Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

Four-Tails responded calmly, and Nine-Tails inwardly cursed the monkey for being so foolish; such things shouldn't be said carelessly. It immediately changed the subject:

"That was the case when the Child of Prophecy appeared. This kid isn't the blue-eyed boy anymore."

"The old man is not wrong. The prophesied son can bring peace, and then there will be true freedom."

Just as the two were about to continue their discussion, Furukawa Osamu suddenly appeared from the white smoke. Knowing that the Nine-Tails was not behaving itself, and having received information from the split spirit, he immediately chuckled:

"Kurama is still fantasizing that if he takes away your power and turns you into a little fox, you will be free."

“Sun Wukong is right. Your energies will eventually merge into one. You should be glad that I am an animal lover, otherwise you would have lost everything if you were devoured by the heretical demon statue.”

Refining the four-tailed fox was much easier than refining the nine-tailed fox. The monkey wasn't as arrogant as the fox either. Perhaps it was because he was by Old Purple's side that he had a more peaceful mindset.

Upon hearing Furukawa Osamu's words, Yotsuba immediately agreed and even offered a suggestion:

"If I can truly retain my consciousness, I wouldn't mind stripping away my powers."

"We won't die, at most our strength will just recover a little slower."

"I don't understand Yin-Yang Escape. I hope you can develop the same power as the old man, then I will return to the Water Curtain Cave to live freely."

Upon hearing its companion's naive words, Nine-Tails immediately fell silent, curling up into a ball within the sealed space, silently complaining:

"These guys really do need my protection!"

"When I find an opportunity to summon the old man back, and make that evil brat lose his power to welcome back the prophesied child, that will be true freedom."

Ah Fei sat obediently between the two Jinchūriki, finally finding a chance to speak. He immediately raised his right arm mischievously and shouted loudly:

"Lord Xiu, I have something to say!"

Seeing Furukawa Osamu nod, Afei immediately jumped up, pointed to himself, and said with a grin:

"I'd do anything for Lord Xiu! It's so much more fun being by Lord Xiu's side!"

"What about the other tailed beasts? What can I do for Lord Xiu?"

Nine-Tails' irritated voice rang out again; it always felt that the two guys beside it had intellectual disabilities.

"Of course we'll snatch them! Do you really expect those ninjas who only know how to kill to hand those guys over to that evil kid?"

"If I'm not mistaken, some Jinchuriki have been hidden in places where certain ninja beasts reside."

"You idiot, you're no help. The Jinchuriki's situation has changed. A ninja from a ninja village is enough to kill someone like you."

Afei ignored Nine-Tails' taunts and instead nodded repeatedly, continuing to respond loudly in a cheerful tone:

"I'm willing to snatch the Tailed Beast for Lord Xiu! It's just killing, and maybe I can even experience the feeling of needing to poop!"

Seeing that Tobi was afraid of things not going smoothly, Yotsuba couldn't help but try to persuade him again:

"Robbing and killing only breed hatred, which is why there has always been turmoil in the ninja world."

“Stupid fox, you should know that there’s no need to give such advice. The old man’s Ninja Cult is not like this. Humans seem to have forgotten their original beliefs.”

"Even if Furukawa Osamu obtains the power of the tailed beasts, so what? A powerful being might be able to suppress hatred, but after he dies, humans will still kill each other. Even the old man couldn't solve this problem."

The giant slug behind them suddenly reminded them in a soft, gentle voice:

"Could it be because Hagoromo Otsutsuki didn't live long enough? If Lord Shu could live forever, he could correct humanity's foolish behavior."

"Hey, humans aren't tailed beasts. Old men age and die, and he created us because he was worried about problems after he died!"

The Nine-Tails couldn't stand hearing bad things said about the Sage of Six Paths. To it, the old man was like a father. It wanted to continue refuting him, but Furukawa Osamu ended the conversation.

"The live slug is right. We must learn from the mistakes made by the Sage of Six Paths. Only immortality makes one a true immortal!"

"The right path is to unite the power of planets and explore the universe."

"?"

The Nine-Tails and Four-Tails didn't understand, and Furukawa Osamu ignored their thoughts, sitting cross-legged together before speaking in a deep voice:

"Strive to cultivate yourself and reach the point of mutual understanding as soon as possible."

