Shikkotsu Forest's "Immortal"... (Part 2)

In early November, Shu Furukawa returned from Shikkotsu Forest having grown slightly taller, though his appearance remained largely unchanged.

Tsunade scrutinized him repeatedly in her apartment, finally resting her chin on her hand and sighing with regret:

"Katsuyu's Sage Technique doesn't seem to have had any significant effect..."

Shu Furukawa recalled the chatterbox Katsuyu and felt a headache coming on; this Sage was nothing like what he had imagined, and the nightmare scenario of a dozen clones surrounding him to chat was still fresh in his mind:

"It's merely the application of natural energy, and since I haven't succeeded in mastering it yet, naturally there wouldn't be any changes."

Hearing of his failure, a smile actually appeared on Tsunade's face; she seemed particularly pleased, eventually laughing heartily:

"I knew it, Jiraiya and Orochimaru didn't have any results with the Sage Technique either!"

"It seems you geniuses are no different from me; there is finally a technique you aren't good at."

"Just practice with peace of mind from now on; mastering the Sage Technique takes at least a few years."

"..."

Having already emptied her bottom-drawer inheritance to teach him, Tsunade had been feeling quite battered by Shu Furukawa's daily progress, and in their daily life, she was sometimes even looked after by her disciple.

It was rare to see her stumped by the Sage Technique, and Tsunade finally regained some of her confidence.

Shu Furukawa responded with a smile; he indeed hadn't sensed natural energy yet, but he had managed to shorten the time required to condense the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

More importantly, after an in-depth exchange with Katsuyu's main body, Shu Furukawa had developed some new ideas.

The thing that changed everything was the primordial "chakra," and combined with the memories in his mind, Shu Furukawa felt that immortality was within reach!

Not the "undying" kind like Orochimaru, but a "transcendence" achieved through energy.

"Shizune will be graduating next year, and I've been thinking about what gift to give her. That child is exceptionally hardworking, all just to stand by your side."

"It reminds me of Jiraiya and Orochimaru; they were the same back then, but talent is something one is born with."

"If talent could be stably passed down to the next generation, perhaps that would be the truly terrifying thing..."

Tsunade felt a wave of melancholy as she spoke; no one in the Senju Clan could inherit the outstanding talents of their predecessors, and by her generation, even her younger brother had left them early.

Shu Furukawa, whose mind was full of his "immortality cultivation plan," snapped back to reality. After living with the talkative Katsuyu for two months, he had almost forgotten his companions at the Ninja Academy:

"How about giving her a pet? Or a ninja dog or ninja cat? Girls should like those, right?"

"Are you sure?"

Tsunade asked with a sidelong glance. She didn't think much of ninja dogs or cats, and Shu Furukawa suddenly remembered a piglet from his memories. His expression turned strange, and he suggested in a low voice:

"Then how about a ninja pig? Where would one find a suitable pig?"

"Show some sincerity! Who would like a pig?!"

By mid-November, the weather had turned cold.

Inside Training Ground 44, Might Guy, who had been hiding behind a large tree, seized an opportunity and suddenly lunged out. Using the tree trunk to propel himself, he spun his body in mid-air and roared:

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

The roundhouse kick from Might Guy's aerial assault was heavy, powerful, and lightning-fast.

Curling his body, Shu Furukawa ducked low, dodging the "sneak attack" as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He then channeled chakra into his feet and retreated rapidly along the thick tree branch.

Kakashi accelerated to pursue, his short blade thrusting out to interrupt Shu Furukawa's hand seals. The short blade and kunai clashed repeatedly, and Might Guy joined the pursuit from behind.

"Bang..."

Finally seizing an opening, a side kick struck Shu Furukawa's braced arms. Before Might Guy could celebrate, Kakashi hurriedly warned:

"Watch out, Guy!"

Falling from the tree trunk, Shu Furukawa took the opportunity to use the Shadow Clone Technique. Just as Might Guy was about to press the attack, a clone was flung directly at him.

"Ah!"

Barely managing to shatter the first clone, Might Guy let out a cry as he was knocked off the tree trunk by the two subsequent shadow clones.

Their coordinated attack was broken once again. Kakashi helplessly covered his forehead, simply sheathed his short blade, and jumped down to find the unlucky Might Guy:

"Don't forget the strategy we set, even until the very end of the fight. Once you let Shu seize an opportunity to hide among his shadow clones, this match is lost."

"Neither of us is a sensory-type ninja; it's very easy to be ambushed by him in this environment."

Lying on the ground and panting heavily, Might Guy nodded, then gave a thumbs-up and said with a brilliant smile:

"It was more successful than last time! Kakashi, my speed has already caught up to yours!"

Though he didn't want to admit it, Kakashi nodded slightly. He had already mastered body activation, but the chakra amplification consumed too much, leaving him with poor stamina.

Might Guy, however, relied on pure physical ability; the "Youth Training Method" was something Kakashi could not replicate.

"That was already very impressive. The body has its limits at this age; only when you enter the rapid growth phase will you see significant improvements."

Shu Furukawa appeared from behind the large tree, praised the two of them, and then wrapped his scarf around his neck before sharing his own news:

"More than half of the students in Class A will choose to graduate early next year."

"Kakashi, don't let your team members get sent back to the academy for remedial training again; try to look after everyone's morale a bit better."

"There seems to be a joint mission next year, so remember to prepare. It will likely involve Iwagakure; Captain Shikaku just talked to me about this a couple of days ago."

After spending months doing D-rank missions with genin, Kakashi was already at his breaking point. Upon hearing the mention of Iwagakure, he immediately said with a hateful edge:

"I've been wanting to cross blades with those guys who attacked our outposts for a long time!"

Might Guy did not know the inside story regarding the White Fang of the Leaf, but the news released by the village was that he had sacrificed himself because of Sunagakure and Iwagakure:

"Infiltration? Sorry, I might not be able to help with that. Damn it, I'm still not good at those kinds of missions..."

Watching the frustrated Might Guy, Shu Furukawa simply patted him on the shoulder and then shifted the topic:

"To celebrate a successful week of training, it's Ichiraku Ramen tonight!"

"Let's settle this with a Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen eating contest!"

Seeing Might Guy's expectant gaze, Kakashi sighed helplessly, though he didn't refuse the challenge, narrowing his dead-fish eyes to retort:

"You guy, don't go eating until you have to lean against the wall to walk again!"

"..."

The colder the weather, the more booming the business at Ichiraku Ramen became. Teuchi was constantly greeting customers loudly, and upon seeing the three of them take their seats, he welcomed them with even more enthusiasm:

"Long time no see, you three young men. Will it be Tonkotsu Ramen again tonight?"

"We both want double chashu!"

Might Guy responded loudly, full of energy, and Teuchi immediately turned around with a smile to start the preparations.

"Shu, I finally get to see you again! Lady Tsunade told me you only just returned from your training!"

The handsome blond man broke away from the crowd of girls and hurried over to greet Shu Furukawa.

"Minato, you're still as popular as ever! Are you here for dinner?"

Minato Namikaze, still wearing his jonin flak jacket, glanced at the movement behind him, shook his head, and said with a blissful expression:

"I'm buying a bowl of ramen for Kushina; she's been especially fond of it lately."

He had wanted to continue the small talk, but the girls were about to surround him again, so Minato Namikaze hurriedly took the ramen and offered a quick, apologetic farewell.

Kakashi had intended to watch the spectacle, but when he turned his head, Minato Namikaze had already vanished, causing him to widen his eyes in reflex:

"What kind of jutsu is that?"

"..."