Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 217 Konoha Bonds

At the end of March, a piece of news that shocked most ninjas in the ninja world quickly spread: "Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, has defected from Konoha and is being hunted down. His fate is unknown."

The news had been circulating for a week, but most ninjas thought it was a rumor until Jiraiya suddenly returned to the village from the front lines, at which point the news gained attention.

On the front lines of the Land of Birds, in the Konoha ninja camp, Minato Namikaze was having a bit of a headache. It wasn't that something had happened on the front lines, but rather that his teacher had some emotional issues before leaving.

Fortunately, most of the ninjas on the front lines remained calm, since such confidential matters were not something ordinary ninjas could understand.

On the Uchiha clan's side, Fugaku received more detailed information and learned that the Anbu had successfully ambushed "Uchiha Madara," leaving him with mixed feelings.

The third stage of Susanoo is unimaginable, but as a member of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku knew that such power was extremely strong.

However, with the legendary power being crushed, Fugaku Uchiha always had a feeling of "myth shattering".

When Fugaku sent the ninja cat away, he thought of his outstanding son again. He was almost certain that Itachi would be able to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan.

His son's ninja talent sometimes even made him, as a father, jealous!

When Fugaku moved Itachi to his side, a complex look flashed across his eyes. He knew he was putting a lot of pressure on his son, but excellent ninjas had to go through these trials: "Itachi, you've heard the news, haven't you? That enemy with the Mangekyou Sharingan did indeed escape severely injured."

"For ninjas, intelligence is always of utmost importance."

"In order to counter the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, the Barrier and Sealing Team alone has made tremendous efforts over the years."

"The secrets must not be revealed. Remember what I said."

Itachi Uchiha immediately bowed his head in assurance. Fugaku glanced at his son and quickly got down to business: "This is a good opportunity to suppress Madara Uchiha's followers. I hope you will demonstrate your Sharingan at the clan meeting."

"Learning to conceal one's power is a good thing, but more often than not, it is powerful power that can maintain stability."

"We will unlock the Mangekyou Sharingan in our own way. You are the hope of the entire clan; do not let everyone down!"

Frequent battles forced Itachi Uchiha to reveal his power. He hadn't expected his father to be so perceptive, but recalling the name "Fugaku the Fierce-Eyed," he immediately realized that he had underestimated his father.

"Yes, Father!"

"But even now, I still don't know how to make the Sharingan continue to evolve."

"The time isn't right yet, Itachi. Continue honing your ninja skills; battle is the best way to hone them."

Fugaku Uchiha did not resolve his son's doubts, after all, the way he awakened his Sharingan was too extreme. He hoped to explore another path, and accumulating emotions was a good attempt.

Unfortunately, the power of "bonds" was not enough. As Fugaku Uchiha watched his son's departing figure, a complex expression reappeared in his eyes.

When Jiraiya returned to Konoha, he found that the village had not been affected at all. The commercial street was still bustling with people, and the genin who were preparing for the mission were all smiling happily and chatting with the jonin who were instructing them.

Orochimaru's old subordinates did not cause any trouble. Just as the intelligence they sent him indicated, some of them chose to leave with Orochimaru, while those who stayed passed the test of loyalty.

Jiraiya couldn't help but think back carefully. He quickly realized that the Anbu had been prepared all along. What he could perceive were the changes in the last three months. He didn't even know about anything before that.

Along the way, the Konoha ninjas greeted him loudly, calling out "Lord Jiraiya" repeatedly.

The Fourth Shinobi World War made the Konoha ninjas begin to loathe war, and this time Jiraiya took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility, for which everyone was grateful.

Upon arriving outside the walls of the Hokage Building, Jiraiya quickly noticed the change in the barrier. A severely injured enemy was dangerous, especially since the opponent still possessed the power of the Nine-Tails.

Upon entering the Hokage Building, the ninjas delivering documents in the corridor greeted everyone loudly, but they were more focused on their work.

In such an environment, Jiraiya couldn't help but quicken his pace. When he entered the Jonin Summoning Room, only a few people were still discussing in hushed tones.

"Jiraiya, you don't need to come back. The Land of Birds is still very important."

"Regarding Orochimaru, we still cannot determine his true intentions, which is why the warrant for his arrest has been delayed until now."

"Shu believes Orochimaru is still alive, but he hasn't sent back any messages during this time."

"You can try to contact him, but in any case, the arrest warrant will definitely be issued at the beginning of next month."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on the sofa to the right and slowly explained to Jiraiya. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, who were beside him, nodded slightly in agreement with the final decision.

