chsdbacks Chapter 76 I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you...
Chapter 76 I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you...
"They haven't taught me anything, so how do they know I can't learn it?"
"The adults' attitude made the children of my tribe look down on me even more. They always made fun of me and chased after me saying that I was a freak without parents."
"They threw mud at me, they threw stones at me..."
Uchiha Ike spoke these words very softly.
But Kurenai's mood grew increasingly heavy.
She stared blankly at Uchiha Ike, seeing pain, confusion, and resentment flash across the boy's handsome face, even with a hint of grievance.
She could almost see a little boy with a dirty face being chased and bullied by other children in the village, while the adults around him did nothing to stop it, but just stood with their hands in their pockets against the wall, coldly watching everything happen.
No wonder Uchiha Ike used to be so withdrawn...
"I've cried many times, but no one has ever cared about me. I just stay home all day. Since I'll only get bullied if I go out, I might as well stay in the study and read..."
"Soon, I discovered that I might not be as bad as they said."
Uchiha Ike raised his head, looked at the slowly falling leaves, paused for a moment, and continued:
"Because I always yearn for those stories, I can become very immersed in them and automatically visualize the corresponding scenes in my mind... as if they were really happening in front of me."
"Later, after reading all the novels in the study, I had nothing left to read, so I started to look through the notes and scrolls left by my parents."
"As a result, I found that I could easily reproduce those recorded actions in reality."
"Exploration, experimentation, training... that's how I learned how to form hand seals, how to guide chakra, and how to sense the flow of chakra..."
Kurenai Yuhi silently gazed at Ike Uchiha.
She gradually came to understand it all.
The disdain from his clan and the ostracism from his peers made Uchiha Ike become withdrawn, and he could only stay at home reading books.
As time went on, he gradually discovered his talent.
Because he had grown accustomed to loneliness and solitude, Uchiha Ike never gave up his training over the years, and step by step, he became who he is today.
but......
"Why don't you show them your talents?" Kurenai asked softly. "If they saw your performance, perhaps their attitude wouldn't be so cold..."
"Do I need their attitude?"
Before she could finish speaking, Uchiha Ike interrupted her coldly.
"The kind of hypocrisy that requires talent, ability, and power to gain goodwill is utterly disgusting," Uchiha Ike said coldly.
"Since they worship power so much, and since they despise me so much, then I will continue to be a person without talent."
"When I reach a height they cannot reach, when I can crush them like ants, I want to see fear and regret on every single one of their faces."
Kurenai Yuhi fell silent.
She roughly understood that the cold words she had suffered over the years had become a thorn in Uchiha Ike's side, deeply embedded in his heart.
Each breath and heartbeat brings a dull ache.
Clothes can be repaired, but the wounds in one's heart can never be healed.
Debt and pain are never washed away by time; they only evolve into other things as the years go by.
For example, making amends, or taking revenge.
But is this really a good idea?
Kurenai Yuhi subconsciously filled in the blanks in her mind.
If Uchiha Ike can truly do what he said, that one day in the future he will trample all those who look down on him under his feet.
That really is...
So cool.
Just thinking about this kind of drama where good and evil are rewarded makes Kurenai Yuhi involuntarily clench her legs together, and even her breathing becomes lighter.
Seeing the faint smile on Kurenai's lips, Uchiha Ike nodded inwardly, realizing that he had completely drawn Kurenai into his emotions.
Unless you're a genius ninja like Kakashi, most people will encounter being looked down upon or suppressed to some extent.
Therefore, when the story of the Dragon King's counterattack came to the ninja world, it was like a seed finding fertile soil. It was a devastating blow that no one could refuse.
This not only filled in the gaps in his past, but also explained the origin of his talent and the reason for concealing his abilities—everything seemed so reasonable and natural...
Uchiha Ike smiled calmly. Hashirama Senju had Wood Release, Naruto Uzumaki had Talk-no-Jutsu, and he, Uchiha Ike, also had Acting Release.
"Kurenai-san?" Uchiha Ike remained silent for a moment, and only spoke after seeing that Kurenai Yuhi had almost finished imagining it.
Kurenai Yuhi immediately snapped out of her daze: "Eh... I'm here!"
Her gaze toward Uchiha Ike was much gentler than before.
"I'm sorry..." She was about to apologize, which reminded Uchiha Ike of her unpleasant past, but Uchiha Ike spoke first.
"I'm sorry, Kurenai Yuhi." Uchiha Ike lowered his eyes, looking like a child who had done something wrong, and said with unease, "I shouldn't have lied to you."
Kurenai opened her mouth.
After learning about Uchiha Ike's past, she was no longer angry.
I even feel a little sorry for them.
During what should have been the happiest childhood, he endured so much pain alone, like a flower blooming in the cracks of a stone wall, making it hard to be harsh on him.
"It's okay..." Kurenai Yuhi whispered.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... Can you forgive me?"
But Uchiha Ike seemed not to hear her, and kept bowing her head and apologizing, as if she wouldn't raise her head until she spoke.
It really is...
"I forgive you!" Kurenai Yuhi sighed, looking troubled.
Uchiha Ike then raised his head and looked at Yuhi Kurenai, who had an embarrassed expression.
"Thank you, Kurenai Yuhi-san. I'm relieved."
"What do you mean 'don't worry about'..." Kurenai covered her face somewhat embarrassedly, gently kicking away a pebble at her feet. "I already told you I'm not angry anymore."
Uchiha Ike smiled and nodded, but then a hint of unease appeared on his face.
"Kurenai, I have a request..." he said hesitantly, looking very conflicted.
Kurenai tilted her head, puzzled, and asked, "What?"
"Can you keep this a secret for me?" Uchiha Ike observed Kurenai Yuhi's expression and cautiously added, "Only you know about this."
For some reason, looking at Uchiha Ike's obviously easy-to-bully expression, Kurenai suddenly felt an urge to tease him.
A slight thought flickered in her heart, and a rare, playful smile appeared on her pretty face: "If you're going to keep it a secret, why did you tell me?"
"Because..." Uchiha Ike chuckled inwardly, but his expression remained fixed on Kurenai Yuhi's deep red eyes: "Because I don't want to lose you..."
"This friend."
Seeing Kurenai's originally calm expression gradually turn into helplessness, Uchiha Ike slowly uttered the second half of his sentence.