, her thoughts drifting around Uchiha Ci.

Occasionally, she'd blush, her breath quickening, as her body seemed to melt at the memory.

How is he doing after leaving the Jashin Cult? Is he still alive? Did he manage to rescue Hidan?

Where is he now?

Suddenly, her emerald-green eyes blinked as if seeing Uchiha Ci's figure before her.

Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes, she scolded herself: Get a grip, Terumi Mei! You're supposed to be a strong kunoichi saving Kirigakure, not some lovesick fool fantasizing about a man from another village.

But not thinking about him felt impossible, like roasted chestnuts without chestnuts—utterly dull.

Fine. Once a day, I'll let myself think about him ten times at most!

Yet as she rubbed her clear green eyes, the young man's image only became clearer.

Startled, she leaned over the railing and looked down.

There, standing at the pagoda's entrance, was a shifty-eyed boy clutching a 100,000 ryō bill. His nervous pacing and sweat-drenched brow made him look suspicious.

His gaze darted around as he licked his lips nervously, before extending his hand toward a maiko standing in the street to greet guests. He brushed back his hair and offered what he thought was a charming smile.

"Hi~!"

Terumi Mei's pupils instantly contracted to pinpoints.

"Uchi—ha—Ci!"