Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

The mere clash of chakra fluctuations created enough air currents to force the Konoha ninjas in the distance to freeze in place, their faces filled with horror.

The Cloud Village ninjas who caught up with him stared wide-eyed as the diminutive Furukawa Osamu charged at the Tailed Beast.

The Eight-Tails' chakra transformed into countless arms that raged wildly, but Furukawa Osamu, in his charge, used "snake-like" movements to dodge the attacks before they could hit him.

"By the way, be careful, he's too fast!"

"boom!"

Killer Bee's Eight-Tails hurriedly warned, as gravel flew everywhere and more and more chakra arms grabbed at Furukawa Osamu.

Furukawa Osamu dodged the hammer blows and leaped into the air, jumping continuously between the red chakra arms. When he returned to the ground, the chakra beneath his feet exploded, increasing his speed once again.

Killer Bee's Eight-Tails was still loudly warning him, but Furukawa Osamu, who was close by, suddenly disappeared.

As Furukawa Osamu pulled his right arm back in mid-air, twisting his body to throw a powerful punch at the top of the humanoid tailed beast in front of him, the Sage Chakra on his right fist instantly erupted in [Monstrous Strength] mode!

"Better than adults!"

The Cloud Village ninja in the distance saw Killer Bee's head violently dented and screamed in terror.

Everyone watched in disbelief as the humanoid tailed beast was slammed to the ground by a single punch from a short Konoha ninja, their minds going blank for a moment.

"Ugh..."

Kirabi groaned in pain as his head slammed heavily into the ground, and cracks spread across the earth.

As he fell, Furukawa Osamu forcibly twisted his body and delivered a flying knee strike to the fallen humanoid tailed beast. His Sage Chakra erupted once more, and the swift attack slammed solidly into Killer Bee.

With a loud bang, the ground caved in again, and the airflow from the collision sent debris flying everywhere. The Cloud Village ninja could only scream as he collapsed to the ground.

Killer Bee nearly lost consciousness after being hit repeatedly, and his Tailed Beast Cloak was rapidly fading away.

"Bi, move! Our power has suddenly vanished!"

The Eight-Tails cried out loudly, hurriedly gathering chakra to attack Furukawa Osamu. Killer Bee, lying in the pit, barely managed to prop himself up, covering his mouth and spitting out blood repeatedly.

After completing the [Collection], Furukawa Osamu sensed the tailed beast chakra fluctuations within Killer Bee's body and decisively created distance.

With the meridians in his right fist and left knee damaged, Furukawa Osamu frowned slightly. After sending the energy from the [Gathering] into his body, the Hundred Healings Mark on his forehead flashed again, indicating that his physical strength still needed to be improved.

"Whoa whoa!"

After Killer Bee fully transformed into his tailed beast form, the Eight-Tails began to dominate his consciousness, wildly waving its octopus tentacles before condensing a chakra ball in its mouth once more.

Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared in front of Osamu Furukawa and immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport away.

The Tailed Beast Ball exploded, and the enormous energy fluctuations could still be clearly felt several kilometers away.

Minato Namikaze knelt on the ground, his face showing exhaustion, forcing a smile:

"Thank goodness I made it in time! The power of the Eight-Tails is just too dangerous."

The Konoha ninjas around them all sat on the ground, panting heavily, their faces still showing signs of fear. Akimichi Tou and the others looked at Furukawa Osamu, whose armor was shattered and who looked somewhat disheveled, and thanked him profusely.

"I almost died in the first attack, Xiu, thank you so much!"

Furukawa Osamu also showed signs of exhaustion, holding the special kunai from his ninja tool pouch in his hand, and praised it with a pale face:

"This time, I owe it all to Captain Minato! My seniors have always taken care of me, and protecting everyone is what I should do!"

The youngest ANBU ninja's mask was already shattered, and blood was still flowing from his head. Looking at Furukawa Osamu, his eyes filled with tears as he said emotionally:

"Lord Xiu truly deserves to be called a great ninja who inherited the Will of Fire!"

Amidst the exclamations of admiration from the young people, Furukawa Osamu merely smiled slightly, still sensing the energy information within his body:

"The energy entities that Tailed Beasts split off from the Divine Tree can indeed be [collected]."

"They even have Lightning Release ninjutsu."

Chapter 84 "The Hokage Can't Change Anything..." (Two Chapters Combined)

In early November of Konoha 48, after news of the successful expulsion of Kumogakure from the front lines of the Land of Hot Springs reached Konoha, the ninjas remaining in the village were once again in an uproar.

They held their own against the three great ninja villages, and everyone looked proud when this was mentioned.

Despite some casualties and disruptions to the mission, most ninjas still support the village's initiative.

Death is not scary. As long as we can win this war, everything we have lost will come back!

