Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the gratified smiles on the faces of the four young people opposite him. The master-disciple relationship was the foundation of Konoha, and with these excellent ninjas, he had not let down the trust of the two Hokage.

Both Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu squinted. Tsunade, having adapted to her different roles during the day and night, gestured for Furukawa Osamu to distribute the documents and then introduced them in a low voice:

"This is the latest intelligence from Jiraiya. The Akatsuki has completed its assembly, and they seem to be accumulating funds."

"It is impossible to confirm whether the intelligence is true. The other party's goal is likely to gather the power of the tailed beasts."

"The village is safe for now. Now we should move forward with our plan to coordinate with other ninja villages."

Even when Mitokado Haru pulled her old friend aside, it was no use. Koharu, after glancing at the documents, immediately spoke up:

"The joint plan should be put after we reclaim the Nine-Tails. If other ninja villages find out that our tailed beast is missing, they might start another war."

"More importantly, this matter concerns the reputation of Konoha ninjas. Losing the Nine-Tails would have a huge impact on their reputation."

"We should do everything in our power to retrieve the Nine-Tails!"

The older generation of ninjas seemed to value face above all else. Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and remained silent, while Homura Mitokado sighed and added in a low voice:

“Tsunade, we do need to maintain our reputation. Without the status of a victorious nation, we would be suppressed by ninjas from other villages in the commission market.”

"The enemy's strength is indeed formidable, but we have obtained relatively crucial intelligence, and we can certainly try to reclaim the Nine-Tails."

"If we can deal with the Mangekyou Sharingan user first, then by joining forces with other ninja villages, capturing Nagato will no longer be a problem."

Minato first glanced at Tsunade's expression, and knowing the Hokage's opposition, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked at the two advisors and solemnly responded:

"Their Mangekyou Sharingan has mastered space-time ninjutsu, which is beyond what our single ninja village can handle."

"In addition, the powerful eye power can even control the Nine-Tails. With this kind of power, ordinary ninjas cannot even participate in the battle."

"The Hokage's decision is correct; pooling our strength is the best way to launch a surprise attack on the enemy."

"Regarding the safety of Jinchuriki, I believe the other ninja villages will make the right choice."

The information Jiraiya sent back explained Akatsuki's goal: to use the power of the Tailed Beasts to reshape the ninja world and achieve "nuclear peace."

This was exactly the kind of thing that only the Child of Destruction, as prophesied by the Great Toad Sage, could do. Jiraiya, who pursued peace, naturally had to do everything in his power to stop it, having long since forgotten about the village's reputation.

Minato also agreed with his teacher's idea. Thinking that the enemy was getting stronger and stronger, he also wanted to defeat the opponent as soon as possible so that his son could grow up in a peaceful environment.

Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated, and just as he was about to speak, Danzo, sitting behind the three of them, suddenly spoke up:

"The best way to counter the Mangekyou Sharingan is with another pair of eyes."

“In our last encounter, even Furukawa Osamu couldn’t intercept the space-time eye technique. If we want to kill the enemy completely, we need to cultivate the Mangekyou Sharingan.”

"As members of the village, the Uchiha clan should also make sacrifices."

"If the Hokage finds this inconvenient, you can leave it to me. I will communicate with the Fugaku clan head, and I believe he will make the right choice."

Upon hearing his old friend's opinion, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately shook his head, while Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief; she knew the advisors wouldn't like her choice.

"There are differences between the Mangekyou Sharingan. Whether it is powerful or not depends entirely on the user."

"Instead of pinning our hopes on such a vague idea, we should seize the time to communicate and negotiate with other ninja villages."

"Minato, Kakashi, you two will be in charge of the joint mission."

"The power of the Tailed Beasts should have been the responsibility of the Kage. Since we failed back then, we must go all out to achieve our goal this time."

Tsunade chose to ignore the advisory group and proceed with the mission. The old guys immediately fell silent. Notifying them was a sign of respect. As for whether the suggestions should be adopted, the Hokage himself would make the decision.

In the ensuing discussion, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as always, actively participated. As the Hokage who had served for a long time, even other Kage would give him face.

When Minato heard that the Third Hokage was willing to join the plan, a smile immediately appeared on his face. Kakashi also breathed a sigh of relief; he could only follow his teacher in such an important matter.

The discussion continued until evening, when Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had no choice but to compromise and add to the plan.

The old folks believed that as long as they could kill the enemy and capture and seal the Nine-Tails, no other village could compare to Konoha.

As the sun set, Danzo silently followed Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others away. After giving his advice, he fell silent, deeply disappointed with the Hokage's decision.

This was originally a plan to kill two birds with one stone, weakening the Uchiha clan while strengthening the village, but Tsunade forgot her mission!

