Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

The Akatsuki and Amegakure ninjas had a tough time at the end of the year, mainly due to a decrease in commissions and a food shortage.

When Furukawa returned to his tent, Orochimaru began his daily routine of "instruction":

"Those two children are really naive, no wonder they are disciples trained by Jiraiya."

"Hanzo agreed to take on part of our supplies, something most of the Amegakure ninjas were unaware of."

"The 'demigod' has become a power-hungry old man; time has ultimately eroded Hanzo."

Orochimaru's expression was complicated as he finished speaking. The enemy they had failed to defeat had now become someone who was "begging for mercy" from the ninjas of a great nation. It was extremely ugly no matter how you looked at it.

"Orochimaru-sensei, what is the Amegakure leader's most proficient ninjutsu?"

Furukawa Osamu's face showed curiosity, and Orochimaru chuckled, a friendly smile appearing on his pale face as he replied:

"His swordsmanship, fire release, and water release are all outstanding. Back then, his Water Flicker Technique could even dodge my attacks."

"If we were to fight now, I'm confident I could kill this old guy. I'd rather see him die as a powerful man than live an ugly life."

"Remember, Shu! A ninja must always uphold his ninja way!"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sensei."

Furukawa Osamu bowed slightly in response, and Orochimaru smiled with satisfaction, then said with a playful expression:

"If one day I become that ugly thing, you can kill me too!"

"I've abandoned eternity, and I'm just barely surviving in this world. You wouldn't want to see me in such a pathetic state, would you?"

"Teachers always like to make these strange assumptions."

Furukawa Osamu appeared "startled," but in his heart he was secretly pondering what he could gain from collecting Hanzo in the future.

The increased killing during the war led him to discover a pattern in [gathering]: targets killed personally yielded more rewards.

-

As the new year drew closer to the end of December, the tense atmosphere in Konoha Village eased somewhat.

Snow covered the entire village, and the children smiled as they began to enjoy the first snow of the year.

Now 10 years old, Obito Uchiha is no longer as innocent as he used to be. Although he continues to help the old lady, he spends most of his time training.

A person was hanging upside down on a thick tree branch, constantly rolling around with soil around them.

He has been working extra hard in preparation for next year's Chunin Exams.

"call..."

Gasping for breath, Obito felt he couldn't hold on any longer, but the thought that Kakashi had already shaken him off gave him a bit of strength back.

"Obito, so you were here!"

"Lin!"

Rin Nohara, holding an umbrella, looked up at Obito and greeted him loudly. Suddenly, she saw him fall from the tree and rushed over to check on him.

"Are you alright, Obito? You need to concentrate when you're training!"

Obito was still dazed from the fall, but upon seeing the girl's concerned gaze, he immediately got up and struck a cool pose:

"My body is fine, Rin. I'll definitely pass next year's Chunin Exams!"

"Yeah, I believe in you! Let's do our best together, Obito!"

Rin Nohara responded with great enthusiasm, and also carefully brushed the snowflakes off Obito's scarf.

Obito stood there stunned, watching the girl's face gradually turn red. Only Rin had been caring for and looking after him.

"Shu is going back to the village tomorrow, and Kakashi wants to celebrate. We can come over too; it's been so long since we've seen each other!"

"Obito, I can ask you for advice on battlefield experience later. I've heard that the frontal battlefield is extremely terrifying."

Rin Nohara, holding an umbrella, spoke expectantly about tomorrow's gathering. Obito's neck stiffened slightly, and seeing the girl's happy expression, he inwardly thought to himself:

"Damn it! The gap is widening!"

...

When Furukawa and his group returned to the village, there were only four days left until the New Year. Inuzuka and the others breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the gate, and the big dog barked excitedly.

"Thank you so much, Xiu. We were almost ambushed by the enemy after leaving the Land of Rain. I'm really getting old."

Inuzuka Jacques removed his headscarf and thanked him wearily. Furukawa Osamu, pale-faced, bowed slightly and smiled in response.

"Senior was still in his prime; this time, Sunagakure used special methods to conceal his scent."

"Anyone would find those puppets troublesome, and we are very grateful for the help we received from our seniors and everyone else along the way."

The young members of the Inuzuka clan felt proud upon hearing these words. They had taken on most of the patrol duties, which clearly showed that Osamu Furukawa recognized their abilities.

"Xiu, you must come and visit the clan when you have time."

"Yes, everyone welcomes you very much. Blackball even wants to abandon its master Claw and join you."

"Haha, Xiu should see how frantic she is. Life in the village is so much better..."

With everyone's warm invitation, Osamu Furukawa nodded in agreement. As the group said their goodbyes, Kakashi and the others waved and greeted them loudly.

"I was worried for so long, thankfully I returned safely!"

Might Guy almost shed tears again. Previously, the camp was far away, and he could only see news about Furukawa Osamu from the battle reports.

Kakashi, wearing a scarf, glanced at Guy and said calmly:

"Shuko is someone who has deviated from the three major principles of medical ninjas. The last ninja like him was Lady Tsunade."

Asuma and the others took over the conversation and argued incessantly. Kakashi described the battlefield as hell to discourage everyone, but Genma Shiranui didn't believe it, and Ebisu also chimed in with his own criticism.

Obito looked dejected; he had little experience with high-level missions and found it difficult to participate in the discussion.

...

The atmosphere in the dumpling shop was cheerful; no one talked about the front lines anymore, and the girls huddled together to whisper after receiving their gifts.

Shizune pointed to the red scarf on her body and nudged Nohara Rin. Kurenai Yuhi chuckled softly beside her and joined in the encouragement.

Encouraged by the two, Rin Nohara finally blushed and went to Kakashi's side to present the gift with both hands:

"Kakashi, I missed your birthday, so consider this New Year's gift as compensation!"

"This isn't useless! This is my improved medical kit, much more practical than the previous one."

"Thank you, Lin!"

Kakashi was somewhat surprised and solemnly accepted the gift. Obito saw the amulet embroidered on the medical kit and felt a pang of sadness.

"The New Year is approaching, I hope you'll find these ninjutsu tips useful!"

Furukawa Osamu distributed the scrolls to the boys, instantly dispelling the previous ambiguous atmosphere. Obito subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, secretly grateful to Furukawa Osamu for "rescuing" him.

Asuma shared news about next year's Chunin Exams, and Obito, who had been diligently training, finally had a chance to shine, saying with a confident expression:

"I'm sure I can pass this time. An 11-year-old Chunin is really strong even within the Uchiha clan!"

"Obito, you don't have the talent; you're not suited for the battlefield."

Kakashi routinely tried to persuade Obito to quit, but Obito got so angry that he shouted loudly, and for a moment everyone could only try to persuade him.

Osamu Furukawa ate his dumplings with a smile on his face, secretly calculating the time in his mind:

"Less than two years left? Uchiha Madara, I need your 'help'."

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