Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 210 Intrigue and War... (Part 2)

At the end of January, news of Konoha and Sunagakure's joint capture of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki spread rapidly throughout the ninja world. Iwagakure and Kumogakure held them accountable, and the shadow of war once again loomed over the entire ninja world.

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, took an extremely tough stance on the loss of the Tailed Beasts, mobilizing Iwagakure ninja and recruiting extensively on the black market.

Although Onoki's reputation was somewhat damaged due to his previous failure to pay mission fees, many wandering ninjas and bounty hunters still responded enthusiastically.

With major powers locked in a standoff, it's becoming increasingly difficult for wandering ninjas to earn money; this war, ironically, presents a job opportunity.

The great powers are once again embroiled in conflict, while the Rain Village ninjas are becoming increasingly low-key. Under the leadership of the Angel, their lives are getting better and better, and no one wants to participate in this meaningless war.

The secret subsidies from the Land of Rivers accelerated the development of Amegakure, and the drainage system has been completely perfected after several years of adjustments.

The entire village has been transformed into a "steel forest." Although the level of technology has not improved much, the lives of the people of the Rain Kingdom have become better and better after receiving the benefits.

In the gloomy weather, Nagato sat alone on a giant humanoid drainage device. His huge "head" was covered with metal pipes, overlooking the entire village, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Nagato, the plan was a success. The Iwagakure ninja forces have already crossed the Land of Birds."

"Onoki also extended an invitation to us. His target is indeed Sunagakure. Perhaps he is seeking their complete sealing technique."

""

As soon as he finished speaking, the paper gradually coalesced into a human shape behind Nagato, and Konan, dressed in a black sleeveless bodysuit and dark trousers, appeared silently.

Nagato chuckled when he heard the "invitation." Onoki tried to drag him into it, but the increasingly wealthy Amegakure ninja would never accept such cannon fodder missions again.

"That's what ninjas are like, always thinking about killing."

"I merely disrupted the existing balance, and this false peace vanished instantly."

"Yahiko is right. Only by becoming the god of this world can we usher in true peace."

"Konan, I will protect you and the village. In a few years, everyone will be able to get rid of poverty. I want to reduce the number of ninjas so that more people can live in peace."

"Once we gradually master the power of the Tailed Beasts, we will be able to protect ourselves. Ordinary ninjas are no match for this power."

"Just like the village you lead, if we use the power of the ninjas in other ways, everyone's lives will get better and better."

As Nagato finished speaking, his eyes were filled with anticipation, as if he were seeing a future scenario. He said that ninjas only create killing and suffering, and that the world should change.

Konan sighed but did not refute. Many ninjas from Amegakure went to work at the docks of the Land of Rivers for high-paying jobs, and some even went to the Land of Tea to buy goods and become merchants.

The profits from a single trip along the trade routes through the Land of Birds, the Land of Bears, the Land of Demons, the Land of Ghosts, and the Land of Snow are higher than those from a mission.

The ninjas' spontaneous formation of merchant groups was quietly taking place in Amegakure. Life was indeed much better than before, and Nagato also noticed this.

"Some high-quality products still need the Land of Fire's approval to maintain the status quo. Nagato, we still need your help to crack down on those counterfeiters."

"The tea industry is an important source of income, but unfortunately it will take some time for the tea industry to develop in Kirigakure, so long-distance trade cannot be carried out."

Osamu Furukawa's specially made mutated tea has miraculous effects. After drinking it, people feel refreshed and clear-headed. Although it is extremely low in addictive properties, nobles cannot resist it after tasting it.

Sales are getting better and better, and several daimyo in various countries have even listed it as a "special supply". The money earned in the past few years is no less than that of Konoha's "pill".

Upon hearing Konan's request, Nagato lost his cold demeanor, chuckled softly, and at that moment he seemed to revert to that shy boy: "Leave it to me! Faced with the power of the gods, they will make the right choice."

"Do you need help modifying the Four-Tails Jinchuriki? Don't force yourself."