More importantly, the commission market that has been secured must not be given up, as it concerns the vital interests of every ninja. Even the "daytime faction" no longer opposes it after seeing the dawn of victory.

Besides the good news from the front lines, Minato Namikaze's efficient killing spree was also a source of great interest among the Konoha ninja.

In the eyes of many ninjas, Minato Namikaze was a sunny and warm-hearted man. Although he was exceptionally strong, he still did not fit the impression of a strong person in most ninjas' minds.

Over the past six months, the death toll of enemy ninjas on the front lines of the Land of Grass and the Land of Hot Springs has reversed Minato's reputation.

One man, one team; efficient killing; Minato Namikaze demonstrated his absolute strength with the corpses of his enemies!

This exceptional individual performance allowed Minato Namikaze to overshadow the three legendary Sannin.

Although Orochimaru achieved success on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, he suffered considerable losses.

Jiraiya performed adequately, without using his personal strength to overwhelm the opposing ninja.

Tsunade gave ordinary ninjas "half their lives" with the Three-Colored Pill, but they remained in the village. The ninjas on the front lines felt more gratitude than admiration for her.

Under these circumstances, even the Konoha leadership began to re-evaluate Minato Namikaze, and Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado increasingly praised the young man.

-

Inside the Hokage Building, after the Jonin team's routine meeting, Hiruzen Sarutobi listened calmly to the advice of his two old friends:

"We can send Minato Namikaze to represent the village and communicate with Yugakure. As long as they agree to bear half of the supplies during the war, this defection can be treated as if it never happened."

"Minato may be young, but with his abilities, he should be given more responsibility."

Koharu's suggestion to switch dorm rooms prompted Homura Mitokado, who was sitting next to her, to nod in agreement. Seeing that her old friend remained silent, she continued, "..."

“Hiruzen, not only matters concerning the Land of Hot Water, but also issues concerning the Land of Frost can be given to Minato to make decisions.”

“Ninjas from small countries are always short-sighted. Minato is still young, and this is an opportunity for him to re-understand the relationships within the ninja world. With the ANBU relaying our instructions, there is no need to worry about the mission failing.”

The two advisors, one squinting and the other pushing up his glasses, offered advice that sounded quite reasonable, but Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that his old friends had truly grown old.

Even Danzo, who was constantly scheming against Orochimaru, didn't remain silent at this moment and surprisingly agreed with these suggestions:

“Minato Namikaze is indeed very suitable for negotiating with ninjas from small countries. With ninjas from the Hyuga clan around, no one can stop him.”

"If you're still worried, I can send a few more Root ninjas to assist you."

“If the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water cannot maintain their neutrality, we must teach them a lesson.”

Danzo, who advocates for putting pressure on neighboring small countries, is eager to mobilize them to help Konoha attack major powers. Now that he has the opportunity to implement his plan, he doesn't mind giving Minato Namikaze a push.

After all, young ninjas have no foundation, and the three legendary ninjas all have followers, so it's not their turn to "help".

Hiruzen Sarutobi started puffing on his cigarette again. He knew his old friends didn't want to lose their power, but he had no interest in knowing about it.

If things don't go well, he plans to take the blame and step down. What happens in the future is up to the next Hokage; he will only offer advice when necessary.

Out of consideration for their past friendship, Hiruzen Sarutobi ultimately did not refuse the proposal:

"I'll leave this negotiation to Minato. I'll transfer Nara Shikaku and the others there, while Root will remain in the Land of Rain."

"As long as the entrusted mission cannot be resolved, Sunagakure will not give up the war."

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado breathed a sigh of relief. Their old friend was still looking out for them. If it were Tsunade, she wouldn't let them command her from here.

Danzo nodded in acknowledgment and then got up to leave. Rumors had already begun to circulate among the Jonin that Osamu Furukawa's strength was approaching that of the Hokage. He needed to speed up his plans and capture Kakashi as soon as possible.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo with surprise. He had thought the other man would try to bargain with him. He tapped his pipe and pondered to himself:

"Could it be that Tsunade put too much pressure on him?"

-

After thoroughly wiping out the Cloud Village ninja at the border outpost of Tang, the group awaited instructions from their superiors. Their ally had turned against them, and they needed an explanation.

Minato Namikaze has been away from the village for a month. After completing his mission, he wants to go home to be with Kushina. After their engagement, their relationship has heated up rapidly, and they wish they could be together every day.

"You want me to be in charge of negotiations between Tang Village and Shuang Village?"

After reading the mission scroll, Minato subconsciously asked a question, and the ANBU ninja bowed again, responding earnestly:

"Yes, this is the Hokage's instruction."

