"Little snake, I know what your dream is. You love knowledge and desire to master every Ninjutsu in this world, but human energy is limited while Ninjutsu techniques are boundless like the ocean. Therefore, you often feel lost and heartbroken."
"But imagine a person could achieve immortality like the White Snake. Then, across endless years, one could grasp all the knowledge in the world, constantly changing and improving this rotten world. That's why you've been deeply researching Hashirama cells—to uncover the secret of eternal life."
"Coincidentally, we share the same ideals. My goal is becoming an immortal sage, obtaining perfectly flawless eternal life without any hidden dangers whatsoever."
These words froze Orochimaru's gaze and sent violent tremors through his entire body as he experienced overwhelming shock.
Before this moment, he and Heiyan had only met once—mere chance acquaintances passing by each other on the road.
Yet now, Heiyan not only accurately pierced through Orochimaru's core beliefs, but also openly declared his own deepest wish too. They were fellow travelers on the road to immortality, neither truly alone.
Without realizing it, Orochimaru lowered his inner defenses. Could it be that Heiyan was actually his kindred spirit?
However...
The moment he remembered how this so-called "kindred spirit" had just seized his Sword of Kusanagi and soundly defeated his Summoned Beast Manda, Orochimaru immediately felt reality crash down with disillusionment.
At that moment, under Orochimaru's astonished gaze, Heiyan suddenly took the Sword of Kusanagi and slit his own finger with a sharp 'chi' sound.
A drop fell. Another followed.
Drop after drop of blood continuously fell. Surprisingly, the color of Heiyan's blood wasn't red—it was purple.
This unusual hue came from containing massive amounts of Terrestrial Release (Kun) chakra.
Then, another shocking scene unfolded before Orochimaru.
As the blood dripped onto the ground, it quickly seeped into the soil and spread out. In this underground passage where only a few moss patches and glowing flowers originally grew, these plants began rapidly sprouting and spreading wildly under the stimulation of Heiyan's violet blood.
Orochimaru raised his head in astonishment, watching helplessly as green moss crept up the surrounding walls, completely covering the ceiling without leaving a single gap.
Beneath their feet, countless wildflowers bloomed silently, glowing red and blue like lanterns. It felt as though they stood in a springtime garden.
"This...this is..."
Orochimaru fixed his eyes intensely on Heiyan, because he already realized the vitality contained in this man's blood rivaled none other than Hashirama cells themselves.
"If you want to continue researching Hashirama cells, simply find me directly in the future. I'll periodically offer you some blood tissue samples too."
While speaking, Heiyan collected the blood dripping from his fingertip into a test tube, then extended it toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's expression turned delighted as he hurriedly and carefully accepted the test tube, treasuring it like priceless treasure.
He originally intended to thank Heiyan, but suddenly recalled—heavy disappointment crashing over him again—wasn't it this very "kindred spirit" who had destroyed his laboratory and stolen the original Hashirama cells not long ago?
Orochimaru felt a tangle of emotions, always sensing he was completely under Uzumaki Heiyan's control.
"That's enough."
At this moment, Uzumaki Heiyan re-sheathed the Sword of Kusanagi, and the wound on his finger healed automatically. He turned to Orochimaru and barked out an order:
"I'm going out to kill some people. You stay right here and don't move. Guard this transportation array for me."
Before Orochimaru could even respond, Heiyan's expression turned serious. Slowly pressing his palms together, his entire demeanor suddenly changed.
Infinite natural energy surged forth like ocean tides.
To Orochimaru's astonishment, dark shadowy markings swiftly appeared around Heiyan's eyes, and at the center of his forehead formed the mark of the Great Sun.
Next second,
With a "swish," [Flying Thunder God Technique] activated, and Heiyan instantly vanished into thin air.
"That Sage facial marking…"
Orochimaru frowned deeply, as if recalling something. As a human who had signed a contract with Ryuchi Cave, though he himself had failed to master Sage Art, he could still recognize Sage Mode when he saw it.
