Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

When Sasuke got home, he noticed two extra pairs of shoes in the entryway and immediately let out an annoyed snort.

"It must be Shisui Izumi!"

Sasuke, who was inwardly complaining, was about to rush into the room to take his brother back when he suddenly heard a faint argument.

"You noticed, didn't you, Itachi!"

"Senior must be hiding something. Not only Susanoo, but many other things can prove it."

Shisui, disguised as an Anbu member, unconsciously raised his voice to voice his confusion, but Itachi Uchiha calmly responded in a soft voice:

"Is the information being withheld important?"

"My teacher said that being a ninja is just a profession."

"I know what you're thinking. There's something wrong with the information about the Valley of the End, isn't there? You're suspecting that the teacher has obtained the Tailed Beast."

Suddenly having his thoughts read aloud by 10-year-old Itachi, Uchiha Shisui's eyes widened, and he instinctively asked:

"How did you know this information? Chief Fugaku would never reveal such information."

When discussing this matter, Itachi Uchiha was not at peace. Madara Uchiha had told him the "truth" years ago, but combined with the loss of the Nine-Tails and the disappearance of Madara Uchiha, his deduction was verified.

The teacher is the more powerful one; the guy named Uchiha Madara is deceiving him.

"It has nothing to do with my father; the intelligence matters are very complicated."

"So what if the teacher gets the tailed beast? The strong should be able to wield this power."

"You saw the Nine-Tails' power, didn't you? That's why you're worried and afraid that your teacher will harm the village?"

"The teacher's magnanimity is beyond our imagination..."

Uchiha Itachi stopped mid-sentence, turning his head away and smiling as he greeted him:

"Sasuke, Izumi bought you a gift, a ninja tool you've always wanted."

"elder brother..."

Sasuke let out a weak cry, feeling as if he had overheard something he shouldn't have. Shisui, meanwhile, had resumed his usual smile, crossed his arms, and teased:

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy at school?"

"Are you worried I'll steal Itachi away again? A truly excellent ninja wouldn't be so petty!"

Just as Sasuke was about to respond, Izumi Uchiha suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind. The girl lowered her head, revealing a bright smile, and teased him:

"Looking like this, I hope I didn't lose to my opponent in the ninja game again!"

"Helping your teammates win more often will make them more popular. Have you made any new friends lately?"

Sasuke subconsciously shook his head, and the tense atmosphere in the room suddenly disappeared, as if what he had just felt was an illusion.

Sasuke, having received the gift, quickly forgot what he had just witnessed. When he heard Uchiha Izumi teasing him about how he refused to be hugged when he was a child, he blushed and cried out.

After Shisui and Izumi left, Sasuke squeezed next to Itachi and whispered about what he had learned at school. Recalling the conversation he had overheard, he instinctively asked a question:

"Is my brother's teacher the strongest ninja in the village? Is he stronger than my father and the Hokage?"

Uchiha Itachi, who was sitting next to his younger brother, was slightly taken aback when he heard the question. He knew that Sasuke might have overheard something. After a moment's thought, he smiled and replied:

"The teacher is definitely more powerful than my father and the Hokage!"

"Sasuke, don't limit yourself to the profession of ninja. Ninjas only cause wars. You'll understand when you grow up."

"Teacher must be the strongest person in the ninja world. Maybe he can end the fate of ninjas. I also want to see you grow up healthy and happy."

Sasuke nodded, somewhat puzzled. He felt that his brother's words were different from usual.

The two brothers watched the beautiful sunset in the courtyard together. Sasuke secretly glanced at his brother and pondered to himself:

Why did my brother and Shisui argue?

"Is it because the handsome older brother did something bad?"

Chapter 235 The Guide to Peace

In late April of Konoha Year 57, the Akatsuki finally tracked down the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki and secretly began their capture operation.

Despite the great ninja villages' strict guard against Jinchuriki, Black Zetsu ultimately suggested "targeting the weak" and starting with Takigakure in the Land of Waterfall.

For more than a year, even with Kakuzu as an inside man, Akatsuki was mostly unable to find any Jinchuriki.

Clearly, the Takigakure ninjas had their own considerations and quietly joined the Tailed Beast Alliance Agreement.

With the support of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha, Takigakure gained prominence among the small countries and began to place greater importance on the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.

As for Konoha's previous attempt to secretly capture their own tailed beast, the Takigakure ninja put it out of their minds. In the upcoming Chunin Exams a few months later, they were the first among the small countries to respond.

