In late November of Konoha Year 51, the temperature dropped again, but the renewed Shinobi World War showed no signs of abating.
After encountering resistance from Konoha, Iwagakure and Kumogakure immediately dispatched the strongest forces from their villages.
With the arrival of the Jinchuriki on the battlefield, the intensity of the war escalated further.
Even the peace-loving Roshi from Iwagakure showed up, and the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, simply didn't believe the news that the merchants had been spreading recently.
Within the village, in order to suppress those who sought peace, Ōnoki repeatedly emphasized his point of view. "If Konoha continues to develop, Iwagakure will only become the next Sunagakure."
"Only by eliminating their fighting force can Iwagakure have a bright future. I will not leave this mess to the next Tsuchikage; let me bear this sin!"
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, responded the most enthusiastically. Not only that, he even helped promote the Tsuchikage's views. When the war broke out, he rushed to the front line at the first opportunity.
Roshi, the Jinchuriki the Four-Tails, initially didn't want to get involved, but after learning about the devastating attack on Konoha, he began to waver.
The Intelligence Department easily obtained information about the current situation of Konoha. The Iwagakure Ninja would feel extremely excited whenever they saw photos of the giant crater and the ruins in the distance.
Although we've never lost before, this time everyone wants to really win!
With the identity of a victorious nation, they could change the existing commission market. For the sake of a better life for the next generation, Roshi was persuaded by a group of Iwagakure Ninja.
As Jinchuriki, everyone understands his thoughts, so Roshi's task is to restrain the Yellow Flash.
As long as this old rival is contained, and the ninja forces are engaged, the Iwagakure Ninja are determined to force the current Konoha to negotiate reparations.
After half a month of preparation, Iwagakure and Konoha once again clashed on a large scale in the Land of Grass.
With their morale soaring, the Iwagakure Ninja went completely berserk. For the future of the village and for a better life for the next generation, the Iwagakure Ninja fought fearlessly in the cold weather.
Although the week-long battle failed to defeat the Konoha Ninja, which puzzled everyone, the Iwagakure Ninja eventually put their doubts aside under the leadership of the Third Tsuchikage.
Konoha has already begun to lull the outside world into a false sense of security; defeat is only a matter of time!
The reconstruction of Konoha is in full swing every day, with basic construction work continuing despite the lack of snowfall.
Although the frontline war required drawing upon the village's core strength, this situation did not prevent the Genin carrying out their missions at the construction site.
The Genin who were complaining about finding cats and farming before now miss their peaceful life. Even ninjas are more efficient at carrying bricks than ordinary people!
During this special period, even D-level missions have become extremely demanding.
The Genin mastered Earth Release Ninjutsu had an even harder time, as they had to work with the architects to complete the basic civil engineering work.
Because the village was attacked and war broke out, some children from the Ninja Academy graduated early.
Gekko Hayate, Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane, Iwashi Tatami are four kids who have just graduated from school. Unlike previous years, they are not leading a team of Jonin yet, and they will be working on construction sites after graduation.
Early in the morning, Gekko Hayate was chopping wood. The commercial street was being replanned, and due to the impact of the war, there was a severe shortage of building materials.
While construction was still possible, the Genin had no choice but to use whatever materials were available, as required by the mission. Cutting down trees to make planks was already a good job, at least much more interesting than digging holes and carrying bricks...
"When will these tasks ever end? I thought graduating early would mean being sent to the front lines."
Wearing a small black cap and with long hair covering his right eye, Izumo Kamizuki was chopping wood. Unlike his companions, he complained every few minutes after doing this tedious task for a while.
"Hey, are you questioning the Lord Hokage's decision? This is clearly taking care of us Genin!"
"These tasks will stop after the snowfall, and the pay isn't bad, so I'd be happy to keep doing them."
With his black spiky hair, Kotetsu Hagane responded to his friend irritably, saying that complaining would seriously affect the efficiency of the task. It wasn't easy to get this kind of job, and he didn't want to be a bricklayer.
The two started arguing loudly, and Iwashi Tatami, who hadn't said a word until now, had to tighten her headscarf and interrupt them with a glare, saying, "Without Jonin the team, what are you arguing about!"
"Even if we wanted to go to the front lines, it would be difficult for Genin like us to survive."
"The casualty count seems to have increased recently, with most of the victims Chunin and Genin. Those of us who just graduated are very lucky."
The quietly working Gekko Hayate squinted upon hearing the word "luck" and muttered under his breath, "The luckiest one in our year is probably Anko."
None of the boys responded when they heard the girl's name. Although she was also 11 years old, Anko had already graduated two years ago and had not only become a disciple of Sannin, one of the Orochimaru, but had also received care from the hero Shu Furukawa.
While they were still "laying bricks," Anko had already begun to carry out some advanced missions, an experience that made the children at the Ninja Academy extremely envious.
"Forget it, let's not compare!"
"As long as I don't have to move bricks, I don't know what the village will look like after it's rebuilt. I heard that many residential and commercial areas have been replanned."
