PUA Tsunade, Changing Plans

Uchiha Dan ignored Tsunade's reaction, lowering his head with self-mockery as he continued, "It's just that I'm at Konoha Hospital. Anbu Ninja are Konoha ninja, after all. Hiruzen Sarutobi, considering the implications, wouldn't likely let them attack me in broad daylight."

"So they're waiting for me to leave the hospital, on my way home, to cause some accident or something!"

"Moreover, I immediately understood why Hiruzen Sarutobi would suddenly move against me without any warning."

"It's because my death would better serve the village's interests!"

"Every Anbu ninja is an elite of the village. It's an extreme waste to have four Anbu elites monitor a single civilian; it's simply not worth it."

"It's been two years since I was expelled from the Uchiha Clan anyway. If I suddenly died accidentally now, no one would care, no one would pay attention."

"Restless, I did something."

"I took out a poison that Sunagakure had once used and spent four hours, racing against time, to create an antidote, which I happily shared with everyone around me."

"I knew that the people monitoring me would pass the message along, but at that moment, I desperately hoped it would reach the higher-ups faster and faster."

"Because I had no idea when the Anbu ninja's blade would fall upon me."

"That day, I didn't go home after work. Instead, I chose to work overtime all night."

"I was waiting, waiting for a turning point."

"And praying that Konoha's higher-ups would see my value through this matter and postpone their plan to eliminate me."

"Early the next morning, someone suddenly notified me to go to the Pharmaceutical Department. Utatane Koharu met me and gave me a poison."

"The first thing she said was, 'Evil Uchiha brat, you have four hours to prepare the latest antidote, or you will surely die.'"

"I succeeded, so as you can see, I've temporarily escaped danger."

"I naively thought that as long as I continued to demonstrate my value, I could keep living."

"It was then that you appeared, suddenly wanting to challenge me."

"The moment I saw your astonishing talent, I panicked."

"Because I seemed to see my own future: if one day you beat me, it would mean I was no longer irreplaceable."

"Those guys already wanted me gone. Would I still have a way to live then?"

"So for countless nights, I stayed up researching medicine, researching Medical Ninjutsu, racking my brain for every possible way, just so I wouldn't be caught up by you. That way, I could continue to live."

"At the same time, I was also very puzzled. Why did you insist on pursuing me? I don't think I ever provoked you. Why did you suddenly want to send me to my death?"

Uchiha Dan's emotions grew increasingly agitated, reaching a point of no control. He glared fiercely at Tsunade.

"I..." Hearing this, Tsunade's heart was already in turmoil, and she understood everything.

Uchiha Dan continued, "After the first year of competitions, I defeated you again and again."

"But you didn't seem to intend to let me go. You gathered all your strength to keep challenging me."

"So I changed my strategy."

"I thought to myself, if I become more and more impolite to you, if I start scolding you, provoking you, belittling you, deliberately angering you, deliberately hurting you."

"Would you stop coming to find me?"

"At the same time, I desperately treated patients to increase my reputation, hoping to add another layer of protection for myself."

"But you still came to challenge me again and again, vowing to defeat me."

"I'm truly baffled. Where did I offend you, Tsunade, that you had to push me to my death, to relentlessly pursue me?"

"I beat you just to survive. What did I do wrong?"

"For so many years, I've desperately researched Medical Ninjutsu, desperately tried to prevent you from surpassing me. Do you really think I was just competing with you out of spite?"

"I don't have that kind of leisure."

"The competition between us, for you Tsunade, was just a boring little game."

"But for me, Uchiha Dan, it was a life-or-death situation every single time."

"If I lost, I would die. Do you know that?"

The last few words were almost a roar from Uchiha Dan.

Tsunade, at this moment, could no longer speak. The harsh words she had vowed in her heart had long since vanished.

She truly hadn't expected all of this. She had genuinely just wanted to compete with Uchiha Dan and win.

If she had known from the start that Uchiha Dan would die if he lost, how could she have relentlessly pursued him for five years, forcing him to fight?

In fact, starting three years ago, Uchiha Dan had been trying to evade the matches, using many methods.

He even voluntarily surrendered before some matches, his tone occasionally carrying a hint of melancholy and helplessness.

It was Tsunade who, every time, used all sorts of means to force Uchiha Dan to fight.

On one particularly outrageous occasion, Uchiha Dan hid at home, sleeping, to avoid her.

As a result, Tsunade broke into his house, dragged him out of his futon, and forced him to the hospital for a match.

"Tsunade, oh Tsunade, you are Konoha's noble princess. How could you possibly understand my suffering?" Uchiha Dan continued, sensing Tsunade's expression change.

"Your status dictates that you are high and mighty in the village."

"I'm different. The only reason the village lets me live is because of my value."

"As you slowly showed your talent, and as I was unable to cultivate Chakra, the gap between us in Medical Ninjutsu grew smaller and smaller."

"You beat me in our 48th spar, proving for the first time that I wasn't irreplaceable."

"Then you insisted on working at the hospital, becoming a renowned doctor alongside me, proving for the second time that I wasn't irreplaceable."

"Now, you went to the Pharmaceutical Department without consulting me and successfully developed a new drug, proving for the third time that I wasn't irreplaceable."

"Utatane Koharu had already fallen out with me; how many times has she tried to kill me?"

"If she could, she wouldn't even let me live another day."

"Now you, Tsunade, suddenly announce to everyone that I, Uchiha Dan, am no longer valuable and that living is a waste. So Tsunade, tell me, do I still have hope of surviving?" Uchiha Dan laughed despairingly in his emotional outburst, tears welling up as he said, "The funniest part is that you, Tsunade, took the initiative to go to Utatane Koharu."

"In other words, you, Tsunade, handed her the knife yourself and begged her to kill me."

"For these past four months, I truly thought we had become friends."

"Every time I researched Medical Ninjutsu with you, I felt an unprecedented joy."

"I slowly accepted you, I recognized you."

"But why did you betray me? Why would you betray me like this?"

"Anyone could betray me, why did it have to be you, Tsunade, in the end?"

"Do you, Tsunade, hate me this much? Will you not rest until you've completely destroyed me?"

"Speak, why aren't you saying anything?" Uchiha Dan accused like a madman, "I'm asking you a question, why aren't you answering?"

"Is it that hard to answer? Speak!"

"I'm not a ninja, I'm just a commoner. I want to have time to be filial to my adoptive parents, and I have to take care of my younger brother."

"I just want to live, is that too much to ask?"

Tsunade, however, couldn't utter a single word at this moment. Tears had already streamed uncontrollably down her face.

Her body was completely unable to move, her heart felt as if it were blocked by countless giant stones, all her emotions trapped inside with nowhere to go.

She had initially thought Uchiha Dan had gone mad.

But it turned out Uchiha Dan wasn't mad.

She was the one who had gone mad. It was her constant pressure, her actions that had brought Uchiha Dan to this desperate situation.