chapter 20: Despair

In the Uchiha Clan's Training Grounds

"Satoshi, I think that's enough," I said, breathing heavily as I tried to regain my strength.

Uchiha Satoshi looked at me calmly and asked, "Oh? Are you feeling exhausted?"

I hesitated before answering, "Yes… I mean, no… It's not that. But there's no need for you to keep training with me anymore."

Satoshi raised an eyebrow, questioning, "Why?"

"You know my condition. It's getting worse every day. Today, I could barely train with you for an hour. I'm just holding you back from your work," I said seriously.

Satoshi shook his head gently. "Hyōjin, I understand what you're saying. I've noticed your condition, but you shouldn't neglect your training. We're not just practicing physical skills—we're also working on fundamental ninjutsu, which will be useful for you in the future."

I took a moment to consider his words before replying simply, "You always know the right things to say."

Satoshi smiled slightly and said, "I'll be leaving now. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. After all, we're family."

With those words, he vanished.

I stared at the spot where he had been, lost in thought. I knew I owed him a lot. He was usually busy at this time, being a police captain in the Uchiha clan, and it wasn't easy for him to neglect his duties. Most likely, he had come after hearing about my condition.

Although he called me family, our blood relation was distant. His grandfather was my grandmother's brother.

---

Three days had passed since Orochimaru left to analyze my condition.

Today, I was sitting at home, practicing my Ice Release, trying to form an ice dagger. After several attempts, I finally succeeded.

I swung the dagger slightly and tested striking it against the ground, but it shattered instantly without leaving a mark.

I frowned and decided to try again later. Over the past three days, I had been using my Ice Release extensively to see if it conflicted with the Uchiha bloodline or contributed to my illness. But I found no significant effect, so I ruled out that possibility.

That left only one explanation: my spiritual energy was abnormally high.

But if my spiritual energy was so strong… why hadn't I awakened the Sharingan?

I pushed the thought aside for now and focused on finding a solution. The most logical option was to strengthen my physical fitness through training, but given my condition, that seemed impossible.

The other option was Hashirama's cells.

The only people who possessed them were Madara—who I assumed was dead by now—Obito, Danzō, and finally, Orochimaru.

Eliminating the first two as unrealistic options, only Orochimaru remained. I decided to wait for his return and present my idea.

As I was lost in thought, I suddenly felt a chill in the air. I turned to see a small snake behind me, and as I watched, more snakes gathered and merged to form a familiar figure.

"Orochimaru, why do you always arrive like this? Can't you just knock on the door?" I asked, annoyed.

Good thing I didn't say anything out loud.

Ignoring my question, he smirked eerily and said, "Hyōjin-kun, what were you thinking about to be so deep in thought?"

I sighed in frustration. "Forget about what I was thinking. Just tell me what you found out."

I preferred to hear his conclusions before presenting my own idea.

Orochimaru shrugged and said, "Alright. Regarding your condition, after some investigation, I've determined that two of the three possibilities are correct."

Hearing that, my face paled slightly in shock. Even though I didn't think he was joking, I still asked hopefully, "You're kidding, right?"

Orochimaru shrugged again, his tone indifferent. "I don't joke about matters like these."

"Tell me how you reached that conclusion," I demanded, trying to contain my fear.

Orochimaru explained in his usual calm but intrigued voice:

"When I returned to my lab, I ran several tests on your blood and found that you have two distinct bloodlines inside you, constantly clashing. This conflict is putting a severe strain on your body, depleting your vitality. This confirms the third possibility."

He paused briefly before continuing:

"I also noticed that both bloodlines are linked to spiritual energy, which explains your unusually high spiritual power. We can at least confirm that one of them is the Uchiha bloodline. That is the second possibility."

He fell into a deep silence for a moment before speaking again:

"But the other bloodline… that's the real mystery. I can't pinpoint its exact nature, but it undoubtedly possesses unique properties; otherwise, it wouldn't be causing such a complex reaction with the Uchiha bloodline."

He finished speaking, leaving me to process the information.

"What's the cure?" I asked, clinging to any hope of salvation and momentarily ignoring the shock of possibly having a third bloodline.

Orochimaru paused, seemingly deep in thought, before answering:

"As for a cure… You'll have to forgive me, Hyōjin-kun, but I don't have a clear answer. I've never encountered a case like yours before. Your bloodlines aren't normal; both are tied to spiritual energy, which not only worsens your symptoms but also makes them more difficult to study."

He hesitated, then added in a contemplative tone:

"Honestly, I'm surprised you're even standing. Perhaps the two bloodlines aren't entirely antagonistic, allowing for some level of balance. But don't be fooled—this isn't a solution, just a temporary delay of your suffering."

He said this in a low voice, as if lost in thought.

After five minutes of silence, I was still trying to process Orochimaru's words. My previous assumptions had been wrong. I had three bloodlines.

Then, I suddenly remembered something and asked with renewed hope, "What if I implanted the First Hokage's cells? Would that fix the issue?"

Orochimaru lowered his head in thought, seemingly ignoring how I knew about Hashirama's cells, and said, "That's an interesting idea. The immense vitality of Hashirama's cells could help counteract your symptoms. Over time, there's a possibility that the two bloodlines might merge. But the success rate of such a transplant is incredibly low—no one has ever survived after receiving Hashirama's cells."

Of course, he hid the existence of Yamato.

I felt a surge of hope at his words. As an Uchiha, I had no direct conflict with Hashirama's bloodline; in fact, it was somewhat complementary.

But before I could ask him to proceed, Orochimaru dropped a new piece of bad news.

"But that's not the real issue. Even if the transplant succeeds, Hashirama's cells contain the Wood Release bloodline. You are in no condition to handle another bloodline. If it merges or clashes with either of your existing bloodlines, you will die."

A cold sweat ran down my back. Was I truly destined to die?

Orochimaru observed my despair without expression and then said,

"I did some additional research and found records of a similar case in a Konoha clan called the Kurama Clan. While your condition is unique, it shares some similarities—particularly in the way high spiritual energy affects the body. They might have a solution for you."

He paused before adding coldly,

"If you can find a way to fix this issue, you might live a little longer… perhaps into your twenties, before your vitality runs out completely."

Then, as if concluding the conversation, he turned away and said,

"That's all I have. I can't cure you, so I won't ask for more information. But if you ever need something in exchange for the third method of immortality, you can let me know later."

With that, he left, leaving me alone with my chaotic thoughts.

I stared blankly at the ground, unable to process everything. The world felt dark and suffocating.

I wanted to cry.

I hadn't avenged my parents yet.

I hadn't achieved anything I had dreamed of.