Half a month later.
Heiyan's group, having crossed the sea and passed through barriers, finally arrived at the Penglai Islands.
Here, just like previous villagers newly arriving, Heiyan and the caravan members received an enthusiastic welcome from the locals.
"Tsunade-sama!" (Goddess of Konoha)
From within the crowd, the shrine maiden Miroku rushed forward and threw herself into Tsunade's arms, her eyes glistening with tears.
Terumi Mei, who had brought her back to Penglai, also approached Heiyan beside her and presented the Immortal Sage's armor to him with both hands.
"This armor is for you," she said. "A reward for completing this series of tasks."
Heiyan affectionately patted Terumi Mei's head before speaking.
"Woohoo! That's amazing! I'm so happy!"
Upon hearing these words, Mei jumped up excitedly, too thrilled to express herself properly. Being acknowledged by Master Heiyan filled her heart with immense honor.
The nearby villagers curiously observed Tsunade, chatting excitedly among themselves.
They'd all seen the news on television, knowing what Heiyan had done in Konoha. He did all that chaos just for this woman standing here.
"Is that really Tsunade-sama? She's even more beautiful in person than on TV! No wonder she's called Konoha's goddess."
"Tsunade is the greatest Medical Ninja ever born. She's my idol! I wish I could learn from her someday."
"With Master Heiyan by her side, they'll surely make our Penglai Ninja Village even greater."
...
Amidst cheers and celebrations from everyone, Heiyan and Tsunade walked through the village along the mountain path until returning to their mountaintop villa.
A lavish banquet was already prepared there to welcome them.
All high-ranking elders attended the dinner party—Pakura, Yurou, Uzumaki Ashina, Haruko, Queen of Loulan, Mifune, Yue Fujiko, Heyan, as well as Yuki Kazahana, Mei Terumi, and Miroku.
Wine glasses clinked, laughter filled the air.
After the guests departed, Heiyan and Tsunade returned to their bedroom for some well-deserved rest.
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy about something?"
Noticing Tsunade seemed unusually quiet, Heiyan asked with concern.
"You must've been having quite the fun time here," she said, giving him a meaningful stare. "Surrounded by so many beauties..."
Clearly feeling jealous, she demanded an honest answer.
Hearing this, Heiyan hesitated for a moment, giving a helpless smile. Leaning close to Tsunade's ear, he whispered playfully:
"Don't be unfair, Tsunade. All these years... I've stayed loyal just for you. Anyway, will you finally marry me now? I've already asked someone to prepare the wedding ceremony."
"Hmph, don't expect me to believe your sweet talk so easily."
Tsunade gave him a sharp glare, but she couldn't hide how touched she felt inside.
Since becoming lovers, although always intimate, they had carefully restrained themselves—they hadn't crossed that final boundary without formal marriage.
However, after experiencing so much, Tsunade realized that none of it truly mattered when faced with genuine love. The wedding was just a formality.
Thinking about this made Tsunade's heart race.
"I... I'll go take a shower first."
She murmured to Heiyan before quickly stepping into the bathroom, where soon the shower started up.
But when Tsunade finished bathing and stepped out wearing a black lace nightgown, she found Heiyan already asleep on the bed.
He had promised to help the caravan with land reclamation—an enormous task—and needed to conserve his energy and rest well.
"Whatever," Tsunade muttered to herself, slightly disappointed, then turned off the lights, climbed into bed, and snuggled up against Heiyan as usual, resting her head on his shoulder before drifting off to sleep.
The next morning.
As soon as Heiyan woke up, he invited Tsunade to join him on the nearby horizon of the sea.
[Rumble! Rumble!]
He activated the vast ocean-like chakra within his body, conjuring massive amounts of rocks and soil, which rapidly expanded the landmass atop the sea, forming an island before their eyes.
Tsunade also joined in, using Wood Release to create vast forests across the newly-formed, barren island, making it less desolate.
Next, Heiyan retrieved veins of Gruel Stone from Kamui's space and buried them beneath various islands in Penglai, setting up a Sealing Array to ensure the mineral veins steadily released their energy at a stable rate.
Buzzzzz.
With a green glow emanating from the ground, the island's soil quickly became fertile, and flowers, plants, and trees flourished, transforming it into a livable paradise.
Together once again, Heiyan and Tsunade used Ninjutsu to construct large numbers of wooden houses and villas on the island.
In the following days, Heyan and the rest of the caravan moved onto the island one by one. Their long years of nomadic existence finally ended, they now became part of the big Penglai family, finding stability and a home at last.
Meanwhile,
Outside the world of Penglai, rumors about the Penglai Ninja Village had gradually spread across the world of shinobi.
It was said that this was a ninja village built by Uzumaki Heiyan somewhere in the Southern Sea after leaving Konoha.
Based on various clues, people speculated that many members of the Uzumaki clan, the Loulan clan, and even the warrior clans of the Land of Iron had joined Penglai, finding a sense of belonging there.
Some claimed that Penglai was a paradise created solely by Heiyan—a peaceful haven far removed from worldly troubles, wars, poverty, and disease.
Others insisted Penglai was a living hell, a prison-state founded by Heiyan, where he played the role of a tyrannical villain enslaving everyone and exploiting both their physical bodies and souls.
