When the Uchiha people saw the Sannin, it was as if they'd spotted their stern father. They immediately shut off their Sharingan and pretended to be good citizens.
The Root members didn't dare interrupt the standoff between the Sannin and Liao Wu. That was the Sannin's standing.
Everyone shifted their gaze from the Sannin to Liao Wu, their eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and greed.
There was no faking Liao Wu's youthful face and healthy body. They were the greatest proof of his Immortality Forbidden Technique.
Who didn't want to live forever? Who didn't want to be young again?
Fugaku looked at Liao Wu with a wistful expression, but it soon hardened into resolve.
Liao Wu had a poor reputation among the Uchiha. After graduating, he hadn't reported to the Police Force. Instead, he'd gone to Leaf Hospital to study medicine.
There were also the bad rumors: he was already old, had no wife or children, couldn't awaken his Sharingan, and couldn't perform Ninjutsu.
His peers were already the village's Sannin or Jonin.
His reputation in the clan was poor, but in the village, it was good. The Ninja he'd saved all said he was heavy-handed with his medicine, but it worked.
Was a child pretending to be sick? Was an old person having trouble walking? He'd beat them once and find out.
On the day he was branded a rogue Ninja, patients who'd benefited from Liao Wu went to argue with the Third Hokage.
As for the rumors that Liao Wu had secretly lined his pockets at Leaf Hospital and sold fake medicine, Fugaku dismissed them as gossip.
To the Uchiha Clan, Liao Wu was clearly a key figure who could improve relations between the clan and the village. To Fugaku, he was also Mikoto's distant cousin.
Itachi also liked following his uncle Liao Wu around.
But now...
So what if he'd conducted Human Experiments? Which department in Leaf Village hadn't been involved in them?
The Anbu had to understand human anatomy to kill people, didn't they? The Medical Department needed to know the human body to treat internal injuries, and the Interrogation Department loved to skin its targets alive.
Liao Wu's Human Experiments were for studying the human body in connection with Ninjutsu. His only mistake was doing them without official authorization.
And immortality! That wasn't something you could just play around with!
As soon as the truth came out, the Uchiha Police Department had taken Liao Wu into custody, intending to make him commit seppuku in front of the village leadership.
But they hadn't expected Liao Wu to miraculously escape the Uchiha Jonin guarding him.
Fugaku Uchiha had rushed after Liao Wu with members of the Police Force.
Jiraiya stepped forward and continued where he'd left off. "Liao Wu, you said someone else in the village was conducting Human Experiments illegally. Who was it?"
Liao Wu looked at Orochimaru.
Jiraiya and Tsunade turned to look at him too, and everyone else present found themselves looking at Orochimaru as well.
The atmosphere was just like back when everyone wondered who Xu Zhu's father was, and they all turned to look at Duan Zhengchun.
That was the power of reputation!
With Orochimaru's cold, sinister aura, people would believe he'd just eaten someone.
Orochimaru replied calmly, "Liao Wu, you need evidence to make an accusation. Without evidence, it's slander."
Liao Wu really couldn't produce any evidence.
Orochimaru wouldn't be exposed for Human Experiments and research into Forbidden Techniques for another year or two, when he'd flee the village as a rogue Ninja. For now, he was still vying to become Fourth Hokage and keeping his secrets better than anyone.
Unable to produce evidence, Liao Wu could only ramble. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, I don't want to say more."
"With this kind of thing, those who know, know. I won't explain it to those who don't. There's too much at stake. Talking about it won't do either of us any good..."
"Enough!"
Tsunade gave a low shout and stomped hard on the ground. The rickety Kannabi Bridge shuddered violently.
Liao Wu jumped in fright and pointed at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, I'll make this clear right now. If you haven't become a rogue Ninja because of Human Experiments in a couple of years, then may my whole family die!"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Liao Wu, you don't have much of a family. I'll take that as a baseless accusation you made because you've run out of options. It doesn't count."
Orochimaru kept his expression neutral, but inside, his guard shot up. He thought he'd hidden his secrets well. How had Liao Wu seen through him?
Besides, him fleeing the village?
Ridiculous. It was still anyone's guess who'd win the Hokage Position. If he became Hokage, would he really end up like Liao Wu, a stray dog forced to flee?
To avoid complications, he had to capture Liao Wu as soon as possible.
"Orochimaru—"
Tsunade and Jiraiya were startled. Orochimaru seemed a little agitated. Could Liao Wu actually be telling the truth?
Orochimaru had done it too!
Orochimaru's body suddenly twisted and flowed like a snake as he charged across the suspension bridge. He moved like a ghost, reaching Liao Wu in the blink of an eye.
