Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 166 The Mutually Distrustful "Invaders"...

By the end of September 1951, Amegakure, having quelled the unrest, had restored its pre-war economic state under the rule of Lord Angel.

Although it sounds unbelievable, Kirigakure did secretly relinquish many commissions, and with the Land of Rivers being secretly controlled by Amegakure ninja, Amegakure suddenly entered a phase of rapid development.

After the massacre, the remaining Amegakure ninja remained absolutely loyal to the village. Every Amegakure ninja was thrilled by the angel's wisdom.

The ninjas of small countries rose to prominence amidst the chaos, and the Amegakure ninjas became even more united under these circumstances, leaving even Jiraiya, who was investigating the situation, dumbfounded.

Sunny days seem to be increasing. Jiraiya, disguised as a Rain Village ninja, arrived at the Anbu base in the afternoon to deliver intelligence.

After ordering a specific set meal at the tavern, Jiraiya casually handed over a note, then picked up his glass and loudly joked with the ninjas next to him, "The angel is really amazing! Our income has been increasing these past few months."

"Speaking of which, does anyone know about the seafood program? It seems there's a new department, but I wonder what the pay is like."

A middle-aged ninja in high spirits, his cheeks flushed from drinking, immediately boasted upon hearing Jiraiya's question, "It's said to be about refining some kind of effective substance, but I don't quite understand the requirements."

"But any project initiated by the angel will definitely benefit the village. Even Hanzo agreed to hand over power, which is enough to prove how excellent the angel is."

The Rain Village ninjas gathered in the tavern all praised him, and Jiraiya secretly made a note of it.

He has already relayed the news of the alliance between Kirigakure and Amegakure back to the village, and the investigation into the Land of Rivers is still ongoing.

Jiraiya had seen that angel several times, and to his surprise, it was not the Konan he remembered at all.

Aside from their similar hair color, the girl's aura, voice, and clothing didn't even resemble those of a ninja.

"We hope that our angel will lead us to break free from the control of this great power!"

"Now even Sand Village ninjas are coming here to make a living. It seems the Sand Village has really fallen on hard times."

"Haha, our commissioned task received special attention; it's all thanks to the angel."

The Amegakure ninjas, thoroughly enjoying their drinks, grew increasingly excited. If things continued this way, they believed they would one day be able to break free from the Konoha ninjas' control over them.

With hope for the future, everyone had completely shaken off the self-destructive mood of the previous two years. Jiraiya saw all of this, and his confusion grew: "If it was a negotiation, how did they leave the village?"

"Does Nagato have the ability to control the Mizukage? Has this child gone astray?"

Jiraiya infiltrated the central metal tower more than once, only to find the top floor empty. Although he didn't want to believe it, after observing for so long and eliminating incorrect answers, he concluded: "Amegakure also has ninjas who have mastered space-time ninjutsu."

The Child of Prophecy will not disappear. Jiraiya firmly believed that the Child of Prophecy could change the world. If problems arise, it is clearly the fault of him, the guide.

As he left the tavern, Jiraiya looked once more at the central metal tower, its facade gleaming in the setting sun: "I'll find time to investigate further. Who exactly is that girl?"

Late at night, Konan was giving the puppets a final check. She had completely transformed Tendou Hanzo, adding many summoned weapons to his body.

Not only did the Heavenly Dao become "inhuman," but the other puppets also became alternative "artificial humans," with their joints, brains, and so on all modified. The six puppets really consumed a lot of resources.

After removing her mask and completing the examination, Xiao Nan smiled happily; it was all thanks to her hard work.

Although she couldn't personally avenge Yahiko and her comrades, Nagato's manipulation of these puppets could be considered as her fighting alongside them.

After the laboratory door was pushed open, Nagato, with his red hair, looked at Konan with a gentle smile. He took a deep breath and said softly, "The time has come to make the Konoha ninja feel pain. Don't worry, I'll leave quickly after I've finished the destruction."

"Using the Human Path to gather information from Orochimaru, it seems that the other party has made a deal with Uchiha Madara. This time, we can get to know that cowardly guy."

Black Zetsu secretly leaked the information, and Nagato, upon learning of it, naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. Having the Rinnegan and the Six Paths Technique, he didn't need those Mangekyou Sharingan.

If this threat can be eliminated, he and Minami can better realize Yahiko's dream.

Xiao Nan nodded. She didn't force herself. Although her strength was growing rapidly, it was still too much to break into the Five Great Nations' attack.

