Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

After taking a few bites of noodles, Furukawa Osamu immediately gave a thumbs-up and offered encouragement after hearing the complaints:

"As long as we maintain this level of quality, we will soon see a return of customers. Now that everyone's income has increased, more and more people will pursue quality."

"Haha, I think so too!"

Just as he was about to add a few more words of praise, he saw Minato Namikaze appear, paused for a moment, and then greeted him warmly:

"Hey buddy, want some takeout? We're having a char siu promotion tonight."

"A large bowl of miso char siu is enough. I didn't expect there to be so few people. There's only Xiu here."

Having been busy all this time, Minato was starving. After ordering a large bowl of noodles, he sat down next to Furukawa Shushin.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Minato quickly asked in a low voice:

"Xiu, we discussed this before, the technique like severing the Eight-Tails' tail for its jinchūriki. Do you think the chakra cut out can protect the jinchūriki's safety?"

Furukawa Osamu understood the unspoken message: the two had clearly severed a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra, a feat that undoubtedly required a great deal of effort.

"When the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki uses the Tailed Beast's chakra, the Tailed Beast also absorbs the Jinchuriki's own chakra."

"Perhaps this is why Killer Bee rarely uses the Shadow Clone Technique; if it were to be fed back, the chakra in his body might be completely drained."

"When chakra mixes, its quality improves; once it leaves the body, the chakra in the body will also be depleted."

"The cut-out part should have some effect, but its vitality will still be a problem, since human chakra cannot compare to that of a tailed beast."

Among the medical department's secret projects was the analysis of the Nine-Tails' chakra, and Osamu Furukawa was already fully aware of the research results.

When the chakra of a Jinchuriki mixes with that of a Tailed Beast, a strange reaction occurs, but the risks also increase. Once the Tailed Beast leaves the Jinchuriki's body, the Jinchuriki's chakra will also be extracted.

Minato's contingency plan was to preserve some chakra to sustain his life, but no one knew how long that would last.

"As expected, developing the power of the tailed beasts carries enormous risks, and the depletion of life force is also a major problem."

Minato didn't ask any further questions. He and Kushina had fought over the Nine-Tails' chakra together, and he had sensed the problem long ago. After receiving confirmation, he could only pray that nothing unexpected would happen.

After serving the ramen by hand, Minato quickly finished his dinner, said goodbye again, and then disappeared.

After finishing his second bowl, Furukawa Osamu finally smiled with satisfaction. Looking in the direction Minato had left, he knew that danger was about to strike.

When he returned home, it was already late at night. Minato saw Kushina greeting him with her pregnant belly and immediately went up to embrace his wife.

"Why aren't you asleep yet? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, it's just that I've been having a bad feeling lately. Maybe I'm worrying too much!"

Kushina pulled Minato to squeeze onto the sofa. As her due date approached, her joy gradually turned into fear. Recently, she even had some terrifying dreams, as if someone was giving her a premonition.

"I've checked with Xiu. Even in the worst-case scenario, you'll survive!"

"There must be a solution to the problem of vitality, so don't worry, we will definitely be able to watch our child grow up healthy."

Minato embraced his wife and whispered words of comfort. He felt a pang of regret; perhaps things would have been better if he hadn't developed the power of the Tailed Beasts. That ominous feeling kept surfacing in his mind.

"This little guy must be scaring me!"

"If it were a boy, I would definitely teach him a lesson; but if it were a girl, I could forgive him."

Kushina put her premonitions aside, pressed her stomach, and happily imagined the future. Minato also smiled. No matter how tired he was, he would make all the necessary preparations.

-

In early September, outside Konoha Village, the White Zetsu were searching the ground, and this clumsy search method was unexpectedly successful.

After discovering several houses, the White Zetsu gathered together, laughing and joking.

"I've discovered a house with a protective barrier here."

"There's one on the east side too! It's very well-prepared!"

"Including the two we found earlier, there seem to be too many houses. How should we inform Lord Ban that we still haven't found the production site?"

The inferior white zeolites thought it over carefully but couldn't come up with a good solution, and it wasn't until the afternoon that they received new instructions:

"Lord Madara just told us to keep an eye on the Anbu!"

"Once we find the location, Lord Madara will charge straight in, and no barrier can stop the power of his Mangekyou Sharingan."