Liao Wu hurriedly called out, "Wait, Orochimaru! We can talk this out. We can talk!"
Orochimaru showed no sign of stopping. His charge was like a vengeful spirit bearing down on him.
Liao Wu snapped, "You bastard, Orochimaru! If you don't stop, I'll blow my own head off!"
Orochimaru stopped dead.
Liao Wu had stuffed an Explosive Tag into his mouth and formed a hand seal. One Tiger Seal was all it would take to blow his head apart.
Orochimaru didn't know whether Liao Wu had recorded the Forbidden Technique on a scroll. If he hadn't, then his Chimera Forbidden Technique was in his head.
Orochimaru wasn't the sort to lay down his life for the Will of Fire. Liao Wu's Immortality Technique meant a great deal to him, and he couldn't let anything happen to it.
Seeing that Orochimaru had backed down, Liao Wu felt a little relieved. But he didn't loosen his hand seal at all.
He was dancing on the edge of a knife. For all he knew, the Orochimaru in front of him was a clone, while the real one was hiding underground.
Ninja battles were all about deception! Everyone was more underhanded than the next!
"Orochimaru, I really have you under control!"
Liao Wu aimed his hand, shaped like the Tiger Seal, at Orochimaru as though it were a gun.
"Back off. Go to the other side of the bridge, or you won't get anything when my head blows up!"
"..."
Orochimaru sneered at Liao Wu and didn't move.
The Anbu and Root members all held their breath. Even the people hiding in the forest were on tenterhooks, afraid that one rash move from Orochimaru would make the Immortality Technique go up in smoke.
"Orochimaru, stay calm!"
"Orochimaru, don't do anything rash!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya called out to him. Only then did Orochimaru use Body Flicker to return to their side.
On a tree trunk across the way, a Uchiha member whispered to Fugaku, "Captain, should we...?"
The Police Force members lit up their Sharingan, signaling that they could use Illusion Techniques to control Liao Wu.
The Uchiha were also desperate to get their hands on Liao Wu's Forbidden Technique. It would clearly give them leverage in negotiations with the village leadership!
Fugaku shook his head. "Stay calm. The Sannin are here. We shouldn't make a rash move and create more trouble."
Liao Wu abruptly changed the subject and pointed at the Anbu and Root members behind him, who had their hands clasped around their Ninja Tool Pouches. "Anbu, Root dogs, all of you back off. I don't want to see you."
Neither the Anbu nor the Root members moved.
Jiraiya barked, "Fall back."
In an instant, the Anbu and Root members used Body Flicker to disappear into the forest.
Liao Wu turned to the Uchiha Clan and shouted, "Uchiha! I may never have awakened my Sharingan, but I know more about it than any of you."
"Close your eyes and turn around! If I catch even one of you looking, I'll kill myself right in front of you!"
The Police Force members looked to Fugaku, who nodded.
All the Uchiha Ninja turned around. They didn't dare look back, because...one more look and they'd explode!
Fugaku closed his eyes too. Given the situation, he had to forget all of Liao Wu's past contributions and keep the Uchiha out of this mess by cutting ties with him.
In front of the Sannin, Fugaku loudly berated Liao Wu. "Liao Wu, I knew you were hiding treacherous intentions. I never thought you'd dare harm your fellow villagers. You've brought shame upon the Uchiha name!"
"Before we came, the clan struck the Uchiha name from the Clan Registry. You're no longer one of us!"
Liao Wu was furious. "Great, Fugaku! That's rich, coming from you. I was the one who delivered Itachi, and you're still this heartless!"
Fugaku snapped, "Surrender at once and go commit seppuku in front of Hokage-sama!"
Liao Wu roared, "Fuck you, Fugaku! If I didn't have Kekkei-genkai Illness, would you have gotten Mikoto or the position of captain of the Uchiha Police Force?"
"Liao Wu, you—"
Fugaku froze, unsure whether Liao Wu was telling the truth. Did Liao Wu really have feelings for Mikoto, or was he simply trying to sever ties with the Uchiha?
Liao Wu and Mikoto were relatives, but distant ones—they were related three generations back.
When they were children, Liao Wu had no family to rely on, so Mikoto's parents had raised him. Mikoto called him big brother, and he'd always taken good care of her.
Sometimes, Fugaku even found himself jealous of their relationship.
Because of Liao Wu, Mikoto was clearly less submissive to Fugaku than a traditional Uchiha wife was expected to be to her husband.
Seeing that Liao Wu's attention was fixed on Fugaku, Orochimaru quietly used Body Flicker to charge forward.
