Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 157 "Those of you who are alive are all imposters..."

In early April of Konoha Year 51, Konoha and Sunagakure resumed friendly exchange activities.

For some time, Sunagakure Village has been hampered by the problem of Jinchūriki and has been unable to master Shukaku's power, so the exchange activities have been postponed again and again.

Fortunately, the Fourth Kazekage made a sacrifice and finally sealed Shukaku into his youngest son's body, barely resolving the problem.

Chiyo believed that the premature child would become a qualified Jinchūriki, but Rasa had little confidence in the child.

What saddened Kazekage even more was that his wife, Karura, passed away after giving birth to their son.

The child named Gaara seemed to be born with bad luck. Rasa didn't love this son much; he was more interested in whether Chiyo's decision was right.

Fortunately, Shukaku has not caused any more disturbances in the past two months. Rasa was relieved and, under the pretext of an exchange activity, handed over the care of his youngest son to his wife's younger brother, Yashamaru.

On the day the Konoha ninja team arrived, Yashamaru, who was at home holding Gaara, looked helpless.

He wasn't sure if his sister's choice was right. The arrival of this child had changed everything. He only hoped that Gaara could grow up healthy. The power of the tailed beasts was not something he needed to consider.

It was another sunny day, and Konoha Village was peaceful. In the commercial street, many ninjas were discussing the exchange team.

Since Kakashi was chosen and had already left the village, Rin Nohara, following her boyfriend's request, basically lived a life of going back and forth between two places every day.

During weekday lunch breaks, Nohara Rin would have lunch with the medical team, and the girl was almost never alone throughout the day.

Inside the three-color dumplings shop, the girls all whispered "delicious," and Nohara Rin was no exception. When they started talking about gossip, the smiles on the girls' faces became even brighter.

"Kakashi must be the youngest in the delegation! He's really amazing!"

"Lin, how far have you gotten?"

"Could it be that you're getting married in two years?"

A round-faced girl whispered something in Nohara Rin's ear. Rin blushed slightly at the end, but still tilted her head and readily admitted, "It's nothing special! Marriage and all that, you have to be 18 at least..."

"Sixteen is fine too! That's great, I've always wanted that kind of happy life."

Rin Nohara blushed and said it was too early. When talking about her own relationship progress, she reiterated that she and Kakashi had only held hands.

Just as the girls were about to continue gossiping, an elderly woman with her hair in a bun at another table suddenly looked at Lin and asked in a low voice, "Child, I remember a couple of years ago you always had a helpful boy following you around."

"It seems like it's been a long time since I've seen that child. Do you remember him?"

The girls at the table stopped gossiping. They all knew that Nohara Rin had lost her memory due to serious injuries sustained in the war, so she rarely talked about her past. Hearing the question, they all looked at Rin with concern.

"Grandma, the Uchiha clan genius you're talking about, Obito Uchiha?"

"I'm sorry, Obito sacrificed himself for the village. He is a hero of Konoha."

"Kakashi and I were saved because of Obito. He saved many of his comrades; he was an amazing ninja!"

Nohara Rin tilted her head, showing a look of reminiscence, and quickly responded. At the end, the girl's face showed a look of admiration.

Kakashi told him that Obito had perfectly inherited the Will of Fire, and with his talent, he might even become Hokage in the future.

After hearing about how such a genius made a sacrifice for his comrades, Rin Nohara had great respect for Obito.

The old woman suddenly fell silent. On the ground where no one was paying attention, the thin branches suddenly retracted into the soil. The message spread rapidly, and soon Obito, who was near the memorial monument, sensed the information through the White Zetsu he was possessing.

Although the mask concealed Obito's expression, Black Zetsu, with half his head visible on the ground, could sense the boy's suppressed emotions.

Unseen by Obito, Black Zetsu's smile widened, the cold chakra filling him with unusual joy; the Executor had no need for kindness.

The White Zetsu that possessed him suddenly removed its mask, and white tentacles swayed back and forth in front of Obito. A confused voice followed: "If I remember correctly, you and I touched her artery together back then."

"His heart was pierced; he was already dead!"

"Kakashi was also in a terrible state. He had four fatal wounds on his chest alone. He gave up his defense and was instantly killed by the Hidden Mist ninja."

"The Nohara Rin we see now doesn't seem to be the same girl as before, and the same goes for Kakashi; their chakra fluctuations are completely different!"

