In the Hokage office.
After Danzo left, the remaining few recapped the events of the Great Ninja World War.
This war can be broken down into three major phases.
The first phase occurred at the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron. It was the Leaf Trio against a coalition force composed of experts from across the ninja world.
In this battle where enemy forces greatly outnumbered their own, Konoha's Uzumaki Heiyan protected the retreat of Third Hokage and Tsunade, staying behind alone to face numerous enemies. He made his final stand on the snow-covered plains of the Land of Iron.
Eventually, Uzumaki Heiyan single-handedly killed three Kage and Musashi, the general of the Land of Water, and severely wounded four Jinchuriki and the four Tailed Beasts they host. He practically destroyed the entire enemy force.
However, in the end, Madara Uchiha suddenly appeared. After a fierce battle, he killed Heiyan and became the ultimate victor.
The second phase happened on Konoha's home turf, when the Fire Daimyo mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops in an attempt to completely eradicate the Leaf Village that had broken free from control of the Daimyo's Mansion.
During several days of siege warfare, the pivotal clash involved Konoha's Tsunade, Fugaku Uchiha, and Hiashi Hyuga battling the "Protective God" of the Land of Fire—the infamous Madara.
This conflict ended with Madara's Elephant Path being destroyed, and Konoha's trio winning through at great cost.
Meanwhile, Madara, who had been personally appointed by the Fire Daimyo as field marshal, indiscriminately slaughtered both enemy and allied soldiers alike. His slaughter caused over one hundred thousand casualties, directly leading to the collapse of the army and the downfall of the Fire Daimyo's reputation.
The third phase took place at the Fire Daimyo's Mansion (the political seat of power in the Land of Fire), after the Daimyo lost authority and various rebel armies stormed the capital.
During this time, the Daimyo's Mansion changed hands repeatedly, occupied in turn by different warlords and nobles.
Yet once the alliance formed by Konoha and Mount Myoboku entered the Daimyo's Mansion, they quickly defeated all opposing factions with unstoppable force, firmly seizing control of the mansion.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi leading the allied forces back in triumph, the war finally came to an end.
"So now the war is over. When it comes time to award merits, shouldn't Uzumaki Heiyan take the top honor? Without his sacrifice, there would have never been a second or third phase victory."
Fugaku stood up first, solemnly making the proposal.
"That's right. Uzumaki Heiyan is a hero of the village. We should posthumously honor him, recognizing and enshrining his deeds so that every citizen of Konoha remembers him and keeps his memory alive."
Hiashi also nodded earnestly in agreement, clearly showing his stance.
After both spoke, they meaningfully looked toward Gamamaru, their gazes filled with discontent.
Previously, the Konoha high-ranking elders had intended to hold Heiyan's funeral with state ceremony honors following the war, organizing mourning ceremonies across the entirety of Konoha—and even throughout the whole Land of Fire—for this fallen hero.
At that moment, Gamamaru suddenly arrived at Konoha carrying the Immortal Sage Talisman, claiming it could resurrect Uzumaki Heiyan, thus making elaborate funeral arrangements unnecessary since such actions might bring ill fortune.
What he said did make some sense.
Thus, after some discussion, everyone decided to cancel the state funeral and instead hold a quiet, modest ceremony, erecting an honorary tomb for Heiyan at the Konoha Shinobi Graveyard.
Judging by how things stand now, Gamamaru, the newly appointed Honorary Elder of Konoha, claimed most of the glory and credit after the war ended.
All the reputation and accolades he recently gained should originally have belonged to Heiyan.
This greatly irritated Fugaku and Hiashi.
When faced with their questions, Gamamaru still wore his usual composed and confident expression. He began speaking slowly and deliberately:
"Oh, by the way, I was just about to discuss this matter with you two..."
The truth is,
Although the war seemed to have merely paused, it was far from over. Hostilities could erupt again at any moment.
At the heart of the matter lay Heiyan.
Remember, Heiyan had killed and wounded various village Kages, Jinchuriki, and even national Daimyos. What's more, during the Five Kage Summit, he openly declared his intent to kill the Daimyos of the Five Great Nations. Indeed, those rulers were now dead. Despite Heiyan's death, many among the other villages still believed he was behind these assassinations.
After all, who else in the entire world of shinobi would dare pull off something so audacious—assassinating the Daimyos of all Five Great Nations at once?
Now, the high-ranking elders of the Four Great Ninja Villages were exploiting anti-Heiyan sentiment across their nations, inciting mass outrage and directing collective hatred toward Heiyan—and by extension, toward Konoha.
At any moment, they might rally as one and march their forces against Konoha again.
As for Konoha itself, having barely survived several consecutive battles, the country remained in disarray, lacking sufficient strength to handle another crisis. Under such circumstances, being attacked by the Four Great Nations' combined armies could spell doom.
