Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

“The Anbu have long collected data on various ninja villages. Our economic situation is far ahead. Demonstrating our strength can better maintain a peaceful environment.”

Hearing her disciple's suggestion, Tsunade nodded. According to the intelligence she had gathered, apart from Kumogakure, Sunagakure and Iwagakure had not made any significant progress in developing the power of the tailed beasts.

Being able to use the Tailed Beast Ball poses little threat to Konoha. Tsunade, remembering the Nine-Tails, sighed inwardly but smiled and quickly responded:

"Then let the Cloud Village ninjas participate in the exam!"

"Shu, you don't mean to recommend Uchiha Itachi to participate in the test, do you? He'll only be 10 years old in a few months, he's still too young."

Furukawa Osamu chuckled softly. For over a year, he hadn't strictly disciplined Uchiha Itachi. Ever since Uchiha Fugaku returned to normal, he had wanted Itachi, that unfortunate child, to have a happy childhood.

"I wouldn't recommend it, but Chief Fugaku probably can't wait!"

"Those annoying voices within the clan must be causing him a lot of trouble. With the Chunin Exams approaching, Clan Chief Fugaku will definitely want his son to demonstrate the Uchiha's powerful strength."

Tsunade turned to look at her disciple sitting on the sofa to her right. She was mesmerized by Furukawa Osamu's smile. Although they trained closely together every day, she was still inexplicably drawn to him.

"What's wrong, teacher?"

"If Chief Fugaku nominates him, Itachi Uchiha will likely take the exam alone."

"Kakashi told me that the other two kids weren't suited for the ninja profession. This guy is still the same as ever, he hasn't changed in all these years."

Furukawa Osamu stood up and placed the letter on the table. Seeing that Tsunade was still looking at him, a slight smile appeared on his lips. He suddenly reached out his left hand, cupped his teacher's cheek, and said softly:

"It's still working hours, teachers need to concentrate!"

Tsunade snapped out of her daze, noticing her lips had been lightly brushed. Her cheeks immediately flushed, and she turned her head to glance sideways at Furukawa Osamu, whispering in response:

"No wonder Shizune always complains to me, I..."

"It's all my fault. Teacher's magic was already on the right track, but I..."

Furukawa only got halfway through his sentence before Tsunade awkwardly got up to interrupt him. Sometimes, the two of them weren't practicing sage techniques, but rather trying to satisfy her desires.

"If that brat is planning to take the Chunin Exams, you should talk to the Uchiha clan in advance!"

"After all, Chief Fugaku has been very troubled lately, and the village needs to demonstrate its strength."

As Tsunade turned and left, a puddle of liquid suddenly appeared on Furukawa Osamu's shoulder, which then transformed into a palm-sized live slug, and a soft, sweet voice immediately appeared in his mind:

"Master Xiu, in a few more months we should be able to analyze 'life energy'!"

"If you can successfully awaken the Rinnegan, don't forget the original body's reproduction plan."

"..."

Chapter 233 is titled "The Power of Love" (Obito's Perspective)

In late March of Konoha Year 57, in an unnamed village in the Land of Water, an ordinary young man missing his right arm and with a face full of injuries recently became the subject of heated discussion among the villagers.

In this place where it always snows, men are still very important to a family. After Obito Uchiha discovered that Haku's father was an unreliable guy, he took on some of the responsibility.

Although his body could not return to its best condition, Obito was still stronger than an ordinary person due to the boost from chakra.

Chopping wood and starting a fire were easy tasks, as were fetching water and repairing the house. In just one week, the mother and son's lives improved significantly.

Obito paid no attention to the villagers' gossip; after all, old people always loved to chat. But the gentle, loving look in Haku's mother's eyes was something he couldn't resist...

As evening fell, Haku, who was guarding the door, cheered as he saw Obito return with his prey.

As an 8-year-old child, he greatly admired powerful ninjas. He felt that the young man he saved was very powerful, and the young man's behavior after waking up proved this point.

"Big brother, are we having meat again tonight? That's amazing!"

The handsome Haku ran up to Obito, looked up and praised him loudly, his eyes full of admiration, and a blush appeared on his face.

Obito, now dressed in a modified blue kimono, wanted to tell Haku that there was no need to praise him, but upon hearing the compliment, the corners of his mouth involuntarily began to turn up. He swallowed the words that were about to come out and responded in a hoarse voice:

"Children should definitely eat meat!"