"Don't do anything unnecessary, Danzo. You know what I'm talking about."

As they left the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi whispered to his old friend, while Danzo narrowed his eyes, turned to gaze at the Shadow Rock, and looked at the enormous statue, a feeling of resentment rising in his heart.

"Hiruzen, it seems you have forgotten the will of the Second Hokage. Danger is right in front of you, yet you choose to turn a blind eye."

"Don't worry, I just want to talk to Fugaku Uchiha. Root has lost most of its power, there's nothing I can do."

"Everything is for the village; only I can bear the darkness."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned again as he watched his old friend's retreating figure, but then felt relieved when he thought of Fugaku Uchiha. He figured the clan leader wouldn't be misled by Danzo.

It's too evil to induce the Mangekyou Sharingan. Without anyone's cooperation, Danzo can only stay in the Root and be constantly drained of his life by the Anbu.

...

Only Furukawa Osamu and Tsunade were in the room. Although this wasn't the first time this had happened, Tsunade still felt embarrassed and lowered her head to concentrate on her work while watching her disciple organize the documents.

As night fell, Tsunade secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Her disciple still respected her as his teacher and did not overstep his bounds inappropriately.

Tsunade sat up straight, and soon a comfortable feeling came from her head. Furukawa Osamu gently rubbed it while whispering:

"The joint plan may not go smoothly, and teachers should be prepared to encounter difficulties."

"Having never been invaded by Nagato, nor harmed by Akatsuki, the Kage probably won't take it to heart given the current situation."

"Especially in the Hidden Cloud Village, our intelligence personnel still haven't been able to confirm Killer Bee's approximate location."

"The Fourth Raikage, A, should be very confident in the village's power; the chances of that stubborn guy participating in the plan are slim."

Tsunade nodded slightly, then, remembering the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, that vain old man, she sighed helplessly.

"It feels terrible to share this crucial intelligence that we worked so hard to obtain, only to have the other party not believe it."

"Wait, Xiu, tonight..."

Realizing that Furukawa was about to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to return home, Tsunade quickly turned around and whispered that she wasn't feeling well. Furukawa chuckled as he looked at his silent teacher.

"How could I force you, teacher! There are other ways to cultivate immortal arts."

The two teleported instantly, and Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief upon returning to her own courtyard. She still wasn't quite used to this kind of life.

While preparing dinner, Tsunade, having changed into looser clothing, deliberately changed the subject, sipping her aperitif while resting her chin on her hand and asking in a low voice:

"What other ways are there to cultivate immortal techniques? I knew it... you were definitely doing this on purpose..."

As she finished speaking, a blush crept onto Tsunade's face. The way she had been actively absorbing the immense life force of Osamu Furukawa's chakra every day during her training was truly shameful.

Furukawa Osamu served the side dishes, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes as he saw Tsunade's expression. He sat down next to his teacher and whispered in her ear:

"Does the teacher really want to know?"

Tsunade quickly pressed her hand against her disciple's chest, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. She then heard Furukawa Osamu's whisper in her ear, and her face turned redder and redder.

"How could this happen..."

Tsunade gasped and quickly turned her head. When she realized that Furukawa Osamu was deliberately looking at her pink lips, her face burned even more. She quickly got up and was pulled into his arms again.

"Teacher, we can try testing the absorption efficiency!"

"I would never do such a thing... Waaah..."

Chapter 225 A More Efficient Way of Cultivation?

In mid-October, with the dispatch of a delegation from Konoha, the ninja world became turbulent again, and many Jonin sensed something was amiss.

Sasori's appearance made Sunagakure nervous. After the Konoha ninjas visited, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, still showed a friendly attitude and readily agreed to the joint operation upon hearing about it.

Chiyo only voices her opinions on important missions. When the old woman heard that her grandson had joined the dangerous rogue ninja group, her eyes flickered, unlike Rasa's resolute attitude.

Minato Namikaze naturally noticed this situation during the meeting and kept it in mind without making a sound. He knew that Sunagakure definitely had its own ulterior motives.

After leaving the meeting room, Kakashi, dressed as a Jonin, breathed a sigh of relief and then whispered:

"Minato-sensei, it seems the trip to Sunagakure is going more smoothly than expected! This seems like a good omen."

Minato remained calm, noticing the relaxed look on Kakashi's face, before whispering a reminder:

"That Elder Chiyo might still have connections with Sasori."

"Kakashi, don't relax. It's sometimes hard to tell who's friend and who's foe. That's how it is with ninjas. Don't completely trust what the other person says."

Kakashi paused, his mask concealing most of his expression, then hurriedly followed Minato, remaining silent for a while before responding again:

"I'm sorry, Minato-sensei, I may have been too naive."

