In the 50th year of Konoha, Minato's Squad destroyed the Kannabi Bridge, cutting off a vital support base for Iwagakure and instantly reversing Konoha's disadvantageous position against them.
Uchiha Obito, only 13 years old, died in this battle.
In the same year, Uchiha Ryou defected after his illegal human experiments and research into forbidden life techniques were exposed!
...Land of Grass, Kannabi Bridge.
Within the dense forest, branches and leaves intertwined. Amidst the mottled light and shadows, three Anbu wearing beast masks moved through the trees like ghosts.
Their black tactical gear brushed past the thick branches of ancient trees. shuriken flew like swallows, chasing the wind and lightning, slicing through the stagnant air of the forest.
The person fleeing ahead was dressed in black, with a slender build. A low-hanging hood concealed their face, and the only visible detail was the Uchiha Clan fan crest on their back.
This person was agile; it was as if they had eyes in the back of their head as they sensed the rapid shuriken and dodged them with a few rolls.
The cold voice of an Anbu followed close behind.
"Uchiha Ryou, you have privately researched forbidden techniques and murdered fellow villagers. You are now a Rogue Ninja with a bounty from the Village. Stop immediately and surrender."
Uchiha Ryou gave a disdainful smile and then turned to stand on a tree branch.
The three Anbu stopped immediately, somewhat wary of causing collateral damage or falling into a trap.
Rumor had it that Uchiha Ryou suffered from a hereditary disease and was still only a Chunin after living for over thirty years. However, the fact that he could escape from Konoha to the Land of Grass proved the rumors were false.
The Anbu had pursued him for a long time without success, all because they were wary of the trump cards he might be hiding.
Ryou suddenly sneered, "Murdered fellow villagers? The one I killed was Hiruko. He was no good. You should thank me for removing a great pest from Konoha."
The Anbu's voice was cold and sharp as a blade: "Stop making excuses. We don't care about Hiruko's background; murdering a fellow villager is unforgivable."
"Come back with us. Hokage-sama will take into account your many years of work at the Konoha Hospital and your outstanding contributions, and will treat you with leniency."
Ryou spat, "Outstanding contributions? If my contributions were so outstanding, why am I still a Chunin? It's simply because the Konoha higher-ups can't stand an Uchiha having a hand in the Konoha Hospital!"
"As for the three of you, you've chased me for three days and three nights. You're so diligent because you want to take my immortality technique back to claim the credit, right?"
An Anbu pointed at Ryou and shouted, "Nonsense!"
Ryou didn't want to waste any more words with the Anbu. "Hmph, enough talk. Now that I've resolved my body's hidden issues and completely severed one set of shackles, you still want me to go back and put the shackles of the Will of Fire on my head?"
"Ridiculous!"
As Ryou spoke, he began to form hand signs.
Rat-Ox-Dog-Horse-Monkey...
A Ninja skilled in Fire Release narrowed their eyes, clearly recognizing Ryou's technique.
"Not good! It's the high-level Uchiha Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation! Get away, quick!"
Hearing this, the other two Anbu immediately used Body Flicker to escape, while also feeling some doubt.
"Isn't Great Fire Annihilation a B-rank Ninjutsu? Can a Chunin like him actually perform it?"
Generally speaking, B-rank Ninjutsu are at the Jonin level, but some Chunin with outstanding strength or special talent can perform them.
But that didn't include Ryou.
"Exactly. Uchiha Ryou has suffered from a hereditary illness since childhood. He once developed a non-sign Ninjutsu called Rasengan that shocked Konoha, but other than that, he's never performed any of the Five Elemental Releases."
"Damn, we've been tricked!"
Ryou laughed, threw a smoke bomb, and fled toward the other side of the mountain, leaving a long trail of smoke.
"You can't catch me, because... I'm a flexible dog in the mountains!"
"Haha..."
"Curse you!"
The three Anbu were suddenly exasperated. What a slippery Uchiha... Kannabi Bridge.
The once magnificent bridge had now become a simple suspension bridge, only wide enough for two people to pass.
Thick hemp ropes stretched from the Land of Grass to the Land of Earth, swaying slightly in the valley and letting out groans of strain.
Ryou's figure appeared at the edge of the bridge. Looking at the now simple suspension bridge, he felt a bit sentimental.
He didn't know exactly what he was sentimental about, but feeling sentimental seemed like the right thing to do.
The newly built suspension bridge was likely made by Kusagakure; after all, the commercial activities between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth still required this bridge.
