Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

Uchiha Setsuna's eyes lit up.

Times change, this idea... is brilliant!

……

Chapter 271 The Shadow Guards Reunite

Uchiha Setsuna's confidence increased greatly, and he said that his suggestion to "go and ask for the person" was correct.

At this moment, this idea seems to be... both offensive and defensive!

If Senju Seigo were to hand over the man, that would be best. It would not only save Shisui, this important genius, but also damage the prestige of Senju Seigo and the village.

If he doesn't hand over the person, or even if a conflict occurs...

Then... the Uchiha would have a perfectly good reason and excuse to completely transform their internal conflicts into external resistance!

Uchiha Setsuna always felt that if it weren't for the internal discord within the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga would never have been called the number one clan in Konoha.

Now, we have indeed ushered in an unprecedented opportunity.

"But... Lord Madara, although Senju Seigo is still a kid, he is very powerful. I'm afraid we..." Setsuna still had some concerns.

After all, Senju Seigo's past record was truly astonishing.

"Don't worry, I will assist you in secret."

The masked man promised, "If necessary, I will step in to ensure... things develop in a direction that benefits the family."

Uchiha Setsuna took a deep breath, and the last trace of hesitation in his eyes was replaced by madness.

He stood up abruptly and bowed deeply to the masked man:

"I understand, Lord Madara! For the future of the Uchiha clan, I will immediately contact like-minded clansmen and make preparations for this!"

"This time, we will make Konoha and Senju Seigo pay the price!"

“Go, and remember, be quick and absolutely assertive,” the masked man said. “I’ll be standing behind you when the time comes.”

After saying that, a vortex appeared out of thin air, and the masked man's figure disappeared into it.

"Such powerful ability..."

Uchiha Setsuna's eyes were filled with fervor. Madara-sama... With Madara-sama behind us, how could the currently weak Konoha not submit?

The candlelight flickered, illuminating his old face, which was slightly distorted by excitement and hatred.

"Fugaku...you coward, just you wait and see!"

"The Uchiha clan needs someone with real courage to lead them! Konoha... Senju Seigo... you owe the Uchiha clan, it's time to pay back what you owe them!!"

……

……

Death Forest, territory.

In stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere within Konoha Village, the atmosphere here is peaceful and serene, even somewhat leisurely.

The morning sunlight filters through the massive, all-encompassing canopy of the ancient tree of life, transforming into countless soft beams that spill onto the vibrant land.

The air is filled with the refreshing fragrance of herbs and trees and the rich energy of nature, making one feel completely relaxed with every breath.

A special training exercise is underway in a relatively open clearing in the woods not far from the ancient tree.

Mitarashi Anko, the former "Snake Princess" of the Shadow Guard, is now in a sorry state.

Her brand-new ninja outfit was torn in many places and covered with dust and grass. Sweat soaked her long purple hair, which clung to her cheeks and neck.

She was breathing heavily, but her eyes were fixed on the white figure standing quietly in front of her with its eyes closed.

"Hoo... Ha... Again, again!"

Hongdou wiped the sweat from her face that was obstructing her vision, her eyes stubborn.

"Your chakra control is as crude as an untamed wildcat!"

Princess Tianxin closed her eyes, her voice ethereal and calm, yet her words were utterly merciless:

"You've only scratched the surface of a snake's agility and lethality. Your aggressive intent is written all over your face, your movements are sluggish, and you're full of openings!"

"That 'Snake Limb Hardening' technique just now wasted 50% of your chakra on useless muscle exertion. If I were the enemy, you would have died 3 times already."

Red Bean's face flushed red and then turned pale as she was told this, but she didn't refute it. She just gritted her teeth and formed a hand seal again:

"I won't give up easily, take this! Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

A ferocious venomous snake darted out from his sleeve, crisscrossing and lunging at Tianxin Shenji. Both its speed and attack angle were much improved compared to before.

Princess Tianxin still did not open her eyes; her body swayed gently like a boneless snake at an angle and with a flexibility that defied the laws of physics.

The venomous snake grazed past the hem of her clothes without even touching them.

At the same time, she flicked her finger slightly.

A wisp of condensed Sage Chakra, as thin as a small snake, shot out silently and struck Anko's left leg precisely.

"what!"

Hongdou felt a numbness in her left leg, instantly lost her balance, cried out in surprise, and fell forward, landing face-first in the mud.

