Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 154 Sage Art: Susanoo

In late February of Konoha Year 51, the Blood Mist policy of the neighboring Hidden Mist Village continued to escalate, resulting in constant killings. The Fourth Mizukage did not impose any restrictions, and defectors had already appeared among the Hidden Mist ninja.

Although Konoha did not gather complete information, most Konoha ninjas felt incredibly fortunate in comparison!

Compared to the Fourth Mizukage, the Fourth Hokage was far superior.

Leaving aside individual abilities, the gap between the two sides in village governance is quite obvious.

After the new Mizukage took office, the funding from the Land of Water did not change, and the village was barely able to maintain basic operations.

After the Fourth Hokage took over, the Land of Fire not only increased its budget for the second half of the year, but the village's revenue also increased.

The excellent medical system is making steady progress. Although most ninjas are still unable to engage in production, the availability of effective medicines and herbs is enough to support some welfare policies.

The annual visit by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire is approaching again, and the Konoha ninja are eagerly anticipating it.

If nothing unexpected happens, the budget for the new year will increase, and life as a ninja will only get better in the future.

Thanks to the merchants' promotion, news about Konoha Village spread very quickly.

The ninjas of Amegakure naturally heard the news, but unlike in previous years, this time the Amegakure ninjas didn't need to be envious, because they also had an "angel".

After Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, completed the reforms, the Angel took over most of the village's power.

The number of commissioned missions has increased recently, all thanks to negotiations between the angel and Kirigakure. With the Konoha ninja maintaining "high-pressure rule," these commissions are a lifeline for many ninjas.

Although the village's strength has been reduced, most of the Rain Village ninjas choose to carry out their missions honestly as long as they can live in peace.

In just one month, the turbulent Amegakure was completely pacified, and the reputation of the angel resounded throughout the Land of Rain. The Amegakure ninjas also had their own wise leader!

On a rare sunny day, Konan leaned on the railing of the central tower in Amegakure Village, quietly overlooking the entire village.

After returning to Amegakure, the girl rarely wore the Akatsuki's black coat anymore. Perhaps because she stopped killing, she regained her calm and gentle personality.

Konan is becoming increasingly efficient in handling affairs, and under her leadership, Amegakure seems to be showing signs of resurgence.

Nagato was greatly pleased with his friend's transformation. This was the gentle and kind Minami he remembered, and his decision to bear the darkness was absolutely right!

"Konan, did you see the technique Madara Uchiha used?"

"That's an incredible power. No wonder he's confident he can attack Konoha. We need to be extra careful."

Nagato walked to his friend's side and whispered a reminder. Konan first agreed, then added in a low voice, "The timing of that intangibility ninjutsu is still uncertain. Many of the opponents we've witnessed lost control of their bodies immediately."

"Without sustained attacks, it's difficult to determine the duration of the invisibility."

"What's even more terrifying is that technique called Susanoo. I can't think of any good way to break through its defenses."

The two were secretly recording Madara Uchiha's abilities. Even now, neither of them believed the other's identity, nor did they believe the so-called "reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths".

Intelligence is extremely important; often, crucial intelligence can determine the life or death of a ninja. The main reason Nagato was wary of Uchiha Madara was because the latter possessed most of his abilities.

Nagato felt that Madara Uchiha must have left some means to prevent him from using the Six Paths Techniques, as almost all of them were taught to him by Madara. This feeling of having crucial information controlled by someone else was extremely unpleasant.

"A sustained attack?"

"Fortunately, the Rinnegan can also absorb his ninjutsu, so Madara Uchiha is probably intentionally avoiding fighting us."

"He seems to be more concerned with the Gedo Statue. As long as I still have the ability to use the Statue, he can only serve us."

A strange light flashed in Nagato Rinne's eyes. Controlling the Gedo Mazo had almost become his trump card, and even that mysterious guy had to compromise with him on certain issues.

