Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha

The Konoha ninjas cleaning up the battlefield were all quite young, only around 15 years old. Upon seeing Furukawa Osamu appear, they all bowed respectfully, their faces showing reverence.

"Master Xiu!"

"Thanks to Lord Xiu's water-style ninjutsu and antidote!"

"Lord Xiu is truly kind..."

Furukawa Osamu nodded in response, then bent down to close the eyes of the hideous corpse on the ground. After completing the [collection], a look of grief appeared on his small face.

Orochimaru watched with great interest as Furukawa Osamu went around comforting the dead, a strange smile appearing on his pale face. Finally, he stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips...

At dinner time, Orochimaru approached Furukawa Osamu and said with a hoarse laugh:

"Shu, your performance on the battlefield far exceeded my expectations! It's a waste of your talent to be by Tsunade's side."

"Lord Orochimaru, there's no need to say that. Without Tsunade's guidance, I wouldn't have the strength I have now."

After finishing the jerky, Furukawa shook his head in response, but Orochimaru remained unconvinced and continued to expound on his theories:

"You can call me teacher. The Second Hokage's Water Release ninjutsu is indeed very suitable for you!"

“These Sand Village ninja are no match for you and cannot test your abilities. Xiu, I can still guide you in Wind Release ninjutsu later.”

"Tsunade asked me to take care of you before, but we both know that only through killing can we better understand the meaning of life!"

Furukawa Osamu adopted a listening expression, but seeing Orochimaru's unstoppable "talk-no-jutsu," he inwardly thought helplessly:

"No wonder they're child traffickers; they're really good at fooling 'little kids'..."

"..."

Chapter 50 "Your darkness is not enough..." (Part 1)

At the end of June in Konoha 47, on the border of the Land of Rain, Sunagakure retreated completely to the Land of Wind, and Konoha achieved a phased victory.

The reason for such a decisive victory was mainly due to Orochimaru's reckless fighting style.

In addition, Fugaku Uchiha's appearance on the battlefield immediately after his son's birth greatly boosted morale!

The clan leader led the charge, and the Uchiha ninjas went "crazy" in the battle.

After pushing the enemy back to their "home base" in one fell swoop, Orochimaru had to wait for instructions from the village's higher-ups. With the supply lines stretched thin, he didn't want to venture too far in rashly.

Despite Danzo relaying the message of an alliance agreement with Amegakure to the front lines through Root, Orochimaru remained unconvinced and only conducted routine inspections in the last few days of June.

...

The incessant drizzle caused the house to become moldy. Inside the dilapidated room, Fugaku Uchiha listened intently to his trusted aides' report, his brow furrowing when he heard about the Root organization:

"The village hasn't decided to launch a surprise attack on the Land of Wind yet, but Danzo has already started urging Orochimaru."

"We haven't received any accurate information about the alliance with Amegakure. It seems that the Root ninjas started their operation quite some time ago."

"Aside from the losses, this operation was a great success. Clan chief, will the village leadership recall Orochimaru?"

The white-haired Eighth Hokage of Uchiha, also dressed in Konoha's white armor, showed a proud look on his face when talking about his achievements, noting that the Uchiha clan suffered very few casualties.

Fugaku Uchiha only participated in the last few localized conflicts. Unlike his confidants, he wasn't optimistic; instead, he responded in a deep voice:

“If the village chooses to recall at this time, it is bound to cause great dissatisfaction, because we have not gained much benefit at present.”

"Just like in previous wars, the village's rewards are not enough to meet the expectations of the ninjas who went into battle."

"The recall may also mean that the higher-ups are dissatisfied with Orochimaru. He is too close to Danzo and his style of doing things is very radical."

The Eighth Hokage hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. He felt that being more aggressive was better, as it would allow the Uchiha's reputation to be displayed on the battlefield...

Seemingly sensing what his confidant wanted to say, Fugaku Uchiha bluntly stated his meaning, staring at the other man and speaking in a low voice:

"If there is anyone in the higher-ups who has always been hostile to us, it must be Danzo."

"Don't have any illusions. The Root ninjas have never given up monitoring the Uchiha clan!"

"If the village recalls, we will increase our support for Tsunade. The new Hokage will not allow his advisor to take away his power. This is our opportunity."