Therefore, Gamamaru believed Konoha must clearly take a stance regarding the problems caused by Heiyan.
"A stance? What kind of stance?"
Fugaku and Hiashi asked simultaneously, sensing something was off.
"Although the Four Great Ninja Villages are loudly shouting threats, they actually lack the guts to attack Konoha outright," Gamamaru went on. "They simply want to use the people's hatred and fear of Heiyan within their nations to consolidate power. All they really need is for Konoha to make a statement—one that will help them save face and justify their actions before their own citizens. That's all."
Gamamaru's eyes glimmered with cunning wisdom, betraying the keen mind of an old fox who fully grasped the thinking of the Four Villages' leaders.
"So then, Great Toad Sage, what do you believe we should do?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen interjected thoughtfully at this point.
"From the perspective of the Four Great Ninja Villages, Heiyan's assassination of their Kages, Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, and national Daimyos constituted unforgivable crimes. At this critical juncture, if Konoha publicly hails Heiyan as a hero, it will further inflame the masses across the four nations, intensifying their rage and resentment.
Eventually, under immense public pressure, even the leaders of these villages—who might personally oppose military action—would be forced to form an alliance army to launch a punitive expedition against Konoha.
Therefore, we absolutely cannot go down that path."
Instead, we should coordinate with the Four Great Ninja Villages to launch a campaign against Heiyan, claiming Konoha is also a victim of the alleged atrocities attributed to him and distancing ourselves from him as much as possible.
Besides, Heiyan is already dead. Even if he becomes the common enemy of the entire shinobi world, it won't bring him any further consequences."
Gamamaru's shocking words chilled everyone present into stunned silence.
Bang!
Hiashi slammed his fist onto the office desk, glaring furiously at Gamamaru through clenched teeth:
"Can a person actually say something like this? Heiyan gave so much for the village, and now after his death, he's abandoned and even vilified by his own people?"
"How disgusting," Fugaku spat on the ground and stared coldly at Gamamaru.
"I've never claimed to be human."
Gamamaru said matter-of-factly, momentarily leaving Fugaku and Hiashi speechless.
Then, sighing to placate them, he added voluntarily:
"This is only a temporary measure. If Heiyan knew about Konoha's current difficulties in the underworld, he would surely agree to what we're doing."
"Bullshit!" both Fugaku and Hiashi roared in unison, their patience finally exhausted to the breaking point.
"Do you two still want Heiyan resurrected or not?"
Gamamaru suddenly raised his voice, abandoning his usual calm demeanor and speaking sternly.
These words directly hit their weak spot, immediately deflating their anger.
"Reputation is the least important thing. Think carefully—As long as Konoha survives this crisis, once I successfully resurrect Heiyan and lead the Konoha ninja to unify the shinobi world, Heiyan will become not only Konoha's hero but the hero of the entire shinobi world. Compared to that, temporary infamy means nothing."
Gamamaru earnestly counseled the two.
Fugaku and Hiashi remained angry but couldn't find words to refute him.
Just when the standoff continued, Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, then stepped forward to pat both their shoulders and persuaded:
"Fugaku, Hiashi, the Great Toad Sage is right. We must consider the bigger picture. However..."
After a brief pause, he turned to Gamamaru and added:
"Under no circumstances should we vilify Heiyan. For many villagers, he has always been our hero and spiritual pillar in Konoha. Betraying Heiyan means betraying the people of Konoha and abandoning the Will of Fire—the very heart of our village."
"So according to your opinion, Teacher, what should we do?"
Orochimaru finally spoke up, having kept silent until now.
"Cold treatment. From today onwards, we will neither slander nor accuse Heiyan, but also refrain from promoting his achievements. Just let everyone gradually forget him until the day he revives and returns."
Hiruzen proposed this compromise.
"Hmph!"
Fugaku and Hiashi stormed out in anger.
Outside the office.
"Hey Fugaku, do you really believe what that old fellow Gamamaru said? Does he truly have both the capability and willingness to resurrect Heiyan?"
Hiashi asked gravely.
"If it dares to deceive us, then we kill it," Fugaku said coldly, making a slicing motion across his throat. He was ruthless and didn't waste words.
"Agreed. If I find out it's lying, I'll open the Death Gate and kick its head off."
Hiashi nodded slightly, his eyes filled with cold-blooded determination.
As the two left the Hokage Tower, the high-ranking elder meeting of Konoha came to an end at last.
One month later.
In this massive upheaval within the ninja world, daimyos from various countries were successively killed, and their mansions—the strongholds that had oppressed the people for over a thousand years—were overthrown. Taking advantage of the chaos, the great ninja villages seized control, marking the end of an era ruled by daimyos.
