Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

In early November, Furukawa Osamu, who had returned from Shikkotsu Forest, had grown a bit taller, but his appearance hadn't changed much.

Tsunade looked around her apartment for a long time, then, resting her chin on her hand, she said regretfully:

"The slug's magic doesn't seem to be having any significant effect..."

Furukawa Osamu thought of the talkative slug and felt a headache coming on. This immortal was completely different from what he had imagined, and the sight of a bunch of clones chatting around him was a nightmare scenario:

"It's just the use of natural energy, and since I haven't been able to cultivate successfully yet, there won't be any changes."

Upon hearing of the defeat, Tsunade's face broke into a smile, seemingly overjoyed, which gradually turned into a hearty laugh.

"Of course I know that Jiraiya and Orochimaru didn't achieve much from their Sage Mode training!"

"Looks like you're not so different from me, you genius. Finally, there's a skill you're not good at."

"From now on, focus on your cultivation. Mastering immortal techniques will take at least a few years."

"..."

Having already revealed all her most treasured secrets, Tsunade was often met with setbacks when teaching Furukawa Osamu, and in her daily life, she was sometimes taken care of by her disciples.

Having suffered a rare setback with Sage Mode, Tsunade finally regained some of her confidence.

Furukawa Osamu smiled and responded. He hadn't sensed the natural energy yet, but he had shortened the time it took to condense the Hundred Healings Seal.

More importantly, after in-depth communication with the live slug itself, Furukawa Osamu had some ideas.

What changed everything was the initial "chakra." Combined with the memories in his mind, Furukawa Osamu felt that he had a chance to live forever!

It's not like Orochimaru's "immortality," but rather achieving "transcendence" through energy.

"Shizune will be graduating next year, and I'm still thinking about what gift to give her. That girl works so hard just so she can stand by your side."

"This reminds me of Jiraiya and Orochimaru. They were like that back then, but talent is something that is innate."

"If talent could also be reliably passed on to the next generation, that would be truly terrifying..."

With a sense of melancholy, Tsunade spoke with a touch of sadness, lamenting that no one in the Senju clan could inherit the outstanding talents of their ancestors, and that even her younger brother had left early.

Furukawa Osamu, whose mind was completely occupied with his "cultivation plan," snapped out of his reverie and, after living with the talkative slug for two months, almost forgot about his comrades from the ninja academy.

"How about giving her a pet? Or a ninja dog or a ninja cat, girls would probably like those, right?"

Are you sure?

Tsunade glanced sideways and asked, feeling that neither the ninja dogs nor the ninja cats were very good. Furukawa Osamu suddenly remembered the little pig from his memories, his expression somewhat strange, and then whispered a suggestion:

"How about sending a ninja pig? Where can I find a suitable pig?"

"Show some sincerity! Who likes pigs?!"

-

In mid-November, the weather turned cold.

Inside Training Ground 44, Might Guy, who was hiding behind a large tree, seized the opportunity to suddenly leap up, using the tree trunk to propel himself forward, spinning in the air and shouting:

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

Matt Kee's spinning kick, delivered from above, was powerful and incredibly fast.

Curling up, Furukawa lowered his body, using the eye on the back of his head to dodge the "sneak attack," and then unleashed chakra in his legs, quickly retreating on the thick tree branch.

Kakashi accelerated his pursuit, his short sword thrusting to interrupt Furukawa Osamu's hand seals. The short sword and kunai collided repeatedly, and Might Guy joined the chase from behind.

"Bang..."

Finally seizing the opportunity, Kakashi delivered a side kick that struck Furukawa's blocking arms. Before Might Guy could even rejoice, Kakashi hurriedly warned him:

"Watch out, Kai!"

As Furukawa Osamu fell from the tree trunk, he used the Shadow Clone Technique. Just as Might Guy was about to give chase, a clone was thrown at him.

"what!"

After barely breaking through the first clone, Might Guy let out a miserable scream as he was knocked off the tree trunk by the two subsequent shadow clones.

Their combined attack was disrupted once again. Kakashi sighed in exasperation, then simply sheathed his short sword and jumped down to find the unfortunate Might Guy.

"Even at the very end of the battle, don't forget the strategy you've devised. If Xiu manages to find an opportunity to hide in a shadow clone, we've lost this match."

"None of us are sensory ninjas, so this kind of environment makes us vulnerable to his sneak attacks."

Lying on the ground, panting heavily, Matt Kai nodded, then gave a thumbs-up and said with a bright smile:

"Even more successful than last time, Kakashi, my speed has caught up with yours!"

Despite his reluctance to admit it, Kakashi nodded slightly. He had mastered physical activation, but the chakra amplification consumed too much energy, leaving him with insufficient stamina.

Might Guy's strength lies purely in his physical abilities, something Kakashi cannot replicate with his "Youth Training Method".

"That's already amazing. The body has its limits at this age. Significant improvements will only occur when you enter a period of rapid growth."

Furukawa Osamu emerged from behind the large tree, praised the two, then put on a scarf and began to share his news:

"Next year, most of the students in Class A will choose to graduate early."

"Kakashi, don't send your teammates back to school for retraining. Take a good look at their feelings."

"It seems there will be another joint mission next year, so remember to be prepared. It will most likely involve Iwagakure. Captain Shikaku just talked to me about this a couple of days ago."

After several months of doing D-rank missions with genin, Kakashi was nearing his breaking point. Upon hearing from Iwagakure, he immediately said in a resentful voice:

"I've been wanting to deal with those guys who attacked the outpost for ages!"

Might Guy was unaware of the inside story of Konoha's White Fang, but the news circulating in the village was indeed that he had been killed because of the Sand Village and the Iwa Village:

"Infiltration? Sorry, I probably can't help. Damn, I'm still not good at this kind of mission..."

Seeing the frustrated Might Guy, Furukawa Osamu simply patted him on the shoulder and then changed the subject:

"Celebrating this week's successful training, Ichiraku Ramen tonight!"

"Let's settle this with tonkotsu chashu ramen!"

Seeing Might Guy's expectant gaze, Kakashi sighed helplessly, but he didn't refuse the match. He squinted his dead fish eyes and muttered:

"Don't eat until you're stuffed!"

"..."

The colder the weather, the busier Ichiraku Ramen becomes. The ramen makers constantly call out to customers, and when they see three people sit down, they offer them even more enthusiastic service.

"Long time no see, gentlemen. Tonkotsu ramen again tonight?"

"We want double the char siu!"

Matt Kai responded loudly and energetically, and Shou Da immediately smiled and turned around to prepare.

"Shu, it's so nice to see you again! Lady Tsunade told me you just returned from your training!"

The blond heartthrob broke free from the girls' embrace and hurried over to greet Furukawa Osamu.

"Minato-kun is still so popular! Are you here for dinner?"

Minato Namikaze, still wearing his Jonin vest, glanced at the movements behind him, shook his head, and said with a happy expression:

"Buy Kushina a bowl of ramen; she's been really into it lately."

He wanted to continue the pleasantries, but the girls started crowding around him again. Minato Namikaze quickly took the ramen, gave a slightly apologetic look, and said goodbye.

Kakashi had intended to watch the spectacle, but when he turned around, Minato Namikaze had vanished. He instinctively widened his eyes and exclaimed:

"What kind of technique is this?"

"..."