Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

"Master Xiu!"

Moved, the green snake coiled around him, forcing Furukawa to push it away again. While tending to the unconscious Yekura, he whispered instructions:

"If I can gain the White Snake Sage's trust, besides the secret techniques, I'll also have the opportunity to collect some venom that can be converted into Sage Chakra."

"The venom infused with Sage Chakra allows humans to master Sage Techniques. Although the method is somewhat brutal, it is quick and easy."

"If I can optimize it, I will be able to control more power."

The green snake shook its head repeatedly. As long as it could successfully cultivate immortal arts, it didn't mind offering its loyalty. As for the Furukawa Cultivation Society holding its life or death in their hands, it didn't care at all.

"Does Master Xiu want more humans to master natural energy?"

Furukawa Osamu nodded. After the spirit possessed him, although the other party could use Sage Chakra, it consumed his power.

If the other party could be "seal-ified" in another way, the spirit would not need to worry about energy depletion:

"Give me some more time. If I get the chance, I'll make that Wanshe guy your underling, so you won't have to worry about being bullied."

The green snake happily coiled around her. It was a tool snake, looked down upon by its own kind. Thinking of how kind Furukawa Osamu had been to it, snake tears welled up in its eyes again.

"If I can transform into a girl like Princess Tsuratsu in the future, I will definitely repay Lord Shu!"

Chapter 125: Is there no upper limit to immortal techniques?

In mid-March of Konoha Year 50, as the weather warmed up, battles resumed at the border between the Land of Hot Springs and the Land of Frost.

The Fourth Raikage, A, did not intend to "win" like the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki. Once Konoha completely controlled the Land of Frost, the future Cloud Village ninjas would lose their buffer zone.

Although Konoha made promises in the signed peace agreement, Kumogakure still placed more faith in "fighting."

Taking advantage of the warmer weather and after reassessing the internal dynamics of the village, the Fourth Raikage, A, once again took the initiative.

The Cloud Village ninjas may not be able to win the war, but the Land of Frost must be brought back under their control. To this end, the village's leadership is determined to hold out until the Leaf Village's front lines are withdrawn.

With the AB duo poised to make a comeback, the Konoha ninja could no longer tolerate Orochimaru's leadership.

At the urging of several Jonin, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had no choice but to agree to change the frontline leaders, with Osamu Furukawa and Minato Namikaze, two extremely fast ninjas, replacing Orochimaru.

Before Osamu Furukawa even arrived, the Konoha ninjas at the front lines had already started a celebration:

"Lord Xiu will lead us to victory!"

The calls grew louder and louder, and some Konoha ninjas shed tears of excitement upon hearing of Osamu Furukawa's return, recalling the "Charge!" tactics they had experienced during this period.

From the perspective of the Konoha ninjas on the front lines, Orochimaru's Will of Fire has completely collapsed, as he is willing to sacrifice everything for victory!

-

Having successfully collected materials for the bloodline limit experiment, Orochimaru had achieved his goal and had no objections to being replaced. Furukawa Osamu had just completed the preliminary experimental preparations, so he could seamlessly take over when he returned.

As for reputation, Orochimaru didn't care at all. He knew what most ninjas were thinking, but he had no interest in fighting alongside mediocre people.

After his body fully adapted to Furukawa's modified Hashirama cells, Orochimaru felt his strength had increased again, and he became even more eager for the Sage's Eye.

That body was simply the perfect vessel; the more Orochimaru collected information, the more tempted he became!

When the group arrived at the gates of Konoha, there was a welcoming party at the entrance. Orochimaru smiled and raised his right hand. His direct subordinates immediately disappeared to report to their work ahead of time.

Jiraiya, leaning against the gate, wasn't wearing his ninja battle uniform, but rather casual clothes. He had put on his "oil" headband again, and immediately waved to his old friend:

"Orochimaru, you're recovering quite well. It seems your injuries aren't as serious as Tsunade said."

"You're still the same old guy when it comes to commanding battles. It's the era of young people now, you should tone it down a bit."

When Orochimaru saw Jiraiya appear, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face, but he didn't care about his old friend's words and calmly walked over to respond:

"Winning is good enough; as for the process, that's not something I should worry about."

"Jiraiya, just say what you want to say. Dragging it out isn't your style!"

Jiraiya sighed helplessly, noticing the cheers erupting from the crowd behind him. After agreeing on a meeting place, he left early, not wanting to spoil the atmosphere.

The Konoha ninjas who were being rotated out all had bright smiles on their faces; all the pain was worth it.

