Naruto: The Sage Body of Konoha

Heiyan stared at the crystal necklace resting in both of his hands. The crystal still retained the warmth of its previous owner and sparkled under the sunlight.

This necklace, made from blue diamonds, had once belonged to Hashirama Senju. It accompanied him through countless battles over many years. Moreover, it contained Hashirama's sealing chakra, granting it the power to suppress the Nine-Tails.

It was truly an invaluable treasure.

Later, the necklace passed into Tsunade's possession, as she was Hashirama's favorite granddaughter.

In the original timeline, Tsunade had given this necklace to Nawaki and then Dan Kato, but both died shortly after receiving it on the battlefield.

So, people say this necklace seems cursed, bringing death to whoever possesses it.

Heiyan silently smiled, without removing the necklace. Instead, he let it remain around his neck.

He had never believed in fate or destiny anyway.

Besides, Heiyan already bore Gamamaru's death prophecy. Another cursed necklace wouldn't matter much—perhaps it could even "use fire to fight fire," turning bad luck into good fortune.

As Heiyan was thinking this,

Suddenly, his vision blurred momentarily, and an Anbu ninja appeared before him using the Shifting Body Technique.

"Lord Heiyan, Lady Mito... wishes to see you one last time." The Anbu said urgently, seemingly having waited here for a long time.

"Please lead the way."

Heiyan responded immediately.

Apparently, during the week he had been away, the jinchuriki transition was already completed. As a jinchuriki, once the Nine-Tails had been removed from Mito Uzumaki, only a few hours of life remained.

Following this Anbu member, Heiyan quickly arrived at a hidden room somewhere in the village.

Pushing open the door, he saw Mito Uzumaki lying on the bed, her hair completely white. Her hands were crossed over her abdomen, eyes slightly closed, her breath faint.

"Lady Mito," Heiyan hurried forward, half-kneeling beside the bed.

"Heiyan, you've come."

At the sound of Heiyan's voice, Mito forced her clouded eyes open. Hope shone in her gaze as she reached out and grasped his hand.

"Lady Mito, please speak. I'm listening," Heiyan realized Mito had something important to tell him, so he leaned closer.

"Please take care of Kushina."

Mito gazed at Heiyan affectionately and slowly said.

"You can rest assured. I'll always protect her," Heiyan nodded solemnly, making a vow.

"Also, regarding Uzugakure and the Uzumaki Clan..."

Mito continued, but barely halfway through, she struggled to catch her breath. Her aged hand tightened increasingly on Heiyan's—an instinctive struggle near death.

Actually, Heiyan already guessed what Mito wanted to say. These past days, he himself had already made a decision, so he proactively told her:

"I understand. I will protect them..."

However, to Heiyan's surprise, his words were abruptly cut off by Mito Uzumaki.

"No. I want you to stay out of Uzumaki clan affairs... no matter what happens to Uzugakure." Mito locked eyes with Heiyan, shocking him with her words.

"Why?" Heiyan was stunned and bewildered.

"Because Uzugakure is destined for destruction—I've already foreseen the day it will fall. Not only do other villages fear the Uzumaki clan; even Konoha fears them."

Mito Uzumaki spoke in one breath, then gave Heiyan a final warning: "Our clan needs only you and Kushina to survive. You must protect her at all costs."

Heiyan remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

So, Mito Uzumaki had seen it all coming, hadn't she?

After a pause,

"I understand, Lady Mito." Heiyan regained his composure, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Good."

Upon hearing his reply, Mito Uzumaki smiled with satisfaction and gently patted Heiyan's hand, whispering softly, "My dear, stop channeling your chakra into me—it's a waste of energy."

Indeed, since moments ago, Heiyan had been continuously pouring his Yang Release energy into Mito's body, forcibly prolonging her life.

Right after Mito delivered her final words,

she closed her eyes with a gentle smile on her lips, peacefully passing on... beyond this world.

"Rest well, Lady Mito."

Heiyan murmured softly, still kneeling halfway, unmoving for a long time.

Ten minutes later.

Heiyan finally stood up and left the hidden chamber. As he reached the doorway, he saw a familiar face.

"Senior Sakumo, may I ask where Kushina is now?"

Heiyan came straight to the point, addressing Sakumo Hatake directly.

"She just became the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki and used up way too much chakra, so she's sleeping now. At the moment... she's still under observation by the Sealing Team."

Faced with Heiyan's question, Sakumo knew better than to be careless and answered sincerely at once.

For some reason, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling whenever he faced Heiyan—as if an invisible pressure radiated from the younger man.

