Uchiha Dan ignored Tsunade's reaction, lowering his head in self-mockery and continuing, "It's just that I'm in Konoha Hospital, and ANBU Ninja are, after all, Konoha Ninja. Hiruzen Sarutobi, considering the implications, is unlikely to let them act against me in broad daylight."
"So they're waiting for me to leave the Hospital, to create some 'accident' on my way home!"
"And I immediately understood why Hiruzen Sarutobi would suddenly move against me without any warning."
"Because my death aligns better with the Village's interests!"
"Every ANBU Ninja is an elite of the Village. Four elite Anbu watching a civilian is an extreme waste and simply not worth it."
"Anyway, two years have passed since I was expelled from the Uchiha Clan. If I suddenly died an 'accidental' death now, no one would care, no one would mind."
"Feeling restless, I did something."
"I took out a poison that Hidden Sand Village had once used and spent four hours, racing against time, to create an antidote. Then I happily shared it with everyone around me."
"I knew the people monitoring me would relay the message, but at that moment, I desperately wished for this matter to reach the higher-ups faster, even faster."
"Because I had no idea when the ANBU Ninja's blade would fall upon me."
"That day, after work, I didn't go home. Instead, I chose to work overtime through the night."
"I was waiting, waiting for a turning point."
"And praying that Konoha's higher-ups would see my value because of this incident and suspend their intention to eliminate me."
"Early the next morning, someone suddenly informed me to go to the Pharmaceutical Department. Utatane Koharu met with me and gave me a poison."
"Her first words were, 'Evil Uchiha brat, you must prepare the latest antidote within four hours, or you will surely die.'"
"I did it, so as you can see, I'm temporarily out of danger."
"I naively thought that as long as I continued to demonstrate my value, I could keep living."
"Then you appeared, suddenly wanting to challenge me."
"The moment I saw your astonishing talent, I panicked."
"Because I seemed to see my own future: that if one day you defeated me, it would mean I was no longer an irreplaceable existence."
"Those guys already wanted to get rid of me. Would I still have a way to live then?"
"So, for countless nights, I stayed up researching medical techniques, researching Medical Ninjutsu, racking my brains for one reason: to not be surpassed by you, so I could continue to live."
"At the same time, I was also particularly puzzled: why did you insist on hounding me? I don't think I ever provoked you, did I? Why did you suddenly want to send me to my death?"
Uchiha Dan's emotions grew more and more agitated, reaching an uncontrollable point, as he stared intently at Tsunade.
"I..." Tsunade, hearing this, had already panicked internally and understood everything.
Uchiha Dan, however, 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 were determined to keep challenging me."
"So I changed my strategy."
"I thought to myself, what if I became increasingly rude to you, started cursing you, mocking you, belittling you, deliberately angering you, deliberately hurting you?"
"Would you then stop coming to find me?"
"At the same time, I desperately treated patients to raise 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 puzzled. How exactly did I offend you, Tsunade, that you must force me to my death, pursuing me relentlessly?"
"I defeated you only to survive. What did I do wrong?"
"All these years, I've desperately researched Medical Ninjutsu, desperately tried not to let you surpass me. Do you really think I was competing with you for dominance?"
"I don't have that kind of leisure."
"The competitions between us, for you, Tsunade, were just boring little games."
"But for me, Uchiha Dan, every single one was a life-or-death situation."
"If I lost, I would die, do you understand?"
The last few words, Uchiha Dan practically screamed.
And Tsunade, at this moment, could no longer speak. The harsh words she had sworn in her heart earlier had long since vanished.
She truly hadn't expected any of this. She had genuinely only wanted to compete with Uchiha Dan and defeat him.
If she had known earlier that Uchiha Dan would die if he lost, how could she have relentlessly pushed him to fight for five years?
In fact, starting three years ago, Uchiha Dan had been trying to avoid the matches, using many different methods.
He even proactively conceded before matches, his tone occasionally carrying a hint of melancholy and helplessness.
It was she, Tsunade, who every time used various means to force Uchiha Dan to fight.
The most outrageous time, Uchiha Dan, to avoid her, stayed home sleeping.
As a result, she, Tsunade, burst into his home, dragged him out of bed, and escorted him to the Hospital for a match.
"Tsunade, oh Tsunade, you are the noble princess of Konoha. How could you ever understand my pain?" Sensing Tsunade's change in expression, Uchiha Dan continued to press his point.
"Your status dictates that you are high above everyone else in the Village."
"I am different. The only reason the Village lets me live is because of my value."
"As you slowly demonstrated your talent, and as I couldn't cultivate Chakra, the gap between us in Medical Ninjutsu became smaller and smaller."
"The 48th match, you defeated me, proving for the first time that I wasn't irreplaceable."
"Then you insisted on coming to work at the Hospital, becoming a renowned Ninja on par with me, proving for the second time that I wasn't irreplaceable."
"Now, you've gone to the Pharmaceutical Department without consulting me and successfully developed a new medicine, proving for the third time that I'm not irreplaceable."
"Utatane Koharu has already fallen out with me. How many times has she wanted to kill me?"
"If she could, she wouldn't even want me to live one more day."
"Now, you, Tsunade, suddenly announced to everyone that I, Uchiha Dan, am no longer valuable, and living is a waste."
"So, Tsunade, tell me, do I still have hope of surviving?" Uchiha Dan, overcome with emotion, laughed despairingly, tears in his eyes, "The most ironic thing is that you, Tsunade, proactively sought out Utatane Koharu."
"In other words, you, Tsunade, proactively handed her the knife, begging 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, acknowledged you."
"But you, why did you harm me? Why did you harm me so much?"
"Anyone could harm me, but why was it you, Tsunade, in the end?"
"Do you, Tsunade, hate me that much? Will you truly not rest until you've destroyed me?"
"Speak! Why aren't you speaking?" 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 common person. I want to have time to be filial to my adoptive parents. I also have to take care of my younger brother."
"I just want to live, is that not allowed?"
Tsunade, at this moment, couldn't utter a single word, her tears already flowing uncontrollably.
Her body was completely paralysed, her heart felt as if it was blocked by countless boulders, and all her emotions were trapped inside with nowhere to go.
She had originally thought Uchiha Dan had gone mad.
But Uchiha Dan hadn't gone mad.
She was the mad one; her constant pressure had single-handedly created Uchiha Dan's current desperate situation.