Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 5: The Chaotic Land of the Land of Hot Water

"Ci-kun," Uchiha Shisui approached and patted Uchiha Ci on the shoulder.

He had keenly observed the slight tremble in Uchiha Ci just now.

However, because Shisui had graduated early and was still quite young, he was short and his attempt to comfort Uchiha Ci looked somewhat comical.

"You don't need to worry too much. I didn't expect that Elder Setsuna would personally lead this mission. This means the danger level on your side should be lower."

Shisui smiled kindly, offering his reassurance. Despite choosing a more dangerous battlefield in the Land of Rain, he was the one comforting Uchiha Ci.

Uchiha Ci snapped out of his daze and looked at him with a deadpan expression.

Damn it, not only did you take the mission I was supposed to do, but you also took the one that could have gotten me killed?

Can't you at least act like a normal person?

"Ci-kun, I still have a mission to complete before tomorrow's assembly, so I'll take my leave."

Shisui waved the C-rank mission scroll he had just received and then left.

After Shisui left, Uchiha Ci's eyes flickered.

Is the danger level of the Hell Valley in the Land of Hot Water really that low?

That's not necessarily true…

At night, the full moon emerged from behind the clouds, and the clear moonlight covered the earth.

Within the Uchiha clan grounds.

Uchiha Setsuna walked with wooden clogs and coldly slid open a wooden door.

Inside the small room, several pairs of crimson eyes lit up immediately.

"Great Elder!"

In the midst of the chorus of greetings, Uchiha Setsuna sat cross-legged in the main seat at the center of the room.

Sitting beside him was the second-in-command of the Hawkish faction, Uchiha Yashiro.

Below them, nearly a hundred clan members of Chūnin rank or higher, all with awakened Sharingan, sat in neat rows.

This was the foundation of the Hawkish faction.

"Great Elder, wasn't it already decided that a team of strong clan members would be sent to support the Land of Hot Water?" Yashiro asked with a slight frown.

"Why is there a Genin on the list, and a Genin who hasn't even awakened the Sharingan at that?"

"Did you not inform the clan about the dangers of this mission?"

Uchiha Setsuna glanced at Yashiro while sipping his tea and calmly said, "I'll be personally leading this mission."

"With me alone, it will be enough."

"But… this mission involves more than just an increased guarding pressure due to the Blood Pool Clan's (Chinoike Clan) movements," Uchiha Yashiro analyzed with a furrowed brow.

"The Land of Hot Water is located between the territories of the Fire, Lightning, and Water countries. Furthermore, there have been small-scale conflicts between Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure recently, making the area extremely chaotic."

"Various spies and combat units from different countries are mixed in with numerous small organizations that emerged after the Second Shinobi World War, including the Prajñā, the Cult of Jashin, the Tsuchigumo, and the remnants of unknown forces, which has been destroyed. There are also the Seven ninja swordsmen and Pursuit units from Kirigakure, the Explosion Corps from Iwagakure, Rasa from Sunagakure, who is fighting for the position of Kazekage by racking up military achievements on the Kirigakure front, and bounty hunters from the underground exchange. This place has already turned into a pot of chaos," Yashiro said gravely, shaking his head. He thought that Uchiha Setsuna was underestimating the situation.

Even if the Third Hokage were to personally intervene, it would be difficult to gain the upper hand.

Although Uchiha Setsuna was an experienced Uchiha from the Warring States period, taking only a Genin and a Chūnin with him seemed reckless, no matter how one looked at it.

But the clan's manpower was actually stretched thin. The members of the Police Force had restrictions imposed by Konoha, preventing them from leaving the village without cause.

Uchiha Yashiro suddenly suggested, "Perhaps we could request assistance from Konoha?"

"Enough." Uchiha Setsuna put down his teacup, his tone calm but absolute.

"With me alone, it will be enough!"

"Yashiro, the mission to guard Hell Valley is not from Konoha. It's a long-term task directly commissioned by the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning to the Uchiha clan, and it's one of our few remaining sources of income."

"Do not place your sense of security in the hands of others, especially not Konoha, Sarutobi, or Danzō." Uchiha Setsuna raised his head, his crimson Sharingan eyes glowing with a chilling light.

"Only what we can control ourselves matters. What others give you is something you have to beg for like a dog. And if they're not satisfied, they can kick you away whenever they want."

Uchiha Yashiro fell silent under these words.

Shinobi are tools of war detached from production. The wealth that the Uchiha can obtain, aside from ancestral properties and real estate within Konoha, can only come from completing large-scale missions undertaken by the clan, thereby creating a financial foundation.

The mission of guarding the Blood Pool Clan brings in a yearly reward equivalent to an S-rank mission.

It's long-term and stable.

This is also the fundamental reason why Uchiha Setsuna will not allow Konoha to meddle in this task.

Clack.

Uchiha Ci had just opened the door to his house when a dust-covered young man with goggles fell from a tree in the courtyard.

Uchiha Ci immediately recognized that the guy had fallen because of uneven chakra output during tree-climbing training and failed to grasp the trunk properly.

"Obito, what are you doing?" Uchiha Ci asked, slightly speechless, looking at the unexpected visitor.

The person was none other than Uchiha Obito, who had just graduated from the ninja academy last year.

He was also Uchiha Ci's neighbor.

"Oh, Ci! Haha, I'm preparing for the Chūnin Exams!" Uchiha Obito laughed, scratching the back of his head, then showed a dissatisfied expression.

"That damned Kakashi is using his Chūnin status to lord it over me, making me follow his orders!"

"And this is just a simple task of catching a cat!"

"Once I finish my training, I'll make sure to rub my Chūnin vest in his face!" Uchiha Obito complained, recounting what had happened.

Uchiha Ci listened and was slightly stunned, suddenly realizing something.

Unknowingly, he had already spent an entire year in this relatively peaceful Konoha.

He only now noticed that the timeline had reached this point. Obito had already formed a three-man team with Kakashi and Rin Nohara last year, led by Minato Namikaze, and they had been doing D-rank missions for some time.

However, Obito's wish to become a Chūnin this year might not be realized.

The Third Shinobi World War was about to break out. As an elite Jōnin, Minato Namikaze would soon be heading to the front lines, leaving the team to follow him around.

It wouldn't be until the offensive from the Land of Lightning slowed down, giving Konoha a brief respite, that a Chūnin Exam would be held in Konoha in Year 48.

During that exam, Obito would be severely injured by a kick from Might Guy, but although he lost the match, he would successfully advance to Chūnin.

"What are you daydreaming about? Grandma made noodles. Come over and eat!" Obito waved his hand in front of Uchiha Ci's face and asked with a tilted head.

"Alright, let me put these things away first." Uchiha Ci nodded, not refusing the invitation.

On his way back, he had passed by a riverbank and retrieved his fork and shoes.

However, the sack full of empty cans that could be sold for money had disappeared along with the bag, likely snatched by some scoundrel.

Uchiha Ci cursed silently. The moral standards were really declining.

Just last year in Konoha, there was no such thing!

It was only recently, with the members of the Uchiha clan's Police Force occupied with meetings due to the approaching war and unable to manage affairs, that petty theft had become more common in Konoha.