Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 181: Orochimaru Hit by the Boomerang—Have I Become the Evil Uchiha?

Inside the conference room, the muffled laughter of a group of Uchiha members could be heard from outside.

Tsunade clenched her fists, standing silently in place, her anger so intense that even her "twin lights" seemed to tremble.

The other attendees glanced at the gaping hole in the floor in front of her and the smashed conference table. Their necks shrank slightly, and the room fell into an awkward silence.

After a long pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, awkwardly took a puff from his pipe, letting the smoke obscure his embarrassed expression. He then attempted to persuade her, saying,

"Tsunade, this is all for the sake of the village. Can you... just go along with it?"

"Didn't the Uchiha already pay compensation?"

"Fine, fine, fine."

Tsunade took a deep breath, her face darkening as her teeth clenched tightly. She managed to squeeze out a few words,

"Then I'll go and give that brat some 'proper treatment.'"

Hearing Tsunade's reluctant agreement, Hiruzen let out a sigh of relief.

However, sitting on the side, Orochimaru's expression changed sharply.

Why would the Uchiha fools send someone as proficient in medical ninjutsu as Tsunade to treat Uchiha Ci?

With that brat's rapid self-healing, wasn't this entirely unnecessary?

The moment Tsunade laid a hand on him, she'd figure out everything!

Thinking of Uchiha Ci's ridiculously resilient and durable body, his unyielding spirit resembling Hiruzen Sarutobi's "Will of Fire," and the striking resemblance to Tsunade's deceased lover, Dan Katō, and her younger brother, Nawaki, Orochimaru could only envision disaster.

A version of Nawaki that couldn't die? That's practically a "Tsunade magnet"!

If this troublesome woman came into contact with Uchiha Ci, it would spell chaos for Orochimaru's experiments—the cell transplantation, Curse Mark research, and Sage Mode trials—all endangered!

Damn it!

Orochimaru never expected that staying silent and keeping his head down wouldn't protect him from getting hit by this metaphorical boomerang.

Boom!

The thought jolted him to his feet. Orochimaru stood abruptly, his voice hoarse yet resolute:

"Tsunade, I'm going with you!"

There was no way he could let Tsunade discover that his student was just an overly passionate fool!

Uchiha Ci had to remain a greedy, arrogant, and evil Uchiha brat in her eyes!

---

Tsunade raised a delicate eyebrow at Orochimaru, surprised that he wanted to tag along. However, she didn't give it much thought and turned to leave the conference room, heading toward the Konoha Hospital.

Watching the two leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze softened. He felt a hint of relief seeing his disciple still maintaining a bond, mumbling to himself,

"Orochimaru seems to care quite a bit about this student."

"What kind of child is this Uchiha Ci?"

"Perhaps I should make time to meet him as well."

However, these words were overheard by Danzō Shimura, who had just sat down. His eyes widened in alarm as he glanced at Hiruzen, looking at him as if he were a chicken thief.

That damn monkey! Trying to snatch someone else's people again?

I won't let you get away with this!

---

Meanwhile, at Konoha Hospital

After Uchiha Ci collapsed from exhaustion, Uchiha Hachidai completely disregarded his prior instructions.

Unaware of Ci's self-healing abilities, Hachidai couldn't bear the sight of Ci's severe burns. He immediately called upon members of the Uchiha clan to send Ci to Konoha Hospital and summoned the best doctors in the village for treatment.

At this moment, Uchiha Ci slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he noticed was someone fiddling with his eyelids.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of a slender, fair hand with nails painted rose red. The hand belonged to a mature woman with blonde hair, a violet-blue diamond mark on her forehead, soft yellow brows, bright brown eyes, and pale red lips.

This was none other than Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin!

Tsunade furrowed her brows as she examined Ci through chakra contact, shaking her head slightly.

Her expression, coupled with her solemn gaze, resembled a doctor confronting a terminally ill patient.

Ci's heart skipped a beat with faint hope. Could something have finally gone wrong with his body, stuffed full of forbidden techniques? Was it on the verge of collapse? Could he actually fake his death and escape all this?

