Under the moonlight, the Wood-Release Arhat fought fiercely against the Six-Tails and Chomei, the Seven-Tails.
Suddenly, the Six-Tails belched a massive jet of acid at the Wood-Release Arhat. The corrosive fluid hissed against its massive body, eating away at it and slowing its movements.
Taking advantage of this opening, the Six-Tails opened its enormous mouth. Inside its mouth, blue yang chakra and dark purple yin chakra swirled together, compressing into a dense sphere — a Tailed Beast Ball.
Whoosh!
As it released the attack, the Tailed Beast Ball erupted with terrifying chakra fluctuations, rocketing toward the Wood-Release Arhat in an attempt to obliterate it completely.
On top of the wooden golem,
Seeing the incoming Tailed Beast Ball, Tsunade narrowed her eyes but remained composed. Instead, she manipulated one arm of the Wood-Release Arhat forward.
She caught the Tailed Beast Ball bare-handed.
Immediately—
The Wood-Release Arhat twisted around and hurled the Tailed Beast Ball skyward toward Chomei, the Seven-Tails.
Boom!
Caught completely off guard, Chomei took the full impact. Its wings shattered instantly, and after letting out a mournful cry, it plummeted from the sky.
Shwaa!
Furious at the sight, the Six-Tails charged forward recklessly, continuously secreting acid around its body as it engaged the Wood-Release Arhat in close combat.
Both sides were locked in a tense stalemate.
"It's time to end this."
Tsunade muttered under her breath before springing high into the air. At the same time, the wooden dragon coiled around the Wood-Release Arhat swiftly flew over with a "whoosh," allowing Tsunade to land atop its head.
Swoosh!
Riding the wooden dragon at incredible speed, Tsunade charged directly at the Six-Tails.
[Bringing Down the Hammer!]
She spread her fingers wide with her right hand, aimed at the Six-Tails, and a glowing "seat" character appeared on her palm.
Paa!
With a slap onto the Six-Tails' head, its violent struggles ceased immediately. Its six tails sagged low as it drifted into a deep trance.
After subduing the Six-Tails, Tsunade heard a loud rumbling noise from behind. She turned and saw Chomei charging at her with its massive horns raised high.
Swish-swish-swish!
Her hands moved like fluttering butterflies, forming seals rapidly. The next second—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three towering red torii gates rained down from above, crushing the Seven-Tails' horns, body, and tail, pinning it firmly to the ground from head to toe.
[Sage Art: Gate of the Great God]
Under the suppression of these crimson torii structures, the Seven-Tails' internal chakra was quickly sealed, rendering it completely immobile.
"Huuuh..."
After dealing with both tailed beasts, Tsunade let out a long breath, panting hard, realizing only now how drenched she was in sweat.
Although she had successfully mastered Sage Mode and skillfully executed various Wood Release jutsu, this intense battle still left her somewhat fatigued — nowhere near as effortlessly controlled as by her grandfather Hashirama Senju.
Tsunade realized she still had a long way ahead.
At that moment, sensing something, Tsunade turned her gaze to the distance. Instantly, she spotted Heiyan standing on the trunk of a colossal tree.
With several swift leaps, she hurried over.
"You're back."
Tsunade landed lightly on the tree trunk, her face glowing with delight as she looked at Heiyan, pushing back her damp bangs.
"Congratulations! You've mastered the First Hokage's Sage Art so quickly. That's incredible."
Heiyan smiled respectfully and gave Tsunade a thumbs-up.
"It was all thanks to the God Tree you brought. During my training in Sage Arts, it really helped me a lot. Otherwise, I wouldn't have progressed this smoothly."
Tsunade thanked him from the bottom of her heart. Then, recalling recent events in the village, she hurriedly asked him, "By the way, have you heard..."
As she spoke, concern for Heiyan clearly showed on her face.
"Don't worry about me. I've already come up with some countermeasures. But before that, I have an urgent matter to attend to."
Heiyan said with a smile, then took out a gourd containing the Hero Water, shook it in front of Tsunade, and explained his purpose — he needed an absolutely safe, undisturbed place to drink the Hero Water and complete his transformation.
"I understand. Follow me."
Tsunade nodded, turned around, and began leaping between the branches of the colossal tree, finally leading Heiyan to a concealed treehouse deep within the foliage.
This treehouse had been constructed by Tsunade using Wood Release techniques, well protected among the dense branches and leaves.
She had lived here for the past six months, enjoying panoramic views of Shikkotsu Forest and falling asleep each night to the soothing sound of wind rustling through leaves.
Creak.
