"Excellent!"
In the dark corner, a cold smirk played across Orochimaru's lips. Everything was proceeding according to his design. Tsunade had successfully misunderstood Ren Uchiha. Now, all he had to do was continue leveraging this lie to manipulate her.
He had no intention of letting Ren die. Besides, it wasn't Orochimaru who had shortened the boy's life to two years—the brat had done that to himself! If anything, Orochimaru was the only one trying to save his disciple.
Orochimaru fixed his gaze on Tsunade, his voice probing. "If he continues to use that high-speed regeneration forbidden jutsu, will his remaining time decrease?"
Tsunade frowned and interrupted coldly. "Orochimaru, are you playing dumb? That regeneration capability long ago overtaxed every bit of vitality this kid would have had in his next life! Under normal circumstances, he should be dead already."
"But this body you've modified has locked away his final thread of life. The regeneration he uses now... isn't that being compensated for by that artificial Tailed Beast you implanted in him?"
"How bold of you to use such forbidden power to create such a monstrous vessel. Orochimaru, you—"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, ignoring her accusations. "I don't have time for your lectures! Tsunade, understand this: it's all for Konoha! You wouldn't want the village your grandfather founded to crumble to dust, would you?"
He paused, then asked, "So you're saying his 'immortality' has created an unbreakable 'dead-line'? A line that can only be shattered once the body's cells naturally reach the end of their biological lifespan?"
Tsunade looked at him with surprise. "Isn't that obvious?"
Listening from the side, Ren Uchiha had a sudden epiphany.
No wonder he hadn't dropped dead yet despite constantly using the life-draining Forbidden Jutsu: Body Revival. So that was the principle. It reminded him of when he was in the Land of Hot Water; Shennong, the leader of the Sky Ninja, had told him his life only had three to seven years left.
Afterward, to deal with Mangetsu Hōzuki and Hayato Togo, he had recklessly used the technique again. His life should have reached its end then, but that was exactly when he had acquired the Immortal Body from the Jashin Cult.
He was currently in a state of "Schrödinger's Death." He looked alive, but there was no actual vitality left in his body; the immortality was simply locking in the dregs of his life force—a flickering candle in the wind only capable of burning for two more years.
Now that this was clear, he had a deadline.
Either he conquered the Third Great Ninja War within two years and gathered the power to overturn everything, or he successfully "died" and claimed his insurance. But dying now was risky—the plot was already a mess. If he left it to chance, who knew if the future would bring a "Naruto of the Akatsuki" or a "Konoha's Sasuke"? That would be a nightmare.
I have to fight! He couldn't stay in the village playing house while the Third Hokage and Danzo bickered over who "owned" Konoha's second Jinchūriki. He had to leave. He had to battle powerful enemies. He had to run headlong down the path of seeking death!
Ren felt a surge of restlessness, wishing he could jump out of bed and do some calisthenics just to vent his anxiety.
Orochimaru pondered for a moment, then spoke to Tsunade in his raspy voice.
"Tsunade, I need your help. The Third Great Ninja War won't end in two years. We must find a way to extend this boy's life so he can remain Konoha's weapon until the end of the conflict."
He lowered his voice, sounding earnest. "My technology combined with your medical expertise... if we open that forbidden door, we will surely find a way. After all, it's all for Konoha..."
Tsunade's face paled, then turned to fury. "Are you... starting that experiment again?! Orochimaru!"
A sense of absurdity washed over her. She knew exactly what he meant: The Wood Style Experiments. Specifically, researching the body of her deceased grandfather, Hashirama Senju, to create a second Wood Style user for Konoha.
Orochimaru was essentially asking her to help him dig up her own grandfather for research. Orochimaru didn't say a word, which was a silent admission.
Tsunade looked at him deeply, her chest heaving with emotion. "Orochimaru! I suggest you abandon this madness. The Old Man already forbade this research! You are walking into a minefield; one wrong step and you'll fall into an abyss."
She swept her green robe around her and marched past him, her high-heeled sandals clicking an angry rhythm against the floor. "Good luck to you!"
With that final warning, the door slammed shut.
Ren glanced at Orochimaru's grim face and shook his head. "She was your most trusted teammate, wasn't she? Honestly, Orochimaru-sensei, you didn't have to go that far for me."
Orochimaru let out a dry chuckle and turned his golden snake pupils toward Ren. "Since when does a brat like you worry about me?"
A smirk of cold confidence soon returned to his face. "The Third won't refuse, and neither will Tsunade. I believe in them because, just as I would for you, they will do anything for the sake of Konoha."
He stepped out of the shadows and approached Ren's bed. The lazy afternoon sun filtered through the window, illuminating teacher and student. Orochimaru placed a hand on Ren's messy hair and leaned down.
"So, Ren... do you understand what you must do?"
Ren paused. What is he talking about? What should I understand?
Seeing Ren's confused expression, Orochimaru frowned. "Are you an idiot? You must engrave the lie I just told into your mind, word for word. Because from now on, that lie is the absolute truth!"
Ren scratched his head, figuring Orochimaru had his reasons.
Orochimaru shook his head and spoke plainly. "Even the Zero-Tails is a Tailed Beast. Unless absolutely necessary, Konoha won't send you to the front lines. That's why you need this lie."
"You have very little time left. Leaving you in the village is a waste. Only by sending you to the most dangerous battlefields to achieve the greatest results can we satisfy the interests of the high command. Only then can I convince them to let you leave the village!"
Orochimaru's smile turned mischievous as he stared directly into Ren's eyes.
"Therefore, my disciple—you must hide your integrity and your kindness. Hide that 'Will of Fire' that would see you sacrifice yourself for others."
"You must become a villain."
"You must become a shameless, greedy wretch who made a devil's bargain for power—the Evil Uchiha!"
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