"It doesn't mean any harm. It just wants to invite us inside for a visit."
Heiyan smiled as he explained to Tsunade. As Samehada's master, he could communicate with this strange fish through thoughts.
Thus, the two allowed themselves to be sucked in by the enormous mouth of Samehada.
Inside Samehada's body, Heiyan and Tsunade walked along a dark corridor. The ground beneath their feet and the walls surrounding them were formed from countless pieces of wriggling flesh.
Who knew how long they had walked forward—finally, they reached the corridor's end.
There stood a closed door.
Creak.
Heiyan turned the handle and pushed it open. What awaited them behind that door was no longer Samehada's flesh, but rather…
a space flooded with light.
This place wasn't particularly large—less than one hundred square meters in total. The floor and the domed ceiling were composed of a material similar to white jade, smooth as a mirror, spotless and dust-free. Numerous glowing orbs floated in the air, each one shining with soft white light that filled the whole space.
"This is... some kind of pocket dimension?"
Tsunade looked around in amazement, utterly astounded.
In the world of shinobi, summoned beasts possessing pocket dimensions within their bodies are indeed rare, yet they do exist. For instance, Heiyan's Stealth Frog, Guagua, was such an example.
However, Guagua's internal space was only a few square meters—nothing compared to this vast chamber.
But that's not all.
"It's more complicated than that. Look—"
Heiyan pointed toward a nearby floating orb of light. When Tsunade approached, she discovered in shock that the light inside flowed slowly, like water, as if time itself had been infinitely slowed down.
Besides that, on the walls and floors around them, they also saw several clocks.
What was truly inexplicable was that these clocks had soft, flexible shapes, resembling flat pancakes. Their clock hands bent at will, giving the impression that these clocks had collapsed under pressure, tired and limp.
Heiyan reached out to touch one of the clocks but passed straight through its face, feeling nothing but an illusion.
"These orbs and clocks are just projections of temporal-spatial power."
After thoughtful consideration, he came to this conclusion.
"Temporal-spatial power? Is all of this caused by the Dragon Vein?" Tsunade immediately made the connection.
Heiyan nodded and formed a hypothesis. Taking out a watch, he handed it to Tsunade and said,
"Keep this. Note the time and wait for me here."
Then, he pushed the door open again and stepped back out.
Back in the dark passage,
Heiyan held another watch in his hand. Once ten minutes had passed on the display, he pushed the door open again and re-entered the pocket dimension within Samehada.
"You were gone so long—I was about to go looking for you!"
As soon as he entered, he saw Tsunade approaching him like a woman who had been left waiting too long.
Upon hearing her words, Heiyan blurted out, "How long have you been waiting?"
"Look for yourself. It's almost been two hours," Tsunade said, raising the watch in her hand to point at the time. Exactly one hundred minutes had passed.
"But I was only gone for ten minutes."
Heiyan also raised his watch, a glint flickering in his eyes as he explained to Tsunade, "It seems the rate of time flow here is ten times slower than the outside world."
Such a thing actually exists?
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's expression became even more astonished. After regaining her senses, she could only sigh in admiration—how vast the world is, filled with all sorts of wonders.
"The power of the Dragon Vein is simply too strong—it's capable of twisting both time and space simultaneously, enabling someone to travel across parallel worlds. Viewed like that, it's not so surprising that after merging with Samehada, it underwent mutation, creating this pocket dimension where time slows down tenfold."
Heiyan couldn't help but marvel as well.
Shortly afterward, the two quickly realized that this magical pocket dimension would serve as an ideal secluded realm for cultivation.
Perfectly suited for absorbing energy from the Star Meteorite to enhance their Sage Transformations.
Thus, Heiyan and Tsunade joined forces and performed jutsu—using Yin-Yang Release and Wood Release to drastically transform the area. They constructed a small villa across nearly one hundred square meters of ground.
Inside the villa, there was a cultivation room specially designated to house the Star Meteorite.
Then, they returned to Konoha, arranged their respective departmental affairs, and brought sufficient food, water, and daily necessities back to Shikkotsu Forest.
Soon after, their training officially began.
In the room, Heiyan and Tsunade sat cross-legged facing each other, with the Star Meteorite positioned between them. Its energy continuously radiated outward, being absorbed into their bodies.
During this process, semi-transparent purple illusions of the Ten-Tails appeared behind both of them.
