Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

It wasn't until a message spread rapidly throughout the ninja world that the ninjas of the small country realized what had happened:

"Konoha Village has suffered a devastating attack..."

The ones spreading the news were naturally the White Zetsu who served Lord Nagato. It had been almost half a month since Lord Madara had shown up, and his proxy might have been killed by Osamu Furukawa again, so they naturally wanted to switch sides.

At the top of the central metal tower in Amegakure, Nagato, who had returned safely, had been smiling more lately.

Without Madara Uchiha, he and Konan can better realize Yahiko and their comrades' dreams.

Black Zetsu fled with Nagato early on the day of the attack, and neither of them mentioned Madara Uchiha who was there to provide support. For Black Zetsu, Obito, who was powerful and acted erratically, was a huge threat.

If possible, Black Zetsu would only want to reclaim those Mangekyou Sharingan eyes; it would be even better if the disobedient Obito were dead!

Konan was also in a good mood. While Konoha was engulfed in war, the Land of Rain remained untouched by conflict.

With the support of Kirigakure and the Land of Rivers as its strategic depth, Amegakure has entered a phase of rapid development.

Konan has recently started creating puppets for Nagato again, this time using Yahiko's body.

When modifying Hanzo, she showed no mercy. Konan thought she would be sad and upset in front of her comrade, but during the modification, she only felt a slight emotional fluctuation and was completely immersed in the technological progress.

"Once the Heavenly Dao is reformed, we can seize the opportunity of war to restart the Akatsuki organization."

"Xiao Nan, you stay in the rear and continue to improve maritime trade. Leave the fighting to me; I will recruit a new batch of members."

Nagato gently instructed Konan, who was focused on modifying her joints in the lab. The girl smiled in agreement, then added a reminder:

"Is this a mission from Iwagakure? The Third Tsuchikage is recruiting on the black market again. You must be careful!"

"Don't accept missions that are too dangerous. Even if Konoha's strength is weakened, it's still too much to fight a huge ninja army head-on."

Recalling Furukawa Osamu's perfectly timed attack that night, Nagato nodded involuntarily.

His Six Paths Technique was indeed not proficient enough, but Furukawa Osamu's strength was still too terrifying. The difference in their combat experience was too great, and his opponent seemed to have a very good understanding of his ninjutsu.

"Don't worry, Xiao Nan, I won't reveal myself easily!"

"If the war can last for a few years, maybe this time we will have a chance to break free from Konoha's control."

"In the meantime, you continue to deal with those Konoha Anbu members who are demanding accountability. I will try to cooperate with the Iwagakure ninja to destroy several of their supply points."

Just as Nagato was about to continue discussing the village's development, Black Zetsu suddenly appeared, followed by another White Zetsu, whose comical tone immediately filled the room:

"Lord Madara is back! The Nine-Tails has been retrieved. In the meantime, I need to go to the Gedo Mazo to replenish my chakra!"

"This is the power of Lord Madara, who single-handedly started the Fourth Shinobi World War. Kirigakure will soon join the battle as well."

"Konoha will not give up on the Tailed Beasts. The Three-Tails will soon be resurrected. This is Lord Madara's next plan: to continue to block Konoha."

White Zetsu's words became more and more natural. Although they were almost trapped to death in the eye technique space, and Obito was still paralyzed and unable to get up, the people in front of them had no idea what had happened.

As long as no one can expose their lies, then they have "won" this battle!

Upon hearing this, the other white zealots immediately became "fence-sitters," and the room was filled with a cacophony of praise:

"As expected of Lord Madara! He actually captured the Nine-Tails!"

"With that, the most difficult task has been completed. Lord Nagato, you no longer need to worry about capturing the Tailed Beasts."

"In the face of Lord Madara's Susanoo power, this evil fellow Osamu Furukawa is like a grain of sand; he is no match for Lord Madara at all."

The ancient White Zetsu wanted to continue his fervor, but upon hearing "sand," he fell silent. He seemed to see Furukawa Osamu's scarlet eyes again, which frightened him so much that his body suddenly went limp.

Black Zetsu remained skeptical, and seeing his companion's behavior, immediately asked in a hoarse voice:

"Is there something wrong with his body? Why does he need to go to the Gedo Statue to replenish his chakra?"

"Lord Madara used too much Wood Release, and with the battles with the Hokage, my body is exhausted."

White Zetsu remained calm and continued to respond in a comical tone. He knew that Black Zetsu was on high alert against the Gedo Mazo, but he needed to replenish his energy at this moment.

Not only that, but to save Obito, the right half of his body, which contains Hashirama cells, also needs to be replaced.

