Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

Chapter 67 Orochimaru's Ambition (Please continue reading)

In mid-March, cherry blossoms fell, and the ninja academy graduation season arrived as scheduled.

Nohara Rin is in charge of compiling a list of ninjas who want to join the medical system. Recently, she has been receiving fewer and fewer applications, and the girl can't help but show a worried look.

During lunch break, Obito Uchiha specially brought the girl a bento box, but his cooking skills weren't very good, so Rin Nohara's smile looked a little forced.

"Damn it, the miso chicken is so salty! I'm sorry, Rin, it's all my fault!"

Obito took a bite and looked dejected as he stood up to apologize. Rin Nohara quickly pulled the boy back, giving him a gentle smile.

"It's okay, Obito, it's really delicious! There's no need to blame yourself."

"Rin, I can't even cook as well as Kakashi, I..."

Obito lowered his head dejectedly, muttering to himself. Rin Nohara knew he had been feeling down lately, so she looked up and earnestly encouraged him:

"Obito, isn't your goal to gain everyone's approval and become Hokage?"

"It's just that I'm temporarily behind in cultivation. I'll work hard to catch up in the future!"

"I'll always be watching you. Let's work hard together. After passing the Chunin Exams, we'll soon be able to catch up with Kakashi."

Looking at the girl's earnest face, Obito's own face grew increasingly red. For a moment, he completely forgot about Kakashi and, blushing, replied:

"Ok!"

-

Kakashi, who was on a mission to hunt down spies, was unaware that he had offended Obito. He had been helping Obito with his training recently, and the two had been arguing every day.

Now, carrying out missions, Kakashi only feels good. Teaching "idiots" is still too difficult; he's not suited to be a teacher.

Upon arriving at the designated location, Kakashi saw Minato Namikaze and Masaru Furukawa chatting idly, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

"We were indeed a step too late."

"Very well done, Kakashi. It seems your sense of smell has been enhanced once again."

Wearing his Jonin combat uniform, Minato Namikaze smiled brightly and encouraged him. Kakashi merely nodded slightly, then released the target's corpse from the scroll and reported in a low voice:

"The Iwagakure spies in the grain caravan were around Chunin level in strength and did not possess any special abilities."

There were three corpses on the ground. Kakashi carefully examined the targets of Furukawa Osamu and Namikaze Minato and found that the wounds on the corpses were small, but they were all fatal wounds to the heart.

Kakashi knew that both of them were using weapons enhanced with wind-style chakra. Comparing them to his own target, he muttered to himself:

"The gap is obvious; my control over chakra is not precise enough."

Killing skills are also a way to judge a ninja's strength. Although Minato Namikaze looks like a "sunny and warm man", he has a talent for killing that far exceeds that of ordinary people.

“Kay will be here soon; this mission is still somewhat difficult for him.”

After sensing Might Guy's chakra, Furukawa Osamu spoke up to remind him. Minato nodded, then smiled and said:

"The Hokage values ​​him highly. Guy needs to adapt to various complex missions so that he can take on more responsibilities in the future."

"At the end of the month, we will be going to carry out a guard duty for the Lord of the Land of Fire. This was specially arranged by the Hokage."

Every year, the lord of the Land of Fire would make a routine visit to Konoha. Although the daimyo nominally ruled the country, the military strength was entirely in the hands of the Konoha ninja.

"Sorry, I was too slow. That damn guy used a rock clone!"

Might Guy arrived in front of the group, panting heavily. After displaying the corpse, Kakashi's eyes twitched slightly when he saw the deformed ribs and the sunken head; the technique was far too crude.

"Wow, that's impressive, Guy! That kind of strength isn't something an average Chunin can achieve."

Furukawa Osamu glanced at the corpse and praised it. Might Guy immediately flashed a bright white smile, pushed the others aside, and gave a thumbs-up in response.

"Youth will never slacken!"

Minato Namikaze laughed heartily, and after a careful inspection, he called to the others:

"Go back and hand in your mission. After that, you can rest for a while. We'll go to the capital of the Land of Fire at the end of the month. Remember to show your best when we do."

"Yes, Captain Minato."

After returning to the village, Minato Namikaze hurriedly left. Recently, his relationship with Kushina has heated up again, and they are planning to get married.

