"Heart of Steel" is a powerful item from a certain game. Its effect is straightforward: the more you get beaten like steel, the stronger you become.
Uchiha Ci was no stranger to this—he was a seasoned player of League of Legends and a dedicated Sion main. The core strategy was simple: inting. "You wanna kill me? Fine, I'll give you first blood, big bro! The more you kill me, the stronger I get, and the tankier I become!"
Now, just when he wanted to die, this exact talent appeared.
Probably… It wouldn't affect his insurance fraud plan, right?
Uchiha Ci's face remained expressionless, but a bad feeling began to gnaw at him.
However, he knew nothing about this talent yet, and the Will of Heaven hadn't provided an instruction manual.
The urgent task now was to accept the mission from the great elder, Uchiha Setsuna.
Before the cheat could react, he needed to get himself to the battlefield ASAP and let Iwagakure or someone else chop him to death quickly—completing the insurance fraud plan!
That was the priority!
But Uchiha Ci couldn't shake a sense of unease.
Looking back, he realized the source of his anxiety was standing right beside him.
That little devil, Uchiha Shisui, suddenly curled the corners of his mouth into a faint, almost imperceptible smile and whispered subtly:
"Uchiha Ci, don't worry. I'll take on the elder's mobilization mission."
"You should stay within the clan and train for now."
Uchiha Ci's back prickled with cold sweat. Big bro, why aren't you off playing with Fugaku's eldest son? Why are you so obsessed with me?
Without hesitation, Uchiha Ci rushed out of the crowd before Uchiha Shisui could react.
He raised three fingers excitedly, swore to the heavens, and declared in a lofty tone:
"Elder!"
"It is our duty to restore Uchiha's glory!"
"I am not afraid of danger—please send me to the battlefield!"
Uchiha Ci took a bold step forward, his voice ringing with passion. He raised his arms high, face resolute.
"Whether it's the pouring rain of the Land of Rain or the fragrant hot springs of the Land of Hot Water, nothing can shake my resolve to dedicate everything to the Uchiha clan!"
"If someone must be sacrificed, then let that person—"
"Be me!"
Silence fell. Everyone couldn't help but look at him with admiration in their eyes.
Who is this guy? So brave!
"Ci-kun! What are you doing?!" Uchiha Shisui was too late to stop him. His face showed astonishment, his tone filled with sorrow.
Though they'd only just met, he'd already decided Uchiha Ci was a kindred spirit—someone he could rely on.
But why had he just thrown himself into the fire?
???
Was this what it felt like to lose a comrade?
Uchiha Shisui's face flushed with suppressed emotion. He had a strong urge to drag Uchiha Ci home, hang him up, and whip some sense into him.
Unnoticed, his eyes, trained to a critical point, turned scarlet.
A tomoe spun rapidly in his Sharingan, radiating an aura of deep sadness.
The trigger for his awakening: the loss of a partner.
As if by fate, it had been activated prematurely.
However—
"You can't go. You're too weak."
The great elder Uchiha Setsuna frowned, glancing down at Uchiha Ci. Where did this idiot come from?
A genin who hadn't even awakened the Sharingan? Wasn't that just trash?
The words hung in the air.
The determination on Uchiha Ci's face froze.
The silence was deafening.
Can you hear it? That's the sound of Uchiha Ci's heart breaking~!
[Uchiha Setsuna scorns you.]
Suddenly, a massive red dot lit up on Uchiha Setsuna's face in Uchiha Ci's vision.
The clouds seemed to part, almost obscuring the elder's expression, but the contempt in his eyes was seared into Uchiha Ci's heart.
It ignited a surge of fury.
Okay, so I'm a loser now—but do you have to rub it in, Great Elder? I'll get pissed too, bro!
If you break my wings, I'll destroy your entire paradise!
"Great Elder!" Uchiha Ci's face turned solemn. He took another large step forward and said sternly:
"This isn't about being weak or not!"
"I know my abilities are limited. I haven't awakened the Sharingan!"
Uchiha Ci raised his voice:
"But genin in the war aren't responsible for the front lines!"
"Most of them are on the edges of the battlefield, doing support work!"
"Besides, other clans have sent genin to the Land of Rain battlefield."
"If we Uchiha don't send even one, won't other clans look down on us?"
The crowd was stunned, staring at Uchiha Ci in horror.
He wasn't wrong.
But the person he was arguing with was a fierce warrior who had assassinated the Second Hokage!
The leader of the Uchiha Hawk Faction! The Great Elder!
His influence in the Uchiha clan was—
Absolute, overwhelming, heaven-shaking!
Four words: untouchable!
And this kid just went for it?
Who gave him the courage?
Uchiha Setsuna's face darkened. Is this kid trying to show off?
A useless genin who hadn't even awakened the Sharingan.
How dare he voice his opinion?
This was like a little sow climbing a tree—way too full of itself.
But then Uchiha Setsuna reconsidered.
Wasn't this exactly the kind of person he needed?
Uchiha Setsuna narrowed his eyes, pondering.
As the leader of the Hawk Faction, he was responsible for recruiting members.
And it wasn't just about talent.
Character was even more important!
Especially the kind of—
Hot-headed, extreme personalities who'd throw their lives away for the Uchiha's future without a second thought!
The more arrogant this kid was now, the more loyal he'd be to the clan!
During a coup, wouldn't he be the first to chop Sarutobi Hiruzen's dog head off?
As a coup professional, Uchiha Setsuna dared to guarantee:
No one understood coups better than him!
People like Uchiha Ci were perfect cannon fodder for the coup!
So—
He couldn't let such "talent" die on some ridiculous mission for Konoha!
Thinking this, Uchiha Setsuna's expression shifted from gloomy to clear, even curling into a sinister smile.
Everyone present shivered, their spines tingling with cold.
Even Uchiha Ci felt a twinge of doubt.
Not that he was scared of the old man.
He was just wondering—
If the old guy killed him in a rage, would it be covered by medical insurance?
[Calculating…]
The Will of Heaven immediately responded.
Uchiha Ci's eyes lit up.
Now, he was no longer nervous. He straightened his back and met Uchiha Setsuna's gaze defiantly.
Uchiha Setsuna almost laughed angrily at the kid's audacity.
He forcefully suppressed the urge to hang him up and give him a beating, took a deep breath, and decided to give him one last chance to back down.
He glared back with cold eyes and scolded sharply:
"Naive! Ridiculous!"
"If the battlefield were as beautiful as you say, I wouldn't mind sending some genin to gain experience."
"But reality is crueler. Those sent to the battlefield aren't called ninjas—they're called cannon fodder."
Uchiha Setsuna stared coldly at Uchiha Ci. "Kid, can't you understand plain speech?"
However—
Uchiha Ci bared his teeth in a wild grin, stretched out his neck, and slapped it like meat on a butcher's block:
"So what, Great Elder? Kill me if you can!"
"If you can't kill me, then let me go to the battlefield!"
As he spoke, he seemed to reach some critical point.
A crisp sound echoed in Uchiha Ci's ears—
[Ding!]