Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

In late November of Konoha Year 44, the Land of Fire experienced its coldest weather in recent years.

"I really want to go home and snuggle up in a kotatsu. School should be closed right now."

During lunch break, Obito glanced at Rin Nohara's bento box while hugging his bread and loudly complaining that he had become complacent since his grades improved.

The girl, who was working even harder in the medical class, immediately corrected him earnestly upon hearing these words:

"We promised to graduate early together, Obito, don't forget I'll be watching you!"

"Feel sorry."

Embarrassed by the girl's gaze, Obito turned his head and saw Sarutobi Asuma slumped dejectedly in his seat. Curious, he asked:

"What's wrong with Asuma? He's been acting like this lately."

"The Hokage couldn't attend the last assessment due to work, so Asuma, who came in first place, must be quite disappointed!"

Ebisu, who had quietly crept closer, adjusted his small sunglasses and responded in a low voice. Obito was startled, but after hearing these words, he felt a strange pang of sadness.

"What a boring problem..."

Obito, who longed for a warm family, couldn't empathize with Asuma. In his eyes, no one in the class was happier than this guy!

"Wow! Shizune, your bento box looks so lavish!"

"It's so delicate, it looks incredibly delicious!"

Shizune, who had just opened the bento box, blushed slightly upon hearing the exclamations of surprise from Nohara Rin and Yuhi Kurenai. She certainly didn't have that skill.

"I just happened to get a lunch from Tsunade-sensei's cooking..."

With three kinds of meat, plenty of fried food and vegetables, plus some refreshing side dishes, this bento box is extremely nutritious.

"Wow, that's amazing. I'm completely hopeless when it comes to cooking."

Kurenai sighed enviously, and soon the three girls began whispering to each other again.

Upon seeing this, Obito, who was holding a loaf of bread, completely lost his appetite. He put his arms behind his head and complained inwardly:

"They're not even at school, so why are they stealing the spotlight!"

...

In the afternoon, inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a pipe in his mouth, frowned slightly. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and no one spoke for a long time.

Although Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado understand Hiruzen Sarutobi, they still offer their own perspectives as advisors:

"Mission failed; the secret outpost on the front lines of the Grass Country has been destroyed."

"The transport line was also destroyed, and the entire transport team and two squads were killed. The village must be punished for such a result."

Koharu Utatane, with her eyes half-closed, offered a suggestion, but Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent. Homura Mitokado, with a serious expression, reminded him:

"Although we don't need to consider the daimyo's feelings, we still need to give them a satisfactory explanation."

"..."

Sakumo Hatake's failure in this S-rank mission has somewhat affected the village's reputation, and along with the news, the daimyo has also raised questions about his abilities.

"With Iwagakure and Sunagakure involved, there have been some issues with the intelligence."

"As for Sakumo, let him rest for a while. Don't worry about the daimyo; they have no right to interfere in the village's internal affairs."

Suddenly looking up, Hiruzen Sarutobi decisively announced his decision, then stared at the virtually invisible Danzo Shimura and solemnly reminded him:

"The specific details of this mission should not be disseminated among the Jonin."

"The Root has overstepped its bounds in this matter."

Seemingly surprised that Hiruzen Sarutobi had noticed his little trick so quickly, Danzo, whose head was wrapped in bandages, finally opened his eyes and said expressionlessly:

"I just want to take this opportunity to warn all Jonin that failure in a mission must be punished."

"No one can be above the interests of the village. This incident once again proves that Sakumo Hatake lacks the mindset of a Hokage..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, not expecting his old friend to still be able to "argue" under such circumstances, immediately interrupted:

"I will issue a gag order, and this matter ends here!"

"Hiruzen, you are becoming weak. If war breaks out and this happens again..."

Before Danzo could finish speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him again:

"Sakumo knows exactly what to do in war. Remember, I am the Hokage!"

"All actions must be approved by me. I don't want to receive any more unwanted information from the Dark Side."

The growing Root organization was under surveillance by the Anbu, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had even sent Orochimaru there. Everyone in the room was well aware of this.

Unable to say "You'll regret this," Danzo simply stood up, turned around, and walked away.

The meeting ended unhappily. Mitokado Homura also felt that his old friend's punishment this time was too lenient, and tried to persuade Danzo to stay, turning to him and saying:

"Danzo, we need to discuss the daimyo's response further."

"Does the master need to be mindful of the dog's mood? There are still some things at the root that I need to take care of."

"Bang..."

As the door closed, Danzo, who had left the room, narrowed his eyes again. The "Naruto system" was accelerating its efforts to recruit talented ninjas, clearly indicating that his old friend's wariness of him had deepened.

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued puffing on his pipe, his mind filled with dissatisfaction as he thought about the power Danzo held and Orochimaru's work.

Fortunately, he wasn't too old and still had time to resolve the issue. Noticing the expressions on his two old friends' faces, he changed the subject, saying:

"Tsunade has accomplished a lot during this time; the cultivation of new herbs is outstanding."

"The secret medicine has already been used. It seems that Xiu's talent far exceeds our expectations. No wonder he has gained the recognition of many people."

"..."

Faced with the powerful Hokage, the two advisors stopped arguing. With the help of the Sannin, several major ninja clans, and the Anbu, Hiruzen Sarutobi still firmly controlled all power.

-

As dusk fell, in the medical team's laboratory, Tsunade stretched lazily in her seat, glanced at her disciple working diligently beside her, and said with a smile:

"It's so cold outside, I really want a hot drink right now!"

While silently organizing the information on herb cultivation, Furukawa Osamu kept reviewing the feedback on the secret medicine and summarizing useful information.

"Teacher, Captain Shikaku just reminded me of the three forbidden ninja rules not long ago..."

Upon hearing Furukawa Osamu's words, Tsunade immediately pursed her lips, stood up, and walked over to the two of them, casually saying:

"Didn't the Nara family kids teach you about the importance of work-life balance?"

"Teacher, all the materials are ready!"

Shizune stood up and obediently handed over the documents. Tsunade's mood improved even more. Thinking about her comfortable life over the past month, she decided to take the initiative to answer the questions that Furukawa Osamu had mentioned earlier:

"Ordinary ninjas cannot accumulate chakra, but skilled medical ninjas have a way to solve this problem."

"You've all performed well lately, without slacking off. I've decided to teach you the Hundred Healings Technique ahead of schedule!"

"This is an ancient technique that was passed down when the Sage of Six Paths was still alive. Through my continuous improvements and combination with other techniques, it has become a unique S-rank medical ninjutsu!"

"The first stage is accumulating chakra. I will teach you the basic principles of techniques..."

As Tsunade, who was speaking eloquently, noticed the admiring looks on their faces, her mood improved even more. She continued her praise, but Furukawa Osamu's thoughts were elsewhere:

"Hopefully, this technique can accumulate Sage Chakra and solve the problem of not being able to sense natural energy."

"..."