Three days later, in the southern sea.
Above the ocean southwest of Mikazuki Island, a massive surge of energy erupted skyward, radiating brilliant light. The sheer intensity of this power distorted space itself, creating extreme danger in the surrounding area.
The cause of this surge was none other than Samehada devouring the second Dragon Vein.
Three-Tails Isobu, serving as Samehada's small companion, had run far away and dared not get close. Villagers from the Penglai Ninja Village had also been warned beforehand, and all boats had returned to port, halting any sea activities.
Heiyan floated midair, gazing down at Samehada below.
Indeed, this creature had long been underestimated. Its potential for growth was in a league of its own—it had actually managed to swallow the second Dragon Vein entirely.
Given time, Samehada would become the most powerful summoned beast on the planet. Once it further awakened its intelligence, it could even reach the level of beings like Sage Slug, White Snake Sage, or Gamamaru.
Moreover, it would surpass the Sages from the three sacred locations, growing more powerful than them all—perhaps earning titles such as "Samehada the Immortal" or "Kun the Immortal."
On the ocean surface, Samehada's chakra reaction gradually stabilized, meaning it had successfully absorbed the energy of the second Dragon Vein.
At that moment, Samehada had grown to an incredible size: a gigantic square-shaped head, a body stretching several kilometers long, fin-like wings on either side of its body, and a whale-like tail over a kilometer in length.
It floated atop the ocean like an island, nearly matching Mikazuki Island in size.
Seeing this, Heiyan's heart stirred.
Swoosh.
He descended from the sky, landing on Samehada's vast back. Then he made a hand seal and pressed both hands downward, unleashing a torrent of chakra far greater than that of the Dragon Vein.
[Yin-Yang Release] Flash.
In an instant, a thick layer of soil spread across Samehada's back, forming a flat terrain-like surface.
Then—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rumbling sounds erupted from beneath the ground as countless trees, flowers, grasses, rocks, and even houses pushed through the earth, instantly shaping a beautiful island landscape.
Looking down from the sky, a rectangular island had appeared on the ocean surface. A river ran through the entire island, lined with cherry blossoms blooming with full splendor along its banks. Further out stood rows of houses and dense forests, resembling a peaceful Shangri-la-like paradise (a utopian haven)—a bustling village surrounded by paradise.
This transformation turned Samehada into a livable island.
Moreover, it was a mobile island, much like the turtle island from the original timeline. Its future residents could now ride the winds and waves, traveling the seas upon Samehada's back.
Under Heiyan's command, Samehada swam to a spot near Mikazuki Island, then fell into deep slumber.
Completely digesting the power of two Dragon Veins was a long process—one that wouldn't be completed within mere years. Decades might pass before it fully assimilated their strength.
Therefore, for a very long time to come, Samehada would remain motionless right here, becoming the second island of the Penglai Ninja Village.
Heiyan had long realized that if Penglai continued to develop, with the growing population, Mikazuki Island alone would no longer be enough for habitation.
Now, this issue had been somewhat alleviated.
Boom!
With a raise of his hand, Heiyan summoned a colossal stone tablet ten meters tall from beneath the ground.
Then, he drew forth the Murakumo Sword and carved two bold, flowing characters onto it: Fangzhang—matching the stone tablet at the village gate of Penglai Village.
After finishing this, Heiyan once again entered the Eternal Space within Samehada.
Compared to before, the Eternal Space had expanded even further. The most noticeable change was the appearance of a space-time gate.
Suspended midair, it emitted waves of spatial energy. Having absorbed the power of two Dragon Veins, it opened a connection between two parallel worlds.
Through extensive research, Heiyan discovered a surprising phenomenon—the flow of time in the original timeline moved differently compared to the parallel world he now inhabited.
Previously, when Heiyan encountered Team 7 in the ancient Kingdom of Loulan, several years passed in this world, while only a few months elapsed in the original timeline—significantly slower.
Therefore, according to the time frame here, there was still a long way to go before the outbreak of the Fourth Great Ninja War and Kaguya's resurrection in the original timeline.
However, Heiyan wasn't worried.
After all, in this world, he still had many important matters to handle.
Survival and security always came first.
Since reaching the Six Paths Tier, his priority was naturally to eliminate all enemies and threats in this world.
Currently, Madara had already been defeated, and without the Ten-Tails, his days were numbered. As for Black Zetsu and Nagato, even if they inherited Madara's Rinnegan, they wouldn't amount to much.