During wartime, casualties usually accompany victory. In the past, there were people who objected, but after obtaining tangible benefits from the Land of Wind, the Konoha ninjas have become accustomed to this kind of life.

After arriving at the Chinese izakaya as agreed, Orochimaru sat down in a corner seat, and Jiraiya silently poured him a drink.

The two ate their side dishes in silence, until finally Jiraiya asked the question he had investigated:

"Orochimaru, your actions in the Land of Rain with Danzo are related to Nagato, aren't they?"

"That child possesses the Rinnegan. Of all the information I've gathered, only this is capable of attracting your attention."

"Stop! Orochimaru! Nagato might be the prophesied child mentioned by the Great Toad Sage. Those Sage Eyes should be used to change the world!"

“I haven’t found out where Nagato went yet, but you shouldn’t be eyeing those eyes anymore.”

Orochimaru wasn't surprised that Jiraiya was able to gather this information; however, upon hearing "Child of Prophecy" again, he couldn't help but scoff twice.

"If I can capture him, it will prove that he is not the so-called prophetic child."

"Seeing you dressed like this, I know you're going to fulfill your so-called 'mission' again. What's the point of such a life?"

Every time the two talked, they would disagree on their different life choices after only a few words. Jiraiya never tried to argue, but simply stared at Orochimaru and reminded him:

"Don't cause trouble for Tsunade and the village. Konoha has just ushered in a new opportunity for development. Now we just need to move forward step by step."

"The ninja who can be prophesied by the Great Toad Sage is not as simple as you think. I will not let you succeed."

"You actually oppose me because of a Rain Village ninja?"

Orochimaru asked a question in return, and immediately burst into a neurotic laugh.

Seeing Jiraiya's stubborn expression, he couldn't help but recall their years together, and finally lowered his head and said:

"Any force that poses a threat to Konoha should be in our hands."

"If you can't control him, then destroy him."

"Jiraiya, you will make the right choice."

The two, who had known each other for many years, eventually stopped discussing the topic. Jiraiya was depressed, and regardless of whether his friend had ulterior motives, some of his views were absolutely correct.

When Orochimaru left alone, Jiraiya drank himself into a stupor, his face flushed red. He couldn't believe that Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, would die so easily.

"Nagato, I will find you."

-

At the border of the Land of Frost, the morale of the Konoha ninjas soared with the arrival of Osamu Furukawa and Minato Namikaze!

Facing the Fourth Raikage A head-on is indeed beyond their capabilities, but most Jonin can handle the task of throwing shuriken and unleashing some mid- to long-range ninjutsu as interference.

The two who came to provide support had a clear division of labor: Minato Namikaze would sabotage supplies and quickly kill ordinary ninjas, just like in the Land of Grass, while Osamu Furukawa would intercept the A and B duo and keep them occupied.

Although Furukawa Osamu preferred to carry out the previous mission, Minato refused, citing his young age and the inappropriateness of him to engage in excessive killing.

In the evening, at a base near the border of the Land of Lightning, the hissing sound of Lightning Release ninjutsu continued for a long time.

"boom!"

The Konoha ninjas in the distance turned pale upon hearing the loud noise ahead. If Orochimaru were still alive, they would probably all be lying on the ground.

"Cover Lord Xiu!"

"Don't let that guy from Kumogakure get away!"

It was time for the familiar battle rhythm to come for the Konoha ninja: they moved away from the central battle area and began to surround the Cloud Village ninja who were breaking through.

The Fourth Raikage, A, grew increasingly enraged upon hearing these sounds. His Lightning Release Chakra Mode erupted, his hair standing on end, and he roared at Furukawa Osamu in the distance:

"Don't underestimate the Cloud Village ninja! Die!"

Azure lightning crackled around Ai, and the instant the sound vanished, he appeared before Gu Chuanxiu.

"Shockingly brutal!"

As if he had anticipated the azure hand blade sweeping toward his head, Furukawa Osamu leaned back, his hair being severed by lightning, before quickly twisting his body.

The Fourth Raikage, A, reacted just as quickly, raising his left arm to protect his head, while Osamu Furukawa struck him with his left leg, producing a muffled thud.

"cough!"

With a light cough and a tilt of his head, the Fourth Raikage watched as Osamu Furukawa used the momentum to leap into the air and launch a series of kicks at him, leaving him only able to parry.

The Cloud Village ninjas behind watched as Furukawa Osamu vanished into a blur, leaving only the shattering sounds of air exploding. They screamed in terror.

