chapter 190 part 4
Sasuke hesitated for a moment, then nodded vigorously, a hint of expectation flashing in his eyes. "Can you teach me the Great Fireball Technique?"
Uchiha Ren didn't hesitate at all, cheerfully agreeing, "Sure."
The two walked side by side towards the edge of Konoha.
Along the way, Sasuke was as excited as a happy little bird, chirping incessantly, eagerly looking forward to witnessing Uchiha Ren perform the Great Fireball Technique with his own eyes.
"If I learn this, will my big brother look at me differently too?"
"Definitely." Uchiha Ren nodded with a smile. "It would be best if you hide in a corner and use it on your dad to give him a big scare."
Finally arriving at their destination, Sasuke stood aside filled with anticipation, staring at Uchiha Ren with unblinking eyes, just waiting for him to show off his skills.
Uchiha Ren took a deep breath, and his hands quickly began to form hand seals, his movements as smooth as flowing water.
But just as he was about to complete the last seal, he suddenly stopped.
Sasuke saw this, his face full of doubt, and couldn't help but urge anxiously, "Why did you stop forming hand seals?"
Uchiha Ren didn't answer immediately but merely pointed his finger towards a clump of grass by the distant river.
Following the direction he pointed, two green mantises stood silently on the grass blades, their movements peculiar.
The two walked closer, only to find one abnormally swollen mantis greedily devouring another. What was strange was that the one being eaten offered no resistance, simply enduring its cruel fate in silence.
Sasuke's eyes widened, filled with surprise and confusion. He couldn't help but ask loudly, "What is this? Why is a mantis eating another mantis?"
Uchiha Ren thought to himself that if he hadn't seen the cartoon *Black Cat Detective*, he would probably be stumped by this scene for a moment.
He searched his mind for the plot from the cartoon and then patiently explained, "After a female mantis becomes pregnant, her body becomes very weak. The male mantis will sacrifice itself to provide nutrition for the female, so that the baby mantises can be successfully born."
Sasuke scratched his head, his gaze fixed intently on the two mantises, his brows furrowed. He continued to press, "Then why can't the male mantis just go hunting?"
This question was indeed sharp, and Uchiha Ren found it difficult to find a suitable reason for a moment. He could only say casually, "Hunting isn't as fast as sacrificing oneself. Some things are just like that; for their children, they can sacrifice themselves."
Sasuke nodded slightly, but his face still held a hint of bewilderment. He muttered softly, "I still don't quite understand. The Ninja Academy never taught us this."
Subsequently, Uchiha Ren fulfilled his promise and demonstrated the Great Fireball Technique for Sasuke.
Blazing flames spewed from his mouth, and a scorching heatwave rushed towards them. Sasuke watched, dumbfounded, his eyes filled with admiration.
After the performance, Sasuke's excited little face was flushed. He pulled Uchiha Ren's hand, asking endless questions.
Tens of minutes later, Sasuke, thoroughly satisfied, returned home in high spirits.
Upon entering the door, he saw Uchiha Fugaku leisurely sitting in the courtyard, sipping tea. His expression at this moment was as if the intense argument with Mikoto had never happened.
Fugaku saw Uchiha Ren bringing Sasuke back and nodded slightly in acknowledgment, a subtle hint of relief flashing in his eyes.
He gestured for Uchiha Ren to sit opposite him and personally poured him a cup of tea.
After Sasuke skipped back to his room, only Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Ren remained in the courtyard.
Fugaku picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and slowly spoke, "I've heard about what happened to you. I'm sorry, the Uchiha clan couldn't support you."
"It's nothing, Clan Head." Uchiha Ren swirled his teacup, having no intention of drinking from it, and said indifferently, "I understand the situation within the clan very well. Right now, we have to keep our tails between our legs."
Uchiha Fugaku looked admiringly into Uchiha Ren's eyes. "Yes! You're right! The current priority is to endure!"
When Fugaku said this, Uchiha Ren was reminded of the two mantises by the river.
*'To let oneself be devoured, just so the children you care about can live?'*
*'Thinking of it that way, with his consciousness of non-resistance, watching his own son raise a blade to him... Fugaku must be the most tragic character in all of Naruto, right?'*
But it was also Fugaku's selfishness that led to the extermination of the entire Uchiha clan.
The only one who survived in the end was his favorite eldest son.
From a certain perspective, Fugaku was also a scapegoat pushed forward by his clansmen. As the clan head, he naturally had to consider their interests.
However, upon seeing that the one who would end him was actually Itachi Uchiha, he directly abandoned the interests of the clan and became a male mantis.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Ren stood up. "Then, Lord Clan Head, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Uchiha Fugaku nodded. "Yes! Your talent is exceptional. Don't waste it."
"Understood."
Night silently descended. Uchiha Ren wandered alone through the streets and alleys of the Uchiha compound.
Moonlight, like water, spilled onto the flagstone paths, outlining his tall and lonely figure.
Most of the houses along the street had already lit their lamps, and occasional bursts of joyful laughter came from inside.
After an unknown amount of time, a patrolling member of the police force passed by. Seeing Uchiha Ren still loitering, he kindly reminded him, "Hey, it's getting late. Go home, don't just wander around outside."
Only then did Uchiha Ren respond softly, "Okay, I'm going back now."
He turned and walked towards his home, his steps still a bit slow.
And just where he had walked, a strange phenomenon quietly occurred.
A layer of red substance, as thin as gauze, slowly rose from the ground, faintly visible in the air.
This red was extremely faint, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. It gently swayed, gradually melting into the air, and spreading towards the entire Uchiha clan compound...
(end of chapter)