Kakashi wanted to ask Furukawa some questions about swordsmanship, but Obito blocked him again, shouting loudly from a distance.

Nohara Rinya waved energetically; the two had been waiting for quite some time.

"Kakashi, guiding your comrades is also a form of training!"

Furukawa Osamu patted Kakashi on the shoulder, who sighed helplessly. Before he could speak, Might Guy shouted loudly from the side:

"So you were secretly practicing extra? Damn it, I still can't control my injury gate properly. I really want to have a duel with the Inner Lotus."

"Let's leave the Lotus Flower to Xiu!"

Kakashi made a comment and waved goodbye. He had been spending a lot of time with Obito lately, mainly to gather information.

The Root ninjas who had been lying in wait were purged by Fugaku Uchiha, forcing Danzo to reinstate some of them, which gave Kakashi an opportunity.

As evening fell, Furukawa Osamu arrived alone at the memorial monument. After offering his usual flowers, an unremarkable young man quickly appeared beside him, kneeling on one knee and presenting a scroll:

"Lord Xiu, these are Lord Orochimaru's subordinates in the village. During this time, they will be completely under your command."

Furukawa Osamu's expression was inscrutable as he read the scroll's contents. The fact that Orochimaru also had spies within Root, and that Danzo had restarted his Wood Release plan, made him smirk slightly.

"Orochimaru-sensei wants to push for the Third Hokage to step down as soon as possible, and I will naturally give my full support."

"After the negotiations with Sunagakure fail, I will contact the Uchiha clan to re-intervene in the war."

"The time is tentatively set after the Lord of the Land of Fire arrives. Remember, proceed according to plan."

The young man's body stiffened; a fleeting murderous aura made him freeze, and he instinctively lowered his head, replying in a deep voice:

"Yes, Lord Xiu."

-

As usual, Osamu Furukawa visited the underground laboratory late at night and, using his psychic powers, obtained a scroll from the little green snake.

When Furukawa Osamu saw Orochimaru's plan to steal the Sunagakure's bloodline limit ninja, he secretly shook his head. This teacher was bolder than he had imagined. Fortunately, war also suited his needs.

The slug wriggled from my arms to my shoulder, looked at the pensive Furukawa Osamu, and spoke up to remind him:

"Master Xiu, we need to verify the hypothesis about the energy of Hashirama cells today."

"I almost forgot, Subject 3 is almost completely corrupted. Is that the familiar energy fluctuation?"

Furukawa Osamu approached a twisted, wooden figure. After wriggling over, he released his chakra, carefully sensed it, and responded:

"It does indeed possess some of the energy characteristics of the divine tree."

Furukawa Osamu nodded, and while the test subject still retained some of his physical instincts, he decisively used his [Gathering] ability, and a ball of energy immediately appeared in his right hand:

"As expected, it can be [collected]. The next step is to verify it on White Zetsu."

Chapter 68 The Hot-Blooded and Warlike Uchiha (Part 1)

At the end of March in Konoha Year 48, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire made a routine visit.

When they arrived near Konoha Village from the capital of the Land of Fire, the journey was already halfway complete, but the flat roads disappeared, and the treacherous mountain paths caused the daimyo in the palanquin to sigh repeatedly.

Two of the twelve guardian ninjas had to speak up to comfort them, and the dozen or so followers were also exhausted and unable to continue, so the group had to stop and rest again.

The elderly man, who was being helped out, had a face full of wrinkles, wore a fan-shaped court hat, and was dressed in very gorgeous clothes.

Although he was the nominal ruler, in Furukawa Osamu's eyes he was just a frail old man.

His only advantage is that he's very rich; that luxurious sedan chair clearly cost a fortune.

"Konoha Village is still as far away as ever!"

"Hiruzen is too kind. There's no need to take such good care of me. The Land of Fire is quite safe. I have faith in Konoha's strength."

The daimyo of the Land of Fire sat on a wooden stake and sighed softly, while his entourage fawned over him.

The Hokage's direct ANBU squad remained hidden in the dense forest. Minato Namikaze glanced at the time, then smiled and reminded them:

"After resting for a while, we need to pick up the pace, otherwise it will be difficult to reach the village before dark."

"no problem."

The old man readily agreed, but nearly fell after getting up, startling his attendant who rushed to help him up.

