Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 64: Skylark Battles the Serpent, Zero-Tails Scroll

The dense mist engulfed everything, swirling around so thick that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face.

Atop the wall shrouded in fog, both sides stood in tense confrontation.

Terumi Mei turned her head in surprise, glancing at Uchiha Ci, her eyes widening slightly.

The one they were facing was none other than Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin!

Even Mei could feel her body trembling slightly under the killing intent Orochimaru casually exuded.

Yet, Uchiha Ci showed no trace of fear. On the contrary, he had the audacity to coldly retort.

Was this young man truly unaware of what fear was?

Uchiha Ci stared coldly at Orochimaru, his left hand already on his ninja pouch, and the fingertips of his right hand gradually turning black.

This version of Orochimaru had not yet fully developed his signature techniques and was still primarily following the path taught by his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi—focused on ninjutsu instruction.

He wasn't yet the undying monster he would later become.

Could Uchiha Ci win? Certainly not.

But if you asked whether Uchiha Ci could fight, the answer was absolutely yes!

"Heh, interesting," Orochimaru sneered coldly, looking down at Uchiha Ci.

He raised his hand slightly, ready to unleash his Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.

However, just at that moment, Orochimaru abruptly turned his head, staring in the direction of the cliff outside the castle.

Suddenly, a massive boulder tore through the thick mist, crashing straight toward Orochimaru's head.

His pupils shrank as he quickly countered by launching his Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.

Eight enormous snakes coiled around the boulder, halting its momentum. But in the next instant, another massive boulder came crashing down!

The second boulder collided with the first, pushing it forward with even greater force, shattering Orochimaru's Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands and continuing to smash into him with full force.

The impact deformed his face, broke his limbs, and crushed him flat against the ground.

"Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, just died like that?" Terumi Mei stared in horror at the crushed body of Orochimaru, completely stunned.

Injuries this severe—there was no way he could have survived, right?

"He won't die that easily," Uchiha Ci frowned slightly, immediately pulling Mei back a few steps.

Sure enough, in the next moment, a pair of hands emerged from Orochimaru's crushed body, pulling his mouth open. From within the corpse, a new Orochimaru, drenched in saliva, crawled out.

"Tch, pecking at the net's edge without daring to enter the trap," Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, gazing at the gaping hole in the mist from which the boulders had emerged.

"What a cautious little skylark."

At the end of the gaping hole, a man in a yellow cloak stood atop the cliff, staring coldly at Orochimaru.

He tore open his cloak, revealing a pair of massive, muscular pectorals that seemed to flex as if they could dance.

Then, he beckoned provocatively at Orochimaru with his finger.

The mist soon filled the hole again, sealing it shut.

"Those useless fools at the Root." Orochimaru licked his lips, his gaze turning icy as he muttered, "Looks like I'll have to capture him myself."

With that, Orochimaru turned to look at Uchiha Ci, giving him a cold smile but saying nothing.

It was as though everything was already understood between them.

The next moment, Orochimaru leapt off the wall, biting his finger mid-air as his hands flew through a series of seals, slamming them together.

A great plume of white smoke rose up.

A gigantic purple serpent extended its neck as large as a house, raising its head high—far higher than the wall itself.

The massive shadow cast by the creature instantly shrouded the sky.

Faced with such a behemoth, both Uchiha Ci and Terumi Mei couldn't help but swallow hard.

At this sight, a thought suddenly came to Ci's mind: bigger is better, more is good!

For the first time, he felt that this saying was absolutely true.

In a flash, the giant serpent, carrying Orochimaru on its back, slithered away into the mist. The scene reminded Uchiha Ci of a movie he had once seen, The Mist.

The enormous, grotesque, terrifying silhouette loomed and faded in the fog, radiating an indescribable sense of dread.

Not long after, a tremendous boom echoed from the distance!

It was followed by the anguished hissing of a snake, and the sound of fire and wind rising into the sky.

A violent storm seemed to rage in the distance. There was no need for the Jashin Cult members below to dispel the fog anymore.

The mere aftershocks of that distant battle swept through, instantly clearing the mist that had enveloped the castle.

The last thing Uchiha Ci could see was a gigantic red formation rising in the distance.

Countless gray serpents ascended, biting toward a figure enveloped in an aura like that of a Super Saiyan.

Secret Technique: Ten Thousand Snakes Bind!

This was a true battle between Kage-level powerhouses!

"Huff."

For some reason, Uchiha Ci felt his blood boiling, and his body responded with an overwhelming urge to fight.

He felt an intense desire to find an opponent and throw a few punches.

Standing beside him, Terumi Mei furrowed her brows slightly, unable to resist clenching her fists.

This kind of battle, this kind of might, the unmatched presence on the battlefield!

It stirred within her a fierce longing as well.

One day, she too would become such a powerful force.

She would stand on the world stage of the ninja, dispelling the darkness of Kirigakure's fog, and leading her village to greatness!

But just then, a sound interrupted them.

A heavy figure suddenly jumped down from the fortress atop the wall.

Both Uchiha Ci and Mei instantly became alert, turning to face the newcomer.

When they saw who it was, they were utterly shocked.

Because the person who had appeared—

Was the same man currently battling Orochimaru in the distance!

Shinno!

"Surprised?" Shinno looked at Uchiha Ci's startled expression and spoke calmly.

"This is a shadow clone."

"It's also... a precaution."

At the word "precaution," Uchiha Ci's mind immediately reacted. Was this old man really talking about insurance?

He frowned slightly, looking up at Shinno with confusion. "What kind of precaution? What are you talking about?"

Shinno's expression turned cold as he stared at Uchiha Ci, sneering, "In the ninja world, stealing or seizing another's secret techniques can provoke revenge on the scale of wiping out entire families or villages."

"Every technique is an incredibly valuable asset, even a C-rank jutsu."

"But you actually dared to learn my S-rank forbidden jutsu right in front of me."

"Should I say that you have the brain of an idiot?"

He snorted in disdain before continuing calmly:

"If you hadn't jumped down to fight, I would have killed you on the cliff."

"If you had died beneath this wall, I would have retrieved your corpse for dissection."

"If you had revealed my secrets to Orochimaru, I would have killed you right here."

"What?" Uchiha Ci widened his eyes in disbelief.

Did I really miss so many chances to be killed?

Shinno shook his head, looking somewhat speechless at Uchiha Ci's expression.

"But you, kid, truly are a hot-blooded fool who doesn't think things through."

With a sigh, Shinno pulled a yellow scroll from his cloak's inner pocket and tossed it to Uchiha Ci.

"Take it."

"If the Uchiha clan becomes unbearable, you can find me at the ruins of the Sky Ninja Village. Only you."

Uchiha Ci caught the scroll and glanced at it. The cover bore cryptic symbols he couldn't understand.

Combined with Shinno's cryptic behavior, Ci couldn't help but look at him in confusion and ask:

"Wait, what is this? And what the hell are you even talking about?"

Shinno's expression grew serious as he took a deep breath and said in a somber tone:

"This is—"

"The most extreme power in the ninja world,"

"A link of all hatred and malice,"

"A terrifying force that devours the heart and reveals the deepest, darkest side."

"Dark Chakra."

"Zero-Tails!"