Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

Furukawa Osamu, who had just sat up, gave a wry smile. He kicked the ground, and after experiencing it firsthand, he felt it was absurd.

Thinking back to the "Gundam" of the Uchiha Mai King in his memory, Furukawa Osamu became increasingly curious about chakra, and at the same time, he was fascinated by its extraordinary power.

"So verbose!"

"Congratulations on passing my test. You are now a fully-fledged genin."

Tsunade, pulling Furukawa Osamu up, bent down again and personally tied the ninja headband on his head. Then she took a step back, looked him over carefully, and deliberately teased him:

"No wonder Shizune said you're very popular at school!"

Reaching out to adjust his Konoha ninja headband, Furukawa Osamu saw Shizune running over and a happy smile appeared on his face. He could only imitate Guy and give her a thumbs up.

He's not Obito Uchiha; he only likes mature women.

"I'm leaving now. I should tell the old man that there are many outstanding children in this year's class, and he should be very happy."

"Remember not to use that technique carelessly. Even if you are a sensory ninja with good dynamic vision and reflexes, it is still very dangerous."

Tsunade turned with a smile and gave a word of advice, then pulled Shizune aside, her golden twin tails swaying back and forth as she continued to ponder and add:

"At this age, it's still important to build a solid foundation. I'll entrust you with some of the refining work. The herbs you cultivated last year were a great help."

"The instructor for the three-person class hasn't been decided yet. I'll discuss it with my husband."

"It still needs some practical experience. I almost forgot, what's the name of that technique? Do you need me to help you think of a good name?"

Seemingly very pleased with her disciple's talent, Tsunade was overjoyed. After stopping to ask questions, she looked at Furukawa Osamu with anticipation.

"Chidori!"

As Furukawa Osamu chuckled, he uttered the name of the lightning ninjutsu, his mind filled with images of himself in junior high school, imitating hand seals, and being chased and beaten by a bunch of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) students.

Surprisingly, it's a good name. As if recalling something, Tsunade laughed heartily and remarked:

"Unexpectedly apt!"

"It seems your talent for naming is far superior to Jiraiya's disciples! You truly are a genius I personally nurtured!"

Chapter 10 The Will of Fire (Part 1)

In early May, as temperatures gradually rose, many people at the Ninja Academy were still discussing the two who had recently graduated early.

The shuriken lesson had just ended, and Obito Uchiha sat down on a bench by the playground, looking up at the sky, completely devoid of his usual energy.

"You're just spacing out here again. Are you alright, Obito?"

Rin Nohara's energetic voice rang out again. Seeing the worried look on the girl's face, Obito murmured dejectedly:

"Am I really lacking in the talents of the Uchiha clan?"

"Even Guy has graduated and formed a three-person team with Shu and Kakashi."

"They've already started their mission, and maybe by the time I graduate, I'll be working under these guys."

Most of their classmates regarded the three graduates as geniuses. When they were surpassed by geniuses, they would only praise them loudly and take the opportunity to mock the "bottom of the class" of the Uchiha clan.

"Obito's grades are also very good!"

Rin Nohara sat down next to Obito and praised him, then looked at him and added:

"It's okay. You've already worked very hard. Although you still have some problems with the theory classes, your overall grades are already among the top."

"Lin, I... uh... I just got good grades in some subjects!"

Seeing the girl's earnest encouragement, Obito, feeling incredibly nervous after being praised, finally turned away shyly and whispered:

"Thank you, Lin. You're the only one who has always supported me."

"You two are whispering again!"

Kurenai suddenly appeared behind the two. The girl's teasing almost made Obito jump up and down, but after turning around and seeing her, he immediately stammered and hurriedly moved away.

"I...I need to go buy some drinks..."

Watching Obito stagger away, Kurenai blinked, then grabbed Rin Nohara and asked curiously:

"So this guy didn't participate in the activities before because he was afraid of being outdone by others? Strange Uchiha."

Thinking of how Obito had angrily refused to participate in a group activity not long ago, Nohara Rin shook her head slightly and explained simply:

"Obito just wanted to be recognized by more people. He had lived alone since he was very young, and he actually longed to have more friends."

Different upbringing shapes different personalities. Kurenai Yuhi didn't fully understand this. The girl looked up, seemingly lost in thought, and said:

"Is that so? But Xiu doesn't seem to have these problems."

