Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

At the end of March in Konoha Year 48, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire made a routine visit.

When they arrived near Konoha Village from the capital of the Land of Fire, the journey was already halfway complete, but the flat roads disappeared, and the treacherous mountain paths caused the daimyo in the palanquin to sigh repeatedly.

Two of the twelve guardian ninjas had to speak up to comfort them, and the dozen or so followers were also exhausted and unable to continue, so the group had to stop and rest again.

The elderly man, who was being helped out, had a face full of wrinkles, wore a fan-shaped court hat, and was dressed in very gorgeous clothes.

Although he was the nominal ruler, in Furukawa Osamu's eyes he was just a frail old man.

His only advantage is that he's very rich; that luxurious sedan chair clearly cost a fortune.

"Konoha Village is still as far away as ever!"

"Hiruzen is too kind. There's no need to take such good care of me. The Land of Fire is quite safe. I have faith in Konoha's strength."

The daimyo of the Land of Fire sat on a wooden stake and sighed softly, while his entourage fawned over him.

The Hokage's direct ANBU squad remained hidden in the dense forest. Minato Namikaze glanced at the time, then smiled and reminded them:

"After resting for a while, we need to pick up the pace, otherwise it will be difficult to reach the village before dark."

"no problem."

The old man readily agreed, but nearly fell after getting up, startling his attendant who rushed to help him up.

Kakashi and Might Guy were at a loss for words when they saw this scene. Although the Third Hokage was old, he was far more dignified than the Daimyo.

Might Guy subconsciously puffed out his chest. He had previously remarked that the capital was more prosperous than the village, but now he realized that it was all thanks to the Hokage.

The so-called daimyo can only govern the country with the help of the Hokage!

"Xiu will stay at the rear of the group, and I'll scout ahead."

Minato Namikaze smiled at Kai's performance, gave a few simple instructions, and then disappeared. At the back of the group, Osamu Furukawa made a hand gesture, and the Anbu squad followed.

The journey was uneventful. By the time the daimyo of the Land of Fire arrived at the village gate, it was already dark, so naturally no one came forward to greet him.

Aside from one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja who showed displeasure, the others seemed to take this treatment for granted.

After all, this is a world where force speaks volumes, and during wartime, the Land of Fire can only rely on the Leaf Village ninjas.

The old man, exhausted from the journey, could only rest early. Kakashi watched some people leave with deadpan eyes, then turned to Minato and asked:

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"Captain Minato, what role do daimyo play in the war?"

Minato Namikaze also found it difficult to answer this question, but since Kakashi rarely sought his advice, he pondered for a moment and gave a simple reply:

"Governing a country is a very complex matter. Ninjas do not engage in production and require the support of food, vegetables, weapons, and funds."

"You may think that the old and frail lords are of no use, but their very existence is a way of maintaining rule."

"This is a tradition that has been passed down since the Warring States period. Ninjas and daimyo need to cooperate with each other to make the country better."

Matt Kai tilted his head, too lazy to think about these things, and sighed while stroking his chin:

"Governing a country seems so complicated! But ninjas rarely use ninjutsu elsewhere; I've only seen some facilities for it in hospitals."

"That's the latest equipment imported from the Land of Lightning. The captain is right. Most people accept this kind of rule, and breaking with tradition is never an easy thing."

Furukawa Osamu echoed, noting that, based on his observations, the lives of Konoha ninjas were completely disconnected from those of most ordinary people, with some of their funding coming from the Daimyo's appropriations, and the current model had achieved a kind of balance.

Kakashi nodded slightly. After his father's mission failed, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire questioned the higher-ups, which amplified the impact of the incident.

The thought that such a frail old man could question his father made Kakashi feel a little sad.

Minato patted Kakashi on the shoulder. He had guessed something, but he couldn't say it aloud, so he could only comfort him in a low voice:

"A true ninja is one who can endure!"

"Everyone performed very well in the mission. The reward for this A-rank mission is doubled. Take a good rest for the next few days. I hope the negotiations with Sunagakure will go smoothly."

As soon as Minato Namikaze finished speaking, Might Guy cheered. He was very grateful that an A-rank mission would allow his father to rest for a long time.

"Thank you, Captain Minato!"

It was getting late, so after a brief farewell, Minato Namikaze disappeared immediately; he still had to go on his date with Kushina.

After Might Guy left in high spirits, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that he had been somewhat assimilated by the Root ideology, that most ninjas were just tools, and that tools should be used up.

"Shu, is Captain Minato right? What exactly is a ninja?"

A smile appeared on Furukawa Osamu's face. Without mentioning any famous name, country, or tools, he firmly replied:

"Ninja is just a profession that pursues extraordinary power."

"Compared to endurance, what's needed is clarity of mind, or rather, upholding one's own way of ninjutsu!"

"?"

Kakashi looked puzzled. He felt that Osamu Furukawa had become increasingly mysterious in recent years, not only because of his rapidly growing strength, but also because of his way of thinking.

-

In early April, the visiting Daimyo of the Land of Fire met with the Third Hokage, and the higher-ups subsequently announced that Konoha's budget for the year would be increased again.

Often, daimyo do not want to start wars, and the daimyo of the Land of Fire is no exception. Naturally, he fully supports Hiruzen Sarutobi's balancing decisions.

After receiving the news, the "hardliners" fell silent again. Most ninja clans supported the Third Hokage, and many hoped that the negotiations with Sunagakure would be successful.

Compared to other ninja clans, the Uchiha had their own plans.

In addition to intensifying research on the Kyonenmaru, clan leader Fugaku Uchiha also began recruiting young men from the clan to prepare for the next war.

Unlike the previous elite teams, the age for recruitment this time has been lowered to around 10 years old. Even teenagers who haven't yet opened their eyes can apply to join, and there will be additional "subsidies" within the clan.

After receiving Orochimaru's message last night, Furukawa Osamu made his routine visit to the Uchiha clan today. What puzzled him was that the Uchiha's "personality had changed drastically" in just a few months.

At the banquet that evening, Uchiha Yatsuho became adept at enlivening the atmosphere, and everyone's enthusiasm for the war was exceptionally high.

"You flatter me, Xiu. The young people in the clan all want to contribute to the village!"

"Only true victory can bring peace, and all Uchiha support this plan."

Fugaku Uchiha revealed his Will of Fire, making a firm statement before smiling. Osamu Furukawa's eye twitched slightly; he felt these guys were going crazy.

"Chief Fugaku, we should rush to the battlefield as soon as the negotiations break down."

"You understand the situation in the Land of Rain, so it would be more appropriate to send out elite ninjas."

"Uchiha ninjas who awaken their Sharingan are all elites; I believe they will not betray the bloodline that runs in their veins!"