The sun shone gently, and a warm breeze blew.
Though it was already early winter, for the spring-like Penglai, the weather remained just as pleasant as ever. Many villagers still wore light clothing, showing no signs of feeling the cold.
During this time, Heiyan had been living a life of pure relaxation.
Each day consisted of little more than enjoying ocean breezes, fishing, surfing, sunbathing, and gathering with Yurou, Pakura, and others for meals and drinks—fully indulging in life's pleasures.
In addition, he finally had ample time to properly teach the disciples he'd taken in over the past few years.
For gifted young individuals like Yuki Kazahana, Sāra, Summer, Mei Terumi, Kisame, Zabuza, Yahiko, and Konan—who were personally recruited by him—Heiyan provided them with individualized instruction, tailoring his guidance to each student's strengths and future path.
At month's end, the village hosted its biggest festival celebration ever, commemorating the fifth anniversary of Penglai's founding.
This celebration included everyone and lasted three full days. Each day stretched from morning to night, filled with bustling crowds, drumbeats, music, and endless celebration.
At ten o'clock in the evening, Penglai remained brightly lit.
On the rooftop terrace of the mountaintop villa, Heiyan stood leaning against the railing, letting the wind blow through him while gazing down at the bustling city below.
Down the mountain, in the center of the village plaza, a grand bonfire party was underway. Hand in hand, the villagers danced and sang joyfully around the massive fire, their youthful voices echoing far into the night sky.
Seeing this scene, Heiyan became lost in thought.
"What are you thinking about?"
At that moment, a voice spoke beside him—it was Pakura, who had walked over. She handed Heiyan a cup of sake, brushed her hair aside with her hand, then tilted her head toward him, watching curiously as she asked.
"Nothing much."
Smiling, Heiyan replied with satisfaction, "I just feel that seeing Penglai like this today, every effort I've made so far has been worth it."
"Heiyan, you're truly amazing."
Pakura fixed her large eyes on him without blinking, saying earnestly. Then lifting her cup, she flashed him a sweet smile. "Cheers!"
"Cheers."
Returning her smile, Heiyan touched his cup lightly against hers before tilting his head back and finishing off the drink in one gulp.
Slightly tipsy, he silently vowed in his heart to protect everything before him forever.
Whether facing threats from hostile forces in the shinobi world or covetous eyes from the Otsutsuki clan beyond the skies, nothing could shake Heiyan's determination and will.
From this day forward, any who threaten Penglai shall be hunted down—no matter how far they flee.
Of course, current-day Penglai still fell far short of perfection. For example, Heiyan's two brothers Fugaku and Hiashi, along with teacher-friends like Kosuke Maruboshi and Might Duy, had not yet arrived here.
As for Heiyan himself, his greatest personal regret remained Tsunade.
Now that he thought about it, Tsunade's influence in the shinobi world had only grown stronger over the past month—her fame was spreading wider than ever.
During this time, she had also been requested by the nations of Wind Country and Earth Country to travel to the Land of Demons located within the desert, where she suppressed the army of stone warriors running rampant there and sealed away their leader—the demon Moryo.
Afterward, even the shrine maiden of the Land of Demons was won over by Tsunade's charisma and followed her back to Leaf Village, becoming one of Tsunade's personal attendants and learning medical ninjutsu from her.
It could be said that under Tsunade's leadership, Leaf had eliminated all hidden dangers in the shinobi world and removed every visible threat, now simply awaiting the upcoming Hokage inauguration ceremony in a few days' time.
Seeing Heiyan's pensive expression, Pakura guessed what he might be thinking.
Hesitating for a moment, she finally asked with a hint of worry:
"So, what do you plan to do, Heiyan? All the nations will send representatives to attend Tsunade's succession ceremony. Should Penglai follow suit? Once Leaf unifies the shinobi world and becomes a superpower, how should Penglai coexist with it?"
Originally, Pakura hadn't planned to ask him these questions because she believed he could handle everything well, especially given his relationship with Tsunade.
However, recently Heiyan hadn't mentioned Tsunade even once, let alone met secretly with her to discuss matters between their two villages.
Could something have changed between Heiyan and Tsunade?
This was what Pakura couldn't help but suspect.
Logically speaking, she should feel happy—after all, if Tsunade stepped aside, then she herself would have an opportunity to be with Heiyan.
But when you truly love someone, you naturally wish for their happiness. If Heiyan still carried feelings solely for Tsunade yet parted ways with her due to certain circumstances, he would definitely suffer great pain.
