Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

"Please welcome our two contestants to the stage!"

Upon seeing Tsunade with her arms crossed above him, Furukawa Osamu nodded slightly in greeting before leisurely making his way to the arena. However, before he could even prepare himself, a voice suddenly came from behind him:

"I...I...choose to abstain..."

Severely injured, Maki barely managed to raise his arm. Seeing the disappointment on the face of the team leader, he lowered his head in shame, then shouted loudly:

"I will never forget the humiliation you inflicted upon me, Osamu Furukawa. I will consider you my lifelong rival, and we will meet again sooner or later, I swear..."

"So your name is Maki!"

Upon suddenly hearing Furukawa Osamu's voice, Maki subconsciously looked up and saw the amused expression on his opponent's face. The humiliation intensified, his breathing became increasingly difficult, and he eventually fainted.

This scene almost made the Konoha ninjas burst out laughing. The Jonin presiding over the duel was so excited that his face turned red. Without even looking at the Sand Village ninjas' expressions, he loudly announced:

"Winner! Osamu Furukawa!"

"call out..."

In the blink of an eye, Furukawa Osamu appeared above the fence, and Tsunade, arms crossed, smiled and offered a simple word of encouragement:

"You did a pretty good job!"

Subsequent matches became dull and uninteresting, and the competition would eventually turn into an internal war within Konoha. This joint exam was a demonstration of force.

-

In late June, thanks to deliberate promotion by higher authorities, most villagers showed pride upon hearing the results of the joint examination.

The ninjas of Konoha are the strongest!

The final assessment was held in a circular venue with a curved wall on the inside and a high, circular ceiling.

The castle tower was packed with spectators early on. Daimyo from various countries gathered together, and representatives from various ninja villages were also present. Spies were also mixed in among them.

At the very top is the Third Hokage. It's rare to hold such a large event, and hearing the cheers, Hiruzen Sarutobi also smiled.

"Although I don't like Inahisa, the two-tomoe Sharingan can see through everything!"

"A high-ranking ninja from the clan even gave him one-on-one training. At his age, it's rare to find someone with Sharingan who can defeat him..."

In the stands, Obito Uchiha began explaining the power of the Sharingan to Kakashi and the others beside him. As he spoke, he pointed to his own eyes and loudly proclaimed:

"Once I can open my eyes, I'll soon surpass everyone!"

"..."

As the Konoha Jonin's "Start" signal fell, Uchiha Inahisa's shuriken immediately flew out, heading straight for Furukawa Osamu's vital points.

Both players were dressed in black training uniforms, and the sparks flying during their performance made the audience cheer excitedly.

"Oh!"

The kunai clashed repeatedly, and Uchiha Inahi, who activated her Sharingan immediately, was clearly very confident in her taijutsu. Seizing the opportunity to create distance, she used her talk-no-jutsu for the first time:

"Super strength? It's useless against these eyes. I can see through every single one of your movements!"

Uchiha Inahime, holding kunai in both hands, tried to make his opponent look into his eyes. Just as he was about to continue his attack, Furukawa Osamu suddenly disappeared.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he hurriedly raised his arms. Uchiha Inahime wanted to block, but the strength far exceeded his expectations. His chin was in excruciating pain, and as he coughed up blood, he was instantly kicked into the air.

Dust rose from the ground, and Furukawa Osamu, who had unleashed the "Rising Dragon Kick," vanished once more. In mid-air, Uchiha Inahime felt a sharp pain in her arm, then began to spin, involuntarily letting out a scream:

"what!"

Just as the spinning Uchiha Inahi was about to crash into the ground, the Jonin watching the battle immediately formed hand seals, turning the land into a mud pit.

"boom!"

He remained motionless, completely submerged in the mud. The audience gasped in astonishment. Without further hesitation, the jonin hosting the event turned to the boy beside him and loudly announced:

"Winner! Osamu Furukawa!"