After receiving instructions, the White Zetsu continued searching for houses and buildings outside the village, as these locations could become the escape points for the Jinchūriki, and Madara needed to mark them in advance.

In the stillness of the night, when even the moonlight was obscured, a vortex appeared, and Obito Uchiha stood atop a building, overlooking the village.

In just a few dozen days, the scene before him might be destroyed. Thinking of his decision, Obito couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

"Shall we go see Nohara Rin?"

"She and Kakashi might die in Nagato's attack."

"That's how Yahiko died with hope. Nagato will never let the Konoha ninja go."

The White Zetsu on his body reminded him again in a comical tone, and Obito's eyes twitched, but he was no longer affected by his emotions, and coldly replied:

"If people can die and be resurrected, what do I have to worry about?"

"Nagato's main target is Orochimaru and his group, so let White Zetsu handle this."

"If we can successfully take the Nine-Tails away, war will break out soon. Peace built on falsehood is so fragile, and ninjas will only kill meaninglessly."

Obito tried to continue reasoning, but White Zetsu, only interested in watching the fun, interrupted again, reminding him:

"Shall we go see Kakashi?"

"They might sleep together!"

"Shut up!"

After Obito recalled certain images, painful emotions surfaced. Fortunately, he was able to frantically remind himself not to lose control and become "Kenji" again as before.

Just as the two were bickering, above the Shadow Rock, Furukawa Shoji crossed his arms and looked up at Obito. The liquid on his shoulder turned into a slug, and a soft, sweet voice rang out:

"The Third Hokage has mastered that sealing technique, and the formula was completed yesterday."

"To replenish our life force, do we need to prepare another White Zetsu clone?"

"Very well, let's see if the Sage of Six Paths will awaken after the Child of Prophecy loses the power of the Nine-Tails."

Katsuyu sensed a certain excitement in Furukawa Osamu's tone. She couldn't quite grasp the thrill of altering the "world line," but she still responded cheerfully:

"Yes, Lord Xiu!"

Chapter 164 Mutually Distrustful "Invaders"...

By the end of September 1951, Amegakure, having quelled the unrest, had recovered its pre-war economic state under the rule of Lord Angel.

Although it sounds unbelievable, Kirigakure did secretly give up many requests, and with the Land of Rivers being secretly controlled by Amegakure ninja, Amegakure suddenly entered a period of rapid development.

After the massacre, the remaining Amegakure ninja remained absolutely loyal to the village. Every Amegakure ninja was thrilled by the angel's wisdom.

The ninjas of small countries rose to prominence amidst the chaos, and the Amegakure ninjas became even more united under these circumstances, leaving even Jiraiya, who was investigating the situation, dumbfounded.

Sunny days seem to be increasing. Jiraiya, disguised as a Rain Village ninja, arrived at the Anbu base in the afternoon to deliver intelligence.

After ordering a specific set meal at the tavern, Jiraiya casually handed over a note, then picked up his drink and loudly chatted with the ninjas next to him, laughing and joking.

"The angel is really amazing! Our income has been increasing for the past few months."

"Speaking of which, does anyone know about the seafood program? It seems there's a new department, but I wonder what the pay is like."

A middle-aged ninja in high spirits, his cheeks flushed from drinking, immediately began to boast upon hearing Jiraiya's question:

"It's supposed to be about extracting some effective substances, but I don't quite understand the requirements."

"But any project initiated by the angel will definitely benefit the village. Even Hanzo agreed to hand over power, which is enough to prove how excellent the angel is."

The Rain Village ninjas gathered in the tavern were all praising it loudly, and Jiraiya was secretly making notes.

He has already relayed the news of the alliance between Kirigakure and Amegakure back to the village, and the investigation into the Land of Rivers is still ongoing.

Jiraiya had seen that angel several times, and to his surprise, it was not the Konan he remembered at all.

Aside from their similar hair color, the girl's aura, voice, and clothing didn't even resemble those of a ninja.

"We hope that the angel can lead us to break free from the control of the great powers!"

"Now even Sand Village ninjas are coming here to make a living. It seems that Sand Village has indeed fallen on hard times."

"Haha, our commissioned task has received special treatment, all thanks to the angel."

The Amegakure ninjas, thoroughly enjoying their drinks, grew increasingly excited. If things continued this way, they believed they would one day be able to break free from the Konoha ninjas' control over them.