Heiyan wasn't going to waste his time chasing them around the world—if they stayed low and kept out of his way, great. But if they caused any more trouble…
They'd end up like Madara—dead.
Next after Madara came Gamamaru.
Frankly speaking, there was no deep hatred between Gamamaru and Heiyan—it was simply a frog obsessed with playing the role of the ninja world's strategist and savior.
There were some unpleasant moments between the two, but not enough to justify mutual destruction.
However, Gamamaru's flaw was his arrogance—always treating the beings of the ninja world like pawns. If he ever troubled Heiyan or those he cared about again…
Mount Myoboku would face consequences.
In addition, there were other mysterious powerful entities in this world, such as Moryo from the Land of Demons, Shinigami from the underworld, and Xie Shen worshipped by the Xie Shen Sect.
If time allowed, those unknown forces wouldn't go unnoticed forever.
Oh right—there was also the Otsutsuki clan on the moon.
Descendants of Hamura Otsutsuki, they possessed a massive Tenseigan and required Heiyan's attention as well. It might be worth dropping by one day—to show them who's really in charge. Apparently, these people weren't content either—believing that the ninja world left behind by the Sage of Six Paths was a failure that needed destruction and recreation.
Of course, none of the above factions posed a major threat to Heiyan.
His only true enemy was the Otsutsuki Clan itself.
Momoshiki, Heishi, and Kinshiki.
These fellows were all Six Paths-level existences, making them quite troublesome to deal with.
What worried Heiyan was whether changing the history of the shinobi world would set off a chain reaction, bringing even more members of the Otsutsuki Clan to Earth.
How many people exactly made up the Otsutsuki Clan? How many stars had they invaded, how many God Trees had they planted, and how many Chakra Fruits had already ripened?
The members of this clan believed their ultimate goal was to become supreme "gods." Along this path, just how far had the strongest among them gone?
None of these had answers—yet.
Right now, Heiyan himself had already inherited the Kekkei Mora of the Otsutsuki Clan. Furthermore, once both of his eyes fully mastered the Kekkei Mora, he would certainly stand out as one of the clan's elites, reaching power levels rivaling Kaguya after she consumed the fruit of the God Tree.
However, within the Otsutsuki Clan, there must be those stronger than Heiyan—beings who had likely absorbed the power of two, three, or even more Chakra Fruits.
Therefore, if Heiyan wished to protect everything he cherished, he must keep training and absolutely find a way beyond the limits of the Otsutsuki path.
It was a puzzle with no easy solution.
For now, Heiyan decided to focus on something more practical.
He had an idea—one he'd been eager to try for a long time—but hadn't had the strength to pull it off until now.
Now, his chakra reserves were sufficient. However, before proceeding with his plan, he first needed to obtain Katsuyu's permission.
So, Heiyan cast the Reverse Summoning technique and headed for Shikkotsu Forest.
Shikkotsu Forest's island remained as tranquil and peaceful as ever, a small slug lazily basking in the sun atop branches.
Clad in a long robe marked with tomoe symbols, his silver hair flowing behind him like a streamer, Heiyan descended gracefully from the heavens.
"Lord Heiyan, you..."
Katsuyu appeared, clearly startled by Heiyan's transformed state. Then, using its pair of antennae to approach Heiyan, it sensed the change in his aura and happily said:
"Congratulations, Lord Heiyan!"
The Sage Slug, known as Katsuyu, had a gentle and kind nature, never acting aloof. To any ninja who formed a contract with Shikkotsu Forest, she would always respectfully address them as "Lord."
Yet, this title was more about warmth and courtesy rather than implying real authority over her.
Except for Heiyan.
Heiyan had now also become an Immortal, existing at the same level as Katsuyu, and as a ninja, he possessed numerous powerful jutsu and abilities surpassing Katsuyu by far in every aspect.
Thus, the title "Lord" used by Katsuyu here came sincerely, from genuine respect and submission.
"Katsuyu, may I ask—how long have you stayed here? Living alone on this island must've been very lonely," Heiyan looked at the Sage Slug and suddenly asked.
"Hmm, let me think... It must've been more than fifteen hundred years now."
Waving its antennae, Katsuyu seemed to struggle recalling, then added, "Still, I haven't felt too lonely either."
"By signing a summoning contract with human shinobi like Lord Heiyan, my clone can occasionally visit the human world to observe the customs and cultures of the shinobi realm. I'm already quite satisfied with that."
