In Year 50 of the Leaf, Minato Squad destroyed Kannabi Bridge, cutting off an important Iwagakure supply point and turning the tide of the war against Iwagakure in one fell swoop.
Thirteen-year-old Uchiha Obito died in that battle.
That same year, Uchiha Ryobu was exposed for conducting human experiments in secret and researching a Life Forbidden Technique. He defected!
Land of Grass, Kannabi Bridge.
In the dense forest, branches and leaves crisscrossed overhead. Three Anbu wearing animal masks darted through the dappled light like ghosts.
Their black uniforms swept over the thick branches of ancient trees. Shuriken shot after their target like flying swallows, slicing through the still forest air.
The person fleeing ahead wore black and had a lean build. A low hood concealed his face; the only visible clue was the Uchiha Gunbai crest on his back.
He moved nimbly. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he sensed the shuriken speeding toward him and dodged them with a few rolls.
The Anbu's icy voice rang out behind him.
"Uchiha Ryobu, you secretly researched Forbidden Techniques and killed your fellow villagers. You're now a missing-nin with a bounty on your head. Stop at once and surrender!"
Uchiha Ryobu gave a disdainful smile, then turned and stood on a tree branch.
The three Anbu immediately stopped, wary of making a move.
Rumor had it that Uchiha Ryobu suffered from Kekkei-genkai Illness and had remained a Chunin even after living for over thirty years. But the fact that he had escaped all the way from the Leaf to the Land of Grass proved the rumors false.
The Anbu had pursued him for a long time without success, all the while wary that he was hiding a Trump Card.
Ryobu suddenly sneered. "Killed my fellow villagers? The one I killed was Hiruko. He wasn't exactly a good guy. You should be thanking me for getting rid of a major threat to the Leaf."
The Anbu's voice was as sharp as a blade. "No excuses. We don't care what Hiruko was like. Killing a fellow villager is unforgivable."
"Come back with us. In light of all your years working at Leaf Hospital and your outstanding service, Hokage-sama will go easy on you."
Ryobu spat. "Outstanding service? If my service was so outstanding, why am I still a Chunin? It's because the Konoha High Command can't stand the Uchiha having any say in Leaf Hospital!"
"As for you three, you've been chasing me for three days and three nights. You're so persistent because you want to take my Immortality Technique back and claim credit, aren't you?"
The Anbu pointed at Ryobu and shouted, "That's a baseless accusation!"
Ryobu had no interest in arguing with the Anbu. "Hmph. Enough talk. I've resolved the problem with my body and broken one shackle for good. And you still want me to go back and let the Will of Fire shackle me again."
"How ridiculous!"
As Ryobu spoke, he began forming hand seals.
Rat—Ox—Dog—Horse—Monkey...
One of the Anbu, a specialist in Fire Release Ninjutsu, narrowed his eyes. He clearly recognized Ryobu's technique.
"Bad news! It's the Uchiha's advanced Fire Release, Great Fire Annihilation! Dodge!"
The other two Anbu immediately used Body Flicker to escape, though they were also confused.
"Isn't Great Fire Annihilation a B-rank Ninjutsu? Can a Chunin even use it?"
Generally speaking, B-rank Ninjutsu were meant for Jonin, but some especially capable Chunins with unique talents could use them.
Ryobu wasn't one of them.
"Exactly. Uchiha Ryobu's had Kekkei-genkai Illness since he was a child. He once developed a hand-seal-less Ninjutsu called Rasengan that caused a stir in the Leaf, but he's never used any of the Five Elemental Ninjutsu."
"Damn it, we've been tricked!"
Ryobu laughed, threw out a Smoke Bomb, and fled toward the other side of the mountain, trailing a long plume of smoke.
"You'll never catch me, because... I'm the Agile Dog of the Mountains!"
"Haha..."
"Damn it!"
The three Anbu were instantly furious. What a Slippery Uchiha.
Kannabi Bridge.
The once-grand bridge had become a simple suspension bridge that could fit only two people at a time.
Thick hemp ropes stretched from the Land of Grass at one end to the Land of Earth at the other, swaying slightly over the valley with a creaking groan.
Ryobu appeared near the bridgehead and looked at the humble suspension bridge that had replaced Kannabi Bridge, feeling strangely wistful.
He didn't know what he was wistful about. He just felt that way.
The Grass Village had probably built the new suspension bridge. After all, the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth still needed it for trade.
The Battle of Kannabi Bridge had produced two Sharingan heroes. One was Kakashi of the Sharingan, who was currently cutting down enemies on the Mist Village front.
