Naruto: The Sage Body of Konoha

The journey home went extremely smoothly.

Although Nagare, Heiyan, and Ashina had a bounty of over two hundred million ryo on their heads, their reputation spread rapidly across the world of shinobi after the battle at Mist Island. Any bounty hunters eyeing their "bodies" now hesitated, carefully weighing whether they were up to the challenge before taking action.

Moreover, traveling alongside Heiyan's team were Anbu ninjas like Sakumo Hatake, along with reinforcements sent by Konoha—

A group this strong would only attract those who were tired of living.

Through the forest, the team advanced methodically in a "Y" formation toward Konoha.

Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga walked at the front left and right flanks, Heiyan and Kushina Uzumaki followed in the center, while Sakumo Hatake and others brought up the rear.

"Big brother, your scroll is so big! Can I touch it?"

Kushina looked curiously at an oversized scroll Heiyan carried on his back. This one was black-barreled and white-wrapped, about one meter long with a thirty-centimeter diameter—it looked heavy.

"Sure."

Heiyan nodded. He hadn't expected Kushina to be such a people person, but she'd been calling him "big brother" all the way here. Someone unfamiliar with them might have thought they were actually siblings.

Still, both Mito Uzumaki and Ashina Uzumaki had entrusted Kushina's safety to him, so he allowed her this familiarity.

As for this oversized scroll—

It naturally came from Ashina Uzumaki. It was an exact replica of the scroll used by Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, who stored various weapons in it—like large cleavers and greatswords.

Inside Heiyan's scroll, however, were all the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan. Only Heiyan's own chakra could unlock it.

This was undoubtedly the greatest reward Heiyan had gained from visiting Uzushiogakure.

In the world of shinobi, many powerful jutsu were hailed as "unmatched," "invincible," "ultimate," or "absolute defense"—they seemed almost like game-breaking glitches.

Sealing techniques, on the other hand, exist solely to fix these glitches.

Among all jutsu, sealing usually ranks highest in priority, making it capable of countering even seemingly unstoppable techniques or foes.

For example, both Amaterasu and Impure World Reincarnation can be sealed. Even immortals like Hidan and Orochimaru aren't immune to sealing techniques—as proven by the successful containment of powerful tailed beasts, including the Nine-Tails.

Even Kaguya Otsutsuki was sealed, becoming the moon hanging in the sky—a seal that lasted over a thousand years.

If forced to choose only one type of jutsu to master, Heiyan would without hesitation pick sealing techniques.

Of course, sealing itself is an immense and profound system. Though Heiyan had generously received the knowledge of the Uzumaki's sealing arts, fully understanding and integrating them would still take time—an extensive process.

Several days later, the group safely returned to Konoha.

Upon arriving, Heiyan and others immediately headed for the Hokage office to report the mission results to the Third Hokage.

This mission to escort Kushina had originally been classified as an S-rank task, but due to Heiyan and others diverting midway to Mist Island, killing Gato, and rescuing Uzumaki clansmen, the alliance between Konoha and Uzugakure was greatly strengthened. Therefore, the mission was ultimately upgraded to a super S-rank.

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately commended the three individuals—Fugaku and Hiashi were both promoted to Jonin, while Heiyan received the greater honor of being appointed deputy leader of a Jonin squad.

Half an hour later, Fugaku and Hiashi left the Hokage's office and returned to their respective clans for rest. Kushina was escorted to the residence of Mito Uzumaki.

Heiyan, however, remained behind for a more in-depth discussion with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Based on various signs observed and situations encountered during his visit to Uzu Country, he deduced that the Uzumaki clan was facing a tremendous crisis and urgently needed Konoha's support.

"I didn't expect the situation to be this severe. Uzugakure is our unshakable ally—we must give them our strongest possible support."

After hearing Heiyan's report, Hiruzen spoke solemnly, his expression grave.

Three days later,

In Konoha, under the personal leadership of Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, a massive contingent of ninja was assembled and marched solemnly toward Uzugakure for a formal visit.

Later, the two great ninja villages conducted joint military exercises, and Konoha contributed manpower and resources to build numerous defensive structures and barriers around Uzugakure.

During the exercises, ninja from both villages carried out large-scale clean-up operations targeting pirates, spies, underground bounty hunters, and other hostile groups within Uzu Country. Large-scale clashes even erupted at sea with Kiri ninja, nearly escalating into full-scale war.