"Then... have you ever considered moving? I mean, moving into the human world?"
Heiyan continued gently, a smile on his face. His tone was calm and kind, showing neither urgency nor pressure toward Katsuyu.
"Moving? But my body has long since merged with Shikkotsu Forest's island. I can't go anywhere."
Katsuyu instinctively replied, but soon realized what Heiyan meant.
"Lord Heiyan, are you saying..."
It asked hopefully, both excited and nervous.
"That's right. Exactly what you're thinking."
Heiyan gave a knowing smile and nodded.
Several hours later.
Above the southern sea, Heiyan hovered in midair, gazing down at Mikazuki Island and Hoshigaki Island below. Eventually, he chose a spot southeast of the two islands, forming an equilateral triangle with them.
Then, Heiyan clasped his hands together and performed the Summoning Jutsu.
[Haa!]
With a sharp cry, an immense amount of chakra exploded from his body. His eyes blazed with light, and his silver hair whipped wildly behind him.
Immediately afterward—
The sky above suddenly darkened as if day had instantly turned to night. Upon closer inspection, one could see a gigantic figure appearing in the sky, casting a massive shadow over the ocean surface.
It was... an entire island.
What Heiyan had always wanted to do was summon the entire Katsuyu.
Over a thousand years ago, no one had ever dared attempt this, because the amount of chakra required for such a summoning was unimaginable—enough to make even a shinobi of Hashirama Senju's caliber give up in awe.
Until the Immortal Sage Heiyan appeared.
Rumbling sound...
Under Heiyan's control, Shikkotsu Forest's island slowly descended and finally settled steadily onto the ocean surface, displacing vast amounts of seawater and creating towering thirty-meter-high waves.
At Penglai Ninja Village's mountaintop villa,
Pakura took three young trainees from Kiri along for a tour, arranged accommodations for Kisame and Zabuza, and then returned here with Mei Terumi.
Though this villa belonged to Heiyan, he rarely came home, and for the past few years, Pakura had been living here alone.
Feeling lonely living by herself and having developed fondness for the young girl Mei, Pakura decided to let Mei temporarily reside here to keep her company.
The air atop the mountain was fresh, the view wide open; watching the scenery from here allowed one to gaze far into the distance.
Mei blankly stared at the landscape below, still somewhat bewildered after being mysteriously transported to Penglai. At the same time, she was also worried about the situation back in her hometown—Kiri.
Suddenly,
A loud boom startled Mei. She immediately looked up and saw an island appearing out of nowhere, descending from the sky and landing upon the ocean's surface, generating terrifying giant waves.
Fortunately, the ninja of Penglai Ninja Village had already received notification and made preparations, activating barriers along the shorelines to block the incoming waves, preventing them from affecting the island's villagers.
"Onee-san Pakura, what... what is that?"
Mei Terumi stared in shock, pointing a trembling finger at the distant island as she turned to Pakura, who had just walked over.
"According to Heiyan, that's Shikkotsu Forest, one of the three sacred locations in the world of shinobi. It's where the Sage Slug resides. However, its body has already merged with the island itself, so Heiyan used [Summoning] to bring out the entire island."
Pakura placed a reassuring hand on Mei Terumi's shoulder and explained calmly.
Summoning an entire island?
At that, Mei Terumi's mind reeled again, her young heart deeply shaken.
On the island.
Following his habit, Heiyan erected a stone tablet at the entrance of Shikkotsu Forest, inscribing the word "Yingtian" on it.
Thus.
Now, all three islands—Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingtian—stood complete.
Legends spoke of three immortal mountains far beyond the sea—known as Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingtian. Immortal sages resided there, crafting legendary elixirs said to grant longevity—and even eternal life.
Therefore, Heiyan borrowed these names, hoping that one day he could build his Ninja Village into a paradise akin to these legendary immortal lands, drawing admiration from countless shinobi.
Unlike Penglai and Fangzhang, while Yingtian—also known as Shikkotsu Forest—may sound like a paradise, its natural conditions made it unfit for human habitation. Moreover, Heiyan would not allow outsiders to disturb Katsuyu's sanctuary.
Hence, his vision was to make Shikkotsu Forest the sacred land of Sage Art for Penglai Ninja Village. He would refine and improve the Sage Arts of Shikkotsu Forest, lowering the cultivation requirements so more people could learn and practice them.
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