"Whether you become a ninja or not, you need to replenish your nutrition at this age."

“Your mother loves you very much, don’t let her worry. You don’t need to wait for me at the door anymore.”

After learning that the village ostracized ninjas, Obito became very careful in order to take care of the mother and child. Although he could easily take the lives of these ordinary people, he had no interest in doing so at this point.

Bai nodded vigorously. He had inherited his mother's appearance, and many people usually mistook him for a girl. He could sense the malice in those hidden gazes.

Although the older brother in front of him had a melancholy look in his eyes, he always looked at him with concern, and Bai liked that loving gaze.

When the two returned home, Obito fell silent again, and without a word, he took out a kunai and cut up a small wild boar, which reminded him of the hunting scenes in the Forest of Death when he was a child.

"Mother, big brother is amazing! We can't finish all the meat!"

"Can ninjas find food so easily?"

"My father couldn't do these things; all he did was yell at people..."

While watching Obito process the prey, Haku loudly complained about his past life and grew increasingly enamored with being a ninja. He also wanted to eat meat every day through his own efforts.

Thank you so much! I hope I haven't caused you any trouble!

Hearing the gentle thanks again, Obito subconsciously looked up, saw Haku's mother's fair and beautiful face, immediately turned his head away, and whispered in response:

"It's just some food. You saved me, and this is what I should do."

"Madam, there's no need to thank me for this. Bai is a kind and good child."

Upon hearing this, the mother and son exchanged a smile. Although they knew that the young man in front of them might have questionable origins, the mother was still willing to accept the risk.

Dinner was very lavish. Haku's mother was a great cook, and Obito, who hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, felt happy again.

...

As night falls, the entire village quickly becomes pitch black. There are no entertainment options here, so the villagers go to sleep early when it gets dark.

Obito lay on the simple wooden bed, lost in thought. The house was pitch black, but the warm conversation between the mother and son kept drifting into his ears.

He should have found this kind of life boring and tedious, but Obito felt inexplicably happy. His only regret was that he couldn't see his best friend anymore.

Suddenly realizing that Rin Nohara might already be pregnant with "Obito Hatake," Obito couldn't contain himself and cursed Kakashi as a beast in his heart...

Thinking again of the White Zetsu who had always helped him, Obito felt a pang of guilt.

Without the Gedo Mazo to charge him up, and having been captured by Osamu Furukawa, Obito couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as he thought of his only companion who might have died on the experimental table.

"Obito-san, are you asleep...?"

Upon hearing the question, Obito fully snapped out of his daze and was about to respond when he suddenly widened his eyes to see a mature woman with long, flowing black hair sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Madam, I..."

"I just wanted to express my gratitude. This village hates ninjas, or more accurately, it fears ninjas with bloodline limits."

"The Blood Mist policy has affected the entire country. I am actually a descendant of the Snow Clan, and Shiro may have inherited my bloodline limit..."

When talking about her bloodline, the mother kept staring at Obito, and when she found that he showed no resistance, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Remembering her son's mention of "Uchiha," she had a guess in her mind. The young man in front of her was most likely a Konoha ninja, and all ninjas knew the name of the Uchiha clan.

“I have been living in fear for the past few years. Haku’s father also hates bloodline limits.”

"If the other side discovers anything, Bai might not survive."

"It's all my fault. I should have given Bai a better environment to grow up in, but I couldn't even protect him..."

As the mother softly spoke of the fears she had experienced over the years, tears welled up in her eyes. A flicker of guilt crossed Obito's eyes as he recalled how he had manipulated Kirigakure to perpetuate the Blood Mist policy.

At the time, he was filled with hatred and didn't care about the consequences of the terrible policies. The plight of this mother and son may well be related to his decision.

The tragedy in the Land of Water reminded Obito of the Konoha ANBU ninja he had killed years ago. He kept thinking about how to confront Kakashi, but he could never find the answer...

"Thank you, Mr. Obito. This has been the happiest time since Haku was born!"

"I don't know how to express my gratitude; there are no ninjutsu scrolls, no secret techniques..."

"Only this body, imbued with a bloodline limit, can repay this debt. I've already taken a bath..."

Obito was still lost in his own thoughts when he suddenly sensed something was wrong at the end. The beautiful, mature woman in front of him had her body completely exposed and squeezed in front of him, whispering:

"I don't like that surname. Just call me Ling, thank you!"