The other was Uchiha Obito, whom the Anbu had confirmed dead. In reality, he was recuperating at Madara's hideout.
By this point in the Third Shinobi War, the Leaf had run out of people to send to the front. Even a Chunin like Obito had to shoulder the burden of battle.
Ryobu had only managed to defect from the Leaf despite being a mere Chunin because the village's defenses were weak. The gatekeeper was just an old man.
Ryobu searched for his contact by the bridge.
He hadn't come all the way to Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass on a whim. He had arranged to meet someone there well in advance.
He couldn't find them, and Ryobu started to panic. He decided to cross the bridge and ditch the package.
Suddenly, a hoarse, chilling voice like a venomous snake reached his ears. "Ryobu, my good old classmate, where do you think you're going?!"
Ryobu's pupils contracted, his eyes filling with utter disbelief. His body froze on instinct.
On the other end of Kannabi Bridge stood a pale-skinned man with long, straight black hair. He watched Ryobu with a sinister smile.
His golden eyes were full of malice, and a cold aura surrounded him. He was none other than Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.
Once he had regained his composure, Ryobu cursed loudly. "Orochimaru, you son of a bitch! You actually blocked my bridge! No wonder your whole family's dead!"
Don't hit a man in the crotch, and don't insult a man's parents.
Even Orochimaru's cold temperament couldn't withstand that. He gave a few chilly chuckles. "Ryobu, your tongue is as vicious as ever!"
"But I didn't come here to trade insults with you today. Hand over your Immortality Technique, and I'll spare your life!"
Ryobu spat at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, I bet you're the bastard who snitched on me. I saw you that night, all bundled up as you went to the Village Committee to report me."
"Damn it, your hands aren't clean either. I should've reported you first."
Ryobu and Hiruko had kept their research into Forbidden Techniques under wraps. Even the Uchiha Clan had no idea that their straight-laced-looking Ryobu was involved in such wild things.
Ryobu had been very careful after successfully developing the Forbidden Technique. He'd even silenced his partner. How had anyone found out?
Orochimaru was the first person Ryobu suspected. Danzo was the second.
If it wasn't those two Bad Bugs... then it had to be Madara Uchiha!
If those three were gone from the Ninja World, it would be at least half as peaceful.
And Obito?
Rin had asked Ryobu for help with Medical Ninjutsu the other day. Obito probably hadn't gone off the deep end yet.
Orochimaru gave another cold chuckle. He neither confirmed nor denied it, raising his hands into seals and preparing to use Technique Momentum at any moment.
But before he made his move, he still wanted to recruit Ryobu.
"Ryobu, I can feel the surging vitality in your body. Your Forbidden Technique worked."
"You've broken the taboo of life and death. You've gained immortality!"
"Our teacher was wrong about you, and so was the Uchiha Clan. I'm the only one who understands how much talent you've been hiding."
"Come, join me. We'll pursue immortality together and explore the Ultimate Mystery of Ninjutsu."
Ryobu nodded without hesitation. "Sure, Orochimaru, I'll join you. But give me a little something first. Toss me a few Forbidden Technique Scrolls."
"Heh..."
Orochimaru chuckled again. "Ryobu, you agreed so readily, just like when you used to lie as a child."
People like him were always the most cunning at school.
Orochimaru stopped wasting words.
Ryobu had cured his Kekkei-genkai Illness and regained his youth. Along with his Medical Ninjutsu and Rasengan, he could even fight a Jonin.
But... he was facing Orochimaru of the Sannin!
"Ryobu, give me everything!"
Orochimaru was about to use Body Flicker to seize Ryobu when two figures suddenly appeared beside him.
"Orochimaru, why aren't you at the front? What are you doing abandoning your post?"
"Orochimaru, how could you leave the village without the old man's permission?"
One figure wore gray Ninja Armor. She had blond hair, a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead, and a beautiful face like a peony in bloom. It was Tsunade.
The other wore an open green robe with black stripes. His white hair was tousled and unruly, giving him a carefree air. It was Jiraiya.
Their sudden appearance made Orochimaru pull back his hand. His expression darkened. He hadn't expected Tsunade and Jiraiya to show up here.
They were both supposed to be at the front.
Could it be that the teacher—
The three Sannin stood together, appearing as close as fellow disciples who shared an unspoken understanding. How much they were actually on guard against one another was another matter.
Across from them, Ryobu clutched his head, ready to jump off the bridge. The Leaf was taking him way too seriously. They'd sent all three Sannin to hunt him down?
Was it really worth deploying a nuclear weapon just to kick a stray dog on the roadside?