Thinking of the latest experimental material, Xiao Nan felt an immediate surge of excitement. The girl suppressed her restless emotions and calmly replied, "No problem. It's only suitable for basic modifications now. This body can play a greater role after you seal the tailed beast."

""

"Nagato, we must be careful during this time. It seems that Madara Uchiha is recruiting people in Kirigakure. For now, we only have Kakuzu to help us, which is still too weak."

Nagato was speechless when he thought that Kakuzu, whom he had recruited, had actually accepted a debt collection mission from a village merchant for money. This subordinate was quite old, yet his behavior was rather unreliable.

After a long silence, facing those terrifying Mangekyou Sharingan, Nagato finally took a deep breath and solemnly promised, "No one will be able to disrupt our peace! I will protect everyone."

Xiao Nan nodded. She could no longer control the "desire" surging within her body. Paper wings quickly appeared behind her, and she jumped from the sky and left.

"It's an angel!"

"The angels are indeed protecting us!"

"Those who make counterfeit goods deserve to die! We, the Rain Village ninja, must punish those despicable bastards..."

The Rain Ninja below the tower cheered loudly. Whenever Konan flew in the sky, everyone would stop to watch and express their respect. The angel had made their lives better and better.

When Konan returned to the top of the metal tower in the center of the village, she knelt on the ground, her breathing becoming increasingly rapid. Her body passively extracted chakra, which gradually gathered at the center of her forehead.

Until the urge subsided, Konan's body was soaked in sweat. As she lay on the bed, the girl could clearly perceive everything around her. Her "soul" finally calmed down: "What happened to my soul? Even Nagato's Human Path abilities couldn't detect anything wrong..."

What am I longing for?

Xiao Nan muttered to herself, the increase in power was originally a good thing, but this restlessness made her somewhat afraid.

During this period, Furukawa Osamu's split spirit was unable to replenish its energy through the deaths of ninjas, so it could only passively absorb natural energy to maintain its current state.

To gain power, one must naturally pay a price. Xiao Nan straightened up and took a deep breath. She was prepared; even if it meant death, she would accept it calmly.

"Your Excellency, should we activate the laboratory now?"

"Open the armory first, I'll be there later."

After responding, Konan took off her clothes to prepare to wash her body, while Osamu Furukawa continued to record the "symptoms": "The energy of a ninja after death is completely different from that of an ordinary person."

"Unable to collect, spiritual resonance will passively absorb life force."

After discovering that the Iwagakure ninja had crossed the Land of Birds, the Sand Village immediately requested assistance from the Hidden Leaf Village. For them, this conflict was more like an undeserved disaster.

Meanwhile, the Hidden Cloud Village secretly dispatched its own squad, who possessed some of the sealing techniques of the Hidden Sand Village, which were then applied to Yugito.

However, due to the incompleteness of the sealing book, Yugito always encounters problems when he is training to become a perfect Jinchūriki.

Now that they had the opportunity to intervene in the war, the Fourth Raikage, A, immediately expressed his willingness to help, and the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, naturally accepted the offer without hesitation. Iwagakure urgently needed sealing techniques to solve the problem of Jinchuriki.

When Rasa's letter requesting help arrived in Konoha, the Jonin team members who received the news remained silent.

Inside the Hokage Building, Jiraiya, who had returned to the village, solemnly explained the mission situation. When he mentioned Nagato's appearance, many Jonin showed anger on their faces.

"That's how it was. Thanks to Minato, we and the Sand Village ninja escaped with our lives."

"This is undoubtedly a huge conspiracy. It's only been a few months since the Fourth Shinobi World War ended. We must stop this war."

Jiraiya clenched his fists, a hint of anger flashing across his face. Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting to Tsunade's right, tapped his pipe, frowned, and after careful consideration, asked in a low voice, "Why did Roshi choose this route to escape?"

Is it possible that the rogue ninja from Amegakure and the ninja from Iwagakure have joined forces?

"The whole operation seemed a bit strange to me, there were too many coincidences. If Old Purple didn't want to start a war, he could have easily escaped back to the Land of Earth."

