Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

Naruto, draped in a black cloak, stood rooted to the spot, his blond hair billowing in the cold wind. Looking at the two figures who had risen in the distance, he whispered a word of advice:

"Kakashi-sensei, Thick-browed-hair-sensei, you should go back!"

"Those people cannot live a good life in the Land of Earth; it is their own choice."

Might Guy looked at the conscious Naruto, his face showing a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

Although he knew that there was a huge difference between ordinary ninjas and Otsutsuki, being kicked away without any warning in a single exchange still made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Naruto, do you know what you're doing?"

"Ordinary people who are accepted by the Shell organization will most likely undergo modification, and they will ultimately only fight against us!"

Kakashi's face also showed shock, but he still managed to control his emotions and responded. Naruto, upon hearing this reason, shook his head and replied firmly:

“If they had a choice, they wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

"Ultimately, this situation is caused by the ninja monopoly. Now that I've seen it, I will help them gain a new life."

"Ninjas shouldn't be like this, teacher. Please leave this time..."

Might Guy hesitated, then stopped speaking. Kakashi's expression turned serious. He offered no explanation; as a pure mission-oriented ninja, he only obeyed the Hokage's orders.

"This is a mission given to us by the Fifth Hokage!"

"The outer members of the Shell organization must be wiped out!"

"Father...?"

Naruto murmured with some disappointment. He had always hoped that his father could change the situation, even though he knew it was an unrealistic fantasy. He still hoped that his father could do something.

Kakashi, who was on guard, twitched his nose slightly, then immediately whispered a warning:

"They're here!!"

Might Guy nimbly turned around and blocked Naruto's flying side kick with his right arm. The terrifying force deformed his body, and just as he was about to counterattack, Naruto disappeared again.

"Purple Lightning!"

Kakashi, having created some distance, unleashed a violent lightning ninjutsu without hand seals, but the purple electricity kept disappearing.

Naruto calmly absorbed the ninjutsu by extending his right hand, then ducked down to dodge Guy's "Leaf Whirlwind" once again.

Kakashi could smell the approaching scent, but his body couldn't react in time. The shrunken Naruto regained his form behind him and sent his former teacher flying with a sweeping kick.

Without using any ninjutsu, Naruto relied solely on the Otsutsuki's reaction speed and even more powerful chakra to continuously flank and attack the two from behind.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A series of dull thuds followed, and Might Guy and Kakashi were sent flying almost simultaneously, crashing into dry tree branches in the distance. Then, shouts echoed from afar:

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Teacher Kai!"

Sai drew a giant tiger that pounced on Naruto, and Rock Lee, who also opened the Gate of View, quickly closed in. Both of their attacks were ultimately blocked by Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear, while Naruto remained standing still.

When Sasuke tried to flank and lock down his former friend, Naruto vanished instantly. When he reappeared, Naruto was back beside Kakuzu, and the red stripes on his face were fading away.

When facing his friends, Naruto still hoped to show his human side, but his terrifying strength instilled fear in everyone.

"Naruto..."

As Sakura and Tenten helped Kakashi and Might Guy up, the two girls murmured to themselves that the exceptionally powerful Naruto no longer seemed to be the childhood friend they remembered.

"Hmph! So they really are thinking of old times..."

"After learning about what the Konoha ninjas have done in the past 20 years, do you still consider yourself a member of Konoha?"

Kakuzu turned to look at the young man beside him. Naruto was silent for a moment, then responded firmly:

"I am still a Konoha ninja!"

Both sides have their own positions, and Naruto cannot judge who is right and who is wrong, but he is no longer a child and understands that this is not a black-and-white world.

The members of Team 7 and Team 10 stopped making a move. Kakashi, as the captain, shook his head helplessly. As a ninja, he was quite strong, but he was helpless against the Otsutsuki.

"Naruto, don't give up, there's always a way."

"As for those ordinary people, I hope you can take good care of them, and at least prevent them from undergoing any more reformation."

"Ordinary people in this era simply need to live a simple life..."

"Kakashi-sensei..."

Naruto muttered something but didn't move forward. Sasuke, who had turned away ahead, glanced back at his unfamiliar friend and subconsciously clenched his fist. He still couldn't change anything.

The outer members of the Shell organization suffered considerable casualties, and most of the ordinary people who witnessed this scene showed expressions of hatred.

Many people originally had happy families and good incomes, but because they got involved in the medical industry, they eventually lost everything. This hatred is irreconcilable, and they all hate ninjas.

"Thank you, Naruto-sama!"

"Naruto-sama is different from those Konoha ninjas. Thank you for protecting us!"

"Thank you so much, otherwise we would definitely be dead here..."

In the cold wind, Naruto looked at those sincere and eager eyes, and for a moment he was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. He thought of Jiraiya's words about the "Child of Prophecy," an existence that could end all conflicts.

"No need to thank me..."

"Actually, I can't do anything."

Naruto responded somewhat dejectedly, but the rescued Kara peripheral members and ordinary people clamored in disagreement. An old man who looked to be about 50 years old even loudly comforted him:

"Naruto-sama, that's already very good!"

“If more ninjas could understand us like you do, these disturbances would surely be calmed down.”

"The ninjas these days are too greedy. We don't want to be their enemies, but the only way to make those killing machines understand our demands is to keep fighting!"

"It is blood and fire that earns respect for ordinary people. Lord Naruto, you don't need to take these things to heart."

Naruto let out a long breath. He didn't know how to change the world. The pursuit of profit was human nature, and the existence of chakra made everything even more complicated.

"Father, what will you do?"

-

At the end of October, the war between ordinary people and ninjas continued, and the extermination of Kara's peripheral members seemed to have the opposite effect.

The Shell organization is the only way for ordinary people to gain power. The hatred accumulated over the past two decades has finally erupted, and more and more ordinary people are choosing to join the resistance.

