Tsunade examined the Chakra Blade in her hands. The hilt bore four engraved characters reading [Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain].
They were written in one graceful, flowing stroke—each character elegant and full of energy. They sparked her imagination; whoever carved them must have been just as refined and exceptional as the calligraphy itself.
"Tsunade-sama," Captain Yamato timely reported, "after careful identification by the Intelligence Division, those four characters are indeed the Flying Thunder God seal."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade became even more surprised and grew increasingly curious about Uzumaki Heiyan mentioned by Team 7.
To her knowledge, ever since The Second invented the Flying Thunder God Technique, only the brilliant Fourth Hokage had mastered it in Leaf Village's long history after him. Later, The Fourth passed the technique to his three personal guards, who could barely execute it together through combined effort. That alone proved just how incredibly hard the technique was to master.
From the description provided by Team 7, Heiyan appeared very young—around Naruto's age—but had talent and power that bordered on unmatched. Such an individual had never before appeared in the history of their ninja world.
Tsunade folded her hands under her chin, pausing thoughtfully before speaking to Yamato,
"You said you crossed into a Parallel World thirty years in our past. Logically, people from that era should also exist in our history—for example, the other me you encountered. Then is there any historical record of this Uzumaki Heiyan?"
"Tsunade-sama, I've already checked," Yamato shook his head regretfully, frowning slightly as he spoke slowly. "Thirty years ago marked the outbreak of The Second Great Ninja World War. With Konoha struggling to manage its own crisis, our ally country Uzu Country suffered multiple invasions and was destroyed overnight. Afterward, the Uzumaki clan's records were lost, and the survivors scattered across the world of shinobi. That's why we couldn't confirm whether someone named Uzumaki Heiyan ever existed. However…"
"However what?"
"This Uzumaki Heiyan claims to be the clan head of the Uzumaki. Considering such a powerful ninja as him exists, the Uzumaki in that Parallel World shouldn't have been completely destroyed. Therefore, the history of that world must differ significantly from ours."
Yamato explained his theory calmly.
Then he added:
"Oh, besides Uzumaki Heiyan and the other you, we also encountered a female ninja who wielded Scorch Release. I identified her—she's Sunagakure Jonin Pakura. But according to our records, over ten years ago during the Third Great Ninja War, she was brutally killed by Mist shinobi. That concludes all the intelligence I've gathered."
"Good work."
Tsunade nodded but furrowed her brows even deeper. From her own memories, thirty years ago, she hadn't known Uzumaki Heiyan or crossed paths with Suna's Pakura at all.
Apparently, although these two parallel worlds share some identical historical figures, many other aspects are completely different—even diametrically opposed.
Tsunade picked up the chakra blade and confiscated it on the spot, then sternly addressed Naruto,
"This item is too dangerous to stay with you—it must be kept under village custody. I've decided to hand it over to Anbu's Sealing Team for storage in a secret chamber, under twenty-four hour surveillance. After all, that powerful ninja you mentioned—Uzumaki Heiyan—could arrive from another timeline at any moment. Since we don't know whether he'll be friend or foe, we need to prepare accordingly."
"Huh?"
At this, Naruto immediately frowned, regretting ever showing off the chakra blade in the first place.
The other three members of Team 7 nodded one after another, fully supporting Lady Tsunade's decision.
"All right, you've worked hard enough on this mission. Go home and rest well."
Rubbing her forehead, Tsunade said to the four members of Team 7.
Although they had failed to capture the rogue ninja Bazu, it now seemed clear that Bazu himself was no longer the main concern. The intelligence about the parallel world brought back by the team was far more important than Bazu.
"Yes."
Hearing this, Yamato and the others left the office one by one.
However, for some unknown reason, Sakura deliberately lingered behind. Once the other three were gone, she turned around again, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to speak.
Now only Tsunade and Sakura remained inside the office—master and apprentice.
"What is it, Sakura?" Noticing her hesitation, Tsunade took the initiative to ask.
"Lady Tsunade," Sakura began cautiously while closely watching Tsunade's facial expression. Her curiosity burned with intense interest as she curiously asked,
"Even though my interaction with your alternate self was brief, I noticed... that version of you appeared very close to Uzumaki Heiyan, almost like a couple."