Kakashi and Might Guy were at a loss for words when they saw this scene. Although the Third Hokage was old, he was far more dignified than the Daimyo.

Might Guy subconsciously puffed out his chest. He had previously remarked that the capital was more prosperous than the village, but now he realized that it was all thanks to the Hokage.

The so-called daimyo can only govern the country with the help of the Hokage!

"Xiu will stay at the rear of the group, and I will scout ahead."

Minato Namikaze smiled at Kai's performance, gave a few simple instructions, and then disappeared. At the back of the group, Osamu Furukawa made a hand gesture, and the Anbu squad followed.

The journey was uneventful. By the time the daimyo of the Land of Fire arrived at the village gate, it was already dark, so naturally no one came forward to greet him.

Aside from one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja who showed displeasure, the others seemed to take this treatment for granted.

After all, this is a world where force speaks volumes, and during wartime, the Land of Fire can only rely on the Leaf Village ninjas.

The old man, exhausted from the journey, could only rest early. Kakashi watched some people leave with deadpan eyes, then turned to Minato and asked:

"Captain Minato, what role do daimyo play in the war?"

Minato Namikaze also found it difficult to answer this question, but since Kakashi rarely sought his advice, he pondered for a moment and gave a simple reply:

"Governing a country is a very complex matter. Ninjas do not engage in production and require the support of food, vegetables, weapons, and funds."

"Perhaps in your eyes the old and frail lords are of no use, but their very existence is a way of maintaining rule."

"This is a tradition that has been passed down since the Warring States period. Ninjas and daimyo need to cooperate with each other to make the country better."

Matt Kai tilted his head, too lazy to think about these things, and sighed while stroking his chin:

"Governing a country seems so complicated! But ninjas rarely use ninjutsu elsewhere; I've only seen some facilities in hospitals."

“That’s the latest equipment imported from the Land of Lightning. The captain is right. Most people accept this kind of rule, and breaking with tradition is never an easy thing.”

Furukawa Osamu echoed, noting that, based on his observations, the lives of Konoha ninjas were completely disconnected from those of most ordinary people, with some of their funding coming from the Daimyo's appropriations, and the current model had achieved a kind of balance.

Kakashi nodded slightly. After his father's mission failed, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire questioned the higher-ups, which amplified the impact of the incident.

The thought that such a frail old man could question his father made Kakashi feel a little sad.

Minato patted Kakashi on the shoulder. He had guessed something, but he couldn't say it aloud, so he could only comfort him in a low voice:

"A true ninja is one who can endure!"

"Everyone performed very well in the mission. The reward for this A-rank mission is doubled. Take a good rest for the next few days. I hope the negotiations with Sunagakure will go smoothly."

As soon as Minato Namikaze finished speaking, Might Guy cheered. He was very grateful that an A-rank mission would allow his father to rest for a long time.

"Thank you, Captain Minato!"

It was getting late, so after a brief farewell, Minato Namikaze disappeared immediately; he still had to go on his date with Kushina.

After Might Guy left in high spirits, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that he had been somewhat assimilated by the Root ideology, that most ninjas were just tools, and that tools should be used up.

"Shu, is Captain Minato right? What exactly is a ninja?"

A smile appeared on Furukawa Osamu's face. He didn't mention any daimyo, country, or tools, and firmly replied:

"Ninja is just a profession that pursues extraordinary power."

"Compared to endurance, what's needed is clarity of mind, or you could say, the ability to uphold one's own way of ninjutsu!"

"?"

Kakashi looked puzzled. He felt that Osamu Furukawa had become increasingly mysterious in recent years, not only because of his rapidly growing strength, but also because of his way of thinking.

-

In early April, the visiting Daimyo of the Land of Fire met with the Third Hokage, and the higher-ups subsequently announced that Konoha's budget for the year would be increased again.

Often, daimyo do not want to start wars, and the daimyo of the Land of Fire is no exception. Naturally, he fully supports Hiruzen Sarutobi's balancing decisions.

After receiving the news, the "hardliners" fell silent again. Most ninja clans supported the Third Hokage, and many hoped that the negotiations with Sunagakure would be successful.

Compared to other ninja clans, the Uchiha had their own plans.

In addition to intensifying research on the Kyonenmaru, clan leader Fugaku Uchiha also began recruiting young men from the clan to prepare for the next war.