Ryobu shouted at them, furious. "Fine, fine, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade—you make a complete three-man squad."
"The Sannin have come to block my bridge. What can I even say? Come on, tell me what you want. I'll give you everything!"
Jiraiya turned to look at Ryobu across the bridge, his expression complicated.
"Ryobu, you've fallen!"
At this point, Ryobu could only hope that his contact was interested in his Forbidden Technique.
It was a technique for immortality and Youth Restoration. Ryobu didn't believe "he" wouldn't be tempted.
Ryobu slowly pulled back his hood. "Jiraiya, Tsunade, there's a war going on at the front. Do you two have nothing better to do?"
"Ryobu, you!!"
Jiraiya and Tsunade's pupils contracted, because Ryobu's face—
It was already dusk. The setting sun touched the mountains, and a few lazy rays of light drifted across the sky.
The man opposite them had neat black hair that fell to his shoulders, a high nose, and well-defined lips. Anyone who saw him would have called him a handsome young man.
No one would have connected him to that Evil Uchiha who conducted human experiments and dabbled in Forbidden Techniques.
But Ryobu was the same age as them, a middle-aged Ninja nearing forty.
Apart from his youthful face, the most conspicuous thing about Ryobu was his Forehead Protector.
It bore a slash, marking him as a missing-nin.
With a single slash, he had severed his bond with the Leaf and embarked on the path of opposing his homeland.
Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly, unable to restrain his greed for Ryobu's Forbidden Technique.
But then he suddenly paused. "Ryobu, that slash on your Forehead Protector is drawn on, isn't it?"
This sort of cunning went that far: he'd drawn the slash when pretending to be a missing-nin and wandering the Ninja World. When there was no slash, he'd pose as a Leaf Ninja and take missions from villagers, playing both sides.
Ryobu lowered his head. "Orochimaru, don't sweat the details. We're no longer comrades!"
Tsunade's eyes held a complicated emotion. "Ryobu, you've become younger, but are you still yourself?"
Ryobu looked at Tsunade, his eyes revealing a hint of bitterness. But in an instant, his expression firmed. "Tsunade, I've never changed. You just never saw me clearly."
"I've had Kidney Deficiency since I was a kid. The doctor said I wouldn't live past forty, but I refused to accept that. When you're out in the world, you should decide for yourself whether you live or die."
Jiraiya shouted, "So you researched Forbidden Techniques, harmed innocent people, and devoured their lives to make yourself stronger?"
"Haha..."
Ryobu burst out laughing. "Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, the blood on your hands outweighs the menstrual blood of the entire village."
"As for harming the innocent? Hiruko and I only targeted scumbags and degenerates. If there were any innocents, that was Hiruko's doing."
"I, Uchiha Ryobu, am innocent and pure. You won't slander me."
Tsunade tried to persuade him. "Ryobu, if your crimes really weren't that serious, as you say, then come back to the village with me. The old man will forgive you."
"Your contributions to the Leaf Medical System and all the Ninjas you've saved over the years are enough to atone for your crimes."
Ryobu gave a dejected smile. "There's no going back, Tsunade. After all these years, I've finally understood. No matter what I do, as long as I'm still an Uchiha, I'll never get ahead."
"Ryobu—"
Tsunade reached out, wanting to stop him.
Orochimaru sneered. "Tsunade, Ryobu isn't an idiot about love like Jiraiya. He's been lying to you all along. Do you know how he developed that Forbidden Technique of his?"
"..."
Tsunade lowered her head in silence.
Orochimaru continued, "Ryobu always wanted the medical records of your Senju Clan so he could cure his illness. His Forbidden Technique was developed by stealing your Ninjutsu records and combining them with Hiruko's Chimera Technique."
Tsunade looked at Ryobu, waiting to hear his answer.
Under Tsunade's questioning gaze, Ryobu nodded and told her the truth.
"That's right, Tsunade. My Forbidden Technique is Chimera: Plunder Regeneration. It works by stealing other people's cells to replenish my own. In short, it steals other people's lives."
Tsunade seemed to realize something. "Plunder Regeneration? Regeneration? Was that what the records stolen from my home were about?"
Ryobu nodded. "That's right. That day I accidentally went into your house, accidentally looked through your bookcase, and accidentally picked them up and forgot to put them back."
Strictly speaking, Ryobu didn't have Kekkei-genkai Illness. He had a Genetic Defect caused by close marriages in the previous generation, and he'd never awakened his Sharingan.
The Medical Ninjas had diagnosed Ryobu's problem as Kekkei-genkai Illness.
