Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

Outside Konoha, on a quiet road.

The sky was a clear blue, with lush green trees providing ample shade. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating a serene and refreshing atmosphere. 

On the road stood a young man and a young woman who was carefully adjusting the boy's clothing.

"Even though you're strong enough that I don't need to worry, still, travel safely," Tsunade said, looking at Hui. 

Even though Hui had become known as a demigod of the shinobi world, Tsunade couldn't help but feel concerned whenever he left.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it," Hui said with a soft smile, gently tapping Tsunade's forehead, where a diamond-shaped mark had recently appeared.

This was the Yin Seal. Hui had been researching the technique for a while, and Tsunade had grown interested, eventually mastering it herself. 

Unlike Tsunade's mark, Hui's forehead bore a thin red line. Within this mark, Hui had sealed a vast amount of his energy. Although it was inaccessible for now, when released, it would triple his current strength instantly.

"Why can't I just go with you?" Tsunade pouted, her lips forming a thin line.

Hui simply smiled and leaned in to plant a quick kiss on Tsunade's lips. Her cheeks flushed a rosy red as he said, "If you come along, it won't be a training trip anymore—it'll be a vacation."

"Hmph, you're impossible," Tsunade huffed, though she didn't press the issue further. 

She understood that Hui was different from others. His way of thinking and his approach to life were unique, and that uniqueness was part of his charm.

"Alright, alright. I'm not leaving for too long, maybe I'll be back in less than a year. Time will fly by quickly." 

Hui pinched her delicate nose and continued, "If you miss me, you can use the time to refine your medical system. Once I become Hokage, you'll be the head of the medical division."

Although this world had been altered greatly by Hui's presence, certain things remained unchanged. 

Tsunade still loved medical ninjutsu and cherished her dream of advancing its practice.

"I know. Fine, just go already," Tsunade said, pushing him slightly.

Hui chuckled, then pulled her into a gentle embrace. Whispering softly into her ear, he said, "Let's have our engagement when I return."

The words made Tsunade freeze in place. A wave of happiness surged through her, warming her heart.

"Alright, I'll wait for you to come back."

…

After leaving Konoha, Hui wandered aimlessly, going wherever the road took him.

The year was now 27 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar, and the shinobi world was still in a relatively underdeveloped state in terms of thought, culture, and technology. 

As Hui traveled, he saw little that was of interest. Most of what he encountered were simple, peaceful people living ordinary lives, working from dawn to dusk.

For many in the shinobi world, peace itself was the greatest happiness.

As he continued his journey, however, the world around him began to change. 

Signs of banditry became more frequent, and the lives of ordinary people seemed to worsen. It appeared that the further he got from Konoha, nearing the borders of the Land of Fire, the more lawlessness and strife he encountered.

This gave Hui much to ponder, though he took no immediate action, choosing instead to continue forward.

Eventually, he arrived at the borders of the Land of Fire. The environment here was starkly different from that near Konoha. 

The once-dense forests gave way to sparse vegetation, barren soil, and rocky landscapes. 

The people here, too, looked different—rougher and more rugged than those in the heartlands of the Land of Fire.

After spending a few days in a small village, Hui resumed his travels and soon crossed into a neighboring small nation.

In a remote village, Hui, now disguised with a transformation jutsu, sat in a humble tavern. He quietly sipped sake as he listened to a conversation at the neighboring table.

"Sigh, the deadline to deliver supplies is almost here, but we still haven't gathered enough. What are we going to do?" one middle-aged man lamented with a sad look, taking a deep swig of alcohol as if to drown his sorrows.

"They keep demanding more and more. Even if we manage to scrape together enough for this month, what about next month?" another chimed in sigh.

"Damn it! Why don't we just fight back?" a young man burst out angrily, his eyes red with frustration.

"Are you crazy, Kawada? Those people are shinobi!" an older man snapped, his face paling. 

He quickly glanced around nervously before lowering his voice. "Have you forgotten how your brother died?"

The mention of his brother made Kawada stiffen, his breathing quickening as his eyes reddened further. His brother had also resisted the shinobi extorting the village, and for that, he had been mercilessly killed. 

His body was left hanging for three days as a warning before the family was allowed to claim it. Not just Kawada's brother, but his sister-in-law and their children had also suffered a cruel fate.

"If only… If only I were a shinobi too… Damn it!" Kawada slammed his fist onto the table, tears streaming down his face as had an emotional breakdown.

The others could do little but pat his back in silent consolation.

Hui quietly sipped his sake, observing the scene quietly. From their conversation, he quickly pieced together the situation. 

It seemed that a group of rogue shinobi was extorting this village, demanding "protection fees" that grew higher each time. 

This was nothing short of robbery, but unlike the bandits in the Land of Fire, these bandits were shinobi, robbing with impunity.

This was the sad reality for many small nations. Unlike the Five Great Nations, which had powerful shinobi villages to maintain order, smaller nations were at the mercy of rogue shinobi, especially in remote areas like this.

"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation," Hui interjected, drawing the attention of the group. They stiffened at first but relaxed slightly upon seeing his unremarkable appearance.

"If you have supplies for these shinobi, why not pool some money and hire ninja from one of the major villages to deal with them?" Hui asked, genuinely curious.

At his suggestion, the men sighed deeply.

"We've thought about that," one of them admitted. "But the fees charged by the big villages for these kinds of missions are much higher. Even if we managed to scrape together enough to hire them once, what about the next time? 

"This land is crawling with rogue shinobi. Get rid of one group, and another will show up. How many times can we afford to hire shinobi from the big villages? And if those rogue shinobi find out we've hired outsiders to deal with them, they'll retaliate with even greater cruelty."

The group sighed again.

Hui frowned slightly. Their reasoning was sound. The shinobi world was indeed filled with too many rogue ninja.

"Then why doesn't your village train its own shinobi? That way—" Hui started to suggest but stopped midway, a bitter smile forming on his lips.

These small villages didn't even have the knowledge to refine chakra, let alone train shinobi.

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