Naruto: The Sage Body of Konoha

Heiyan stood atop a high slope, gazing at the flower forest he had created.

"No wonder Hashirama Senju died so young."

After a while, he sighed with such a sentiment.

Yes, after using Tree Encampment Creation, he saw both the immense power of this technique and its fatal flaw.

The weakness of Wood Release ultimately lay in insufficient attack power and destructive capability. Therefore, to compensate for this deficiency, one could only rely on "massive tree tactics."

Hashirama's Wood Release techniques—including Tree Encampment Creation, Wood Dragon Technique, Thousand Hands Manipulation Force: Thrust, and Summit Enlightened Thousand-Armed Cannon—were all large-scale jutsu, completely overwhelming opponents through sheer chakra reserves alone.

However, this came at a steep cost: excessive chakra consumption. Even someone in Sage Transformation couldn't sustain such expenditure endlessly.

But Heiyan's Kekkei Tota, Heavenly Release (Qian), was precisely the opposite.

Firstly, Qian evolved from Storm Release, whose destructive power ranked among the top in all Kekkei Genkai.

Moreover, Heiyan highly refined his own Heavenly Release chakra, adhering to the principle of simplifying complexity and returning to simplicity, creating jutsu like [Demon-Subduing Celestial Binding Chain].

This technique was plain and unadorned, without flashy moves, but achieved ultimate destruction. Whether against tailed beasts or Susanoo, a single whip strike would bring them down immediately.

By contrast,

Clearly, the First Hokage's Wood Release, whether in terms of lethality or control over tailed beasts, fell short compared to Heiyan's Heavenly Release. Thus, Heiyan believed it unnecessary to further research Wood Release.

Since he had developed his own Kekkei Tota, he must forge his own path—

A path that would leave the past behind.

Still, that didn't mean Wood Release had no merit at all; after all, it was a genuine Kekkei Tota.

From Heiyan's perspective, Wood Release's greatest strength wasn't in combat but in construction—in other words, building houses, making furniture, planting trees, and greening the environment.

It was a tool for building and development!

Furthermore, Heiyan realized he might combine Wood Release with his own Terrestrial Release. Such a combination might yield great potential.

These two powerful Kekkei Totas contained four chakra natures—Water, Lightning, Earth, and Yang Nature—elements essential for creation and nurturing life. If they could fuse together, something miraculous was bound to happen.

Nevertheless, this promising concept would have to wait temporarily.

Because Heiyan had been away from Konoha for more than two days already. Judging by time, Tsunade should have been discharged from the hospital.

It was time to return.

Thinking thus, he wasted no more time and turned back toward Konoha, swiftly heading home.

...

On his way back to Tsunade's house, Heiyan kept frowning as he looked toward the Hokage Tower.

Several days ago, when he just returned to Konoha, he had reported to the Third Hokage about the critical crisis Uzu Country faced. The elder had said then he would immediately convene a meeting of high-ranking elders and dispatch troops to assist Uzugakure.

Yet several days had passed, and Heiyan hadn't heard anything.

What exactly was going on?

Only when Heiyan arrived at the residence of the First Hokage did he finally understand the reason:

Mito Uzumaki was dying.

The Wife of the First and the first Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails had finally reached the end of her life. Kushina Uzumaki, barely eight years old, was set to succeed Mito as the second Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

In Heiyan's memory, in the original timeline, Kushina didn't become a Jinchuriki until after the incident where she was kidnapped by Cloud during the Second Great Ninja War.

Now, this event had moved forward by about two years.

It seemed that Heiyan's arrival as a transmigrator had truly changed many things.

Anyway, the Konoha high-ranking elders were now overwhelmed with arranging the Jinchuriki succession ceremony.

Heiyan learned that the Leaf Village was about to go into complete lockdown, with three-quarters of its Anbu ninja deployed. Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki had already been taken away and hidden in one of several hidden rooms located somewhere within the village.

There were multiple such hidden rooms, serving as decoys. The real location of Mito and Kushina was known only to a handful of high-ranking elders led by the Third Hokage.

Faced with such a critical matter, plans regarding Uzu Country had to be temporarily shelved.

At this point, Heiyan could only choose to trust Sarutobi Hiruzen, believing that this Third Hokage would make the correct decisions regarding Uzu Country in a timely manner.

Then, he found Tsunade.

Due to injuries sustained during an earlier mission, Tsunade hadn't participated in this Jinchuriki transfer ceremony. She had just been discharged from the hospital and returned home.

"Ready?" Heiyan asked with a smile.

Upon hearing his words, Tsunade took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Her rising chest betrayed the storm of emotions hidden behind her calm appearance. After all, what she was about to undergo was a transplant involving her grandfather Hashirama Senju's cells—naturally causing her anxiety and nervousness.