Refining the Four-Tails can replenish spiritual energy. Inspiration was gained through dual cultivation with Tsunade, and the fusion can be achieved by treating the two chakra as life energy.

Relying on powerful "numerical" manipulation, Furukawa Osamu's body is currently undergoing another transformation. Once he masters the power of the Six Paths, his Sage Arts will become even more powerful.

Even if he encounters a genuine Otsutsuki, he is confident that he can [collect] their nutrients.

The little slug wriggled onto Furukawa Osamu's shoulder again, reminding him once more in a cheerful voice:

"Lord Xiu, the main body is ready. After the transformation is complete, we can mate first and then try to use the Yin-Yang Escape Technique to reproduce perfect offspring!"

The giant fox and the giant ape remained silent, and Afei had returned to his docile demeanor. At this moment, they both had roughly the same thought in their minds:

"The humans before me are truly powerful; they can even mate with that enormous slug..."

-

In late April, news of the joint Chunin Exams began to spread throughout the village. Some boys were happy about it, but others felt uneasy.

Early in the morning, when Iruka Umino arrived at the meeting point, the Jonin leading the team announced the good news with a smile:

"I'm going to recommend you all to participate in the Chunin Exams. This is a great opportunity for you to show yourselves!"

"I heard that the Cloud Village ninjas will also be participating. As my beloved subordinate, I must take this opportunity to teach those barbaric guys a lesson."

"Back then, Lord Xiu and I killed nearly a hundred Cloud Village ninjas together. You must prove him wrong!"

"Wow?! The teacher is amazing!"

The round-faced girl screamed, seemingly unable to believe that her often-lazy teacher could have such an experience. The boy next to her, wearing a blue headscarf, also widened his eyes and exclaimed in surprise:

"Teacher, I never imagined that you fought alongside Lord Xiu!"

Smugly stroking his mustache, the ordinary-looking middle-aged ninja chuckled, puffed out his chest, and proudly declared to the three:

"Don't underestimate your teacher! I'm the man standing next to Shura!"

"See the scars on my arms and face? These are medals from that battle."

"Work hard! From now on, I will no longer lead you on tedious tasks. I will focus more on your cultivation, and you will become as powerful as I am!"

"Yes, Mr. Shengji!"

Iruka responded loudly along with his companions, but his heart grew increasingly melancholy. He lacked confidence in himself, and the Joint Chunin Exams were sure to be even more difficult.

As the three were heading to the training grounds together, they suddenly spotted the genius ninja Uchiha Itachi on the road. Itachi was chatting and laughing with a pretty girl, and Iruka immediately sighed upon seeing this.

"Don't be nervous, Iruka, our ninja experience is far greater!"

"After all, the other party is only 10 years old. Even if he is a genius ninja, he cannot overcome the disadvantage of age."

Hearing her companion's encouragement, the girl clenched her fist and cheered with renewed energy:

"Yes, Iruka, the teacher thinks so highly of us, we should have confidence in ourselves!"

"There's more than one spot available. As long as we perform well, we're sure to be promoted to Chunin."

Iruka didn't know what to say. He had a clear understanding of his own ninja talent. Although his parents were Jonin, he didn't seem to have inherited any outstanding abilities.

Seeing the two of them so eager and excited, Iruka forced himself to cheer up and shouted back:

"Takuya, Maki, let's do our best together!"

The three of them loudly encouraging themselves together made Itachi Uchiha turn his head and look at them. Izumi Uchiha, who was beside him, immediately asked curiously:

"Itachi, do you know them?"

"They're just some ordinary seniors, they probably also have to participate in the Chunin Exams."

Uchiha Itachi responded calmly. Izumi tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said with concern:

"Are you sure this is okay? Having one person participate in the Joint Chunin Exams? The clan leader is being too reckless!"

"If it's a small-team battle, wouldn't you be facing three opponents at once?"

"The teacher is taking the Chunin Exams alone; this is just a regular test to assess my ninja abilities."

Slowing his pace, Uchiha Itachi responded softly, and seeing the worry on the girl's face, he smiled gently again and added:

"The presence of my companions actually makes me feel constrained."

"Don't worry, I have the Sharingan with three tomoe. With my current eye power, I can easily see through everything during the exam."