Pakura did not want to see Heiyan suffer.
"Don't worry, I've already made plans. I'll handle things properly with Tsunade and the Leaf Village."
Heiyan, sensing Pakura's concern, reached out and patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Mm, I believe you'll handle everything smoothly."
Upon hearing Heiyan's words, Pakura finally nodded in relief.
This was probably just her overthinking. With Heiyan's ability, he would surely resolve everything peacefully and perfectly.
"It's getting cold lately. Don't stay outside too long; go inside and rest earlier."
Noticing that Pakura was wearing a backless outfit, Heiyan kindly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Then together they left the rooftop terrace and headed home to sleep.
It was a quiet night.
The next day, a piece of good news spread across the village—the Wuge Fortress, under renovation for nearly a month, had finally completed its reconstruction and looked completely renewed.
Following Heiyan's previous arrangements, all the kunoichi of Fujiko Village moved into the fortress. Yue Fujiko, serving as the former Headman of Fujiko Village, officially joined Penglai's core leadership circle and became one of the high-ranking elders.
At Fujiko's invitation, Heiyan accompanied her on a visit to tour the fortress. As expected, they were warmly welcomed like celestial figures adored by the masses.
They expressed their gratitude toward Master Heiyan for providing such an excellent place to live. This beautiful city-fortress was truly a dreamlike new home.
Facing the overwhelming enthusiasm of the female kunoichi, Heiyan found it hard to cope with their affection. It had taken every ounce of his strength just to escape from that "all-female kingdom."
However, Yue Fujiko had already promised Heiyan that the female ninja of Fujiko Village would gradually integrate into Penglai's big family and promote freedom in romantic relationships for everyone.
That bizarre tradition of recruiting sons-in-law was now completely history.
According to the female ninja of Fujiko Village, Heiyan would always remain their last husband—their ultimate shared heartthrob—and this would never change.
Inside the study, the window stood open, revealing an endless view of beautiful ocean scenery outside.
Seated in a chair, Heiyan tapped rhythmically on the desk with his fingers, plotting and planning within his mind.
He had previously approached Tsunade as the Turtle Immortal and promised her he would attend her inauguration ceremony as the new Hokage in Konoha—but...
The Turtle Immortal didn't necessarily have to be Heiyan himself.
All it took to become the Turtle Immortal was donning the living armor of the Three-Tails.
When Heiyan publicly reclaimed his woman before the entire world of shinobi, he definitely wouldn't use another identity—he must clearly announce to everyone:
He, the legendary Uzumaki Heiyan, had returned.
Therefore, what Heiyan needed to prepare now was to choose a suitable person to impersonate the Turtle Immortal and accompany him to Konoha.
He decided to pick someone from among his students.
For the lucky one, this mission would not only be a chance to experience grand events but also immense training and challenge.
Perfect timing.
Heiyan heard that the Chunin Exams at the ninja academy were currently underway, with all the students giving their best performances to showcase their training achievements to the villagers.
Without delay, he set off toward the exam venue to scout for candidates.
Penglai's Chunin Exam system had taken inspiration from Konoha's rules, refining and enhancing them to create a far more balanced structure.
Beside the ninja academy stood an arena large enough to hold over ten thousand spectators, now filled to capacity with cheers and shouts echoing nonstop.
At the main viewing stand, several high-ranking elders of Penglai had gathered, chatting happily and commenting on this batch of examinees, eagerly anticipating their dazzling performances.
"Master Heiyan, you've arrived!"
With Heiyan's appearance, everyone quickly stood up to greet him, filled with joy.
Although this was already the village's multiple-time-held Chunin Exam, their village leader had simply been too busy to attend any until now.
There was a seat reserved specifically for Heiyan right in the center of the prime viewing stand—an empty spot that had remained unoccupied for years.
Now, surrounded by Ashina Uzumaki, Haruko, the Queen of Loulan, Mifune, and others, Heiyan sat down in that seat, gaining a full panoramic view of the entire stadium.
"Master Heiyan is here!"
This news quickly spread throughout the venue, and suddenly, tens of thousands of eyes turned toward the main stand, with the villagers loudly shouting Master Heiyan's name together.
Down below, the examinees who were about to take the exam grew equally excited, each eager to step forward and show off their skills to catch Master Heiyan's attention.
Sigh... When will I ever become like Master Heiyan, leading Penglai as our village head and receiving worship from countless people...
Zabuza Momochi stroked his chin thoughtfully, a glint of ambition flickering in his eyes.
