While the Hokage election in Konoha was proceeding through twists and turns, a major event unfolded in the world of shinobi.
One of the three sacred locations, Ryuchi Cave, had fallen.
Several days earlier, Onoki, Rasa, and others had traveled to Ryuchi Cave to visit the White Snake Sage. They hoped to reach an agreement that would allow ninja from the three great villages to train in Sage Arts there.
Their group was flatly rejected by the White Snake Sage and even humiliated by the snakes of Ryuchi Cave — some members of their entourage were even swallowed alive.
Onoki, Rasa, and the Fourth Raikage were all Kage-level leaders, revered figures in the human world. When had they ever endured such shame?
Unwilling to back down, the top brass from the three great ninja villages gathered secretly. After a conspiracy, they launched a military operation targeting Ryuchi Cave.
Just then, news arrived from Konoha: Orochimaru's past activities involving human experimentation had been exposed. He had defected from the village and was now labeled an S-rank rogue ninja.
Conveniently, Orochimaru had signed a contract with Ryuchi Cave, making him a human ninja who could freely enter and exit the place.
Therefore, the three great ninja villages immediately activated their intelligence networks, tracked down Orochimaru's hiding spot, and sent the Three Kage themselves to apprehend him.
Orochimaru, just like the snakes of Ryuchi Cave, was a cold-hearted man. To save his own life, he without hesitation allied with the three villages, betraying Ryuchi Cave without hesitation.
With help from this insider, the operation proceeded surprisingly smoothly.
Orochimaru sneaked into Ryuchi Cave pretending to seek protection from the White Snake Sage. He offered more than a hundred living sacrifices, which were promptly devoured by the cave's snakes.
However, those hundred people were actually suicide agents from the three ninja villages. Poisoned beforehand, they acted as bait, seriously harming the snakes of Ryuchi Cave.
Then, the allied forces of the three ninja villages, lying in wait outside, stormed into Ryuchi Cave, destroying the snakes' nest completely and killing every snake. A massacre ensued.
In this great battle, the White Snake Sage sustained grave injuries and fled, vanishing without a trace.
Manda, Orochimaru's summoned beast known as "Ten Thousand Snakes," became the sole survivor among the serpent race. Like Orochimaru himself, she betrayed her own kind and sided with humans.
After the war, the Three Kage delivered a joint statement declaring this a "glorious victory."
In their statement, they declared: Sacred locations rich in natural energy were ideal training grounds that rightfully belonged to humanity — to the shinobi themselves.
Yet for over a thousand years, these lands had been occupied by creatures such as frogs, snakes, and slugs. These lowly beings absorbed natural energy, transforming into immortals who oppressed the shinobi world as tyrants.
Today marked the rectification of centuries of injustice.
Following this, the three great ninja villages invested heavily, fully committing to studying the natural energy of Ryuchi Cave and developing various systems for Sage Art cultivation.
Orochimaru, deeply familiar with Ryuchi Cave and already well-versed in Sage Arts, underwent yet another dramatic transformation — from a hunted rogue ninja from Konoha to the chief scientist serving all three great ninja villages.
He vowed to take vengeance on Konoha.
His chosen weapon was the Cursed Seal, a Sage Art system.
Once again, turmoil stirred across the world of shinobi.
Overseas lay the land of Penglai.
No matter how chaotic the ninja world got, Penglai Village stayed peaceful and full of laughter, like a paradise untouched by the outside world.
At the mountaintop villa, Heiyan's real clone stood on the rooftop, gazing up at the endless sky.
During this time, he had continuously received memories transmitted from his original body. No matter how far apart they were, telepathy between them occurred in real-time, faster than light itself.
This was because his soul had split into two halves—one remaining with the original body, while the other stayed within the real clone.
This sensation reminded Heiyan of theories like "quantum entanglement." Although he didn't understand its scientific principles, it was enough for him to instinctively use this ability naturally, just like eating or drinking.
"Has the sanctuary been completed yet?"
He murmured.
Just moments ago, he had seen a massive cylindrical building shining with countless beams of white light, then his original body flew inside, bathing in an ocean of radiant energy.
With time, this radiant energy would allow him to ascend to a higher level.
At that moment, Heiyan withdrew his gaze and turned his eyes toward Fangzhang Island out on the horizon.
His summoned beast [Summoned Beast] Samehada had sent him a signal.
By now, [Summoned Beast] Samehada had absorbed most of the power from two Dragon Veins. Within its body, the space-time gate grew increasingly distinct—its energy sufficient to safely transport Heiyan back to the original timeline.
"Maybe it's time I pay the original timeline a visit. After all, I still have a promise to keep with that guy Naruto."
He muttered to himself. Fortunately, this body was just a clone—if anything went wrong during the time travel, there wouldn't be serious consequences.
So, he called upon Yurou, Pakura, and others, informing them that he needed to go on a long journey. Before his return, he entrusted Yurou with defending Penglai and protecting the village.
Pakura silently watched Heiyan leave, her expression slightly downcast.
Seeing this, Yurou gently patted her shoulder in comfort.
Beneath Fangzhang Island, within the depths of Samehada.
Within the Eternal Space, the space-time gate floated high above, radiating waves of brilliant energy.
Heiyan rose from the ground, drifted toward the gate, and gazed into it.
Initially, the view beyond was dark and empty. Yet under his focused gaze, as if resonating with his consciousness, an image gradually emerged.
What Heiyan saw was a room—empty, surrounded by braziers where fire crackled noisily. It appeared to be a hidden chamber.
In the center of the chamber stood a platform holding a transparent glass case. Inside lay a finely crafted kunai.
Clearly visible on the kunai were the four words [Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain].
Heiyan suddenly recalled—it was one of the Flying Thunder God Kunai he had once given to Naruto Uzumaki, sealed with markings he himself had left.
Suddenly, the secret chamber door opened, and two ninja wearing animal masks walked in. They circled the glass case, carefully inspecting it and confirming everything was normal.
Konoha Anbu ninja.
"So," Heiyan mused thoughtfully, "the kunai I gave Naruto has been placed in a hidden room and is under constant twenty-four-hour surveillance by Anbu. Who issued this order? Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage?"
As he was thinking this, another figure entered the hidden room in the vision.
It was a golden-haired woman with a purple diamond mark on her forehead, wearing a green coat. Her silhouette was breathtakingly captivating. She approached the glass cabinet, retrieved a kunai, and studied it with a furrowed brow.
It really is her.
Heiyan felt a strange yet wondrous sensation as he saw Tsunade in the vision.
In this parallel world, Tsunade was his wife, and after many trials they had finally become soulmates. He knew her innermost thoughts and physical being intimately.
Yet in the original timeline, that Tsunade appeared as a mature beauty in her twenties but was actually over fifty—and had never met U, remaining a total stranger to him.
Heiyan wondered whether there was an intimate connection transcending timelines between the two Tsunades from different parallel worlds, or if they were entirely different individuals.
He was filled with anticipation, hoping to meet the Tsunade in the vision soon.
At that moment, after inspecting the kunai, Tsunade placed it back into the glass cabinet and exited the hidden room, accompanying an Anbu ninja.
It was time.
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