The Battle of Kannabi Bridge gave birth to two heroes with the Sharingan. One was Kakashi of the Sharingan, who was currently cutting people down on the Hidden Mist battlefield.
The other was Uchiha Obito, whom the Anbu had confirmed dead, but who was actually recuperating in Madara's Base at this moment.
With the Third Great Ninja War reaching this point, Konoha had run out of available people, to the extent that even Chunin like Obito had to take on major roles on the battlefield.
Ryou's ability to defect with just the strength of a Chunin was also because Konoha's defenses were weak; the one guarding the gate was just an Old Man.
Ryou looked for his contact by the bridge.
His coming to Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass wasn't without reason; he had contacted someone long ago.
Not finding them, Ryou got a bit anxious and prepared to cross the bridge and leave.
Suddenly, a cold, raspy voice like a venomous snake reached his ears: "Ryou-kun, my dear classmate, where do you think you're going?!"
Ryou's pupils shrank, his eyes filled with extreme shock, and his body instinctively froze in place.
At the other end of Kannabi Bridge, a man with pale skin and long, straight black hair watched Ryou with a sinister look.
His golden eyes were cold, and a chilly aura surrounded him. It was none other than one of the Sannin, Orochimaru.
After regaining his composure, Ryou cursed loudly: "Orochimaru, you bastard, you're actually blocking my bridge! No wonder your whole family is dead!"
Don't hit below the belt, and don't insult parents.
Even with Orochimaru's cold personality, he almost lost his cool. He gave a few cold laughs: "Ryou, your tongue is as sharp as ever!"
"But today I'm not here to argue with you. Hand over the Eternal Youth and Immortality Technique, and I'll spare your life!"
Ryou spat at Orochimaru: "Orochimaru, my business being exposed must have been because you, you bastard, snitched! I saw it that day; you were all bundled up in the middle of the night going to the Village committee to report me."
"How hateful. Your own record isn't clean either; I should have reported you first."
Ryou's research into forbidden techniques with Hiruko had been kept very secret. Even the Uchiha Clan didn't know that this upright-looking fellow was into such things.
Ryou had been very cautious after the forbidden technique succeeded. How could he have been discovered when his partner's mouth was sealed?
Ryou's first suspect was Orochimaru, and the second was Danzo.
If it wasn't those two bad eggs... then it was Uchiha Madara!
If the Ninja World didn't have those three, it would be at least half as peaceful.
As for Obito?
Some time ago, Nohara Rin had come to Ryou to ask about Medical Ninjutsu. Obito probably hadn't gone off the deep end yet.
Orochimaru sneered, neither admitting nor denying it. He formed hand signs, ready to strike at any moment.
But before attacking, he still wanted to recruit Ryou.
"Ryou, I can feel the surging vitality in your body. Your forbidden technique succeeded."
"You've broken the taboo of life and death and achieved immortality!"
"The Teacher was wrong about you, and the Uchiha Clan was wrong about you. Only I know how much talent you truly hide."
"Come, join me. Let us pursue immortality together and research the ultimate mysteries of Ninjutsu."
Ryou nodded without hesitation: "Fine, Orochimaru, I'll join you. But give me some benefits first, throw me a few forbidden technique scrolls."
"Hehe..."
Orochimaru sneered again: "Ryou, you agreed so readily, just like when you used to lie as a child."
This kind of person was always the shrewdest in school.
Orochimaru wasted no more words.
Now that Ryou had resolved his hereditary disease and regained his youth, combined with his Medical Ninjutsu and Rasengan, he could even fight a Jonin.
But... he was facing Orochimaru of the Sannin!
"Ryou, give everything to me!"
Just as Orochimaru was about to use Body Flicker to catch Ryou, two figures suddenly appeared beside him.
"Orochimaru, why aren't you staying in the Village? What are you doing deserting your post?"
"Orochimaru, without the Old Man's permission, how can you leave the Village on your own?"
One figure wore grey Ninja armor over her clothes, with blonde hair and a diamond mark on her forehead. Her face was beautiful, like a blooming peony; it was Tsunade.
The other wore an open green-lined black robe, with messy white hair and a carefree, untamed air; it was Jiraiya.
The sudden appearance of Tsunade and Jiraiya made Orochimaru withdraw his hand. His expression turned grim; he hadn't expected them to show up here.
They were clearly supposed to be on the front lines.
Could it be the Teacher—
The Sannin stood together, appearing harmonious on the surface like fellow students with a deep bond, but who knew how much they were guarding against each other internally.