At last, ninjas had replaced the daimyos as rulers of this planet.
Afterward, the Five Great Ninja Villages simultaneously adopted strategies focused on recovery and growth, building upon previous reform efforts by vigorously promoting ninja culture and Ninjutsu internally, greatly expanding the number of ninjas nationwide.
During this period, numerous Ninjutsu techniques designed for daily life and productivity began making their way into everyday homes.
The average standard of living among the residents of the entire ninja world was steadily improving.
In the near future, each of the great ninja villages was set to see a dramatic surge in the number of ninjas. Ninjutsu would now be used by countless ninjas, ushering in a new golden age.
As for Heiyan,
Amid intense portrayals by the Four Great Ninja Villages, he had become the greatest villain in the history of the ninja world—an enemy to all shinobi. He was a butcher, a mad killer, stained with rivers of blood and burdened with countless sins.
Across the ninja world, statues of Heiyan even began appearing everywhere, forcing him to kneel forever before the graves of those he'd murdered, eternally repenting his crimes.
Under such circumstances, Konoha—who should have been fighting hardest to protect Heiyan's reputation and image—remained strangely silent.
Soon afterward, rumors began circulating from within the Hokage office itself, claiming that Heiyan was arrogant, careless with lives, and had recklessly attacked the other villages during the Five Kage Summit, committing unforgivable crimes.
These rumors, naturally, had been planted by Gamamaru under Danzō's orders.
In this climate of public opinion, many villagers gradually began doubting Heiyan, growing resentful toward him, even hating him.
Once revered as Konoha's hero, he had now become, in some people's eyes, the war criminal responsible for destruction—a disgrace to the village.
Although there were still those who stood up for Heiyan and felt deeply wronged on his behalf, over time their numbers dwindled, their voices grew weaker.
Finally, no one remembered how, in that summer long ago, it was Heiyan who initiated a revolution that swept across the entire ninja world. It was he who dared challenge the Daimyo's Mansions—which had oppressed the people for more than a thousand years—and ultimately overthrew them.
Yet the world gave him no thanks.
Instead, people hated him, feared him, and refused to remember him.
Heiyan saw it all, heard every word they whispered behind his back.
The night was like flowing water, with a bright moon hanging high above.
Konoha remained as lively as ever through the night, its streets lit with countless lights, bustling with crowds laughing and chatting happily.
Plazas, hot springs, izakayas, casinos, barbecue houses, libraries, night markets—every corner of the village buzzed with villagers reveling in peaceful, comfortable lives.
Standing on a cliffside behind Konoha, Heiyan stood in the evening breeze, silently watching the vibrant night view of his village below.
Over the past month, he had personally witnessed how his reputation in the village changed from widespread admiration to universal contempt.
Although Heiyan knew deep down that someone like Gamamaru and Danzo were pulling the strings from behind the scenes, he couldn't help but feel strange emotions stirring within, gradually altering his mindset.
He was tired.
Once, Heiyan had dreamed of unifying the shinobi world. But after everything he'd experienced, those dreams had changed.
Why go through all this trouble?
From now on, he simply wanted to return overseas and focus on developing the Penglai Ninja Village he had personally founded.
In Heiyan's vision, Penglai would one day become a perfect blend of modern civilization and traditional ninja culture. He envisioned a place with skyscrapers and 21st-century technology from his past life—alongside ninja who could soar through the sky or vanish into the earth.
When the time came, he would invite people like Tsunade, Fugaku, Hiashi, Kosuke Maruboshi, and Might Duy to join his village.
Penglai would evolve into a civilization far surpassing the Five Great Ninja Villages.
At the same time, Heiyan would continue cultivating diligently, constantly pushing beyond his limits until he became truly invincible.
As for all these troubles in the ninja world—the Child of Prophecy, the savior complex, the Moon Eye Plan… let them duke it out among themselves.
With this thought, Heiyan withdrew his gaze and turned around.
Before returning to Penglai, he still needed to make one stop at Orochimaru's laboratory. Based on his covert surveillance, the latter had made a significant breakthrough in researching Black Zetsu's severed arm.
Heiyan realized that Orochimaru's findings might play a crucial role in his future cultivation journey...
---
By the way, please rest assured—I never wrote this book for money. Otherwise, I would've gone MIA long ago and never gotten this far.
Tomorrow morning I need to return to my hometown, which involves a two-thousand-mile journey, leaving no time for writing. Since this volume has just concluded, I'm taking this opportunity to ask for leave.
The good news is, once I reach my hometown, I'll have more time and better conditions for writing.
My plan remains: continue updating normally throughout late June while stockpiling some manuscripts.
In July, I definitely plan to go all-out with daily updates—aiming for at least ten thousand words a day... and making another attempt toward reaching 500 average subscriptions.
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