"Yahoo!"

Might Guy in the stands shouted excitedly, waving his fists and jumping around, while the surrounding audience applauded. Kakashi glanced at Obito, whose eyes were glazed over, and gave a simple response:

"My eyes can see clearly, but my body can't keep up."

"Don't use your talents to measure Xiu."

"..."

Chapter 22 Chunin Leading the Team

In late June of Konoha Year 45, inside the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, chuckled as he gave instructions to the two young men before him:

"The Chunin represent the backbone of the village, and from now on they will have to shoulder the responsibility of the captain."

"Remember, not every task yields immediate results; be patient when leading a team."

"..."

Completely devoid of the airs of a Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi at this moment was more like an elder sharing his life experiences.

Hearing the teacher repeating some of the same topics she had already discussed, Tsunade, wearing a Jonin vest, couldn't help but interrupt:

"Alright, teacher! You've already explained these things before."

"Although they are still young, they can complete some C-rank missions without any problem. They are already qualified ninjas."

"You don't have to treat them like children anymore. Once you become a captain, you have to be responsible for your subordinates."

"Kakashi, you should understand that most of the Jonin team members have a very high opinion of you. Don't let them down!"

"As for Xiu, you will take over some of the medical team's work."

"If there are any advanced tasks, the teacher will summon you at any time."

Tsunade offered her concise and to the point, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, behind the desk, wasn't annoyed. Instead, a satisfied smile appeared on his face as he picked up his pipe and added:

"That's right. You won't have too many tasks in the second half of the year. At this age, you need to lay a solid foundation."

"The village is not at the point where young geniuses should risk their lives. Don't take some friction to heart!"

"Yes!"

Osamu Furukawa and Kakashi responded in unison. Perhaps due to their great success in the recent Chunin Exams, the Konoha ninjas were a little arrogant, and the Hokage was no exception.

The two, not even 8 years old, looked a little awkward in their Chunin vests, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had completely gotten used to it and was even happier the more he looked at them.

"Go back and rest. The Ninja Academy will be conducting field exercises for the next two months. If you're interested, you can participate."

"..."

Kakashi was about to refuse outright when Furukawa pulled him back, causing him to swallow his words. The two nodded to each other before turning to leave.

"I'm so glad I introduced this child to you, Tsunade. Your ability to stay in the village has been a huge help!"

As Hiruzen Sarutobi began to exhale smoke, he chuckled and sighed. A few years ago, when Ichiro Furukawa and his wife sacrificed their lives, he discovered Osamu Furukawa's talent through evaluation.

The four-year-old child could easily climb trees and walk on water, demonstrating excellent chakra control and sensory abilities. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was surprised by such talent.

"Old man, you've really gotten old, saying such things!"

Tsunade responded with some surprise, then carefully examined her teacher's face. He had more wrinkles than two years ago, and his hairline had started to recede. He had indeed aged a bit.

Knowing the changes in his body, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't try to be brave; instead, he continued with a sense of relief:

"Everyone gets old. With the help of the three of you, the village will prosper even more."

“You’re not young anymore, it’s time to build your own team. Unlike war, governing a village requires cooperation and mutual benefit.”

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who wanted to continue their heart-to-heart talk, suddenly stiffened his neck, and Tsunade, who was unleashing her chakra, clenched her fists, looking very unhappy.

"Stop nagging! Don't expose this 'weak' side to others!"

"The Hokage doesn't need this kind of emotion."

Tsunade, her golden twin tails swaying, strode away. Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe and smiled helplessly, thinking of his sulking youngest son at home, and sighed softly:

"Perhaps I should take a break too."

-

Inside the barbecue restaurant, Might Guy devoured his food while loudly hawking his wares, ignoring the resentful look from Genma Shiranui beside him, and continued his fervent promotion:

"Did you see that? Xiu defeated everyone using only his physical skills!"

"That spinning kick was partly my doing. The Leaf Whirlwind is a swift kicking technique. As long as you have enough speed and power, you can finish off your opponent in one move!"

"Unfortunately, my nature transformation cannot activate the physical body like Xiu's, but as long as I continue to train, I will be able to do it in the future."

"..."

Since the Chunin Exams ended, Might Guy has been in this "super hot-blooded" state every day, and has become even more fanatical about taijutsu.

During their daily "youthful exercise," they even shouted, "I will follow the path of self-cultivation."

Namiashi Raido and Yamashiro Aoba were already used to it. As genin with considerable talent, they could understand Might Guy's feelings; the recognition of a genius was indeed a great encouragement.

"Instead of continuing to train chakra control, we should increase physical fitness."

“Kai, although I hate to admit it, you will definitely surpass me in terms of chakra reserves.”

Kakashi calmly offered his advice, explaining that after a year of observation, he was certain that Might Guy was indeed a genius and that his father hadn't misjudged him.

Might Guy laughed heartily and gave a thumbs up, his whole being "burning" with energy again. In the second half of the year, in addition to making money by completing missions, he would also continue to challenge Kakashi!

"Chunin is great! I don't have to do those troublesome missions myself. I really want to advance to Chunin soon."

"Xiu, what are the benefits like in the medical team?"

Genma Shiranui, who had just graduated, had already lost his motivation. D-rank missions were low-paying and boring, so he asked for advice now in order to continue his ninja career.

"As for income? It's about the same as when you go on a mission, but the village provides an extra subsidy."

"But hospital work is very troublesome, the barrier class should be easier."

With a knowing smile, Furukawa Osamu gave Shiranui Genma a knowing look.

"You think you can slack off right after graduation?"

"We'll be on the same team next month; our youth is just beginning!"

Might Guy's energetic performance made Genma Shiranui's deadpan expression return. He wanted to say "Spare me," but in the end, for the sake of his pride, he forced a thumbs up.

"Cheers! To celebrate Shu and Kakashi becoming captains!"

Raito Namiya loudly proposed, and the young genin around him raised their glasses, making the atmosphere in the barbecue restaurant even more lively.

As evening fell, Matt Kai, who was so full he could barely stand, reluctantly said goodbye to the two. The hot-blooded young man then decided to walk home upside down, an exaggerated act that drew gasps from the villagers.

"Is this also a manifestation of the Will of Fire?"

After making more friends, Kakashi could clearly feel that everyone recognized him and respected his strength and talent from the bottom of their hearts.

Just like they were taught in school, the boys helped each other, and even when he went his own way in a collaborative task, no one blamed him; instead, they expressed their understanding.

"The world is not 'black and white,' and the Will of Fire has many facets."

Furukawa Osamu gave a brief response, and seeing Kakashi's confused expression again, he shook his head and added:

"Don't blindly believe anyone's opinions, and don't give up independent thinking. You have this ability, and you will find the answer as long as you live."

Kakashi instinctively reached for his back before realizing he hadn't brought his short sword. Furukawa Osamu chuckled, patted his shoulder, and said nothing more, inwardly sighing:

"Luckily, you're Xian 10..."

Chapter 23 The Slug's "Fellow Clan"...

By early September, the hype surrounding the Chunin Exams had largely subsided, but many teenagers at the Ninja Academy were still discussing it.

In the third exam, Osamu Furukawa did not use any flashy ninjutsu, nor did he use his short sword.

Using only physical skills and shuriken techniques, he left an extremely deep impression on the spectators.

At speeds too fast for the naked eye to see, a simple downward slash can shatter the ground, and a single punch can even create a massive crater...

Apart from Uchiha Inahi putting up a couple of resistances, the remaining opponents surrendered almost immediately upon entering the arena.

Having just completed a field exercise last month, Obito Uchiha's grades have once again entered the top 10 of Class A, and he has now completely shed his "bottom of the class" reputation.