Yet what confused him was, Heiyan's Sage facial marking belonged neither to Ryuchi Cave nor to Mount Myoboku, where Jiraiya had made his pact.
It was—
A sudden realization flashed through Orochimaru's mind—he was reminded of someone at once.
That man shared Uzumaki Heiyan's tall build, flowing jet-black hair, and the same strong, determined face—complete with those identical Sage markings.
"God of Ninja... Hashirama Senju…"
In an underground tunnel, Orochimaru stood there motionless, whispering in amazement.
Outside Uzugakure's far suburbs,
Atop a large tree, Danzo breathed heavily, his face tight with tension.
Moments ago, his Wood Clone had been destroyed. Through the memories transferred back, Danzo had learned everything that had occurred in the underground passage.
Again, that persistent bastard Heiyan.
As anger welled up inside Danzo, so did a faint sense of fear. Fortunately, he had been cautious enough not to personally enter the battlefield—if he had…
Just then,
"Bang!" A puff of white smoke exploded before him, revealing a small white snake holding a communication scroll in its mouth.
Here it is.
Danzo's face brightened immediately. Hurriedly, he snatched away the scroll, reading the intelligence sent by Orochimaru, hoping to learn what happened next in the underground passage.
However, his joy didn't last long.
Soon, his brows knitted tightly together, and his face grew darker and darker, as if he'd just swallowed something disgustingly foul.
Danzo's hands gripped the scroll and trembled uncontrollably.
Uzumaki Heiyan actually dared to openly threaten him, even claiming he would execute him in front of the entire village.
I'm nothing less than the Hokage's advisor and leader of Root! Not even Hiruzen would ever dare speak to me like this!
Raged Danzo internally.
Yet deep down, a voice kept telling him one truth: that man named Heiyan, he really was capable of doing exactly that.
So, all Danzo could ultimately do was seethe impotently with rage.
Suddenly, from the direction of Uzugakure, an even stronger chakra fluctuation erupted.
Temporarily suppressing his inner frustration and fury, Danzo picked up a nearby telescope and turned his gaze toward the battlefield. He had no intention of retreating disgracefully yet—he planned to watch carefully, wait for the right opportunity, and seize whatever benefit he could.
On the battlefield.
A sky filled with ice and fire, violently colliding, eroding, and melting each other.
In the area where Fugaku Uchiha and the Third Mizukage clashed, the ground was littered with blazing flames and pierced by countless ice spikes, turning it into an extremely dangerous forbidden zone.
Any ordinary ninja who dared approach would suffer the same fate—exploded by a random ember or shard of ice, never knowing what hit them.
This was a duel between Kage-level warriors.
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Fugaku swung his blazing war fan furiously. Each motion sent a Scorch Release fireball hurtling swiftly toward the Third Mizukage.
The same Kekkei Genkai could manifest differently depending on the user.
Scorch Release, in the hands of Sunagakure's Pakura, manifested as several floating fireballs orbiting around her, attacking or defending at her command. Upon contact with enemies, these fireballs would evaporate their bodily fluids, leaving behind mummified corpses.
But Fugaku's Scorch Release took a different form—he attached raging flames to his oversized war fan, making it look as if the entire fan were ablaze.
It wasn't a flashy method, but it was smart—playing to his strengths while compensating for his weaknesses.
After all, Fugaku had learned Scorch Release later in life and hadn't mastered it fully. His Wind Release was also relatively weak, so he used the blazing war fan to skillfully combine his natural talent for Fire Release with the fan's inherent Wind Release, creating his own unique version of Scorch Release.
Moreover, because Fugaku's chakra reserves far exceeded Pakura's, both the scale and intensity of his Scorch Release were significantly greater than hers.
The fireballs launched from Fugaku's fan were wrapped in a layer of Wind Release chakra, making them not only fast but also unpredictable, zigzagging like ghostly flames that were nearly impossible to track.
