Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

Chapter 176 The Mad Serpent

In late December of Konoha Year 51, as the New Year approached, the battle on the front lines of the Land of Grass continued.

Under the cover of their two Jinchūriki, the Iwagakure ninja, fearless and relentless, steadily advanced using large-scale combined ninjutsu and are now close to the border of the Land of Fire.

Unlike the last war, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, successfully used the power of the Tailed Beast to restrain the Yellow Flash.

In Lava Release Chakra Mode, Roshi received a significant boost, and in their most recent encounter, even Minato's Rasengan failed to seriously injure this Jinchuriki.

Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, also played a significant role, leading the charge in every mission. His ferocious taijutsu and Boil Release techniques caused considerable trouble for the Konoha ninja.

Although Han was slightly inferior in developing the power of the Tailed Beasts, his brutal Tailed Beast transformation made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel restricted in his fight.

Defending against Tailed Beast Balls is no easy task. Fortunately, the opponent cannot frequently transform into a Tailed Beast, and the battle eventually turned into a war of attrition between the two sides.

Neither side was satisfied with the stalemate. With the New Year approaching, both sides wanted to strike hard against their opponent in one fell swoop, and they had been holding frequent meetings to discuss strategies in recent days.

In the Konoha camp, several Jonin were discussing how to deal with the Tailed Beasts. The Iwagakure ninjas were clearly trying to have their Jinchuriki use the Tailed Beast Ball to restrain them, and Konoha had to unleash its strongest fighting force.

Having been on the front lines for a month and through several encounters, Minato had gathered intelligence on his opponents. At this moment, he solemnly suggested, "The Jinchuriki hasn't fully mastered that special chakra mode, and the Tailed Beast's chakra is putting a heavy burden on his body."

"Old Purple shouldn't be able to fight for a long time, this is our chance."

Each time the tailed beast transforms, it causes great damage to the Jinchuriki. The chakra carrying malice not only burns the body, but also erodes the Jinchuriki's will.

This is also why Rōshi and Han cannot maintain their tailed beast forms for long periods of time. If they do so for too long, they may even lose themselves, and if they attack indiscriminately, the Iwagakure ninjas will also suffer.

"Shuimen is right, we need to adjust our strategy in accordance with him."

"Once the Jinchuriki retreats, it will be time for everyone to counterattack."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, solemnly instructed him that his main responsibility was to deal with Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, a "steam ninja" whose strength was extremely formidable even without using his tailed beast transformation.

Its massive size of over 2.2 meters and immense strength alone are a huge problem; when it leads the charge, ordinary ninjas are no match for it.

Nara Shikaku and the others quickly offered their opinions: although Jinchuriki are powerful, they can still be defeated if their weaknesses are exploited.

The problem is that attacks like the Tailed Beast Ball can be detrimental. Once the opponent lets their guard down and deliberately targets ordinary ninjas, Minato Namikaze has to take care of everyone. This is also why the Iwagakure ninjas achieved their victory.

Kakashi, the youngest member of the camp, remained silent until the meeting ended. When he and several elites stayed behind, he heard about the Tailed Beasts Project and his mind stirred. After a moment of contemplation, he remained silent again.

"Iwagakure is indeed on guard, Hokage-sama. Should we focus our attention on Takigakure?"

"But this means the battlefront will have to be shifted southward."

Nara Shikaku asked in a low voice, while Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi beside him looked at the map, thinking that stretching out the battle lines might put more pressure on the supply lines.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't entirely satisfied with Root's plan, given the long-standing friendly relationship between Takigakure and Konoha. However, considering the importance of the Tailed Beasts, he finally explained in a low voice, "We only need to cover a few small teams from Root. Takigakure has complex terrain, so this operation needs to remain covert."

When the three left, Kakashi, who was left behind, hesitated for a moment, but considering the interests of the village, he finally spoke up: "Teacher, Third Hokage, I have important information."

"The Three-Tails of Kirigakure may revive soon, making it easier to capture this ownerless tailed beast."

Minato had a general understanding of what happened back then, and a fleeting look of surprise crossed his face before he took the initiative to speak: "If the intelligence is correct, we can indeed participate in the capture."

"Lord Hokage, it is certainly possible to make further preparations."

Upon hearing their conversation, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not inquire about the source of the information. After a moment's thought, he agreed and then instructed his direct subordinates to relay the compiled information back to the village.

As they stepped out of the tent, Minato patted Kakashi on the shoulder, and the two gazed at the snow-covered earth in silence for a long while.

"Teacher, the information is correct, but it involves Lin, so I haven't mentioned it before."