"With your skills? Maybe in your next life. If someone like you could become Village Headman, then I could too."
Standing beside him, Mei Terumi pouted and crossed her arms, smirking as she shot back.
"Heh."
Zabuza let out an embarrassed chuckle, choosing not to fire back. After all, he had always ranked below Mei during their academy days, and every sparring match between them had ended in Zabuza's defeat.
Among peers, the only one capable of matching Mei was that monster Kisame Hoshigaki.
Thinking about this, Zabuza nudged Kisame with his elbow, teasingly added, stirring things up.
"Old shark guy, don't forget how she used to bully you back then! Now's your chance for revenge! During your one-on-one match later, make sure to teach her a lesson and embarrass her in front of everyone!"
"I will give my all regardless of who my opponent is—whether it's you or her," Kisame replied impartially, clearly the type of straightforward person.
"Hmph!" Mei snorted lightly and chose not to acknowledge these two anymore, thinking to herself that she would handle them when the time came.
At that moment,
Responding to the enthusiastic cheers from the audience, Heiyan rose from his seat in the stands, smiling while waving politely at everyone. Then, he raised a hand to signal for silence, so everyone could focus on the examinees' matches.
Afterward, Heiyan turned his gaze toward the center of the venue, indicating that the examiner could proceed.
Whoosh!
A Jonin from Penglai instantly arrived onto the arena using Shifting Body Technique, announcing the competition rules and the roster of participants.
Soon after, the first match began.
Two Genin around ten years old stepped onto the stage, both bowing respectfully to the audience and each other. As soon as the examiner gave the signal, they rushed toward each other, kunai knives already in hand.
Perhaps because they were the first pair to appear, both started off somewhat nervously. However, once the fight progressed, they quickly found their rhythm, delivering an exciting and intense battle.
"Hmm, pretty good," Heiyan gave an approving nod, his gaze filled with admiration.
These two young boys were merely ordinary Genin from Penglai; yet, both displayed proficient control over Chakra Release Natures, their combat power equivalent to elite Chunin from other ninja villages.
Ultimately, due to elemental advantage, the Genin utilizing Lightning Release defeated his opponent who relied on Earth Release techniques, emerging victorious and advancing with only minor risks.
When the first match concluded, thunderous applause erupted among the spectators, commending the performance of the two boys and thanking them for delivering such an exhilarating confrontation.
The competition continued.
Since Heiyan had personally come to the event, all the examinees were especially excited—each one giving their all as soon as they entered the arena, eager to impress the Village Headman.
Kisame Hoshigaki was the first seeded candidate to step forward. Despite being only six years old, he possessed astonishing chakra reserves surpassing even Jonin level. Employing simple but powerful Water Release ninjutsu, he completely overwhelmed his opponent wielding Earth Release techniques, forcing him to retreat in defeat.
Zabuza also entered the stage, although his luck was rather bad—he faced Mei as his very first opponent. Predictably, he suffered a heavy beating and had no choice but to surrender.
During this time, Yahiko, who had recently joined Penglai, also participated in the competition. Using his proficient Water Release ninjutsu, he engaged in a fierce battle with his opponent for a long while before barely advancing.
"Panting... That really pushed me to my limits."
After narrowly passing the round, Yahiko exhaled deeply in relief and instinctively glanced toward the stands. He noticed Heiyan giving him a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Recognized by Heiyan, Yahiko felt a rush of excitement. He wiped away the sweat from his forehead, beaming with joy as he walked off the stage to prepare for the next match.
Next up was the main event of the day:
Kisame Hoshigaki VS Mei Terumi.
The former was known in the original timeline as the man called the "Tailless Tailed Beast"—a title that symbolized his beast-like power despite lacking any tailed beast within him—a ninja of immense strength who, until his dying moments, proved what it truly meant to be a shinobi with his own life.
The latter, having risen above the ranks of Mist, which were brimming with talents, to become the Mizukage, was also the only shinobi in history possessing two Kekkei Genkai—a clear testament to her extraordinary talent.
And true to everyone's expectations, the battle turned out to be extremely intense. The two fighters exchanged blows, evenly matched throughout, leaving the audience awestruck. No one could believe that the two children fighting in the ring were only five or six years old.
Eventually, both Kisame and Mei gave it their all, releasing increasingly powerful jutsu—so strong, in fact, that even the barrier surrounding the arena began to crack and could no longer hold.
At that moment, Heiyan swiftly intervened, reinforcing the barrier and restoring its once-impenetrable strength.
Shortly afterward, the two combatants on stage finally determined a winner.
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