This Uchiha is way too Cautious

Chapter 95: Please Stay

Uchiha Kei moved swiftly, and it didn't take long before he arrived at his destination.

It must be said that the location Uchiha Kei had chosen was excellent. The relationship between the Uchiha clan and the ordinary villagers was not good, so this forest near the Uchiha family's residence was rarely visited by anyone.

Especially in the dead of night, with the Uchiha clan under martial law, there was no way anyone would dare to come close.

When Uchiha Kei arrived at his secret training room, he didn't immediately enter. Instead, he carefully observed the surroundings and the traps he had set up.

After a thorough inspection, Uchiha Kei let out a small sigh of relief. On his way here, he had felt like he was being followed.

This sensation made him uneasy. However, he hadn't noticed anyone tailing him along the way, so Uchiha Kei decided to proceed as usual.

Of course, Uchiha Kei had also left some traps behind, such as deliberately leaving the door to the underground lab open, hoping to lure someone in.

Ninjas were trained to gather information, and if Uchiha Kei left such an obvious opening, there was a high chance someone would try to investigate.

Once someone was drawn in, Uchiha Kei wouldn't hesitate to eliminate them. His secrets could not be exposed—not by Anbu members, and certainly not by anyone from the Uchiha clan.

"I hope I'm just being overly sensitive," Uchiha Kei muttered to himself, then opened the door to the underground training room.

Unfortunately, his intuition wasn't wrong. As soon as he stepped into the underground room, not long after, someone dressed in a black combat suit and wearing a mask arrived at the location.

The masked figure stood silently, observing the underground structure hidden in the forest. He frowned slightly as a pleasant scent reached his nose.

He didn't make a sound, but the open door confused him. Was Uchiha Kei trying to air out the place, or had he noticed the intrusion and was deliberately luring him in?

Regardless, the masked figure wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away. He was furious and determined to get to the bottom of everything.

Without a word, he walked toward the underground entrance. The foul stench grew thicker as he approached, but the masked figure didn't seem bothered by it at all.

Quietly stepping onto the stairs, the masked figure descended. The underground space was dimly lit and very simple, making it nearly impossible to see anything clearly for an ordinary person.

However, the masked figure wasn't just anyone—nothing in this environment could hinder his sight.

He quickly scanned the area and didn't see Uchiha Kei, but his eyes fell upon Uchiha Yuu, who was curled up in the corner, bound and barely alive.

The sight made the masked figure even angrier. Uchiha Yuu wasn't dead, but his condition was dire. Though his limbs were wrapped in bandages, it didn't reassure him.

"Raikiri!"

At that moment, the masked figure suddenly felt a blade slicing through the air, charged with lightning-infused chakra, rushing toward him.

Clearly, this was the work of Uchiha Kei. He had deliberately opened the underground door to release the foul stench, creating confusion and luring those who suspected him.

The underground room was dim, and any ordinary person entering would struggle to see. This was also when people were most alert.

Although the chances of a surprise attack were high, Uchiha Kei didn't act immediately. Clearly, he was trying to make his opponent let their guard down.

If it had been any ordinary person, after adjusting to the lighting in the underground space and finding Uchiha Yuu, their focus would likely be on him.

Moreover, Uchiha Kei had refrained from taking action earlier, which could create a subtle psychological effect.

At this moment, launching an attack would catch the opponent completely off guard. Even if they were somewhat prepared, they would be nowhere near as focused as they would have been earlier.

The masked figure quickly analyzed everything in his mind. He couldn't help but admit that Uchiha Kei was indeed highly skilled. However, the more exceptional Kei was, the angrier the masked figure became.

With a swift side-step, the masked figure dodged Uchiha Kei's surprise attack. In the next instant, a kunai appeared in his hand, and he thrust it fiercely at Uchiha Kei's arm.

Uchiha Kei was slightly surprised that the kunai had been avoided, as most Jōnin would not have been able to dodge such a surprise attack. Even if they did manage to avoid it, they wouldn't have been able to retaliate so fiercely!

However, Uchiha Kei remained calm. The kunai came at him with great speed, but Kei had already seen its trajectory.

Just as the kunai was about to strike, Uchiha Kei nimbly lowered his body and grabbed the masked figure's arm.

In an instant, Uchiha Kei's left hand sparked with silver lightning. While he hadn't fully developed the Chidori yet, the proximity was close enough to use the electrical charge to incapacitate the masked figure.

The masked figure realized what was happening, so he quickly raised his left hand, his index and middle fingers extending, channeling chakra through his body.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

In the blink of an eye, the Fire Style jutsu was unleashed. Uchiha Kei, already releasing the masked figure's right arm, swiftly dodged, and the masked figure gave chase.

The underground space was too cramped for either Uchiha Kei or the masked figure to fully utilize their abilities. Neither wanted to risk injuring Uchiha Yuu, who was still in the room, so they carefully avoided damaging the surroundings.

"Why are you doing this?"

From above, hidden in the forest, the masked figure asked coldly, "Do you have a personal vendetta against him? Even if that's the case, you don't need to harm your own kin like this."

"You're also from the Uchiha clan, aren't you?"

Uchiha Kei inhaled deeply as he stared at the masked figure before letting out a cold smile. "No wonder you were able to dodge my surprise attack and read my movements. I'm curious to know who you are. But, do I really need to explain myself to you?"

The masked figure was indeed from the Uchiha clan, as Uchiha Kei had already noticed the blood-red Sharingan hidden beneath the mask.

But Kei had no idea who this person was. The figure's voice had clearly been altered through some special technique, and his attire was very ordinary, lacking any distinctive markings. The mask concealed his face, making it impossible for Kei to guess his identity.

However, no matter who this person was, he was clearly an enemy to Uchiha Kei.

"Who I am is not important. You can think of me as a guardian of the Uchiha clan," the masked figure's voice was as cold and composed as Uchiha Kei's. "What you've done is unforgivable, Uchiha Kei. Turn back now. You might still have a chance to redeem yourself."

"Is that so?" Uchiha Kei shook his head. "I don't have time to waste on this. Is it just you?"

"Just me," the masked figure nodded. "Consider this your last warning. Turn back."

"I don't think there's a path for me to turn back," Uchiha Kei took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I'm doing this for myself, so—"

"Please stay."

---

Note: Cold smile: A smile filled with contempt, sarcasm, helplessness, or frustration. It's not a genuine smile but an expression of disagreement or disdain toward another's viewpoint.

The Uchiha clan is known for their maniacal laughter. It seems adding a cold-faced smirker wouldn't hurt, especially since the protagonist isn't much of a laugher.