Perhaps Heiyan held no ill intent himself, but his presence kept emitting pressure that affected everyone nearby.

"I see. Thank you."

Heiyan gave a slight nod before turning to leave. He had already decided that once Kushina woke up, he would have a serious talk with the Nine-Tails sealed inside her.

"What a terrifying guy."

Watching Heiyan walk away, Sakumo Hatake couldn't help but mutter in admiration.

Heiyan made his way straight to the Hokage Tower.

He wasn't going to waste another moment waiting idly. He wanted to confront the Third Hokage directly about his stance on the current battles surrounding Uzugakure.

However, Heiyan was stopped as soon as he entered the building.

"Lord Heiyan, the Hokage is currently in a high-level meeting with the elders and cannot be disturbed at the moment."

The kunoichi assigned as receptionist hurried over, explaining while cautiously stealing glances at Konoha's Number One Prodigy.

"Do you know who is attending the meeting? Would it be convenient for you to tell me?" Heiyan halted and fixed the young woman with his gaze.

"Well..."

Hearing his question, the female receptionist visibly hesitated.

However, under the weight of Heiyan's presence, she finally glanced around, confirmed that no one else was nearby, and whispered to him:

"Besides the Hokage himself, there are also Danzo-sama, and Advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado."

"Thank you."

Upon hearing this, Heiyan immediately guessed approximately what this meeting would concern—the war situation in Uzu Country.

It seemed he had arrived at the perfect time.

Thus, Heiyan no longer felt rushed. He sat down on a sofa in the reception area of the hall and waited patiently.

In the meantime, the female receptionist brewed a cup of hot tea, carefully carried it over, and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of him.

Heiyan also used this time to dig into several key matters, mainly concerning the border situation.

He learned that relations between the major powers in the world of shinobi were deteriorating further. Particularly to the west of the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind and Land of Earth had already gathered large numbers of ninja troops and were rapidly advancing toward the border—they could cross into Konoha's territory and launch an invasion at any moment.

Under such tense circumstances, Konoha had no choice but to station troops along the border as well. So far, they had dispatched three waves of reinforcements westward, with more than three thousand ninja already arriving at the frontline.

Among them were Heiyan's teacher Kosuke Maruboshi and his friend Might Duy. Furthermore, Jiraiya had also returned from Mount Myoboku and headed straight for the border region.

Heiyan gradually furrowed his brows.

Clearly, most of Leaf Village's attention was currently focused on dealing with Iwagakure and Sunagakure in the west.

As for Mist and Cloud Villages to the east of Land of Fire, since they hadn't exerted much pressure upon Konoha recently, they were relatively neglected.

But Heiyan knew this was only superficial.

In reality, both within and beyond Uzugakure—Konoha's eastern ally—the air was thick with tension, as if a storm were about to break. Once war broke out, it would face an overwhelming and coordinated assault from all directions simultaneously.

Everything now hinged on the decisions of Konoha's high-ranking elders, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Thinking thus, Heiyan turned his gaze toward the staircase upstairs, waiting silently for the senior figures of Konoha who would soon appear.

At this moment, inside the Hokage Office.

"That's the situation."

Leaning back in his chair, Hiruzen Sarutobi finished summarizing the report Heiyan had brought back from Uzu Country. Finally taking a puff from his pipe, he slowly concluded,

"Now that the successful transfer of the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki is complete, we can reasonably spare some manpower to reinforce Uzugakure…"

"I oppose this!"

Before Sarutobi could finish speaking, Danzo, whose expression was dark and grim, interrupted him sharply.

"Hiruzen, your decision is too hasty. At present, a large number of ninja in the village have been sent to the borders with Wind and Earth Countries. If you continue to dispatch remaining personnel to Uzu Country, won't the village be left almost empty? With weak defenses at home, we risk being exploited by enemies!"

Danzo issued his warning firmly and sternly, completely against Hiruzen's command.

"So you're suggesting we just abandon our allies?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe and countered loudly.

"Allies? Don't be mistaken, Hiruzen. The alliance with the Uzumaki Clan isn't actually formed with the entire Leaf Village—it's an agreement between the Senju Clan and them. If assistance must go, then let the members of the Senju Clan provide it."

Danzo's expression remained cold, but then he sneered coldly, "I almost forgot—nowadays, the Senju Clan has only one remaining member, your favorite apprentice Tsunade. Why don't we just send her to Uzugakure?"

"What an outrageous thing to say!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately exploded in anger. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, glaring furiously at Danzo.

Danzo snorted coldly without taking a single step back.

