Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 214 The Name of a Hero (Sunagakure, no main character)

In early March of Konoha Year 55, the Sand Village ninja, led by the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, once again successfully repelled the invasion of the Iwa Village ninja.

With the tailed beasts fighting in tandem, the Sand Village ninjas were greatly encouraged and even charged into the Land of Birds.

The changing war situation prevented both sides from deploying large forces for combat. The two, Rasa and Onoki, who were able to fly, kept each other in check, and the two sides continued to tug at each other in the Land of Birds.

Konoha, as an ally, had always wanted to bring both sides back to the negotiating table. Unfortunately, even with Jiraiya's best efforts to explain, neither side had any intention of stopping.

Sunagakure wants to prove its strength in one fell swoop, thereby gaining time for future development;

Iwagakure wanted to inherit the legacy, and after seeing Gaara's performance as the Jinchūriki, their desire only grew stronger. The village's next generation of Jinchūriki also needed to further master the power of the Tailed Beasts.

Neither side would give up until they achieved their goal, and they were ultimately forced to engage in a battle at the Kage level. None of the Konoha ninjas intended to intervene; they were prepared to watch the show up close.

As the sun rose directly overhead, at midday, the dense forest on the border of the Bird Kingdom was once again ravaged. A huge rock "monster" suddenly emerged, scattering large swathes of trees and shattering the earth.

"Earth Release: Rigid Form Technique!"

The rock giant rapidly grew larger, and Onoki once again used Earth Release: Light and Heavy Rock Technique to empower the giant, which then immediately floated in the air.

Huang Tu, following behind, used the same ninjutsu, floating to his father's side and frowning as he whispered, "Father, Han isn't ready yet! Last time, the Five-Tails excessively absorbed his chakra..."

To use the Tailed Beast Ball, one must rely on the power of the Tailed Beasts. Although Han can use this technique, the Five-Tails will simultaneously absorb the chakra from his body.

If a tailed beast is in a bad mood and absorbs too much of its energy, the jinchūriki will be in mortal danger.

Haneng's perseverance since the Fourth Shinobi World War has proven its extraordinary willpower.

The retreating Iwagakure ninjas, unaware of the situation, shouted loudly upon seeing this scene: the rock giant combined with the power of the tailed beast was the key to their near-sweep of Konoha.

"We can no longer rely on the Han. This time, I will lead the attack!"

"The Sand Village really did hide crucial information regarding the development of the Tailed Beasts. That child might be able to control the power of the One-Tailed Beast. A second Killer Bee... that's far too dangerous..."

Floating in the air, Onoki muttered expressionlessly, "Iwagakure has fallen behind. With the changing nature of the war, reducing the number of ninja forces is a foregone conclusion."

Ordinary ninjas can hardly play a significant role on this kind of battlefield. Iwagakure's greatest advantage is gone, and with no successor for Dust Release, the old man has nowhere to express his anxiety.

"Kazekage brat! Hand over Old Purple, or this battle won't end!"

"You wouldn't want your child to lose their father so young, would you? The enemies I've dismantled haven't even left ashes..."

Onoki shouted loudly in the air directly in front of him, venting all his anxiety, and his nose became even more bright red.

Luo Sha floated in the air on a ball of sand, arms crossed. Hearing the old man's clumsy excuse, his eyes twitched, and he shouted back, "Everyone knows what you want! Stop with your ridiculous excuses!"

"As long as I am here, no one can invade the Land of Wind. The Sand Village ninja will not compromise..."

The Sand Village's hundred-man squad below also roared in anger. With Shukaku cooperating with the Kazekage, the Iwagakure ninja were helpless in this environment.

"ah!!"

As the ninjas from both sides shouted, the two rock giants from Iwagakure began to wildly swing their arms, and the long-range wind-style ninjutsu from Sunagakure also erupted.

Rock fragments and wind blades flew everywhere. After both sides had exhausted their refined chakra, the squads at the front had already clashed together, wielding their ninja tools.

The gold dust "ropes" began to bind the rock giant, and then the gold dust that gushed from the ground turned into a giant hand. Just as it was about to strike, Onoki's Dust Release made the ninjutsu disappear.

"It's the Tsuchikage!"

"Hold on! Use combined ninjutsu..."

The Iwagakure Jonin shouted commands, but as soon as they finished speaking, the Sunagakure's crude puppets above began to swoop down, attempting to plunge into the small group that was gathering nearby.

Four puppet squads controlled puppets to charge at the front line. Thanks to the advancements in Konoha's prosthetic limb technology, some of the puppets' key structures were much stronger than before.

One of the advanced humanoid puppets even used Lightning Release ninjutsu, swirling in the air while spewing out arcs of electricity to shatter the Iwagakure ninja's defenses.

"Earth Release: Rock Clone Technique!"

Onoki roared in the air, then created six clones to support the ground troops. Huang Tu even plunged into the small group gathered by Sunagakure and used the Rock Fist Technique to "clear the way".

Rasa was only responsible for interference. Seeing that the Sand Village ninjas were gradually driving the enemy out of the border, he breathed a sigh of relief.