Kakashi reiterated his assurance that Rin, who had been resurrected, no longer had any monsters inside her, and that the tailed beasts would not truly die and would definitely revive again.

Seeing that Kakashi's expression was not good, Minato did not ask what had happened, but smiled and comforted him, "This information alone is enough. The rest can be left to the Anbu to investigate."

"This way, the village will have more options."

Kakashi instinctively let out a long breath. He had never dared to recall what happened back then. He hadn't expected that the Nine-Tails would be lost. He instinctively sniffed the air twice to make sure no one else was nearby before asking in a low voice, "Sensei, what exactly happened that night?"

"So far, the attacker's identity still cannot be confirmed?"

Kakashi knew that Minato had suffered a very serious injury to his shoulder, and he couldn't imagine what kind of ninja could hurt his teacher who possessed such incredible speed.

"This matter needs to be kept secret for now. The other party is extremely powerful and also possesses space-time ninjutsu."

"Kakashi, don't overthink it. Your intelligence has already helped the village solve a major problem."

Minato offered two more words of comfort, but as he recalled the night when the family of three nearly died on the spot, the smile on his face gradually faded. He had to end the current war as soon as possible.

The thought that the mysterious enemy had mastered the power of the Nine-Tails made Minato somewhat worried about the future. The other party clearly had a huge unknown plan, and he needed to investigate it thoroughly before he could feel at ease.

When Kakashi returned to his tent, Might Guy and Hyuga Shuichi were still discussing how to deal with the Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han's surprise attack.

"Kakashi, what's the next step?"

"That big guy is too troublesome; its recovery speed is beyond human capabilities."

Might Guy rarely complained. He had managed to restrain his opponent several times with his speed, but the fact that the enemy was still "alive and kicking" even after being seriously injured made him truly appreciate the power of the tailed beast.

"Kai, the battle plan cannot be revealed casually."

Hyuga Shuichi was in much better condition than usual when he arrived at the battlefield. He was no longer required to go on arranged marriages and was temporarily freed from the control of the main family. He temporarily regained his "freedom".

"We just need to work with the other teams to keep the Jinchuriki occupied. Minato will come to support us after he gets rid of Rōshi."

""

"Don't push yourself too hard; this kind of opponent is not someone we can easily handle."

Kakashi gave a simple reply, looking at Might Guy and Hyuga Shuichi's energetic appearance, and thought of Obito again, a look of nostalgia appearing on his face: "Obito, this time I will protect everyone."

Six days before the New Year, news of the battlefield in the Land of Grass reached Konoha. Minato Namikaze single-handedly held off two Jinchuriki, and Konoha ninjas severely damaged the Iwagakure front-line troops.

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, arrived on the battlefield without warning and engaged in a fierce battle with the Third Hokage.

The battle between the Kage destroyed a small hill, and the Iwagakure ninja's encirclement operation completely failed, but the Konoha ninja also paid a considerable price.

After the battle, the Land of Grass was temporarily at peace before the New Year, which relieved the Konoha ninjas who remained in the village, allowing them to have a peaceful New Year.

Since receiving the corpse, the intelligence department has encountered considerable trouble. Faced with the puppets that have been modified beyond recognition, they are unable to obtain any useful information.

On the eastern edge of the village, in a small building temporarily used by the intelligence department, a Yamanaka clan ninja was reporting the progress in a low voice: "Lord Shu, so far we have only extracted some information from this body."

"The other party may be Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, but the residual information in his brain cannot be fully confirmed yet."

"The enemy used an incredible method of modification, and we can't even be sure if Hanzo is really alive in this state."

In the end, the Yamanaka clan ninjas showed shame; they had spent so long analyzing the corpses, yet they hadn't obtained any useful information.

"It's alright, don't blame yourself. Even without concrete information, we can still make bold assumptions."

"Have you traced the origin of these weapons?"

Furukawa asked softly, and the young ninja from the Yamanaka clan became even more ashamed, immediately bowing his head to apologize: "We cannot find out the source, Lord Furukawa. According to the records and the information we have gathered, even the Land of Lightning cannot complete such a craft."

"These weapons are too sophisticated; no similar weapons or equipment have ever appeared in the ninja world."

Other intelligence personnel also bowed their heads. This explanation sounded like an excuse for their incompetence, which was why they hadn't been able to report accurately for two months.

"A craft that even the Land of Lightning couldn't accomplish?"

"Yes, Lord Xiu, we can't even resupply these weapons with ammunition. No craftsman can make those tracking explosive devices."

After answering with a forced smile, the people in the intelligence agency nearly collapsed to their knees; their complete ignorance was the best description of them.