Minato Namikaze then took the initiative to answer Hiruzen Sarutobi's question. He had come to help halfway and happened to witness Rōshi's wandering around in the Land of Bears: "The canyons in the Land of Bears are indeed good places to hide. Many of them are covered in poisonous fog, so the Jinchūriki may not be troubled."

""

"Unless the Third Tsuchikage understands the rogue ninja's purpose, the possibility of them joining forces is very small."

"When we fought, Old Purple told us about the situation inside Iwagakure. Their top priority right now is to ensure the sealing and use of the next generation of Jinchūriki."

"The chosen route is indeed suspicious, but Old Purple shouldn't know that the rogue ninja is hiding in that secluded valley."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. It was good that it wasn't a trap set by Iwagakure. He was worried that the other party was testing him after learning that Konoha had lost the Nine-Tails. This information almost leaked out some time ago.

"Lord Hokage, since their target is most likely a sealing technique, we can resolve the issue through negotiation."

"Once the Third Tsuchikage has repelled the Iwagakure ninja a few times, he should seek negotiations."

"We can help Sunagakure deliver a crushing blow to Iwagakure ninja, which could very well end the fight in a short time."

Nara Shikaku made a suggestion in a deep voice, but his words did not receive a response from the crowd. A head-on attack could also result in casualties, and the Konoha ninjas were somewhat reluctant to do this for the sake of the allies.

The meeting continued, with some proposing direct negotiations and others suggesting taking this opportunity to strike at Amegakure.

Tsunade frowned. She knew that most of the Konoha ninjas did not want to participate in this conflict, but the Allied Powers Agreement had now become a shackle.

"Teacher, I'll lead a few teams to provide support!"

Wearing a Jonin green vest, Furukawa Osamu, who had remained silent until now, solemnly volunteered for battle. However, before he could finish speaking, a Konoha ninja retorted, "How can Lord Osamu go to the front lines? What if that rogue ninja's target is to attack us?"

"Yes! Leave such a small matter as supporting our allies to us."

"We are at ease leaving Lord Xiu in the village. These mere Iwagakure ninjas are no match for us."

Jiraiya sighed silently as he watched the Konoha ninjas' attitudes reverse. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he immediately volunteered, saying, "Let me handle this. Maybe it's not as bad as everyone thinks."

"If you explain things clearly, the Iwagakure ninja will understand."

Hearing his teacher's words, Minato became somewhat uneasy and immediately chimed in, "I support Jiraiya-sensei's attempt. I'll go with him to contact Iwagakure first."

"However, since they have already crossed the Land of Birds, it would be better for us to prepare for battle first, defeat the Iwagakure ninja, and then begin negotiations."

Seeing Minato's support, some Konoha ninjas were immediately tempted. Although everyone wanted to follow Shu-sama and charge forward, Minato was no slouch either, and often it was enough to be prepared to provide support.

More importantly, Minato was able to handle the Tailed Beast Ball. Having experienced the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Konoha ninjas were terrified of massive chakra energy bodies.

Jiraiya is powerful, but if a tailed beast were to appear, Minato would be more reliable.

In the evening, the Jonin team reached a final decision: Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze would lead several squads to support Sunagakure, defeat their opponents, and then begin negotiations, revealing the inside story to the Iwagakure ninja.

When only a few people who knew more about the situation remained in the room, Jiraiya's face showed guilt, and he said dejectedly, "I've messed everything up again!"

"If I had reminded Oshi to return to the Land of Earth back then, perhaps this situation wouldn't have happened now."

"Nagato and the others have already obtained two tailed beasts. If they can further control the power of the tailed beasts, this situation would be terrifying."

"Just like the Great Toad Sage said, he might lead the world to destruction, and that's my problem."

When Minato heard "Great Toad Sage," he didn't know how to comfort him. It was really inappropriate for him to say something disrespectful. Fortunately, at this moment, Furukawa Osamu spoke up to comfort him: "Lord Jiraiya, there's no need to be so hard on yourself."

