Naruto: I, Uchiha, Just Want to Die

Chapter 182: Become a Villain, Uchiha Ci!

"Excellent!"

In a shadowy corner, Orochimaru's lips curved into a cold smirk.

Now, everything was proceeding according to his plan.

As expected, Tsunade had misunderstood Uchiha Ci.

Next, he would continue to exploit this casually fabricated lie to manipulate Tsunade!

How could he possibly let Uchiha Ci die? Besides, it wasn't his doing that Uchiha Ci only had two years left to live.

This was entirely that brat's own doing!

In fact, Orochimaru was the one trying to save this disciple!

Orochimaru's sharp gaze locked onto Tsunade as he probed,

"If he continues to use this extreme regenerative forbidden technique, will that time shorten further?"

Tsunade furrowed her brows and coldly interrupted,

"Orochimaru, are you playing dumb?"

"This extreme regenerative ability has long since exhausted even the lifespan of this brat's next reincarnation!"

"Under normal circumstances, he should have died already."

"But this body you've modified has sealed off the last thread of life left within him. The price of using this extreme regeneration ability is none other than the artificial tailed beast you implanted in him, isn't it?"

"What audacity—to create such a monstrous body using forbidden techniques and taboo powers!"

"Orochimaru, you—"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, ignoring her accusations, and continued,

"I don't have time to listen to your scolding right now."

"Tsunade, you must understand—this is all for Konoha!"

"You wouldn't want the village your grandfather founded to be destroyed, would you?"

After a pause, Orochimaru pressed on,

"So, what you're saying is, his immortality has created an unbreakable 'death line,' one that can only be broken when his cells naturally reach the end of their life?"

Tsunade raised her brows in surprise and glared at Orochimaru.

"Isn't that obvious?"

At this moment, Uchiha Ci, who had been listening quietly, suddenly had a revelation.

No wonder he hadn't died yet, despite using the forbidden technique Body Revival, which drained his life force.

So that's the principle behind it!

This immediately reminded him of when he ventured into the Land of Hot Water, infiltrating the underground caverns of the Jashin Cult's fortress.

Back then, Shinnō, the leader of the sky ninja, had told him he had only three to seven years left to live.

Later, in his battles against Mangetsu Hōzuki and Hayato Tōgō, he recklessly used the technique again, disregarding his life.

That should have been the moment his lifespan came to an end.

But it was also at that time that he gained the Jashin Cult's "immortality."

So now, he was in a Schrödinger's death state—

He appeared dead but wasn't truly dead. His body contained no trace of life force, but the immortality granted by the Jashin Cult had locked in what remained of his burnt-out lifespan from Body Revival.

This flickering remnant of life was like a candle in the wind, only enough to sustain him for two years!

Now that this was clear, it marked a critical deadline for him:

Either he would conquer the Third Shinobi World War within two years and gather power that could overturn everything,

Or he would die in vain and "scam his way back home."

If he chose to scam his way back, he had to ensure that the story after his death wouldn't spiral into something worse than the original timeline. Accomplishing this would rely entirely on luck.

After all, the plot was already in shambles, and the future couldn't possibly follow the original story.

Two years wasn't enough to influence the course of ninja world history or guide the protagonist's growth. It seemed utterly unreliable.

If an Akatsuki-version Naruto or rogue Sasuke from Konoha emerged later, things could get chaotic!

So, there was only one path—battle!

There was no more time to waste playing political games in the village over who would become Konoha's second jinchūriki.

He needed to leave the village, fight, and challenge powerful enemies!

He had to walk the path of self-destruction without hesitation!

Yes, self-destruction was the way!

Understanding this, Uchiha Ci felt a surge of restlessness. He almost wanted to jump out of bed and do a couple of sets of morning calisthenics to calm his nerves.

At that moment, Orochimaru, after a moment of contemplation, hoarsely addressed Tsunade,

"Tsunade, I need your help!"

"The Third Shinobi World War won't end in two years. Within that time, we must find a way to extend this brat's life so he can continue to serve as Konoha's weapon until the war is over!"

He paused, his tone turning earnest,

"With my techniques and your medical expertise, if we open the doors to the forbidden, we're bound to find a solution!"

"After all, this is for Konoha..."

Tsunade's expression instantly darkened. She glared at Orochimaru with anger and shouted,

"Don't tell me you've resumed that experiment?!"

"Orochimaru!"

A sense of absurdity surged in her heart.

Of course, she knew exactly what Orochimaru meant—

The Wood Release experiments. To be precise, it was research on her late grandfather, Hashirama Senju's body, aimed at creating a second Wood Release user in Konoha!

Now, Orochimaru's words essentially meant he wanted her to help him dig up her grandfather for research?

This...

Orochimaru remained silent, effectively admitting it.

Tsunade cast a deep glance at Orochimaru. Her chest heaved before she coldly warned,

"Orochimaru!"

"I advise you to abandon this madness!"

"The old man has already forbidden this research! You're treading on a landmine, and one wrong step could send you plummeting into an abyss!"

She flicked her green gambling cloak, striding past Orochimaru. Her high-heeled sandals clicked against the floor, echoing her anger.

"Do as you wish!"

With that final warning, she slammed the door shut and stormed out.

Staring at the door that had just been shut with a bang, Uchiha Ci glanced at Orochimaru's grim expression. He shook his head and said,

"She was once your most trusted teammate, wasn't she?"

"Honestly, you don't have to go to such lengths for me, Orochimaru-sensei."

At these words, Orochimaru chuckled coldly, his golden snake-like eyes glinting as he replied,

"Do I look like I need advice from you, you foolish brat?!"

A sly grin soon spread across Orochimaru's face, his confidence radiating.

"The Third Hokage won't refuse, and neither will Tsunade," he declared.

"I trust them because they, like me, would do anything for Konoha."

He stepped out from the shadows and approached Uchiha Ci's bedside. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the hospital window, casting a warm glow on the master and disciple.

Orochimaru squinted his golden eyes, pressing a hand onto Uchiha Ci's unruly hair as he leaned down.

In a hoarse voice, he asked,

"So, Ci, do you understand what you must do?"

Uchiha Ci froze, thinking, What are you talking about?

What am I supposed to understand?

Seeing Uchiha Ci's confused expression, Orochimaru furrowed his brows.

"Are you an idiot?!"

"You must memorize every word of the lie I just crafted!"

"Because that lie will become the most genuine truth!"

Scratching his head, Uchiha Ci thought, Well, if Orochimaru is going to such lengths, he must have his reasons.

Orochimaru shook his head and decided to make himself clearer.

"Even though it's just Zero-Tails, it's still a tailed beast. Unless it's absolutely necessary, Konoha won't send you to the battlefield."

"Therefore, you need this lie!"

"You don't have much time left. Keeping you in the village would be a waste. Sending you to the most dangerous battlefields to achieve the greatest results is the best decision for Konoha's interests!"

"This will convince the higher-ups to let you leave the village!"

Orochimaru's face twisted into a mischievous grin as he stared intently at Uchiha Ci.

"For that, my dear disciple—"

"You must hide your righteousness and kindness. Suppress the steadfast Will of Fire that drives you to sacrifice yourself for others!"

"You must become a villain!"

"You must become a shameless, greedy, power-hungry Uchiha who makes devilish deals with me—"

"An evil Uchiha!"