And when they neared their target, the Wind and Fire Chakra within the balls reacted violently, causing explosive detonations.
With this Scorch Release alone, he could take on an entire army of a thousand soldiers single-handedly.
However, standing opposite him, the Third Mizukage was no less formidable.
This seemingly unremarkable man was, after all, an experienced Kage-level warrior, once a follower of the First and Second Mizukage. His mastery of [Ice Release] was near perfection.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Four massive walls of ice spun rapidly around the Third Mizukage, continuously blocking the fiery explosions.
At the same time, as the Third Mizukage quickly formed hand seals, countless spears, spikes, and pillars of ice shot forth from the gaps in the rotating ice walls, intercepting the incoming Scorch Release fireballs one by one.
As the battle dragged on, the Third Mizukage slowly started gaining the advantage.
After all, as the Three-Tails' jinchuriki, he could continuously draw chakra from Isobu.
In addition, Isobu itself possessed both Water and Wind chakra natures. Kiri's Ice Release techniques had actually been developed through studying this tailed beast.
Just as Sunagakure (the Hidden Sand Village) developed Magnet Release through research on the One-Tail Shukaku.
Therefore, once the Third Mizukage channeled Isobu's power within him, his Ice Release surged in strength, quickly overwhelming his foe.
Fugaku sensed the shift and realized the situation was turning unfavorable.
So, the Third Mizukage seized the opportunity to repeat his previous maneuver, locking his gaze onto Fugaku Uchiha as two bloody tears streamed from his eyes.
Amaterasu!
Hissing wildly!
Pitch-black flames erupted over Fugaku's body, making it appear as if the situation was dire. But in reality—
What had been hit by Amaterasu was merely a water clone.
As for the real Third Mizukage, he had slipped unnoticed into an Ice Release mirror in front of him long before Fugaku showed any sign of activating Amaterasu.
This showed that while the Amaterasu technique was devastating, it wasn't always guaranteed to land if the enemy was ready.
In an instant, offense and defense switched.
Taking advantage of the moment when Fugaku was still recovering from using Amaterasu, the Third Mizukage raised his finger to the sky. Dozens of massive ice mirrors rained down from above, arranging themselves in a circle to form a towering hollow cylinder.
And at the center of the base of this cylinder stood Uchiha Fugaku, now surrounded.
[Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Thin Ice.]
Whirring through them rapidly!
The Third Mizukage moved like a ghost through the numerous ice mirrors, rapidly launching surprise attacks on Fugaku with ice spears.
Fugaku fought back fiercely, deflecting the ice spears with his blazing war fan. He unleashed streams of Scorch Release fireballs, shattering mirror after mirror.
However, supported by Chakra from Three-Tails Isobu, the broken mirrors instantly reformed, looking as good as new.
The Third Mizukage's assault grew increasingly fierce.
Surrounded inside the ice formation, Uchiha Fugaku was initially able to stand his ground head-on, but soon found himself overwhelmed. Forced to dodge and weave constantly, he found himself in grave danger.
On another part of the battlefield.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Hiashi Hyuga and the Third Raikage were locked in fierce combat, each clash between them producing heavy, bone-rattling impacts that echoed far away.
The Third Raikage hailed from the Yotsuki Clan—naturally gifted in physical strength—and was further empowered by his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, which amplified his already formidable body. His mastery of taijutsu could arguably be considered the best in the world of shinobi.
Meanwhile, Hiashi Hyuga, aided by the living armor gifted by Heiyan, drew upon his lifelong mastery of taijutsu and the precision of his Byakugan, making him undeniably one of the world's greatest hand-to-hand combatants.
At first, they exchanged blows back and forth, each evenly matched.
Crash!
Gradually, the Third Raikage gained the upper hand, landing a heavy, powerful punch that sent Hiashi flying backward.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Landing on the ground, Hiashi staggered backward more than ten steps before finally steadying himself, only to see the Third Raikage charging forward again, overwhelming him with shocking momentum.
No choice then.