The flow of time inside the pocket dimension created by Samehada was reduced to one-tenth that of the outside world. It seemed as if time itself had frozen here.
So Heiyan decided to name this place the "Eternal Space."
It must be emphasized that living in 'Eternal Space' does not mean one gains a tenfold extension of time. This is because one's age still progresses naturally.
For example, Minato and Kushina were both nine years old this year. If Minato came here to train for ten years, he'd emerge as a nineteen-year-old young man. But Kushina, remaining in the outside world, would have aged just one year—still a ten-year-old girl.
Simply put, the function of the Eternal Space works like exchanging lifespan for time. Heiyan and Tsunade trained here to seize every second, rapidly boosting their strength to prepare for confronting Madara Uchiha.
That said, both were already Sage Bodies possessing exceptionally long lifespans, their appearances remaining unchanged for decades. Thus, even if they secluded themselves here for another ten or twenty years before reemerging, their physical appearances wouldn't show much change.
Time drifted by—
Days turned into weeks, then into months—three, six, nine...
Before they knew it, Heiyan and Tsunade had spent a total of twenty full months inside the Eternal Space.
Throughout this period, half of the Star Meteorite's energy had been absorbed by the two, resulting in differing degrees of transformation in their Sage Bodies.
Cultivating alone like this would indeed be terribly dull and lonely—it'd be hard to keep going. Fortunately, they were two people keeping each other company, so it wasn't that boring or unbearable.
It could be foreseen that once the two completely absorbed the energy of this Star Meteorite, their Sage Bodies would both evolve to a new height.
Outside.
While Heiyan and Tsunade secluded themselves for intensive cultivation within the Eternal Space, two months had passed in the world of shinobi.
Winter had fully arrived—howling winds and heavy snowfall blanketed the land, sending all creatures into hibernation. Shinobi from the Five Great Ninja Villages did the same, cutting back on missions and getting ready for a quiet New Year.
Since initiating reforms, Konoha had not only recovered from its decline but was also becoming increasingly prosperous, further solidifying its position as the top among the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Inside the village, everything appeared beautiful and harmonious.
Yet, while the shinobi world appeared peaceful on the surface, like still water, just beneath was a brewing storm, teeming with danger.
Inside the Fire Daimyo's Mansion.
The Daimyo had just exited a remote video conference. The other participants in this meeting were the daimyos from the remaining four great nations.
The families behind these five individuals had, for over a thousand years, long ruled the vast majority of people on this world. They stood at the pinnacle of power in this world, commanding vast forces locked in continuous warfare, where every word and action decided the lives of tens of thousands.
Even such supreme rulers now united in this meeting, achieving a firm consensus.
That objective—Konoha.
The reform currently taking place in Konoha was triggering an unprecedented storm worldwide. This wave of transformation had already begun shaking the foundation of the ruling powers across various daimyo mansions, undermining the sanctity and authority of the daimyos themselves.
After leaving the meeting room, the Daimyo saw Danzo waiting by the door.
"Are you prepared?"
He frowned slightly while asking Danzo.
"My lord," Danzo bowed respectfully, "I have secretly contacted the Kage leaders of the other great ninja villages and reached initial cooperation agreements. Some minor details are still being discussed, but I believe we will finalize everything soon."
"You understand, don't you, that I won't allow Konoha to see in the New Year unchallenged."
The Daimyo glanced at Danzo, narrowing his eyes with cold intent in his gaze. "Especially that Uzumaki Heiyan—I do not wish for him to hear the New Year bells. Do you understand?"
"I understand completely. I assure you, this time Uzumaki Heiyan will die without question."
Danzo solemnly made his promise before bowing and stepping back.
A massive conspiracy and crisis were silently drawing near Konoha—and toward Heiyan.
Time raced by.
Before anyone knew it, another month had gone by.
Within Samehada, inside the Eternal Space at Shikkotsu Forest,
For thirty months—two and a half years—Heiyan and Tsunade had continued their intense cultivation journey. During this prolonged period, they had already absorbed three-fourths of the Star Meteorite's energy.
During this time, they didn't remain inside the Eternal Space all the time. They'd occasionally step out for a day or two, wandering through the Shikkotsu Forest to unwind and recharge.
Within those two and a half years, something else happened too.
Heiyan and Tsunade had finally entered a romantic relationship, officially becoming a couple.