“They received a C-level mission. I’ve never left the village before. My father said it’s dangerous outside the village, but I still want to go out and see for myself.”

Thinking about how she had completely left the medical ward for the past two months and started following Tsunade's mentor, Osamu Furukawa, Rin Nohara responded with a hint of envy:

"Geniuses are always a little special!"

The two girls stopped discussing these things, but when the topic turned to the three who had formed a team earlier, Nohara Rin still looked longingly at Kakashi after Kurenai Yuhi mentioned him.

Although she didn't know what would happen after graduation, Rin Nohara was really looking forward to teaming up with Kakashi. During afternoon classes, the girl even started fantasizing:

"It would be great if Kakashi could be the captain..."

-

Late at night, in the dense forest at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields, the caravan members who had been resting breathed a sigh of relief.

The middle-aged tour leader, nearing 40 and slightly overweight, looked apologetic. After dinner, he approached Nara Shikaku and whispered respectfully to the group:

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Nara, I didn't expect to see ninjas from Takigakure."

"We will provide compensation upon arrival at our destination; this is a small token of our appreciation. We'll leave the assessment of the commission to you."

Nara Shikaku, who had recently been promoted to Jonin, looked at the group of people bowing and apologizing in front of him, and sighed helplessly, saying:

“This is indeed a bit troublesome, but considering Mr. Oshima’s friendship with us, I will help with the assessment.”

With the assurances in hand, the group beamed with joy. They knew that any battle between ninjas was at least a B-rank mission, and Konoha also had a rating system for its missions. This time, they were in the wrong.

After a battle, four guards were lost, and the remaining dozen or so people looked at the three boys sitting on the ground with awe.

The three people, far from the caravan, could not be seen clearly in the darkness. Might Guy's face was pale, and he forced himself to eat some rice balls while suppressing his discomfort.

Kakashi, wearing a mask, successfully concealed his emotions, but seeing Gai's lack of appetite, he still whispered:

"There's no need to go to such lengths. Apart from the guys from Takigakure, the rest are just wandering ninjas."

Despite carrying a short sword, Furukawa Osamu appeared completely unaffected, casually responding while eating rice balls and dried meat:

"Since they came out to attack, they should have been prepared to be killed."

"Only the dead are the safest. I don't want to be ambushed again before I reach the Land of Fields. This is a warning to them."

The ninjas who feigned death after being injured, trying to get away with it, were all eventually killed by Furukawa. Perhaps because he had experienced months of bloody nightmares, he did not experience any psychological fluctuations in his killing.

"Xiu is right, we can't fail on our first C-level mission."

"I'm prepared... um..."

Matt Kai took the initiative to speak, his serious expression completely different from his demeanor at school. After speaking, he ate a large mouthful of rice ball, then chewed on dried meat, eventually choking and becoming speechless.

"I just can't do anything with you..."

Kakashi, who handed over the water bottle, resumed his deadpan expression. He was a Chunin and had already experienced real combat, but he was still taken aback by how cleanly and efficiently Furukawa Osamu killed people.

Nara Shikaku, who sat down next to the group, was very satisfied with his teammates' performance. To encourage them, he said with a smile:

"It seems my worries were unnecessary. As expected of a genius valued by Lady Tsunade."

“Kai, you did very well too. There’s no need for sympathy for enemies who hinder the mission.”

"Kakashi, trust your companions. And here's some good news: once we reach our destination, the reward will increase to 10 ryo. The caravan has a good relationship with the Nara clan, and there will be some additional compensation later."

The doubled income made Might Guy's eyes light up. When ninjas go on missions, ninja tools are a huge expense, and among the four, his equipment was the worst.

Seemingly sensing what his teammates were thinking, Nara Shikaku, sitting cross-legged, stroked his chin and said with a relaxed expression:

"Kai, don't forget the three prohibitions of ninjas: as an excellent ninja, don't let money control you."

The so-called three forbidden things for ninjas are alcohol, women, and money. Furukawa Osamu knew his captain was joking, and added with a smile:

"That's right, it's just a few tens of thousands of taels of silver. Don't worry about it. The captain isn't a stingy guy."

The Nara clan, who dealt in medicinal herbs, were indeed very wealthy. Knowing Might Guy's family background, Nara Shikaku laughed heartily and generously promised:

"The extra income is yours!"