Since the plan had changed, she didn't want to hold anyone back. She looked at her friend and whispered her advice: "You still need to practice your Six Paths Technique. Leave the testing work to the Asura Path. Those weapons can handle most ninjas."

""

"It's best not to reveal the abilities of the Hell Path and the Human Path. Use the Hungry Ghost Path for defense and make as much use of the mechanical weapons on the puppets as possible."

"Madara must have left some information unsaid. Nagato, don't be careless. Even if the Hokage is temporarily away, the puppets must be prevented from being surrounded."

77

Nagato immediately assured him that not only Madara had taught him, but Black Zetsu had also secretly imparted some knowledge to him. He didn't want his friend to worry, so he never mentioned it: "Don't worry, with the Animal Path as backup, even without Madara's help, the puppet can return smoothly."

"These are all your hard work, Xiao Nan. I will make good use of them."

Osamu Furukawa's spirit sensed Nagato's confidence. It was possible that Nagato had withheld some of the Six Paths Techniques that Obito had previously taught him, and that Nagato might have learned more about the application of the Rinnegan through other means.

Without an "instruction manual," Nagato doesn't have much time to explore the Rinnegan. Furukawa Osamu has already guessed that it's a technique capable of destroying a village on a large scale.

The girl watched her friend's departing figure with a worried expression. Madara Uchiha clearly had other intentions, but her power was still too weak to help at all.

Amidst her emotional turmoil, Konan felt a surge of special chakra within her: "Give me a few more years, and I will definitely fulfill everyone's dreams."

In early October, Konoha became secretly on edge. Kushina was nearing the end of her term, and the two Hokage, Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi, were quietly busy preparing for the occasion.

Thanks to the secrecy strategy, even the Jonin in the village were unaware of the Jinchuriki, and the direct Anbu were only tasked with inspecting important laboratories.

Only five people knew the production location, and the stone wall was "as solid as a rock" under the protection of the double barrier.

In the evening, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the Hokage Building. Unlike usual, he had changed into combat armor under his loose robe.

Tsunade noticed her teacher's attire and, taking advantage of his puffing smoke, sighed helplessly, "Teacher, you seem to be overreacting! There are still a few days left; there's no need to dress like this every day."

"You felt it too, didn't you, Tsunade? That malice lingering in my heart seems to be growing stronger."

Hiruzen Sarutobi removed his pipe and responded somewhat nervously. The old man looked at his disciple, who seemed hesitant to speak, and solemnly added, "Don't underestimate a ninja's intuition! Although the news won't leak out, there's always an unexpected turn of events."

Tsunade did sense something was wrong before, but after Furukawa Osamu's birthday, she couldn't feel anything anymore. During this time, she kept buying lottery tickets and lost a fortune.

All signs indicate that nothing should have happened in the village.

On the contrary, she was caught red-handed by Furukawa Osamu when she gambled, and when the two practiced together every night, the teacher's authority disappeared again.

"Sarutobi-sensei, we have made all the necessary preparations."

"With Shu and Orochimaru here in the village, once the delivery is over, I will assist Kushina in revitalizing parts of her body. With her physique, she will definitely be able to easily suppress the Nine-Tails."

"With Minato's sealing technique, there won't be any problems."

Tsunade, resting her chin on her hand, gave a simple reply. Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi shake his head slightly, she couldn't help but glance at him sideways and retort, "Old man, don't always be so pessimistic. You were just like that during the Five Kage Summit, and nothing happened!"

Instead of spending all your time studying those sealing techniques, spend more time with your family.

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't describe his feelings, but Tsunade was right. They had prepared for the worst. Even with the arrangement of the techniques, it would be difficult for a Kage like him to break through the defense head-on. "Just consider this old man being paranoid. I will secretly follow the Anbu members these next few days."

"What remains at school are shadow clones; if any problems arise, I will react immediately."

Tsunade reluctantly agreed, then immediately got up. It was time to go home and have dinner with her disciple. She glanced at the time and said with a smile, "Time to go home, old man!"

"At your age, it's time to learn to enjoy life."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that his disciple seemed to have become younger, both physically and mentally. He inexplicably thought of Tsunade and Osamu Furukawa's slightly intimate behavior, took a puff of his cigarette and sighed inwardly, "Looks like I really am getting old, starting to overthink things."

