Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 78: The Oncoming Wind! Three Blades to the End!

On a massive tree trunk.

"Captain, are we really just letting Seijiro charge in alone? Isn't that dangerous?"

"You know the situation up front. There's a force of Hot Water Shinobi, with some powerful Jonin-level opponents."

A cloaked Uchiha member frowned, glancing worriedly at Uchiha Seijiro as he charged forward alone.

Standing on the tree trunk with his arms crossed, Uchiha Fugaku looked at the distant battle, his gaze narrowing slightly. He replied calmly, "Seijiro is not weak; he's only lacking a bit of courage."

He then shook his head, adding arrogantly, "Also, don't compare the Jonin of small ninja villages with the Uchiha."

With that, Fugaku activated his Sharingan and looked toward the nearby battlefield. He recognized Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, fighting an unknown but strong adversary.

However,

What bothered him was that Orochimaru's presence suggested that the Root in the Land of Hot Water was under his control. The intelligence his family tried to gather had hit a dead end.

Could Orochimaru have ulterior motives regarding the Jashin Cult? And that kid Uchiha Ci—what role does he play in all this?

After pondering for a moment, Fugaku shook his head and issued orders:

"Send three people to follow Seijiro. Only intervene if he's in a life-threatening crisis."

"The rest of you, come with me to investigate and locate Uchiha Ci."

"The portrait has already been distributed. You've all seen this kid before."

One Uchiha member, who had previously notified Uchiha Ci about joining the police force, nodded and joked, "Who'd have thought that the kid who always took the trash missions would end up in such a crazy situation?"

"Exactly. His first mission outside the village, and he runs into an ambush by Hidden Cloud."

Another Uchiha chuckled, "I saw him at a club just the other night. Poor guy."

"He was pretending to be all serious, asking me about service prices. Before he could finish, Inuzuka's dog sniffed out his transformation jutsu and tossed him out."

The group laughed, but their tone soon shifted to concern. "Let's hope he's okay. Otherwise, this won't be as amusing."

The Uchiha grew serious, splitting into teams and dispersing silently, all eight pairs of Sharingan observing their surroundings for any clues.

Soon, Fugaku's gaze fell on the distant walls of the Jashin Cult's headquarters. The area was littered with broken stone and debris, with crisscrossing slashes and gouged earth.

---

On the castle rooftop:

Guided by instinct, Hozuki Mangetsu fired two water bullets into the air, then gripped his Lightning Blades and flipped to dodge a strike, plunging his blade into a water creature's head.

Lightning Burial: Banquet of Lightning! The twin Lightning Blades released tendrils of blue lightning towards Uchiha Ci as water bullets and lightning converged on him.

In mid-air, Uchiha Ci hardened his body to withstand several water bullets but quickly realized the dilemma. He could either withstand the remaining water bullets and risk paralysis from the lightning, or evade and lose his chance to close in.

In an instant, he chose a third option. With a grim resolve, he allowed the water bullets to pierce him, drawing a crimson line across his body. Coughing up blood, he landed in a half-kneel, immediately charging forward with his water blade slashing horizontally at Hozuki Mangetsu's neck.

The blade cut through, decapitating Mangetsu—only for the head to dissolve into water and reform on his shoulders. Mangetsu regarded Ci coolly, lifting his Lightning Blade and saying, "As long as I stay in my hydrated state, all your attacks are useless."

Before he finished, Uchiha Ci struck again, this time targeting Mangetsu's wrist. If Mangetsu used hydration here, Ci could seize the Lightning Blade and attempt a counter.

Mangetsu, smirking, solidified his body to block the strike. "Think you can take my sword? Perhaps you're overestimating your swordsmanship."

"Less talk. Take another strike!" Ci retorted, clashing again.

Blades sparked as their fierce exchanges continued, Ci's Sharingan tracing Mangetsu's moves. But despite his efforts, Mangetsu's advanced swordsmanship always outmaneuvered him, forcing Ci to rely on his hardened skin for defense.

In a moment of vulnerability, Mangetsu landed a kick to Ci's chest. As Ci staggered, Mangetsu's crossed Lightning Blades erupted with blue energy.

Lightning Release: Lightning Fang! Electricity burst from the crossed blades, expanding in all directions. Ci, caught mid-hardening, had no chance to dodge. The shock paralyzed him, and he immediately attempted to harden with Earth Release.

Mangetsu didn't give him a moment to recover, summoning a lightning bolt from above. The sky darkened as thunder struck Ci, who quickly reinforced his hardening. Mangetsu then drew his Blunt Blade, hammering it against Ci's hardened skin.

Crack! The Earth Release hardening shattered under the impact, and Mangetsu drew his final blade, Samehada.

With a cold finality, Mangetsu impaled Ci's abdomen, rendering him lifeless. He then tossed Ci's body onto the floor with a dull thud.

"It's over," Mangetsu declared coldly.

Suddenly, a massive water creature rose, forming giant hands that pounded the ground, smashing through the floor with Ci's body into a deep pit below. The battlefield fell silent as Mangetsu glanced at the floor, frowning at its unexpected fragility.

A sharp voice interrupted, "He's dead; let's leave now!" Terumi Mei called from the castle entrance, eyeing Mangetsu icily. "I'll take you to meet Yagura."