Jiraiya still doesn't believe Orochimaru will really leave. Upon hearing that his friend is wanted by the village, he immediately looks at Tsunade, who is wearing a fire cloud robe: "Does this really have to be done? Maybe Orochimaru has his own plans."

"If he becomes a rogue ninja, he'll be hunted down by the village! He has no reason to leave; Konoha is his home!"

Seeing her old friend's dejected question, Tsunade sighed softly, then replied in a deep voice, "Don't let your emotions get the better of you. Orochimaru must have considered the consequences after making his choice."

"He also contributed to this operation, which is why we have been dragging this out until now."

"We have now obtained detailed information about the owner of the Mangekyou Sharingan, and his identity has been further confirmed."

The crucial information excited everyone in the room. Koharu Utatane then squinted and reminded them, "Orochimaru has mastered the forbidden technique of Impure World Reincarnation, and has even perfected it."

"This does violate the village's rules, but the First and Second Hokage, who were summoned during this operation, successfully answered our questions."

"Madara Uchiha is dead. The guy who stole the Nine-Tails was just a ninja with Uchiha blood."

Mitokado Homura was also quite excited at this moment. He pushed up his glasses and continued the previous topic: "It cannot be ruled out that some members of the Uchiha clan have left the clan after awakening the Mangekyou Sharingan. Fugaku has agreed to provide a list of missing clan members."

"Although the enemy's strength is still formidable, we have turned the tide this time, and the chances of reclaiming the Nine-Tails are much greater."

When the enemy was no longer a mystery, and when the mechanism of the eye techniques was roughly understood, everyone was no longer afraid. This was the effect of this intelligence, and the Konoha ninja regained their former confidence.

Kushina and Osamu Furukawa sat on the sofa to the right. Neither of them spoke much. Jiraiya noticed that everyone was more focused on the enemy's intelligence, which made him feel uneasy.

Seemingly sensing Jiraiya's mood, Kushina interjected during the discussion of sealing techniques: "The methods for restricting the enemy can be further optimized, but determining the opponent's position remains extremely difficult."

"If Lord Orochimaru can send back some information, perhaps we can solve the problem, and we might even be able to launch a counterattack against their organization."

Jiraiya's spirits lifted, and he looked at Kushina with gratitude. Then he stood up and said seriously, "I'll be the one to determine Orochimaru's true intentions!"

"I will not allow someone to leave without saying goodbye."

Upon hearing that Jiraiya was also going to investigate, Tsunade rubbed her forehead again and called out to her old friend, "Don't be so reckless and impulsive. Even if you do find Orochimaru, you'll likely be discovered by the enemy."

"Faced with that kind of power, you'll most likely die! The opponent's intangibility lasts for more than 8 minutes, you definitely know what that means."

"Not only that, there is a huge possibility that the Mangekyou Sharingan and Rinnegan can work together. Don't always try to solve everything by yourself."

At this point, Furukawa Osamu had no choice but to speak up and remind him. He hadn't expected Jiraiya to still be planning to track Orochimaru, even though he could have ascertained his friend's intentions simply by waiting for information to be relayed: "Lord Jiraiya, Sage Mode can sense danger, but sensing it doesn't mean you can avoid the attack."

"Neural reaction speed and physical strength are the key. Rashly engaging in combat with such an opponent does not offer a high chance of victory. It is better to wait for intelligence."

Suddenly recalling the information Orochimaru had given him before leaving, Jiraiya nodded without changing his expression, but ultimately turned and left: "If Orochimaru really discovered something, it might be even more dangerous."

"I can't watch him get into this situation!"

"Don't worry, I'm just trying to track and infiltrate. Instead of waiting passively, let's take the initiative."

Kushina looked worried. She had participated in most of the improvements to the sealing technique and knew just how strong the enemy was. Seeing that Jiraiya was about to leave, she had to stand up and remind him, "Jiraiya-sensei, please be extra careful!"

"Actually, we can wait for Minato to come back. With his help, Jiraiya-sensei might have a better chance."

Jiraiya, who was about to open the door, stopped and turned to look at everyone. For the first time, a smile appeared on his face as he loudly replied, "How can you always trouble my disciple!"

"Orochimaru may have become strange, but he is still my good friend. I can't abandon our friendship of so many years."

"Allow me to be willful one more time; I want to confirm this guy's attitude in person."

"If any intelligence reaches my hands, I will send it back to the village immediately."

"Don't worry, I still want to see Naruto grow up. This little guy might change the world. Tell Minato not to worry about me, and to leave the frontline matters to him."

As Jiraiya left, Kushina sighed with her head down. If Minato had been there, he might have stopped the teacher.

Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed Tsunade's bad mood and, after discussing how to restrain the enemy for a while, got up and left. Jiraiya taking the initiative was also a good option; the village needed to ascertain Orochimaru's attitude.

Before leaving, Kushina patted Furukawa Osamu on the shoulder, her face showing gratitude. She knew better than anyone how difficult it was to obtain this kind of preparatory information.

That mysterious and powerful enemy was like a dark cloud hanging over the couple.

"Give the Hokage a good talking-to! After all, he's been a comrade for many years."

Hearing Kushina's whisper, Furukawa Osamu nodded. When only the two of them remained in the room, Tsunade looked at the mission report with a complex expression: "Osamu, you knew about Orochimaru's plan all along, didn't you?"

"It seems that guy really wants to leave, he won't even give me a chance to communicate."

"What exactly is he chasing? He's willing to abandon his village, his friends, and decades of his life for his goal..."

As she finished speaking, Tsunade rested her head on the disciple who had come to her side. Furukawa Osamu simply stroked her smooth blonde hair, pondered carefully, and then softly replied, "Perhaps it's what's called the truth! Orochimaru-sensei's ultimate dream."

"Although I think there are problems with those books, I still need to conduct experiments myself to verify their authenticity. The village really can't offer him much help in this regard."

"The First Hokage and the Second Hokage have been a great help this time. We, their juniors, are truly ashamed to have troubled them."

"However, I promised the First Hokage that I would take good care of you, Sensei. If you're feeling unwell, you can have a few drinks tonight. There's no need to make things difficult for yourself."

When Tsunade heard her grandfather's name, she subconsciously looked up and saw the solemn look on Furukawa Osamu's face. Suddenly, her cheeks burned, and she felt that she had misunderstood him.

"Thank you, Xiu!"

After thanking her softly, Tsunade got up to return to her office, noticing that Osamu Furukawa was clenching her left hand tightly. In the end, she lowered her head and intertwined her fingers.

Striving to maintain a normal expression, Tsunade pulled Furukawa Osamu along slowly towards the room door, and as always, in her cheerful voice, instructed him, "The Anbu work must continue well during this time. Now that we've discovered the enemy's weakness, I can't let my guard down. I need to train even harder!"

"If Orochimaru really sends back information, we can secretly keep an eye on this guy."

"The Root branch didn't participate in the operation. I will communicate with Danzo about this matter."

Furukawa Osamu simply smiled and listened quietly. Before Tsunade could push open the door, she suddenly pulled her teacher into her arms.

Tsunade hesitated for a moment, then hugged her disciple, leaning against Furukawa Osamu's chest, closing her eyes, and repeatedly reminding herself that this was a "normal comforting" act.

"Teacher, don't worry, I will continue to help you in your cultivation."

'

Tsunade, who responded softly, assumed the training was the same as before, but she didn't see the strange look in Furukawa Osamu's eyes after hearing the response: "Osamu, I'll have to trouble you again tonight."

In early April, in an underground stronghold somewhere in the Land of Rivers, Orochimaru gradually regained consciousness. After recalling what had happened, he sat up straight and chuckled eerily.

Kisame, who looked noticeably thinner, was startled by Orochimaru as soon as he entered the room. He instinctively gripped the large sword Samehada behind him, then released it and muttered helplessly, "I didn't expect this organization to be full of strange guys. Can you survive without food?"

"Lord Madara entrusted me to take care of you temporarily, but I never expected you to recover on your own. You have a truly monstrous body..."

Orochimaru turned to look at the shark-faced man, frowning slightly at the large sword bound in bandages, but quickly smiled and muttered, "Lord Madara? Interesting title. Is that guy still calling himself 'Uchiha Madara'?"

"I think we can be more honest with each other, what do you think, little guy from Kirigakure?"

Kisame stroked his chin thoughtfully, recalling Mei Terumi's warning. He ultimately shook his head and replied in a leisurely tone, "I don't want to invite trouble. I've witnessed the immense power of the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan firsthand!"

"A ninja should obey orders. I only want to live as a ninja. As for other things, that's not something I need to consider."

Orochimaru knew the Hidden Mist ninja in front of him was lying, but he didn't care. He was already close to the power he had been waiting for, and was one step closer to achieving his goal: "It seems I need to find an opportunity to pass on some information. That idiot Jiraiya will definitely receive it."

"I never imagined that there really was an Uchiha who fused with the power of the Senju clan. The records in those ancient texts were indeed true!"

Kisame looked at Orochimaru licking his lips with his long tongue and felt a wave of nausea. Recalling his experiences over the past two weeks, he muttered to himself, "I almost starved to death after joining this organization! These monsters are completely unreliable."

"I really want to go back to the village soon..."

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