For a moment, the two stood face-to-face, locked in tension without backing down.

"Hiruzen, Danzo, stop arguing already."

Seeing the terrible atmosphere, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado quickly stepped forward to mediate the conflict.

As political advisors of Konoha, their actual authority paled in comparison to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo's. Therefore, most of the time, they could only act as peacekeepers.

Still, these two had always upheld one principle: no matter what happened, Konoha's interests should come first.

Thus, when Danzo suggested solving the issue through voting, Hiruzen's intention to support Uzu Country was ultimately vetoed by a vote of 1–3.

"Koharu, Homura... even you two are siding with Danzo now?"

Hiruzen's face darkened. His eyes brimmed with disappointment toward the two.

Bang!

At that moment, Danzo suddenly slammed his fist hard onto the table, shouting fiercely, "Hiruzen, stop this reckless push!"

Alongside this sharp rebuke, Danzo emitted a fierce aura so powerful that even Hiruzen felt momentarily intimidated, falling behind in their battle of willpower.

He didn't know that Danzo had already had Hashirama cells implanted within him, granting him the power of Wood Release. This was also why Danzo dared openly defy him.

"Hiruzen, let me ask you!" 

Once gaining ground, Danzo pressed relentlessly, delivering a relentless barrage of questions toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Do you truly understand the current situation in the ninja world? If Konoha gets involved in Uzugakure's war, it would provoke a simultaneous attack from three factions—Mist, Cloud, and the Golden Exchange. Meanwhile, once Sand and Iwagakure learn about this, they'll definitely seize the opportunity and invade the Land of Fire immediately. At that time, Konoha will be under attack from all four great hidden villages at once!"

"Can you lead our subordinates into battle like the Second Hokage did during the First Great Ninja War and successfully repel attacks from those four villages? You can't!"

"Even if we take one step back, can you—the strongest Hokage in history—defeat Tsuchikage Onoki and Third Raikage A? You still can't!"

"Worse yet, even if we consider the worst-case scenario—if those four allied ninja villages invade the Land of Fire, reaching Konoha's doorstep, do you have the ability to protect Konoha and prevent its destruction? Once again, you cannot!"

This relentless barrage of questions left Hiruzen speechless. Although Danzo's words were harsh, every sentence he said was the truth.

Indeed, he couldn't accomplish any of those things.

"Hiruzen, we already have Kushina Uzumaki, the new Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. Perhaps it's time to reconsider the Uzumaki clan's value as allies..."

Interrupting the conversation, Koharu Utatane subtly suggested it was time to discard their ally now that their purpose was fulfilled.

Homura Mitokado, however, was even more direct. Listening to him speak:

"Hiruzen, it's the art of compromise to part with Uzugakure."

"As long as Cloud and Mist successfully absorb Uzugakure, they will understand our intentions and won't dare push further to attack Konoha itself. This is currently the best possible solution."

"Hiruzen!"

At this moment, Danzo slammed the table once again, staring directly into Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. "Have you forgotten our teacher's teachings? He once said: To be the Hokage means to embrace *absolute ruthlessness*! Let me remind you once more—I hope you still remember these words and act accordingly."

Hiruzen Sarutobi flinched slightly.

To be the Hokage means to embrace *absolute ruthlessness*.

These words from Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, became the final straw that broke Hiruzen's resistance.

Yes, only by being ruthless toward allies could Konoha be saved. As Hokage, he had to prioritize the big picture, rather than acting based on emotion...

After a long silence,

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a deep sigh. He had finally made a difficult decision. Slowly turning his back to the other three, he waved his hand in resignation:

"Proceed as planned."

"Hiruzen, today it was only because I stopped you in time that Konoha avoided destruction. You should remember this well."

Danzo coldly snorted, declaring his victory before dramatically sweeping his sleeve and leaving the Hokage office with an arrogant stride.

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane exchanged glances before following Danzo out.

The room was now empty except for Hiruzen alone by the large window, puffing continuously on his pipe, the air thickening with smoke.

"Cough... cough..."

The smoke tickled his throat. He let out a violent cough before finally calming himself down.

"How should I explain this to Heiyan..."

He rubbed his temple, clearly troubled, unaware that Heiyan was already waiting downstairs.

In the first-floor lobby,

Heiyan sat on the sofa, eyes closed in quiet meditation.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the second-floor staircase.

Heiyan opened his eyes just in time to see Danzo descending the stairs with his cane. The latter now wore a rare expression of triumph, completely shedding his usual gloominess.

At this moment, Danzo also noticed Heiyan.

<><><><><><><><>

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

<><><><><><><><>