Chapter 144: Facing Reality - Shisui Erupts!
Silence blanketed the battlefield tonight.
All the ninja in the assault force stared in astonishment at the boy who had uttered such words.
"What a joke!"
"I'll admit you're incredible, kid!"
"But you're way too arrogant!"
"Bastard!"
"What do you mean, 'you're launching the assault all by yourself'?!"
The crowd was stunned for a moment, then burst into protests and shouts.
You got everyone all fired up, and now you're saying you'll go alone, leaving us to pack our bags and go home?!
Tsukasa had already anticipated this reaction and immediately raised his hand to suppress the boiling resentment.
His eyes gleamed with the pride inherent to the Uchiha clan, and he scornfully addressed the crowd:
"That's right!"
"I'm going alone!"
"You're all deadweight—you'll only slow me down!"
Shin'ya immediately stepped forward, standing before Tsukasa, and angrily shouted:
"What did you say?!"
"Tsukasa, don't be so arrogant!"
"Arrogant?"
Tsukasa chuckled, calmly meeting Shin'ya's gaze with his dark eyes, and coldly said:
"As a jonin of the Uchiha clan, Shin'ya, others may not understand, but don't you?!"
"Don't you know how vast the gap is between an elite ninja and an ordinary one?"
Tsukasa coldly surveyed the crowd, forcefully waving his left arm and pointing at the red smoke in the distance, shouting angrily:
"I know!"
"Precisely because I know, I can't let you go!"
"I'll tell you straight—the one carrying out the mission there is my superior, Aburame Ryoma!"
"He alone could eliminate this entire assault team!"
"And the enemy who could force even Aburame Ryoma to fire a red signal flare must be a supremely powerful opponent that ordinary ninja couldn't handle—or would die just getting close to!"
Tsukasa took a deep breath, looking at the crowd who had fallen momentarily silent:
"As your leader, I want you to live and stop dying for meaningless objectives."
"This world is just that harsh."
"Those who possess overwhelming power will inadvertently disregard the weight of life. Charging forward in a swarm only leads to being mowed down like grass."
"The truly naive people are those fools who can't recognize reality!"
"Rushing in recklessly—the more desperately you want to achieve something, the more you'll lose!"
"Life, dreams, friendship, family, love—everything will end after a deafening roar."
"The curtain falls!"
He looked heavily at the crowd, raised his hand toward the ruins he had created, and swept his palm in a wide arc around his body!
He coldly rebuked:
"Tell me—wasn't what I just demonstrated enough?!"
Gazing at the devastation before them and recalling Tsukasa's overwhelming display, everyone subconsciously swallowed hard.
That godlike power!
The crushing force of a forty-meter flaming sword descending from above, the despair of a fifty-meter fire dragon lunging at them, and that earth-shattering explosion!
If they put themselves in the shoes of the Sunagakure forces who had charged forward, they would understand exactly how convincing Tsukasa's words were.
A tense silence instantly fell over the group.
When reality was laid bare and pretense was stripped away, all that remained was helpless silence.
However, at that moment—
"NO!"
A firm yet youthful voice suddenly rang out!
Everyone looked up involuntarily.
It was Uchiha Shisui, a member of the same clan standing beside Tsukasa.
He coldly stared at the boy next to him, then decisively released his hand that had been supporting him!
The next moment—
"Hey, Shisui, what are you doing?!"
Tsukasa suddenly cried out in shock, losing his balance and collapsing heavily onto the ruins.
A cloud of dust rose, and after several struggles, he couldn't even get back up.
This scene shocked everyone.
Was this still the same young genius who had just been wielding his sword alone, dominating the battlefield?!
How could he be this weak now?!
"Tsukasa!"
Shisui gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot as if tears were about to fall.
He glared down at him, shouting angrily:
"I knew it!"
"You idiot, you're doing it again!"
"Time and time again, do you always have to pull this crap?!"
"Look at yourself now!"
"This is the real you!"
"So weak you can barely crawl, as helpless as—"
"You spout all this eloquent nonsense, but what's the truth?!"
Uchiha Shisui suddenly drew his wakizashi, slashing downward and embedding it in the ground between Tsukasa's legs, making him jerk backward in alarm.
Tsukasa, sweating profusely, stared at the trembling blade embedded in the ground, a chill running down his spine.
He had almost lost something very important just then.
He tilted his head back, swallowed hard, and looked at Shisui's sudden outburst, wondering what had gotten into his younger cousin this time.
Uchiha Shisui suddenly raised his head, coldly revealing:
"I know what you're trying to do—"
"I know what you're thinking—"
"Tsukasa!"
"You're going to accept this command position, carry the Konoha assault force designation, and charge into mortal danger!"
"You're going to prove we were here, take on the most dangerous mission for us, bear the responsibility for any failure, and then bestow honor and merit upon the survivors!"
"You're trying to use your life to build a bridge between our clan and the village!"
"Just like my ancestor, Uchiha Kagami!"
Uchiha Shisui trembled, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Tsukasa.
He suddenly lunged forward, punching Tsukasa hard in the face, and roared:
"WHAT A JOKE!"
"You said we're naive!"
Shisui grabbed Tsukasa's tattered collar, a tear streaming down his face, his voice breaking:
"What are you talking about?!"
"The truly naive one is you!"
Tsukasa blinked, his pupils suddenly dilating in shock as he stared at Shisui, who was mere inches away.
Holy crap!
Tsukasa swore he hadn't thought that far ahead!
This whole thing about carrying the unit designation, taking responsibility, earning recognition, building bridges between clan and village—what the hell?!
He was just thinking that as someone powerful, he wouldn't let weaklings die for him.
And as someone powerful, he wouldn't stand idly by while his comrade was in trouble.
With those two principles in mind, he could go save Aburame Ryoma without hesitation. Even if he failed, it wouldn't be a total loss—after all, he had his regeneration as insurance.
And thankfully, his mentor Orochimaru was really busy with the assassination mission this time, so no one could pull off another miraculous rescue for him!
But Shisui's interpretation was surprisingly elaborate, having already constructed an entire narrative of righteous sacrifice for him.
"You... you..."
Tsukasa's lips trembled as he stared at Shisui, his face twitching violently.
He wanted to object, but his younger cousin was crying and making a scene, his eyes as stubborn and sincere as they could be.
Under that clear, earnest gaze, he couldn't utter a word of denial.
This scene, witnessed by everyone, instantly made it seem as if Shisui's words had completely exposed Tsukasa's true intentions, leaving him speechless and stammering.
In other words—Shisui was right!
Suddenly, everyone looked at Tsukasa with dawning realization.
So that's it!
So that's what's happening!
This kid said all those harsh things actually... actually to save them!
He was willing to trade his life for theirs!
Dragging this crippled body—one that even a child could defeat—to carve a path for them!
He even wanted to shoulder the blame for mission failure, leaving them the credit and hope for survival!
This... this...
Upon realizing this, the gazes of everyone present toward Tsukasa began to subtly change.
End of Chapter 144
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