"They also understand that after these talks, the world of shinobi is clearly moving toward unity. That condition was my bottom line, so they're just trying to squeeze out a few extra benefits and grab whatever small advantages they can."
Tsunade-sama added.
"Ah, I see now,"
Miroku nodded repeatedly, finally catching on.
By following Master Tsunade, one could not only learn medical ninjutsu but also pick up many political tactics that would certainly come in handy if she ever returned to the Land of Demons.
Now that she thought about it, once the world of shinobi was unified, the Land of Demons would probably become irrelevant anyway.
Back at the hotel.
Under the escort of several Mist ninja, the Turtle Sage returned to the room, where refreshments and snacks had already been prepared.
"You're all dismissed now. I'm feeling rather worn out and need some proper rest."
The Turtle Sage slightly waved a hand, showing signs of fatigue.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Everyone immediately responded before exiting the room one by one, carefully closing the door behind them. Additionally, two Jonin remained at the entrance, standing guard to ensure no one approached and disturbed the Turtle Sage's rest.
One of them was Ao.
"Hey."
Ao's companion poked him lightly, whispering with evident surprise on his face, "I didn't expect that Turtle Sage's hobby would be eating all sorts of snacks—especially those usually favored by kids."
"This shows he still has the heart of a child and holds onto innocence like a true immortal sage."
Ao said respectfully.
"That makes sense." Hearing this, his comrade nodded earnestly as well.
In reality, they were both overthinking.
As soon as Mei Terumi got back to her room, she locked the door from the inside, then eagerly took off her armor and transformed back into her original form.
"Huff, I'm exhausted."
She took a deep breath, happily grabbing the snacks from the plate before flopping onto her bed to indulge.
When she had entered the meeting room earlier, she'd nearly died from nervousness.
Yet later on, Mei discovered that those so-called Kages weren't actually anything special.
Seeing people like Onoki arguing vehemently around the negotiation table, she had been hiding inside the armor, suppressing laughter the entire time.
If those guys ever found out that the Turtle Sage they'd been negotiating with was actually just a six-year-old girl, who knows what kind of expressions they'd make? Probably shocked enough to drop their jaws.
Hehe.
Mei mused with a mischievous grin.
Just then—
Knock knock knock.
A sudden knocking sound broke the silence.
"Turtle Sage, there are three visitors here for you—it's Tsuchikage, Kazekage, and Raikage. Would you like to see them?"
Ao's voice cautiously came from outside the door.
Huh?
Upon hearing this, Mei sat up straight from her bed, frowning slightly.
During the Five Kage Summit, she had already found those three annoying—they kept stirring things up the whole time, trying to pressure her into opposing Tsunade.
Never expected that even after the summit ended, they still wouldn't give up and came looking for her.
"Hmph, daring to interrupt me while I'm snacking—I must teach these guys a lesson. The power Master Heiyan gave me should be used when needed; I have to show them who's in charge."
"Mei Terumi murmured to herself for a moment before wiping her mouth and putting the Sage's armor back on."
"Let them in."
Inside the room, the familiar gentle voice of the Sage of Six Paths echoed out.
"Please enter, Honored Ones."
After receiving the Sage's instructions, Ao opened the door and gestured for Onoki and his group of three to enter.
The three exchanged glances before entering the room one after another.
Outside, Ao and his companion held their breath anxiously, listening intently to the sounds coming from within.
At such a sensitive time, the three Kages secretly visiting the Sage of Six Paths was sure to spark all sorts of speculation.
A few minutes later.
"Why is it suddenly so cold?" Ao shivered slightly, surprised.
"There's chakra fluctuation inside—the Sage himself is attacking!" Another guard exclaimed. He quickly grabbed the doorknob, preparing to rush in and support.
But the very next moment, an extremely frigid chakra seeped out from inside the room, spreading along the doorknob to the entire door, as well as the floor beneath their feet and the surrounding walls.
"Retreat quickly. This is a battle we cannot interfere in."
Ao's expression changed as he pulled his companion backward.
Crack!
After the two retreated, the icy energy continued pouring out relentlessly. Soon, the whole corridor had been frozen solid, transforming into a passageway adorned with hanging ice spikes.