As the Sand Village troops regrouped, Rasa, upon seeing the enormous beastly shadow in the distance, immediately stepped to the front and slammed his hands into the ground: "Magnet Release: Great Burial of Gold Sand!"

The earth caved in, and the flowing gold dust attempted to drag all the Iwagakure ninja in front of him underground. Onoki realized that Han was ready, and no longer held back his chakra, unleashing his full power in Dust Release: "Dust Release: Particle Style!"

As Onoki swung his arm, a huge circular crater instantly appeared on the ground, and all the gold dust created by Rasa disappeared. The Iwagakure ninja accelerated their retreat.

The Sand Village advanced too quickly, and the Stone Village launched a Tailed Beast Ball attack in advance. As Shukaku appeared with a howl, Rasa immediately flew to the head of the Tailed Beast behind him.

"You humans are insane! Why are you always thinking about killing each other?"

"I just didn't want to see this innocent child being toyed with by you. Damn you, Kazekage, this is truly the last time!"

Shukaku, covered in intricate purple patterns and composed of a massive sand body, grumbled irritably as it formed hand seals, using sand-based gold dust to unleash a ninjutsu: "Shukaku's Shield!"

When the black Tailed Beast Ball collided with the enormous Shukaku statue that shone with golden light, the resulting shockwave caused many ninjas to scream in fear, and those who lost their footing were blown away on the spot.

Scattered gold dust drifted through the air. Soon, Shukaku formed hand seals again, inhaled, and unleashed a violent burst of air: "Wind Release: Gold Dust Scattering Bullet!"

"Earth Release·Earth Style Wall!"

The aftershocks from the collision of large-scale ninjutsu caused many ninjas to fall to the ground. Ōnoki knew that this environment was advantageous to Sunagakure, so he silently retreated again.

When Han, who had forcibly transformed into a tailed beast, began to accelerate his charge using the Five-Tails, the battle of the giant beasts began again. Onoki would occasionally appear and attack Gaara, and Rasa could only passively protect his son.

Two tiny humans collided with the giant beast. When Onoki used Earth Release: Light and Heavy Rock Technique to empower the tailed beast, the whipping effect of the multiple tails behind the giant beast erupted like a natural disaster.

"ah!!"

The shockwave from afar caused Sunagakure to bury its head and shout, as Shukaku's "Wind Release: Sky Bullet" flew wildly in all directions, causing devastating damage to the dense forests of the Land of Birds.

The Sand Village ninja could only hide behind the earthen wall; they were no longer able to intervene in this battle.

The "White Horse," the incarnation of the Jinchūriki Han, suddenly roared. Huang Tu realized that Han couldn't hold on any longer, and taking advantage of his father's entanglement with the opponent, he unleashed all the chakra he had refined: "Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique!"

Two enormous hemispheres rose from the ground and quickly sandwiched Shukaku. The Iwagakure ninjas, witnessing this scene once again, could only raise their arms and roar in anger.

Both Jinchūriki were unable to hold on any longer. Shukaku let out a frustrated cry as the earth retreated, while Han was carried away by Onoki. This battle ended in a draw once again.

Rocks flew and dust billowed. The Konoha ninjas, far from the front lines, remained silent at the sight of this familiar scene; such a battle was difficult to even approach.

As for moving through the tailed beasts as easily as the two Kage, there aren't many in Konoha who can do that. Even Jiraiya would be in a very awkward situation if he encountered such a situation.

Wearing his Jonin combat uniform, Minato Namikaze had been gazing out from the top of the tree. The two Jinchūriki's performances were completely different. After observing for so long, he had a new idea about how to use the Tailed Beasts.

"boom!"

Another loud explosion came from afar. The combined ninjutsu "Earth Release: Earthquake Core" once again destroyed the terrain. The Iwagakure ninja began to retreat towards the Land of Birds, while the Sunagakure ninja held the border.

"The Hidden Cloud Village must be observing as well! I didn't expect the Hidden Sand Village to have mastered this power."

"That child was only 4 years old. It's unbelievable how he did it."

Jiraiya stroked his chin and sighed softly, while Minato, back on the ground, replied with a serious expression, "The tailed beast inside did not take the opportunity to steal the child's chakra; it even actively used its power to protect the jinchūriki."

"It seems that we have gone astray in our development direction in the past. Compared with taming the tailed beasts, reconciling with them seems to be able to unleash greater power."

Minato used to help Kushina and Kurama "tug-of-war," but One-Tail is obviously not like that, otherwise the Jinchuriki would die very quickly.

Jiraiya, who knew about his disciple's past, looked surprised upon hearing this speculation, then sighed regretfully and muttered to himself, "It's too late to understand all this now..."

In the dense forest, Yamanaka Inoichi opened his eyes, ended the "communication," and quickly came to the two of them, whispering, "Lord Jiraiya, the Cloud Village ninjas have indeed taken action. We successfully intercepted them and captured three ninjas, who have been handed over to Sunagakure."