Tsunade wanted to stop him, but held back. Liao Wu was already a rogue Ninja.
Liao Wu suddenly felt a cold presence behind him and panicked, but it was too late.
Orochimaru was too fast.
Just as Orochimaru was about to use Male Silver Entanglement to immobilize Liao Wu, his body suddenly seemed to lock up for a moment. Liao Wu seized the chance and flipped backward several times.
Then he hardened his expression and aimed his hand seal at his own head. "Orochimaru, you actually broke free of my control. There's no way we can settle this peacefully now."
"Apologize right now, or I'll punch my own head to pieces!"
"..."
Orochimaru took a step back and chuckled. "Liao Wu, there's no need to panic. I was only joking with you."
Liao Wu slowly backed away until he had nowhere left to go. Behind him was a cliff, and from below he could clearly hear the river raging through the valley.
Look at the mess this had become. How was he supposed to get out of it?
Liao Wu had no way of escaping the Sannin's pursuit. Heck, even shaking the Anbu and Root would be difficult.
He cursed that damned Madara Uchiha in his heart. Why hadn't he come to back him up yet?
That was right. Liao Wu had gone rogue and come to join him because of a secret letter from Madara.
"Young one, I am Madara Uchiha. I'm not dead. Bring your Forbidden Technique to Kannabi Bridge and help me regain my youth."
"When I return to my prime, I'll strike back at Leaf Village and take you in as my godson. Then you can have your pick of the beauties in Leaf Village."
That was more or less what the letter had promised. But when Liao Wu got there, he'd realized it was...a scam!
He should've given the Forbidden Technique to Orochimaru instead. At least Orochimaru might have protected him.
Liao Wu quietly glanced down into the valley. At this point, his only option was to jump off the cliff and try to survive.
But the Ninja weren't stupid. Even if Liao Wu died, they'd take his body away.
The Yamanaka Clan's Secret Techniques could uncover the information in your mind even after you were dead.
Suddenly, Liao Wu spotted a humanoid creature, white and shaped like a Pitcher Plant, hiding on the opposite cliff face.
It was well concealed, tucked into a spot that was hard to see. Unless you looked carefully, you wouldn't notice it at all.
Liao Wu was overjoyed. It was White Zetsu—and a Main Body White Zetsu, one of the higher-ranking ones. Madara's Seal Eunuch.
Great! Madara was nearby.
Liao Wu immediately found his confidence. He pointed at Orochimaru and spoke with the disdain of someone crushing dust underfoot. "Orochimaru, you've seized the moment to corner me in this endless abyss, but that's hardly a major calamity. Take one more step forward, and the heavens themselves will turn upside down!"
When Liao Wu still didn't make a move, Orochimaru cautiously edged forward. "Liao Wu, did you make that Explosive Tag yourself?"
There was a rumor in the village that, besides selling fake medicine, Liao Wu also sold fake tags.
Sometimes he sold them together, claiming that Talisman Water he'd chanted over could cure illnesses. He'd even say that Senju was dead and the Uchiha were in charge.
Liao Wu was so clever. Why would he kill himself?
Orochimaru wanted immortality just as much as anyone, and he feared death more than most. He believed Liao Wu was the same.
Seeing that Orochimaru seemed unafraid of his threat to blow himself up, Liao Wu hurriedly shouted, "Ancestor, save me!"
"..."
There was complete silence in the valley below Kannabi Bridge. The White Zetsu Liao Wu had seen earlier had disappeared, as if it had only been a hallucination caused by his agitation.
Damn it, the Uchiha had scammed him!
Liao Wu cursed inwardly.
He steeled himself, gathering Chakra in his fingers as he slowly joined his hands before his chest to form a seal.
"Orochimaru, let's gamble. Let's see if I made that Explosive Tag myself!"
Orochimaru stopped.
Tsunade and Jiraiya appeared beside him.
"Orochimaru, don't push him too hard. You should know the village leaders want Liao Wu's Forbidden Technique!"
Orochimaru grinned wickedly. "Of course. I'm sure the Daimyo has heard the news and is hurrying here too."
Jiraiya and Tsunade said nothing. Liao Wu's Forbidden Technique was an Evil Art. It worked by taking other people's lives as the price.
If the leadership of Leaf Village or the Land of Fire got their hands on it, the whole world would fall into chaos.
Liao Wu had always thought it was overkill for the Sannin to come after him. In truth, if their teacher, the Third Hokage, hadn't been holding them back, Danzo and all manner of other shady characters from the village would have come for him long ago.
Tsunade and Jiraiya had also been ordered by the Third Hokage to return from the front lines and deal with Liao Wu.