Unable to hold back, Ci asked,

"Doctor, what's wrong with me?"

Tsunade smirked, straightened up, and frowned slightly.

"Tsk, tsk..."

Ci widened his eyes slightly, eagerly anticipating the good news.

Tsunade's face remained expressionless as she delivered her unfinished sentence:

"If you'd come any later, your wounds would've healed themselves."

Ci blinked, his face instantly darkening in frustration. Only now did he realize this woman was messing with him!

Tsunade's smile widened.

"Luckily, I got here in time. So, kid, have you figured out how you're going to pay for Konoha's most expensive doctor?"

"Credit cards and cash are both accepted~!"

Ci's eyes shot open.

"How much?!"

Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. Just as she was about to lift her pale fingers to tease him further, a hoarse voice interrupted her.

"Enough, Tsunade. Stop playing."

"How is his condition?"

Ci turned toward the voice, spotting his dear teacher Orochimaru standing in the shadows of the room. Dressed in a black robe, his arms hung at his sides, and his golden snake-like eyes gleamed faintly.

Tsunade turned back, her frown cold as she snapped at Orochimaru,

"Did you teach him all this nonsense?"

"Teaching him things he can't handle—is that what a teacher should do?"

"Do you realize this child is on the brink of death?!"

Orochimaru replied calmly,

"I know."

"All I need to know is how much time he has left."

Tsunade's brows furrowed, and she glared at Orochimaru with rage.

"How could you become like this, Orochimaru?!"

"Experimenting with forbidden techniques, toying with lives—and now creating a short-lived human weapon!"

"Your methods grow darker by the day!"

"You—"

Before she could finish, Orochimaru coldly interrupted her,

"This is for Konoha!"

"When Iwagakure finishes its prolonged war with Kirigakure, Konoha will face a four-front conflict!"

"How is one village supposed to stand against the combined forces of the other great nations? Will you step up, Tsunade? Can you return to the battlefield or even the operating room?"

"Don't tell me you pity this evil Uchiha brat?"

Uchiha Ci blinked in confusion, baffled by the escalating argument.

Why are they dragging me into this? What on earth are you two talking about?!

Orochimaru's cold laughter broke the silence.

"Heh heh heh..."

Pointing to Ci, Orochimaru sneered at Tsunade,

"This is all his choice. Tsunade, do you really think this brat is some kind of saint?"

"Let me tell you—the battle reports are fake!"

"This brat is cold, ruthless, and has even killed his own teammates!"

"This is a greedy, arrogant, and evil Uchiha brat!"

"Chasing after power at any cost, he came to me. I granted him strength surpassing ordinary Uchiha, and he offered his life to fight for me, for Konoha. It's a fair trade, isn't it, Tsunade?"

"Any other questions?"

After finishing his speech, Orochimaru stared coldly at Tsunade, waiting for her response.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Ci lay there, utterly bewildered by Orochimaru's performance.

When did I become an evil Uchiha?

Cold-blooded, ruthless, betraying teammates—what?

Orochimaru, don't slander me like this out of nowhere!

Under Orochimaru's relentless barrage of lies, Tsunade fell silent.

War was cruel.

During the Second Shinobi World War, Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, accidentally fell into a pit filled with explosive tags and was killed in the explosion.

Not long after, during a mission with Mutsuki Kōtō and her lover, Dan Katō, Tsunade discovered the severely injured Dan, whose internal organs had been hollowed out. Despite her desperate efforts to save him, she failed, and his death left her in utter despair, wailing in hopelessness.

This traumatic series of events led to Tsunade developing hemophobia.

Orochimaru's questioning cut through her like a knife, forcing her to confront a past she desperately wanted to avoid. It also revealed a harsh truth:

Tsunade was no longer capable of returning to the battlefield as a strong shinobi.

What Orochimaru said, though Tsunade was unwilling to admit it, was the cruelest reality.

In the face of the four-way conflict engulfing the shinobi world, Orochimaru's proposal was a practical and effective way to protect Konoha.

After a long silence, Tsunade turned away weakly, as if unwilling to face Uchiha Ci. With a somber tone, she said:

"This child…"

"…has less than two years to live."