Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

"You need to be careful not to let anyone with ulterior motives know about this information. The Dark Team has just been updated, and currently some missions are being carried out by Root Team members."

"That ninja in darkness hasn't forgotten you. He's been hoping for a breakdown in relations between the Uchiha clan and the village."

Uchiha Shisui breathed a sigh of relief. He was somewhat relieved that Orochimaru was not around and that all the work of the Anbu was being handled by Furukawa Osamu, so the Root members dared not act recklessly.

"Senior, I will control them!"

“If anyone tries to contact the guy who attacked the village, I will deal with that personally.”

"I still don't understand why anyone would worship their enemy when our happy lives have been destroyed by them..."

Shisui deeply hated the "clan" that had disrupted the peace. If it weren't for this attack, the Uchiha clan wouldn't have been suspected by some of the higher-ups.

Osamu Furukawa was actually happy to see some Uchiha members with extreme ideas come out, so that he could eliminate potential threats in the future and collect some material along the way.

However, seeing Shisui's unusually dejected look, Furukawa Osamu finally patted the boy's shoulder and gently comforted him:

"After all, they are your people. At your age, you don't need to shoulder these responsibilities."

"Do you remember what I told you? It's hard to change other people's minds; the only thing we can do is to keep strengthening ourselves."

"You will definitely master the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, and then all the problems will be solved."

"Shisui, I believe you can do it."

Seeing the trusting look in Furukawa Osamu's eyes, Uchiha Shisui blushed slightly and lowered his head.

From childhood to adulthood, only Osamu Furukawa had ever encouraged and taught him in this way:

"Thank you, senior. I will definitely not let you down."

Chapter 174 The Mad Serpent

In late December of Konoha Year 51, as the New Year approached, the battle on the front lines of the Land of Grass continued.

Under the cover of their two Jinchūriki, the Iwagakure ninja, fearless and relentless, steadily advanced using large-scale combined ninjutsu and are now close to the border of the Land of Fire.

Unlike the last war, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, successfully used the power of the Tailed Beast to restrain the Yellow Flash.

In Lava Release Chakra Mode, Roshi received a significant boost, and in their most recent encounter, even Minato's Rasengan failed to seriously injure this Jinchuriki.

Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, also played a significant role, leading the charge in every mission. His ferocious taijutsu and Boil Release techniques caused considerable trouble for the Konoha ninja.

Although Han was slightly inferior in developing the power of the Tailed Beasts, his brutal Tailed Beast transformation made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel restricted in his fight.

Defending against Tailed Beast Balls is no easy task. Fortunately, the opponent cannot frequently transform into a Tailed Beast, and the battle eventually turned into a war of attrition between the two sides.

Neither side was satisfied with the stalemate. With the New Year approaching, both sides wanted to strike hard against their opponent in one fell swoop, and they had been holding frequent meetings to discuss strategies in recent days.

-

In the Konoha camp, several Jonin were discussing how to deal with the Tailed Beasts. The Iwagakure ninjas were clearly trying to have their Jinchuriki use the Tailed Beast Ball to restrain them, and Konoha had to unleash its strongest fighting force.

Having been on the front lines for a month and through several encounters, Minato had gathered intelligence on his opponents. He then proposed in a deep voice:

"The Jinchuriki did not fully master that special chakra mode, and the chakra of the Tailed Beasts was a heavy burden on his body."

"Old Purple shouldn't be able to fight for a long time, this is our opportunity."

Each time the tailed beast transforms, it causes great damage to the Jinchuriki. The chakra carrying malice not only burns the body, but also erodes the Jinchuriki's will.

This is also why Rōshi and Han cannot maintain their tailed beast forms for long periods of time. If they do so for too long, they may even lose themselves, and if they attack indiscriminately, the Iwagakure ninjas will also suffer.

"Watergate is right, we need to adjust our strategy in cooperation with him."

"Once the Jinchuriki retreats, it will be time for everyone to launch a counterattack."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, solemnly instructed him that his main responsibility was to deal with Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, a "steam ninja" whose strength was extremely formidable even without using his tailed beast transformation.

Its massive size of over 2.2 meters and immense strength alone are a huge problem; when it leads the charge, ordinary ninjas are no match for it.

Nara Shikaku and the others quickly offered their opinions: although Jinchuriki are powerful, they can still be defeated if their weaknesses are exploited.

The problem is that attacks like the Tailed Beast Ball can be detrimental. Once the opponent lets their guard down and deliberately targets ordinary ninjas, Minato Namikaze has to take care of everyone. This is also why the Iwagakure ninjas achieved their victory.

