At the back of the crowd, Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku, remained as calm as ever, as if nothing in the world could surprise him.
Yet in reality, his hands—though webbed—trembled slightly.
Uzumaki Heiyan—this was a name Gamamaru least wished to remember. He had shattered the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, making Gamamaru doubt himself for the first time in his life.
Moreover, upon seeing Heiyan's Byakugan, the pair of horns atop his head, his flowing white hair, and the robe marked with tomoe patterns, Gamamaru felt an even deeper sense of shock. After all, he knew exactly what those signs meant.
Years ago, he had once had a sibling of the opposite sex who bore a strikingly similar appearance.
Uzumaki Heiyan had become an existence on par with the Sage of Six Paths.
For Gamamaru, even if Tsunade became the empress ruling over the entire shinobi world, it wouldn't matter to him. No matter how much power she possessed, unless her strength reached the Six Paths Tier, she would ultimately remain nothing more than a pawn on the great chessboard of the ninja world.
But Heiyan had already stepped out of that board, becoming a shogi player just like Gamamaru—an opposing player directly across from him.
Thinking thus, Gamamaru narrowed his eyes, his mind racing faster than ever before, weighing how best to confront this formidable adversary's challenge.
At the front of the stage—the podium.
His former lover stood just before him, but Tsunade showed no sign of joy or excitement. Instead, she gazed at Heiyan with solemn eyes.
Heiyan…you've finally come after all.
Then tell me, why have you come this time?
Though Tsunade didn't speak aloud, their lovers' intuition allowed Heiyan to understand her words through her gaze alone.
So, he took one step forward, completely ignoring the tense Anbu ninjas surrounding him, stretched out his hand toward Tsunade from afar, and said to her:
"Come with me."
Come with me.
These four simple words, spoken gently and calmly by Heiyan, struck the ears of everyone present like thunder cracking the heavens, earth-shattering.
Many people remembered how Heiyan and Tsunade had once been a couple everyone admired.
But that was in the past.
Now, under such extraordinary circumstances—one being the Fourth Hokage determined to unify the shinobi world while the other was infamous as the number one criminal—they stood now as sworn enemies, locked in an unbreakable conflict where only one could prevail.
Yet this topmost outlaw dared say to Konoha's Hokage: "Come with me."
Absolutely insane.
How will Lady Hokage respond?
In an instant, all eyes turned to Tsunade, anxiously awaiting her reply.
No one could dare imagine what would happen if she truly eloped publicly with Heiyan before billions across the entire shinobi world, abandoning Konoha and turning this Hokage inauguration ceremony into a complete mockery—
the greatest disgrace in recorded history.
If something like that really happened, it wouldn't just be a disaster—it'd be the end of the world as they knew it, not just for Konoha, but for every hidden village.
The air across the plaza hung in perfect silence; even a pin drop would echo clearly.
Then, slowly, Tsunade shook her head and declared:
"I refuse."
I refuse.
They all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Of course. Tsunade-sama, as the Fourth Hokage destined to unify the shinobi world and accomplish feats never seen before, would never abandon everything for a man."
"That Uzumaki Heiyan clearly overestimated himself. Perhaps he isn't that significant to Tsunade-sama at all—he's just an old flame."
"…"
Many murmured amongst each other while casting mocking looks at Heiyan.
Reporters also aimed their video cameras at Heiyan, hoping to capture his awkward expression at this moment.
Yet much to their disappointment, Heiyan still wore a faint smile, his expression unchanged—as if he had already predicted Tsunade's response.
Ignoring the crowd's piercing stares, Heiyan once again shocked everyone by directly addressing Tsunade:
"If that's the case, then I'll just have to kidnap you and make you my wife."
As soon as he finished speaking, the previously noisy crowd fell into sudden silence.
Everyone stared at Heiyan in shock, unable to believe what they had just heard.
"If I'm not mistaken," muttered an Anbu deputy captain beside Hatake Sakumo, "is Uzumaki Heiyan actually planning to abduct the Fourth Hokage, Tsunade-sama, right here in front of the entire shinobi world?"
"Prepare for battle!"
With a sharp command, Hatake Sakumo was the first to draw the White Fang short blade from his back, pointing its edge threateningly at Heiyan.
The audience quickly erupted into uproar, snapping out of their initial shock.
One must understand—Tsunade was revered as the 'Shinjo' (Goddess), a sacred figure beyond reproach in the hearts of many shinobi.
Especially during such a solemn and majestic event when countless eyes from across the world of shinobi were attentively watching.
Uzumaki Heiyan had dared speak such frivolous words toward Tsunade-sama; this was not only a personal insult but also a blatant provocation against Konoha and the entire Land of Fire itself.
Thus, outrage consumed the crowd as they leapt to their feet, condemning Heiyan furiously.
Though loud condemnations rang out, not a single person dared step forward to confront him.
After all, years ago, Uzumaki Heiyan had already been a legendary warrior capable of defeating Kage-level opponents and Jinchuriki from various villages. His current strength was likely even more unfathomable.
Among those present, only Tsunade-sama, the Immortal Sage, or the Great Toad Sage could possibly stand a chance against this villain.
What would Tsunade do next?
Tsunade's stance was clear.
Facing Heiyan's bold declaration, she gazed deeply at the man before her, then bit her lip and coldly ordered, "Seize him!"
Before her voice even faded,
"Attack!" At Tsunade's command, Hatake Sakumo charged forward first.
Although he knew he stood no chance against Uzumaki Heiyan, it was the sworn duty of the Anbu to protect the dignity of the Hokage at all costs—even with their lives.
Thus, Hatake Sakumo and his squad of Anbu ninjas fearlessly rushed toward Heiyan without hesitation or retreat.
"Brave indeed."
As over a hundred Anbu ninjas charged at him, Heiyan simply muttered a few words before raising his right hand — then snapped his fingers.
Snap.
At the moment of the snap, a powerful Chakra fluctuation erupted from his body, forming a visible semitransparent ripple that spread outward in all directions.
Next second.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sakumo Hatake and the entire squad of Anbu ninjas couldn't evade in time — struck by the chakra ripple, they flew back one after another like shattered kites plummeting from the sky.
With a single move.
Heiyan defeated over a hundred elite Anbu ninjas in one strike, leaving them no chance to fight back.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>