Currently, the energy in the cells has almost completely disappeared. Without this power, those powerful Mangekyou Sharingan cannot be used.

"Lord Nagato, please allow me to take this guy to replenish his energy."

After a moment of contemplation, Black Zetsu asked for instructions. Although he still had some doubts, Obito had most likely survived, and combined with the information he had gathered, Konoha had indeed lost its tailed beast.

"Let me accompany you inside! You seem a bit off."

Konan suddenly spoke up. The girl looked at the White Zetsu, and Shikigami transformed into wings behind her. Just as she was about to act, Black Zetsu suddenly turned into liquid and possessed the ancient White Zetsu:

"No need to trouble Your Grace, I'll take this guy there myself."

"Xiao Nan, leave the matters of the battle to me. You don't need to bear this responsibility."

Nagato gently persuaded the girl from the side, and she had no choice but to fold her wings, a smile returning to her face as she softly thanked her.

"Thank you, Nagato."

Through Konan's gaze, Furukawa Osamu's spirit looked at Black Zetsu, who had already realized the importance of the Gedo Mazo—a crucial "tool" for resurrecting Kaguya.

"With the Nine-Tails in my grasp, you will come to me sooner or later."

Konan no longer had the idea of ​​helping, while Furukawa Osamu's spirit secretly planned how to seize the outer shell of the Divine Tree. Even if he awakened the Rinnegan, he still wouldn't be able to communicate with spirits, so he definitely needed an alternative plan.

"Furukawa Osamu is the boy who killed the Mizukage, right? He's very strong."

"Could you describe the battle in detail? I'm quite curious!"

Hearing the girl's question, Black Zetsu, who was about to leave, paused. White Zetsu, unable to control his body at this moment, couldn't help but secretly groan, but then, thinking quickly, he immediately started to cheer in a comical tone:

"Lord Madara waited for that evil fellow at the Valley of the End. In the face of the Mangekyou Sharingan, just the resistance against genjutsu almost drove him to collapse."

White Zetsu, having switched identities with Furukawa Osamu, became increasingly animated as he spoke. Seeing the serious expressions on Nagato and Konan's faces, a thought inexplicably occurred to him:

Why does Osamu Furukawa resemble 'Madara' more?

-

The river and stone walls in the distance between the two statues in the Valley of the End disappeared by more than half. Kamui Shuriken can tear space apart. After the collision, the spatial rift "dug away" a large chunk of the earth.

During the battle, Obito kept moving away from the statue area in order to escape the Sage Sand Iron, but the ground nearby still sank a lot, and the energy of the Tailed Beast Ball almost destroyed the statue.

Huge cracks also appeared in the ground behind the two statues. The Konoha Anbu members who came to patrol the area stared blankly at the bottomless cracks, and subconsciously muttered:

"What...what kind of power is this?"

"The Valley of the End has become like this. What kind of enemy is Lord Xiu fighting?"

Seeing his companion's shocked expression, the young Uchiha ANBU member beside him smirked and replied with a hint of pride:

"It is said to be Susanoo!"

"The clan leader and many of our clansmen have vaguely seen that purple giant; that is the legendary power!"

"To retreat with severe injuries after facing the Nine-Tails and Susanoo, Lord Xiu has already done an extraordinary feat."

The middle-aged ninja from the Yamanaka clan frowned upon hearing this. Even with the power of the Uchiha clan, it was inappropriate to praise the enemy at this time—the very culprits who attacked the village and stole the Nine-Tails.

"Hurry up and act! There's no need to sigh anymore; this is not a power that ordinary ninjas like us possess."

"The elite Cloud Village ninja squad may have already entered the Land of Rice Fields. We must be extra careful."

"Once the enemy enters the Land of Fire, they will definitely disrupt our supply line."

Upon hearing this, the two immediately responded in hushed tones. Time was indeed of the essence. Although Jiraiya was very strong, the Fourth Raikage, A, was not going to engage in direct combat.

The Cloud Village ninjas, determined to fight the war to the bitter end, have completely broken off all pretense of civility and have already invaded the Land of Rice Fields this week. Battles between the two sides are becoming more and more frequent, and the number of casualties is slowly rising.

As soon as the three left, a delicate white Zetsu suddenly emerged from the ground, turned its head to survey its surroundings, and soon a puddle of liquid appeared on its shoulder, followed by a live slug:

"Lord Xiu, the energy of the Land of Fields has been collected. Should we absorb the energy from this clone?"

The White Zetsu clone pondered for a moment, exchanged information with Furukawa Osamu, who was recuperating in Konoha, and then responded in a light tone:

"Just keep collecting energy. The Cloud Village ninjas are very fast. This is a rare opportunity."

