Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

In early July, as Sunagakure retreated completely, Konoha also deployed its troops to the border of the Land of Fire.

The village leadership does not trust the promises made by Amegakure. If the Amegakure defectes and joins forces with Sunagakure, the frontline troops will suffer a huge blow.

The news spread through the Jonin class and caused a huge uproar in the village. The "hardliners" were very dissatisfied with the Hokage's decision, and many people clamored to fight to the end!

Danzo, who was the first to return to the village, was very satisfied with the current public opinion environment. He firmly believed that his beliefs were correct.

"A ninja should sacrifice himself and give everything for the benefit of the village!"

"..."

Inside the Hokage Building, Danzo, now dressed in his everyday clothes, gave his routine report. Instead of addressing the injuries, he seized the opportunity to shift the blame to the Uchiha clan once more.

"Fugaku Uchiha personally went to the battlefield. This victory will enhance the prestige of the Uchiha clan."

"Hiruzen, the Uchiha clan must be restrained. No one can guarantee that another Setsuna Uchiha won't emerge under their growing power!"

When the old story was brought up, the expressions of the three people in the room became serious. Uchiha Setsuna inherited Uchiha Madara's will and almost caused turmoil in the village back then.

Koharu, who was switching dorm rooms, supported her old friend's point of view and, squinting her eyes, joined in the persuasion:

"Indeed, we shouldn't publicize the Uchiha clan's achievements too much. We can exchange them for some rewards as compensation."

"They seem to be getting quite close to Tsunade lately, Hiruzen, you need to remind Tsunade."

"The teacher's will must be carried on."

Mitokado Homura felt his old friend's words made a lot of sense. He was also a little worried that Tsunade would become Hokage and abandon them, so he chimed in with his own words of advice:

"Tsunade didn't pay attention to these things before, and she still lacks some of the Hokage mindset."

"We can never let our guard down when dealing with the Uchiha clan; we are all aware of the Sharingan's ocular power limitations."

The deeper the hatred, the higher the eye power. Once the Mangekyou Sharingan appears, the Uchiha ninja's strength will increase dramatically, turning them into a completely unstable factor.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not give a direct answer; he was still undecided about how to deal with the Uchiha clan.

"We'll discuss these issues later. It seems that Sunagakure has made contact with Iwagakure. If the two sides join forces, Amegakure might turn against us again."

"This means we'll be facing a three-way attack. I don't trust Hanzo; he's very ambitious."

Upon hearing this, Danzo's lips curled into a slight smile. He knew his old friend very well; changing the subject meant that Hiruzen Sarutobi had basically agreed to suppress the Uchiha clan.

...

At noon, Danzo returned to his territory. Although the room at the foot of Shadow Rock never saw sunlight, the darkness made his body feel exceptionally comfortable.

The Root ninja wearing a cat-head mask knelt on the ground and reported in a mechanical voice. Danzo squinted, pondered for a moment, and then gave a brief reply:

"The incident at Iwagakure last time was indeed related to Osamu Furukawa."

"Because of Sakumo? Our assessment of him needs to be updated; he could disrupt the stability of the village."

"Lord Danzo, do you need us to take action?"

The Root ninja raised their heads, looking at Danzo with fanatical eyes, but the latter shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice with an air of absolute control:

"It's just a more advanced tool. I will gradually lead it into darkness. No one can defy the will of the village."

"Continue to infiltrate Iwagakure; I will take over the assessment of Furukawa Osamu."

Ninjas still have to rely on their strength. In Danzo's view, Osamu Furukawa would at most become one of the "Three Legendary Ninjas" and would be unable to compete with the village.

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

-

In mid-July, the frontline troops returned to Konoha and were warmly welcomed by the village.

Although many young ninjas were killed in this conflict, the victory overshadowed the sadness, and more people cheered for the powerful village.

Mikoto Uchiha gave birth to her son at the beginning of last month, and a few days later Fugaku Uchiha went to the front line. Now that she sees her husband return safely, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Shu, this is my son. I named him Itachi!"

"Uchiha Itachi! What a great name! He'll surely inherit the outstanding talents of the Uchiha clan!"

Furukawa Osamu praised the child and took him from Uchiha Fugaku. The child, who was now soft and squishy, ​​was completely different from what he remembered.

Seeing his son's quiet demeanor, Fugaku Uchiha showed a proud expression. Thinking of Osamu Furukawa's performance on the battlefield, he smiled and sighed:

"I really hope my child can have talent like Xiu!"

"The future of the Uchiha clan rests on these children."

Osamu Furukawa returned the cuddly Uchiha Itachi to Mikoto, and the child giggled as he returned to his mother's arms, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

There was laughter, but also tears. A few battles took away family, friends, and comrades. War is ultimately cruel.

Seeing Furukawa Osamu's pale face from a distance, Tsunade clenched her fists in anger. Orochimaru had failed to keep his promise to send medical ninjas to the front lines, which really infuriated her!

"Tsunade-sensei, Xiu doesn't look well."

Shizune's face showed worry. She didn't know exactly what the battlefield was like, but it certainly wouldn't be a simple confrontation like a C-level mission.

"That bastard Orochimaru! I don't want to see him again!"

Tsunade muttered angrily, pulling Shizune quickly to Furukawa's side. After observing him closely, she noticed his complexion was even worse, and said irritably:

"Who told you to go to the battlefield and show off! Your body simply can't withstand continuous high-level ninjutsu!"

You should know the consequences of overworking your cells!

Furukawa Osamu, of course, wouldn't say that he became like this because he was having nightmares every day from excessive "gathering," so he helplessly lowered his head and comforted her:

"Tsunade-sensei, a month of rest is enough at most!"

"I'm going home with Shizune. I need to go find Orochimaru now."

Tsunade stormed toward the Hokage Building, and Kakashi, who was about to greet her from a short distance away, was suddenly enveloped by a "shadow".

Kakashi felt an ominous aura emanating from the person in front of him, and his body stiffened instantly when the other person stared at him with their left eye.

Danzo was satisfied with Kakashi's reaction and continued to use his imposing aura to suppress him, asking in a deep voice:

"On a sinking ship, there are 10 of your companions..."

"Kakashi Hatake, as captain, what decision would you make?"

Also provoked by the other party's murderous aura, Kakashi suddenly remembered his father's fate, and instinctively raised his head to respond:

"Those who are sick will definitely die, so I would choose to kill one to save nine..."

Danzo smirked and muttered to himself as he walked away:

"That's the right answer! I look forward to seeing you again!"

When Kakashi heard the voice beside him, he couldn't help but recall the scene of his father's suicide. He was at a loss and stood there with his head down.

Danzo noticed the movement behind him and grew even more smug. Recalling Furukawa Osamu's answer, a sinister smile crept across his face:

"Your companions will soon step into darkness, and then it will be your turn."

"..."