"Lord Raikage!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, felt that each of Furukawa Osamu's attacks was accompanied by a strange force. He tried to create distance, but the enemy didn't give him a chance at all.

Occasionally, when Ai retaliates and chases, his body stiffens after being hit hard by Furukawa Osamu, leaving him only able to fight back passively.

The two clashed repeatedly in the dense forest, chasing each other. The Fourth Raikage, Ai, ran out of patience and, in one of the clashes, forcibly grabbed Furukawa Osamu's right fist.

"Stop right there!"

"boom!"

After a loud bang, the Fourth Raikage, A, trembled violently in his left arm, blood spurting from the web of his left hand. He swung his right fist at Furukawa Osamu with all his might, but after his fist was grabbed, he began to roar loudly:

"go to hell!"

In the stalemate, A pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its limit, with violent currents surging around his body. He tilted his head back, attempting to finish off Furukawa Osamu with a headbutt.

Is this all the power you have?

Ai, who was headbutting Furukawa Osamu, seemed to see the enemy's confused expression, but before he could think about it carefully, his vision was covered by black lightning.

Suddenly, black electricity, as if alive, appeared around Furukawa Osamu's body. After a loud explosion, the electricity exploded completely, the ground cracked instantly, and the surrounding trees were scattered and sent flying by the shock wave.

"what!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, suddenly screamed in agony. Black lightning seemed to be eroding his blue chakra armor, and blue and black lightning began to intertwine all over his body.

Despite the excruciating pain, Ai leaned back but didn't let go. Instead, she continued to activate her body, forcibly squeezing out the cells. In an instant, cracks appeared on her skin, and blood vessels burst.

"Don't underestimate the name of the Raikage!"

"Thunder at me..."

Ai, who was trying to lift Furukawa Osamu, suddenly found herself floating in the air. A look of confusion appeared in her eyes, and then Furukawa Osamu swung her over his head and slammed her to the ground.

"boom!"

The ground caved in, and rubble flew everywhere. Just as Osamu Furukawa's right hand flashed with black lightning and pierced Ai's chest, the giant "octopus tentacles" suddenly wrapped around the Fourth Raikage.

Killer Bee, who was there to provide support, ignored the complaints of the Eight-Tails inside him and hurriedly threw his older brother away. He then discovered that the "octopus tentacles" were being held by Osamu Furukawa and immediately "cut off his tail to survive."

"It almost spread! Get out of here, Bi!"

The Eight-Tails sensed the consciousness contained within the black arc of electricity and roared in fright. It dared not release too much chakra and could only tell its partner to run away.

Killer Bee wrapped his "tail" around A, and seeing the gruesome wound on his brother's chest still crackling with black electricity, he accelerated while loudly asking within his body:

"What is this? With our help, how could Big Brother's armor not be able to withstand it?"

"It's a chakra with a living consciousness! Hurry, rush towards the direction where the Konoha ninja are gathered!"

Knowing that Osamu Furukawa would slow down to protect the Konoha ninja, the Eight-Tails unleashed its full power in coordination with Killer Bee.

Killer Bee, possessing the Tailed Beast Cloak, was immune to conventional attacks. He carried A and charged into the encirclement of Konoha ninjas. Taking advantage of the enemy's retreat, he began to accelerate towards the Land of Lightning.

The abandoned Cloud Village ninjas saw Furukawa Osamu stop and look at them, and for a moment they all knelt on the ground with despair on their faces.

"Lord Xiu has won!"

"Lord Xiu has avenged everyone!"

"We swear to follow Lord Xiu to the death, and we won't let the Cloud Village ninjas on the outskirts escape!"

The Konoha ninjas, their faces beaming with ecstasy, began shouting again. Furukawa Osamu finally gave up on unleashing a long-range ninjutsu, and everyone watched as a wave of flattery swept through the crowd.

"If they're unwilling to reveal information, just kill them. We have plenty of time to destroy their strongholds anyway."

The wound on Furukawa Osamu's hand healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. His simple instructions gave the Konoha ninja a greater sense of participation, and everyone rushed to respond.

As night fell, a joyful atmosphere filled the Konoha ninja camp. Although there were still casualties, it was much better than before.

The Jonin from the ninja clans who submitted their rotation applications were under considerable pressure, but after two days of fighting, all the Konoha ninjas in the camp praised their decision.

Back at camp, Minato Namikaze was both amused and exasperated; there were just too many voices calling him "Master Shu."

"We've completed all the tasks for this week; it's been tough on the ninjas of the Frost Country."