The slug shook its antennae in agreement, then asked in a soft, sweet voice:

"Did Lord Xiu and Lady Tsunade mate? My spiritual energy is insufficient; do you need my help?"

"...I'm only 14 years old. Keep working, at least make up for the splits that have occurred twice over."

The spirit body of Furukawa, one of the White Zetsu clones, had to change the subject. Each of the slug clones had a different personality; some were shy, while others were very direct.

Although he was used to this way of chatting, he still felt a little awkward sometimes.

...

With the outbreak of war, Furukawa Osamu was busy collecting energy with his clones, while Uchiha Obito remained idle, having spent a week at the old base on the Iron Country peninsula.

Although the Mangekyou Sharingan was powerful, Obito only realized after the battle that the Hashirama cells in his right half were the source of his power.

Obito used Kamui to escape, but he almost died in his own eye technique space. He barely managed to leave with the help of White Zetsu, but his body completely collapsed.

Before leaving, White Zetsu told him that Furukawa Osamu could "devour" the Gedo Mazo, which made Obito feel fear again. No wonder Madara told him not to actively contact and "absorb" his nemesis if he wasn't confident.

If Obito were to accidentally lose his power during a battle, he felt his eyes would definitely be gouged out!

"Lord Madara! I'm back!"

"I have some bad news. My comrades in Konoha told me that Kakashi seems to be going to the battlefield again."

"The good news is that the girl is still at Konoha Hospital."

Obito was having difficulty speaking at this point, his eyes filled with anxiety. He looked at the Ancient White Zetsu beside him and stammered in response:

"Quickly... I need to regain my strength..."

"You all go look after Kakashi... I need to go see Rin..."

The revitalized White Zetsu stroked his chin, then suddenly looked down at Obito on the ground and asked in a comical tone:

"Going to Konoha is dangerous. Do you want to replenish your eye power?"

"That girl's house was destroyed, and Konoha is short of housing. It seems she's been sharing a room with Kakashi lately."

Despite his determination to protect his best friend, Obito was still deeply pained upon hearing the news. His weakened state prevented him from speaking, and he could only make sounds:

"Waaah..."

Chapter 170 The Power of Protection

In early November, as temperatures dropped, the battle on the front lines between the Land of Grass and the Land of Hot Springs continued.

Perhaps because of her closer relationship with her disciples, Tsunade was full of energy, carrying out both war and reconstruction simultaneously, working until about 1 a.m. every day.

Furukawa Osamu, who was "recovering from his injuries," was content to serve his teacher. He could improve without having to train, and this kind of life was wonderful for him.

In contrast, Minato Namikaze seemed somewhat uneasy.

When war broke out, he should have gone to the front lines, but the injury on his shoulder and his wife's worried gaze forced him to stop.

Fortunately, Konoha temporarily withstood the enemy's attack, allowing Minato to stay in the village and continue to take care of his wife and son.

At Konoha Hospital, the medical team has been increasingly busy lately. Shizune has been so busy that she's fallen asleep here. The girl has taken on more responsibility, and her medical ninjutsu skills have improved rapidly.

After the routine check-up, Shizune smiled and looked at Kushina, who was leaning against the bed, and whispered:

"The life force is no longer fading! Xiu's treatment has worked."

“Cells are also remodeling, which is not my area of ​​expertise, but I’m sure it’s a good thing.”

Kushina's face was still somewhat pale. Hearing Shizune's words, she showed a hint of guilt, turned to look at her son beside her, and softly replied:

"It's all my fault for causing Xiu to lose his life force. I don't know how to repay him."

"I really want to see Naruto grow up healthy. It may sound selfish to say this, but I hope he can have a happy childhood."

Shizune looked at Naruto, who was fast asleep, and nodded understandingly. Parents always want to protect their children; she understood that feeling.

"Rest well! I hope that by the time Naruto grows up, the ninja world will be at peace."

"I don't want to see Xiu return to the battlefield. Tsunade-sensei is getting busier and busier. I want to go back to my old life."

The girl's eyes reddened as she spoke, and the number of deaths seemed to be increasing. The more treatment she received, the more powerless she felt.

"Things will get better!"

Kushina gently comforted him, then stroked her son, a look of happiness returning to her face.

There were some things she didn't tell her husband: getting rid of the Nine-Tails was really great. She no longer had to worry about the tailed beast going berserk at any time, nor did she have to study how to use the tailed beast's power.

Kushina felt somewhat selfish to become an ordinary ninja and spend more time caring for her son as he grew up. Whenever these thoughts arose, feelings of guilt would well up from the bottom of her heart.