"Thanks to Lord Xiu for rescuing everyone that night, otherwise many people wouldn't have seen the day the reconstruction was completed."
Izumo Kamizuki sighed. The attack that night was too sudden; it was a miracle that he survived.
"It should be even prettier! After all, we were all involved, so it should be better than before."
For once, Kotetsu Hagane didn't make a fuss about the issue, and his face showed anticipation. When he grows up, he can tell the younger generation that he also contributed to the construction of the village!
Iwashi Tatami felt that his companions had inexplicably become "energetic," and turned his head to mutter to himself, "I hope the younger generation won't laugh at us. Ninjas working on a construction site, our generation might be the only one in history."
Inside the Hokage Building, with a large number of ninjas gathering at the front lines, Tsunade's work became somewhat easier. The only problem she was currently facing was the issue of medicine supplies.
Fortunately, with the full support of the Land of Fire, the medicines can last for a while longer. In addition, the medical department has fully returned to normal operation. If we can get through this month, things will turn around.
As night fell, Tsunade reviewed the project progress report, a satisfied smile appearing on her fair face. She handed the documents to Shu Furukawa on her left, then remarked with a sigh, " The Genin have adapted to this job very quickly indeed!"
"Without them completing these tasks, we would have to wait until the weather warms up before we can start construction again."
"Thanks to your suggestion, the reconstruction progress has been accelerated."
Genin were complaining, Shu Furukawa, after seeing the contents of the document, thought that having ninjas do construction work was very efficient.
Although there were suspicions of child labor, these children were indeed useful. After carefully examining them, Shu Furukawa recorded some data, which would provide him with valuable experience for the future reconstruction of Kirigakure and Amegakure: "It will take at least six months to complete the reconstruction work. For the New Year, everyone will have to make do."
"Is the teacher still worried about the situation in the Land of Grass? Even with two Jinchuriki, Minato can handle it."
Shu Furukawa responded simply and affirmatively that the injuries caused by Kamui were indeed severe, but as long as the Flying Thunder God could be used, the threat to the Jinchuriki would be greatly reduced.
"Two Jinchuriki acting together—this didn't even happen in Iwagakure during the last war."
"With Teacher Sarutobi there, I believe in them, but the Tailed Beast are still a big problem."
" Danzo stepped forward at this time because of the Nine-Tails issue. The old man wanted to resort to his old methods again, like surveillance, but that's completely ineffective."
Tsunade was speechless when she thought about the recent distrust of the Uchiha by the two advisors and Danzo. Recalling what happened that night, she found it difficult to refute such lingering issues.
It is true that someone with Uchiha power stole the Nine-Tails, but the identity of the enemy remains unknown.
"The older generation still cares about the village, and the teacher doesn't need to completely deny the other party's actions."
" The Root ninjas who went to the front lines deserve encouragement. Intelligence is crucial for acquiring the Tailed Beast, and the Anbu still has some shortcomings in this regard."
Shu Furukawa approved of Root's Tailed Beast Plan. Although targeting Takigakure, the "easy target," was not exactly honorable, it was indeed the least costly operation.
Tsunade sighed helplessly. Seeing Shu Furukawa stand up, she turned her head away somewhat awkwardly, but in the end, she stood up as well.
"This is to protect the teacher's safety. My injuries are much better now, so don't worry."
Shu Furukawa hugged his teacher and whispered comforting words. Tsunade the hand on her waist, nodded slightly, and with the activation of the Flying Thunder God Technique, the two quickly returned to the courtyard.
In the pitch-black night, Tsunade took a deep breath, about to refuse, but after being held in his arms, she squirmed slightly and finally lowered her head to rest against her disciple's chest.
This overly intimate behavior had crossed a line, but every time Tsunade wanted to refuse, she would remember how badly injured Shu Furukawa looked that night.
"Teacher, I'll be going to the front lines soon."
"Before the weather warms up, at least we should reclaim the Land of Frost, so that the trade routes to the Land of Rice Fields won't be affected."
"Don't take the advisors' words to heart. Work is so tiring; you should try to maintain a good mood every day. They're just afraid of the legendary power of the Uchiha."
Hearing Shu Furukawa's words of comfort, Tsunade subconsciously looked up, saw her disciple's concerned eyes, and finally reached out her arms for a silent, intimate hug.
"It was just a hug..."
Tsunade tried to comfort herself, but the thought of Shu Furukawa's current appearance still made her face flush.
Fortunately, the disciple did not do anything excessive and continued to respect her.
After confiding for a while, Shu Furukawa put his arm around his teacher and returned to the room. Tsunade looked at her disciple who was preparing a midnight snack, then returned to normal and squeezed into the kitchen to help prepare the food.
Soon, laughter and complaints filled the room. Tonton dared not approach the kitchen. The pink pig looked at the two of them, puzzled, tilting its head in thought, "Why do humans like to deceive themselves...?"
Late at night, when Shu Furukawa arrived at Shikkotsu Forest, the Katsuyu of all sizes began to greet him cheerfully, "Lord Osamu, are you going to modify that body that sealed the Nine-Tails?"
