Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The moment Heiyan finished speaking, a dazzling golden light flashed. In an instant, five massive golden chains shot out from behind him—one after another—with terrifying chakra fluctuations radiating from each, dozens of meters in length.
These golden chains were connected to Heiyan's consciousness—extensions of his body—effortlessly controllable, as natural as moving his own limbs.
So...
With a mere thought, the five chains lashed forward like lightning, wrapping Sanshouo Ibuse tightly in unbreakable restraints.
Especially its gaping maw—bound multiple times by one chain, locked shut so thoroughly that not even a trace of poison gas could escape.
Victory in a single move.
Swoosh!
Heiyan leapt up and landed on Ibuse's back.
He could feel the giant salamander's body trembling violently—a primal fear that grips all living beings when faced with death.
[Adamantine Sealing Chains] is a Yang Release sealing technique originally developed by the Uzumaki Clan specifically for containing tailed beasts. Using it against a giant salamander was clearly overkill.
If he wished, Heiyan could kill the creature at any time.
Of course, doing so would mean facing Hanzo's furious wrath.
Swoosh!
Hanzo arrived, shock and rage written across his face, ready to explode—but Heiyan knew when to stop. Instantly, he released [Adamantine Sealing Chains].
"Hanzo, thank you for acknowledging my move."
Heiyan quickly spoke, then calmly stepped back to reunite with Kosuke Maruboshi and Might Duy.
Upon hearing this, Hanzo swallowed his anger. Yet since he had made a promise beforehand, standing before the three of them, he had no reason to lash out.
He fixed Heiyan with a long, intense stare. Then, in a moment uncharacteristically open, he suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
Hanzo threw his head back in laughter. After a moment, his eyes gleamed with fiery intensity as he locked eyes with Heiyan and declared, "I recognize you now, Heiyan! Among this younger generation of ninja, I, Hanzo, will call you the strongest!"
This line carried an oddly familiar ring, like something spoken by legends.
"Hanzo flatters me," Heiyan replied evenly, neither humbled nor arrogant.
Under the watchful eyes of the three, Hanzo took out a scroll and unfurled it. With a puff of smoke, three metal attaché cases appeared.
"Here! Catch!"
With a flick of his wrist, the three cases flew toward Heiyan and the others.
"The Mizushima Clan has been declared Rogue Ninja by Ame Village, with a bounty of thirty million ryō. Each of these boxes contains ten million ryō as your team's reward. Additionally..."
As he spoke, Hanzo pulled out a finely crafted scroll and tossed it directly toward Heiyan.
"What is this?" Heiyan caught the scroll, genuinely surprised.
"Heiyan, your Lightning Release and Water Release techniques are already quite skilled, but they have the potential to become even stronger."
Hanzo gazed at Heiyan approvingly, then continued slowly with a deep voice, "This scroll is part of my personal collection. Today, I give it to you—as a gift. Open it and see."
"Thank you, Lord Hanzo."
Heiyan gave a slight bow, then curiously unrolled the scroll. As soon as he saw what was written within, his entire body trembled.
Hanzo was completely satisfied with Heiyan's reaction.
Swoosh!
He leapt upward and landed atop the giant salamander's back. Raising his voice, he shouted:
"Remember this, Heiyan!"
My gate shall always remain open to you. Until we meet again.
Hanzo gave Heiyan a lingering glance before turning away atop Sanshouo, the bodies of the Mizushima Brothers slung across its back.
Unfortunately, his friendly gesture and invitation failed to sway Heiyan at all.
Indeed, Hanzo valued talent greatly. In the original storyline, he had once spared both Mifune of the Land of Iron and the young Sannin of Konoha during battle, just as he had spared Heiyan's team today.
On the outside, Hanzo acted like a semi-god of the ninja world—magnanimous and noble.
But in private, Hanzo was obsessed with power, suppressing anyone who threatened his rule. Akatsuki was a clear example of this.
If Heiyan were to actually join Amegakure and reveal his true potential, he would likely spend every day fearing being poisoned by Hanzo himself.
Whew~
Kosuke Maruboshi and Might Duy watched Hanzo disappear into the distance, finally exhaling in relief, each feeling as though they'd barely survived a disaster.
The oppressive pressure radiating from Hanzo had been overwhelming.
Thud!