His physical condition had always been Ryobu's deepest insecurity. He'd dreamed of being healthy.
As for the technique...
Ryobu and Hiruko had developed the Chimera Technique together, but it was only the early 1.0 version, capable of stealing just one type of Kekkei Genkai.
Apart from Hashirama Cell, there wasn't a Kekkei Genkai that could solve Ryobu's physical problems.
So Ryobu set his sights on Tsunade's Forbidden Technique: Creation Rebirth.
The timeline was during the Third Shinobi War. Tsunade hadn't developed Creation Rebirth yet, but she'd already been thinking about it in her spare time.
Ryobu had his eye on her Ninjutsu records. After stealing them, he worked backward to derive Creation Rebirth, then combined it with the Chimera Technique to develop Plunder Regeneration. He stole the life of one scumbag and cured his own Kekkei-genkai Illness.
Tsunade swore at him. "You bastard! If you were going to steal my scrolls, why did you have to steal my underwear, too?"
Jiraiya joined in. "Ryobu, you're so selfish! You stole them and didn't even share them with your good friend?"
"Get lost!"
Tsunade hit Jiraiya with Monstrous Strength, and he went flying.
Orochimaru took a few steps back, putting some distance between himself and these lunatics. After all these years, he still thought Teacher Sarutobi should have chosen Liao Wu instead of him.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Liao Wu together looked more like fellow disciples from the same generation.
Liao Wu pulled up his hood to save a little face. Once it was on, he didn't even bother pretending anymore.
"Tsunade, I really do love you. But you know what my body's like. I stole it back, but I didn't even dare eat it."
"A doctor can't heal himself, and it's hard to save yourself while saving others. I want a healthy body so badly."
Jiraiya had rushed back. He said sternly, "Liao Wu, is this your excuse for going down the wrong path?"
Liao Wu shook his head and revealed the truth. "Jiraiya, I never went down the wrong path. This is who I've always been. Wanting a healthy body is just a means to an end. My real goal is—to become stronger!"
"I love Ninjutsu too much!"
"We were in the same year, but now you're the Sannin, famous and accomplished. And what about me?"
"Do you know how much I wanted to join you when you returned to the village in glory from the battlefield?"
"When I say I was in the same class as the Sannin, even Obito laughs at me."
"Don't look down on a poor boy, a poor middle-aged man, or a poor old man. I don't want to die only for grave robbers to complain that my tomb is poor!"
"..."
Jiraiya and Tsunade fell silent.
Orochimaru folded his arms and said nothing.
In Orochimaru's eyes, Liao Wu was a genius, whether for his wild ideas back in school or for the Rasengan he developed later.
But fate was cruel to the gifted. Beneath his astonishing talent was a frail, feeble body.
Liao Wu sighed. "There's nothing wrong with being a Chunin, really. So what if I'm an outcast? There are plenty of civilians in the Uchiha Clan. Besides, I'm a medical Ninja, so people respect me."
"The one I truly care about is you, Tsunade!"
Liao Wu pointed at Tsunade, his fingertip heavy with regret.
"Me?!"
Tsunade pointed at herself.
Liao Wu nodded. "That's right, Tsunade. As long as I bear the Uchiha name, we can never be together."
"The truth is, I didn't break my promise that day. The higher-ups suddenly forced me to the front lines and warned me not to tell you."
"The Senju Clan and even your teacher didn't want the blood of a Uchiha sinner staining the village's noble Princess."
Tsunade shouted in disbelief, "Impossible! My teacher and my clan would never interfere in my personal affairs."
Liao Wu replied, "You don't need to blame them. Given the Uchiha's standing in the village, who's to say I wasn't ordered by my clan to get close to you and improve our political standing?"
Tsunade shook her head. "No, you're not that kind of person."
Liao Wu couldn't help but tell her the truth. "Actually, I did accept a mission from my clan. They gave me a huge amount of money and said that if I married you, I'd become captain of the Police Force."
"My clan would also find a way to fix my health and help me awaken my eyes."
"They offered too much. I couldn't refuse!"
"Liao Wu—"
Tsunade was furious. She didn't know whether he was lying or telling the truth. He'd told too many lies already.
Liao Wu waved a hand. "All right, all right, don't be angry, Tsunade. My biggest regret where you're concerned is not stopping Nawaki the day he went to the front lines."
"He was the First Hokage's grandson. There were too many people who wanted him dead."
"Nawaki..."
Tsunade was struck in a tender spot. Her nails dug into her palm.
Liao Wu continued to bare his heart. "I'm sorry about Nawaki, but when it comes to Dan, I have to stand up for myself."
