Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

In late August of Konoha Year 47, at the front lines of the Land of Grass, in a Konoha ninja camp, several Jonin were whispering complaints to Jiraiya:

"Lord Jiraiya, why has the supply of the new medicine been stopped?"

"Several Chunin squads have already started complaining about the village's decision; they don't seem to care about the side effects."

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama, only ninjas with weak wills will suffer from mental breakdowns; not everyone experiences these side effects."

Everyone chimed in with their own words, but the core demand they all expressed was, "We want to take our medicine!"

Jiraiya, clad in Konoha's white armor, was having a bit of a headache. Less than three days after stopping his medication, people were coming to him every day to complain, to which he could only offer words of reassurance:

"A new drug will be available soon, and it will have fewer side effects!"

"You are Konoha ninjas, don't rely on external forces. Be alert and don't easily fall into the trap of Iwagakure."

"The Jonin will continue to lead the squad to sabotage the enemy's supply points; I'll handle the main battle."

Seeing Jiraiya's serious expression, the group of Jonin immediately agreed. It wasn't that they liked to complain, but "Berserk Mode" was indeed very effective!

The ninja were well aware of the side effects of the new drug, which squeezed cells and activated the body, but this was war, and completing the mission and surviving was the most important thing.

As for Tsunade's decision to stop it, everyone knew it was for the sake of their fellow villagers, but some thoughts still arose in their minds:

"She's still a woman after all!"

Jiraiya was no novice on the battlefield, and he was well aware of what his subordinates were thinking. However, he also disliked this kind of behavior that "tooled" him.

During his routine inspection of the wounded soldiers' camp, Jiraiya's expression grew increasingly grave after hearing heart-wrenching screams and painful groans.

"Hang in there, I'll bring you home!"

"I can handle the patrols of the defense line by myself. It's okay, I'll protect you all."

"Minato-kun!"

"Captain Minato!"

Many of the wounded shouted Minato Namikaze's name and repeatedly expressed their gratitude.

Minato Namikaze simply gave a polite smile, his blond hair making him the "sun" in everyone's eyes.

Jiraiya didn't interfere, and only after his disciple came out did he smile and praise him:

"As expected of my disciple! Well done, Minato!"

"You can hold off several Iwagakure squads all by yourself; it seems my training has paid off!"

Minato Namikaze, hearing his teacher's boast, didn't contradict him. He scratched his head, smiled, and muttered:

"Lady Tsunade must be under a lot of pressure, as this medicine appeared on the battlefield without her permission."

Jiraiya laughed heartily, patted his disciple on the shoulder, and said confidently:

"Don't underestimate Tsunade. If she wants to get something done, even the advisors around Sarutobi-sensei can't stop her!"

"Many people have received her care in the past. Those ninjas are just old, but they are still the backbone of the village."

Minato Namikaze nodded, a look of longing on his face. The number of high-level missions the Sannin had undertaken was terrifying, and the number of ninjas they had cooperated with was countless.

Minato Namikaze, who aspired to become Hokage, also hoped to become such a ninja. He looked at Jiraiya solemnly and said:

"Teacher, I will try my best! Leave the rest of the tasks to me!"

-

Late at night, in an underground laboratory in the dense forest west of Konoha Village, Orochimaru looked at Furukawa Osamu with a solemn expression and said in a deep voice:

"Xiu, let's begin!"

Furukawa Osamu nodded, solemnly forming hand seals. Then, his spirit appeared in the air and instantly attached itself to the experimental subject on the operating table.

When Furukawa Osamu used the Spirit Transformation Technique completely for the first time, the feeling of being in the spiritual world was very strange.

Perhaps because the middle-aged test subject was repeatedly anesthetized, his body was completely unguarded, and Osamu Furukawa was even able to access some of the memories in his brain.

However, the most important thing at this moment is to sense the cells and meridians in the left arm. As Furukawa Osamu's consciousness spread and he carefully sensed them, the time for the Spirit Transformation Technique arrived.

"Xiu, that's enough. Go back into your body!"

Orochimaru hurriedly reminded him that what he didn't know was that Furukawa Osamu still had a complete spirit body at this time, and the spiritification technique was only splitting off a small part, which was why the duration was so short.

Furukawa Osamu opened his eyes, and without keeping them in suspense, said with a serious expression:

"Orochimaru-sensei, your guess is probably correct. There is a trace of 'consciousness' hidden in the cells of the First Hokage."

"In my perception, the release of life force by cells is just an instinctive behavior, and blocking some meridians only delays the 'invasion' time."

Orochimaru's pale face broke into a nervous smile again. After a low chuckle, he said smugly:

"Xiu, you did a great job. You truly deserve to be the genius I've been eyeing."

"Proving that chakra can carry a soul or consciousness is enough; the path to immortality has begun!"

At the opportune moment, Furukawa Osamu's face revealed an expression of "admiration," and then he asked curiously:

"Ordinary chakra seems incapable of handling this?"

"That's right. Hashirama Senju is known as the God of Shinobi, so he must have special talents. His Sage Mode does not belong to the Three Great Holy Lands, and his body is completely different from that of ordinary ninjas."

Orochimaru greatly respected the First Hokage, and after a slight pause, continued to add his speculation:

"I speculate that Hashirama Senju's Sage Chakra affected his body, which in turn triggered a mutation."

"We only need to find a way to let chakra carry the soul or 'consciousness' to escape death. Only eternity can interpret the meaning of life!"

As Orochimaru finished speaking, he could no longer suppress the fanatical look on his face. He said that eternal life would help him explore the truth of ninjutsu.

Furukawa Osamu's face showed admiration, this time genuinely. Orochimaru became even more smug, and in a great mood, he resumed his daily "tutoring":

"Shu, do you know why Sarutobi-sensei would allow someone as 'dark' as Danzo to exist?"

Before Orochimaru could respond, a mocking smile appeared on his face. Then, in a hoarse voice, he asked and answered himself:

"Because Danzo's 'darkness' is simply another side of Sarutobi-sensei!"

"The Third Hokage's control over the village far exceeded your imagination, but he began to become 'ugly' as he aged."

"Sarutobi-sensei and his old friends, greedy for power, attempt to govern the village using a false 'balance'!"

"On one hand, we're turning ninjas into 'tools,' and on the other hand, we're teaching you young people the 'Will of Fire.'"

"Family? What a hypocritical word! Will 'family' even appear in an experiment?"

As Orochimaru spoke, a gentle smile returned to his face. He looked at Furukawa Osamu with a kind expression and said softly:

"Shu, don't be fooled by the village!"

"The village is merely a tool in our pursuit of eternity!"

Furukawa Osamu felt that most children in the ninja world couldn't withstand this kind of "talk-no-jutsu," and at this moment, a look of "reverence" appeared on his face again as he quickly responded:

"Thank you for your guidance, Orochimaru-sensei! Eternal life is my ultimate goal!"

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