On the other side, Ryou held his head, feeling like jumping off the bridge. Konoha thought too highly of him, sending the Sannin to hunt him down?
Is it necessary to use nuclear weapons to kick a stray dog by the road?
Is the Monkey being unfair?
Ryou shouted over in frustration: "Fine, fine, fine. Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, the three-man squad is all here."
"The Sannin are blocking my bridge. What else can I say? Come on, whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"
Jiraiya turned to look at Ryou on the other side of the bridge, his expression complicated.
"Ryou, you've fallen!"
At this point, Ryou could only hope that his contact would be interested in his forbidden technique.
Ryou didn't believe "he" wouldn't be tempted by a forbidden technique for eternal youth and immortality.
Ryou slowly pulled back his hood: "Jiraiya, Tsunade, there's a war going on at the front. Are you two that bored?"
"Ryou, you!!"
Jiraiya and Tsunade's pupils shrank because of Ryou's face—
It was now dusk, the setting sun was dipping behind the mountains, and a few lazy rays of light drifted across the sky.
The man opposite them had black hair falling neatly to his shoulders, a high bridge to his nose, and a clear lip line. Anyone who saw him would call him a handsome youth.
No one would associate him with that evil Uchiha who performed human experiments and touched forbidden techniques.
But Ryou was the same age as them, a middle-aged Ninja approaching forty.
Besides his youthful face, Ryou's most prominent feature was the forehead protector he wore.
There was a scratch on it, representing a Rogue Ninja.
That single cut severed his bonds with Konoha, setting him on the path of enmity with his homeland.
Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly, unable to restrain his greed for Ryou's forbidden technique.
But then he paused: "Ryou, that scratch on your forehead protector was drawn on, wasn't it?"
This guy was so shrewd that he had drawn the scratch when he became a rogue; with the scratch, he could act as a rogue in the Ninja World, and without it, he could pretend to be a Konoha Ninja to take commissions from villagers, playing both sides.
Ryou lowered his head: "Orochimaru, don't worry about the details. We are no longer comrades!"
There was an unspeakable complexity in Tsunade's eyes: "Ryou, you've become younger, but are you still yourself?"
Ryou looked at Tsunade, a hint of bitterness in his eyes, but they quickly became firm: "Tsunade, I have never changed; it's just that you all never saw clearly."
"I've had kidney deficiency since I was a child, and the doctors said I wouldn't live past 40. But I didn't agree. I believe that when you're out in the world, your life and death should be decided by yourself."
Jiraiya shouted, "So you researched forbidden techniques, harmed the innocent, and devoured the lives of others to achieve your own goals?"
"Haha..."
Ryou laughed loudly: "Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, the blood on your hands is more than all the menstrual blood in the entire Village."
"As for harming the innocent? Hiruko and I only went after scum. Even if there were innocent people, that was Hiruko's doing."
"I, Uchiha Ryou, am pure and noble. I won't allow you to slander me."
Tsunade advised, "Ryou, since your crimes aren't as deep as you say, come back to the Village with me. The Old Man will forgive you."
"Your contributions to the Konoha medical system and the Ninja you've saved over the years are enough to wash away your crimes."
Ryou smiled somewhat forlornly, "I can't go back, Tsunade. After all these years, I've come to understand that no matter what I do, as long as I am an Uchiha, I'll never be able to turn my life around."
"Ryou—"
Tsunade reached out, wanting to make him stay.
Orochimaru sneered, "Tsunade, Ryou isn't an idiot for love like Jiraiya. He's been lying to you all along. That Forbidden Jutsu of his, do you know how it was developed?"
"..."
Tsunade lowered her head in silence.
Orochimaru continued, "Ryou always wanted the Senju Clan's medical records to cure his own illness. His Forbidden Jutsu was developed by stealing your Ninjutsu records and combining them with Hiruko's Chimera Technique."
Tsunade looked at Ryou, wanting to hear his answer.
Under Tsunade's questioning gaze, Ryou nodded and then told her the truth.
"That's right, Tsunade. My Forbidden Jutsu is Chimera Technique: Plunder Rebirth. The principle of this Forbidden Jutsu is to plunder others' cells to complete my own; in short, it's plundering the lives of others."
Hearing this, Tsunade seemed to realize something, "Plunder Rebirth? Rebirth? Could it be the records stolen from my home?"
Ryou nodded, "Exactly. That day, I accidentally entered your home, accidentally flipped through your bookshelf, and accidentally forgot to turn off 'Auto-Loot'."
Strictly speaking, Ryou didn't have a hereditary disease, but a genetic defect from his parents being closely related, plus he had never awakened his eyes.
The Medical Ninja simply attributed Ryou's problem to a hereditary disease.
His physical issues had always been Ryou's inner demon; he dreamed of becoming healthy.
As for the technique... the Chimera Technique was developed by Ryou and Hiruko. It was only the initial 1.0 version, capable of plundering only one type of Kekkei Genkai.
Other than Hashirama cells, no Kekkei Genkai could solve Ryou's physical problems.
So, Ryou set his sights on Tsunade's Forbidden Jutsu, the Creation Rebirth.
The current timeline is the Third Great Ninja War. Tsunade hasn't developed Creation Rebirth yet, but she was already conceptualizing it in her spare time.
Ryou targeted those Ninjutsu records. After stealing them, he reverse-engineered Creation Rebirth and combined it with the Chimera Technique to develop Plunder Rebirth. By plundering a piece of scum, he solved his own hereditary disease.
Tsunade cursed loudly, "You bastard! If you're going to steal my scrolls, steal them, but why did you steal my underwear?"
Jiraiya also joined in the cursing, "Ryou, you're so selfish! You stole them and didn't share with your good brother?"
"Get lost!"
Tsunade struck Jiraiya with her Monstrous Strength, sending him flying far away.
Orochimaru took a few steps back to distance himself from these lunatics. After all these years, he still felt that Hiruzen-sensei should have chosen Ryou instead of him.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Ryou together felt more like disciples under the same master.
Ryou put on his hood to save some face. Once it was on, he stopped pretending altogether.
"Tsunade, I really do like you, but you know my physical condition. After stealing them, I didn't even dare to 'eat' them."
"A doctor cannot heal himself, and a ferryman cannot cross himself. I wanted a healthy body so badly."
Jiraiya rushed back and said seriously, "Ryou, is that your reason for falling into depravity?"
Ryou shook his head and revealed the truth, "Jiraiya, I never fell. This is who I've always been. Wanting a healthy body was just a means, my true goal is to become strong!"
"I love Ninjutsu far too much!"
"We are of the same generation, yet now you are the Sannin, successful and famous. And what about me?"
"Do you know, Jiraiya? When you all returned from the battlefield in glory, how much I wanted to join you."
"If I said I was from the same class as the Sannin, even Obito would laugh."
"Don't look down on the poor youth, don't look down on the poor middle-aged, don't look down on the poor elderly. I don't want to be shunned by tomb raiders for having a poor grave even after I'm dead!"
"..."
Jiraiya and Tsunade fell silent.
Orochimaru crossed his arms without saying a word.
In Orochimaru's eyes, Ryou was a genius, whether it was his whimsical ideas in the Academy or the Rasengan he later developed.
But heaven was jealous of talent; beneath that world-shaking brilliance was a frail body.
Ryou lamented, "Actually, there's nothing wrong with being a Chunin. Let them call me an outlier. There are still many civilians in the Uchiha, and besides, I was a Medical Ninja, respected by others."
"The one I truly cared about was you, Tsunade!"
Ryou pointed at Tsunade, his fingertips filled with too many regrets.
"Me?!"
Tsunade pointed at herself.
Ryou nodded, "That's right, Tsunade. As long as my surname is Uchiha, it's impossible for us."
"Actually, it wasn't that I broke our promise that day. It was the higher-ups who suddenly forced a mission on me to the front lines and warned me not to tell you."
"The Senju Clan and your teacher didn't want to see my sinful Uchiha blood tarnish Konoha's noble princess."
Tsunade somehwat incredulously shouted, "Impossible! Sensei and the clan would never interfere in my personal matters."
Ryou replied, "Actually, you shouldn't blame them. Given the Uchiha's current position in the Village, who knows if I was approaching you under clan orders to improve the Uchiha's political standing?"
Tsunade shook her head, "No, you're not that kind of person."
Ryou couldn't help but reveal the truth, "Actually, I did take a mission from the clan. They gave me a huge sum of money and said if I married you, the position of Police Force Captain would be mine."
"The clan would also find ways to help solve my physical issues and help me awaken my eyes."
"They offered too much; I couldn't refuse!"
"Ryou—!"
Tsunade was furious, unsure if Ryou was lying or being sincere; he had told too many lies already.
Ryou waved his hand, "Alright, alright, Tsunade, don't be angry. My biggest regret regarding you is that I didn't stop Nawaki the day he went to the front lines."
