The door creaked shut as Hidan pulled it closed.
Silence returned to the room.
Uchiha Ci looked at the scroll in his hand, and his heart sank.
He was supposed to have died inside that volcano, yet here he was, alive and breathing.
In his hand was a scroll recording an S-rank forbidden technique.
He wouldn't consider this a blessing.
To be alive, to breathe the fresh air,
to see the sunlight streaming through the holes in the wall, to feel its searing warmth on his skin—
Inch by inch, it burned the texture on the back of his hand.
Because...
The Great Elder, Uchiha Setsuna, had ultimately chosen to burn himself up in the end.
He had opened a path for Ci to escape.
However...
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Uchiha Ci clenched the sheets tightly; there was no trace of joy on his face at being spared.
Instead,
There was utter fear!
He lowered his head, his scarlet Sharingan wide open. His lips, teeth, and even his entire face trembled.
The tomoe in his eyes spun madly.
His heart felt congested, beating wildly in his chest like a war drum.
On the scales of his heart, one heavy boulder after another, each named 'Uchiha Setsuna,' began to weigh down.
It was so heavy he felt he couldn't breathe.
Uchiha Ci understood himself very clearly.
He knew he was an ordinary man.
He laughed when happy, cried when sad, felt depressed when he failed, and got angry when humiliated.
He had all the emotions a normal person should have. If someone truly treated him well, like they were willing to sacrifice their life for him as Sasuke's parents did, could he really stab them with a knife like Sasuke seeking revenge? Or be like that filial son Itachi, disowning all his relatives and cutting them down?
That wasn't solving problems at all; it was pathological venting.
So,
He had been trying his best to avoid contact with the original plot and the people of this world.
But now.
At this moment,
A piece of paper tucked inside the unfurled scroll fell into Uchiha Ci's hand.
The line of words written on it made him freeze.
'You just deliver it; I'll think of a way. Also, I'm not dead.'
Uchiha Ci: "..."
He blinked and scratched his head.
Finally, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
Immediately, he couldn't help but grimace, close the scroll, and cursed under his breath:
"Damn it, you old bastard, you should have told me that before you 'died.'" You hid it so well."
"Brother, what was I even thinking? Retreat, retreat! Please, just retreat!"
Uchiha Ci quickly raised his palm and waved it at the air as if shooing away dirt.
The Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna, as the only remaining veteran jonin of the Uchiha clan from the Warring States period, certainly knew Izanagi—that forbidden technique of suspended animation that forcibly rewrites reality to negate any unfavorable situation.
Uchiha Ci had been too distraught and confused; he'd forgotten about it for a moment.
Just then,
The door creaked open.
Hidan, who walked in with the doctor, happened to see Uchiha Ci waving his hands in the air.
It looked like he was using them to draw a sword, swishing through the air.
Hidan couldn't help but chuckle: "Hey, I didn't expect you to be so energetic."
"That's good, keep it up!"
"Although I've never experienced that time of the month myself, I've read about it in books."
"Don't be shy; I understand, I understand."
Uchiha Ci's face was expressionless. You've never experienced that time of the month?
You yell like a madman every day, you bird-brain; you've clearly never left that period behind!
But under the gaze of the two men, Uchiha Ci turned away slightly embarrassed, coughed, and said:
"There was just a fly."
At that moment, the tall doctor behind Hidan raised his eyes slightly and said calmly,
"Impossible. I spread insect repellent around the area."
[Shennong expresses contempt for you.]
Uchiha Ci felt instantly affronted, but his eyes caught the subtitles that appeared before him, and he couldn't help but be stunned.
"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Shennong, a traveling doctor in the ninja world," Hidan said, stepping aside and pointing a thumb at the tall doctor.
"Thanks to him; otherwise, you would have bled to death."
Uchiha Ci looked up, a trace of surprise flashing imperceptibly in his eyes.
The tall doctor Hidan, called Mr. Shennong, wore a brown hood, revealing light gray hair, and a light yellow coat.
This outfit, and his name...
Wasn't this Shennong, the leader of the Village of the Artisans (Kongōkure)?!
Why was this big boss, who later piloted a flying aircraft carrier around the ninja world, appearing in the Land of Yu at this time?
And next to Hidan, no less?
Shennong's eyes were indifferent as he glanced at Uchiha Ci, looking at him as if he were a worthless piece of meat.
After pausing on Ci for a moment, he said calmly:
"I've treated all your injuries. Make sure you drink plenty of hot water. That's all."
After giving these instructions, Shennong shook his head, seemingly having no interest in Uchiha Ci, and turned to leave.
Uchiha Ci watched him leave without stopping him.
There was no intersection or conflict between them, and provoking him didn't align with Ci's goal of dying a just death.
So, just as Shennong had no interest in him, an Uchiha...
Even though Ci knew this was a powerful man who could open all Eight Gates without dying and could easily turn him into mincemeat,
He had no interest in provoking the other party.
There was a difference between intentional suicide and insurance fraud.
Especially since the other party showed no actual malice.
That was why Uchiha Ci set his sights on the battlefield—once you set foot there, the opposing sides naturally have conflicting identities and goals, dividing them into two camps.
Life and death were normal there.
"Mr. Shennong is a noble doctor. He doesn't charge for his treatments," Hidan said, watching Shennong leave with a respectful look in his eyes. He then turned to bid farewell to Uchiha Ci.
As he spoke, he walked to the bedside, took out an apple, and tossed it to Uchiha Ci.
Uchiha Ci didn't reply but looked at Hidan with a slightly profound gaze and clicked his tongue.
Noble?
That's not necessarily true.
Uchiha Ci thought for a moment and could only deduce one reason for Shennong's presence near Hidan: he was after the secret techniques of the Jashin Cult.
After all, Shennong's forbidden technique, known as 'Flesh Transformation,' which could forcibly open all Eight Gates without dying, might have some connection to the 'immortal body' physique of the Jashin followers.
Just then, Hidan sat down astride a chair and said carelessly,
"Ci, I saved your life, but I didn't do it so you could lie around here."
"Since Mr. Shennong says you're fine, then come with me and do something for me."
Uchiha Ci tilted his head, unable to help but be surprised at his audacity.
"How can you say that so confidently?"
"And why should I help you?"
"You should be thanking me for my mercy now that I haven't stabbed you. And you actually want to ask a rogue ninja for help?"
Hidan didn't care at all. He smiled and said,
"I've read about this in a book. It's called repaying a debt of gratitude."
"You're a good person; you'll definitely help me!"
Uchiha Ci rolled his eyes, slightly speechless.
Well, I take back my opinion that this 'clever' Hidan has a brain.
Shaking his head, Uchiha Ci raised the corners of his lips and said calmly:
"Talk first—"
"Also, let's get this straight upfront: I won't do any work that isn't life-threatening."
Hidan's eyes narrowed, his smile fading as he asked solemnly:
"Do you know about the Jashin Cult?"