Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

"Lord Tsuchikage should make a decision sooner!"

"..."

Completely different from Konoha, Iwagakure has very little greenery. At a glance, there is only a little green among the pointed buildings, giving people a sense of oppression.

The middle-aged man who left with the caravan chatted with his companions while keeping an eye on the surroundings. Once they were completely away from the fortress, he excused himself to temporarily leave the group for the restroom.

"Hurry up! We have several urgent shipments coming up soon. Everyone, stay alert!"

The team leader shouted loudly at the front, and soon scattered responses followed.

The straight road leading out of the village is flanked by rock walls several meters high. The road looks as if it was carved out of a plain, with no obstructions on any side.

"Captain Shikaku, the target has reached the designated location."

Several kilometers away from the main road, Hyuga Shuichi reported from behind a rock wall. Nara Shikaku, standing beside him, breathed a sigh of relief and whispered a few words of advice:

"We'll move when it gets dark, get the scroll, and then leave immediately."

Since arriving in Iwagakure, the situation has gradually deteriorated, as the village's spies have yet to appear.

If it weren't for the Byakugan noticing that the other side was outwardly relaxed but inwardly tightening martial law, according to the original plan, the four members of the team would have been surrounded by Iwagakure ninja stationed on the outskirts.

Several squads were lying in ambush at the West Gate outpost. Thinking about what had happened in the past few days, Nara Shikaku even suspected that there was a traitor among the crew on this mission.

The coded spells obtained in advance were rendered useless, and Nara Shikaku had no intention of trying to use the perception barrier. As the captain, he was prepared for the mission to fail.

"What should we do about Jiraiya-sama?"

Kakashi, worried about the mission's failure, asked again, but Shikaku shook his head, offering little explanation.

"My priority is to get you to safety."

"..."

Furukawa Osamu was still trying to sense things, and seeing that the Iwagakure pursuers hadn't reappeared, he immediately whispered a reminder:

“We should have shaken off their sensory ninjas. Captain Shikaku is right. If we don’t leave soon, the ninjas stationed on the perimeter will surround us.”

The Byakugan and sensory-type ninjas play a crucial role in this situation. Nara Shikaku pondered for a moment, still uneasy, and continued to instruct:

"After receiving the scroll tonight, take the secret medicine and prepare for an ambush."

...

As night fell, the distant Iwagakure village was not as brightly lit as Konoha.

Upon arriving at the designated location, Hyuga Shuichi successfully obtained the intelligence scroll. Seeing the hand gesture made by Furukawa Osamu in the distance with his Byakugan, he immediately sprinted at full speed.

The Iwagakure sensory ninjas lying in ambush did not expect that the enemy would detect their presence, far exceeding the expected range of perception and ruining their plan.

The square-faced Jonin captain didn't blame his subordinates; instead, he fired a signal flare and immediately gave the order:

“Chase after them and stop them.”

Unlike the "small fry" hired on the black market, the two teams silently accelerated, getting faster and faster.

Noticing the light behind him, Nara Shikaku cursed inwardly. He hadn't expected the other side to value this information so much, and for a moment he could only grit his teeth and run.

The flat terrain was very advantageous to Iwagakure, and with the help of the sensory ninja, they quickly located the Konoha team.

When they reached a low rock wall, before Hyuga Shuichi could warn him, the ground beneath his feet began to crack, and with a loud crash, rocks scattered everywhere.

Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm!

The combined ninjutsu was incredibly effective thanks to the advantageous terrain. When the four regained their footing, Nara Shikaku was bleeding from the head, clearly having been hit by a rock.

"Kakashi!"

Osamu Furukawa gave a low shout as a reminder, and Kakashi activated his body at an extremely fast speed, squeezing out chakra a second time.

As lightning crackled on their short swords, a tearing, screeching sound began to echo through the night.

Ignoring his head injury, Nara Shikaku unleashed his full power after taking the secret medicine, instantly controlling two squads as the enemies approached.

"boom..."

Gravel flew everywhere as Furukawa Osamu and Kakashi, charging at full speed, split up and attacked. The moment the Iwagakure ninja paused, screams of agony rang out in succession:

"Ugh! Ah!..."