Minato Namikaze quickly regained his composure. As a ninja, he wouldn't refuse a mission, and solemnly assured him:

"Once Jonin Inoichi and the others arrive, we will set off immediately to complete the mission as soon as possible."

Back at the base, Minato Namikaze made simple arrangements for the trip, and everyone congratulated him upon hearing that they were going to Yugakure and Shimogakure.

The fact that Minato can represent Konoha indicates that he has entered the center of power.

"Keep it up, Minato, you might just become the Fifth Hokage!"

Inuzuka Jacques smiled and patted Minato on the shoulder. Having worked together on many missions, he greatly admired this determined young man.

Ninjas are usually accompanied by killing, and taking lives can be addictive, but Minato was completely unaffected. Ninjas with such qualities are extremely rare.

Faced with his senior's praise, Minato Namikaze scratched his head. Only at times like this did he show his youthful side. Seemingly thinking of Kushina at home, he sighed softly and replied in a low voice:

"Senior, becoming Hokage is still too far away!"

"The negotiations shouldn't take too long, thank you all for your help again!"

At a distance from the base, Furukawa Shigeaki took a scroll from the green snake's mouth. In just two months, the small snake had grown larger again.

"Has Orochimaru-sensei not obtained a special experimental subject yet?"

"I didn't expect him to be so disciplined and to pay special attention to the thoughts of senior advisors."

The green snake coiled around his body seemed to understand his words, flicking its tongue repeatedly. Furukawa Osamu handed him a secret medicine and gave him a prepared scroll, offering simple instructions:

"You can sense the chakra levels after the Hashirama cells are injected. Pay attention to the changes in Orochimaru-sensei's body."

After swallowing the secret medicine, the green snake shook its head repeatedly before reluctantly dispelling the spirit communication spell.

After the slug released the resonance, it wriggled onto Furukawa Osamu's shoulder. Having recently been researching Yin-Yang Release techniques without much progress, it could only offer comfort in its soft, gentle voice:

"Lord Xiu, it seems that we are missing crucial information."

"In theory, possessing Yin and Yang chakra can indeed enable Yin-Yang Release, but this technique has not been passed down."

Furukawa Osamu nodded. The energy he [collected] from the Eight-Tails contained a lot of information, but most of it was about Yin-Yang Release, which was similar to the Nine-Tails' chakra he had collected before.

After repeatedly trying the Yin-Yang Release technique, Furukawa Osamu completely gave up. This technique most likely requires the Rinnegan, and even if he understood the principle, he couldn't use it.

Mixing in natural energy has no effect; the "rules" cannot be broken. To use the Yin-Yang Escape Technique, one still needs to "reverse the ancestral lineage."

Is the 'life' created through Yin-Yang Release techniques truly life?

Furukawa asked casually, while the slug on his shoulder pondered for a moment but ultimately didn't give a definite answer:

"The Tailed Beasts were created by the Sage of Six Paths, but they cannot truly die, which may not fit the definition of life."

“Life forms like mine that are quantified will eventually disappear from this world. Although it may take thousands of years, I am certain that I will die and cannot be resurrected.”

"..."

Upon hearing the words of this immortal being, Furukawa Osamu fell silent until the slug began shaking its tentacles repeatedly, bringing him back to his senses. He then mentally assessed his own abilities:

"White Zetsu and Tailed Beasts are defined as non-living entities by their abilities, therefore they can be [collected]."

"A body corrupted by Hashirama cells is also a non-living entity and can be 'refined'."

"The roots of the assimilated Divine Tree can also be harvested, and the Gedo Statue should also be within our capabilities."

Unable to obtain a bloodline limit for the time being, Osamu Furukawa could only use his own power. This time, he verified his conjecture again through the Eight-Tails, and he managed to find some ways to counter the Gedo Mazo.

"I've mastered the Super Tremor Lightning Blade. Next, I'll continue practicing the Lightning Plow Heat Blade. The way the Cloud Village activates its Lightning Release is truly interesting."

"I abandoned the large amount of chakra produced by the secondary extraction of cells and focused entirely on the transformation of my physical body and nature."

The Lightning Blade that Furukawa Osamu obtained from Killer Bee is unusable by ordinary ninjas. It requires extremely high physical strength to slash with the arm at maximum speed.

The live slug disliked these physically taxing ninjutsu techniques, so it transformed into a pool of liquid, merging into its body to enter a state of resonance, and sighed regretfully:

"It's a pity I don't have a way to strengthen the meridians, otherwise Master Xiu wouldn't have to worry about damaging his meridians."

When Hyuga Shuichi arrived in the dense forest, he looked around and had no choice but to activate his Byakugan. Only then did he notice that Furukawa Osamu was sitting cross-legged on a tree branch not far away.

"Shu, Captain Minato is going to negotiate with the two countries next. We may not be able to return to the village until the end of the month."