Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

Conflicts frequently erupt along the border of the Land of Fire, and the only beneficiaries may be the neutral caravans of the Land of Iron, as the demand for ninja tools continues to grow.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, still failed to adopt a tough stance towards foreign powers. The village remained steadfast on the border and did not demand that neighboring small countries take sides.

The villages of Amegakure and Kusagakure, sandwiched between major powers, are already feeling the danger. If war breaks out, their area will likely become a battlefield once again.

At dusk, at a secret border outpost, a group of Kusagakure ninjas had just jumped down from a tree trunk when they suddenly found themselves unable to move.

"Come on!"

The three Chunin shouted a warning, and the round-faced Chunin who was at the back quickly dodged to avoid the shadow chasing him.

When he jumped back onto the tree trunk, he turned around and saw that his men were covered by a dark mass of insects and were completely silent.

The round-faced ninja, trying to speed up his escape, unleashed chakra from his feet and instinctively drew his kunai to block as soon as he reached the tree branch.

"Ding!"

The short sword and kunai clashed repeatedly, sparks flying everywhere. Kakashi, whose body had been activated, drew his sword with incredible speed. After his power was suppressed, he quickly created distance.

Unblinded by hatred, the round-faced ninja tried to speed up his escape again during this brief moment, but a shadow silently attacked from below.

"hateful..."

They hurriedly dodged onto the tree trunk, but when the black swarm surrounded them, they had no choice but to return to the ground.

Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm!

Hidden behind the tree, Osamu Furukawa seized the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

The shattered earth forced the round-faced man to dodge, but after dodging the rubble, his eyes flashed with ferocity. The instant he landed, he decisively formed a hand seal:

"Earth Release: Earth Stalagmite!"

The sharp stone spikes erupted, and under the large-scale attack, dust flew everywhere. The round-faced ninja seemed to have stopped pretending. His right fist was covered with thick rocks at some point, and he began a wild and unrestrained attack.

Its speed increased again, and it rushed in front of Furukawa Shu in the blink of an eye, twisting its body and swinging its right fist straight at his face.

With his left arm blocking, ignoring the astonished look in his opponent's eyes, Furukawa Osamu, who had successfully blocked the "giant fist," suddenly erupted with a close-range elbow strike. With a "bang," the Kusagakure Jonin, whose face showed pain, turned into dirt.

"Give up!"

The usually silent Aburame Shii suddenly spoke up, directing the parasitic insects to surround the enemy making a last-ditch effort.

The relentless swarm of black insects crashed down like a giant wave. The round-faced ninja, no longer dodging Kakashi's attacks, delivered a powerful blow at the cost of blood spurting from his chest.

With a muffled groan, Kakashi was sent flying on the spot, landing with a pained expression on his left shoulder.

The swarm of insects seized the opportunity to entangle him, and Nara Shikaku leaped out of the shadows, causing the shadows on the ground to accelerate suddenly.

"The shadow imitation technique was successful."

"It's a clone!"

Aburame Shiki hurriedly reminded them, and the enemy in the distance sped up their escape.

Suddenly, a piercing bird cry rang in his ears, and the round-faced ninja instinctively twisted his body.

A slender, azure-blue lightning blade pierced through his right chest from behind, paralyzing him and causing him to kneel on the spot. Then, the blade shot out in all directions from his chest.

"Uh... Ah!"

After letting out a scream, the exhausted round-faced ninja stopped struggling. Furukawa Osamu, who was next to Nara Shikaku, turned into white smoke and disappeared. On the other side, the main body dispelled the ninjutsu.

"Well done, fix it!"

"Jonin are indeed a big problem. This is the last squad for today."

Exhausted, Nara Shikaku sat down on the ground, sighing and complaining. Furukawa Osamu checked on the fallen target and, finding he was still alive, immediately suggested:

"Capture successful. Let's rest here for a bit before going to find Captain Haiyi."

Having absorbed the chakra of three Chunin, Shiki Aburame was in good condition. She nodded in agreement, then looked at Kakashi and asked:

"Kakashi, how's your shoulder?"

"Minor injury."

Kakashi, whose body had reached its limit, whispered that he was alright. Noticing that the parasitic insects had already covered the Jonin, he sat down on the ground.

"It should be a disguised ninja from Iwagakure. It seems that Kusagakure has two plans."

Furukawa Osamu whispered his conclusion. As a medical ninja, he naturally had to hide behind everyone during battle, and his face still showed no signs of fatigue.

"If war breaks out, the village must control several transport lines as soon as possible."

"It's clear that Iwagakure is prepared. The friendship has broken down, and perhaps that's why the 'pro-war faction' wants to strike first."

"The village cannot wait for its opponents to join forces before taking action."

Nara Shikaku rarely expressed his opinion, and Furukawa Osamu didn't continue the conversation, because his words might be interpreted as Tsunade's attitude.

"The operation by the secret service was very timely, and the intelligence department also uncovered these outposts."

"Give the Hokage some time; let's not discuss these things in the village."

The cautious Aburame Shiki saw Furukawa Osamu nod to indicate that there were no enemies around before she whispered her dissuasion, her face mask concealing her expression. Nara Shikaku stared at her for a moment before finally agreeing:

"You're right, there will be more A-level missions in the future."

"Don't worry, I'll stay home obediently when I get back to the village. Clan gatherings and such are the most troublesome thing."

War naturally requires the mobilization of ninja clans, who are the backbone of Konoha. However, there are differing opinions within the major clans.

...

As night fell, several teams arrived at the agreed location one after another, the mission was completed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After completing the treatment, Furukawa Osamu received a lot of thanks. Upon arriving at Kakashi's side, he saw the latter holding a short sword, looking thoughtful, and immediately offered words of comfort:

"The Thousand Birds Spear can change shape, but its power is not as good as the Thousand Birds Blade with high-frequency vibrations."

"As the body continues to grow, the chakra problem will be solved. Eight years old and 18 years old are completely different. It's normal to be suppressed."

Kakashi was indeed somewhat disappointed that a weary Jonin could still counterattack and injure him while surrounded.

"Don't try to comfort me. I know my own abilities. I can't extract as much chakra as Guy in one go, but I can control it pretty well."

"It will be difficult to solve this problem when I grow up. I can't afford to waste chakra in battle, and I need to be more proficient in using techniques."

Without offering further advice, Furukawa Osamu, already accustomed to Kakashi's strict demands, saw Yamanaka Inoichi arrive and proactively inquired:

"Did the captain get any useful information?"

"It went very smoothly, Xiu. You performed exceptionally well in this mission. When we get back, I will suggest to the Hokage that you should be given more trust."

Yamanaka Inoichi's usually serious face broke into a satisfied smile. Ordinary Chunin were indeed no match for the two of them; the difference in their abilities was too great.

Noticing Kakashi's gaze, Yamanaka Inoichi pondered for a moment before speaking again:

"Iwagakure and Kusagakure do cooperate, but we must follow the Hokage's instructions."

"Kakashi, don't get involved in pointless discussions. You guys are still at the age where you're building your foundation. When you're leading a team, pay more attention to your subordinates."

"..."

Chapter 29 Graduation of the Same Class (Please continue reading QAQ)

At the end of March, the cherry blossoms in Konoha Village bloomed again, and the annual graduation ceremony was just around the corner.

After two months of "cleaning" work, Osamu Furukawa recently returned to the medical team, much to Shizune's delight.

After medical class ended, Tsunade, who rarely attended classes, saw her "tagalong" coming to find Nohara Rin again, and sighed inwardly:

"He doesn't look like a brat from the Uchiha clan at all!"

The kind and warm-hearted Obito has worked hard to shed his reputation as the "bottom of the class" in Class A and is about to graduate, which he is very excited about.

"No problem at all, Lin! I'm sure I'll pass tomorrow's exam!"

"..."

With only Rin Nohara in his eyes, Obito immediately moved closer to the girl and loudly recounted his efforts.

"Go for it, Obito! Let's graduate together!"

"Don't be late for the exam, leave early, and be mindful of the time if you encounter an elderly lady."

"This is the first step towards a ninja career!"

Instead of showing any disdain for Obito's shouting, Rin Nohara offered him kind encouragement, and the girls in the medical ward cheered as they witnessed this.

"Rin, Kakashi will be heartbroken if he sees this."

"Are we going to abandon Kakashi? Rin, then we should take the initiative..."

Rin Nohara, who was cheering Obito on with a fist pump, blushed upon hearing the teasing voice, then blinked her big eyes and said generously:

"Kakashi is everyone's role model..."

Isn't she someone I admire?

"Rin is so cute, she's surprisingly a good match for 'Cool Kakashi'!"

"..."

Since Kakashi repeatedly expelled students from school, he has earned the nickname "Cold-blooded Kakashi".

The girls were laughing and joking, which made Obito feel frustrated, even though he was right next to Rin Nohara.

"So it turns out that Lin's gentleness isn't all for me!"

"Hey?!"

Suddenly hearing his own thoughts, the oblivious Obito jumped up and turned around, only to find Furukawa Osamu and Shizune behind him.

"You're talking nonsense again! I never thought that way..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, and Obito turned away embarrassedly. Seeing this, Furukawa Osamu, just like in previous years, continued to give him a sidelong glance and make sarcastic remarks:

"Lin will only be 9 years old in November! Go to the guard station and turn yourself in."

Shizune immediately burst out laughing, but then blushed slightly as she thought about her own little scheme.

"What?! The guard unit isn't what you think. It's an important department that only outstanding Uchiha ninjas are qualified to join!"

"One day I will be able to join in, and then I will not only be able to help more people, but also gain everyone's recognition!"

When the Uchiha Guard was mentioned, Obito's expression turned serious, and his tone revealed his longing.

Rin Nohara, having shaken off the girls' attention, returned to Obito's side. Seeing Osamu and Furukawa, she looked on with delight, greeted them, and then asked with a smile:

"Is the mission over? Xiu, will Kakashi come to the graduation ceremony?"

Class teacher Ryosuke Kimura declared that this was the best class he had ever taught, and he hoped that Class A could take a group photo together at the graduation ceremony.

Furukawa Osamu naturally wouldn't refuse this request. He could understand the feelings of the homeroom teacher since all the students in Class A had graduated early.

"Of course he will be there. He has been available recently. Even if it's a mission, he needs to balance work and rest."

Upon hearing Furukawa Osamu's words, Nohara Rin's face immediately lit up with a bright smile. She hugged her textbook to her chest and happily replied:

"Great! It's been almost three months since we've seen Kakashi! Everyone's really looking forward to taking a picture together!"

The girl's radiant smile captivated Obito, who couldn't take his eyes off her. However, this happiness didn't seem to be because of him, and a pang of sadness welled up in his heart.

He stopped teasing Obito; it's a sad thing that his childhood friend couldn't compete with the newcomer...

"Xiu, can we take photos together again sometime?... "

After the two left, Shizune, who was following behind Furukawa Osamu, asked in a low voice. The girl was a little nervous, but soon received the response she had been expecting:

“No problem, we can take some photos anytime, it’s just that Mr. Yuanzao’s photo studio is the only one in the village.”

"If only there were a more portable camera, photos could capture so many wonderful memories..."

Happily, she clasped her hands together, then squeezed next to Furukawa Osamu, unusually lively, and joined in the suggestion:

"Tsunade-sensei would probably like it too. She said she wanted to maintain her most beautiful side forever, and photos are a great way to do that..."

"..."

As they were talking, Shizune suddenly felt a chill down her spine. Tsunade had somehow appeared behind them, and before she could explain, she was pulled into Tsunade's arms.

"Jingyin, are you trying to remind me that I'm getting old?"

"Ugh...I'm suffocating, Tsunade-sensei!"