Xiao Nan noticed this as well, but when she thought of that enormous blue giant, she couldn't help but frown again.

Nagato's Preta Path ability can absorb the opponent's chakra, but there is a limit to its power. Madara Uchiha's proactive display of it clearly indicates that the opponent has a way to counter it.

"Nagato, be careful, that guy seems to crave your eyes!"

"Although he was wearing a mask, I've observed him closely. His true purpose is the Rinnegan and the Gedo Mazo."

Upon hearing his friend's reminder, Nagato nodded solemnly. This was also the reason why he planned to use a puppet to go to Konoha with his friend. If he were killed and his eyes were taken, his friend and the Land of Rain would be completely finished.

After a month of comprehensive modifications, the puppets' combat power has greatly increased. Although they no longer look human, Nagato still praised her friend: "Thank you, Konan. These puppets will protect me."

"Your talent was indeed buried in the past. If you had been born in a great power, you might have had a chance to become a shadow!"

"I'll leave the affairs of Amegakure to you for the next few months. I'll make one last effort."

Thinking of those strangely modified puppets, Xiao Nan was slightly taken aback. She didn't know what was wrong with her; once she took on this kind of work, all sorts of inspirations kept popping into her mind.

Fortunately, Nagato was quite satisfied with the "non-human" puppets, so Konan stopped thinking about it in detail.

"What do you think about us secretly taking control of the Land of Rivers?"

"Although the Land of Rivers also has ninjas, their strength is very weak. We can take control of the river mouth ourselves."

"Once Kirigakure is stabilized again, we can open up trade routes with the Land of Water and strengthen maritime trade."

After Konan finished speaking, she paused for a moment, and Nagato's cold expression vanished, as if he had returned to the quiet and gentle boy he once was, looking puzzled as he rubbed his forehead.

"It's up to you to decide!"

"If needed, I can secretly help you control the Land of Rivers during this period."

"I'm not very clear about these matters, Konan. Go ahead and try. Amegakure won't get any worse, so don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Nagato gave an affirmative answer, and at the end, a smile appeared on his face. He was happy that his friend had gotten rid of the shadows of the past.

When Xiao Nan was the only one left in the room, the girl stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself in a daze.

I just turned 18 a few days ago. With enough nutrition, my figure is much better than before, and I don't know when the original scars disappeared.

Looking at her somewhat unfamiliar self, Konan stretched out her pale hands, hands that didn't seem like those of a seasoned ninja: "What...what happened to me?"

Furukawa Osamu's spirit was also examining this body. Although he was trying to control it, the effect of the Sage Chakra he converted after learning Ryuchi Cave Sage Technique was still too good.

The life energy nourished the cells, allowing the girl to unknowingly repair minor bodily problems. The more frequently she used the secret technique, the faster the erosion occurred.

With a thought from Furukawa Shu's spirit body, Konan stopped worrying about her body and began to think about the future development of Amegakure by looking at the map on the wall.

The girl suddenly had an idea: in the future, the Land of Rain, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Water would merge into one, and this place would become her new home.

The changes in Amegakure were naturally noticed by the Konoha ninja. After the news reached Konoha, Tsunade summoned several of her old advisors, which was quite unusual.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado have been focusing on the movements in the Uchiha clan's territory. Danzo has disappeared, and they need to continue the will of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Upon hearing about the changes in Amegakure, the two remained silent for a long time, feeling somewhat uncomfortable as they hadn't dealt with such matters in a while.

"I didn't expect them to have this kind of relationship with the Land of Water. If it's just some commissions, the impact won't be too great."

Hiruzen Sarutobi responded, holding his pipe, and tried hard to recall information from both countries. Finally, he added in a low voice, "The internal strife in Amegakure has resulted in the deaths and injuries of more than half of the village's Jonin. Although no one has defected, it will take a long time to recover to the pre-war state."

"As long as we continue to develop steadily, the gap will only widen. Tsunade, just maintain the status quo."

