Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

In early May, as temperatures gradually rose, many people at the Ninja Academy were still discussing the two who had recently graduated early.

The shuriken lesson had just ended, and Obito Uchiha sat down on a bench by the playground, looking up at the sky, completely devoid of his usual energy.

"You're just spacing out again. Are you alright, Obito?"

Rin Nohara's energetic voice rang out again. Seeing the worried look on the girl's face, Obito murmured dejectedly:

"Am I really lacking in the talents of the Uchiha clan?"

"Even Guy has graduated and formed a three-person team with Shu and Kakashi."

"They've already started their mission, and maybe by the time I graduate, I'll be working under these guys."

Most of their classmates regarded the three graduates as geniuses. When they were surpassed by these geniuses, they would only praise them loudly and take the opportunity to mock the "bottom of the class" of the Uchiha clan.

"Obito's results are also very good!"

Rin Nohara sat down next to Obito and praised him, then looked at him and added:

"It's okay. You've already worked very hard. Although you still have some problems with the theory classes, your overall grades are already among the top."

"Lin, I... uh... I just got good grades in some subjects!"

Seeing the girl's earnest encouragement, Obito, feeling incredibly nervous after being praised, finally turned away shyly and whispered:

"Thank you, Lin. You're the only one who has always supported me."

"You two are whispering again!"

Kurenai suddenly appeared behind the two. The girl's teasing almost made Obito jump up and down, but after turning around and seeing her, he immediately stammered and hurriedly moved away.

"I...I need to go buy some drinks..."

Watching Obito stagger away, Kurenai blinked, then grabbed Rin Nohara and asked curiously:

"So this guy didn't participate in the activities before because he was afraid of being outdone? Strange Uchiha."

Thinking of how Obito had angrily refused to participate in a group activity not long ago, Nohara Rin shook her head slightly and explained simply:

"Obito just wanted to be recognized by more people. He had lived alone since he was very young, and he actually longed to have more friends."

Different upbringing shapes different personalities. Kurenai Yuhi didn't fully understand this. The girl looked up, seemingly lost in thought, and said:

"Is that so? But Xiu doesn't seem to have these problems."

"They received a C-level mission. I've never left the village before. My father said it's dangerous outside the village, but I still want to go out and see for myself."

Thinking about how she had completely left the medical ward for the past two months and started following Tsunade's mentor, Osamu Furukawa, Rin Nohara responded with a hint of envy:

"Geniuses are always a little different!"

The two girls stopped discussing these things, but when the topic turned to the three who had formed a team earlier, Nohara Rin still looked longingly at Kakashi after Kurenai mentioned him.

Although she didn't know what would happen after graduation, Rin Nohara was really looking forward to teaming up with Kakashi. During afternoon classes, the girl even started fantasizing:

"It would be great if Kakashi could be the captain..."

-

Late at night, in the dense forest at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields, the caravan members who had been resting breathed a sigh of relief.

The middle-aged tour leader, nearing 40 and slightly overweight, looked apologetic. After dinner, he approached Nara Shikaku and whispered respectfully to the group:

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Nara, I didn't expect to see ninjas from Takigakure."

"We will provide compensation upon arrival at the destination; this is a small token of our appreciation. We entrust the assessment of the commission to you."

Nara Shikaku, who had recently been promoted to Jonin, looked at the group of people bowing and apologizing in front of him, and sighed helplessly, saying:

"This is indeed a bit troublesome, but considering Mr. Oshima's friendship with us, I will help with the assessment."

With the assurances in hand, the group beamed with joy. They knew that any battle between ninjas was at least a B-rank mission, and Konoha also had a rating system for its commissions. This time, they were in the wrong.

After a battle, four guards were lost, and the remaining dozen or so people looked at the three boys sitting on the ground with awe.

The three people, far from the caravan, could not be seen clearly in the darkness. Matt Kai's face was pale, and he forced himself to eat some rice balls while suppressing his discomfort.

Kakashi, wearing a mask, successfully concealed his emotions, but seeing Gai's lack of appetite, he still whispered:

"There's no need to go to such lengths. Apart from the guys from Takigakure, the rest are just wandering ninjas."

Despite carrying a short sword, Furukawa Osamu seemed completely unaffected, casually responding while eating rice balls and dried meat:

"Since they came out to attack, they should have been prepared to be killed."

"Only the dead are the safest. I don't want to be ambushed again before I reach the Land of Fields. This is a warning to them."

The ninjas who feigned death to try and get away with it were all eventually taken down by Furukawa. Perhaps because he had experienced months of bloody nightmares, he did not experience any psychological fluctuations in his killing.

"Xiu is right, we can't fail on our first C-level mission."

"I'm prepared... um..."

Matt Kai took the initiative to speak, his serious expression completely different from his demeanor at school. After speaking, he ate a large mouthful of rice ball, then chewed on jerky, eventually choking and becoming speechless.

"I just can't do anything with you..."

Kakashi, who handed over the water bottle, resumed his deadpan expression. He was a Chunin and had already experienced real combat, but he was still taken aback by how cleanly and efficiently Furukawa Osamu killed people.

Nara Shikaku, who sat down next to the group, was very satisfied with his teammates' performance. To encourage them, he said with a smile:

"It seems my worries were unnecessary. As expected of a genius valued by Lady Tsunade."

"Kai, you did very well too. There's no need for sympathy for enemies who hinder the mission."

"Kakashi, trust your companions. And here's some good news: once we reach our destination, the reward will increase to 10 ryo. The caravan has a good relationship with the Nara clan, and there will be some additional compensation later."

The doubled income made Might Guy's eyes light up. When ninjas go on missions, ninja tools are a huge expense, and among the four, his equipment was the worst.

Seemingly sensing what his teammates were thinking, Nara Shikaku, sitting cross-legged, stroked his chin and said with a relaxed expression:

"Kai, don't forget the three prohibitions of ninjas: as an excellent ninja, don't let money control you."

The so-called three forbidden things for ninjas are alcohol, women, and money. Furukawa Osamu knew his captain was joking, and added with a smile:

"That's right, it's just a few tens of thousands of taels of silver. Don't worry about it. The captain isn't a stingy guy."

The Nara clan, who dealt in medicinal herbs, were indeed very wealthy. Knowing Might Guy's family background, Nara Shikaku laughed heartily and generously promised:

"The extra income is yours!"

"Compared to the mission, outstanding juniors are the most important."

"Remember, while ninjas must follow the rules, when faced with a problematic request, your comrades come first. This is the Will of Fire we pass down!"

"..."