All these conflicting stories wrapped the very name of Penglai in an ever-thicker veil of mystery.
Upon hearing this news, the Five Great Ninja Villages secretly dispatched elite ninja teams to search for the island.
Yet without insider guidance, they would never be able to penetrate the barrier and locate Penglai's exact position.
The Five Great Ninja Villages quickly gave up, as no one was willing to provoke Heiyan, let alone plot against his village.
Among all places, the news about Penglai had the greatest impact within the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Penglai…"
Inside a room, Sakumo Hatake repeatedly murmured the name while glancing outside at Kakashi practicing shuriken techniques in the courtyard.
Three individuals—Uzumaki Heiyan, Immortal Sage, and Miroku—who possessed prophetic abilities, had foreseen both his death and the path of salvation.
In his hands was a letter written in ink, delivered last night by an ink hawk—an invitation sent by Heiyan.
He was inviting both him and his son Kakashi to join Penglai as residents.
In fact, it wasn't just the father-and-son duo Hatake.
Within Konoha, many of Heiyan's old friends—including Fugaku, Hiashi, Might Duy, and Kosuke Maruboshi—had also received invitations that warmly welcomed them to join Penglai.
Some hesitated; after all, Konoha had been their homeland for many years. Their memories, their clan's history and honor—all were rooted here; leaving was no easy matter.
But those without attachments accepted willingly and embarked on their journeys.
Kosuke Maruboshi was the first.
This man in his fifties, Kosuke Maruboshi, had once been Heiyan's teacher. All along, he felt immense pride and admiration for this student, firmly believing that Heiyan was the true heir of the Will of Fire—an ideal he had dedicated his life to—and the guardian of Konoha.
Yet since Heiyan's disgrace and fall from hero to criminal, Kosuke realized that the ninja of Konoha had fallen into corruption. The Will of Fire itself felt like a painting whose colors had long since faded.
Therefore, without hesitation, he resigned from his position as senior instructor at the Ninja Academy, and on a misty winter morning, he silently left Konoha with his large cooking pot on his back.
Maruboshi believed that wherever Heiyan was, there burned the light of the Will of Fire.
Penglai.
On the beach beneath the mountain, Heiyan and Tsunade lay on chairs, watching the beautiful sunset.
Leisurely and comfortable.
As dusk settled, they made their way back to the mountaintop villa. The others who originally lived there, including Pakura, had voluntarily moved out—after all, the lady of the house had already returned.
Heiyan and Tsunade could now truly savor their time alone together, undisturbed and at peace.
Tonight, the full moon hung high.
Bright moonlight poured into the room, casting a silver veil over the soft bed.
Inside the bedroom, scented candles flickered gently beside soft, soothing music, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.
On the bed, Heiyan and Tsunade gazed into each other's eyes.
He could tell she was tense—her entire body rigid with tension.
Trying to ease her anxiety, Heiyan suddenly asked:
"Tsunade, have you ever considered rebuilding and reviving the Senju Clan here in Penglai?"
"How can I possibly revive it? I'm the last of the Senju."
Tsunade paused, speaking with a hint of sadness. Then she looked at him puzzled, "Can you help me?"
"You've come to the right person—I can actually help quite a lot."
Heiyan kept his eyes locked on Tsunade, solemnly replying, "You know, I don't mind being a visiting husband to the Senju clan. No matter how many children you have in the future, they can all bear the Senju name."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade immediately understood. So this was his plan for revitalizing the clan.
"What are you talking about!"
Her face flushed red as she playfully tapped Heiyan on the chest. According to Heiyan's suggestion, they were already thinking about having kids—multiple ones at that. She wasn't built for breeding like some barn animal, after all!
This teasing and playful banter lightened the atmosphere considerably.
Taking advantage of the moment, Heiyan leaned forward and kissed Tsunade…
The moonlight was just right.
After years of enduring ups and downs together, Heiyan and Tsunade, this loving couple, finally reached their destined union tonight.
True love had triumphed.
For both of them, that night was the most beautiful of their lives.
And so the night wore on until the first light of dawn.
Three days later.
After lunch break, Pakura, as Heiyan's secretary, arrived at the mountaintop villa with a huge stack of documents in her arms, waiting for Heiyan's approval and signature to process these files.
However, just as she reached the door, she heard some rather embarrassing sounds coming from inside.
Pakura's heart raced as she eavesdropped outside for over an hour. Yet the Heiyan and Tsunade inside the villa showed absolutely no signs of stopping.
"No wonder he has the [Sage Transformation]—it truly is beyond ordinary men."
Unable to help herself, Pakura murmured this with a slight blush, stuck out her tongue, then quietly left.
A few more days passed before Heiyan and Tsunade finally emerged from the villa.
By now, Tsunade had a gentle flush on her face. Her figure had become more voluptuous, exuding even more feminine charm. As for Heiyan, he had also matured into a more complete man.
Two days later, the villagers of Penglai hosted a grand wedding ceremony for the two lovers. With the blessings and witness of over ten thousand villagers, Heiyan and Tsunade officially became husband and wife.
That day was the biggest event in Penglai's history.
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