Even though the White Zetsu had already discovered that the two had been resurrected, they suddenly put on a spectacular performance, acting as if they were truly empathizing with Obito, repeatedly bringing up the past that the boy least wanted to recall.

"Shut up! Don't say another word!"

"Lin...how could Lin forget me?"

"Am I a genius of the Uchiha clan? Am I a hero of Konoha?"

"This isn't Rin, this isn't Kakashi, this isn't me!"

After letting out a low growl, Obito once again transformed into a vortex and disappeared. Unlike before, this time his return to the spatial dimension was extremely fast, surprising even Black Zetsu: "This guy has trained for so long and hasn't achieved this effect, but now, in less than a week, he's actually accomplished it!"

"That kindness in your heart has indeed been hindering you all along; embrace despair..."

In a space no one could enter, Obito screamed in agony once more. His best friend's resurrection should have been a good thing, but after observing for four...

The queen, however, was completely overwhelmed by fear.

Even now, Obito can still recall the moment he confirmed his friend's death; that hellish night lingers in his mind.

Bearing this hatred until now, the two of them have been living happily in Konoha, which Obito cannot accept.

Obito found a broken mirror from somewhere, and when he looked at himself in the mirror, he immediately knelt down on the ground, powerless.

Half his face was covered in scars, and his disheveled long black hair obscured his left eye. His exposed scarlet right eye was filled with indifference and hatred, and the intricate patterns on it looked extremely malevolent.

"This isn't me!"

"How did I become like this?!"

"ah!!"

Obito covered his eyes with his right hand and screamed in agony. The special chakra secreted in his brain amplified his despair, and under the influence of the pain, his eye power increased once again.

Even though careful thought would reveal the flaws, Obito reverted to his "Kenji" mode, his mind filled with images of Rin and Kakashi's happy life these past few days.

When he reappeared near the memorial monument, it was already evening. Obito lay on his back on the ground, letting the White Zetsu complete its possession.

What he didn't know was that in just the last few hours, the White Zetsu had been overjoyed; their reaction was simply too amusing...

"Why not confirm it in person?"

"If you just appear in front of Nohara Rin and ask her directly, you should be able to resolve her confusion, right?"

"Would you like us to create an opportunity for you? It just so happens that Osamu Furukawa and Kakashi aren't here right now."

The White Zetsu's comical voice appeared again, and Obito's fear returned after hearing the suggestion. When he propped himself up, his right hand trembled.

The White Zetsu in the distance had half their heads buried in the ground. They all knew that Nohara Rin wouldn't recognize Obito at all; the difference between him and the photo was enormous.

More importantly, the Obito that Kakashi mentioned was already dead, and the Obito image described by the girl was also embellished.

"Lin should recognize me, right?"

"She'll always be watching me..."

Obito seemed to be comforting himself, the White Zetsu on his body swaying its tentacles, responding in a sincere voice, "If it were the original Nohara Rin, she would definitely recognize you!"

"She comes here every Friday, should we prepare?"

Obito nodded silently. He had to confirm it in person; maybe seeing him would help the girl remember everything.

On Friday evening, as the sun set, Nohara Rin came to the memorial to replace the flowers after get off work, something she and Kakashi did every week.

Upon arriving at Obito Uchiha's tombstone, the girl noticed an unfamiliar figure. After a closer look, she estimated that the person was about 175 cm tall.

At this moment, Obito felt short of breath and his heart was pounding. He carefully dressed up and covered his right cheek with his long hair to hide most of the scars.

As Rin Nohara drew closer, her face, which he had longed for day and night, showed some changes. Obito turned his head to greet her, but the girl bowed slightly and asked curiously, "Senpai, are you here to visit Obito too?"

When Obito Uchiha heard the word "senpai," his mind went blank. Overwhelmed with emotion, his Sharingan almost materialized on the spot. He couldn't describe how he felt at that moment.

"With the weather getting warmer, the number of tasks seems to have increased. Obito will definitely be happy to see someone come to visit him."

.

"So you're also from the Uchiha clan, senpai? Did you come from the Naka Shrine area?"

"If Obito were still alive, he would probably move there too, since it's a gathering place for the Uchiha clan's genius ninjas."

As Nohara Rin spoke softly, she replaced the flowers on Obito's tombstone.

The girl's gentle smile captivated Obito Uchiha, who was standing on the other side, but he felt an overwhelming sadness: "Thank you for coming to see him."

Rin Nohara was slightly taken aback when she heard the deep, hoarse voice. She turned to look at her "senpai" and then lowered her head to say softly, "Obito saved me and Kakashi. We will always watch over him."

"I won't disturb you and Obito's conversation any longer. People of the same clan must have a lot to talk about."

Watching the girl bow and say goodbye, Obito Uchiha stood motionless in front of his own tombstone.

As night fell, the boy was utterly overwhelmed by despair, tears welling in his bloodshot eyes: "I...I really am in hell..."

97

The weeping Obito vanished instantly into the vortex. Once in his own space, the boy staggered and collapsed to the ground, repeatedly pounding his fist before screaming madly, "Rin is dead! Kakashi is dead too!"

"Those of you who are alive are all imposters!"

"I absolutely refuse to accept this reality!"

The possessed White Zetsu was secretly amazed by the fluctuations of Obito's chakra; this cold eye power even affected his body.

After watching a good show, the Agent successfully evolved, and White Zetsu was secretly happy. He couldn't wait to share what had just happened with his companions.

Kakashi, who is participating in an exchange mission in Sunagakure, has been frequently given the cold shoulder by Chiyo in recent days. The old woman thinks of Sasori, the deserter, whenever she sees him.

If Sasori's parents hadn't died, perhaps Sunagakure wouldn't be in this state now.

For once, there was no sandstorm. After the morning sharing session, Kakashi was surrounded by many young Sand Village ninja. Some clamored for a sparring match, while some girls asked questions with admiring eyes.

Behind the room, Furukawa Osamu, now with a completely different appearance, looked at everything that was both familiar and strange with a complex expression. It seemed that everyone here had forgotten about her.

"Speaking of which, you actually held back some of these secret techniques for confirming a Jinchūriki back then!"

Osamu Furukawa came to Sunagakure to assess the opponent's strength and check the situation of the Jinchuriki. As a result, he saw Rasa showing off his youngest son.

Chiyo glared at the "demon" beside her. The village's secret techniques had been taken away, and the old woman's face was full of displeasure at the thought: "There were no so-called secret techniques, it was just a special premonition!"

"That child has his mother's chakra, and this love can reduce the Tailed Beast's erosion of him."

"The identity of each village's Jinchūriki is an absolute secret, you evil brat, now you can rest easy!"

"It will take Gaara at least ten years to grow up, and the Sand Village ninjas just want a peaceful life."

Seeing the disappointment on Chiyo's face, Furukawa immediately comforted her. When the conversation turned to Gaara again, he subtly reminded her, "Protect your Jinchuriki well, and remember to be prepared. You might need to use the Reanimation Jutsu in the future!"

"Damn it! Is this some kind of blackmail? You evil brat, you're trying to take advantage of a Jinchūriki again?"

Chiyo immediately retorted angrily, but Furukawa Osamu calmly shook his head and looked at the angry old woman seriously, saying, "The power of the tailed beasts is nothing more than this. I am not very interested in them at the moment."

"The reason I'm reminding you to master forbidden techniques is for the good of Sunagakure. In case of unforeseen circumstances, you'll have more options."

Chiyo pouted angrily but couldn't refute it. Without even needing to sense it carefully, the chakra fluctuations emanating from Furukawa Osamu were frightening enough.

When Kakashi was pulled to the training ground by the enthusiastic Sand Village ninjas, the Konoha ninjas who were watching also started to cheer. This familiar scene reminded him of his time at the Ninja Academy.

Dealing with the Sand Village youths was not difficult; their combat experience and chakra usage were on completely different levels.

Wearing a white turban, Maki was the only outstanding young ninja from Sunagakure, and his Wind Release caused Kakashi some trouble.

However, after the close-quarters combat and the introduction of the sword technique, Maki quickly found himself at a disadvantage. When Kakashi kicked the short sword out of his hand, he could only helplessly lower his head and admit defeat: "I lost..."

"Your foundation is pretty good, but you lack some experience. It's obvious that the village is intentionally protecting you."

Kakashi casually commented, then sheathed his short sword behind his back, drawing cheers from the surrounding ninjas.

Noticing Maki's resentful gaze, Kakashi seemed lost in thought again. He silently walked to the sidelines, sighing inwardly, "Obito, I couldn't understand your feelings back then. I really wish you were still here..."

"Someone likes to be in the spotlight, so you'd probably really enjoy this kind of task!"

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