The existence of Root is the greatest threat to the Uchiha clan, and the die-hards led by Danzo will not give any Uchiha ninja any chance to enter the upper echelons.

Uchiha Yatsuho, who still harbored dreams of becoming Hokage, was somewhat frustrated. He had originally planned to suggest to the clan head that they make a name for themselves in the war, but it turned out the other party had no such intention at all.

"Yes, clan leader, I understand!"

"Many clansmen currently admire Osamu Furukawa. The Senju clan has indeed produced an outstanding ninja."

Fugaku Uchiha nodded. He had also learned about Osamu Furukawa's record. Apart from being somewhat merciful, he had performed exceptionally well in other aspects.

-

The Uchiha clan members were discussing Danzo, while the Root leader was trying to sow discord between Orochimaru and the Hokage.

As an outpost, Danzo led his officers to complete the mission successfully, reaching an agreement with Hanzo that if an attack were launched, the Land of Rain would even be willing to provide some supplies as support.

However, the arrival of the Hokage's direct ANBU thwarted Danzo's plans, and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, halted the advance.

Orochimaru also chose a dilapidated house as his camp, but his environment was slightly better. He rarely went out these days and spent most of his time directing operations from the rear.

Danzo, carrying a long sword, exuded a chilling aura, and his bandaged right eye added to his fierce appearance in the dim light.

"Hiruzen has indeed grown old! He wasted our opportunity, Orochimaru. It seems your teacher no longer trusts you."

"Having achieved such a record, why choose to recall you in the end? Attrition? That's just an excuse."

Orochimaru didn't take Danzo's provocation to heart. In fact, he had expected it all along; his teacher wouldn't risk the lives of Konoha ninja for unseen benefits.

"Maybe you're right, but I don't want to waste my time here."

"It seems that Sunagakure is shifting its internal conflicts onto the war. Killing those tools of war is meaningless to me."

“I know what you’re worried about, Danzo. You can’t stop Tsunade from becoming Hokage. If she wants it, the position will be hers.”

Orochimaru's pale face showed a mocking expression. Although he was interested in becoming Hokage, he wouldn't mind giving way if his rival was an old friend.

At that time, all the power in Danzo's hands will be his, and Orochimaru has no interest in letting "Root" reappear in the Anbu.

Danzo's eye twitched, but thankfully the bandages concealed most of his expression. He didn't argue with Orochimaru, but instead squinted and turned to look at the "invisible" Furukawa Osamu beside him:

"So this is Tsunade's disciple? No wonder she has chosen him as a genius."

"But in my opinion, your capacity is not enough."

Wearing a Chunin uniform, Furukawa Osamu bowed slightly, his face showing no anger, and calmly said:

"I still have a lot to learn. I owe a great deal to Orochimaru-sensei for taking care of me during this war."

Danzo ignored the pleasantries, staring intently at Furukawa Osamu with his left eye, radiating a murderous aura. After a long while, he asked in a deep voice:

"On a sinking ship, there are 10 of your companions, one of whom has a deadly infectious disease. If he survives, everyone else will die!"

"Osamu Furukawa, as the captain, what decision will you ultimately make?"

Orochimaru also looked at Furukawa Osamu with great interest, as he was also very curious to hear what kind of answer he would get.

"As a medical ninja, I will control the source of infection, and after the ship sinks, we will search for rescue together."

Danzo's eyes twitched again when he heard Furukawa Osamu change the subject, and he added with narrowed eyes:

"The malignant infection is out of control!"

"The magic of Shikkotsu Forest should be able to solve all the problems."

Furukawa Osamu still didn't give a direct answer, and Danzo didn't add anything more pointless. He continued to stare for a while with his left eye, then commented seriously:

"Your darkness is not enough!"

"The Hokage must bear the darkness of the village; you are not ready!"

After saying these words, Danzo turned and left, and the two Root members following behind him also showed murderous intent when they looked at Furukawa Osamu.

As the group left, Orochimaru laughed maniacally again, looking at Furukawa Osamu and seducing him:

"Shu, if you want to become Hokage, you really need to bear the darkness of the village!"

"Why bear the burden? Wouldn't it be better to cut off the darkness?"

