"Heyan, can I go with you?"
After hearing Heyan's plan, Yurou the Immortal Sage asked eagerly.
She wanted to travel across the world of shinobi just like Heiyan did, and because of her kind heart, she hoped to use her healing abilities to help innocent people injured in the war.
"Of course you can. Haven't we always fought side by side in the past?"
Heiyan smiled, readily agreeing.
He had summoned Katsuyu for healing after every major battle in the past, but now he no longer needed the Summoning Jutsu, which made things much more convenient.
"Don't forget me—I want to go too."
Pakura immediately spoke up when she heard this, looking eager to join in.
Although she'd lived comfortably on the tranquil isle of Penglai for the past few years, eventually the peace had grown somewhat dull. Deep down, Pakura was still a ninja who loved adventure and craved missions and battles.
"No."
However, Heiyan shook his head, refusing her request. After all, this wasn't a casual outing; having too many people along would be inconvenient.
Just as Pakura wore an expression of disappointment and reluctance, Heiyan spoke again:
"If you really want to go out on a mission, I could arrange one for you instead."
"Really?" The moment she heard that, Pakura instantly changed expressions—as if a stage actor suddenly switched masks—her face lit up once again, eyes filled with anticipation.
"This won't be a simple mission. You must prepare yourself well."
Before explaining the details of the mission to Pakura, Heiyan reminded her about what lay ahead.
It turned out he had received intelligence indicating that an elite force from Konoha had invaded Kumogakure, attacked and captured Hoshigakure, leaving many Hoshigakure ninja becoming captured prisoners locked away in local prisons.
Heiyan's task for Pakura was to rescue everyone from Hoshigakure, especially a certain red-haired girl named Summer—a once-in-a-century genius—and ensure her safe delivery to Penglai.
In fact, several years ago when Heiyan went with Tsunade to Hoshigakure searching for Star Meteorites, he had already grown fond of Summer. Now presented with another opportunity, naturally he would try bringing this talented girl over.
"Don't worry. I guarantee the mission will be completed perfectly—not even a single hair on Summer's head will be harmed."
Pakura patted her chest confidently as she spoke proudly.
"If that's settled, head to bed early. We all need our strength—everyone moves out at dawn tomorrow."
That's exactly what Heiyan said.
"Hmm." All four of them nodded in agreement and began preparing accordingly.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Heiyan went straight to the office to handle some village affairs and instructed the defense division to heighten vigilance.
Although Penglai's location isolated by sea meant it stood almost zero chance of being impacted directly by The Great Ninja World War, they still needed to take precautions in case the worst-case scenario occurred.
Then, Heiyan set off together with Yurou toward the Land of Water (Mist).
Half a day later.
Inside the Mizukage building office in Kirigakure.
There were over a dozen high-ranking elders inside the room, each wearing anxious expressions. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
"The attack from Kumogakure is too fierce—we cannot possibly resist them!"
"Only by asking the Immortal Sage to return from seclusion can we turn the tide and save Kirigakure, save the Land of Water!"
A jonin spoke first, breaking the tense silence. He became increasingly impassioned, convinced that the Immortal Sage was Kirigakure's only hope.
"Yes! Exactly right!"
"We must rely on the Immortal Sage!"
When others heard this, they quickly voiced agreement, placing their hopes on the Immortal Sage's return.
Just then—
"Silence!"
With white hair and a cane, Sage Master shouted furiously. He slammed his cane onto the ground and rose from the Mizukage's seat.
His eyes burned with fury as he swept his gaze across the room, forcing everyone to lower their heads, unwilling to meet his stare directly.
Looking at these weaklings, Sage Master rebuked bitterly:
"Remember this—The Immortal Sage has no obligation to rescue us every time. When the village faces crisis, you don't think about saving ourselves, but always expect him to help. Does that make any sense?"
"But Cloud is simply too powerful. We truly have no chance of winning."
One Kirigakure jonin couldn't help but retort, thinking the Sage Master only understood theory without recognizing reality.
"You call yourselves ninja from Kirigakure, renowned for Water Release techniques? Occupying the greatest advantage of having the ocean itself as your battlefield, yet you show cowardice before battle even begins. Have you no dignity as ninja? Rain ninja managed to hold back main forces from three great ninja villages. Are you telling me our Kiri ninja are weaker than Ame, unable to stop even a single Raikagure?"
Instantly countering, Sage Master fired a soul-searching question at that ninja.
"This..." Everyone looked at each other speechlessly when they heard this.