As she spoke, she handed over a photo of Heiyan she had somehow secretly taken earlier.
"..."
Tsunade wore a stunned expression before regaining her composure, fixing an icy glare on Sakura, clearly growing angrier by the second. She looked ready to explode.
"Erm..."
A cold shiver shot down Sakura's spine, and her face went pale. She realized she had pushed the joke too far.
"Ah... I'm going to leave now."
Without waiting for Tsunade to lash out, she dropped that sentence, playfully stuck out her tongue, and quickly fled the office.
After Sakura left,
Tsunade softened her expression slightly and focused her gaze on Heiyan's photograph.
What she saw was a young man with long black hair wearing golden-white armor. Not only was he tall and handsome, but his composed, serene demeanor gave off an aura of depth and grandeur—like the boundless ocean or towering peaks, unfathomable and unreachable.
He was the kind of man people instinctively looked up to and felt safe relying on.
Tsunade held the photo, momentarily entranced.
Just then, she recalled what Sakura had said earlier. Her face flushed red as she quickly placed the photo back on the table.
As the princess of konoha, Tsunade had never lacked suitors since childhood.
But through all these years, she had only ever experienced one love — a romance from her youth that barely began before it ended tragically with Dan Kato's death on the battlefield.
After losing both her lover and younger brother, Tsunade fell into despair and abandoned konoha. For thirty years, she wandered from nation to nation, drowning in gambling and alcohol, never falling for anyone again, remaining single until now.
Though she looked as young as a twenty-something woman and her physical condition matched that age, her real age was over fifty. Shamefully enough, she was still... an old maid.
Sometimes, she'd bitterly joke to herself: as the last surviving member of the Senju Clan, the Senju bloodline would end with her.
At this moment, she thought about her alternate self in another world.
In that world, perhaps her other self endured similar hardships during youth, but mastered Wood Release and Sage Arts while having a loved one by her side — and probably living a fulfilling, happy life.
Comparing that version to her own wasted existence, Tsunade suddenly felt deep regret for her decadent and wasted life.
She shook her head slowly.
No time for such nonsense thoughts. As Fifth Hokage, there were endless village affairs waiting for her attention — no room for sentimental distractions.
Still, instead of discarding Heiyan's photo, she absentmindedly tucked it away into the bottom drawer of her desk.
Then, she pressed a button on her desk and summoned an Anbu ninja.
She handed him the chakra blade engraved with Heiyan's Flying Thunder God formula, gave detailed instructions, and emphasized once more: "Report immediately upon sensing any movement."
Should Uzumaki Heiyan appear in this world someday, she vowed to meet him first as Fifth Hokage.
After finishing this matter, Tsunade stretched lazily, her breathtaking curves accentuated against her clothes.
Once again, she resumed her daily duties.
...
Another world.
Daimyo's Mansion, Land of Fire.
The Daimyo's table overflowed with exquisite delicacies, yet he lost his appetite after just a few bites, setting his chopsticks down. The reason for his sudden loss of appetite was the newspaper sitting beside him.
This paper came from konoha News, its headline screaming "Summer Miracle" prominently across the top.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, the Daimyo crumpled the paper into a ball and hurled it into the trash bin.
Bang!
His fist slammed onto the table, his dark expression twisting in anger:
"That bunch of ungrateful fools at konoha — they're nothing but wild dogs you can't tame!"
The Daimyo no longer wore his usual lethargic demeanor; instead, his true nature surfaced — clearly furious beyond control.
He originally thought that if he cut off Konoha's basic rations, those contemptible ninja would eventually submit. But instead, the opposite happened...
As it turns out, the village was thriving without the Daimyo's Mansion—maybe even more so than before.
Didn't this result make a mockery of the Daimyo himself?
At this moment, Konoha Shin stepped forward eagerly, ready to advise the Daimyo:
"Your Grace," he said urgently, "we can't allow Konoha to run wild any longer! We must enforce harsher punishments against them! I suggest immediately dispatching troops to Konoha and arresting the Third Hokage, Uzumaki Heiyan, and other high-ranking officials. Throw every last one of them into Hozuki Castle's dungeon! Then the Daimyo's Mansion should step in and take full control of Konoha!"
