Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

...

Since receiving the invitation from Konoha, Konan has prepared three "supporting" teams for the joint Chunin Exams.

For Amegakure at this point, continuing to develop covertly and accumulate strength is the most sensible thing to do!

Under a sky thick with dark clouds, in the central metal tower of Amegakure, Konan and Nagato both looked at Black Zetsu. They hadn't expected that he was actually trying to sow discord between Konoha and Furukawa Osamu.

"Lord Nagato, Lord Angel, don't worry, no one will suspect us."

"What we need to do now is to plant a seed of doubt in the hearts of the Konoha ninja."

"The best way to retrieve the Nine-Tails is to leverage the power of a major power."

Black Zetsu explained his recent actions in a low, hoarse voice. While delivering intelligence wouldn't affect Furukawa Osamu, it would definitely arouse suspicion among some ninjas.

Xiao Nan frowned, and the girl, without mincing words, pointed directly at the source of the problem and asked:

"Can the Tailed Beast Weapon Project continue? With the strict guard of the major ninja villages, there is no way that the Jinchuriki will be harmed."

Nagato also felt that the previous plan was definitely doomed, but he agreed to continue capturing the tailed beasts:

"What we should be doing is searching for information about the Tailed Beasts, and capturing them as soon as we find them."

Black Zetsu was extremely disappointed with the current Akatsuki organization, but in order to eventually reclaim the Rinnegan, it had to feign submission.

"Leave the intelligence work to me!"

"Even the most stringent defenses can have loopholes. Lord Nagato would be better off recruiting some more core members."

During the ensuing discussion, Konan and Nagato offered few opinions, and it wasn't until Black Zetsu had completely left that a low voice returned to the room:

"Black Zetsu has been hiding a lot of things. In the current situation, I am actually more looking forward to joining forces with Furukawa Osamu."

"Obtaining the Nine-Tails means solving the most difficult task. Furukawa Osamu is no ordinary ninja. By joining forces to obtain the tailed beast, we can change the world."

Nagato expressed his thoughts, but a look of melancholy appeared on his face at the end. If he had greater power, perhaps he wouldn't have to compromise.

Konan wasn't sure what action would be most appropriate. Black Zetsu wasn't trustworthy, and she vaguely sensed his desire for the Rinnegan.

"must be careful!"

"Xiao's current difficulties might also be an opportunity for us to secretly build up our strength again."

Thinking of the Akatsuki members who had fled, Nagato couldn't help but sigh. With morale broken, these rogue ninjas would only become more difficult to lead.

Black Zetsu stealthily made his way to the border of the Land of Rivers, where he began to sink into a huge cave deep underground. The Gedo Mazo had just been moved here and had to be guarded closely.

The possessed White Zetsu was unhappy. In just over a year, the proxy had disappeared, the Akatsuki had split up, the captured tailed beasts had been lost, and in the end, they didn't even know the enemy's ultimate goal.

When the White Zetsu, no longer wanting to deceive itself, saw the enormous Gedo Mazo, it immediately muttered something under its breath:

"The Eye of the Moon Plan has completely failed. Even if we summon Lord Madara, Nagato will not use the Rinne Rebirth Technique."

"At this point, there's nothing we can do. Nagato might just hand over the Gedo Mazo to Furukawa Osamu..."

Black Zetsu didn't refute, but listened quietly to the ancient White Zetsu's complaints. Only when the inferior White Zetsu in the room joined in the grumbling did it let out a low, hoarse growl:

"Shut up!"

"We can also use the power of the Five Great Nations. Who says we are evil? As long as a Tailed Beast goes missing again, we can stir up conflict between the Five Great Nations and Osamu Furukawa."

"Continue to find opportunities to pass information to Jiraiya. As long as that guy still believes in the prophecy, we can always make a breakthrough with him."

"A tool that can think is still just a tool!"

...

With the written portion of the Joint Chunin Exams approaching, Jiraiya has been staying in the village gathering materials and replying to letters from fans.

The Great Toad Sage's prophecy was quite accurate; the "Intimate Paradise" series sold very well!

Early in the morning, a large crowd had gathered outside a magazine shop in Konoha's commercial district for Jiraiya's autograph session, with some fans even traveling from out of town.

"Haha, I'm so glad this book can help you!"

"A dating guide? Well..."

"The story's prototype? That's a secret that can't be told!"

Wearing an oil-themed headband, Jiraiya signed autographs and answered questions with a smile. After a busy morning, he suddenly noticed a few thank-you notes and immediately opened them to read.

What was initially thought to be a simple expression of gratitude turned out to be intelligence. Jiraiya silently deciphered its contents, and after careful examination, immediately frowned:

"Does Xiu master the power of the Nine-Tails?"

Chapter 239 The "Powerful" Fifth Mizukage...

On June 28th, Konoha Year 57, the Joint Chunin Exams officially began. In addition to the Iwagakure ninja, the Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure all sent genin to participate.

The sudden opening of Kirigakure, a village that had always maintained a policy of secrecy, and the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's overturning of all previous policies, naturally attracted a lot of attention.

The Jonin dispatched by Kirigakure has also aroused considerable interest among ninjas from various countries. The name Zabuza Momochi was noticed many years ago because of the Blood Mist policy, but now he is a staunch reformist ninja.

Besides Zabuza, the other Jonin is the recently famous female ninja—Mei Terumi, a candidate for the Fifth Mizukage.

All the major ninja villages have been collecting relevant information, but they don't know much about Mei Terumi, who has been working in the Anbu. They only know that she has two bloodline limits.

Considering that the Fourth Kazekage and the Fourth Raikage will arrive later, this joint Chunin Exam seems to have become an alternative "Five Kage Tournament".

-

The joint examination was held again after many years, and the difficulty of the written test was higher than that of Konoha's own exam.

Inside the classroom, some genin stared blankly at the exam papers. But as the examiner announced the start of the exam, the calmer boys gradually realized how to pass:

"Cheating!"

To collect answers without being detected by the examiners, each genin used their best ninjutsu.

Some people infiltrated other people's bodies, some observed the movements of their hands, and others relied on the sound of pencils rubbing against paper to receive their companions' answers.

Team members helping each other is also part of the assessment.

Sitting in the middle, Itachi Uchiha wrote furiously without looking up. While writing down the answers, he was also carefully sensing that those who had not been caught were his potential opponents!

The questions on the exam were not difficult for Itachi. He had been formally receiving ninja training since he was 4 years old. Influenced by his teacher, he also read a lot of ninja secrets in his spare time.

In some respects, Itachi believed he was no less capable than an ordinary Jonin. His body might still need further development, but his mind and intellect had already surpassed those who lacked the capacity for thought.

It didn't take long for Itachi Uchiha to fill in 90% of the test paper, and now he could focus on intelligence work.

After all, there might be a situation where it's one against three people later on. Although Itachi is confident in himself, he still needs to be cautious.

The most important quality for a ninja is a clear and organized mind. If a ninja is unable to make accurate judgments, death is the most likely outcome.

Time flew by, and students were being taken away by the examiners one after another. Uchiha Itachi, pretending to have just finished his exam, looked up, and the examiner on the podium immediately spoke up:

"The written test is now over. Those who remain here should immediately proceed to the venue for the second test."

"The results of the first exam will be announced after the second exam is completed."

At this moment, a genin from Takigakure suddenly raised his right arm nervously, and after receiving permission, immediately asked:

"If I pass the second stage of the exam, but my written test score is very poor, will I still be eliminated in the end?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing the Konoha examiner give the answer so decisively, some ninjas in the classroom immediately began to complain, and many of them looked at their test papers with apprehension.

"Quiet!"

"Chunin are ninjas who are responsible for leading their teams. After being promoted to Chunin, you are even more responsible for the lives of your subordinates."

"In the tasks we encounter, we don't always get immediate feedback. In such cases, as team leaders, what you need to do is continue to do your best to complete the next task."

"Those who remain in the classroom should all be elite ninjas. You should have confidence in yourselves and prepare for the next exam with the determination to win!"

The young Jonin examiner's spirited answer ignited a flame in the Genin's eyes. Just as the examiner said, they were sure they could pass the written test and should have confidence in their cheating techniques.

Noticing that the genin had returned to normal, the young examiner chuckled and teased:

"If any of you have submitted a blank paper, you may leave now!"

Hearing the examiner's lame joke, the genin smiled and looked around, but finding no fools hoping to get away with it, many sighed with regret.

"Very good! It seems you have regained your confidence. Now proceed to Exercise Field 44 immediately."

"Remember, don't be late."

"Yes!"

Uchiha Itachi stood up and bowed in response. Noticing the gazes of the group of genin, Itachi remained calm and composed, as he did not sense any powerful opponent.

...

In the central tower of the Forest of Death, most of the top ninjas from various countries gather.

Wearing a Misty Concealment headband and with half his face wrapped in white bandages, Zabuza Momochi crossed his arms, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

Two days ago, Zabuza, who had arrived in Konoha Village ahead of time, was shocked. Compared to Konoha, Kirigakure Village was more like a rural place.

Zabuza, who had been on missions in the Land of Water and had paid little attention to the changes in the ninja world, was feeling heavy-hearted. It seemed that it would take a long time for the village to recover and catch up with Konoha.

Completely different from her companions, Terumi Mei, with her long reddish-brown hair styled into a high ponytail and revealing her charming face, leaned against the railing listlessly.

Although it was a light gray Jonin uniform, it still attracted attention thanks to the girl's curvaceous figure.

With most of Furukawa Osamu's split spirits returning, Mei Terumi, receiving no response, was far from as calm as she appeared. In her heart, she cursed the unfaithful man to death...

"I never imagined life for Konoha ninjas would be like this..."

"It's so good... Why are they able to have such a life? Why aren't they subject to all the restrictions of assigned tasks?"

"Are they even ninjas anymore? Can these guys even fight?"

Zabuza suddenly lowered his head, asking a series of questions with obvious disappointment in his voice, as if he were questioning the meaning of life.

Both are ninjas, so why can those from Konoha enjoy life while those from Kirigakure only engage in endless killing, with many genin and chunin struggling to even support their families?

Mei Terumi glanced sideways at this reformist member who always liked to reflect, straightened her posture slightly, and then calmly responded:

"Because the Land of Fire possesses the most fertile land, the Konoha ninja can defeat any invaders."

"Even in the Tailed Beast Wars, they can still gain the upper hand."

"The daimyo of the Land of Fire have no choice but to compromise in order to maintain their rule. The Konoha ninja will not face the embarrassing situation of their budget being cut in half; they will only receive more funds."

"In addition, the best medical system in the entire ninja world, the revenue from medicines has also solved the financial difficulties of the ninja villages, which is why the Konoha ninjas have the life they have now."

“The ninja clans here don’t need to rely on commissions to make a living; they have better channels to obtain funds.”

"Our ninja clan is just a bunch of selfish, bloodthirsty lunatics! They only like destruction, but never think that such behavior will seriously affect the interests of the village."

Zabuza's expression became complicated when he heard the last part of the story. One of the reasons for the Blood Mist policy was that ninjas with bloodline limits oppressed civilian ninjas.

The ninja clans of Kirigakure showed no sign of restraint, and their relentless oppression ultimately ignited conflict.

As a commoner ninja, Zabuza had always hated ninja clans. It was only after arriving in Konoha and seeing the businesses of the Nara and Akimichi clans in the shopping district that he realized that ninja clans and commoners could coexist harmoniously.

Mei Terumi knew that the reformist ninjas were worried that she would repeat her mistakes and favor the ninja clans by stripping civilian ninjas of their resources after taking office, but she found this idea extremely boring and ridiculous:

"In view of your absolute loyalty, I will reveal some of the plans."

"In the next few years, I will launch a massacre against the unruly ninja clans. Only by killing all those stubborn guys can the village become a better place."

"You...you're insane?"

Zabuza widened his eyes and muttered to himself. He had long heard of the Anbu chief's bloodthirstiness and brutality, but he never expected that he would plan to kill members of the ninja clan before even taking office.

The girl didn't respond. Suddenly, she moved, grabbed the railing, and turned to look at the entrance below.

Mei Terumi, who had just coldly spoken of killing, now had a flushed face, biting her lip as she stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure. Suddenly, she clutched her chest with her left hand and uttered:

"...So handsome..."

When Zabuza saw this scene, he couldn't help but cover his forehead, clearly indicating that the future Mizukage also had significant problems.

Wearing a wide, high-necked black robe, with his long black hair tied back, and a straight long sword hanging from the left side of his white belt, Furukawa Osamu slowly entered the venue, and the scene suddenly fell into dead silence.

Everyone in the venue felt a palpable killing intent sweeping towards them, and some ninjas even hallucinated, as if there were black, twisted monsters roaring around Furukawa Osamu's body.

The Iwagakure ninjas hated Minato Namikaze, while the Sunagakure and Kumogakure ninjas feared Osamu Furukawa.

Hatred could not be resolved, and one could only hide in the face of a strong opponent. Maki of Sunagakure lowered his head and barely managed to control his trembling body.

Among the Cloud Village ninjas, hope, with his center-parted blond hair, subconsciously reached for his ninja tool pouch with his right hand. The boy's right hand trembled uncontrollably until Darui grabbed his arm, which barely suppressed his fear.