Ultimately, it took the direct intervention of the Third Hokage negotiating with the Mizukage to force the opposing side to back down and resolve the conflict.

The Hidden Mist temporarily withdrew its forces from Uzu Country, allowing Uzugakure to finally attain long-awaited peace.

The bond between Konoha and the Uzumaki clan consequently became even stronger.

This news quickly reached Konoha, sparking widespread celebration throughout the village. Everyone cheered for the wise and powerful Third Hokage and felt pride in being part of the Leaf Village.

When Heiyan heard this news, he wasn't surprised in the least.

Indeed, Mist Village possessed formidable strength—not only did they have the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, but also many bloodline and secret technique clans such as the Kaguya, Yuki, and Hozuki Clans.

Yet before Konoha, they could do nothing but yield.

After all, Konoha currently stood at an unprecedented peak of power. Its high-ranking elders, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, governed wisely and achieved remarkable feats in both civil and military affairs. Meanwhile, talents among the younger generation sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain, wave upon wave.

For example, the Third's disciples—Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya—and the newly rising trio of Heiyan, Fugaku, and Hiashi were now drawing widespread public attention and influence.

No other ninja village stood any chance of challenging Konoha's dominance in the foreseeable future.

Still, Heiyan knew very well that Konoha wouldn't remain prosperous forever, nor would peace last eternally.

Moreover, perhaps the destruction of Uzugakure had merely been postponed—it would eventually arrive one day, unavoidably marking the fate destined for the Uzumaki clan.

As the old saying goes: Hardship builds strength; complacency invites downfall.

Whether for the village or for himself personally, this was simply how things had to be.

Thus, after a short two-day rest, Heiyan threw himself back into rigorous training.

Training couldn't be done in isolation—it required communication with others to progress more efficiently.

That day, Heiyan's team gathered again. The three of them first summarized their experiences and lessons learned from their recent mission before exchanging information about each other's abilities.

Sharing one's capabilities completely with teammates signified genuine trust.

Heiyan spoke first, describing to the other two both the strengths and weaknesses of his Sage Mode, and then evenly divided the several million ryo bounty from Sawemon and the others between his companions.

Next was Hiashi Hyuga.

His white eye, after evolving, had first seen a significant improvement in its foundational ability—his vision extended farther and sharper than before, capable of visually identifying targets at distances beyond three kilometers with perfect clarity.

It wasn't just about enhanced vision—Hiashi could also strike from great distances.

This was because the mystical telekinetic force in his right eye could adhere itself to arrows, allowing them to maintain propulsion, acceleration, and precise targeting even after being released from the bow.

With enough practice, soon he would be able to launch decisive, stealthy attacks from several kilometers away using his so-called "Telekinetic Arrow."

What a horrifying assassination technique.

In Heiyan's opinion, this was finally putting the Byakugan's potential to proper use—and pushing it to its peak.

Moreover, Hiashi was no slouch when it came to close combat either.

There was no need to go into detail about the Eight Gates anymore. If he opened the sixth or seventh gate and combined that with his natural talent for taijutsu, losing in hand-to-hand combat would become nearly impossible.

Not to mention, Hiashi had another ultimate trump card—his left eye's ability: Oppression.

"Heiyan, are you really sure about this?"

In the training ground, Hiashi looked genuinely surprised. Heiyan had just expressed his desire to personally experience the Byakugan's Oppression ability. As someone who had cast the technique himself, Hiashi knew exactly how powerful it was—the sensation was utterly unbearable.

"It's okay. Go ahead," Heiyan nodded firmly, indicating he was ready.

"Be careful,"

Hiashi warned once more before focusing his gaze on Heiyan and activating his ocular power, unleashing the Oppression.

"Huh?"

Instantly, Heiyan felt as though the space around him had come alive, squeezing mercilessly toward him from all directions. Under such omnipresent pressure, his bones and muscles trembled, his heartbeat became labored, and his blood circulation nearly froze altogether.

Any ordinary ninja hit by this technique would have already collapsed, bleeding from every orifice.

No wonder it was an ancient technique once wielded by Kaguya otsutsuki, the progenitor of the shinobi world.

Only Heiyan, thanks to his unique physiology and Sage Transformation, could withstand such an attack head-on.

Just then—

BOOM!

A surge of immense energy suddenly erupted from Heiyan's body. Using the principle behind the Senju clan's Monster Strength, he concentrated his chakra into a single point before violently releasing it outward.

