Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

In early January of Konoha Year 46, after the New Year had arrived, most Jonin were still busy with missions.

Conflicts frequently erupt along the border of the Land of Fire, and the only beneficiaries may be the neutral caravans of the Land of Iron, as the demand for ninja tools continues to grow.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, still failed to adopt a tough stance towards foreign powers. The village remained steadfast on the border and did not demand that neighboring small countries take sides.

The villages of Amegakure and Kusagakure, sandwiched between major powers, are already feeling the danger. If war breaks out, their area will likely become a battlefield once again.

At dusk, at a secret border outpost, a group of Kusagakure ninjas had just jumped down from a tree trunk when they suddenly found themselves unable to move.

"Hurry up!"

The three Chunin shouted a warning, and the round-faced Chunin who was at the back quickly dodged to avoid the shadow chasing him.

When he jumped back onto the tree trunk, he turned around and saw that his men were covered by a dark mass of insects and were completely silent.

The round-faced ninja, trying to speed up his escape, unleashed chakra from his feet and instinctively drew his kunai to block as soon as he reached the tree branch.

"Ding!"

The short sword and kunai clashed repeatedly, sparks flying everywhere. Kakashi, whose body had been activated, drew his sword with incredible speed. After his power was suppressed, he quickly created distance.

Unblinded by hatred, the round-faced ninja took advantage of the moment to try to speed up his escape again, but a shadow silently attacked from below.

"hateful..."

They hurriedly dodged onto the tree trunk, but when the black swarm surrounded them, they had no choice but to return to the ground.

"Earth Release: Earth Split Palm!"

Hidden behind the tree, Osamu Furukawa seized the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

The shattered earth forced the round-faced man to dodge, but after dodging the rubble, his eyes flashed with ferocity. The instant he landed, he decisively formed a hand seal:

"Earth Release: Earth Stalagmite!"

The sharp stone spikes erupted, and under the large-scale attack, dust flew everywhere. The round-faced ninja seemed to have stopped pretending. His right fist was covered with thick rocks at some point, and he began a wild and unrestrained attack.

Its speed increased again, and it rushed in front of Furukawa Shu in the blink of an eye, twisting its body and swinging its right fist straight at his face.

With his left arm blocking, ignoring the opponent's surprised look, Furukawa Osamu, who had successfully blocked the "giant fist," suddenly erupted and delivered a close-range elbow strike. With a "bang," the Kusagakure Jonin, whose face showed pain, turned into dirt.

"Give up!"

The usually silent Aburame Shimi suddenly spoke up, directing the parasitic insects to surround the enemy making a last-ditch effort.

The relentless swarm of black insects crashed down like a giant wave. The round-faced ninja, no longer dodging Kakashi's attacks, delivered a powerful blow at the cost of blood spurting from his chest.

With a muffled groan, Kakashi was sent flying on the spot, landing with a pained expression on his left shoulder.

The swarm of insects seized the opportunity to entangle him, and Nara Shikaku leaped out of the shadows, causing the shadows on the ground to accelerate suddenly.

"The shadow imitation technique was successful."

"It's a clone!"

Aburame Shiki hurriedly reminded them, and the enemy in the distance sped up their escape.

Suddenly, a piercing bird cry rang in his ears, and the round-faced ninja instinctively twisted his body.

A slender, azure-blue lightning blade pierced through his right chest from behind, paralyzing him and causing him to kneel on the spot. Then, the blade shot out in all directions from his chest.

"Uh... Ah!"

After letting out a scream, the exhausted round-faced ninja stopped struggling. Furukawa Osamu, who was next to Nara Shikaku, turned into white smoke and disappeared. On the other side, the main body dispelled the ninjutsu.

"Well done, fix it!"

"Jonin are indeed a big problem. This is the last squad for today."

Exhausted, Nara Shikaku sat down on the ground, sighing and complaining. Furukawa Osamu checked on the fallen target and, finding he was still alive, immediately suggested:

"Capture successful. Let's rest here for a bit before going to find Captain Haiyi."

Having absorbed the chakra of three Chunin, Shiki Aburame was in good condition. She nodded in agreement, then looked at Kakashi and asked:

"Kakashi, how's your shoulder?"

"Minor injury."

Kakashi, whose body had reached its limit, whispered that he was alright. Noticing that the parasitic insects had already covered the Jonin, he sat down on the ground.

"It's probably a disguised ninja from Iwagakure. It seems Kusagakure has two plans."

Furukawa Osamu whispered his conclusion. As a medical ninja, he naturally had to hide behind everyone during battle, and his face still showed no signs of fatigue.

"If war breaks out, the village must control several supply lines as soon as possible."

"It's clear that Iwagakure is prepared. The friendship has broken down, and perhaps that's why the 'pro-war faction' wants to strike first."

"The village cannot wait for its opponents to join forces before taking action."

Nara Shikaku rarely expressed his opinion, and Furukawa Osamu didn't continue the conversation, because his words might be interpreted as Tsunade's attitude.

"The operation by the secret service was very timely, and the intelligence department also uncovered these outposts."

"Give the Hokage some time; don't discuss these things in the village."

The cautious Aburame Shiki saw Furukawa Osamu nod to indicate that there were no enemies around before she whispered her dissuasion, her face mask concealing her expression. Nara Shikaku stared at her for a moment before finally agreeing:

"You're right, there will be more A-level missions in the future."

"Don't worry, I'll stay home obediently when I get back to the village. The clan gatherings and stuff are the most troublesome thing."

War naturally requires the mobilization of ninja clans, who are the backbone of Konoha. However, there are differing opinions within the major clans.

...

As night fell, several teams arrived at the agreed location, the mission was accomplished, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After completing the treatment, Furukawa Osamu received a lot of thanks. Upon arriving at Kakashi's side, he saw the latter holding a short sword, looking thoughtful, and immediately offered words of comfort:

"The Thousand Birds Sharp Spear can change shape, but its power is not as great as the Thousand Birds Blade with high-frequency vibrations."

"As the body continues to grow, the chakra problem will be solved. Eight years old and 18 years old are completely different. It's normal to be suppressed."

Kakashi was indeed somewhat disappointed that a weary Jonin could still counterattack and injure him while surrounded.

"Don't try to comfort me. I know my own limitations. I can't extract as much chakra as Guy in one go, but I can control it pretty well."

"It will be difficult to solve this problem when I grow up. I can't afford to waste chakra in battle, and I need to be more proficient in using techniques."

Without offering further advice, Furukawa Osamu, already accustomed to Kakashi's strict demands, saw Yamanaka Inoichi arrive and proactively inquired:

"Did the captain get any useful information?"

"It went very smoothly, Xiu. You performed exceptionally well in this mission. When we get back, I will suggest to the Hokage that you should be given more trust."

Yamanaka Inoichi's usually serious face broke into a satisfied smile. Ordinary Chunin were indeed no match for the two of them; the difference in their abilities was too great.

Noticing Kakashi's gaze, Yamanaka Inoichi pondered for a moment before speaking again:

"Iwagakure and Kusagakure do cooperate, but we must follow the Hokage's instructions."

"Kakashi, don't get involved in pointless discussions. You guys are still at the age where you're building your foundation. When you're leading a team, pay more attention to your subordinates."

"..."