In Konoha Shin's view, the Daimyo's Mansion ruled over over a hundred million people in the Land of Fire and commanded an army of hundreds of thousands. Under such overwhelming military power, Konoha Ninja Village stood no chance at all.
Now was the moment for Konoha's ninja to finally see who truly held power in the Land of Fire.
However, right after Konoha Shin finished speaking—
"Are you sure you'll manage to capture them smoothly?"
A deep voice cast cold water on his suggestion.
Following the voice, a middle-aged man emerged from behind the screen. Leaning on a cane, with half his head wrapped in bandages, he exuded an aura of sinister danger.
This person was none other than Danzo Shimura.
"What do you mean, Danzō?"
Konoha Shin narrowed his eyes at Danzo and coldly questioned him. The tension between the two men was obvious.
Danzo shot him a glance, then turned away without another word. Instead, he faced the Daimyo, bowed respectfully, and began speaking slowly:
"Your Grace, right now, the entire village is united—with eyes set firmly outside our borders. Especially toward the Daimyo's Mansion, their resentment runs deep. If we send forces to arrest their leaders now, tensions will escalate, and Konoha's ninja will fight back with everything they've got.
Once conflict breaks out, our enemies—the neighboring nations and ninja villages—will only laugh at our misfortune.
Furthermore, although the Land of Fire boasts nearly a million soldiers, enough to destroy Konoha ten times over, the man known as Uzumaki Heiyan is no ordinary opponent. If backed into a corner, he'll strike back hard—and cripple our forces.
Even if we succeed in wiping out Konoha, the Land of Fire's military strength will be severely weakened. Other countries might seize the opportunity to invade.
Therefore, I beg you, Your Grace, to reconsider your decision."
"Hmm... there seems to be some truth in your words..."
The Daimyo nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, though his expression remained dark. He coldly asked, "Then what do you suggest? Based on your knowledge of Konoha, surely you have a plan that will satisfy me?"
Danzo had already been staying at the Daimyo's Mansion for over two months.
As a former advisor to the Hokage of Konoha, when he first came to pay respects to the Daimyo, he claimed to have been betrayed and cast out by Uzumaki Heiyan, thus sharing a common enemy with the Daimyo's Mansion. After earning the Daimyo's initial trust, he decided to stay on as one of the Daimyo's retainers.
Since arriving, Danzo had displayed strong administrative abilities, handling affairs with evident experience, quickly earning even more favor from the Daimyo.
Thanks to the Daimyo's favor, Danzo successfully formed his own faction within the Daimyo's Mansion, directly opposing Konoha Shin.
You had to admit that someone like Danzo had real charisma and a leader's aura. With his ambitious nature, he was naturally skilled in political maneuvering.
He was born eight years before Konoha was founded, which partly explains why Konoha Shin couldn't match up to him.
When faced with the Daimyo's question, Danzo knew this was his moment to shine. He laid out the plan he'd already prepared:
"Your Excellency, I suggest the Daimyo's Mansion immediately resume funding to Konoha and publicly commend this round of reforms. Praise should be given to the high-ranking elders of Konoha, led by Third Hokage Hiruzen, for their achievements, thus easing tensions with Konoha..."
"You must be kidding!"
Before Danzo could finish, his words were abruptly cut off by Konoha Shin, who aggressively questioned him, "Are you saying Your Excellency should bow to Konoha? Could it be you're actually a spy sent by Konoha? Which side are you really on?"
"Let him finish speaking."
The Daimyo gestured calmly while narrowing his eyes, waiting for Danzo's explanation.
Danzo shot Konoha Shin a sharp glance like a hawk locking onto its prey, radiating an oppressive aura that instantly paled Konoha Shin, who instinctively took two steps back.
Once Konoha Shin fell silent, Danzo resumed explaining his ruthless plan to the Daimyo.
"Making peace with Konoha is just a cover-up to make them let their guard down. And that," Danzo paused dramatically, "is the real trump card."
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