"What's going on?"
The commotion attracted the attention of Master Sage and others. They rushed over curiously, staring uncertainly at the entrance to the Sage of Six Path's room.
A little while later.
Bang.
The door was pushed open from within. Three figures leaned on each other as they stumbled out, looking rather disheveled.
When Master Sage and the others saw this scene, they noticed that nearly half of the Fourth Raikage's upper body was completely encased in ice. Onoki and Rasa weren't much better off either, both still showing significant traces of frost.
They never expected that not only was the Sage uninterested in their alliance proposal, but he actually launched a sudden attack, causing the three of them to suffer a major defeat.
With no intention of lingering, the three let out cold snorts as they passed by Master Sage and others, quickly leaving the scene.
What happened inside the hotel room soon reached Tsunade-sama's ears.
Finally, she felt completely reassured.
It seemed the Sage kept his promise firmly, choosing to support Tsunade instead of creating trouble for Konoha.
After all, this old man was the only opponent Tsunade couldn't fully read. If he suddenly turned hostile, it would create enormous uncertainty.
Thinking about this, Tsunade turned her head and asked the shrine maiden Miroku beside her:
"Haven't you found that ninja who used a serene melody to release Genjutsu during the day yet?"
"No."
Miroku shook her head and took out a portrait. It depicted a middle-aged man with long hair and beard, appearing quite disheveled.
No one recognized the man; his face was completely unknown to them.
"[Transformation Jutsu]." Tsunade judged after just a glance. But soon, she fell into deep thought, various thoughts surging in her mind, giving rise to an intuitive feeling.
"Is it really you, U Heiyan?"
Looking at the man in the portrait, Tsunade murmured.
"Tsunade-sama, what did you say?"
"Do you recognize this man?"
Miroku hadn't quite caught Heiyan's name and rushed to ask again.
Tsunade didn't directly answer Miroku's question. After a brief silence, she countered with her own:
"Miroku, tell me—did I really unify the ninja world in the future you saw?"
Startled by the question, Miroku then replied excitedly and firmly:
"Tsunade-sama, please believe me! A shrine maiden's prophecy never fails! I saw you standing on the platform, becoming the Fourth Hokage, with every great ninja bowing before you—a new era had begun!"
She was extremely confident in her own prophecy.
"I hope so."
Tsunade smiled slightly, though she kept another thought to herself.
There was no such thing as a completely accurate prophecy in this world.
Once, the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku had also claimed his prophecies were flawless—but his prophecy failed when it came to Heiyan.
Heiyan seemed to be an extraordinary existence, unaffected by what was supposedly destined.
If everything happening in this world had already been secretly arranged by fate, and all beings were merely pawns on a board, then Heiyan was an unexpected variable that disrupted the entire game.
Heiyan—if you insist on stopping me, then I have no choice but… to fight you.
Tsunade gazed out at the deep night sky beyond the window, her eyes gleaming with determination as she silently said to herself.
The next two days passed peacefully in Konoha, with all affairs progressing steadily according to plan.
Only three more days remained until the Hokage inauguration ceremony.
On January 1st of Konoha Year 39, a new year would dawn—a new era for the ninja world would begin.
Today marked the second round of negotiations at the Five Kages Summit.
Compared with the previous session, Tsunade showed a much stronger attitude at the negotiation table, and significant progress had been made.
At this point, Onoki, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage had finally accepted reality, abandoning their unrealistic hopes and preparing to submit to Konoha and Tsunade.
As for the Immortal Sage, he remained composed and indifferent during the negotiations, occasionally raising some conditions or requests.
As a result, compared to other countries and villages, the Land of Water and Kirigakure gained the most benefits.
Tsunade promised the Immortal Sage that although the Land of Water would cease to exist after the shinobi world was unified, Kirigakure would still retain considerable autonomy and not face excessive interference.
In the end, might made right in this world.
The Immortal Sage was Mist's greatest asset—as long as he lived, the people of Kirigakure would never be oppressed.
After the meeting ended.
Mei Terumi returned to her hotel room, locked the door as usual, took off her armor, and immediately dove face-first into the blankets.
Ugh... Sooo boring.