After learning the truth, Furukawa Osamu pretended to be angry, reprimanded the Hokage on behalf of the Hokage, and then encouraged him. Hearing that the Hokage did not intend to hold anyone accountable, many people shed tears.

After arriving at the laboratory, Furukawa Osamu didn't feel any heartache looking at the puppet that had been dismantled into pieces. The Asura Path was the most advanced, and he already had it in his hands: "I will have members of the medical department come to cooperate with you."

"Even if we can't analyze the intelligence, this kind of body modification technology is worth learning."

"Everyone, cheer up! We need to work together during the reconstruction period."

"Yes, Lord Xiu!"

Everyone responded loudly. Not being held accountable was already the best outcome. These corpses had become a nightmare for many ninjas, who really didn't know what the enemy was all about.

After completing his inspections of several departments, Furukawa Osamu arrived at the hidden base in the southeast corner of the village in the afternoon.

The laboratory built deep underground in the dense forest was unaffected by the attack. It was one of Orochimaru's backup laboratories, which he retreated to after being seriously injured.

It took Furukawa Osamu a long time to find Orochimaru, who had been reincarnated again. Unlike before, he had been reincarnated hastily, and the vessel was now showing signs of collapse.

In the dimly lit room, Orochimaru was unable to get up; the useful female body had not even been modified yet.

"Xiu, did you get any useful information from those corpses?"

Upon hearing Orochimaru's cold, hoarse voice asking the question, Furukawa Osamu shook his head and simply explained, "There's no useful information. I think your guess is correct, Sensei. This is a unique ability of the Rinnegan. Such a technique has transcended the scope of ordinary ninjutsu."

"Teacher, why not use that prepared vessel? Although it failed to fuse the power of the Senju and Uchiha, it's still much better than this body."

Orochimaru chuckled, looking at his now-tall disciple, and once again displayed his ambition: "The ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan is not what I pursue. You should have experienced it, shouldn't you? The power called the Mangekyou Sharingan!"

Seeing Furukawa Osamu nod in "disappointment," Orochimaru's eyes lit up with fervor as he continued, "The Uchiha bloodline in the village isn't good enough. I don't think they've inherited Madara Uchiha's exceptional talent."

""

"This is also why it is impossible to fuse the Senju and Uchiha bloodlines. Hashirama Senju's power is too great, and a bloodline that matches his power must be found."

"Only by merging with this power can one pursue the power of the Sage of Six Paths and thus grasp all truths."

Furukawa Osamu felt that Orochimaru had become somewhat deranged, and secretly noted down his "illness" in his mind.

Unlike the last time when he was injected with venom by the White Snake Sage and turned into a snake, this time Orochimaru officially used the Reanimation Jutsu. It seems that his ninjutsu still needs to be improved.

"Teacher, you may not be able to change the container for a while."

"I've examined this body. Fortunately, it has improved cyborg cells. With active treatment, it should be fine for a few years."

"Danzo has been searching for you recently. After the Anbu personnel were injured, Root has been temporarily reactivated."

Orochimaru frowned upon hearing Furukawa's introduction. Danzo, of course, had ill intentions; the other party wanted to break free of the cursed seal, and seeking him out at this time was clearly an attempt to kick him while he was down. "How interesting! As expected of the Dark Ninja, this forbearance has finally paid off."

"Shu, I'll have to trouble you during this time. Once I've stabilized this body, I'll be able to have a proper talk with Danzo."

"You'll find this knowledge useful if you're talking about body modification."

Furukawa Osamu took the scroll. In order to match the Sage Chakra, Orochimaru had been constantly researching body modification, and Orochimaru had a lot of experience in how to create a "tough" body.

"This is all the knowledge about software modification and the method of creating a substitute. Once the body modification is complete, we can visit Amegakure."

"The Eye of the Sage, what an incredible ability! Since the opponent still has a weakness, we should definitely make good use of it!"

As Orochimaru spoke, he stuck out his long tongue again. He didn't tell Furukawa Osamu about the deal with the Mangekyou Sharingan user. Internal strife within the enemy was his opportunity.

Although Orochimaru didn't want to admit it, he was currently unable to cope with that legendary power. This reincarnation made him even more eager for it, as it was the best body to pursue eternity.

Furukawa Osamu planned to transform the Jinchuriki, White Zetsu, into a "biological exoskeleton." Now that he had all this knowledge, Orochimaru was completely drained: "Teacher, please be extra careful!"

Orochimaru nodded, looking at Furukawa Osamu activating the device. He felt that his disciple's attitude seemed to have changed somewhat, but after careful observation, he felt that it was still as respectful as ever: "So it really is a problem with this frail body?"

"Without power, even the original capacity has been affected."

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