Hate Me, And Hope For The Beautiful Dream Of Defeating Me

The village could not afford to be without him right now; the Eight-Tails remained in a semi-wild state, and without him, the Kumogakure forces currently lacked the ability to suppress it.

His own son had not yet grown enough to stand on his own, nor had he found his own path.

Dodai was still young, and if he were not there, the reckless lot in the village would never listen to his commands.

He was burdened by too many worries and contemplations; although this was hardly the time for such thoughts, his wandering mind found it difficult to stop dwelling on these problems.

A crisis of death, even more terrifying than Ōnoki's Dust Release, had already arrived!

His fierce green pupils glanced at his son and the juniors in the distance beyond the flames, a hint of tenderness and overflowing resolve surfacing in his eyes. Though they were a vibrant, verdant green, they now strangely took on the color of flames.

"Are those your son and juniors over there?" Uchiha Yuji seemed to be implying something.

"That's right! They are the next generation of elites from my Kumogakure."

Even without saying it, given the capabilities of the guy before him, Dodai and the others would never be able to escape.

"I am the Third Raikage of Kumogakure. I will stop you here, even if it costs me my life." His voice was exceptionally steady, carrying a trace of regret but an extraordinary firmness.

"I am not so base as to use kin to threaten an enemy, and besides, who said I was going to take your lives?"

"I am not a bloodthirsty person; I have only come for revenge, solely to retaliate for your kidnapping of our fellow villagers."

Uchiha Yuji gestured toward the Third Raikage's mangled arm. "Using the arm of a village's Kage as a warning, eradicating the invading human traffickers, and having you pay compensation for emotional distress—I think that is warning enough."

"Besides, given the current situation, the war is coming to an end, isn't it?"

"I don't want this group of people to start a frenzied retaliation against Konoha just because I killed the Raikage at such a critical juncture. That would hold no benefit for me."

After a brief pause, Uchiha Yuji rubbed his chin, feeling his point hadn't been expressed clearly enough. "Even if those ones over there grow up, they won't be my match. While they are growing, I won't be standing still or regressing in strength."

"They pose no threat to me; I have no need to lie to you."

These words made A, in the distance, grit his teeth, wishing he could rush forward and land a punch, yet he was forced to admit that what the man said was likely the truth—the reality.

The Lightning Release Armor had been cultivated to its peak by his father, and even at his current level, he would not be his old man's match, because his father also possessed Black Lightning, something akin to a Kekkei Genkai.

Why does this Uchiha look younger than me!

The Third Raikage was stunned, looking at Uchiha Yuji with a hint of disbelief.

His expression was complex. "You are very different from any Uchiha I have ever met."

What Konoha Uchiha, after awakening their eyes, would spend their time talking about benefits and interests?

And even the war reparations were phrased in such a different way; to put it bluntly, was this guy really a pure-blooded Uchiha?

Aren't typical Uchiha usually stubborn, narrow-minded types who always emphasize clan glory, shouting things like, "You have tarnished the honor of the Uchiha, die!" or "Witness the greatness of the Uchiha clan!"?

"Uchiha is merely a surname, while I am who I am. The Uchiha cannot represent me, but in the future, I will be able to represent the Uchiha." Uchiha Yuji lifted his chin slightly, arms crossed over his chest.

Arrogant words were spoken in a very casual tone, yet the Third Raikage felt it was perfectly normal.

The strong have the right to be willful, and the ability to redefine a clan.

The Third Raikage would not thank Uchiha Yuji, but his perception of him was exceptionally complex.

To describe it using Zetton's senses, it was like adding a sugar cube to black coffee, finding it too sweet, then adding chili, and after tasting it further, finding the flavor bizarre and adding a piece of cake.

In short, it was very strange.

The taste was strange, yet the quality was top-tier. Despite his appearance as a hot-headed brute, he hadn't expected the Third Raikage to have such rich emotions.

This play was the right one!

Although Uchiha Yuji didn't seem like a conventional Uchiha, the Third Raikage still trusted him.

This was the reputation the Uchiha clan had inherited since the Warring States period.

Seeing that the battle would not continue, A rushed over to the Third Raikage's side in a few quick strides, calling out with concern, "Old man."

From childhood to adulthood, he had never seen his father in such a pathetic state. In his memory, his father had always been that invincible, sturdy man.

Not this battered man covered in wounds, likely having lost an arm.

"What kind of expression is that?"

One arm was fractured too badly to fight, but the Third Raikage still had the other, and he landed a heavy punch on A.

The force was the same as always, sending A stumbling backward.

"I am not the strongest, but under my tutelage, you will become a Raikage stronger than me. Avenge me, can you do it!" His voice rose sharply.

And this roar, as full of vigor as ever, instantly restored A's spirit. "I can definitely do it! I will definitely become stronger than you!"

"Clap, clap, clap." Uchiha Yuji applauded his courage.

"Since you possess such fighting spirit, then I shall increase it a little more for you."

Uchiha Yuji's figure blurred for an instant. The Third Raikage's remaining hand moved into a defensive stance, only to see his son pinned to the ground by a single hand.

The complete absence of killing intent made the Third Raikage lower his guard.

After the forest fire, the ground was covered in black ash and hot embers. The scorching temperature naturally couldn't break through A's defenses, but the fact that he was pinned to the ground, unable to struggle, was enough to send A into a berserk state.

Yet his struggles were futile; he remained firmly suppressed by Uchiha Yuji, pressed flat against the ground.

His eyes, widened to their limit, were filled with a raging fire that seemed ready to burst forth.

"That's right, that's exactly the look I wanted!"

"Hate me, train while harboring that rage, and grow stronger with hope."

"I don't need you to remind me!" A continued to struggle.

"I will wait for you to appear before me; it will surely be an intense battle then. (Meaning a one-sided trampling.)"

Uchiha Yuji chuckled softly, and as he felt the surge of abundant and superior emotions, his smile grew even more radiant.