This matter had grown too serious for even the Hokage to keep under wraps.
If the news really reached the Daimyo, then—
Liao Wu kept forming the seal. What was he supposed to do now?
He tried to bargain. "Orochimaru, I'll cross the bridge first. I'll throw you half of the Forbidden Technique Scroll. Once I've made it out alive, I'll give you the other half."
Liao Wu took a scroll from his Ninja Tool Pouch. Everyone's eyes immediately fixed on it.
Liao Wu slowly backed away onto the bridge, then continued inching toward the other side.
But he still couldn't let his guard down. At this distance, it would only take one Body Flicker.
Liao Wu threw the scroll toward the forest on the other side. Everyone except Tsunade and Jiraiya immediately turned their gaze to follow its arc.
Orochimaru blurred into a shadow as he went after it.
With the Forbidden Technique right there and immortality within reach, some people couldn't resist their greed and leaped out to fight over it.
"Get out of my way! It's mine!"
Seeing the chaos break out across the bridge, Liao Wu turned around, ready to flee in a cloud of smoke.
But suddenly, a golden shadow shot through the air. A Kunai, wrapped in a chilling edge, pierced Liao Wu's heart in an instant.
"Minato—"
Tsunade and Jiraiya froze on the spot.
Liao Wu's eyes widened. He clutched his chest, trying to stop the bleeding, but no matter how hard he pressed, he couldn't.
"...Minato... What a Minato..."
"Minato, Liao Wu's Forbidden Technique is far too dangerous. The Daimyo's Mansion has already put pressure on me. Immortality?! Even this old man, over fifty years old, can't help but be tempted!"
"But the meaning of a person's life has never been in how long they live. It lies in creating something of lasting value with the time they have."
"Minato, I know Liao Wu taught you the Rasengan, and you've always felt indebted to him."
"But now we have to kill Liao Wu, destroy his Forbidden Technique, and put an end to everyone's wicked ambitions."
"Minato, Jiraiya and Tsunade care too much about their feelings. They won't be able to bring themselves to do it."
"Orochimaru acted on his own. I understand him less and less. I sent Tsunade and Jiraiya after him to keep an eye on him."
"Minato, I'm counting on you!"
Orochimaru drove off a pack of spineless cowards and opened Liao Wu's scroll, only to find a single line inside.
"Eat shit!"
"(╬Ò﹏Ó) Damn it, I've been fooled!"
Orochimaru turned around. His pupils shrank as he saw what was happening across from him. "Minato! No, Sensei, how could you be so cruel?"
His golden hair fluttered in the breeze. His Forehead Protector sat straight, and his blue eyes shone like stars. But even those dazzling eyes had dimmed.
"Senior Liao Wu, I'm sorry..."
Minato didn't dare meet Liao Wu's gaze.
Liao Wu felt the life draining from him. "...Minato, Monkey told you to do this, didn't he?"
"..."
Minato didn't answer.
Liao Wu gave a bitter smile, blood staining his lips. "...To face such temptation and still not give in... He really is a fine Hokage!"
Minato finally spoke. "Hokage-sama said that if he'd been able to withstand the pressure from the higher-ups back then and taken you as his student, things wouldn't have come to this."
Liao Wu slowly pushed himself upright. His legs were unsteady, and he could barely stand. Minato reached to help him, but Liao Wu raised a hand to refuse.
"Cough, cough... I've never regretted ending up here. That day, when I ran with all my might, I was so excited I cried. I finally broke free of that pathetic, fragile shell I used to be trapped in."
"...I just want to know which bastard reported me. I'll get him if I ever find him!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya appeared beside Minato. Tsunade tried to step forward and use Medical Ninjutsu to stop Liao Wu's bleeding, but Jiraiya held her back.
Orochimaru appeared shortly after. Tsunade and Jiraiya subtly positioned themselves in front of him.
Orochimaru's expression darkened, but he hadn't lost his temper. There was still a chance. Even if Liao Wu was dead, his head was still intact. With the head, he could extract the Forbidden Technique of immortality.
But these two in front of him?!
When had Sensei started suspecting him?
Had he been too eager this time?
But, Sensei—I hope you can still understand me. I want immortality so badly!
Liao Wu looked up at the setting sun, his expression forlorn. "Green hills, setting sun, autumn moons and spring breezes... Truly, one's hair can turn white between dawn and dusk, and all the struggles and victories amount to nothing."
The people behind him did nothing, watching in silence as Liao Wu faded away. Orochimaru tensed, ready to seize his body.
I only need the head! Soul juice, pour it on!
"Hahaha..."
"In my next life... I'll still be a fiend!"