Hiashi finally faced reality: in pure taijutsu terms, he truly couldn't match his opponent.
Thus—
[Byakugan: Oppression!]
Focusing his left eye's vision on the Third Raikage, Hiashi used his ocular power to freeze the space around him, halting the enemy in place.
"Huh?"
The Third Raikage first felt startled, then suddenly burst with chakra, showing signs of breaking free from the spatial pressure.
Naturally, Hiashi wouldn't give him that chance.
Zooom!
He shot forward in a flash, taking his stance and wrapping his hands in chakra before unleashing a smooth and relentless palm combo against the massive body of the Third Raikage.
[Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!]
This palm technique was the supreme secret art of the Hyūga clan, damaging the enemy's meridians by striking sixty-four vital points to seal their chakra.
Even a Kage-level expert would completely lose combat effectiveness if struck by this technique.
Unfortunately, the Third Raikage was an unprecedented powerhouse. His physical strength and defense far exceeded Hiashi's expectations.
After receiving all sixty-four strikes, to Hiashi's shock, the Third Raikage merely staggered backward a few steps before erupting with an even stronger chakra shield. He emerged completely unscathed.
The Ultimate Shield indeed lived up to its reputation.
[Heiban-cha]!
After regaining his footing, the Third Raikage released black lightning between his palms, forming an electric panther that roared toward Hiashi.
Rotation!
Knowing the deadly power of this black lightning, Hiashi wasted no time activating Rotation, successfully deflecting the attack.
"It ends here!"
The Third Raikage growled in his deep voice. Taking advantage of Hiashi's momentary defense, he charged forward like a human tyrannosaur wrapped entirely in lightning.
[Lightning Oppression Horizontal]!
Hiashi panicked and, disregarding excessive ocular power consumption, used Byakugan Oppression again.
However, what surprised him was that the Third Raikage only hesitated momentarily before quickly regaining his freedom.
"Kid, same tricks only work on me once!"
The Third Raikage roared furiously while his powerful arm swung down directly at Hiashi.
Hyūga Hiashi was in danger!
At this critical moment,
As Hiashi prepared to fight desperately, his eyes suddenly widened because he sensed a familiar chakra presence.
In an instant, a figure dashed past him like wind and, at incredible speed, threw a punch straight at the Third Raikage.
[Sage Art: Monster Strength]
Boom!
That figure collided with the charging bull-like Third Raikage in a single punch. From their point of contact as the center, a hurricane-force air blast erupted instantly in all directions.
Beneath them, the ground within a fifty-meter radius caved in and shattered, forming countless spiderweb cracks.
Hiashi, being the closest, bore the brunt of the explosion. He was swept away tens of meters before barely managing to stabilize himself.
He immediately looked toward the center of the battlefield and saw, as expected, a familiar back standing there like a mountain.
Clad in white Shanwenjia armor beneath a flowing cape, with pitch-black long hair trailing behind him and a massive scroll strapped to his back.
It was him.
Hiashi couldn't help but smile knowingly.
Whoosh!
The massive body of the Third Raikage flew backward, finally landing on the ground and sliding more than ten meters before barely steadying himself.
He actually lost in a head-on clash.
A sharp pain shot through his right arm, followed by numbness, leaving the entire limb almost completely numb.
This eerily familiar sensation reminded him of a brief battle that occurred not long ago at Kasuga Shrine. When he noticed the opponent's armor, his expression froze and his pupils constricted sharply.
"You are..."
He stared fixedly at the man across from him, speaking in an extremely shocked tone.
"It's been a while."
Heiyan offered a faint smile, his serene gaze locked on the Third Raikage and the vast army behind him.
Whoosh!
A sudden gust roared across the battlefield. Heiyan stood with arms crossed, unmoved by the raging storm. His long hair whipped wildly through the air, and the cape behind him snapped noisily in the wind.
Beyond the mortal realm, he seemed like a xianren — a divine immortal descending from the heavens.
<><><><><><><><>
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
<><><><><><><><>