In an instant, he broke through the oppressive effect of the [White Eye: Oppression] technique.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Hiashi's expression turned horrified. Under Heiyan's overwhelming aura, he staggered backward several steps.

He never expected that Heiyan would actually break through his Byakugan: Oppression—although he hadn't used his full strength.

"This technique doesn't seem to be a mental genjutsu, but rather a space-based ninjutsu. It manipulates the space around the target through ocular power, causing it to contract and thereby immobilizing or crushing the opponent. If one could push this ability to its peak, it would allow total control over an area's space instead of limiting its effects to a single enemy."

After personally experiencing the effects of Byakugan: Oppression, Heiyan came to this conclusion.

"Space ninjutsu?"

Both Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga were shocked upon hearing this, especially Hiashi, who had just activated his Byakugan and was still at an early stage, instinctively using it without fully understanding its nature.

Surprisingly, with just a few words, Heiyan cleared the fog in his mind and showed him the way forward.

Thinking about it, Hyuga Hiashi once again deeply bowed toward Heiyan with sincere gratitude.

"Captain, thank you!"

For Hiashi, the experiences of the past month felt like a dream.

Since his defeat at the Valley of the End and subsequent decision to follow Heiyan, he had gained numerous new abilities—including the Eight Gates, archery, Byakugan: Oppression, and telekinesis—directly or indirectly from his leader.

Now, he felt as if he'd been reborn—brimming with limitless potential.

Of course, the same could be said for Fugaku Uchiha as well.

[Fugaku, tell us about your Mangekyou Sharingan], Heiyan said, helping Hiashi up before smiling and turning toward Uchiha Fugaku.

"Yes, Heiyan," replied Fugaku, unwilling to fall behind Hiashi.

"The Mangekyou Sharingan contains two techniques: Amaterasu and River of Three Paths..." And so he began to explain.

Heiyan listened calmly, nodding slowly as he did.

As for Amaterasu, it wasn't surprising to him at all. After all, in the original story, Fugaku's two sons—Itachi and Sasuke—both inherited this exact technique after awakening their own Mangekyou. It was practically a family heirloom ninjutsu.

This technique might not be completely invincible, nor should it be called the "weakest Mangekyou technique." Its true effectiveness depended heavily on how skillfully the user applied it.

Then there was "River of Three Paths."

[He used this technique to save my life. It almost felt like a time ninjutsu?] At this point, Hiashi interjected.

He was the first person to experience River of Three Paths. That strange sensation—like time flowing backward across his body—was unforgettable.

"That may not be right," Heiyan shook his head.

He knew that within the world of shinobi, there were many types of ninjutsu—wind, lightning, water, fire, earth, Yin Release, Yang Release, space-based techniques, sealing arts, and even curses.

Yet among them, time-based techniques simply didn't exist.

So…

"If I'm not mistaken, Fugaku's River of Three Paths is likely a Yin Release genjutsu," Heiyan analyzed thoughtfully as he spoke. "The River of Three Paths is said to be the boundary between the world of the living and the dead—the three paths being heaven, hell, and the human realm. Souls pass through it on their way to the underworld after death. Judging by the name alone, this technique has no relation to time manipulation."

"You're absolutely right, Heiyan,"

"Understood," Fugaku replied earnestly. He then elaborated, "My River of Three Paths can only be used on others, trapping them in a vivid dream of time seemingly flowing backward. In this dream state, the target's physical condition rewinds to an earlier stage. For instance, if Hiashi were fatally wounded and died instantly, I could use the River of Three Paths to rewind his state to just before the attack, essentially 'reviving' him. However, the longer the time regression within the dream, the greater the strain on my ocular power. At my current capacity, I can only restore someone to their state thirty seconds prior."

I see.

After hearing this, Heiyan and Hiashi now had a much clearer grasp of Fugaku's power.

The Sharingan is an eye that reflects the soul.

Therefore, those who awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan usually manifest dojutsu abilities that reflect their own strengths, needs, or deepest desires.

For example, Shisui Uchiha, featured in the Hokage series, naturally excelled in genjutsu and held strong devotion toward protecting Konoha, which led him to awaken [Kotoamatsukami], a technique capable of permanently altering another person's will.

Similarly, Obito Uchiha, weighed down by despair toward reality and yearning for a world where Rin still lived, awakened Kamui—a space-time ninjutsu technique that opens pocket dimensions.

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