The sharp chakra dagger sprayed blood everywhere. When Furukawa Osamu arrived in front of the burly Iwagakure Jonin, the man had already begun to struggle.

"No!"

Furukawa Osamu's chakra erupted once more, and the Iwagakure Jonin roared in despair as a blue light blade slashed across his waist.

Blood splattered everywhere, and the upper body that fell to the ground struggled for a moment before falling silent.

"Return to Heaven!"

Hyuga Shuichi spun around, unleashing a burst of chakra that deflected the incoming shuriken, while Nara Shikaku, whom he was protecting, knelt on the ground.

Before the Shadow Imitation Technique could be activated again, the square-faced Iwagakure Jonin, seizing the opportunity, had already completed his ninjutsu:

"Earth Escape - Earthquake Core!"

The sudden eruption of the stone pillar sent Nara Shikaku into the air, interrupting his ninjutsu. The Iwagakure team then launched another ninjutsu.

Earth Escape Technique: Flying Gravel!

"Return to Heaven!"

On the other side, Kakashi successfully killed three team members and seriously injured the Jonin leading the team. Hearing a loud noise behind him, he hurriedly accelerated and sprinted back.

Bleeding profusely from a huge wound in his waist, the Iwagakure Jonin, who had narrowly escaped death, clutched his wound and took deep breaths, his face filled with fear.

They intended to use the terrain to their advantage to continue their ninjutsu, but with the arrival of Osamu Furukawa and Kakashi, the Iwagakure team's formation was immediately disrupted.

After kicking Kakashi away, the square-faced Iwagakure Jonin hurriedly retreated, his shadow chasing after him swiftly on the ground, forcing him to create distance for the time being.

On the other side, the divided squad also encountered a crisis. Hyuga Shuichi got close and quickly attacked a Chunin. Furukawa Osamu weaved between the two, with short swords and kunai clashing one after another.

The Iwagakure Chunin, who was trying to create distance, had just jumped to the back when, before he could activate his ninjutsu, Furukawa Osamu ducked down and took the lead:

Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm!

The earth cracked rapidly, and shattered rocks flew everywhere. The two Iwagakure Chunin hurriedly retreated, but were eventually overwhelmed by the effects of the ninjutsu.

Nara Shikaku seized the opportunity and fired an explosive tag kunai. The violent explosion caused the square-faced Iwagakure Jonin, who was trying to return to help, to curse under his breath:

"hateful!"

A huge cloud of dust appeared on the plain, and by the time the Iwagakure squad regrouped, Furukawa and the others had already disappeared from sight.

Another seriously injured Jonin had no color in his face and collapsed to the ground when he reached his teammates.

The square-faced Iwagakure Jonin noticed the terrified looks in his team members' eyes and stopped ordering them to pursue. Looking at the scene before him, he murmured to himself:

"This power, achieved by a child using Earth Release..."

-

As dawn broke, the four who had successfully escaped were nearing the border. Apart from Osamu Furukawa, the other three, who had taken the secret medicine one after another, could no longer hold on.

Kakashi and Hyuga Shuichi were covered in injuries and panting heavily. Nara Shikaku, whose face was covered in blood, was leaning against a broken rock wall.

Shikaku noticed Furukawa Osamu forming hand seals and nodded, then smiled wryly and whispered:

"Hopefully the information will be useful..."

Chapter 34 "The Bird in the Cage"... (Part 1)

In mid-July of Konoha 46, the members of Jiraiya's squad, who had successfully returned to the outskirts of Konoha Village, breathed a sigh of relief.

Having stopped, Choza Akimichi patted his stomach and exclaimed loudly:

"I must have a big meal when I get back to the village. I'm sure I'll be able to return unscathed this time, so I need to build up my energy!"

Jiraiya, at the forefront, laughed heartily upon hearing this. Despite failing to achieve the expected goal and encountering a minor mishap in the mission, he remained in high spirits.

"Want to have a few drinks? The sake in the Land of Grass can't compare to that in Konoha, and the snacks to go with it aren't as plentiful!"

"But the girl is unexpectedly beautiful..."