Ling took the initiative to kiss the young man, and a fragrance wafted over. Obito wanted to push him away, but his left hand touched something soft, and he could only stare wide-eyed for a moment.

The voices that made Obito's mind wander involuntarily, and when he closed his eyes, Ling had already taken the initiative.

Ling felt that a powerful ninja could protect her son. Obito was not a bad person at heart. Although he had many scars, appearance was not that important in life.

Suppressed breathing soon followed, and Obito began to understand why Kakashi was so obsessed; the three forbidden ninja techniques made sense.

"Wait... I..."

"It's okay, it's always like this the first time!"

In the darkness, Ling whispered words of comfort, not mocking the young man's two-minute performance. Obito, his face flushed, quickly became engrossed in it.

That night, he grew a lot and finally understood the feeling of love.

"Big brother! Time to get up!"

Hearing Haku's shout, Obito gradually came to his senses. Seeing that fair-skinned little face, he hurriedly sat up, subconsciously scratching his head and muttering:

"Bai, what time is it?"

"It's almost 8 o'clock. Mother said that my older brother must be tired. Is he going hunting again today?"

As he finished speaking, Bai revealed an expectant look again. He liked to see Obito bring his prey home, as it matched his fantasy of ninjas.

Obito, confirming the time, blushed slightly. He seemed to have done something terrible. Recalling the events of the night, he couldn't help but inwardly complain:

"It's all Kakashi's fault, that beast! Otherwise, how could I have done such a thing..."

Obito didn't say anything, but Haku immediately stepped forward and waved his arms in front of his eyes. He felt that his older brother was acting strangely today.

"Bai, would you like to move to a different place?"

"I mean, a better environment, being able to eat well every day without worrying about food, and being able to meet more people my age."

Bai nodded, seemingly understanding, but he disliked the people in the village and hated his irresponsible father.

Obito let out a long breath, rubbed Haku's little head, and whispered:

"Then let's leave here. I'll take good care of you."

"I love big brother the most!"

Bai threw herself into Obito's arms, a blush returning to her face. Outside the room, Ling lowered her head and smiled. Once she left this place, she wouldn't have to worry about her bloodline limit being discovered.

Thinking about his sudden decision, a trace of loneliness flashed in Obito's eyes. He didn't know how to face Kakashi, and he was even more afraid that Minato would not forgive him if he learned the truth.

He had made too many mistakes, and now, having not felt love for so long, Obito found an excuse for his avoidance:

"Maybe Black Zetsu is already preparing to expose Furukawa Osamu. I'll go back after Kakashi and the others know the truth."

Two days later, the gossipy villagers were quickly dumbfounded: Mizuki and her son, along with that strange guy, had disappeared.

When the man returned from working away from home and learned that his wife and son had eloped with someone, he was so angry that he almost vomited blood.

Frustrated and angry, the middle-aged man offered information to the Hidden Mist ninja. In his exaggerated description, a powerful bloodline limit ninja had kidnapped a mother and daughter.

Because the village was too remote and underdeveloped, for more than a year, the Hidden Mist ninjas responsible for the search only conducted simple patrols and were unable to detect that something was wrong.

Although the news they received sounded unreliable, the Hidden Mist ninja still sent it back. If they could gain the approval of the next Mizukage, they might just reach the pinnacle of their lives!

...

A year ago, Kirigakure suddenly underwent a huge change when the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, suddenly announced the end of the Blood Mist policy and revealed the candidate for the next Mizukage.

The village elders had no objections to this, and were very satisfied with the Fifth Mizukage. Master Yuan even praised him more than once during meetings.

"Mei Terumi is the hope for the revival of the Hidden Mist Ninja!"

The reformist Kirigakure ninjas who had persisted for many years shed tears upon hearing the news. The renowned Jonin, Zabuza Momochi, even knelt in front of the Mizukage building and wept uncontrollably. The nightmare was finally over.

The sunlight failed to penetrate the mist that shrouded the village. Inside the Water Shadow Building, Mei Terumi looked out the window, a resentful expression on her face, leaning against the wall. Her spiritual form began to mutter to herself again:

"Why aren't you coming over yet? You must have another woman!"

"I wouldn't mind if that happened, as long as you'd marry me..."

"My body already belongs to you, don't abandon me!"

Over the years, Osamu Furukawa had heard all sorts of suggestive remarks. Seeing the young woman not working, he helplessly reminded her:

"We haven't seen the latest intelligence yet, it's not time to relax. You don't want to be ambushed right now, do you?"