There was no dramatic confession or painful entanglement—rather, as their feelings deepened, things naturally progressed, and they came together effortlessly.
At the crater lake.
Splash.
Tsunade emerged from the water like a hibiscus blooming on the surface (a traditional Chinese imagery symbolizing elegance). Amidst the mist rising from the lake, she swept her damp golden hair behind her ears with both hands. Her white swimsuit clung tightly to her skin, accentuating her alluring S-shaped curves.
On the shore, Heiyan set up a barbecue grill, roasting meat while admiring Tsunade's graceful figure.
Just then, Tsunade slowly swam toward the shore.
"Come here quickly. Today I've got your favorite—grilled tender chicken."
Heiyan smiled gently and picked up a towel beside him, extending it toward Tsunade. However, what he didn't expect was—
Splash!
Tsunade suddenly got playful. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she cupped some water in both hands and splashed it straight onto Heiyan. Caught completely off guard, he instantly turned into a drowned rat.
Teehee~
Seeing Heiyan's comically soaked appearance, Tsunade laughed until her eyes narrowed into crescent slits, her whole body trembling with delight.
"Wanna get spanked again, huh?"
Heiyan pretended to be angry, his gaze lingering on a certain part of Tsunade's body as he rolled up his sleeves and stepped closer.
Hearing his words, Tsunade blushed slightly, recalling some particularly intimate moments. The next moment, like a startled little rabbit, she spun around and dove straight back into the water, trying to escape from Heiyan's "clutches."
Trying to run?
Of course, Heiyan wouldn't let Tsunade off that easily. Immediately removing his shirt, he dove headfirst into the water, chasing after her.
"Ahh!"
In the middle of the crater lake, Tsunade let out a startled shriek when Heiyan wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling their bodies tightly together...
Scenes like this played out daily within their blissful world of just the two of them.
The night was calm like flowing water, bathed in bright, clear moonlight.
Beside the crater lake, inside a small cabin hidden among towering trees, Heiyan lay comfortably on the bed listening to the rustling leaves beyond the window.
Hmm…
Beside him, Tsunade murmured in her sleep, her smooth, pale arm draped over Heiyan's neck. She had one leg draped across him, sleeping soundly and sweetly.
In this fiery stage of their romance, intimacy was second nature—yet there was still one last boundary they hadn't crossed.
Though Tsunade often came off as bold and free-spirited, she was surprisingly traditional at heart. Once she chose a man, her heart remained unwavering. Before marrying Heiyan, she did her best to preserve her final bit of feminine modesty.
Heiyan showed the utmost respect for Tsunade.
Throughout their daily interactions, he always maintained proper boundaries and never overstepped.
Still, he had already made up his mind. After ending this cultivation retreat, he would pick an auspicious date to propose to Tsunade and take that ultimate step into marriage together.
It was late into the night.
In the moonlit room, listening to the roaring wind through the trees outside the window, Heiyan held Tsunade's soft body in his arms and drifted into a deep sleep.
The next day, after a short rest, the two of them once again entered the Eternal Space.
Time slipped away like sand through fingers.
It was the end of January in Leaf Year 33, less than half a month before the New Year in mid-February. But inside the Eternal Space, after nearly forty months of intensive training, Heiyan and Tsunade had finally absorbed all the energy from the Star Meteorite.
Inside the training chamber, the Star Meteorite had turned dull and lifeless—it was now nothing more than an ordinary stone.
And the Ten-Tails power it contained truly did not disappoint Heiyan and Tsunade—it successfully elevated both of their Sage Transformations to an entirely new level.
Tsunade had undergone tremendous changes.
She used to be 163cm tall, giving off a delicate and petite vibe beside Heiyan. However, her body underwent a second growth phase, naturally reaching 175cm.
Throughout this process, her physical proportions gradually approached the golden ratio. Her skin became fairer and more elastic, her legs longer and more graceful.
Of course, compared to these external transformations, her actual strength had soared far beyond before.
Tsunade's Sage Transformation had now reached the level of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. She could now enter Sage Mode more quickly, and effortlessly unleash large-scale Wood Release Sage Arts.
One could say that within the entire Leaf Village, Tsunade had become the second strongest figure—second only to Heiyan himself. Her power now surpassed even Hiruzen Sarutobi, Fugaku, and Hiashi.
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