Tsunade looked puzzled. "Dan? What happened to Dan? Did you kill him?"
Liao Wu shook his head. "I'm not that capable. But I was afraid that pretty boy would steal you away, too. So whenever he came to the hospital, I was the one who treated him. I secretly gave him some impotence medicine and all sorts of weird treatments."
Dan Katō had been pursuing Tsunade. Political circumstances had kept Liao Wu from being with her, but he was selfish, too, and couldn't stand seeing anyone else with her.
Dan often suffered headaches from practicing the Spirit Transformation Technique, and no treatment seemed to help. So Liao Wu treated him with the heavy-handed methods of an old-time traditional doctor from his previous life.
He mixed in everything from Wu Ling Zhi (Dried Flying Squirrel Feces) to Live Tadpoles and Ren Zhong Huang.
Believe it or not, Dan's headaches really did go away—because Dan himself was gone.
Of course, Liao Wu hadn't killed him. Dan had simply been unlucky. He was a Jonin, and with the Second Shinobi War underway, he had no clan or backing. As the holder of the Forbidden Technique, the Spirit Transformation Technique, Dan was naturally worked to death by the higher-ups.
In the end, he died on a mission when his teammates failed to keep an eye on his body and it was ambushed.
Being a Ninja was a high-risk profession. Liao Wu not making it to forty wasn't exactly a tragedy; many people were sent to the front lines as cannon fodder straight out of the Ninja Academy.
The result was predictable: even the gate guards had to find some old man whose eyesight was failing.
When Liao Wu defected, it was the middle of the day, and he ran straight for the main gate. As he passed through, he handed the old man a pack of cigarettes. The old man grinned and didn't even bother to record his departure.
But back to the point: since Tsunade hadn't suffered the tragedy of losing Dan, she never experienced the second blow of his death, never developed Hemophobia, and never thought of leaving the village.
With Tsunade, the Medical Saint, in Leaf Village during the Third Shinobi War, the village could fight with much greater confidence.
In a way, it was a good thing Dan and Tsunade hadn't ended up together.
Liao Wu heard the wind stirring behind him and guessed the Anbu had caught up.
He played the emotional card. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, for old times' sake, let me get away this once!"
"If I can't get away this time, I'm really going to die!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya said nothing. Orochimaru stepped forward and blocked the bridge entrance.
Jiraiya followed close behind, and Tsunade steeled herself as well.
Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had been such close friends, yet Hashirama had still betrayed Madara for the sake of Leaf Village.
The village was a matter of principle; comrades were a bottom line. Anyone who harmed their fellow villagers was an enemy.
Liao Wu pushed back his hood and shouted at the Sannin, "Am I the only one in all of Leaf Village who practices Forbidden Techniques? Why do you keep chasing after your old classmate?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Three figures appeared not far behind Liao Wu. They were the Anbu who had been pursuing him earlier.
The three Anbu were disappointed to see the Sannin on the other side of the bridge. With all three of them here, they wouldn't be able to claim all the credit for recovering the immortality Forbidden Technique.
Still, they felt a little relieved. Uchiha Liao Wu was slippery; if he escaped, the three of them would be in serious trouble.
When the old men and women in Leaf Village heard about Liao Wu's Youth Restoration Forbidden Technique, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. They were dying to get their hands on it!
It wasn't only the Anbu of Leaf Village. Wind stirred in the forest as well.
A group of black-haired Ninjas in black outfits bearing the Red and White Fan Crest stood atop the trees. The newcomers were none other than Leaf Village's famous Uchiha Clan.
At their head stood a square-faced man with a stern expression, giving off an impression of composure and authority. He was Fugaku Uchiha, captain of the Uchiha Clan's Police Force.
After the Uchiha Clan, a group of masked Anbu Ninjas appeared. Their masks differed from the Anbu's animal masks, and were mostly black and dark gray.
They belonged to the Anbu Training Department, which was actually an independent secret unit controlled by Danzo—the Root.
The Uchiha Clan showed no fear at the sight of the Root Ninjas. If anything, they looked more provocative. As they raised their eyes, the scarlet Tomoe in their pupils began to spin.
They stared at the Root Ninjas as if they were prey.
Wind stirred elsewhere in the forest, too, though no one else dared show themselves like the Uchiha and Root had. They were probably cowards coveting the immortality Forbidden Technique but afraid of drawing the attention of the Anbu and Root.
Liao Wu had still underestimated how tempting immortality was to them.
What did the rich and powerful fear most?
Death!
Before you continue