Seeing people finally start reflecting, Sage Master continued earnestly:
"Please remember—this trial is a turning point for Kirigakure. If we overcome Cloud's invasion, our village shall rise from the ashes."
These words, like the tolling of temple bells at dusk, jolted the people of Kirigakure awake as if from a deep slumber.
Next, after intense discussion, everyone finally reached consensus and formulated a detailed battle plan.
They decided to learn from Ame's tactics—rather than confronting Cloud head-on at the borders, they would allow enemy forces to enter the Land of Water first. Then, using the land's natural advantage—constant rain, heavy fog, and countless rivers and lakes—they would scatter into smaller units to wage guerrilla warfare.
In time, Cloud's army would be unable to wipe out Kirigakure outright. As time passed, logistical support would inevitably fall behind, completely reversing the situation.
"As temporary Mizukage, I'll personally go to the frontlines to deliver a speech, boost morale, and stabilize our forces' resolve."
At the meeting's conclusion, Sage Master declared further, instructing his secretary to arrange travel plans immediately.
Just then,
"You're old now, with difficulty walking. You should stay peacefully within the village."
With those words from outside the door, Heiyan—transformed into the Immortal Sage—entered the office with Yurou, her arm linked in his.
"Immortal Sage!"
Sage Master and others saw Heiyan and were delighted beyond expectation, hurriedly bowing in greeting.
Heiyan nodded politely at them, then introduced Yurou as his eldest daughter. They had already agreed on the story of being father and daughter before arriving here.
"The Immortal Sage's daughter? So beautiful."
"There's an immortal aura around her. She's like a celestial fairy!"
Everyone was awestruck by Yurou, lavishing her with endless praise.
Of course, part of the reason for this admiration lay in the striking contrast between Heiyan and his supposed "daughter." Heiyan's appearance made such a strong impression that Yurou seemed even more stunning by comparison.
"This time my daughter and I have come out of seclusion to help Kiri."
Heiyan spoke plainly from the start, bringing good news to everyone gathered.
Actually, he had already arrived at Kiri before the meeting began but deliberately chose not to appear immediately.
While hiding in the shadows and listening to the entire discussion, Heiyan realized that Sage Master and Kiri had lived up to his expectations. Although there were some setbacks along the way, they eventually formulated a battle plan that Heiyan found workable.
According to this plan, even without Heiyan's personal intervention, Kiri would likely survive the conflict and might even defeat the invading forces from Akagakure.
However, he had an even better strategy.
Thinking this through, Heiyan directly addressed the group:
"My daughter Yurou and I will go to the frontlines together, while Sage Master takes command here protecting our rear and keeping enemies from sneaking in. Understood?"
"Understood!"
Sage Master and others loudly responded in agreement.
"Oh right, almost forgot."
Before leaving, Heiyan swept his gaze across the people in the office. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a powerful suction force, pulling forward a Jonin from Kiri.
"Heiyan, what are you doing!?"
The man panicked, shouting aloud.
Heiyan didn't answer. Instead, he directly searched the man, quickly retrieving a miniature recording device and an intelligence scroll used for contacting the enemy. Immediately, the man's face turned deathly pale.
Thump.
Heiyan threw the person onto the floor, frowning as he said, "He's a spy from Akagakure, most likely turned traitor. Take him down and let the Intelligence Division interrogate him thoroughly."
Among the Nine Tails, Nine-Tails possessed the ability to sense malicious intent. After absorbing Ten-Tails, Heiyan discovered he could sense people's true intentions.
Earlier while speaking, he sensed this man had ill intent. One move confirmed his suspicions.
"Yes sir!"
Upon hearing this, Sage Master's expression darkened significantly, immediately assigning someone to deal with it.
After resolving the threat posed by the spy,
Heiyan and Yurou left under the send-off of Kiri ninjas, heading toward the border.
Several hours later,
The two arrived at a coastal port on the border where Kiri's garrison forces were stationed.
A quick count told Heiyan that Kiri only had less than two thousand ninja stationed here. Even adding regular soldiers barely exceeded ten thousand troops—a clearly significant disadvantage against their enemies.
Their arrival immediately caused a sensation among the gathered crowd.
"Heiyan is here!"
Ninjas and soldiers alike cheered. Moments ago they had been filled with despair, but now their spirits had soared and completely transformed.
The name "Heiyan" was revered as divine throughout the Land of Water. His deeds saving Kiri were widely spread across the nation, sung and celebrated in stories and performances.