These past few days, she'd carefully played her role as the Immortal Sage, stuck in a loop between the hotel room and the conference hall.
For a naturally energetic six-year-old girl, managing to keep up the act without slipping up even once had already been quite difficult indeed.
After lying on the bed for a while, Mei Terumi jumped off and ran to the window.
She carefully pulled the curtain open just a slit, peeked through with her large eyes, and curiously gazed at the bustling night view outside.
The street below was buzzing with life. People of all ages—adults, elders, and children—were fully enjoying Konoha's colorful nightlife.
How fun it would be to go out and play.
Mei Terumi envied them greatly, but in the end, she could only silently draw the curtains shut and return to her bed with a gloomy expression.
Leaning against the headboard, she curled up, hugged her knees, and buried her head into them.
Soon, quiet sobs escaped her lips.
She missed her parents—they had been gone for so long, and would never come back to her.
At this moment, Mei Terumi felt an unprecedented loneliness.
"Your guard's down."
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed inside the room.
Startled, Mei immediately lifted her head and turned toward the corner. In the next instant, Heiyan's figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
"Master Heiyan, I'm sorry! I..."
Mei instantly became flustered, quickly wiping away her tears. She got up and headed toward the Immortal Sage armor hanging nearby, clearly intending to put it back on.
Seeing her look so embarrassed and ashamed, Heiyan showed a hint of tenderness in his eyes. He stepped forward, gently stopped her actions, then reached out and patted her red hair:
"There's no need to apologize. You've done very well. I came here tonight specifically to praise you—and to take you out for some fun."
"Really?"
Mei perked up instantly, unable to believe her ears. Her wide eyes locked onto Heiyan, full of disbelief.
"Of course. Konoha actually has quite a lot of fun things to offer. It's such a shame to come all this way without taking the chance to explore. Besides, nobody here knows who you really are, so there's no need to worry about exposing your identity, right?"
Heiyan said with a smile. As Mei stared at him in surprise, he used [Transformation Jutsu] to change himself into the appearance of a red-haired man.
She was stunned because after transforming, not only did Heiyan's hair color resemble hers, but even their facial features bore some resemblance—making them look like… father and daughter.
"Tonight, you're my daughter, and I'm your dad. Let's go."
With a warm smile, Heiyan took Mei Terumi's hand and vanished along with her using [Kamui].
Of course, as he left, he also casually cast a [Genjutsu] to create the illusion that the Immortal Sage was still inside the hotel room.
A few minutes later,
The father-daughter pair, Heiyan and Mei Terumi, appeared by the Hot Springs Riverside—the most prosperous commercial street in Leaf Village.
"Wah!"
Mei Terumi was overjoyed, bouncing around like a little bird breaking free from its cage, looking at this, playing with that.
For over an hour, the two explored nearly half of Konoha, trying just about everything, before ending up back on the same main street.
[Gurgle]...
Just then, Mei Terumi's stomach let out a loud protest, causing her cheeks to flush red as she felt rather embarrassed.
"Hungry, aren't you?"
Heiyan affectionately ruffled her hair and suggested, "I'll treat you to some ramen. There's a place I used to go all the time—it makes great noodles."
"Great! Great!"
Mei Terumi nodded like a bobblehead, thrilled at the idea and eager to hear more about Master Heiyan's past.
So, Heiyan led Mei to Ichiraku Ramen with practiced ease.
Years had passed since his last visit, and Teuchi had become far more mature and responsible. He ran this small ramen shop well, and business was booming.
Hmm?
As Heiyan sat down, he noticed several familiar figures at the next table—some kids around Mei's age happily eating delicious ramen while chatting and laughing together without a care in the world.
Kakashi, Might Guy, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara.
Among them, Obito spoke the loudest, going on nonstop and totally snowing the gullible Might Guy, who listened with wide eyes.
Rin covered her mouth trying not to laugh out loud, while Kakashi sat with his usual cold indifference, focused only on his noodles.
Heiyan turned back to Teuchi and held up two fingers. "Boss, we'll have two bowls of your signature ramen, please."
"Sure thing. Please wait just a moment."
Teuchi beamed as he replied, then picked up his ladle and got busy preparing their order.
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