Uchiha Dan ignored Tsunade's reaction. He lowered his head in self-mockery and continued, "But I'm at Konoha Hospital. Anbu Ninja are still Konoha shinobi, and Hiruzen Sarutobi has to consider the consequences. He probably wouldn't have them attack me in broad daylight."
"So they're waiting for me to leave the hospital. They'll make some kind of accident happen on my way home!"
"And I immediately figured out why Hiruzen Sarutobi had suddenly decided to go after me without any warning."
"Because my death would be better for the village!"
"Every Anbu Ninja is an elite of the village. Having four Anbu elites watch over one civilian is an enormous waste. It simply isn't worth it."
"Two years have passed since I was driven out of the Uchiha Clan. If I suddenly died in an accident now, nobody would care. Nobody would even notice."
"Desperate and restless, I did something."
"I took a poison Sunagakure had used before, then spent four hours racing against time to make an antidote. I happily shared it with everyone around me."
"I knew the people watching me would pass on the news, but I was more desperate than ever for it to reach the higher-ups as quickly as possible."
"Because I had no idea when the Anbu Ninja would bring down their blades on me."
"That day, I didn't go home after work. I stayed late and worked through the night."
"I was waiting for a chance to turn things around."
"And I prayed the higher-ups in Konoha would see my value because of what I'd done, and put their plans to eliminate me on hold."
"Early the next morning, someone suddenly told me to go to the Pharmaceutical Department. Utatane Koharu received me and gave me a poison."
"The first thing she said was, 'You evil Uchiha brat, you have four hours to make the latest antidote. Otherwise, you're dead.'"
"I did it. So, as you can see, I'm out of danger—for now."
"I naively thought that as long as I kept proving my worth, I could stay alive."
"That was when you showed up and suddenly challenged me."
"The instant I saw your astonishing talent, I panicked."
"Because I could see my future: if you ever beat me, it would mean I was no longer irreplaceable."
"Those people already wanted me dead. Would I have any chance of survival then?"
"So, night after night, I stayed up studying Medical Arts and Medical Ninjutsu, racking my brain over every detail. I just had to keep you from catching up so I could stay alive."
"At the same time, I couldn't understand why you kept coming after me. I'd never done anything to provoke you, had I? Why had you suddenly decided to send me to my death?"
Uchiha Dan grew more and more agitated, until he could no longer control himself. He glared at Tsunade.
"I..." Tsunade was already panicking. By now, she understood everything.
But Uchiha Dan continued. "After that first year of matches, I beat you again and again."
"But you didn't seem willing to let it go. You kept pushing yourself to challenge me."
"So I changed my strategy."
"I thought, if I became more and more unpleasant to you—if I insulted you, provoked you, put you down, deliberately got under your skin and hurt you—"
"Would you finally stop coming after me?"
"At the same time, I worked myself to the bone treating patients to build my reputation, hoping to give myself another layer of protection."
"But you still challenged me again and again, swearing you'd beat me."
"I really don't understand. What did I ever do to you, Tsunade? Why do you insist on driving me into a corner and leaving me no way out?"
"I beat you just to stay alive. What did I do wrong?"
"For all these years, I've worked myself to the bone studying Medical Ninjutsu, doing everything I could to keep you from surpassing me. Did you really think I was just trying to prove I was better?"
"I don't have the time or energy for that."
"To you, Tsunade, our matches were nothing but a silly little game."
"But to me, Uchiha Dan, every single one was a matter of life and death."
"If I lost, I'd die. Do you understand?"
Uchiha Dan practically shouted those last few words.
Tsunade could no longer say anything. The harsh words she'd sworn to say in her heart had long since vanished.
She truly hadn't expected any of this. She'd only wanted to compete with Uchiha Dan and beat him.
If she'd known that losing meant he would die, how could she have kept challenging him relentlessly for five years?
In fact, Uchiha Dan had been trying to avoid their matches for the past three years, using all sorts of methods.
He'd even conceded before a match, sometimes with a hint of sadness and helplessness in his voice.
And every time, it was Tsunade who used every trick she could to force Uchiha Dan to fight.
The worst time, Uchiha Dan had hidden at home and gone to bed to avoid her.
Tsunade had barged into his home, dragged him out of bed, and hauled him to the hospital for a match.
"Tsunade, Tsunade... You're Konoha's honored princess. How could you ever understand my pain?" Seeing Tsunade's expression change, Uchiha Dan pressed his advantage.
"Your status means you'll always stand above everyone else in the village."
"I'm different. The only reason the village lets me live is because of my value."
"As you slowly revealed your talent, and as I remained unable to cultivate Chakra, the gap between us in Medical Ninjutsu kept shrinking."
"In our forty-eighth match, you beat me. That was the first time you proved I wasn't irreplaceable."
"Then you insisted on working at the hospital and became a celebrated physician on my level. That was the second time you proved I wasn't irreplaceable."
"Now you've gone to the Pharmaceutical Department without even discussing it with me, and successfully developed a new medicine. That was the third time you proved I wasn't irreplaceable."
"Utatane Koharu was already at odds with me. How many times has she tried to kill me?"
"If she could, she wouldn't let me live another day."
"Now you, Tsunade, have suddenly announced to everyone that I, Uchiha Dan, have no value left, and that my being alive is a waste."
"So tell me, Tsunade: do I have any hope of staying alive?" Uchiha Dan laughed desperately, his emotions running wild, tears in his eyes. "The funniest thing is, you were the one who went to Utatane Koharu."
"In other words, you were the one who put the knife in her hand and begged her to kill me."
"These past four months, I really thought we'd become friends."
"Every time I studied Medical Ninjutsu with you, I felt happier than I ever had before."
"Little by little, I accepted you. I came to respect you."
"But you—why did you hurt me? Why would you do this to me?"
"Anyone could have hurt me. Why did it have to be you, Tsunade?"
"Do you hate me that much, Tsunade? Will you really not stop until you've destroyed me?"
"Say something! Why aren't you saying anything?" Uchiha Dan accused her like a madman. "I'm asking you a question. Why won't you answer?"
"Is it so hard to answer? Say something!"
"I'm not a shinobi. I'm just an ordinary civilian. I want time to care for my adoptive parents, and I have to look after my younger brother."
"I just want to stay alive. Is that too much to ask?"
Tsunade couldn't utter a single word. Tears had already spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.
Her body had gone completely rigid. It was as if countless boulders were weighing down her heart, trapping all her emotions with nowhere to go.
She'd thought Uchiha Dan had gone mad.
But Uchiha Dan wasn't mad.
She was the one who'd gone mad. It was her relentless pressure that had driven Uchiha Dan into this desperate situation.
Before you continue