"How exactly were the weapons on those puppets made? Does Lord Xiu have any clue?"
Can Master Xiu sense the coordinates of the Death God? The Death God might also be a creature created by Yin-Yang Release...?
With a completely new subject of study, the creatures finally stopped focusing on reproduction.
Shu Furukawa secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the user had exerted their power silently while cultivating in their true form, he really wouldn't have been able to resist.
"It seems Nine-Tails is still refusing to cooperate. No problem, I'll cooperate with White Zetsu tonight to extract its Chakra."
" The Yang Release Tailed Beast Chakra can accelerate my body's transformation. I'll have to trouble you all then."
After Shu Furukawa finished explaining tonight's plans, the Katsuyu responded in their soft, sweet voices.
Practicing together is one of their few sources of enjoyment.
The White Zetsu's body contains a fragmented spirit of Shu Furukawa. This "cage," specially designed for the Nine-Tails, embodies much of Shu Furukawa's effort.
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, White Zetsu, has a body composed of the latest Hashirama Cells. Shu Furukawa used his mutated Spirit Transformation Technique to replace the original consciousness within the cells, preserving the complete energy structure.
Not only that, but Furukawa Osamu and the slug also used the remaining roots of the Divine Tree to perform a Sage Chakra baptism on this body, giving it the ability to passively absorb natural energy.
Although it cannot compare to Shu Furukawa's body, which has undergone several transformations, the White Zetsu's extended use of Senjutsu Mode after its modification is also quite long.
Wood Release Ninjutsu can also be used on White Zetsu's body, and when combined with the Eight Trigrams Seal, it can completely suppress the Nine-Tails Chakra!
"It seems the sealing effect is better than expected!"
Shu Furukawa arrived at a stone platform, carefully sensed it, and immediately praised it. The Jinchuriki, White Zetsu, opened his eyes under the control of his spirit, quickly adding, " The Nine-Tails is unwilling to cooperate; we still need to suppress it with our eye power."
"Doesn't Master Shu intend to try Jinchuriki training?"
The Katsuyu crawled onto the body of the Jinchuriki White Zetsu, waving its tentacles and asking curiously. Shu Furukawa chuckled and simply replied, "It will understand sooner or later, in the face of my eye power."
"This body is only used for experiments and to replenish Chakra. With the power of the Nine-Tails, the other modified White Zetsu will no longer need to consume spiritual energy when moving around."
Now that he has the Nine-Tails Chakra energy, Shu Furukawa will not easily consume the precious energy he has [ Collection ], after all, it is the key energy for his longevity.
As a Katsuyu taller than a person arrived in front of Shu Furukawa and completed the resonance, Sage Mode was instantly activated.
With his crimson eyes empowered by Senjutsu Chakra, Three Tomoe slightly rotating, Shu Furukawa's spirit entered the seal of the Jinchuriki, White Zetsu, and the towering metal gate immediately came into view.
"What kind of monster are you?! Where did you send my other half?!"
Nine-Tails- Tailed Fox roared, then brought its massive fox head to the doorway, opened its mouth wide, revealing sharp teeth, and threatened again in a furious voice. "Don't even think about getting me to cooperate with your evil experiments! I'm going to kill you, you human insect!"
Just as it was about to shout again, Nine-Tails saw a thick branch appear at the metal gate and immediately withdrew its claws, then glared with its vertical pupils.
"Are you still unwilling to reveal any information about the Sage of Six Paths?"
"I just want to learn about some history. Can you still sense the presence of the Sage of Six Paths?"
Shu Furukawa Osamu calmly observed the large fox in the cage. The Nine-Tails Fox, upon hearing the question, began to screech wildly again, showing no intention of communication. Finally, it roared angrily, "Don't expect to get any information from me!"
"Roar! Damn monster! Damn Sharingan!"
The Nine-Tails tried to resist but was quickly controlled by Shu Furukawa's eye power, lying quietly in the cage, steadily transferring Chakra into the White Zetsu's body through the Eight Trigrams Seal Technique.
"If you cooperate obediently, you won't be manipulated by me."
Shu Furukawa whispered something, and the giant fox completely lost its temper. Its vertical pupils transformed into Sharingan, and it shifted its body slightly, obediently curling into a ball...
After finishing its "recharging" for the night, the Nine-Tails awoke in a fit of impotent rage, roaring angrily. Seeing Shu Furukawa looking at it, it immediately shut up, asking the question that had been bothering it, "You clearly don't need my power, so why did you do this?"
Shu Furukawa's spirit smiled meaningfully and looked at the great fox, saying softly, "You are the key to the plan, don't underestimate yourself."
Nine-Tails felt a chill run through its body and instinctively hid in the darkness. Shu Furukawa stopped drawing Chakra and looked at the enormous "energy source" with increasing satisfaction. " Yin-Yang Release is truly wondrous; I must [ Collection ] it from the Sage of Six Paths..."