"Jiraiya-sensei! We're not old enough to drink alcohol."

Minato Namikaze interrupted Jiraiya, turning to look at the group behind him with an apologetic smile.

"What does it matter! Minato, don't underestimate children!"

"Kakashi, you'll definitely agree with me. The Toad Sage needs more inspiration to create more interesting stories!"

Seeing Jiraiya winking and making faces, Kakashi turned his head away embarrassedly, but in his heart he did agree with what he had said.

Having read the Toad Sage's manuscript, Furukawa Osamu couldn't comment on the author's creative talent, but some of the plot descriptions were indeed very impactful:

"Captain Shikaku, is the scar on your face alright? You should stay single!"

Furukawa Osamu's change of topic made everyone laugh; Nara Shikaku was "disfigured" during this mission.

"A man should always have some scars! It also reminds me not to underestimate any opponent."

"It was quite a mess to begin with. I was only able to get back to the village thanks to you all. We can't let our guard down now."

Both injuries occurred on his face, but Nara Shikaku smiled and put his arms behind his head, seemingly unbothered by the facial scars.

"Don't let your guard down, Shikaku. This is a lesson you've learned!"

"If it weren't for the outstanding abilities of Shu, Kakashi, and Shuichi, you would have had a hard time dealing with this situation."

"Ninjas need excellent minds, but their actual strength must also be taken seriously."

Yamanaka Inoichi gave a series of resolute instructions, reminding his friend that not every team has outstanding members and he didn't want his friend to slack off and encounter misfortune.

"I understand. Even if cultivation is the most troublesome thing, I will persevere!"

Nara Shikaku responded solemnly, recalling the night they were besieged, saying that if Furukawa Osamu and Kakashi had been a little slower, the outcome would have been completely different.

"Forget about the mission, go back and finish your report, then relax!"

"Even ninjas need to balance work and rest. I'll take care of the rest of the work."

Jiraiya smiled confidently and made a loud promise. Minato's two teammates cheered. Although high-level missions were rewarding, they were also really tiring.

When the group arrived at the village gate, they happened to run into the Inuzuka Claw team, who were returning from outside the village.

"Kuromaru! You're disobedient again!"

Inuzuka Tsurugi, sporting an afro, loudly complained as his dog ran madly to Furukawa Osamu's side, while Kuromaru, now several sizes larger, immediately responded with a shout:

"I just wanted to ask if Xiu still has any of those soldier ration pills."

"This is also to help you improve your strength!"

The big dog looked rather fierce, completely different from Kakashi's little ninja dog. Furukawa Osamu chuckled, patted the dog's head, and gave the remaining soldier rations from his bag to Kuro-maru, instructing him:

"That's all left. Remember, don't eat too much at once, there's a risk of mutation. You don't want to turn into a monster, do you?"

These specially made soldier rations contain natural energy, making them more effective than the Inuzuka clan's secret medicine; they can even strengthen the dog's body...

"The claws are still too fierce..."

Blackball Dog looked regretful. It wanted to introduce Inuzuka Claw to the family so that they could become a family and expand the clan.

Ignoring its owner chasing after it, Kuromaru ran away, not forgetting to remind Kakashi as it left:

"Kid, next time you need Parker to bring Akino over. I'm going to give him a good talking-to!"

Looking at the large, imposing dog, Kakashi looked on with envy; his own ninja dog could only make sarcastic remarks...

The group expanded again, and they walked into the gates of Konoha chatting and laughing. At the back of the group, Hyuga Shuichi had mixed feelings.

He truly envied his free companions, while he was merely a tool of his family.

-

Inside the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and his two advisors were present. Danzo sat on the other side of the room, his eyes narrowed, listening quietly to Jiraiya's report.

"Based on the latest intelligence, we have basically identified the Jinchūriki of Iwagakure."

"As for the grudge between Onoki and the Jinchuriki mentioned in the intelligence, it is still uncertain. I am confident that I can test the extent of the other party's Jinchuriki development next time."

As soon as Jiraiya finished speaking, Danzo, who had been silent until now, immediately added:

"I currently have two more intelligence lines on my side, and we must send more intelligence personnel later."