Heyan was in his mid-forties. He wasn't tall and had a noticeable bright red nose that gave him a somewhat comical appearance.
In reality, however, he was an extremely shrewd and mature man. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a senior caravan leader at such a young age, commanding this powerful clan.
"We need two to three Jonin to safely escort our caravan to Konoha. The payment won't be an issue—we'll pay at the highest rate possible…"
Heyan thoroughly explained the mission details to the bar owner.
"Two to three Jonin? This might be difficult. You know as well that we're just a small town here. There aren't usually many ninjas stationed around, especially Jonin," replied the bar owner with some difficulty.
"I see."
Upon hearing these words, Heyan frowned slightly before turning to one of his subordinates beside him and asking, "How long until we reach Leaf Village?"
"At our current pace, assuming no unexpected delays, it should take about five to seven days." After doing some calculations, the subordinate answered.
"If push comes to shove, we'll have to rely on ourselves until we reach Konoha. I hope those enemies won't catch up too soon."
Muttering quietly, Heyan sat down with his clansmen, worriedly eating dinner.
In a nearby corner:
"Is there anything special about these people?"
Tsunade noticed Heiyan eavesdropping and curiously asked. In her opinion, it was just an ordinary merchant caravan—Heyan and the rest were all regular humans, showing no trace of chakra in their bodies.
"Have you ever heard of the Gruel Stone?" Heiyan suddenly asked.
"What's that?" Tsunade looked puzzled, clearly knowing absolutely nothing about it.
"The Gruel Stone is reportedly part of an enormous mineral vein hidden deep beneath the earth. This stone contains immense life energy and can rapidly accelerate crop growth or make people live longer lives. It might even enable regrowth of severed limbs or bring the dead back to life."
"That amazing?!"
Tsunade blinked in shock but pressed further, "And how exactly does this Gruel Stone relate to this particular caravan?"
"These people travel throughout the World of Shinobi year-round, earning them the name 'Nomadic People.' I once happened to hear legends about their family…"
Smiling faintly, Heiyan elaborated to Tsunade.
It's said that deep within a forested region southeast of the Land of Wind, near the border of the Land of Rivers, lies the ruins of an ancient empire.
Once, this empire had been incredibly glorious, creating a brilliant civilization during its time in history. Its foundation was the mineral vein known as the Gruel Stone, closely tied to the rise and fall of the nation itself.
However, this very stone could be used both constructively and destructively. Due to its misuse, an unprecedented catastrophe occurred that directly led to the destruction of the entire empire.
After the empire fell, one faction of its displaced citizens began wandering across the World of Shinobi—that's the caravan Heiyan and Tsunade currently saw. Another portion of these refugees, it is rumored, sailed overseas to other continents.
"I understand now."
Tsunade nodded after listening and summarized, "This Gruel Stone, like the Dragon Vein of Loulan or the meteorite of Hoshigakure, is one of the natural treasures that contain massive energy. You... want to approach the caravan in order to obtain these stones?"
Heiyan shook his head and replied in a composed yet self-assured manner,
"The Gruel Stone isn't particularly useful to me. Whatever it can do, I can easily accomplish as well. This caravan seems to be in trouble, and we just happened to witness it. So I plan to give them a little help. What do you think?"
"Helping others is naturally a good thing."
Tsunade gladly agreed with Heiyan's suggestion. The two exchanged glances before standing up and walking toward Heyan and the others.
"Hello."
With Tsunade at his side, Heiyan approached Heyan with a smile and said, "Sorry to interrupt, but we heard you're looking to hire some ninja for protection?"
"That's indeed true. May I ask who you are?"
Looking at this unfamiliar young couple before him, Heyan asked cautiously with a slightly wary tone.
"Apologies, we forgot to introduce ourselves."
Heiyan exchanged smiles with Tsunade before addressing Heyan and the others, "We used to be jonin from a minor ninja village, but our village was destroyed during the recent Great Ninja World War. Since then, my wife and I have been wandering around taking missions to make a living."
After listening to Heiyan's explanation, Heyan remained silent for a moment. He exchanged glances with his clansmen and then spoke frankly,
"Gentlemen, it's not that I doubt your abilities. However, I must warn you that our caravan has recently been attacked by a group of mysterious enemies unlike any ordinary ninja. Their techniques are quite unusual and powerful. I'm afraid ordinary people might not be able to handle them..."
"I understand what you mean."
Recognizing the underlying meaning in Heyan's words, Heiyan didn't hesitate. Without another word, he quickly formed a hand seal.
The next second—
[Electric Surge!]
A brilliant flash of lightning surged from his body, rapidly spreading across his entire form like a suit of electric armor cloaking Heiyan.
"Woah!"
This scene immediately captured everyone's attention inside the izakaya, but even more shocking surprises awaited them.
Snap!
Right then, Heiyan snapped his fingers. With a thunderous roar, a lightning-formed dragon erupted into view, its barrel-thick body coiling around him.
Next, under Heiyan's control, it majestically circled the izakaya, leaving trails of dazzling sparks along its path. Intense chakra radiated outward, causing many guests' expressions to change dramatically.
Snap!
With another snap of Heiyan's fingers, the Lightning Release dragon vanished instantly as if it had never existed at all.
However, everyone inside the izakaya—including Heyan and his men—now looked upon him differently, their former doubt and dismissal transformed into reverence.
Powerful shinobi always earn respect wherever they go.
[Lightning Release!] As you saw, I'm a Lightning Release user. And my wife is a medical ninja.
After demonstrating his skill, Heiyan reintroduced himself once again.
Tsunade cooperated willingly. She formed a hand seal and raised her hands. A soft blue glow emanated from her palms, warming and soothing everyone nearby.
Just then—
Squeak!
From within Heyan's sleeve, a small brown figure suddenly darted out, landing straight in Tsunade's hands. It nuzzled her palm like it had known her all its life, behaving as if she were its long-lost owner.
It was a ferret with black fur on all four legs, its appearance unusually unique—clearly an extremely rare breed.
"Niligoo… how could you…?"
Heyan was shocked and stared at Tsunade in disbelief.
Niligoo, this ferret whose lifespan exceeded his own, had once belonged to the royal family of the ancient empire. Normally, it was very shy and only got close to members of their caravan, always hostile toward strangers.
Yet this woman radiated a powerful nurturing presence—an almost motherly energy—that even eased Niligoo's wariness.
"So, Elder Heyan," Tsunade said with a smirk, "do you think we're good enough?"
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