Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

By early September, the hype surrounding the Chunin Exams had largely subsided, but many teenagers at the Ninja Academy were still discussing it.

In the third exam, Osamu Furukawa did not use any flashy ninjutsu, nor did he use his short sword.

Using only physical skills and shuriken techniques, he left an extremely deep impression on the spectators.

At speeds too fast for the naked eye to see, a simple downward slash can shatter the ground, and a single punch can even create a massive crater...

Apart from Uchiha Inahi putting up a couple of resistances, the remaining opponents surrendered almost immediately upon entering the arena.

Having just completed a field exercise last month, Obito Uchiha's grades have once again entered the top 10 of Class A, and he has now completely shed his "bottom of the class" reputation.

Excellent results should have been a good thing, but Obito has been unable to muster any energy for the past two months, and he often finds himself spacing out during his lunch break.

"Are you alright, Obito?"

"You've been looking like this ever since the Chunin Exams ended, making me worry."

Rin Nohara came to the boy's side, tilted her head, and asked. Seeing the girl's concerned expression, Obito, who had just come to his senses, stammered in response:

"Ah, I...I'm fine, thank you, Lin. Only you will always care about me..."

As Obito spoke, he lowered his head again, and finally couldn't hold back any longer, so he muttered out his inner turmoil:

"That guy Daohuo was ridiculed by the people in the tribe, but he was really good and taught a lot of people a lesson."

"The Sharingan... I'm afraid that even if I awaken the Sharingan, I still won't be able to catch up with them..."

Why was the Sharingan so easily defeated?

Obito clearly remembered that Kakashi had praised Furukawa Osamu's ninjutsu talent more than once, and as a result, he defeated all his opponents in the Chunin Exams using only taijutsu.

After carefully considering what would happen if he appeared on stage, Obito concluded that he would probably unleash a Fireball Jutsu and then be carried off the field...

"Why would I have such a problem?"

"Shu is our ally, so defeating the Sharingan isn't a big deal, is it?"

"In the medical team, Xiu patiently answers any questions that anyone has."

Rin Nohara, straightening up, blinked her big eyes and expressed her feelings. Obito, hearing this, felt even more frustrated and a pang of jealousy, and subconsciously retorted:

"Not only this guy, Kakashi also doesn't seem to care about the Sharingan."

"The only person I don't want to lose to is him... Lin, I..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke. Obito had wanted to muster the courage to confess his feelings, but he couldn't hear what Rin Nohara said after that. When she mentioned Kakashi, she said with a look of longing:

"Kakashi? I'd feel really safe if he were the captain."

"A graduated genin said that Kakashi is very strict when leading the team, so we still need to keep working hard!"

"Let's do our best together, Obito!"

The bitterness in his heart intensified, and Obito couldn't ignore the girl's expectant expression. After holding it in for a long time, he said in a low, aggrieved voice:

"I will try my best, Lin..."

-

On his annual birthday night, Osamu Furukawa was once again summoned to Tsunade's house.

Two shadow clones were cooking in the kitchen, and Furukawa Osamu pretended not to hear their complaints. This ninjutsu was quite amazing.

Shizune, who was helping out, chuckled occasionally; Tsunade-sensei really didn't have any talent for cooking...

Tsunade, dressed in casual clothes, came out carrying a huge scroll. Seeing Furukawa Osamu's surprised look, she proudly showed it off:

"This is the legacy of Shikkotsu Forest, one of the three sacred lands in the ninja world, unique to us all!"

"If we trace back to history, it should have existed since the time of the Sage of Six Paths. In short, the live slug has lived for a very long time and has a very gentle temperament, which is completely different from the situation in Ryuchi Cave."

"Even if the contractor is not strong, there will be no problem."

"She possesses a level of physical regeneration that surpasses human comprehension; I borrowed some of her medical ninjutsu techniques from her."

Tsunade unfurled the scroll, which featured the Senju and Uzumaki clan's contractors, followed by Tsunade herself.

"Sign your name in blood, leave your fingerprint, and I'll come back when you're done!"

Before Furukawa could respond, Tsunade had already quickly left, and soon sounds came from the kitchen:

"Tsunade-sensei, you should go back. That's just a background character..."

"He's clearly just an avatar, yet he's so arrogant. As his disciple, he must have secretly been criticizing me! Today, I must prove myself!"

"Um, Tsunade-sensei, the eggshell is still in the bowl..."

"What does it matter? Just pick them out!"

Soon after, a troubled voice appeared, and Tsunade, ever the troublemaker, laughed heartily, making the kitchen even more lively.

After signing his name, Furukawa closed the scroll. So far, none of the books he had read contained any information about the Wet Bone Forest Immortal Technique, which was something he still needed to clarify.

When Tsunade returned to the living room, her face still covered in flour, she smiled as she saw Furukawa Osamu handing her the scroll.

"Pay attention, it's Hai-Xu-You-Shen-Wei."

"Spiritual communication!"

A slug the size of a palm appeared on the floor. It had a white body with blue stripes on its back. Upon seeing Tsunade, it immediately greeted her in a soft, sweet voice:

"Lady Tsunade, is this the disciple you mentioned before?"

It wriggled to Furukawa Osamu's side, shook its tentacles, then climbed onto his shoulder. After asking a question, it was about to greet him when it suddenly stopped moving.

"Teacher, what's going on...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Furukawa Osamu vanished with a "bang." The slug, who had landed on the sofa, saw Tsunade get up and immediately spoke in a soft, sweet voice:

"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade, this is the reverse summoning technique of the main body."

"Your disciple possesses extraordinary talent."

"teacher!"

Shizune rushed into the living room, calling out nervously. Tsunade shook her head, a thoughtful expression on her face, and whispered:

"The true form of the live slug...?"

-

In a dense forest grew indescribably huge trees. Furukawa Osamu tried to look up, but because night had fallen, he could not see the view above.

"Lord Xiu, this way. Please follow me. The main body is not here."

A live slug several meters tall came to Furukawa Osamu's side, gestured to come up on his head, and continued its introduction:

"These glowing insects are attracted by natural energy. The abundant natural energy created this lush forest, and many clones like to live here."

"We are heading to a naturally formed and expanded underground space where there is a more concentrated natural energy."

"Your original self has always lived there. If you like this place, you can come over anytime."

"..."

Withdrawing his curious gaze, Furukawa Osamu stopped looking at the glowing insect. After a while, he came to a giant tree, where the slug unleashed chakra, and then the scenery before him changed again.

The surrounding rocks seemed to be glowing, and countless twisted, enormous white tree roots emanated from the bottom, where an unusually large slug emitted a joyful sound.

"I'm sorry, Master Xiu, I haven't taken care of this place in a long time."

"I'm so happy! I've finally found someone like me!"

Furukawa Osamu jumped to the ground. The slug in front of him was several hundred meters long, its erect body resembling a tall building. Hearing the cheerful sound, his eyes twitched slightly, and he subconsciously asked:

"similar?"

"..."