"Compared to the mission, outstanding juniors are the most important."

"Remember, while ninjas must follow the rules, when a request arises that causes problems, your comrades come first. This is the Will of Fire that we have passed down!"

Chapter 11 The Will of Fire (Part 2)

In late June of Konoha Year 44, the large number of missions requested by the village brought joy to the Chunin and Jonin.

Only those with money can purchase expensive equipment to arm themselves and thus gain safety during missions.

Throwing shurikens is like throwing money away; only a large number of quests can sustain the expenses. If you want to live a decent life, you can't stop doing quests!

Might Guy knows this all too well. Since forming the three-person team, the captain has changed almost every two weeks. All three Jonin, the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio, have led them.

Some low-paying missions were led by other Jonin. In short, after several months of hard work, Might Guy finally completed the upgrade of his ninja tools.

Explosive tags, smoke grenades, higher-quality ration pills, and well-made kunai—these are all changes brought about by advanced missions!

Although Might Guy was still the same hot-blooded boy after returning to the village, he always showed the potential of an excellent ninja during missions and became more and more accustomed to killing.

On his rare day off, Might Guy still insisted on going out to try and get a D-rank mission. Regarding his father's choice, Might Guy hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but question in a low voice:

"Dad, do we really have to do a D-rank mission? I don't need the family's money anymore..."

"Don't forget self-discipline, Guy. This is the ninja way I've chosen, and the flames of youth still burn brightly!"

Matt Daly opened the door, turned to his son with a bright smile, gave him a thumbs-up, and left with a proud look on his face. He was truly happy that his son had achieved more than him.

Weeding, finding lost items, delivering small items, cleaning the yard, taking care of children, etc., these are all D-rank missions, which are mostly assigned to newly graduated or talentless genin.

Having experienced high-level missions, Matt Kai looked down on rewards of a few thousand taels of silver, and his father's choice made him feel somewhat ashamed...

When Might Guy arrived at the training ground with a heavy heart, he lacked his usual energy. It wasn't until Kakashi's voice rang out that he came back to his senses.

"I'm late!"

"Kai, you didn't also encounter an elderly lady who needed help, did you?"

Kakashi, carrying a short sword, crossed his arms and made a comment before realizing that Might Guy was acting strangely.

"I'm sorry, I... I just didn't want to see Father take on any more D-rank missions. Before, during a mission, he even publicly begged a Chunin..."

Thinking of his father, who was often ridiculed and bullied, Matt Kai felt increasingly distressed, always feeling inferior to him.

"There's no need to care about what others think, Kai. Your father has already done an amazing job raising you through a D-rank mission!"

"He is undoubtedly an excellent ninja. If you want to change, start with yourself."

Taking advantage of a rare opportunity to use his persuasive skills, Osamu Furukawa showered the audience with inspirational quotes until he was hoarse, at which point he reluctantly stopped talking.

Kakashi stood there dumbfounded. Although he also thought it was great that Might Guy supported his family with D-rank missions, it wasn't as good as Furukawa Osamu had praised.

Ashamed of the thoughts that had crossed his mind, Matt Kay burst into tears and cried out in a choked voice:

“I shouldn’t have questioned my father! Xiu, you’re right, I will continue to work hard, starting with earning money to buy a house!”

"Run 500 laps around the village, if..."

Seeing that Might Guy was about to perform his usual "Burning Youth" routine, Kakashi quickly interrupted him, throwing out the nunchucks he had prepared and reminding him again:

"Don't forget the purpose of today's training. This weapon seems surprisingly well-suited to you!"

Matt Kai was overjoyed to receive the nunchucks. In low-level missions, having a weapon was more efficient. He wasn't used to the short sword, which was why he sought out new equipment.

Intending to perform a flourish with his staff, Might Guy instead struck himself, crying out in pain. Seeing the two men in front of him drawing their swords, he hurriedly said:

"Wait, let me adjust! It's too dangerous to start fighting right now..."

"It's alright, I've already mastered the A-rank medical ninjutsu, Healing Palm Technique. As long as I control my strength, superficial injuries won't be a problem!"

Furukawa Osamu lowered his short sword, smiled and gave a reminder, then pushed off with his feet, transforming into a black shadow and launching a straight-line attack.