"He was the First Hokage's grandson; too many people wanted him dead."
"Nawaki..."
Mentioning her heartache, Tsunade's nails dug into her palms.
Ryou continued to lay bare his heart, "I'm sorry about Nawaki, but as for Dan, I'm going to stand my ground."
Tsunade was confused, "Dan? What about Dan? Did you kill him?"
Ryou shook his head and said, "I didn't have that kind of ability, but I was also afraid that pretty boy would steal you away. So every time he came to the hospital, I was the one who treated him. I secretly prescribed him some drugs for impotence and gave him all sorts of messy treatments."
Kato Dan was pursuing Tsunade at the time. Ryou couldn't be with Tsunade for political reasons, but he was selfish and couldn't stand anyone else being with her.
Dan often had headaches due to practicing the Spirit Transformation Technique, which could never be cured. Ryou used the mindset of an old Chinese doctor from his past life to give him potent medicine.
Don't even say it, really don't, the headaches were cured because the man was gone.
Of course, Ryou didn't do it; Dan just had a short life. He was a Jonin during the Second Great Ninja War, with no clan or backing. As someone who mastered a Forbidden Jutsu like the Spirit Transformation Technique, Dan was naturally worked to death by the higher-ups.
Finally, during a mission, his teammates failed to guard his physical body, and he was killed in a sneak attack.
Being a Ninja is a high-risk profession. Ryou, as a Ninja, not living past 40 wasn't a tragedy, because many were sent to the front lines to fill gaps right after leaving the Ninja Academy.
The result was predictable; even the gatekeepers had to be dim-sighted old men.
When Ryou defected, he ran toward the main gate in broad daylight. He handed the Old Man a pack of cigarettes as he passed, and the Old Man smiled, not even bothering with registration.
But back to the topic: because Tsunade didn't experience the tragedy of Dan, she didn't suffer the secondary trauma of his death, and thus didn't develop hemophobia or the idea of leaving home.
With a medical master like Tsunade in the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had more confidence in the war.
To some extent, it was a good thing that Dan didn't end up with Tsunade.
Ryou heard the sound of wind from behind and guessed that the Anbu had caught up.
He played the emotional card, "Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, for the sake of our days as classmates, let me go this once!"
"If I can't get away this time, I'm really dead!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya didn't speak, but Orochimaru took a step forward and blocked the bridge entrance.
Jiraiya followed suit, and Tsunade also steeled her resolve.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were such good friends, yet for the sake of Konoha, Hashirama still backstabbed Madara.
The Village is the stance, comrades are the baseline, and anyone who harms the Village's people is an enemy.
Ryou flipped back his hood and shouted at the Sannin, "In all of Konoha, am I the only one messing with Forbidden Jutsu? Why do you always keep chasing your old classmate?"
Whoosh, whoosh—
The sound of wind rose, and three figures appeared not far behind Ryou. They were the Konoha Anbu who had been chasing him.
The three Anbu were disappointed to see the Sannin across the bridge. With the Sannin involved, they wouldn't be able to hog the massive credit for recovering the Forbidden Jutsu of Immortality.
But they were also somewhat relieved. Uchiha Ryou was slippery; if he had escaped, the three of them would have faced severe punishment.
Those old men and women in Konoha almost had their eyes pop out when they heard about Ryou's Forbidden Jutsu for rejuvenation; they were greedy for it!
Not just the Konoha Anbu, but more wind sounds echoed in the forest.
A group of black-haired Ninjas in black outfits with red and white fan crests stood on the treetops. The newcomers were the famous Uchiha Clan of Konoha.
The leader had a somewhat square face and a serious expression, giving off a steady and majestic vibe. He was the Captain of the Uchiha Clan's Police Force, Uchiha Fugaku.
Behind the Uchiha Clan, a group of masked Anbu Ninjas appeared. Their masks were different from the animal masks of the regular Anbu, with colors mainly in pure black and deep gray.
They were the Anbu Training Division, which was actually an independent secret unit controlled by Danzo, the Root.
Upon seeing the Root Ninjas, the Uchiha Clan showed no fear; instead, they were provocative. As they looked up, the tomoe in their eyes suddenly began to spin.
They stared at the Root Ninjas as if they were staring at prey.
There were still sounds of wind in the dense forest, but they weren't as bold as the Uchiha or Root. They were likely cowards who coveted the Forbidden Jutsu of Immortality but feared being targeted by the Anbu or Root.
Ryou had still underestimated the temptation of longevity.
What do people with money and power fear most?
Death!