Furukawa Osamu responded earnestly, and Orochimaru's laughter grew even louder. Finally, he patted Furukawa on the shoulder and exclaimed:

"Only at times like this do I feel like you're a 10-year-old child!"

"..."

Chapter 51 "Your darkness is not enough..." (Please continue reading)

In early July, as Sunagakure retreated completely, Konoha also deployed its troops to the border of the Land of Fire.

The village leadership does not trust the promises made by Amegakure. If the Amegakure defectes and joins forces with Sunagakure, the frontline troops will suffer a huge blow.

The news spread through the Jonin class and caused a huge uproar in the village. The "hardliners" were very dissatisfied with the Hokage's decision, and many people clamored to fight to the end!

Danzo, who was the first to return to the village, was very satisfied with the current public opinion environment. He firmly believed that his beliefs were correct.

"A ninja should sacrifice himself and give everything for the benefit of the village!"

"..."

Inside the Hokage Building, Danzo, now dressed in his everyday clothes, gave his routine report. Instead of addressing the injuries, he seized the opportunity to shift the blame to the Uchiha clan once more.

"Fugaku Uchiha personally went to the battlefield. This victory will enhance the prestige of the Uchiha clan."

"Hiruzen, the Uchiha clan must be restrained. No one can guarantee that another Uchiha Setsuna won't emerge if they become too powerful!"

When the old story was brought up, the expressions of the three people in the room became serious. Uchiha Setsuna inherited the will of Uchiha Madara and almost caused turmoil in the village back then.

Koharu, who was switching dorm rooms, supported her old friend's point of view and, squinting her eyes, joined in the persuasion:

"Indeed, we shouldn't publicize the Uchiha clan's achievements too much. We can exchange them for some rewards as compensation."

“They seem to be getting quite close to Tsunade lately, Hiruzen, you need to remind Tsunade.”

"The teacher's will must be carried on."

Mitokado Homura felt his old friend's words made a lot of sense. He was also a little worried that Tsunade would become Hokage and abandon them, so he chimed in with his own words of advice:

"Tsunade didn't pay attention to these things before, and she still lacks some of the Hokage mindset."

"We can never let our guard down when it comes to the Uchiha clan. We are all aware of the Sharingan's ocular power."

The deeper the hatred, the higher the eye power. Once the Mangekyou Sharingan appears, the Uchiha ninja's strength will increase dramatically, turning them into a completely unstable factor.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not give a direct answer; he was still undecided about how to deal with the Uchiha clan.

"We'll discuss these issues later. It seems that Sunagakure has made contact with Iwagakure. If the two sides join forces, Amegakure might turn against us again."

"This means we'll be facing a three-way attack. I don't trust Hanzo; he's very ambitious."

Upon hearing this, Danzo's lips curled into a slight smile. He knew his old friend very well; changing the subject meant that Hiruzen Sarutobi had basically agreed to suppress the Uchiha clan.

...

At noon, Danzo returned to his territory. Although the room at the foot of Shadow Rock never saw sunlight, the darkness made his body feel exceptionally comfortable.

The Root ninja wearing a cat-head mask knelt on the ground and reported in a mechanical voice. Danzo squinted, pondered for a moment, and then gave a brief reply:

"The incident at Iwagakure last time was indeed related to Osamu Furukawa."

“Because of Sakumo? Our assessment of him needs to be updated; he could disrupt the stability of the village.”

"Lord Danzo, do you need us to take action?"

The Root ninja raised their heads, looking at Danzo with fanatical eyes, but the latter shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice with an air of absolute control:

"It's just a more advanced tool. I will gradually lead it into darkness. No one can defy the will of the village."

"Continue to infiltrate Iwagakure; I will take over the assessment of Furukawa Osamu."

Ninjas still have to rely on their strength. In Danzo's view, Osamu Furukawa would at most become one of the "Three Legendary Ninjas" and would be unable to compete with the village.

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

-

In mid-July, the frontline troops returned to Konoha and were warmly welcomed by the village.

Although many young ninjas were killed in the conflict, the victory overshadowed the sadness, and more people cheered for the powerful village.

Mikoto Uchiha gave birth to her son at the beginning of last month, and a few days later Fugaku Uchiha went to the front line. Now that she sees her husband return safely, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief.