Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 165 The Special Chakra of Jinchuriki

At the end of August, Minato Namikaze, who hadn't been on a mission for a long time, began secretly setting up a spell in a hidden house outside the village.

In about a month, Kushina will give birth, and Minato will begin to work with the Hokage's direct ANBU to protect her.

A few kilometers away from the village, inside a stone wall, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, explained to Minato beside him as he set up a barrier: "This is a modified technique that can be linked with the village's sensory barrier."

"At that time, everyone in the class will take action during the awareness meeting, so that we can get feedback immediately no matter which side has a problem."

"The only way to break through from the outside is to attack the seal head-on!"

"This was also secretly built by Lord Mito back then, and only the Hokage in the village knows about it."

Minato knew that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had done a lot to protect him and his wife. Seeing these techniques that represented his hard work, he immediately thanked him loudly, "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

"We've caused trouble for the village this time. If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

Wearing black armor, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up and laughed heartily. Looking around at the completed jutsu, he patted Minato's shoulder forcefully and said, "All you have to do is protect your wife. The Flying Thunder God runes alone are not enough."

"You don't need to tell anyone about the houses outside the village, so the news won't leak out."

"If any special circumstances arise, take Kushina and the child and leave immediately. There is no need to participate in the battle. Remember to set up a barrier around the house as well. You must be fully prepared at this time."

Minato hesitated, but Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to read his mind and added with a chuckle, "With this old man here, Tsunade won't have any problems."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If everything goes smoothly, nothing will happen."

"Speaking of which, have you already decided on the baby's name? I'm a little worried about your naming skills, so remember to discuss it with Kushina beforehand."

Hearing that the other party was trying to change the subject, Minato didn't insist anymore. Thinking of his unborn child, he scratched his head and gave a slightly silly smile: "In Jiraiya's novel, the protagonist's name is Naruto."

"If it's a boy, I think Naruto would be a good fit, and Kushina also really likes the name."

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered it a few times, and surprisingly found it rather pleasant to hear. He patted the young man beside him again, smiling and praising, "Naruto! Very good!"

"Without war, the new generation of children can grow up better. Thanks to you, the village can once again usher in rapid development."

"It's all thanks to Lady Tsunade!"

Minato echoed the praise, saying that the Fourth Hokage had given the village a completely new look, and every Konoha ninja was very satisfied.

After chatting for a while, the two resumed their work. This secluded location was known to only a few people, and all the work had to be done personally.

When Minato returned to the secluded cabin in the dense forest using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he looked at the crib he had made himself and a happy smile returned to his face: "I'll see you soon!"

As night fell, Ichiraku Ramen's business had recently been hit hard, with fewer people eating there, which made Teji's face show worry.

After serving a bowl of seafood noodles, he patted the bar behind his shoulder and complained about the fierce competition among his peers: "Master Xiu, although my prices are a bit higher, I can guarantee that the ingredients are absolutely fresh."

"Those despicable merchants! What kind of price reduction and promotion is this? They're clearly just lowering the quality of the ramen."

"They can't even make their char siu tender and flavorful. I really don't understand why their business is so good."

After taking a few bites of noodles, Furukawa Osamu immediately gave a thumbs up. Upon hearing the complaints, he offered encouragement: "As long as you maintain this quality, you'll soon see a return of customers. Now that everyone's income has increased, more and more people will be pursuing quality."

"Haha, I think so too!"

Just as he was about to say a few more words, he saw Minato Namikaze appear, paused for a moment, and then greeted him warmly, "Hey buddy, want some takeout? We're having a char siu promotion tonight."

"A large bowl of miso char siu is enough. I didn't expect there to be so few people. Only Xiu is here."

Having been busy all this time, Minato was starving. After ordering a large bowl of noodles, he sat down next to Furukawa Shushin.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Minato quickly asked in a low voice, "Shu, we discussed that technique before, the one that cuts off the Eight-Tails' tail. Do you think the severed portion of chakra can protect the Jinchuriki's safety?"

Furukawa Osamu understood the unspoken message: the two had clearly cut off a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra, and to do so must have taken a great deal of effort. "When the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki uses the Tailed Beast's chakra, the Tailed Beast also absorbs the Jinchuriki's own chakra."

"Perhaps this is why Killer Bee rarely uses the Shadow Clone Technique; if it were to be fed back, the chakra in his body might be completely drained."

"When chakra mixes, its quality improves; once it leaves the body, the chakra within the body will be depleted."

"The cut-out part should have some effect, but its vitality will still be a problem, since human chakra cannot compare to that of a tailed beast."

Among the medical department's secret projects was the analysis of the Nine-Tails' chakra, and Osamu Furukawa was already fully aware of the research results.

When the chakra of a Jinchuriki mixes with that of a Tailed Beast, a strange reaction occurs, but the risks also increase. Once the Tailed Beast leaves the Jinchuriki's body, the Jinchuriki's chakra will also be extracted.

Minato's contingency plan was to preserve some chakra to sustain his life, but how long that would last was unknown.

"As expected, developing the power of the tailed beasts carries enormous risks, and the depletion of life force is also a major problem."

Minato didn't ask any further questions. He and Kushina had fought over the Nine-Tails' chakra together, and he had sensed the problem long ago. After receiving confirmation, he could only pray that nothing unexpected would happen.

After the ramen was served by hand, Minato quickly finished his dinner, said goodbye again, and then disappeared immediately.

After finishing his second bowl, Furukawa Osamu finally smiled with satisfaction. Looking in the direction Minato had left, he knew that danger was about to strike.

When he got home, it was already late at night. Minato saw Kushina greeting him with her pregnant belly and immediately went up to hug his wife: "Why aren't you asleep yet? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, it's just that I've been having a bad feeling lately. Maybe I'm worrying too much!"

Kushina pulled Minato to squeeze onto the sofa. As her due date approached, her joy gradually turned into fear. Recently, she even had some terrifying dreams, as if someone was giving her a premonition.

"I've checked with Xiu; even in the worst-case scenario, you'll survive!"

"There must be a solution to the problem of vitality, so don't worry, we will definitely be able to watch our child grow up healthy."

Minato embraced his wife and whispered words of comfort. He felt a pang of regret; perhaps things would have been better if he hadn't developed the power of the Tailed Beasts. That ominous feeling kept surfacing in his mind.

"This little guy must be scaring me!"

"If it were a boy, I would definitely discipline him properly; but if it were a girl, I could forgive him a bit."

Kushina put her premonitions aside, pressed her stomach, and happily imagined the future. Minato also smiled. No matter how tired he was, he would make all the necessary preparations.

In early September, outside Konoha Village, the White Zetsu were searching the ground, and this clumsy search method was unexpectedly successful.

After discovering several houses, a group of White Zetsu gathered together, laughing and joking: "We've found houses with protective barriers here."

"There's one on the east side too! It's very well-prepared!"

"Including the two we found earlier, there seem to be too many houses. How should we inform Lord Ban that we still haven't found the production site?"

The inferior White Zetsu, after careful consideration, couldn't come up with a good solution, and only received new instructions in the afternoon: "Lord Madara tells us to just keep an eye on the Anbu!"

"Once we find the location, Lord Madara will charge straight in, and no barrier can stop the power of his Mangekyou Sharingan."

After receiving instructions, the White Zetsu continued searching for houses and buildings outside the village, as these locations could become the escape points for the Jinchūriki, and Madara needed to mark them in advance.

In the stillness of the night, when even the moonlight was obscured, a vortex appeared, and Obito Uchiha stood atop a building, overlooking the village.

In just a few dozen days, the scene before him might be destroyed. Thinking of his decision, Obito couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

"Shall we go see Nohara Rin?"

"She and Kakashi might die in Nagato's attack."

"That's how Yahiko died with hope. Nagato will never let the Konoha ninja go."

The White Zetsu on his body reminded him again in a comical tone. Obito's eyes twitched, but he was no longer affected by his emotions and coldly replied, "Dying and being resurrected, since someone can do that, what do I have to worry about?"

"Nagato's main target is Orochimaru and his group, so let White Zetsu handle this."

"If we can successfully take the Nine-Tails away, war will break out soon. Peace built on falsehood is so fragile, and ninjas will only kill meaninglessly."

Obito tried to reason with him, but White Zetsu, only interested in watching the spectacle, interrupted again, reminding him, "Shouldn't we go check on Kakashi?"

"They might sleep together!"

"Shut up!"

After Obito recalled certain images, painful emotions surfaced. Fortunately, he was able to frantically remind himself not to lose control and become "Kenji" again as before.

Just as the two were bickering, above the Shadow Rock, Furukawa Shoji crossed his arms and looked up at Obito. The liquid on his shoulder turned into a slug, and a soft, sweet voice rang out: "The Third Hokage has mastered that sealing technique, and the formula was completed yesterday."

"To replenish our life force, should we prepare another White Zetsu clone?"

"Very well, let's see if the Sage of Six Paths will awaken now that the Child of Prophecy has lost the power of the Nine-Tails."

Katsuyu sensed a certain excitement in Furukawa Osamu's tone. She couldn't quite grasp the thrill of altering the "world line," but she still cheerfully replied, "Yes, Osamu-sama!"