19

"In the end, wars are driven by desire. Even if Iwagakure loses its tailed beasts, it has better options."

"In an attempt to seize the power of the Tailed Beasts, the other side had already set its sights on Sunagakure. The departure of the out-of-control Rōshi merely gave the Third Tsuchikage an excuse."

"The Iwagakure ninja also wanted to possess Killer Bee," perhaps because a perfect Jinchuriki could more easily use the Tailed Beast Ball, and that's what they were after.

Minato forced a smile and offered a few words of comfort. The more turbulent the ninja world became, the more obsessed his teacher was with "prophecy." As his disciple, he could only offer his support...

Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Jiraiya's personality and knew that the other's guilt stemmed more from failing to properly guide that child: "Alright, Jiraiya, you're not young anymore. You should understand how difficult it is to change a person."

"Since that child has already embarked on the path of destruction you spoke of," then as a Konoha ninja, you should also be prepared to face the consequences.

"I don't want to hear the news of your death in the face of such a powerful force."

"Don't forget about the Mangekyou Sharingan users. Don't take any chances. We just need to be proactive."

Jiraiya fell silent, his face still bearing a worried expression. With the Child of Prophecy having lost his power, he needed to think of more ways to deal with this opponent.

Seeing her old friend's expression, Tsunade knew he hadn't given up on the "prophecy." She sighed and whispered, "Since you've chosen to support the Allies, end this conflict as soon as possible."

"Capturing our common enemy and reclaiming the Tailed Beasts is what we should all be doing. If this continues, all five great nations will be affected."

"The Bird Country and the Bear Country have already asked the Fire Country for help, but the Grass Country seems to want to get involved. You need to keep an eye on this on the front lines."

"If the conflict escalates, Jiraiya, you will use a toad to notify the village..."

After a careful discussion, Furukawa Osamu thanked Minato in a low voice. The current Konoha ninjas had no intention of taking action, and if the discussion continued, most of them would choose to remain silent.

"It's just a fight, nothing to me."

"Keep an eye on Naruto for me. I feel like he's getting more and more mischievous. It's safest for him to stay at home right now."

Minato felt a surge of pride thinking of his lively, energetic, and sociable son. However, Kushina was overly anxious, and Naruto, who also enjoyed interacting with his mother, became increasingly happy as the fight progressed...

When only the two of them remained in the room, Tsunade's face showed a hint of frustration. She disliked war, but unfortunately, after succeeding to the throne, there had only been a little over a year of stable development, with the rest of the time spent on war: "Onoki is such a stubborn old man, still clinging to the idea that if others have it, they must have it too."

"Even if you obtain the sealing technique, it is still difficult for a Jinchuriki to control the power of a Tailed Beast."

"Kumakuya Village clearly has a special heritage, and even so, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is a special existence."

"Instead of hoping to cultivate another 'Killer Bee,' Iwagakure should focus on developing the village and resolving the issues of commissions and income."

After complaining a few times, Tsunade felt a little better. Seeing that Furukawa Osamu was still struggling with his thoughts, she was pulled into her disciple's arms.

"Don't worry, if the enemy's target is the Tailed Beast, the village might already be safe."

"The teacher has done a great job. The village has reduced its dependence on the daimyo and led everyone to explore trade routes. Many ninja clans are praising the teacher's leadership."

"It's precisely this kind of teacher that I admire..."

"I...no, Xiu! Don't..."

Without the darkness, Tsunade tried to resist, but Furukawa Osamu was too familiar with her body. He lowered his head and gently bit her ear, and her body quickly went limp.

Seeing her disciple clearly face to face for the first time, Tsunade finally closed her eyes, opened her pink lips, and let him inhale.

The environment clearly affected the effectiveness of "talk-no-jutsu". Tsunade tried to push Furukawa away from time to time, but she quickly became engrossed in it again. In the end, she completely gave up resisting, hugged her disciple, and entered a focused training mode.

As darkness fell, Tsunade buried her head in her disciple's arms, panting. She knew this was wrong, but the words of refusal stuck in her throat.