Kakashi, the youngest member of the camp, remained silent until the meeting ended. When he and several elites stayed behind, he heard about the Tailed Beasts Project and his mind stirred. After a moment of contemplation, he remained silent again.

"Iwagakure is indeed on guard. Hokage, should we focus our attention on Takigakure?"

"But this means the battlefront will have to be shifted southward."

Nara Shikaku asked in a low voice, while Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi beside him looked at the map, thinking that stretching out the battle lines might put more pressure on the supply lines.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't entirely satisfied with the plan devised by Root, given the long-standing friendly relationship between Takigakure and Konoha. However, considering the importance of the Tailed Beasts, he ultimately explained in a low voice:

“We only need to cover a few small teams at the Root base. Takigakure has a complex terrain, and this operation needs to remain covert.”

When the three left, Kakashi, who was left behind, hesitated for a moment, but considering the interests of the village, he finally spoke up:

"Master, Third Hokage, I have important information."

"The Three-Tails of Kirigakure may revive soon, making it easier to capture this ownerless tailed beast."

Minato had a general understanding of what had happened back then. A fleeting look of surprise crossed his face, and he then took the initiative to continue the conversation:

"If the intelligence is correct, we can indeed participate in the capture."

"Lord Hokage, it is indeed possible to make further preparations."

Upon hearing their conversation, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not inquire about the source of the information. After a moment's thought, he agreed and then instructed his direct subordinates to relay the compiled information back to the village.

As they stepped out of the tent, Minato patted Kakashi on the shoulder, and the two gazed at the snow-covered earth in silence for a long while.

"Teacher, the information is correct, but it involves Lin, so I haven't mentioned it before."

Kakashi reiterated his assurance that Rin, who had been resurrected, no longer had any monsters inside her, and that the tailed beasts would not truly die and would definitely revive again.

Seeing that Kakashi's expression wasn't good, Minato didn't ask what had happened, but instead smiled and comforted him:

"This intelligence alone is enough; the rest can be left to the secret service to investigate."

"This way, the village will have more options."

Kakashi subconsciously let out a long breath. He had never dared to recall what happened back then, and he never expected that the Nine-Tails would be lost. He instinctively sniffed the air twice to make sure no one else was nearby before asking in a low voice:

"Teacher, what exactly happened that night?"

"So far, the attacker's identity still cannot be determined?"

Kakashi knew that Minato had suffered a very serious injury to his shoulder, and he couldn't imagine what kind of ninja could hurt his teacher who possessed such incredible speed.

"This matter still needs to be kept secret for now. The other party is extremely powerful and also possesses space-time ninjutsu."

"Kakashi, don't overthink it. Your intelligence has already helped the village solve a major problem."

Minato offered two more words of comfort, but as he recalled the night when the family of three nearly died on the spot, the smile on his face gradually faded. He had to end the current war as soon as possible.

The thought that the mysterious enemy had mastered the power of the Nine-Tails made Minato somewhat worried about the future. The other party clearly had a huge unknown plan, and he needed to investigate it thoroughly before he could feel at ease.

When Kakashi returned to his tent, Might Guy and Hyuga Shuichi were still discussing how to deal with the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han's surprise attack.

"Kakashi, what should we do next?"

"That big guy is too troublesome; its recovery speed is beyond human capabilities."

Might Guy rarely complained. He had managed to restrain his opponent several times with his speed, but the fact that the enemy was still "alive and kicking" even after being seriously injured made him truly appreciate the power of the tailed beast.

"Kai, the battle plan cannot be revealed casually."

Hyuga Shuichi was in much better shape than usual when he arrived on the battlefield. He was no longer required to go on arranged marriages and was temporarily freed from the control of the main family. He had temporarily regained his "freedom".

"We just need to work with the other teams to keep the Jinchuriki occupied. Minato-sensei will come to support us after he gets rid of Rōshi."

"Don't push yourself too hard; this kind of opponent is not someone we can easily handle."

Kakashi gave a brief reply, and seeing Might Guy and Hyuga Shuichi's energetic appearance, he thought of Obito again, and a look of nostalgia appeared on his face:

"Obito, I will protect everyone this time."

-

Six days before the New Year, news of the battlefield in the Land of Grass reached Konoha. Minato Namikaze single-handedly held off two Jinchuriki, and Konoha ninjas severely damaged the Iwagakure front-line troops.

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, arrived on the battlefield without warning and engaged in a fierce battle with the Third Hokage.

The battle between the Kage destroyed a small hill, and the Iwagakure ninja's encirclement operation completely failed, but the Konoha ninja also paid a considerable price.

