Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 29: The Coward's Resolve, The Survivor's Greed

At the same time, elsewhere.

Land of Hot Water, Capital City

Successive wars have shattered the citizens' dreams of peaceful hot springs in the Land of Hot Water.

The once-open hot spring inns are now shut tight, and the streets are filled with shivering, barely clothed refugees huddled in sheltered corners.

The cold wind bites, chilling to the bone.

In front of an unremarkable izakaya...

Uchiha Seijiro, his face full of panic, eyes bloodshot, and body covered in dust, nervously stared at the corner of the street.

He didn't even dare to blink, afraid of missing something.

Until...

A man with a stern face, dressed in a dark blue robe, walking calmly in wooden clogs, appeared in Seijiro's line of sight.

Seijiro heaved a sigh of relief, calling out in a voice filled with exhaustion and urgency:

"Captain Fugaku!"

"Oh, it's Seijiro." Uchiha Fugaku, upon seeing Seijiro, responded calmly, showing no surprise.

On his way here, he had already investigated the situation, and the ninja cats had passed along their intel. Fugaku had a rough understanding of what was happening in the Land of Hot Water.

"Captain Fugaku, our squad was ambushed by Cloud ninjas at the border! The Great Elder… The Great Elder, and Uchiha Ci, the two of them, they're in grave danger!"

Seijiro's heart was racing like ants gnawing at him, his voice desperate as he pleaded loudly:

"Captain Fugaku, please! Send help right away! If we delay any longer, they'll..."

Fugaku nodded calmly, waving his hand dismissively.

"I know."

"Go rest now."

"What? How can I rest at a time like this? Ci… Ci risked his life to get me out of there! I can't just—"

Hearing this, Uchiha Seijiro's eyes reddened, and regardless of rank or decorum, he shouted in disbelief and panic.

Fugaku looked at him and frowned slightly.

Seijiro's current state was clearly a result of mental strain, likely due to a sleepless night.

In addition, he had rushed back like a madman, cutting the travel time in half. A journey that would usually take half a day, he completed before nightfall.

His body was at its limit.

Fugaku shook his head, saying no more, simply gesturing for Seijiro to leave, and said flatly:

"Go."

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared at the door, kneeling before Uchiha Fugaku, and reported:

"Captain, we've located Uchiha Ci."

The Uchiha clan member delivering the report seemed uneasy, his face showing discomfort:

"However, the area is currently under the control of the Jashin Cult. Detailed information is only known to the Konoha ANBU. I contacted the ANBU here, but they told me..."

"It's classified."

"What?!" Uchiha Seijiro couldn't help but cry out.

"Ci… Ci is in the hands of the Jashin Cult?"

"Those people… those people are lunatics! They're capturing ninjas and children en masse!"

"How could this happen? How?!"

As he spoke, Seijiro's voice even carried a sob.

In the chaotic Land of Hot Water today, there are several types of people you must avoid provoking.

Ranked first are the hunter-nin of Kirigakure.

Ranked second are the Uchiha's garrison in Hell Valley.

Ranked third is this newly risen Jashin Cult.

This emerging cult is mysterious, with an unpredictable presence, spreading its teachings rapidly and with an overly extreme ideology.

Their doctrine is "Kill everyone around you!" The horrors and atrocities committed by them are beyond description.

Fugaku's eyes narrowed slightly, deep in thought. After a brief pause, he nodded and responded in a deep voice:

"I see."

Fugaku then waved his hand, dismissing his subordinate to rest. He alone lifted the curtain and walked into the izakaya.

Uchiha Seijiro, seeing his captain's unmoved demeanor, stood there, staring blankly.

"Captain Fugaku... what did you just say?"

His face suddenly twisted with anger, his body trembling as rage welled up within him.

"Is that all?"

"You've received Ci's intel, haven't you? So what are you doing now?"

"You're acting as if you're waiting for someone to pour you a drink!"

Seijiro's eyes widened in disbelief as he questioned:

"Why? Why aren't you taking action? Are you waiting until the blade falls and our clansmen are slaughtered before you show any emotion?"

Fugaku frowned, his gaze shifting towards Seijiro. However, he wasn't angry. He only responded calmly:

"You heard. That area is currently under the control of the Jashin Cult."

Seijiro couldn't help but retort, "But… but that's Ci!"

"Uchiha Ci?" Fugaku's eyes slightly narrowed, carefully studying Seijiro's expression, while saying indifferently:

"Is he that special?"

"From what I know, he's just an ordinary Genin, isn't he?"

"Besides, you should understand the situation in the Land of Hot Water by now, Seijiro. What's going on with you?"

"The old you would never have said something like this."

Seijiro stood there, his mind in turmoil, unable to speak.

"I… I..."

But in the next moment, he recalled the young man who had pushed him out of the deathmatch barrier, facing the Cloud Jonin alone. Seijiro gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.

"Fine!"

"If you won't rescue him, then I… I'll go rescue him myself!"

"I'll save Uchiha Ci!"

Seijiro's teeth ground together as chaotic thoughts filled his mind. He couldn't help but imagine:

That young man, drifting alone among the Jashin Cult...

Facing loneliness, fear, and helplessness...

Perhaps even being carried to the cult's altar for a cruel live sacrifice.

I've already escaped once...

I won't run again!

Uchiha Fugaku watched as Seijiro turned and dashed out of the building, alone, his brow furrowing in surprise.

After Shisui Uchiha and the Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna,

Now,

There was yet another person willing to risk their life for this mysterious young man.

Uchiha Ci,

What kind of power does he have? What could make people who are normally at odds go to such lengths for him?

Fugaku couldn't understand it, but he decided to meet this child in person.

Under the dazzling sun,

He stepped out of the izakaya, glancing at an empty corner, and coldly ordered:

"Follow him."

In the next moment, seven or eight pairs of scarlet eyes lit up, only to disappear as swiftly as they appeared.

Meanwhile,

Outside the Capital City, a group of Konoha's Root members landed in front of a pale-faced young man.

They knelt on one knee, holding out a scroll in their hands.

"Orochimaru-sama, here is the intelligence we gathered on the Jashin Cult."

"The person you're looking for should be at this location."

The individual with black hair, golden slitted pupils, purple eyeshadow extending to the nose, pale skin, and blue-green magatama earrings was none other than one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.

Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth with his tongue, his narrow slit-pupils flashing with excitement.

"Very good..."

"Forbidden techniques: Flesh Reincarnation, Immortality, and the ultimate control of cellular metabolism through the Blood Dragon Eye."

"The Land of Hot Water is truly full of interesting things right now."