Liao Wu laughed with all his remaining strength, then fell toward the cliff beneath Kannabi Bridge, his hands forming the Tiger Seal.
"Explode!"
"No—"
Of all the Leaf Village pursuers, only Orochimaru followed him in death.
In the Leaf Village, Uchiha Mikoto was washing dishes when a sudden pang twisted at her heart.
"Brother! No, it can't be. Fugaku promised he'd bring you back."
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Uchiha Itachi ran over, looking worried.
Mikoto regained the composure of a household matriarch and patted Itachi's head. "It's nothing, Itachi."
Itachi hesitated, but finally asked, "Mom, everyone in the village says Uncle killed one of our own and became a rogue ninja. Is it true?"
"..."
Mikoto fell silent, then hugged Itachi. "It's not true. None of it is true. Your uncle is an honorable man, the kindest Ninja in the whole village."
Itachi wasn't a three-year-old anymore. He was four. He'd been to the battlefield and cut people down—he was a hardened veteran.
But he didn't say that. His mother was holding him and sobbing.
She was hurting more than anyone!
Uncle—
Leaf Hokage's Office.
An Anbu reported to the Third Hokage, "Hokage-sama, we've completed the investigation. Hiruko turned his back on the way of the Ninja many years ago and has been secretly studying Evil Arts."
"As for why Uchiha Liao Wu killed him, perhaps it was to claim the Forbidden Technique for himself. During their partnership, Hiruko was the one in control."
The Third Hokage hadn't let go of the tobacco pipe in his hand. He nodded. "Understood. Leave the report and go."
"Yes!"
The Third Hokage gazed in the direction of Kannabi Bridge and took a long drag on his pipe.
He'd told Minato a small lie earlier.
Even if he could go back in time, the Third Hokage still wouldn't take Liao Wu as his student. Back when Liao Wu was at the Ninja Academy, the Third Hokage had already seen the thick ambition in his eyes.
It was the look of someone who thought, He can be replaced!
Once, as Liao Wu was leaving the office, the Third Hokage called out to him. Liao Wu had turned his neck a full 180 degrees.
The gaze of a hawk, the bearing of a wolf!
The Third Hokage had been so startled that he dropped his pipe.
As it turned out, he'd been right. Liao Wu had been hiding his ambition well.
"A pity, Liao Wu! If only you weren't an Uchiha..."
"Alas..."
With a bang, the door to the Hokage's Office was shoved open.
"Hiruzen, why did you recall Minato Namikaze from the front lines?"
Kannabi Bridge.
The sun had already set. Liao Wu had been blown apart, and his Holy Relic had fallen into the great river below Kannabi Bridge. Only Orochimaru had gone after him. Everyone else had returned, hearts heavy with regret.
Who could've imagined things would end like this? The Third Hokage was as ruthless as ever, snuffing out all the undercurrents in the village with one move.
Did he really have no desire for immortality at all? Even if he didn't, this Forbidden Technique could've been used to bargain with the leaders of the village's major factions and the Daimyo's Mansion.
With no other choice, they could only put their troubled feelings aside and leave.
Minato, Jiraiya, and Tsunade set up a cenotaph for Liao Wu beside Kannabi Bridge.
Liao Wu's contributions to the Leaf Medical System should have earned him a place in the Hero's Cemetery, but he was now a rogue ninja.
Even a Ninja like White Fang hadn't been allowed into the Hero's Cemetery because of public opinion. A rogue ninja, someone the villagers would curse, stood no chance.
Minato stood before Liao Wu's gravestone, silent for a long time.
Minato had been too late once before, in the Land of Grass. He hadn't saved Obito. But now, he'd managed to get to Liao Wu before he could defect.
Did Flying Thunder God only work on people he knew?
Jiraiya patted Minato on the shoulder. "Minato, don't blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. The one at fault was..."
"Alas... Liao Wu must have known this day would come when he started researching the Forbidden Technique."
Jiraiya had probably been one of the people in the village closest to Liao Wu. They'd been kindred spirits since childhood. They both liked Tsunade, and they'd both wanted to win her over.
Unfortunately, Jiraiya didn't have the looks, and Liao Wu was an Uchiha.
Jiraiya hadn't come from the front lines just because of the Third Hokage's orders. He'd also come out of concern for Liao Wu.
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade standing silently nearby. She must have felt the same way.
Jiraiya had a secret crush on Tsunade, but he couldn't match an Uchiha's handsome face.
Tsunade and Liao Wu had feelings for each other, but for one reason or another, they'd never ended up together.
Alas... fate really knew how to play cruel tricks!
Before you continue