"Teacher, there's no need to feel guilty."

"I just wanted to help you relieve some pressure. Being the Hokage is already tough enough."

As Furukawa Osamu spoke, he gently stroked his teacher's cheek with his left hand. Tsunade wanted to retort, but her restless body made her instinctively look up. When she closed her eyes again, the nighttime "talk-no-jutsu" training began again.

Jiraiya followed Minato home, and as soon as they entered, they saw Kushina "fighting" Naruto.

"You brat! You actually dragged the Hyuga clan's young lady into playing in the mud!"

"In the end, we even went to Ichiraku Ramen to run a debt!"

"What's wrong with playing in the mud? We even skipped stones together..."

Naruto screamed and ran around the room. Seeing his mother's red hair flying wildly in anger, his smile vanished instantly. Upon seeing Minato, he immediately ran over and shouted, "Dad, save me!"

Seeing his son clinging to him and his wife so angry she was practically breathing fire, Minato chuckled heartily. Then, scratching his head, he looked at Jiraiya and whispered, "Please excuse me, teacher. Naruto has been a bit naughty since his third birthday."

"I've been away from home for a while, Kushina has suffered."

Seeing this, Jiraiya's mood improved considerably. He picked up Naruto and said with a smile, "Boys should be like this! It's okay to be a little naughty."

"Naruto, I hear you've made a lot of friends. Looks like you're quite popular!"

When it came to making friends, Naruto, wearing his frog pajamas, proudly raised his head. All the children in the village liked to play with him, except for the arrogant Uchiha Sasuke.

Besides children, even adults give him gifts when they see him. Naruto can eat his fill after just one stroll through the shopping street. That's how popular the son of a hero is.

"Not many, I just like the lively atmosphere."

"My parents didn't teach me ninja knowledge, so I could only learn some from my friends."

"Sasuke Uchiha is amazing, but he doesn't seem to like me and is always going against me!"

Naruto chuckled as he talked about his troubles, his little face full of smiles. Kushina sighed, pointed at her son with a hint of annoyance, and said softly, "What are you doing learning ninja knowledge at the age of three? You are stronger than other children your age, so you need to learn to be humble."

"Don't always be so competitive in games. Let everyone win a few times so that everyone is happy."

"Mind your manners. The Hyuga family is different; don't drag girls into playing boys' games..."

Minato gave his son a helpless look. Naruto became obedient after being hugged by Kushina. He nodded when his mother made a request, and whether he listened to her or not was up to him.

Seeing the happy family of three, Jiraiya felt a pang of guilt. As the mother and son left, he whispered an apology: "I'm sorry, Minato, I've dragged you into trouble again..."

"I'm such a useless teacher, I can't change anything."

"9

"Even though I knew what was going to happen, I could only watch the world slide into its worst state."

"Teacher, don't say that! You've already done a great job!"

Minato didn't mention "mutual understanding" again. In his view, such a thing was impossible. Conflicts between ninja villages were inevitable and had nothing to do with Jiraiya as the guide.

"Leave the matter of supporting the allies to me, teacher. This is a scroll that Lord Orochimaru gave me."

"There seems to be some classified information inside. Recently, there have been significant changes in the Dark Division, which have also affected the Root Division."

""

"I think Lord Orochimaru seems a bit off, but maybe I'm overthinking it."

Minato specially invited Jiraiya to his home. Besides comforting his teacher, another purpose of his visit was to deliver the information scroll.

When Orochimaru found him, Minato was a little surprised, as he remembered that his teachers were connected.

Jiraiya looked surprised when he received the scroll. Orochimaru didn't use this kind of sealing technique often. After using his own blood to undo the seal, Jiraiya carefully read the scroll and then looked puzzled.

"Teacher, is there a problem?"

"It's nothing. Orochimaru's been in the Anbu for so long, he's become a bit like Danzo..."

1

Jiraiya responded with a smile, then closed the scroll and changed the subject, though he was even more puzzled: "Information about Shu?! Betrayal of the village, what is this guy trying to say?..."

""

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