The ANBU ninjas have more important tasks at the moment, and their direct ANBU members are all tied up. Protecting the Jinchuriki and the village is the top priority.

"Hiruzen is right. It's just a small country. We can let Sunagakure send more people."

"As allies, the Sand Village ninjas can contribute in this regard."

Koharu Utatane squinted as she offered her suggestion, and Homura Mitokado agreed, adding simply, "We could also have the Sand Village ninja sabotage the relationship between the two sides. If there are any problems with the commissioned mission, Amegakure will inevitably experience internal strife sooner or later."

"As for that angel," we can continue to have intelligence personnel gather information and resolve this problem when necessary.

In the end, Mitokado Homura almost said, "We can leave the trouble to the Root ninjas," but after being elbowed by his old friend, he changed the subject.

The three veteran advisors all felt that Amegakure was not a big problem, and Tsunade suppressed her inexplicable sense of crisis and smiled to show her approval.

After the meeting ended near noon, Tsunade saw the three off and then went to the window with her arms crossed.

Osamu Furukawa replaced Minato Namikaze on an S-rank mission. During this time, she missed him a bit. Without her disciple's company, she found handling government affairs particularly boring.

"Tsunade-sensei, lunch is ready!"

"Tuntun, where have you been hiding again?!"

A quiet, energetic voice appeared, placed the bento box on the table, and then caught a little pig in the corner.

"What a coward! He always hides whenever he's with me."

"It's the same at home, she just hides behind Xiu..."

Tsunade was speaking when she immediately picked up the bento box to cover it up, almost revealing that her disciple often lived with her.

Fortunately, Jingyin didn't notice anything amiss. The girl giggled and rubbed Tuntun's soft head. Seeing the teacher engrossed in eating his lunchbox, she happily exclaimed, "The little guy must have sensed the teacher's power!"

"Shu is very capable, but he's a kind person, as Ton-Ton knows!"

Tsunade almost choked on her own words. Just by judging the Sage Chakra, she knew that Furukawa Osamu had surpassed everyone in the village.

As for gentleness, it is quite fitting. Tsunade sometimes falls asleep from exhaustion after training, and her disciple has indeed taken good care of her without overstepping any boundaries.

Unaware of her teacher's thoughts, Shizune, holding the piglet, said expectantly, "After this S-rank mission, Xiu should be able to rest for a week, right?"

"The cherry blossoms are in bloom right now, maybe we can go on a trip together..."

The girl shared her hopes and dreams with her teacher, Tsunade, who felt inexplicably guilty. She felt she had taken up too much of Furukawa Osamu's time, but seeing the documents on either side, she comforted herself: "It's all work. As the Hokage, there's nothing I can do about it."

Late at night, in the capital city of the Frost Country, where the daimyo resided, the rebellious ninjas lay dead in pools of blood. The daimyo's residence was unusually quiet. Furukawa Osamu slowly walked alone toward the room of the master of the place.

The daimyo, bound by two ninja, whimpered. The young Cloud Village ninja, looking at the "fat pig" before him, muttered angrily, "Why is he here on a mission?"

"What message did that damned fat pig, the Konoha ninja, just deliver?"

The stench of blood grew stronger. The dark-skinned middle-aged ninja struggled to control his emotions, but his hand gripping the kunai trembled with fear: "Let's abandon the mission!"

"Lord Raikage won't blame us. At this point, this fat pig is of no use whatsoever."

The middle-aged ninja survived the battlefield by running fast, which saved his life. After two years of good days, he inexplicably encountered Osamu Furukawa.

In the courtyard outside the room, Osamu Furukawa pushed open the door, and kunai with explosive tags attached to the wall immediately shot towards Shi.

"boom!"

After a loud bang, Furukawa Shuichi waved his hand, and the deep purple bones around his body grew again. Suddenly, the giant skeletal hand punched out, and the wooden door in front of him and the pillars on both sides shattered instantly.