"Very good, we have done our best. As allies, intercepting the Cloud Village ninja is our mission."

Jiraiya gave a thumbs-up, and Minato also smiled. In this way, they could give Sunagakure an explanation.

In the southwest direction of the front line, the Uchiha clan ninjas were still exchanging blows with the Sunagakure ninjas. Seeing his son's calm demeanor, Fugaku Uchiha was increasingly satisfied.

Accustomed to killing, Itachi Uchiha was still gazing at the rising dust in the distance. Thinking of the child who was about the same age as his younger brother, he asked in a low voice, "With such frequent releases of power, is that child really alright?"

The young Sand Village ninja's face lit up with pride when he heard the question, and he gave an affirmative answer without hesitation: "Lord Gaara is a born hero! There won't be any problem."

Several Sand Village ninjas standing nearby also straightened their chests; after three years of silence, they had proven themselves with their strength.

They were even ahead in the use of tailed beasts. Thinking of this, the Sand Village ninja who was being drained of blood felt extremely happy. It was only a matter of time before they left Konoha!

Uchiha Itachi nodded. He keenly sensed the other party's "eagerness." It seemed that the Sand Village ninja didn't really like the identity of an allied nation.

On the way back, a few Uchiha clan ninjas complained a bit, but Fugaku Uchiha didn't comfort them. Instead, he looked at his son and asked, "Itachi, what are your thoughts on the change in the Sand Village ninjas' attitude?"

Uchiha Itachi lowered his head, recalling the phenomena he had observed recently, and replied seriously: "Placing our hopes on that child might lead to the Sand Village launching a war against us one day in the future."

"The current peace is only because we have greater power. Sunagakure does not recognize our current identity."

Upon hearing his son's answer, Fugaku Uchiha laughed out loud, and several young ninjas also praised Itachi's magnanimity: "As expected of my son, he has the mindset of a Hokage at such a young age, thinking about problems from the perspective of the village."

"Itachi, remember, this is what a true ninja is like. Although I don't like Madara's followers, in the current situation, the Uchiha clan truly needs greater power."

"As long as we have the strength to instill fear in our enemies, war will not break out."

Itachi Uchiha responded respectfully, and then the group began to speed up their return. Regarding his father's words, the young Itachi inexplicably thought of Madara Uchiha's mention of "the mission of the Uchiha".

Powerful strength seems to truly be able to resolve all conflicts; the conflict between Sunagakure and Iwagakure taught him a vivid lesson.

As night fell, the Sand Village ninja stationed at the border celebrated their victory in their camp. Although they did not launch a counterattack, they had successfully driven out the Iwa Village, and they had already won.

Gaara fell into a coma after ending his dormant state. Even though Shukaku did not actively invade his body, the enormous chakra filled with malice still caused considerable harm to the child.

Gaara's spirit entered the sealed space and sat in a corner with his knees drawn up to his chest. A warm feeling constantly surrounded him, which his uncle told him was his mother's protection.

"Those humans were clearly terrified of you before! Why did you make this choice?"

"Is it just for that so-called recognition?"

"When you grow up, you might regret the choice you've made now."

Shukaku stared at Gaara with its enormous beastly eyes, who trembled in fear, burying his head in his knees. After a long while, he finally spoke, "I don't want to be treated like a monster. I like being needed by everyone."

"My mother would definitely want to see me become a hero, and my father would praise me for it..."

"Thank you for saving everyone, you are the real hero."

Gaara quietly raised his head to look at the terrifying monster. Shukaku suddenly burst into laughter. Instead of correcting the child's thoughts, it thought of the old monk Bunpuku and sighed inexplicably, "A hero? I really want to hear what you think when you grow up."

"Kid, my power isn't something you can use carelessly! If you continue to use it for war, you'll pay a heavy price."

Since being accepted by the villagers, Gaara has tried to communicate with monsters. Perhaps because his mother protected him, he was not so afraid of Shukaku.

Young Gaara didn't catch the sarcasm in Shukaku's tone. The boy, with dark circles under his eyes, raised his head and solemnly replied, "As long as I'm needed and not treated like a monster, I'm willing to give anything!"

"I am not a monster, I am a hero recognized by everyone."

Shukaku did not respond further. The change in the status of the Jinchūriki left it speechless. The world seemed to be heading in another direction, getting further and further away from what the Sage of Six Paths had said.

When Gaara opened his eyes, all the Sand Village ninjas surrounding the tent crowded in, shouting excitedly regardless of whether the children could understand, "As expected of Lord Gaara! A treasure bestowed by heaven upon the Sand Village for its rise!"

"With Lord Gaara's power, we will surely be able to break free from the oppression of the Konoha ninjas."

"In a few years, Lord Gaara will definitely be even stronger, and maybe we can even launch a counterattack against Konoha and Iwagakure..."

"I swear to follow Lord Gaara to the death!"

Although he couldn't understand what everyone was saying, Gaara felt the eager gazes and a smile appeared on his pale face. A surge of joy welled up inside him: "Everyone needs me, Mother. I want to protect them..."