After the battle, the Land of Grass was temporarily at peace before the New Year, which relieved the Konoha ninjas who remained in the village, allowing them to have a peaceful New Year.

Since receiving the corpse, the intelligence department has encountered considerable trouble. Faced with the puppets that have been modified beyond recognition, they are unable to obtain any useful information.

In a small building temporarily used by the intelligence department on the eastern edge of the village, a Yamanaka clan ninja was quietly reporting on the progress:

"Lord Xiu, so far we have only extracted some information from this body."

"The other party may be Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, but the residual information in his brain cannot be fully confirmed yet."

"The enemy used an incredible method of modification, and we can't even be sure if Hanzo is really alive in this state."

In the end, the Yamanaka clan ninjas showed shame; they had spent so long analyzing the corpses, yet they hadn't obtained any useful information.

"It's alright, don't blame yourself. Even without concrete information, you can still make bold assumptions."

"Have you traced the origin of these weapons?"

Furukawa asked softly, and the young ninja from the Yamanaka clan became even more ashamed, immediately bowing his head to apologize:

“We cannot trace its origin, Lord Xiu. According to records and the intelligence we have gathered, even the Land of Lightning cannot replicate such a craft.”

"These weapons are too sophisticated; no similar weapons or equipment have ever appeared in the ninja world."

Other intelligence officers also bowed their heads. This explanation sounded like an excuse for their incompetence, which was why they hadn't been able to give an accurate report for two months.

"A craft that even the Land of Lightning couldn't accomplish?"

"Yes, Lord Xiu, we can't even resupply these weapons with ammunition. No craftsman can make those tracking explosive devices."

After answering with a forced smile, the people in the intelligence agency nearly collapsed to their knees; their complete ignorance was the best description of them...

After learning the truth, Furukawa Osamu pretended to be angry, reprimanded the Hokage on behalf of the Hokage, and then encouraged him. Hearing that the Hokage did not intend to hold anyone accountable, many people shed tears.

After arriving at the laboratory, Furukawa Osamu didn't feel any heartache looking at the puppet that had been dismantled into pieces. The Asura Path was the most advanced, and he already had it in his hands.

"I will have members of the medical department come and assist you."

"Even if we can't analyze the intelligence, this kind of body modification technology is worth learning."

"Everyone, cheer up! We need to work together during the reconstruction period."

"Yes, Lord Xiu!"

Everyone responded loudly. Not being held accountable was already the best outcome. These corpses had become a nightmare for many ninjas, who really didn't know what the enemy was all about.

After completing his inspections of several departments, Furukawa Osamu arrived at the hidden base in the southeast corner of the village in the afternoon.

The laboratory built deep underground in the dense forest was unaffected by the attack. It was one of Orochimaru's backup laboratories, which he retreated to after being seriously injured.

It took Furukawa Osamu a long time to find Orochimaru, who had been reincarnated again. Unlike before, he had been reincarnated hastily, and the vessel was now showing signs of collapse.

In the dimly lit room, Orochimaru was unable to get up; the useful female body had not even been modified yet.

"Xiu, did you get any useful information from those corpses?"

Hearing Orochimaru's cold, hoarse voice ask the question, Furukawa Osamu shook his head and gave a brief explanation:

"There's no useful information. I think your guess is correct, teacher. This is a unique ability of the Rinnegan. This kind of technique has already transcended the scope of ordinary ninjutsu."

"Teacher, why not use that prepared container? Although it failed to fuse the power of the Senju and Uchiha, it's still much better than this body."

Orochimaru chuckled softly, looking at his disciple who had grown taller, once again displaying his ambition:

"The ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan is not what I pursue. You should have experienced it, right? That power called the Mangekyou Sharingan!"

Seeing Furukawa Osamu nod in "disappointment," Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with fervor as he continued:

"The Uchiha bloodline in the village is not good enough. I think they have not inherited the outstanding talents of Uchiha Madara."

"This is also why it is impossible to fuse the Senju and Uchiha bloodlines. Hashirama Senju's power is too great, and a bloodline that matches his power must be found."

"Only by merging with this power can one pursue the power of the Sage of Six Paths and thus grasp all truths."

Furukawa Osamu felt that Orochimaru had become somewhat deranged, and secretly noted down the "symptoms" in his mind.

Unlike the last time when he was injected with venom by the White Snake Sage and turned into a snake, this time Orochimaru officially used the Reanimation Jutsu. It seems that his ninjutsu still needs to be improved.

"Teacher, you may not be able to change the container for a while."