Kakuzu and Orochimaru arrived in the Land of Waterfalls, only to learn halfway there that the Hidden Takigakure had already transferred the Jinchūriki. They were somewhat speechless. The White Zetsu, who delivered the message, added in a comical tone:

"With the help of the three great ninja villages, your actions are too slow!"

"Lord Pain warned us beforehand that capturing the Tailed Beasts must be done quickly, otherwise this situation would occur."

The Land of Waterfalls is a dense, secluded forest, and due to its many waterfalls, it's quite humid. Orochimaru doesn't dislike this environment, but he can't help but complain about the wasted time.

"Maybe my partner won't have the heart to harm the village we used to live in!"

“The ninja village hidden behind the waterfall will indeed face some trouble if too much of its location information is exposed.”

Kakuzu, dressed in a black robe shrouded in flames, stared at Orochimaru with his green eyes for a long while before turning his head and replying in a deep voice:

"I think your involvement is largely to blame for the leak of my whereabouts!"

"Why does Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, always manage to sabotage our operations? Have you been passing on information all along?"

“Capturing a Tailed Beast is no longer an easy task. I think the organization should change its plans.”

"Time is money, and I've wasted too much time lately, which is a huge loss."

Ever since witnessing the immense power of the Tailed Beasts in the battle at the Wind Country Canyon, Kakuzu has become somewhat timid. Even with his monstrous body, he would still die in the face of such destructive power.

Although other tailed beasts are unlikely to be as powerful as the Nine-Tails, Kakuzu still feels a bit uneasy when he goes on missions, since he doesn't know what kind of power the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki possesses.

Orochimaru sensed his companion's emotions and let out a sinister chuckle:

“I do agree with changing the strategy. Even if we succeed in making the arrest, we will encounter huge difficulties later.”

"If we lose another tailed beast, we might have to convene the Five Kage Summit."

"Faced with the massive ninja forces of the Five Great Nations, even the strongest Rinnegan will ultimately lead to death."

As the three were talking, the White Zetsu possessed by Black Zetsu suddenly rose from the ground. His attempt had failed again, and a hoarse voice filled with anger quickly followed:

"Jiraiya led ninjas from the three major ninja villages to attack our hidden base in the Land of Earth."

"The enemy has already tracked your movements. Go to the Land of Iron and hide."

"Lord Payne will arrive as soon as possible. There seems to be some problem within the organization, and we need to readjust our plans."

Kakuzu nodded expressionlessly, and after identifying the direction of the Land of Iron, he quickly left without looking back. Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile as he followed his companion and ran away together.

Although it wasn't the first time they'd experienced failure, the inferior White Zetsu was still somewhat disappointed, and immediately complained after the two left:

"It seems that Lord Madara's plan has completely failed! At this rate, there is no way to collect the tailed beasts."

Black Zetsu was also extremely frustrated at this point. Ultimately, it was because Nagato's power was no match for the combined ninjas of the great nations. If Obito had his Mangekyou Sharingan, the situation would have been much better.

"It's alright, the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is still in our hands."

"If it weren't for the need for Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation, Lord Nagato would have killed this guy long ago!"

"If there are problems with the plan, there are ways to remedy them. Lord Madara needs a suitable body. The Impure World Reincarnation can be further improved so that more of his original power can be brought out."

The ultimate solution is to temporarily resurrect Madara Uchiha using the Impure World Reincarnation technique. Black Zetsu had long been prepared for this, but it had never wanted to do so.

Since the plan failed again, Black Zetsu could only retain the Rinnegan and outlive those humans. There would always be times when the other side relaxed, and he just needed to wait patiently.

Thinking of Obito Uchiha, who had disappeared without a trace, the inferior White Zetsu sighed before running away:

"The proxy isn't very smart, but those Mangekyou Sharingan eyes are indeed extremely powerful."

"I wonder where Lord Madara has gone."

The White Zetsu possessed by Black Zetsu also reminisced about the happy times of the past, when his companions would always share stories about Madara-sama. Without those joys, life would wither away.

"That coward actually wants to back out? We'll search for him once we shake off the pursuers!"

With the Heart Seal in place, Obito had no way to commit suicide or become the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki. His purpose in existence was simply to be a tool for collecting the Tailed Beasts.

Since the terrifying eye technique could not be used frequently, Black Zetsu was no longer afraid. Even if it eventually ran away, it would take the Rinnegan and those Mangekyou Sharingan with it.

