Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 169: Akatsuki's Blueprint to Save the Nation, the Prototype of Rasengan!

The carriage, filled with uncontrollable laughter, slowly made its way along the road home.

It passed through hills, plains, valleys, and streams.

On a cliff overlooking the path, Yahiko gazed in the direction of the boy's departure. He retracted his gaze and turned to his companions with a radiant smile.

"Indeed, that guy came for this purpose!"

"He did it!"

"For the Land of Rain, which has been weeping for so long, he brought a fleeting moment of peace."

Beside him, Nagato frowned and calmly analyzed:

"But Yahiko, the alliance between Sunagakure and Iwagakure has still succeeded. Once Iwagakure ends its war with Kirigakure—"

"This place will turn into a true slaughterhouse!"

"It will become the most chaotic and cruel region in the entire ninja world!"

"This peace is fleeting, illusory, like the calm before the storm."

Yahiko nodded, a trace of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

"True, but we can't deny that the impact of Uchiha Ci's slaying of Chiyo's brother, Ebizō, has indeed rewritten the course of the war and, indirectly, saved the Land of Rain."

"Sunagakure withdrew from our borders, and the scale of the battles has gradually diminished."

"He bought us more time!"

"Therefore—"

"Now it's our turn to act!"

Wearing a black rain cloak, with her light blue hair tied in a bun and adorned with a white paper flower, Konan was silent for a moment before speaking.

"So, Yahiko, what do we do?"

She pursed her lips. Although she trusted Yahiko deeply, the moment their ideals had to face harsh reality, and the struggles Akatsuki had endured during this time, left her feeling lost.

Even the mere act of expanding their organization and recruiting members had left Akatsuki deeply troubled.

"Our blueprint is to use words to foster mutual understanding, to stop wars, and to make enemies comprehend each other," Yahiko said.

"That's far too difficult."

"The ninjas wounded by war are filled with anger and hatred," Konan muttered.

Yahiko shook his head, laughing candidly.

"Konan, you're absolutely right."

He chuckled softly, then raised his head, his eyes full of determination.

"But you must understand, our goal isn't to save the world or make everyone in it understand each other."

"We act for the peace of the Land of Rain."

"As long as women are still crying, as long as children are starving, as long as men are still fleeing across fields, as long as a poor girl remains lost on the streets, as long as a vengeful soul filled with hatred roams this crying land."

"We will continue to fight! We will continue to act!"

"We aren't here to persuade people filled with hatred to abandon revenge. That's unrealistic."

"What we truly aim to do," Yahiko said firmly,

"is to lead this group of wandering strays—nameless rogue ninjas, vengeance-driven schemers—and make them understand one thing:

'We don't want others to suffer the same pain we have!'"

"This is why we act!"

Yahiko turned to the group of black-cloaked companions behind him, flashing them a bright smile.

At this moment, dozens of individuals stood at his side.

He turned back to gaze at the disappearing carriage in the distance. When it vanished, he shifted his gaze to Nagato, standing on his right.

His eyes were filled with hope.

Yahiko's philosophy was one of empathy. Starting from himself, his companions, and his nation, he deeply understood both himself and the situation, taking realistic actions at every step.

His ultimate goal was to one day build a genuine Bridge of Peace.

His mission was to become the pillar supporting this bridge.

Now, he saw two people who might achieve this:

Nagato, who had inherited the Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths,

and Uchiha Ci, who had been fighting ceaselessly and actively diminishing wars.

Uchiha Ci's battle in the Land of Hot Springs had brought peace to the region.

Now, his actions in the Land of Rain had also brought peace.

Where would he go next to fight? Yahiko didn't know.

But he sent the departing boy Akatsuki's heartfelt blessing—

"Safe travels."

---

The carriage continued along the path, finally stopping in an abandoned village to rest.

With the war slightly easing and no urgent missions, Minato's team, along with Uchiha Ci, traveled leisurely back to the village.

At this moment, Uchiha Ci and Minato lay on a haystack, gazing at the sky.

Nearby, the three young ninja chopped wood, boiled water, and prepared a campfire meal.

Uchiha Ci had offered to help but was promptly interrupted by Rin Nohara's gentle remark, "You're still a patient, Ci-san~" which earned him a jealous glare from Obito.

Without any tasks to occupy him, Uchiha Ci simply rested alongside Minato.

Since leaving the camp, Minato had been unusually preoccupied.

Uchiha Ci could guess what weighed on his mind. According to the events in "The Tale of Minato," Jiraiya, leading a team into the Land of Earth to sabotage the Suna-Iwa alliance, had encountered the jinchūriki of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, Rōshi and Han.

Minato had been part of Jiraiya's team, and after witnessing the immense power of Tailed Beast Bombs, he began to worry about Kushina, another jinchūriki.

Thinking of the terrifying beast sealed within Kushina, Minato had fallen into his current state of anxiety.

Lying on the haystack, Minato raised his hand toward the sun, his mind clouded with fear.

His hand trembled as he adjusted its angle slightly.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him! A fierce spiraling chakra appeared in his palm.

---

Uchiha Ci immediately recognized Minato's effort to devise a new technique. It seemed the groundbreaking Rasengan would soon be born.

However, Ci had no interest in getting involved.

His mind was in turmoil.

The journey so far had been overwhelming, leaving him little time to breathe.

At first, his actions were reckless, fueled by a desire to exploit the system.

Later, influenced by Orochimaru and others, he committed even bolder acts.

Now, with Ebizō dead, Sunagakure defeated, and Iwagakure embroiled in prolonged conflict with Kirigakure, the entire narrative had veered off course.

The familiar world had become unrecognizable, and his plans to game the system were no longer viable.

Left with little certainty about the future, he could only follow the path Orochimaru had outlined—pursuing strength through dangerous battles and forbidden techniques.

But could he succeed?

Without the chakra of Indra and Asura, without access to the protagonist's script, and with both Madara and Black Zetsu lurking in the shadows, could he really achieve Rinnegan and reach the Six Paths level?

The prospect felt exhausting and daunting.

Gazing at the endless blue sky, he muttered, To hell with it. I'll just take it one step at a time.

Clearing his thoughts, he allowed himself to enjoy the rare moment of tranquility.

But just then, Uchiha Ci's instincts flared, sensing a sudden surge of ominous energy nearby.

He whipped his head around—

A violent, unstable, azure sphere of chakra was rapidly expanding in front of him!

His eyes widened in alarm.

"Damn it!"