With a loud bang, two figures sped out, one looking at Gu Chuanxiu, and the other rushing off in different directions.

The two noticed that Furukawa Osamu was standing still and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he had given up on pursuing them.

As the Cloud Village ninja jumped onto the ground to accelerate again, spikes suddenly appeared on the smooth stone ground.

"ah..."

The middle-aged, dark-skinned ninja was suddenly pierced through the body, letting out a miserable scream before the ugly sound faded away.

Another young man reacted quickly enough to barely dodge the spikes, but as he twisted his body and landed back on the ground, he suddenly realized the ground was caved in. Using the momentum, he shouted, "No!"

In the sunken ground, a stone suddenly turned into a spike, piercing through the young man's body. He hung on it and died on the spot, never knowing what had happened until the very end.

The daimyo of the Frost Country was buried under collapsed houses and pulled out by a deep purple skeletal hand; he was on the verge of death.

Furukawa Osamu sighed and had to convert some more Sage Chakra. Soon, a deep green light appeared in his deep purple hand, and the fat daimyo of the Land of Frost was healed by more than half.

"cough..."

After coughing up a mouthful of blood, the obese daimyo finally came to his senses. His ugly face lit up with dismay at the collapsed house. He looked at Furukawa Osamu, who was playing with a small silver snake, and immediately crawled over, shouting with delight, "Is that Furukawa-kun?!"

"I knew Konoha wouldn't abandon me; they even sent a ninja like you."

"Waaah... Lord Xiu, you must avenge me! My wives and concubines were all killed by the Cloud Village Ninja, Zasui..."

The daimyo of the Frost Country, wailing and crying, began to recount the suffering he had endured these past few days: several of his children had died, and his allies within the country had betrayed him, sending him to his mother, Yun Yinren.

"If you're referring to the foreign ninja from the Frost Country, they're all dead now."

"Your country's ninjas need to improve their skills. To be scared off by a few ordinary Jonin and abandon the mission like that, your ninja discipline has completely disappeared..."

No sooner had Furukawa Osamu finished speaking than the obese daimyo, who had just been wailing and crying, showed a look of wild joy on his face. He tried to crawl over and hug her leg, but was dodged. He didn't mind and continued to praise loudly, "As expected of Lord Osamu, Kumogakure is as vulnerable as ever!"

"Please stay here for a while. My daughter is only 15 years old this year, and we'll also choose someone who's just turned 13. We're sure that Master Xiu will be satisfied..."

Halfway through his sentence, the daimyo of the Frost Country looked bewildered. The three crescent moons in Furukawa Osamu's scarlet eyes spun around, and an illusion replaced the other party's memories of the night.

The palm-sized slug crawled onto my shoulder, waving its antennae as it looked into Furukawa Osamu's eyes and exclaimed in praise, "Lord Osamu's Susanoo is enhanced by Sage Mode; even Indra couldn't achieve that!"

"With the combined power of the two attacks, even a clown like Ugly Man should be able to break through such a defense in the current ninja world."

A slight smile played on Furukawa Osamu's lips. After carefully sensing the surroundings, he asked in a low voice, "The clones should have collected their energy by now, right? I haven't sensed any loss."

"The mission is complete, but it's a pity that only 6 teams were selected. For Master Xiu's current physical strength, the energy aggro is too low."

S-rank missions only select this level of skill, which Furukawa Osamu had anticipated. Apart from the war, it would be difficult for him to quickly improve his physical strength: "This is the only way. After reorganizing the Land of Water, we will try to launch another war."

"Let's go back to Shikkotsu Forest and continue to refine the Sage Art Susanoo."

While training together pleased Jiyu, ever since discovering the secrets of Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode chakra, she began to concern herself with the issue of reproduction, as if it were a way to pass the time: "Master Shu, won't you try creating life?"

"I can prepare a clone first, so that when Master Xiu turns 16, he should be able to continue the race like Gamamaru."

"6

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