Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

Chapter 15 The Broken String... (Part 2)

On December 21st, Sakumo Hatake personally put an end to the undercurrents that had recently appeared in the village.

The news of Konoha's White Fang suddenly ending his life was immediately suppressed by the Third Hokage and the Anbu.

Inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply and looked at the Anbu member in front of him again to confirm:

"Is it confirmed as suicide?"

"Based on the preliminary investigation and Kakashi Hatake's own account, it has been determined that Lord Sakumo committed suicide."

The ANBU member wearing the fox mask knelt on the ground and responded in a low voice, seemingly unable to accept this outcome. After a moment of silence, he asked:

"Lord Hokage, shall we continue the investigation?"

"Since it's already decided, let's leave it at that. The Dark Division still has a lot of work to do."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had given the instructions, watched his direct subordinates disappear, a look of sadness immediately appeared on his face.

The atmosphere of war grew stronger, and as Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi needed to unite everyone. Even though he knew that Root was making some underhanded moves, he ultimately acquiesced.

In the eyes of the higher-ups, arguments and accusations were of no use to an elite Jonin, since the major ninja clans had never made a statement.

"Hiruzen, it's time for us to go visit Kakashi Hatake."

“If this child develops ‘darkness’ and is drawn to Danzo because of this, it will be a loss for us.”

"His talents should be used in the village."

Koharu, who was squinting, suddenly spoke up to remind him, while Homura Mitokado shook his head, seemingly having a different opinion, and simply added:

“The Root also inherited the Will of Fire, but Kakashi Hatake’s talent should not be used for ‘darkness’.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the Hokage hat, didn't respond directly. He took two deep drags on his pipe before speaking in a low voice:

"Shu should be with Kakashi. This child has gained Tsunade's approval, and he will help Kakashi through this difficult time."

"Let's go. Sakumo will end his ninja career as a hero."

-

Yesterday afternoon I was instructing the two on swordsmanship, but this morning I parted from them forever.

The blood-stained chakra dagger reminded Furukawa Osamu that all of this was real, and Kakashi, now a "puppet," knelt motionless beside Hatake Sakumo.

Upon receiving the news, the Jonin visited discreetly. Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi bowed, and Furukawa Shuichi returned the bow.

"I didn't expect Lord Sakumo to leave so suddenly. Perhaps I should have noticed sooner..."

"Shikaku!"

With a serious expression, Yamanaka Inoichi, with his long brown hair, interrupted his companion, saying that the way the ninja clan survives is to bet on both sides, so that they can always be the "winners".

"Perhaps Mr. Sakumo is too tired. I am very grateful for the help from the team leaders."

Furukawa Osamu bowed his head in thanks. As Tsunade's disciple, he had a good relationship with the Hokage-affiliated ninja clans and had received guidance from the three during missions.

"Xiu, please let us know if you need any help."

The voluptuous Akimichi Choza wore a sorrowful expression and whispered his instructions. Furukawa Osamu nodded in acknowledgment again. When the Third Hokage arrived, the atmosphere became even more somber.

...

Kakashi didn't know who had arrived, nor what they had said.

When he delivered breakfast and found his father lying in a pool of blood, his mind went blank until Osamu Furukawa arrived, at which point he broke down in tears.

Night fell again, and the gentle voice of Sakumo Hatake would never again echo in this mansion.

In the corridor, Kakashi stared blankly at the dark night sky, and asked in a hoarse voice:

"...Which is more important, the mission or the companions?"

Why would the rescued companions blame their father?

"Because the mission failed?"

Why did my father choose suicide? He was a hero, yet he ended his life with that dagger...

What exactly is the Will of Fire?

Despite having lived in this world for seven years, Osamu Furukawa still couldn't give the correct answer because he hadn't personally experienced what Sakumo Hatake had gone through:

"In my opinion, close peers are more important, which is also the teacher's choice."

"We can only respect the way the teacher leaves. As for other issues, I have no right to lecture you."

"Kakashi, examine the world with questions in mind, and then seek the answers."

"As long as we live well, all the doubts will be resolved."

"This world possesses chakra, miraculous energy; life shouldn't be like this..."

By the end, Furukawa Osamu's voice was barely audible. Kakashi, still unable to resolve his doubts, could only murmur softly:

"Should we survive?"

Late at night, Furukawa Osamu approached Hatake Sakumo once more, looking at this senior who had taken such good care of him. He placed his right hand on his chest and silently murmured:

"Mr. Sakumo, perhaps you can provide the answer."

"..."

A ball of white energy, invisible to ordinary people, appeared in Furukawa Osamu's palm. As this energy was sent into his body, drowsiness washed over him.

-

Unlike the bloody nightmares of previous years, what Osamu Furukawa saw were only mountains of corpses.

From genin to chunin, and then to elite jonin, Sakumo Hatake constantly lost his comrades.

Lacking sufficient strength to protect his companions, yet possessing formidable power, he is forced to abandon some of his comrades to save more people due to the mission.

The short swords, radiating a white light, relentlessly slashed at the enemy ninjas. The dead were of all nationalities, and those who fell into pools of blood all wore expressions of ferocity and anguish.

"For the sake of the village's mission, I'll kill anyone..."

The earth cracked open, a boy's mangled body lay beneath the rubble, three people knelt amidst a mass of corpses, wailing loudly, and Sakumo Hatake, searching for survivors, bowed his head, his face contorted in pain.

"A wrong decision?!"

Expectations, accusations, insults, the Hokage's comforting words, and the higher-ups' indifference towards the deceased—the anguish grew with each passing day, until finally the short sword, which had been radiating white light, was stained with blood.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi, I'm not the hero you admire."

"..."