Yet soon enough, Tsunade overcame her inner turmoil. Her eyes became determined and hopeful as she nodded toward Heiyan.

"Then let's go."

Forming the [Summoning] hand seal, Heiyan and Tsunade traversed space together and arrived at Shikkotsu Forest.

Although Tsunade excelled at cell transplantation techniques, operating on herself was still full of challenges.

Fortunately, Heiyan was there.

He had studied Medical Ninjutsu under Tsunade before, although his skills weren't quite polished. However, his immense Yang Release chakra more than made up for his technical deficiencies.

Therefore, Tsunade demonstrated the surgical procedure and explained the critical steps before allowing Heiyan to perform the operation on her.

The surgery began.

Generally speaking, when transplanting Hashirama's cells, the most ideal location on the body was the right chest. Surgery at this position offered high safety, convenience, and tolerance for error.

However, considering Tsunade's gender, this position wasn't suitable for a woman. Furthermore, practically speaking, excessive fat tissue in the right chest might affect the integration and absorption of Hashirama's cells.

Therefore, Heiyan had Tsunade lie face down on the operating table and transplanted the sprout cells onto her back.

The operation progressed quickly. Before long, the sprout had fused into Tsunade's body, forming a raised shape resembling Hashirama Senju's facial features on her smooth back.

Suddenly, something unexpected occurred.

"Hmm..."

Tsunade's brows furrowed tightly as she let out a low groan of pain. Her muscles tensed, and thick blue veins bulged across her face and arms.

"What's happening?"

Katsuyu, the Sage Slug, spoke in a voice filled with concern and alarm. It had witnessed everything from beside her. In its opinion, as Hashirama's granddaughter, Tsunade should have been the ideal candidate for the Hashirama cell transplant—there shouldn't have been any problem at all.

"Don't panic."

Heiyan's eyes lit up slightly, signaling Katsuyu not to worry about Tsunade just yet.

After watching her carefully for a moment, he realized everything was unfolding just as he'd suspected.

The reason for her condition was simple. Her bloodline had been activated by the Hashirama cells, awakening ancestral traits.

As expected, the transformation caused by the Hashirama cells within Tsunade was far greater than in anyone else.

At this moment, her cells were undergoing gradual change. Once completed, she would become just like Hashirama Senju—with a Sage Transformation capable of growth.

Of course, that depended entirely on whether she could endure this brutal trial and survive it.

Tsunade was expending a tremendous amount of chakra.

Before long, her face and lips turned pale. Sweat beaded across her skin, soaking through both her golden hair and clothing—as if she had just been pulled from water.

During this process, black, diamond-shaped Sage facial markings appeared across her face, bearing a strong resemblance to the traditional Sage face paint.

"Even the Yin Seal has surfaced..."

Seeing this, Heiyan finally furrowed his brows.

The Yin Seal was a Sealing ninjutsu inherited by Tsunade from Mito. It allowed regular chakra to be stored within one's forehead, then released all at once when needed to compensate for massive chakra loss.

But clearly now, even the Yin Seal wasn't enough to support her transformation into the Sage Body.

Heiyan recalled how he himself had undergone the Sage Transformation.

Back then, he had endured ten years of chakra absorption from the Six Tomoe necklace, supplemented by some of Tsunade's own chakra before completing his transformation.

It wasn't that straightforward at all.

"Tsunade-sama!"

Seeing what was happening, Katsuyu wanted desperately to help—but it only possessed Sage Chakra. Injecting it into Tsunade wouldn't save her; instead, it would cost her life.

Just then—

"Bite down."

Heiyan directly extended one of his arms toward Tsunade's mouth. If ordinary Uzumaki ninja were like large batteries, Heiyan himself was a super-sized nuclear-grade one.

At this moment, Tsunade clung to this lifeline like a drowning person grasping at salvation. Driven by pure survival instinct, she bit down hard—and held on without hesitation.

The pain from the bite tightened Heiyan's eyebrows slightly, but he didn't say a word. Silently enduring it, he chose this method to deliver chakra to Tsunade as quickly as possible.

The results were immediate.

Soon, Tsunade's complexion improved noticeably. Supported by Heiyan's Yang Release chakra, her transformation started up again steadily.

As time passed.

Tsunade's pallor gradually gave way to a healthy glow as impurities in her bloodline were expelled through her pores in the form of sweat.

Her bloodline became purer and purer.

It was going to be a long process — one that demanded immense patience.

One day... Two days... Three days...

And so, a full week slipped by.