Pushing open the wooden door, the two stepped inside one by one. The room not only carried a fresh scent of wood but also contained a delicate feminine fragrance. The compact layout with various wooden furniture created a very warm atmosphere.
"Oh!"
Suddenly exclaiming softly, Tsunade quickly walked to the bed and picked up some undergarments she'd carelessly left there, blushing slightly.
Seeing this scene, Heiyan smiled faintly and said to Tsunade,
"Why don't you take a shower first? You must be all worked up after that training."
"Mm, okay."
Blushing, Tsunade nodded and hurried into the bathroom with those clothes. Soon, splashing water sounds came from inside.
Heiyan rested in the room for a while, examining the interior furnishings and occasionally walking to the window to look outside.
During this time, he suddenly had a bold idea:
Perhaps he could use Summoning Jutsu to bring the entire Shikkotsu Forest island to the sea area where Penglai Ninja Village was located, making it adjacent to Mikazuki Island?
Heiyan wasn't just daydreaming.
The Sage Slug had once mentioned that over countless years, its body had expanded and merged completely with Shikkotsu Forest. In other words, it *was* the forest itself.
Since he had signed a contract with Katsuyu, as long as Heiyan had enough chakra, he could definitely pull off this summoning.
Then, Penglai Ninja Village would possess two islands, significantly enhancing its national power.
However...
"To summon the entire Shikkotsu Forest, one might need someone at their prime like Hashirama Senju," Heiyan mused quietly in his heart.
By now, Heiyan had become one of the strongest warriors in the world of shinobi. Yet he knew he was still no match for Hashirama Senju in his prime.
Just then,
the bathroom door creaked open. Tsunade stepped out wearing lighter clothing, carrying the living armor she had removed and carefully placed it onto the nearby armor rack.
"You can start with peace of mind. I'll guard you."
She approached Heiyan, knelt beside him, and said seriously.
"Okay."
Heiyan gave a slight nod, uncorked his gourd, and inspected the Hero Water thoroughly before tilting his head back and gulping it all down at once.
Gurgle...gurgle...
Like strong liquor rushing down his throat, Heiyan felt his esophagus and internal organs burning. His face flushed red as white steam rose from his forehead.
The symptoms were extremely similar to activating the [Eight Gates].
Splash!
Inside Heiyan's body, the Hero Water—brimming with immense chakra—surged through his meridians and blood vessels like floodwaters. His energy channels felt like long-dry riverbeds suddenly revitalized by torrential rain—cracked earth growing moist again, regaining vitality.
During the battle at Uzugakure half a year ago, Heiyan had sustained severe hidden injuries from overexertion. Now those wounds were being repaired one by one. More importantly, throughout this process, his meridians and acupoints expanded further, allowing them to hold even greater amounts of chakra.
However,
as the Hero Water entered Heiyan's heart chambers through the circulatory system, its contained toxins inevitably invaded his heart tissue and began attacking the cells there.
Heiyan frowned slightly, yet showed no sign of panic. Instead, he focused intently, consciously directing his cardiac cells to counterattack the invaders.
As someone possessing an Immortal Sage Body, his ability to micro-manage individual cells had reached an astonishing level.
Before long, the danger passed without serious consequence.
Deliberately guiding his white blood cells, Heiyan neutralized every trace of toxin, effectively protecting his heart.
It was said that Hero Water could boost a person's chakra tenfold—a legendary claim rarely borne out in reality.
Two people drinking the same Hero Water—even if one were an ordinary ninja and another a Kage-level expert—would experience entirely different effects.
To clarify, for ninjas ranked below the Six Paths Tier (an elite level far beyond normal Kage-class power), whoever drank the Hero Water would gain significant enhancement. The exact effect depended on their physical constitution—in short, absorption rate.
Even Kakuzu, who possessed the Earth Grudge Fear technique and used five hearts simultaneously to absorb Hero Water, only achieved up to 50% absorption, with most energy dispersing uselessly outside his body.
Only Heiyan, possessing the body of an immortal sage, could fully endure the purification from Hero Water and retain nearly all its energy within himself, without letting any escape.
His absorption rate exceeded ninety-five percent.
He could feel that after drinking the Hero Water, his chakra had about doubled—that was nowhere near the mythical tenfold surge, but still massive.
Yet for a ninja of his caliber, doubling his chakra reserves was already an incredibly terrifying enhancement.
And just then, as if fate had led everything to this moment.
Crack.
The fourth tomoe of the Six Tomoe necklace around Heiyan's body shattered with a crisp sound.
In the next instant, a familiar scene unfolded once again.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Countless beams of white light surged out from Heiyan's body, wrapping him completely and forming a massive chakra cocoon.
