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"Fugaku, do you remember your Ninja Way?"
Uchiha Shi's gaze turned sharp, staring straight at the brat in front of him.
Under this sincere and passionate gaze, Fugaku's eyes involuntarily dodged, mumbling, "My Ninja Way."
"Right!"
"Your Ninja Way!"
"You held your nose high to the sky, pointing at yourself confidently with your thumb!"
"You loudly proclaimed that you, who had nothing, would become the Hot Water Kage, end the chaos in the Land of Hot Springs, drive all the ninja from this land, and become the next Demigod!"
Uchiha Shi stared at Fugaku, a slight smile playing on his lips as he teased, "These were your words. Do you need me to help you remember?"
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Fugaku's face, his expression complicated as he stammered, "That, that was just—"
However, before he could finish, Uchiha Shi's tone turned cold, interrupting him, "You want to say that it was just big talk, empty words, lies?"
"Is the real world far crueler than this?"
He grabbed Fugaku's collar, his scarlet Sharingan eyes swirling with authority.
"Don't be foolish!"
"Denying your heart, your will, your dreams, and then accepting reality, filling your empty mind with illusions, pushing yourself to the gallows, and bowing and scraping to those more powerful than the Hot Water Village."
"What's the difference between you living and being dead?"
"Wait, I—" Fugaku was choked by these words, struggling to defend himself, to find a legitimate excuse for his actions, to convince Uchiha Shi and himself that his behavior was correct, the best choice he had.
But Fugaku couldn't continue his words.
Because deep down, he knew that the Evil God Sect's doctrine of killing to stop killing, of eradicating everything, was nothing more than a temporary solution that would only worsen the problem.
Uchiha Shi exhaled, his voice deep, "Fugaku!"
"You are a strong person, you have the resolve to face death, you want to use your sacrifice to gain the favor of the evil god!"
"But I tell you, this is just an escape!"
Uchiha Shi's words hit Fugaku like a hammer, shattering the barriers in his heart, tearing them to pieces.
The Evil God Sect's outer sugar-coating was stripped away, revealing the rotten core within.
This forced Fugaku to face reality.
His face flushed and paled, veins popping on his forehead as he suddenly grabbed Uchiha Shi's hand that was holding his collar.
Trying to pry it off, but with his strength, how could he possibly match Uchiha Shi, who was already a Genin?
In the end, he could only turn red with anger, shouting at Uchiha Shi, "Enough! Uchiha Shi, enough!"
"Get lost! I don't need your pity! I don't want to hear your lectures!"
"I've heard enough of this in the Land of Hot Springs over the past ten years!"
"How could you possibly understand my situation, my pain?"
"Should I praise you as a great nation's ninja?"
"Do you not find your current high-and-mighty face disgusting?!"
However, faced with such a hysterical Fugaku, Uchiha Shi laughed.
"Is that so?"
He roughly grabbed Fugaku's collar and slammed him to the ground, his expression becoming increasingly fierce.
Then, like a villainous boss who had just emerged from the final dungeon, he thoroughly humiliated the level 1 hero with a beginner's sword, dismissing his dreams as worthless!
Uchiha Shi's eyes glinted with menace, and he roared, "Listen up, kid—"
"I'm not lecturing you, I'm proving to you—"
"My Ninja Way is above yours!"
Uchiha Shi released Fugaku, stood up, and gazed at the full moon in the endless night sky, his eyes gradually deepening.
He was silent for a moment, then looked down, his face arrogant and indifferent, "Fugaku."
"The Land of Hot Springs you see is just a small corner of the entire ninja world!"
"Your goal is just a minor part of my Ninja Way, something I will eventually accomplish!"
"And my Ninja Way—"
Uchiha Shi suddenly opened his scarlet Sharingan eyes, his tone shifting abruptly.
He spoke in a cold, emotionless voice, "Is to overthrow the Five Great Nations, unify the entire ninja world, and end the endless wars since the Warring States Period!"
"To bring eternal peace to this world!"
"This is something I must do, even if it means facing life and death!"
"I will use these eyes to illuminate the entire world!"
As the words fell, the surroundings fell into a sudden silence.
Fugaku, his eyes wide with shock, the brown-haired girl, and Shen Nong, who had been sitting in the corner without a word, all turned their gazes to Uchiha Shi.
Their eyes flickered, as if these words had touched something deep within them.
Fugaku couldn't help but swallow, looking at Uchiha Shi with shock, "Shi, you—"
Before Fugaku could speak, the brown-haired girl stood up from the tree stump, her gaze calm as she scrutinized Uchiha Shi, as if looking at a madman.
Then, she asked coldly, "What will you use to achieve your Ninja Way? What gives you the right to make such promises? What confidence do you have to accomplish something no one has ever done?"
"Before you are the Five Great Nations, the entire ninja world!"
"The legendary Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Raikage A with the strongest defense and offense, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki who surpassed bloodline limits, the Sannin, the Demigods, the Tailed Beasts, the Jinchūriki—"
"So many renowned ninja, legendary figures, wouldn't dare to make such grand statements!"
"What gives you the right?!"
The girl's words were sharp and cutting, like a dagger forcing Uchiha Shi to the brink, leaving him no room to maneuver.
But Uchiha Shi had no intention of avoiding the question.
As a powerful newcomer, his mission had been set from the beginning, so he could speak without hesitation, with firm resolve, "What matters is not talking, but doing! Not avoiding!"
"No one starts at the top; even the most difficult tasks are achieved step by step."
Then, he looked at the shocked Fugaku and said calmly, "Fugaku, I am not different from you."
"Compared to the entire ninja world, what I have is just this insignificant life!"
"But I need to be sure that my feet are on this path."
"As long as I stand at the forefront of this path, my back will naturally attract countless people to look up!"
"Even if I fall, there will be thousands more like me to stand up!"
Uchiha Shi's words were resolute, his gaze unwavering, "This dream will definitely be realized!"
"The first step towards achieving this ideal, I have already taken!"
"Now, it's just a matter of taking the second step—"
"Starting from the Land of Hot Springs!"
"Starting from here!"
"I will end the chaos on this land!"
"I will bring peace to this country!"
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(End of Chapter)