Both are the best tools for reviving Mother, and this is the reward she deserves for her hard work.

...

After Jiraiya and his ninja destroyed the secret base, they set off for the Land of Iron based on the markings left by Orochimaru.

They encountered some black market ninjas during the journey, but they quickly resolved the problem. However, as the mark disappeared, they ultimately failed to catch up with Kakuzu.

Upon receiving the news, the samurai of the Land of Iron extended an invitation to Jiraiya. After arriving in the capital, Mifune gave him a respectful welcome. The samurai were well aware of the turmoil in the ninja world.

Upon entering the massive pyramid-shaped building, Jiraiya, dressed in his Shinin combat uniform, looked around and said with a smile:

"Was the last Five Kage Summit held here?"

"I never imagined that the ninja world would be thrown into turmoil again just a few years later."

"I don't have Sarutobi-sensei's magnanimity. The Child of Prophecy will lead everyone to fight against monsters in the future. As the guide, I need to eliminate the enemy's power!"

In the end, Jiraiya's expression turned serious. The reason he had been leading everyone in hunting down Akatsuki members was to curb the development of the Child of Destruction.

Mifune, who had invited Jiraiya to sit down, did not mock the "prophecy." After hearing Jiraiya's words, he nodded and asked with a solemn expression:

"Is this why you keep striving for the strength of the samurai? It seems you deeply believe in that prophecy."

"Jiraiya, no explanation needed. To a samurai, the power of a tailed beast is far more terrifying than that of a ninja!"

"If another war like the Fourth Shinobi World War were to break out, the world would definitely face huge problems."

"The Land of Iron is willing to join the alliance, and if anyone tries to manipulate the power of the Tailed Beasts, we will also send out samurai troops to cooperate."

The third invitation was finally successful. Jiraiya took a deep breath, unable to suppress the smile on his face any longer, and looked at Mifune, expressing his gratitude loudly:

"Admiral Mifune, thank you so much for your trust in me!"

"True peace will surely come; until then, let us work together to protect this world."

The ninjas on the upper floor of the room laughed happily when they saw that the two sides had reached an agreement. The more forces that were united, the more difficult it would be for the enemy to resist. It seemed that capturing the enemy was only a matter of time.

The specific terms still need to be negotiated. Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief at this moment. After more than a year of hard work, he finally achieved his goal.

Recalling Tsunade's worried expression earlier, Jiraiya secretly encouraged himself:

"After convincing Kumogakure and Kirigakure, I'll talk to Tsunade about our relationship..."

-

When news of the Land of Iron joining the alliance reached Konoha, the Jonin team was overjoyed. The more power they gathered, the better they could maintain the existing peace.

Tsunade has been busy dealing with the Raikage's visit lately, and the joint Chunin Exams also present an opportunity for talks. If she can persuade the stubborn Fourth Raikage, peaceful life can continue for longer.

Although the Konoha ninja disliked the plundering style of the Kumogakure ninja, they dared not underestimate the development of the Land of Lightning.

According to the intelligence gathered, the Hidden Cloud Village has been using chakra to advance its industrial development, which is completely different from the Land of Fire's vigorous development of commerce. The Hidden Cloud Village's war potential is extremely strong.

In the evening, after listening to the experienced advice of the advisors, Tsunade rubbed her temples, looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi who had lit a pipe, and said softly:

"The Akatsuki will eventually be destroyed, Sarutobi-sensei. Even without this enemy, war will still break out."

“I didn’t expect you to start worrying about the future too. I said the same thing to Minato: every generation has its own mission, and what we need to do is to carry on the Will of Fire.”

After a brief response, Hiruzen Sarutobi began puffing on his cigarette. The older he got, the more he understood his senior's will. Thinking of Jiraiya's unforgettable prophecy, he added with a smile:

"The child of prophecy might be in the village, Tsunade. No matter what happens, there will always be a solution."

"Instead of worrying about the future, you should rest well. You have done enough. The people of Konoha are living much better than before under your leadership."

"Compared to the war to come, most ninjas are more concerned about their immediate 'stomach'!"

Tsunade subconsciously touched her flat stomach. Since she had made further progress in her Sage Mode training, she no longer needed to frantically absorb her disciples' Sage Chakra.

Sometimes it's pure pleasure, and Tsunade has the urge to conceive. Fortunately, her disciple remained calm, otherwise, there would have been a big problem.

"It seems I was worrying too much, old man. I'm going back now."