Chapter 285: The Determination to Move Forward! Namikaze Minato as a Comrade!
"You're just being stubborn!"
Hearing this, Kakashi's face darkened. He had already analyzed the pros and cons thoroughly, yet the person before him remained obstinate and reckless, refusing to listen to reason.
This reminded him of his father—the man who bore disgrace and died a miserable death.
"Listen up, Uchiha Ci! A ninja must remain calm and make careful judgments! A ninja who disregards rules and discipline is no better than trash!"
"If you insist on doing this—"
Kakashi gripped the hilt of his White Fang short sword tightly, his face turning cold as anger flickered in his eyes.
"I'll break your legs right here!"
Uchiha Ci wasn't surprised by Kakashi's decision.
At this stage, Hatake Kakashi placed missions above all else. Moreover, the person Uchiha Ci was trying to save was a "comrade" from another village. Such an action was akin to defying Konoha's will. It was only natural that Kakashi couldn't comprehend it.
In fact, aside from that old man, Uchiha Setsuna, who would blindly support him no matter what, anyone else from Konoha would likely think he had lost his mind.
It was an act of treason!
Uchiha Ci had no intention of explaining further. The moment he chose to follow Oyashiro En to this foreign capital, he had already prepared for the worst.
Kill the daimyo.
Kill anyone who stood in his way.
Be they from Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Kirigakure, or Iwagakure—
Even if it meant severing ties with his past identity!
All for the sake of that reckless little brat who had once placed all his hopes on him, believing in him like a fanatic.
After experiencing so much, after feeling the agony of losing someone he cherished right before his eyes,
Uchiha Ci could no longer deceive himself with flimsy excuses.
He had come here—
To fight!
To seek vengeance!
To make the world witness the consequences of provoking Uchiha Ci!
To make them suffer a retribution so cruel, so unforgettable!
Indeed, when he first met Yahiko of the Akatsuki trio in the Land of Rain, the boy had said something very true:
"As long as we conquer the world and make it feel pain, the future we long for will come!"
The only reason Yahiko abandoned this belief and compromised with "weakness" was because he wasn't strong enough!
His fists weren't fast enough, nor ruthless enough!
But Uchiha Ci was different!
The moment his Mind's Eye awakened, he understood—
As long as he continued fighting, with the talent of Heartsteel and the ability to master any technique instantly through Master of All Martial Arts,
He would gather countless abilities within himself and reach the pinnacle!
The world would ultimately kneel at his feet!
The only thing Uchiha Ci lacked was time—time to engage in more battles and push his limits further.
And time was precisely what he had the most after arriving at this point in history!
Now, as he faced Kakashi, who had drawn his blade against him,
Uchiha Ci exhaled lightly, his expression darkening as he furrowed his brows.
Then, he prepared to open his eyes—
Using the combined power of his Sharingan, Blood Dragon Eye, and the natural energy coursing through the mutated blood vessels around his eyes,
He would unleash a fusion-enhanced visual ability, along with the nearly perfected new dojutsu within his gaze—
And take Kakashi down in a single move!
However, at that moment—
"You're wrong, Kakashi!"
A warm yet firm voice suddenly sounded from behind Kakashi.
Pa!
A gloved hand landed on Kakashi's shoulder.
The next moment, a blond, blue-eyed young man with a gentle yet strikingly handsome face appeared behind him.
It was none other than Namikaze Minato, someone Uchiha Ci hadn't seen in a long time!
"In the ninja world, those who break the rules and disregard missions are called trash.
But those who fail to value their comrades—are worse than trash!"
Despite the warmth in his tone, Minato's expression was serious.
"Minato-sensei!"
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. He turned his head to look at Minato, only for his face to quickly flush red with frustration. His fists clenched tightly.
"Even you, Minato-sensei… you think this way too!?"
"Why…?"
Minato fell silent for a moment, unsure how to convince him.
However, Uchiha Ci had already lost patience.
In a flash, he moved—
Appearing behind Kakashi in an instant, he predicted the latter's reaction with Uchiha-style kenjutsu and intercepted the retaliatory slash of the White Fang short sword.
The White Fang's swordsmanship was also within the scope of his copied techniques.
Then, with a swift hand chop to Kakashi's neck—
Thud!
Kakashi collapsed into Minato's arms.
Minato sighed, cradling his unconscious student before vanishing momentarily to place him elsewhere. In the blink of an eye, he returned.
"…Sorry. Kakashi still hasn't moved past his trauma."
Scratching his head, Minato smiled awkwardly at Uchiha Ci.
As a teacher, it was frustrating that his guidance had no effect.
"It's nothing."
Uchiha Ci simply shook his head, his face impassive as he gazed at Minato.
Without experiencing true life-or-death choices, without witnessing Obito's sacrifice firsthand, mere words wouldn't be enough to change Kakashi—a stubborn ninja.
Ultimately, Kakashi's worldview would only be reshaped by Uchiha Obito himself.
Uchiha Ci wasn't Kakashi's father, nor did he care to meddle.
"Anyway, Ci—"
Seeing Uchiha Ci safe and sound, Minato let out a long breath of relief. A weight had finally lifted from his chest.
"Welcome back!"
However, Uchiha Ci couldn't bring himself to smile.
"Minato, we'll talk later."
He pointed toward the chaotic city center, his voice heavy.
"You're not here to stop me from going there, are you?"
Unlike Kakashi, who was easy to deal with, Minato possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique and Rasengan, along with battle instincts no weaker than Uchiha Ci's own.
Even for him, Minato was a troublesome opponent.
"No."
Minato smiled slightly and clarified,
"I'll go with you."
"Don't worry, I won't stop you.
And as your comrade, I'll help you."
"But before you decide anything, there's something you need to see with your own eyes."
Uchiha Ci raised an eyebrow.
"Even if I intend to kill the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning?"
Minato smirked confidently, raising a hand between them.
"Even if you intend to kill the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning."
Finally, Uchiha Ci smiled.
He raised his hand as well.
Pa!
Their palms met in a firm clap, their gazes locking in mutual understanding.
"Then let's raise some hell."
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