When Furukawa Osamu woke up, his head was throbbing with pain. It was still dark outside. The mental shock caused him to feel frustrated and guilty, which took a while to gradually dissipate.

Gathering his thoughts, Furukawa Osamu gave a self-deprecating smile. Perhaps he had never truly considered himself a ninja, and was therefore unable to fully empathize.

"Self-blame? It's the world's fault! Teacher, death means the end of everything."

Drawing the short sword beside him, Furukawa Osamu closed his eyes, searching for the instincts he had developed after "gathering" energy. As wind-attribute chakra slowly flowed into it, the White Fang short sword emitted a white light.

"Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation".

When wielding the short sword, Osamu Furukawa felt as if it were an extension of his own arm, and his honed swordsmanship became an integral part of his body.

Even after daybreak, Jonin still made a low-key visit, and Kakashi accompanied them to pay his respects. Ninjas need to face death with equanimity.

As the Hokage's direct ANBU began to take over the follow-up matters, they saw Kakashi expressionlessly throw the short sword aside. Furukawa Osamu picked it up and hung it back on Kakashi's back.

“Take him with you to find the answer. Teacher Sakumo will be watching over you from the Pure Land.”

"..."

Chapter 16 Ninja Destiny

In early January of Konoha Year 45, the arrival of the New Year brought bustling activity to the village's commercial street once again.

Theaters, which are usually unpopular, have seen a surge in moviegoers. In the newly opened teahouses and dessert shops on Tea Street, many people choose to enjoy tea while watching Naruto's Shadow Rock.

While most people were celebrating the New Year, several figures dressed in black casual clothes lingered for a long time in front of the memorial monument not far from the training ground.

"Neither life nor death has any meaning."

"If death has any meaning, it only exists when it can be used."

“Sakumo has escaped the fate of a ninja; he no longer needs to fight like a beast.”

Orochimaru, who had been silent all along, looked at Sakumo Hatake's tombstone and spoke these words in a low, hoarse voice. Jiraiya, standing beside him, frowned and instinctively retorted:

"You're making wild definitions again. This world will eventually change."

"Jiraiya, you're still so naive! The so-called child of prophecy can't solve any problems."

Orochimaru, expressionless, looked at his companions and gave his opinion, then, ignoring their emotions, continued in a low voice:

"In my view, if life has any meaning, it must be when life is eternal."

“Xiu, perhaps you can understand me. When we first met, I saw in you a longing for ‘life’.”

Tsunade, in a bad mood, turned and glared at Orochimaru. Since the Second Shinobi World War, her comrade had changed a lot, and now she was even acting strangely.

"Eternity? The Sage of Six Paths will dissipate, and even a ninja like my grandfather will eventually meet his end."

"Orochimaru, you still prefer those pointless fantasies!"

After a brief exchange among the three Sannin, none of them could convince the other two. Tsunade, with her blonde hair, didn't want to discuss this nonsensical topic any longer and decisively said in a low voice:

"I don't like Root's secret assessment of ninjas. They were the ones who manipulated the earliest appearance of this rumor."

“Ninjas who have experienced war are often not that strong; Konoha ninjas are not tools.”

For the sake of the village's stability, Root conducts regular evaluations of each ninja.

Loyalty, life direction, and mission inclinations are all thoroughly investigated by Root, with the evaluation of the Uchiha clan being particularly rigorous.

Furukawa Osamu didn't immediately join the discussion among the three. It wasn't until Tsunade fell silent again that he took over the conversation:

"Perhaps this is also a manifestation of the trauma of war."

"Jonin Takagi also chose to commit suicide after completing his mission, and a similar situation has occurred at Konoha Hospital."

“I respect Professor Sakumo’s choice, but life really shouldn’t be like this.”

After Ichiro Furukawa and his wife sacrificed themselves for the mission, Jonin Takagi, who led the team, returned to the village and committed suicide out of guilt less than a month later.

One reason was that he was injured and unable to continue his ninja career, but the main reason was his emotional breakdown after witnessing the tragic death of a friend he had known for many years.

"Someone will change all of this; this is the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage!"

"War will end, and people will eventually understand each other..."

Jiraiya suddenly spoke up to encourage him, and when talking about the Child of Prophecy, he couldn't help but recall the three disciples he had taught in the past, and a resolute expression appeared on his face.

"Why are you still so naive after everything you've been through?!"

"Sarutobi-sensei will respond soon. Once the five major powers clash, war will break out again."

After Orochimaru's brief response, a mocking expression appeared on his face. He then slowly turned around and reminded Furukawa Osamu once again:

"Some people in the higher-ups have suggested that young geniuses participate in this year's Chunin Exams in order to showcase the village's strength."

"Shu, prepare yourself. Tsunade's teachings are too lenient. I expect you to kill all your opponents..."

"Orochimaru, don't you dare point fingers at me!"

Tsunade responded loudly, quite annoyed, and looked at Orochimaru's back with a rather unpleasant expression.

It was definitely Danzo and his group who suggested participating in the Chunin Exams; they had clearly assessed Furukawa Osamu's strength.

Lately, most of the time the three of them met ended badly, something Jiraiya had gotten used to. He scratched his head helplessly, then tried to smooth things over for the higher-ups:

"When you went to the Land of Hot Springs to purchase herbs, Danzo and the others discussed this matter, but at that time, no one in the Jonin class recommended Shu to participate in the Joint Exams."

"The two advisors sided with Danzo, and the old man didn't object in the end, so it shouldn't be that dangerous..."

Tsunade, her anger rising, was about to retort, but Furukawa Osamu calmly replied:

"For the Chunin Exams, I can handle it alone. Guy lacks experience and needs to hone his skills for a few more years."

"I can agree on behalf of the higher-ups! I'll get myself in the right mindset these next few months."