Inside the cocoon, Heiyan curled up, his face calm and peaceful, like a child sinking into a dream.
"That's incredible..."
This was Tsunade's first time witnessing Heiyan's Sage Transformation evolution. She curiously leaned in, cautiously extending one finger to poke at the chakra cocoon.
Afterward, she remained by the cocoon patiently waiting for Heiyan to complete his metamorphosis.
Two days later.
Inside the room, Tsunade was sleeping sideways with her head resting on the chakra cocoon. Probably sleeping too deeply, a thin string of shiny drool trailed from the corner of her mouth.
Suddenly—
Crack.
A faint fissure appeared on the surface of the cocoon, quickly spreading outward in all directions until covering its entire surface.
The cocoon broke.
Boom.
Without support, Tsunade's body suddenly fell downward, landing straight on top of Heiyan, and they tumbled together in an accidental embrace.
In the darkness, Heiyan quickly regained awareness.
Huh?
He felt something heavy pressing against him, as if there was a weight atop his body. The next second, he slowly opened his eyes and saw Tsunade's face just inches away.
"Mmm..."
At this moment, she also let out a drowsy groan, awakening from her nap and returning to reality.
Their eyes met.
"Umm... you're kind of squishing my chest a bit."
Heiyan gave a strange look and whispered quietly.
"Eh, sorry about that."
Tsunade immediately snapped back to awareness, climbed off Heiyan, turned her red face aside, and hastily explained, "I didn't mean to do that. I accidentally fell asleep leaning on it, and then the cocoon suddenly cracked open..."
Heiyan smiled silently. He found himself thinking that Tsunade was getting more adorable by the day.
Inside the room, a faintly romantic atmosphere filled the air, and both instinctively recalled their unexpected physical contact, their heartbeats unconsciously quickening simultaneously.
"Cough cough." Finally, Heiyan cleared his throat gently, breaking the silence inside the room.
"You should get up soon; the floor is cold."
Tsunade's expression returned to normal. Trying to act as if nothing had happened, she helped Heiyan up and asked, "So... how are you feeling now?"
"Perfect."
Heiyan's eyes shone brightly. Clenching his fist tightly, he felt explosive power surging through his body, more energetic than ever before.
Together, the two stepped outside the wooden hut and headed into the open.
"How about a sparring match?"
Inspired, Heiyan made this suggestion.
"Great idea!" Tsunade's eyes lit up excitedly, rolling up her sleeves to reveal her fair arms, visibly eager.
Whoosh! Thump!
They leapt down from the trees and landed in a clearing within Shikkotsu Forest.
Crash!
Heiyan and Tsunade both formed the hand seal simultaneously, instantly entering Sage Mode. Matching Great Sun face patterns emerged across their faces.
The next moment.
Whoosh!
Two figures shot toward each other like arrows loosed from bows, both instinctively unleashing Monster Strength. Their fists, wrapped in sharp rushing airflows, collided like the Moon crashing into Earth.
Boom!
At the point of impact, a powerful shockwave burst outward in all directions. Nearby, Six-Tails and Seven-Tails—who had been watching with interest—were blown away by the force, flipped through the air and landed flat on their backs with a thud.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Heiyan and Tsunade continuously exchanged blows, flesh slamming against flesh in a brutal exchange. Each punch unleashed a shockwave—a burst of compressed air like a sonic boom. The violent sound echoed fiercely through Shikkotsu Forest.
Both fighters remained tacitly agreed not to use any ninjutsu, instead engaging in an exhilarating battle purely relying on their Sage Transformations.
By then, Six-Tails and Seven-Tails had already scrambled far away. Watching nervously from afar, they exchanged glances, silently vowing never to misbehave again.
Heiyan and Tsunade's hand-to-hand fight took a grueling thirty minutes of non-stop bare-fisted fighting before they finally called it quits.
"Phew~"
Tsunade leaned forward, hands resting on her knees, panting heavily while sweat poured from her entire body.
In contrast, Heiyan looked perfectly calm, his breathing still slow and controlled.
He stepped up beside Tsunade and offered her a hand to help her stand.
Though Tsunade's Sage Transformation had advanced further during these past six months, compared to Heiyan, she still lagged behind by a measurable margin.
Her current physical condition resembled the transitional phase between Mangekyo Sharingan and Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan—the same stage at which Heiyan had fused his second tomoe.
Meanwhile, after fusing his fourth tomoe, Heiyan had reached a level equivalent to transitioning between Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and Rinnegan.
The journey from Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to Rinnegan was long and arduous—one that even Madara Uchiha had taken over twenty years to complete.
Likewise, as Sage Transformation progressed further, advancement became increasingly difficult.
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