As the group left the Wind Shadow Building, Shuimen looked at the yellow scene before him and shook his head again. Looking around, there was very little greenery, and the villagers living here also lacked smiles.

"Kakashi, observe the current situation in Sunagakure carefully, and you'll easily discern their stance."

"It is precisely because Jiraiya-sensei is desperate about the real world that he places his hopes for peace on the prophesied child."

"I hope you can accept this somewhat cruel world, so that you can better protect the important people around you."

Minato noticed Kakashi's low spirits and knew his disciple was probably thinking about Obito Uchiha again. He patted Kakashi on the shoulder and gently encouraged him once more:

"You are already very good, cherish the life you have now."

"Don't worry Rin. You've worked so hard on this mission. If you need Kushina and me to help you with your wedding, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Teacher, it's too early for that."

Kakashi scratched his head sheepishly. He'd been away for almost a week, and he did miss the girl a little. He inexplicably thought of the three forbidden rules for ninjas that Nara Shikaku had mentioned when they were children, and sighed inwardly:

"The experience summarized by my seniors is indeed reasonable; it's just that my body is reacting like this right after breaking the taboo..."

-

When news of Sunagakure arrived, Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that the allied nations hadn't refused meant that Sunagakure was still on Konoha's side.

The Jonin squad and the Anbu had already secretly mobilized. Despite the enemy's strength, all the selected ninjas agreed when they learned that Osamu Furukawa and Minato Namikaze would be participating in this operation.

As the sun set, inside the Hokage Building, after summoning several Jonin, Tsunade rested her chin on the back of her hand and once again flipped through the roster:

"It is indeed difficult for ordinary ninjas to play a role in the face of such an enemy."

"This is probably why the core members of Akatsuki recruit those particularly rogue ninjas; the combined power would be dangerous even for major powers."

Furukawa Osamu was well aware of the organization's strength. With Black Zetsu's help, Nagato's Six Paths Techniques had become complete, his puppets were exhausted, and his main body could still easily use the Six Paths Techniques.

With the addition of the five elemental escaping techniques and a degraded version of Yin-Yang escaping, Nagato could potentially destroy most of the village in a single raid on Sunagakure.

The opponent's current problem is the personnel sealing the tailed beasts. Nagato doesn't trust Madara Uchiha, nor does he trust the opponent's subordinates. He is also still investigating Sasori and Kakuzu.

Once he seals the tailed beasts, the Gedo Mazo will be exposed, a situation that Black Zetsu cannot allow to occur. Nagato only told Konan about his inner turmoil.

"Teacher, don't worry, I will do everything I can to protect everyone!"

“Having a powerful enemy can actually unite the village’s strength, so the Jonin still need to remain vigilant at all times.”

"From this perspective, things aren't so bad. It's not good to always be frowning."

Upon hearing Furukawa Osamu's comforting words, Tsunade's anxiety vanished. Knowing that her disciple would not disappoint her, she instinctively leaned closer to him.

After a silent knock, the door was pushed open and a girl appeared in the room holding a pink pig. Tsunade's heart raced, and she sat up straight.

"Teacher, Xiu, tonight is the apartment's dinner party! I've been preparing for a long time, you must come and try my cooking!"

"Um... Xiu, if it gets too late, why don't you stay over? It's been so long since we've stayed together..."

Shizune felt incredibly annoyed that she had missed a great opportunity at the last birthday party, and the thought of sleeping with Hongdou all night made her extremely regretful!

During this time, with the help of Nohara Rin, who had been through similar experiences, Shizune revised her plan. With the teacher's help, she believed that she would definitely succeed.

Embarrassed, Shizune instinctively hugged Tun-Tun tightly, causing the pink pig to squeal incessantly from the tightness. By the time the girl realized what was happening, Tun-Tun, who had fallen to the ground, hurriedly ran to Furukawa Osamu's side.

"Puyo!! Pupuyo!"

Upon hearing Tonton's annoyed cry, Furukawa Osamu immediately laughed, picked up the pink piglet, looked at Tsunade, and smiled, saying:

"Teacher, let's go to the apartment tonight! Let's not let Jingyin's good intentions go to waste."

Tsunade was conflicted, but seeing the girl's expectant look, she finally smiled and agreed.

"Jingyin, I'll have to trouble you tonight. Speaking of which, your 18th birthday is coming up soon. Have you decided what gift you want?"

After asking those questions, Tsunade regretted it. Just as she had expected, Shizune stole a glance at Furukawa Osamu and then stammered, "rambling nonsense."

Seeing this, Tsunade sighed inwardly, feeling that she had stolen her disciple's happiness.

...