Inside the Hokage Building, Minato's expression turned serious as he looked at the mission report. Kakashi, noticing his teacher's expression, whispered, "..."

“Teacher, Naruto’s will is still there. If we keep going, Xiu might be able to separate the Otsutsuki.”

"That child has now learned to examine the world, so the teacher doesn't need to worry too much."

Minato shook his head. He wasn't particularly concerned about his son; the numbers in the report shocked him—there were far too many people resisting the ninja monopoly.

"Kakashi, what do you think the world will be like in the future?"

"The profession of ninja may disappear, but the power of chakra will continue to exist, and this monopoly cannot be changed."

Kakashi remained silent for a long while, his face returning to its deadpan expression. He understood these things, but was powerless to change them.

"I don't know, teacher. If things continue like this, this world is destined to become a world dominated by chakra."

"In a world of the extraordinary, the role of ordinary people is probably just to maintain the population size, that's all I can think of."

Minato nodded, and thinking of his son's choice, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. He replied softly:

"It's time for ninjas to represent the ordinary people."

"I am very pleased with Naruto's choice."

Chapter 324 The Birth of the "Divine Tree Man"...

In mid-March of Konoha 68, the Konoha Ninja Academy once again ushered in graduation season. Unlike the previous two years, the number of students choosing to become mission ninjas hit a record low.

In this new era, making money has become easier than in the past. Although the rewards for tasks are high, they are also accompanied by considerable risks.

As the ninja's monopoly deepened, "engineering ninjas" became more popular. Even those who were not good at medical ninjutsu could go and "lay bricks" for construction. Compared with ordinary people, ninjas were a better labor force.

In situations where ordinary people need mechanical assistance, ninjas, who use chakra, can easily complete the task, requiring fewer people but doing more work – this is the advantage of ninjas.

The wages paid to several ordinary people are roughly the same as the cost of several ninjas. Under such circumstances, the ninja clan naturally prioritizes its own people.

The ninja's monopoly on upper-level power is intensifying, which has meant that the war between ordinary people and ninjas has never stopped in the past six months.

As the head of the medical department, Nohara Rin is feeling considerable pressure. After twenty years of development, the secret medicine system has almost reached its end, while the competition she is facing is becoming increasingly fierce.

The pursuit of profit is a human instinct. The killings by the Konoha ninjas did not deter some people. Instead, with the support of the Kara organization, they re-entered the industry.

-

In the spacious, renovated auditorium of the ninja academy, Sakura, who was in charge of registration, kept answering the students' questions.

Most people were concerned about the medical department's benefits and the project team's environment, but the young girls had obviously obtained inside information and asked very targeted questions.

"Senior, the medical department has added a bioengineering-related project team. How is it going?"

Is there still a chance for newcomers to join this project team?

"Senior, I heard that this project also includes subsidies for the village. Does that mean the benefits are better than others?"

Seeing the girls' expectant gazes, Sakura forced a smile, handed the registration forms to the three girls, and softly replied:

"The project team is still there, but they need excellent medical ninjas. There are also strict requirements for the assistant positions. You need to collect relevant experimental data."

"The medical department has always offered very good benefits and subsidies, but newcomers shouldn't worry about these things."

"It takes about three years of further study to get involved in these key projects."

"Huh?! Three years!"

"Senior, have you been studying for this long as well?"

Sakura nodded after hearing the exclamation, a rare look of confidence appearing on her face, and replied earnestly:

"Of course, three years is an ideal scenario."

"Even if you perform exceptionally well and are actively learning, you can only become a core member around the age of 26 if you want to take on more responsibility in the medical department."

"Technology is constantly advancing, and we must maintain this efficient learning state in order to adapt to this new era."

The girl with long black hair sighed and lowered her head after hearing these words. The two people next to her were also somewhat disappointed, as they were far from being 26 years old.

"You're amazing, senior!"

"Yes, if it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to keep going."

Sakura waved her hand, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise, and with a slightly flushed face, she gave a brief introduction:

"Actually, everyone has gone through this. The medical department is the mainstay of the village's finances, so the requirements are naturally very high."

"If you can't keep going, you can choose to become a mission ninja halfway through. Scientific ninja tools can also supplement the combat power of medical ninjas. Every team welcomes the addition of medical ninjas."

"A mission ninja! Marrying a mission ninja wouldn't be bad!"

"Hehe, you're already thinking about getting married at 12?"

"Speaking of which, being a housewife is a great option!"

The three girls started playfully fighting as they talked, and finally bowed to Xiaoying while holding the registration forms.

Watching the three skip and hop away, a look of nostalgia appeared on Sakura's face. Work, love—that was what she had thought about when she graduated.

Unfortunately, reality was far from her ideal. Her love life was consistently unsuccessful, and her work became increasingly demanding. Thinking about the experiment she had tomorrow, Sakura suddenly lost her motivation...

"Did seeing a cute girl suddenly remind you of yourself?"

Wearing a large white medical ninja coat, Nohara Rin suddenly leaned over and peeked out from behind Sakura. Despite being 30 years old, her face still looked young, appearing to be only in her early 20s.

Sakura blushed even more when she saw Rin Nohara staring into her big, watery eyes. As she backed away, she quickly responded:

"No way! Sister Lin, I'm not a child anymore..."

Rin Nohara, having straightened up, stood beside Sakura with her arms crossed, inadvertently revealing her ample figure once again. She stroked her chin and made a few teasing remarks:

"I always feel like you're thinking about your own relationship problems! It's okay, I've been through that too."

"Sasuke has worked very hard these past six months! Kakashi always praises him when he talks about missions."

"That child has already sensed your feelings. Have more confidence in yourself. Sakura will definitely become an excellent wife in the future!"