Everyone had hope for the future and had completely shaken off the self-destructive mood of the previous two years. Jiraiya saw all of this, and his confusion grew.

"If it was a negotiation, how did they leave the village?"

"Does Nagato have the ability to control the Mizukage? Has this child gone astray?"

Jiraiya had infiltrated the central metal tower more than once, only to find the top floor empty. Although he didn't want to believe it, after observing for so long and eliminating incorrect answers, he concluded:

"Amegakure also has ninjas who have mastered space-time ninjutsu."

The Child of Prophecy will not disappear. Jiraiya firmly believed that the Child of Prophecy could change the world. If problems arise, it is clearly the fault of him, the guide.

As Jiraiya left the tavern, he looked once more at the central metal tower, its facade gleaming in the setting sun.

"Let's find some time to investigate further and find out who that girl really is."

...

Late at night, Konan was giving the puppets a final check. She had completely transformed Tendou Hanzo, adding many summoned weapons to his body.

Not only did the Heavenly Dao become "inhuman," but the other puppets also became alternative "artificial humans," with their joints, brains, and so on all modified. The six puppets really consumed a lot of resources.

After removing her mask and completing the examination, Xiao Nan smiled happily; it was all thanks to her hard work.

Although she couldn't personally avenge Yahiko and her comrades, Nagato's manipulation of these puppets could be considered as her fighting alongside them.

After the laboratory door was pushed open, Nagato, with red hair, looked at Konan with a gentle smile, took a deep breath, and said softly:

"The time has come to make the Konoha ninja feel pain. Don't worry, I'll leave quickly after I've finished the destruction."

"Using the Human Path to gather information from Orochimaru, it seems that the other party has made a deal with Uchiha Madara. This time, we can get to know that cowardly guy."

Black Zetsu secretly leaked the information, and Nagato, upon learning of it, naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. Having the Rinnegan and the Six Paths Technique, he didn't need the Mangekyou Sharingan.

If this threat can be eliminated, he and Minami can better realize Yahiko's dream.

Xiao Nan nodded. She didn't force herself. Although her strength was growing rapidly, it was still too much to break into the Five Great Nations' attack.

Since the plans had changed, she didn't want to hold anyone back, so she looked at her friend and whispered her advice:

"Your Six Paths Technique still needs practice. Leave the testing to the Asura Path; those weapons can handle most ninjas."

"It's best not to reveal the abilities of the Hell Path and the Human Path. Use the Hungry Ghost Path for defense and make as much use of the mechanical weapons on the puppets as possible."

“Madara must have left some information unsaid. Nagato, don’t be careless. Even if the Hokage is temporarily away, the puppets must be prevented from being surrounded.”

Nagato immediately assured him that not only Madara had taught him, but Black Zetsu had also secretly imparted some knowledge to him. He didn't want his friend to worry, so he never mentioned it.

"Don't worry, with the Animal Path as backup, even without Madara's help, the puppet can return smoothly."

"These are all your hard work, Xiao Nan. I will make good use of them."

Osamu Furukawa's spirit sensed Nagato's confidence. It was possible that Nagato had withheld some of the Six Paths Techniques that Obito had previously taught him, and that Nagato had learned more about the application of the Rinnegan through other means.

Without an "instruction manual," Nagato doesn't have much time to explore the Rinnegan. Furukawa Osamu has already guessed the technique that can destroy a village on a large scale.

The girl watched her friend's departing figure with a worried expression. Madara Uchiha clearly had other intentions, but her power was still too weak to help at all.

Amidst her emotional turmoil, Konan felt a peculiar surge of chakra within her body:

"Give me a few more years, and I will definitely realize everyone's dreams."

-

In early October, Konoha became secretly on edge. Kushina was nearing the end of her term, and the two Hokage, Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi, were quietly busy preparing for the occasion.

Thanks to the secrecy strategy, even the Jonin in the village were unaware of the Jinchuriki, and the direct Anbu were only tasked with inspecting important laboratories.

Only five people knew the production location, and the stone wall was so solidly protected by the double barrier that it was practically impregnable.

In the evening, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the Hokage Building. Unlike usual, he had changed into combat armor underneath his loose robe.

Tsunade noticed her teacher's attire and, taking advantage of his puffing out of a cigarette, sighed helplessly:

"Teacher, you seem to be overreacting! There are still a few days left, there's no need to dress like this every day."