On October 8th, Obito Uchiha, who had been secretly lurking, met up with Nagato. When he saw that Nagato was also dressed in a black robe and mask, Obito's eyes twitched.

Both wore tiger-striped masks, but their eyes were different. At first glance, they looked like the same person.

"I thought you would manipulate those puppets to meet me."

"Nagato, you seem to have become more confident. Very good. As the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, you should have this kind of magnanimity!"

""

Although Obito harbored doubts, he still maintained the demeanor of a strongman when he spoke.

The mask concealed Nagato's expression. He pulled out two scrolls from his wide black robe, showed them to Nagato, and replied in a deep voice, "These puppets do indeed need your help to send to Konoha Village. Their sensory barrier is very troublesome."

"I will quickly kill the Konoha ninja. Do you need my help?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, there are three Kage waiting for you. In that situation, how will you release the Nine-Tails?"

Obito gave Nagato a deep look and continued to boast about his power in Madara Uchiha's tone: "I said that once I release the Nine-Tails with the Tail Release Seal, it will turn back into my summoning beast."

"If a few more Kage come, they will only face death before the power of Kurama and me."

Seeing Nagato nod, Obito pondered for a moment before adding, "I must remind you that there is an extremely powerful force within Konoha. I have already given you information about Furukawa Osamu."

"Don't be careless. The opponent possesses the same Sage Mode power as Hashirama Senju. Be careful of his Flying Thunder God Technique."

"Unless you intend to abandon these puppets, you must kill them as soon as possible. The secrets of ninjas cannot be easily revealed."

"If you need help, just notify me using White Zetsu."

Nagato frowned slightly as he recalled the Sage Mode power described in the intelligence report, but he quickly calmed himself down.

He came to make the Konoha ninjas suffer, gather intelligence, fight, and then leave. He had no interest in being Madara's pawn, and he didn't harbor much malice towards the boy who had once helped them.

"I hope you really mean what you say!"

Nagato muttered something and then put the scroll back into his ninja tool bag. If possible, he didn't want to sacrifice these puppets, as they were equipment that Konan had worked hard to make.

Obito vanished in a vortex, while Black Zetsu reappeared on the ground, approached Nagato, and respectfully said, "Lord Nagato, I have already selected several locations for you to control the Six Paths Puppet."

"Some spells have already been set up, so even if the puppets are destroyed, we can withdraw with ease."

Nagato nodded. Although he wasn't particularly clever, he had gleaned some information from Black Zetsu: the other party didn't seem to have much faith in his puppet.

This indicates that Black Zetsu and Madara had previously fought against Furukawa Osamu. Nagato moved along with them without making a sound, but secretly pondered, "This Konoha boy seems to have many secrets, which is why the two of them are so wary."

Late at night on the 9th, Tsunade leaned against Furukawa Osamu's side. The two had just finished their daily training and were now talking quietly while looking at the moon in the courtyard.

"Does the teacher want me to protect the village? Looks like Minato-kun is going to be a father!"

"Don't worry, I will protect everyone."

Upon hearing her disciple's promise, Tsunade immediately turned to look at her profile, seemingly feeling that her request was a bit excessive. She then added in a low voice, "This is Sarutobi-sensei's premonition! I haven't sensed anything, and I've even lost a lot of money these past few days."

"If you really encounter an enemy, just do your best to protect the young people. The Jonin class is all in the village, so there are many tasks you don't need to do."

"That old man has kept me up these past few nights! I have no idea what he's so worried about."

Furukawa Osamu chuckled softly and suddenly hugged his teacher tightly. Tsunade felt the hand on her waist trying to twist, but her body was too weak to exert any strength.

"Teacher, please get some rest tonight. There are important things to do tomorrow."

Just as Tsunade was about to scold him, Furukawa Osamu stood up. He tried to get up as well, but his legs gave way and he almost fell into his disciple's arms.

"Put me down, Xiu..."

Furukawa Osamu didn't respond. He simply carried Tsunade back to the bedroom as usual, covered her with a blanket, and then said softly, "Teacher, don't push yourself. Your body is about to complete its transformation."

"Get a good night's sleep so you can better protect the village. If trouble arises, remember to use the chakra you've accumulated. I'll replenish it for you later."

Feeling inexplicably sleepy and her face flushed, Tsunade vaguely saw her disciple's face in the dimly lit room. No longer looking at his concerned gaze, she turned and whispered, "You too. Thank you, Shu!"