At that moment, Heiyan could no longer support himself and dropped to one knee, cold sweat trickling from his forehead.
Using Chidori Slash, Yang Healing Technique, a hundred-meter Water Release Water Dragon, and Adamantine Sealing Chains in rapid succession had drained all his chakra.
Since attaining Sage Transformation, this was the first time he had nearly reached chakra depletion.
"Heiyan, are you alright?!"
Kosuke and Might rushed over, supporting him on either side.
"Master, Duy, don't worry. I'm fine."
Heiyan said softly. Although his face was pale, with each breath, large amounts of chakra and strength returned to him.
This was the power of Sage Transformation.
After briefly resting at the scene, the three discussed their next steps together.
Finally, as team leader, Kosuke Maruboshi decided to abandon their remaining patrol mission and return to Konoha early.
All three had sustained varying degrees of injury during this skirmish, especially Might Duy, who had overexerted himself by activating the Eight Gates and now required urgent medical care.
Before leaving, Heiyan distributed the entire ten million ryō reward given by Hanzo to the villagers, allowing them to properly bury their fallen, rebuild destroyed homes, or relocate to safer towns deeper within the Land of Fire.
Kosuke Maruboshi also donated most of his share. Having long grown accustomed to a simple life, money held little meaning for him.
Seeing this, Might Duy wanted to give away his portion as well, but was stopped by his master and fellow disciple.
After all, Might had always lived in hardship, even building his own home from wood deep in the forest, often going without proper meals or nutrition.
Now, with ten million ryō, he could finally afford a decent house in the village, improve his living conditions, and no longer waste days chasing low-paying missions, instead devoting more time to cultivating the Eight Gates seriously.
Perhaps, he might even find a wife earlier than in the original story, start a family sooner, and thereby bring Might Guy into the world ahead of schedule.
On the roads near the border of the Land of Fire, villagers gathered voluntarily to bid farewell to the three heroes who had saved their village. Crowds of men, women, elders, and children warmly surrounded them, seeing the trio off for miles with deep reluctance to part.
The three were deeply moved, especially Might Duy, who openly burst into tears and wept uncontrollably.
After bidding farewell to the villagers, the trio officially began their journey home.
That night.
Moonlight stretched across miles of land, while a cool evening breeze blew gently.
At the campsite within the border forest, a bonfire crackled quietly.
Heiyan sat on a large bluish-gray rock beside the fire, his right elbow resting on his knee as he cradled his face in his hand, clearly lost in thought.
The battle with Hanzo during the day had been extremely grueling.
Hanzo had used nothing more than a Shadow Clone, without resorting to summoned beasts or poisoned weapons. Even during combat with the three, he repeatedly held back, avoiding fatal strikes.
No wonder he was called "the man who ignited the flame of conviction, hailed as the hero of Ame Village," Hanzo.
Heiyan realized that in the Hokage's world, the real powerhouses all had rock-solid beliefs.
Like Hanzo.
At this moment in time, he stood at his peak—not only did his belief drive him to end the civil strife within Ame Village, but also to mediate disputes between the Five Great Nations, preserving peace throughout the ninja world.
However, in later years, Hanzo gradually strayed from his original purpose, indulging himself in power, decadence, and pleasure.
As his belief faded, so too did his strength; eventually, he was killed by Nagato's [Six Paths of Pain].
So then, what was Heiyan's own conviction?
Was it to reach the pinnacle of the ninja world and become another Hashirama Senju? Or perhaps go even further—unify the entire ninja world, accomplish something never done before, and become a figure as legendary as the First Emperor (Qin Shi Huang)? Or maybe shatter the old order entirely, develop productivity vigorously, and build an unprecedented utopian new world?
Heiyan furrowed his brow in thought, the flickering fire casting shifting shadows across his sharp, well-defined face.
Six days later.
The team safely returned to Konoha, immediately admitting Might Duy to the hospital for formal rehabilitation treatment.
Afterward, Heiyan headed straight to the Mission Assignment Desk.
"Did you abandon your mission due to unexpected combat, resulting in injuries to your entire squad?"
After Heiyan left, the ninja behind the counter furrowed his brows and shook his head.
"Kosuke Maruboshi, Might Duy, Heiyan... Wow, all those perennial Genin in the village have clustered together. No wonder the mission failed."
He flipped through their records, grumbling as he spoke.
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