“Let’s go. Didn’t you want to buy Sasuke some gifts? He just started school and definitely needs some encouragement.”

Uchiha Izumi chuckled at the thought of Sasuke's sullen face and jumped forward to respond happily:

"I think a gift wouldn't be as good as you personally guiding Sasuke's training!"

Itachi Uchiha sighed inwardly. He didn't want to see Sasuke embark on the path of a ninja. He believed that it was better to have fun than to train hard. He always hoped that his younger brother could have a normal childhood.

Seeing the girl's smiling face, Itachi Uchiha quickly cheered up. His father had changed a lot, and he had made close friends. Perhaps his worries were unnecessary.

...

As the sun sets, the first-grade students rush out of the classroom after school at the ninja academy.

Naruto Uzumaki, with his striking blond hair, was the most eye-catching character. He was currently arguing incessantly with Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga, a second-year student.

"After school, we should play games. Going to class is tiring too. You don't want Hinata to get hurt again, do you?"

"Naruto, Neji didn't hurt me..."

Hinata Hyuga's voice was barely audible as her face flushed red. Seeing the girl's shy expression, Neji Hyuga rushed forward, grabbed Hinata's arm, and loudly replied:

"Let go of Lady Hinata! We have our own studies, and a genius like you wouldn't understand."

"Huh?! What are you saying?!"

Naruto stared wide-eyed, looking utterly bewildered. Neji seized the opportunity to pull Hinata behind him, then turned and pushed her away quickly.

"Not everyone can inherit their parents' outstanding talents. You have no idea how much effort Hinata-sama has put in."

Hinata Hyuga lowered her head, letting Neji pull her along. The girl was somewhat sad; she had tried so hard, yet she could never meet her father's expectations.

"Thank you, Neji-nii-san. Naruto... he meant no harm."

Hearing the girl's whisper, Hyuga Neji shook his head, ignoring Naruto's calls behind him, and softly replied:

“I know that Lord Minato is a hero of the village. That guy doesn’t have bad intentions, he just doesn’t understand Lady Hinata’s situation.”

"I will protect Lady Hinata."

Despite being branded as a caged bird, Neji did not wallow in self-pity. Perhaps because his first impression of Hinata was so good, he was willing to shoulder his mission.

Although his father always sighed, Neji felt that life was good now, and the clan leader had been teaching Hinata ever since he discovered that Hinata lacked talent.

Although he was still young and couldn't understand much, Neji could sense that the clan leader had placed a lot of expectations on him.

Hinata's face flushed slightly as her hand was held. Thinking of the two boys who cared for her, the girl silently prayed:

"I hope we won't argue next time..."

Sasuke Uchiha, who was passing by, put his hands in his pockets and secretly pursed his lips after seeing this scene. He didn't like that show-off either; a ninja should be as calm and collected as his brother.

"Sasuke, wanna kick the can?"

Hearing Naruto's energetic voice, Sasuke had no choice but to turn to the group of people gathered around him and calmly respond:

"I need to go home and cultivate myself; I don't have time to play these childish games."

"What the heck! This guy is always like this!"

Kiba Inuzuka grumbled angrily. Although both families worked in the security force, he just didn't like the arrogant Sasuke.

Despite his exceptional talent, he still seemed dissatisfied, which made Ya a little jealous. He couldn't even "tame" his mother's black ball, and the big dog only ever bullied him...

Sasuke, with his hands in his pockets and carrying a small backpack, calmly walked away, and many girls started chattering about it when they saw this.

Both Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno were attracted to the boy. The two had only recently become friends. Ino, wearing an orange jacket, nudged the girl next to her and whispered:

"Sakura, Sasuke is completely different from other boys!"

"Yes, they are definitely different..."

Wearing a blue coat and with her short pink hair tied back with a hair tie, Sakura Haruno nodded. She had noticed not long after the start of the school year that Sasuke never participated in games and had always been studying hard.

The two girls found common ground and suddenly felt their relationship had become closer.

...

Upon returning to the Naga Shrine, Sasuke quickened his pace involuntarily. Every clansman who saw him greeted him with a smile and praised Itachi Uchiha for participating in the Chunin Exams.

While Sasuke felt proud of his brother, he also longed to become a ninja praised by everyone.