"I wonder how the Konoha ninja are doing. To be honest, I'm really worried."
Tsunade turned around and buried her face in Heiyan's chest, speaking with concern.
Indeed, right now in Konoha, she—the Hokage—was missing, while Danzo, the Interim Hokage, had been killed by Heiyan. The village was essentially leaderless, its morale sinking fast.
Under these circumstances, it would be hard for Konoha's ninja to perform well on the battlefield; once fighting broke out, the casualties could be catastrophic.
"Do you want to go back?"
Heiyan asked with a smile.
"I..." Tsunade hesitated. She didn't want to leave him for even a moment, yet couldn't bear to abandon her village either.
Seeing her hesitation, Heiyan took the initiative and offered:
"Why don't you take Mei Terumi back with you? At this critical moment, only if all the Kages of the Five Great Ninja Villages fight side by side can they unite everyone and form an unprecedentedly powerful force."
Tsunade lifted her head, surprised. She hadn't realized he'd already mapped out everything for her.
"Don't worry, my love. I will always be your strongest support. After you and Mei Terumi set off, I'll bring the others to the battlefield as backup."
Holding Tsunade close, Heiyan made her this promise.
The same day,
Tsunade, Mei Terumi, and Hinata left the wooden cabin, accompanied by farewells from Heiyan and others.
It wasn't just Tsunade who felt reluctant—it was also Hinata.
During these days, she had grown especially close with Izumi, Shinrin, and Haku, and now saw Master Heiyan in a new light.
Now she understood—the truth behind Master Heiyan's abduction of her from Konoha was actually well-intentioned, meant to help Naruto finally realize his feelings for her.
Master Heiyan was a very considerate and gentle man.
So before leaving, Hinata deeply bowed to Heiyan, sincerely thanking him for his care over these past days.
Then the three set off directly toward the Allied Ninja Forces' command base.
Heiyan stood in silence as the three women faded into the distance.
As for their safety, he felt no anxiety—not just because both Tsunade and Mei Terumi were strong, but more importantly, because he had personally inscribed the [Flying Thunder God Technique] onto Tsunade.
The instant she was in danger, he'd be there by her side.
Then Heiyan turned his head and gave instructions to Izumi:
"You three should also prepare yourselves well. The battlefield of the Great Ninja World War is a great place for training."
"Yes!"
The three girls stiffened respectfully and answered together.
On their foreheads were the forehead protectors of the Penglai Ninja Village, marked with the symbol of Immortal—marking them as an elite combat squad.
Izumi looked eager beyond control; the warlike genes of the Uchiha clan made her blood boil with excitement.
Haku stayed calm and collected. Years as a ninja had long desensitized her to war and bloodshed—not even the Great Ninja World War could stir a flicker in her heart.
In contrast, Shinrin looked visibly tense, gripping her medical kit like a lifeline.
But soon, she gathered her courage and clenched her fists tightly, encouraging herself. As the team's medical ninja, during this time she had learned quite a lot under Heiyan and Tsunade; she believed she would definitely prove useful on the battlefield.
Shinrin vowed that she would never let Izumi and Haku get hurt.
Another two days went by.
The Fourth Great Ninja War had intensified to its peak.
On the Allied Forces' side, Tsunade and Mei Terumi's return gave a huge boost to morale. They finally gained the strength to stand against Akatsuki's massive army.
At this moment, the Five Kages had gathered together, fighting Madara Uchiha in the decisive battle on the main battlefield.
Meanwhile, at the coastal secondary battlefield,
A unit of the Allied Forces was assigned here to intercept and eliminate White Zetsu's clone army landing ashore, but they unexpectedly encountered an attack from King and Silver.
Their strength needs no introduction—resurrected via Impure World Reincarnation, their immortality combined with Six Paths shinobi tools had created enormous trouble for the Allied Forces.
Coincidentally, the ones fighting King and Silver were exactly the ninja from Akagakure.
Old enemies meeting sparked immediate fury. Both sides were destined to fight until one could no longer rise.
Clang!
After a crisp metallic clash, Samui staggered backward several steps, panting heavily with a kunai still gripped tightly in her hand.
She had been going through a particularly rough time over the past few days.
Since returning to Kumogakure, Samui quickly realized she had fallen out of the Raikage's favor and was deliberately excluded from the inner circle.
Even worse, many ninja in Akagakure believed her to be a traitor—a spy working for Heiyan.
Rumors and gossip plagued her relentlessly.
Just as Samui became distracted from emotional turmoil, a tall figure suddenly appeared behind her, locking his thick arm around her neck.
"Heh..."
Silver grinned wickedly, planning to use this woman as a hostage to force Akagakure's ninja into submission.
But he couldn't have been more wrong.
[Storm Release: Azure Eagle Blade!]
Darui showed no hesitation, immediately unleashing his signature Storm Release technique. Moist air transformed into powerful laser beams shooting straight toward Silver—and Samui too.
From appearances, he intended to kill them both.
In that instant, watching the storm lasers reflected in her widened eyes draw closer, Samui turned pale, sinking into utter despair.
She finally realized—she had been abandoned by her village.
Well then…
Her spirit shattered, she slowly closed her eyes, surrendering herself to death.
Yet just as Samui was about to shut them completely, her vision blurred momentarily. She saw a towering back figure blocking in front of her.
Though she couldn't see his face directly, recognizing those flowing white hair strands and that wide robe adorned with tomoe patterns was enough.
It was Heiyan.
Before countless gazes across the battlefield, Heiyan raised one hand calmly, effortlessly activating Blocking Technique Absorption Seal to absorb Darui's Storm Release energy.
Then, he turned to Samui with a gentle smile before shifting his gaze—and his open palm—toward Silver, who stared in disbelief.
A barrage of laser beams erupted from Heiyan's palm. At point-blank range, they twisted mid-air, neatly veering around Samui before striking Silver with pinpoint accuracy.
"Ahh!"
Silver screamed in pain, flying backward from the impact.
"Master Heiyan!"
Samui stood frozen, tears of joy streaming down her face. It wasn't just relief from surviving a near-death experience—it was the overwhelming feeling of finally finding where she belonged.
"Samui, come with me from now on."
Heiyan extended his hand toward her sincerely. "Actually, I've founded my own Ninja Village—and we're in need of a capable secretary."
While rescuing Samui, Heiyan suddenly recalled how burdensome the affairs of the Penglai Ninja Village had been. As the village leader who often disappeared for long periods, it must have been extremely difficult for Pakura alone to manage everything in his absence.
In a moment of inspiration, he made up his mind—he'd bring Samui along.
Of course, he wouldn't force her; he would respect her choice.
Samui's response to Heiyan's invitation was simple and straightforward—she immediately removed her Cloud forehead protector [a symbol of loyalty to Cloud Village] and threw it onto the ground.
Then she stepped forward and took Heiyan's hand.
Heiyan glanced briefly at the battlefield. His only reason for appearing here was to save Samui; he had absolutely no interest in dealing with Silver and his brother. Those two could be left entirely to Akagakure.
<><><><><><><><>
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
<><><><><><><><>