Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 67: Madara's Gaze, Hozuki Mangetsu

In the deeper part of the underground cave of the Jashin Cult...

Thud, thud, thud.

In the darkness, the sound of slow footsteps and the tapping of a cane echoed.

Torches hanging on the walls lit up, revealing the face of the person approaching.

With gray-white long hair and an aged face, this individual wore a deep blue robe and leaned on a wooden staff.

Although he looked weak and frail, when his eyes opened slightly, a pair of Sharingan with three tomoe gleamed malevolently from his eye sockets.

This man was none other than the once-feared "Demon of the Shinobi World"—Uchiha Madara!

Even the mere mention of his name symbolized unparalleled power.

Uchiha Madara casually sat down on a square rock. Soon after, the sound of heavy, stiff footsteps echoed through the darkness once more.

An elderly man with a refined face, gray-white long hair, a blue bead ornament on his head, and habitually closed eyes slowly approached. He wore a blue hat emblazoned with the character for "Water," identifying his role.

This was the most mysterious leader of the Mist Village, the Third Mizukage, who once followed the First Mizukage to the first Five Kage Summit as his successor.

He dragged a mummy wrapped in sealing bandages behind him and threw it in front of Uchiha Madara. After a brief silence, he spoke calmly:

"Madara, I've brought the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki."

Uchiha Madara didn't respond. He simply placed his palm on the stomach of the sealed Three-Tails' Jinchuriki.

A vast amount of chakra was effortlessly drawn out by Madara and flowed into his body, then into the earth veins, rapidly traveling to the faraway Land of Frost, where the Gedo Statue lay.

Finally, it transformed into pure life force and flowed back into Madara, slightly revitalizing him.

After a moment, Uchiha Madara slowly lifted his head, looked at the Third Mizukage, and spoke coldly:

"You're early this time."

"Yagura has discovered that I regularly take the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki out of the village," replied the Third Mizukage, shaking his head. He went straight to the point:

"Madara, I need your help to control Yagura."

"Because of the trouble Hozuki Gengetsu caused, Iwagakure is about to go to war with Kirigakure. At this time, I can't let Yagura's faction run wild."

"They might do something very dangerous."

"Hmph," Madara sneered, "Afraid now? But this is all your own doing."

"A talentless fool like you trying to take this position—it's only natural you'd suffer backlash."

The Third Mizukage remained silent, merely staring coldly at Uchiha Madara.

"So, Madara, what's your answer?"

Of course, the Mizukage knew he lacked the necessary talent. During the first Five Kage Summit, the bodyguards who accompanied the Kages all became the Second Kages of their respective villages.

Only he had been overshadowed by Hozuki Gengetsu, only becoming the Third Mizukage after Gengetsu's death.

Lacking talent, he could only rely on the power of the man before him to enforce strict policies in Kirigakure, suppressing all opposition.

It was nothing more than a cold exchange of interests.

However, Uchiha Madara merely raised his head slightly, his crimson Sharingan gazing at the Mizukage with indifference.

"Are you threatening me?"

The Third Mizukage's heart instantly filled with alarm. His already closed eyes squeezed shut even tighter.

Suddenly, a giant blue hand appeared, grasping him tightly and forcing him to open his eyes.

What he saw were those cold, malevolent crimson eyes.

Genjutsu: Sharingan!

The Third Mizukage's pupils shrank and turned red, with three tomoe swirling before they gradually faded away.

He then collapsed to his knees in front of Madara, like a puppet with its strings cut, fully under Madara's control.

"You're nothing but grains of sand, not even half of what I am," Madara sneered, using Susanoo's hand to casually swat the Mizukage into the wall.

At that moment, a figure wrapped in a pitcher plant emerged from the cave walls and spoke excitedly:

"Lord Madara, something interesting seems to be happening above."

"There's even an interesting Uchiha kid among them."

"Do you want to take a look?"

Madara raised an eyebrow, stood up from the rock, and leaned on his cane.

"Oh?"

"Let's take a look, then."

---

On the surface...

The gates of the castle were wide open, as if welcoming guests.

Standing before the gates, Uchiha Ci frowned slightly, feeling a sense of unease, his neck hairs standing on end.

"Don't worry, I've scouted the area. There's no chakra presence inside," Terumi Mei said coldly, pointing to a circular patch in the center of the castle hall, covered in reeds.

"As long as we use Lava Release here to corrode a hole, beneath it lies a vast underground space where Hidan is."

Uchiha Ci nodded and followed Terumi Mei inside.

The castle hall, designed for hosting formal audiences, was held up by eight stone pillars, supporting a stone dome above.

The dome was adorned with colorful glass, allowing light to shine through and illuminate the hall. Stone sculptures, red carpets, and murals gave the space an air of opulence, in stark contrast to the refugee shacks outside that barely provided shelter.

However, just as the two stepped onto the red carpet...

Creak.

The doors slammed shut with a loud creak.

From the dome, six figures leaped down.

All six were dressed in the attire of Kirigakure's hunter-nin, wearing masks with four water lines and faces full of pity.

Their six cold gazes pierced through the eyeholes of their masks, falling upon the intruders with indifference.

Five of them formed hand seals, and immediately, a thick, dark rain cloud appeared above the dome.

Soon after, fine raindrops began to fall.

The leader of the six-man team, a white-haired, masked hunter-nin with purple eyes, slowly drew a long sword from his waist and spoke coldly:

"Terumi Mei, you're not one of the Cut Rain. There's no need to throw your life away for something like this."

"Just tell me—where is Yagura?"

Hearing the voice and seeing the figure, Terumi Mei's pupils shrank. Her expression turned grim as she said with restraint,

"This is bad... Why is he here?"

She immediately turned her head slightly and whispered to Uchiha Ci,

"Run."

"You can't beat him."

Uchiha Ci narrowed his eyes at the six people, his gaze especially focused on the white-haired figure leading them.

White hair and purple eyes.

These features were rare in the shinobi world, and they immediately reminded him of Hozuki Suigetsu, a future member of Team Taka.

And since this person was a Kirigakure ninja, his identity was all too obvious, much like Kakashi with his Konoha Anbu mask.

This was none other than Kirigakure's famed prodigy, capable of wielding all seven ninja swords perfectly, the genius with the "Seven Ninja Swordsmen's Summoning Scroll"—

Hozuki Mangetsu!