During this time, Tsunade spent most of her time biting Heiyan's arm, leaving numerous bite marks. Even with Heiyan's physical endurance, the bite marks refused to fade easily.

The good news was, Tsunade's Sage Transformation had finally completed.

"Phew~"

With Tsunade releasing her bite, Heiyan pulled back his arm and sat down nearby to rest.

At this moment, a small Katsuyu clone crawled onto his arm and released healing energy, repairing each of those bite marks one by one.

Meanwhile,

Guided by the Sage Slug, Tsunade freshened up and changed into clean clothes.

"How do you feel now?" Heiyan asked when he saw Tsunade again.

Tsunade didn't answer. Instead, she smiled sweetly at Heiyan, quickly formed several hand seals, and shouted loudly while slamming her palm forcefully onto the ground.

Boom!

With a thunderous sound and violent tremors shaking the ground, numerous trees burst from the earth, growing rapidly. Within seconds, a dense forest had formed.

"Oh?"

Heiyan showed visible surprise because he sensed [Yang Release chakra] within those trees.

It seemed Tsunade had completely inherited Hashirama's cell power, mastering an advanced level of [Wood Release] — equivalent to [Kekkei Tota].

As for her Sage Transformation—

After thoroughly examining and testing Tsunade's current constitution, Heiyan concluded that her Sage Transformation, when comparing it to the Sharingan, was equivalent to Mangekyou Sharingan level.

In other words, it matched Heiyan's own level from about a year ago when he first awakened his Sage Transformation.

So, for the first time since Heiyan, another Sage Transformer had appeared in the ninja world. Tsunade had finally broken beyond her innate limits, opening the path toward limitless strength growth.

However, considering her Sage Transformation was newly awakened and not yet stable,

Heiyan suggested Tsunade continue staying in Shikkotsu Forest to adapt to the power of her Sage Transformation. Only then could she smoothly proceed to learn [Sage Art] afterward.

"As for Lady Mito and Kushina, leave them to me. Don't worry."

Heiyan said so to Tsunade, eliminating her final concern.

Before Heiyan departed, the Sage Slug brought another piece of good news.

"Lord Heiyan, the transportation array in Uzugakure is progressing faster than expected. It will be ready in about five more days."

"Is that so? Thank you for your hard work."

Upon hearing this, Heiyan couldn't help smiling. It seemed the Sage Slug had also given her utmost effort to assist the Uzumaki clan. Originally estimated to take a month, the transportation array would now be completed in just over twenty days.

"Heiyan, wait!"

Just as Heiyan was forming hand seals to return to Konoha, Tsunade called him again.

"What else is it?" Heiyan turned around and looked at Tsunade.

Tsunade lowered her head and removed the crystal necklace hanging from her neck.

Then, under Heiyan's astonished gaze, she stepped closer, rose onto her toes, and placed the necklace around his neck.

Moreover, just as Heiyan was caught off guard, Tsunade quickly brushed her lips across his forehead like a dragonfly skimming water.

"This is for you."

Her face slightly blushing, she turned her head sideways and softly murmured, "Thank you for everything you've done for me."

Indeed, during these past few days,

Heiyan first disguised himself as a catgirl, saving her at Konoha's border from Burubi's grasp. Then he gifted Tsunade with Hashirama cells, and finally performed surgery on her personally, even using his own chakra to help her through a difficult time, ultimately achieving rebirth.

With all of this happening, how could Tsunade not feel moved and etch this into her heart?

"Cough, cough."

Facing Tsunade's sudden bold "confession," Heiyan also felt somewhat embarrassed. Originally intending to fake a cough as a cover, he accidentally choked and really did start coughing.

"Are you okay?" Seeing this,

Tsunade hurriedly stepped forward and gently patted his back.

"I'm fine." Slightly embarrassed, Heiyan felt awkward but muttered a quick reply before hurrying off.

Tsunade couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

In Konoha, at the First Hokage's residence.

"Puff!"

After a swirl of white smoke dissipated, Heiyan materialized, though his expression seemed slightly dazed, as if lost in thought over what had just happened.

Instinctively, Heiyan touched his forehead.

The reason he had done all this for Tsunade was partly to repay an old debt, and secondly, his thoughts aligned with Madara Uchiha's—he wanted to see whether Tsunade could become another Hashirama Senju.

Besides,

Alright, he admitted it—he was definitely drawn to Tsunade's allure.

After all, who wouldn't adore the youthful, beautiful, and kind-hearted Tsunade?

Yet once again, the same principle applied—take things as they come.

Take things slowly and wait patiently for the right moment to arrive naturally.

Thinking thus, Heiyan refocused himself, then bent his head down and lifted up the crystal necklace hanging from his neck.

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