Under everyone's adoring gazes, Heiyan landed gracefully onto the sea surface just off the coast.
The sea here was calm and peaceful — a crucial maritime passage connecting the Land of Water to the outside world. If the Cloud forces wanted to invade the Land of Water, they had no choice but to pass through this area.
Therefore,
Heiyan put his hands together, then pressed one palm toward the sea surface. The next second, boundless ice began spreading from him at hundreds of meters per second across the ocean.
A short while later,
This vast sea area had been completely frozen by Heiyan's Ice Release. The entire sea surface within an [Icebound for a Hundred Miles] radius had formed a thick layer of ice, emitting bone-piercing coldness.
These were not ordinary ice — they contained Sage Chakra, making them very similar to the natural environments of the three sacred locations.
Anyone stepping onto this ice would suffer attacks from icy chills and passively absorb the natural energy spreading here. Those who attempted to forcefully cross this frigid domain could only end up as ice statues, sleeping eternally in ice.
With this move, the Cloud forces would have no way to enter the Land of Water.
[Icebound for a Hundred Miles].
This grand feat by the Immortal Sage shocked all the Mist ninja and soldiers.
Heiyan didn't linger for long. After simply instructing the garrison commander not to approach the ice surface, he left with Yurou and continued forward.
Several hours later,
The two arrived at the border of the Land of Lightning.
Looking down from midair, there were more than a hundred ships gathered here, and over a hundred thousand Cloud ninja and soldiers assembling, with numbers still increasing.
"What should we do? Are we going to attack?"
Yurou asked nervously. She hadn't been in any real combat since becoming human.
Heiyan gently shook his head.
If he wanted, annihilating the entire Land of Lightning wouldn't be difficult at all. But Heiyan didn't want to cause unnecessary bloodshed.
To catch the bandits, first capture the leader. Just eliminating the twelve-member council of Akagakure would resolve most of the problem.
Therefore, the two flew straight past enemy forces toward Akagakure.
The next day,
Heiyan and Yurou finally reached Akagakure village.
This village exuded an air of grim tension. With guards stationed every few steps and patrols everywhere, armed warriors patrolled constantly, wielding ninja blades.
It looked more like a war camp than a village.
Whoosh!
Heiyan and Yurou descended from the sky, landing right before the Raikage building entrance.
"Who is it?!"
"Intruders! Enemy attack!"
Upon discovering the two, numerous enemies quickly surrounded them.
Heiyan nodded at Yurou, who immediately understood. She opened her mouth and spat out a large wave of acid liquid resembling seawater toward the Raikage building.
With a hissing sound, the acid began dissolving the Raikage building.
Under the corrosive effects of this acid, the building melted and collapsed rapidly, like wax under flame.
With a series of roars, twelve figures burst out from inside the building. These were the twelve Cloud council members, each wearing white robes, their faces filled with rage.
"Immortal Sage?! Daring to come here seeking death yourself — kill him!"
Recognizing Heiyan's identity, one council member immediately shouted fiercely.
The moment those words left his lips, the twelve elite Jonin rushed forward in unison, attacking both Heiyan and Yurou.
Heiyan's right eye, the Mangekyou Sharingan pattern flickering, instantly transformed into a pale blue Tenseigan. The next moment, countless streams of chakra enveloped his entire body.
Tenseigan Chakra Mode.
[Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!]
Heiyan manipulated the Truth-Seeking Balls floating before him, sending them spinning forward at high speed, unleashing a violent maelstrom of destruction and light.
Boom!
As the tornado tore through, enemies were like fallen leaves in the wind—helplessly swept into the vortex and gravely wounded.
Half of Akagakure was reduced to ruins.
The twelve council members and numerous ninjas were instantly defeated with one move, some dead, others wounded, incapable of further resistance.
This was the gap between absolute powers.
Heiyan approached a surviving council member still clinging to life, giving him a bird's-eye look with a slight frown.
"Immortal Sage, I have to admit, your strength has exceeded our expectations. However, we've long anticipated this situation and prepared countermeasures against you. Haven't you realized it yet?"
The man showed no fear at all, instead gazing mockingly at Heiyan while smirking coldly.
Oh?
Upon hearing that, Heiyan used his Sensor ability to scan the area and discovered that all the villagers in Akagakure had already been evacuated. Except for several ninja, the village was practically empty.
"Go to hell."
After sneering another mocking remark, the man let out a popping sound and turned into white smoke, vanishing completely.
It was a Shadow Clone.
Next second.
A violent resonance erupted from behind Heiyan.
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