"Poor balance, unstable lower body; in battle, your feet are your root." Tianxin Shenji commented calmly.

……

Not far away, under an ancient tree, there was a simple wooden table and a few rattan chairs.

Qingwu, Tianzang, and Zhishui, who had recovered from his injuries but whose right eye was still empty, were sitting there leisurely... watching the show.

"Hiss... Red Bean got really bad training today."

Tianzang scratched the back of his head, somewhat unable to bear looking at it, but his tone carried a hint of envy.

With the personal "guidance" of the Ryuchi Cave Sage, Anko's strength, especially her understanding and application of snake-style ninjutsu, has been improving dramatically almost every day.

"The training method... is very unique."

Shisui smiled gently, and his remaining left eye regained its former brilliance.

With the Shadow Guard all gathered, only by being with these old teammates who had shared life and death could he escape the heavy burden of those choices that almost crushed him... regarding his family and village.

"It is indeed very special, especially ruthless."

Qingwu picked up a cup of fragrant, unnamed flower tea and took a sip.

Watching Anko rise again in the distance, defiantly charging towards Princess Tianxin, a smile crept onto his lips:

"However, the effect is truly remarkable. Anko's chakra control has improved dramatically, and the chakra refining efficiency here is also very high."

"Yes, once he adapts to this level of intensity, his strength should be firmly at the Jonin level."

“Yes, Tianzang is also very powerful.” Zhishui laughed, “I didn’t expect there to be so many benefits to living in the territory.”

"Of course." Upon hearing this, Tianzang immediately became proud.

Qingwu looked at Shisui and said, "You overexerted yourself by using Susanoo last time. Although the slug's cellular repair ability is excellent, you must not leave any hidden dangers."

"Don't worry, I'm really all better!" Shisui said softly, her gaze sweeping over the peaceful and serene territory, her eyes revealing gratitude and a hint of complexity.

"It feels so relaxing here... more relaxed than ever before. I don't have to think about my family and village, I don't have to carry those expectations and secrets..."

"Well, just simply living, recovering from my injuries, watching everyone... this feeling is good, Captain, thank you."

Zhi Shui knew that if Qing Wu hadn't forcibly stayed in the territory and "closed off" this place with a strong stance,

He will likely be drawn into even more intense internal conflicts within the Uchiha clan, or... become a pawn in the power struggle between the Konoha leadership and the Uchiha clan.

They might even... die silently.

It was Captain Qingwu who gave him a safe haven, a place where he could catch his breath and slowly lick his wounds.

"We don't talk about these things between good friends."

Qingwu waved his hand and looked up at the majestic, almost miraculous, ancient tree of life above.

After more than two months of continuous upgrading and transformation, the Tree of Life has become more spectacular than imagined.

Its height has long exceeded 300 meters, the diameter of its trunk requires dozens of people to hug, and its huge canopy covers almost half of the core area of ​​the Death Forest.

Each leaf is as large as a palm-leaf fan, emerald green and translucent, absorbing and releasing a vast amount of natural energy.

Beneath the tree canopy, a pale green mist of natural energy lingers year-round, transforming into spiritual rain and nourishing all things in the territory.

[Tree of Life (Ancient Stage) is upgrading... Remaining time: 28 days, 11 hours, and 37 minutes]

There is less than a third of the time left before the upgrade is complete.

Qingwu could clearly feel that as the upgrade progressed, the ancient and vast aura emanating from the ancient tree became increasingly intense, and its connection with him became even closer.

Once the ancient tree is fully upgraded, the ultimate barracks for the fortress formation—Dragon Cliff—will be able to be built!

Thinking of this, Qingwu looked at his personal attribute panel again.

[Level: LV59 (77%)]

Level 59, experience bar at 77%...

Only 23% away from level 60...

This was the rich "experience" he gained that night after fiercely fighting against Shimura Danzo and the Third Hokage.

Level 60 is a significant milestone, signifying the reward for the next advanced spell.

Currently, he only has one advanced spell, which is the water-based [Mirror Image Spell].

It has been proven in actual combat that advanced magic is extremely advanced, which makes him look forward to the next advanced magic.

However, he did not deliberately "level up".

Firstly, upgrading the ancient tree is of paramount importance, as it requires a stable and continuous supply of natural energy.

Secondly, with his current strength and resources, he is capable of handling most situations.

Thirdly, he had a premonition... that the peaceful days wouldn't last long.

Once the ancient tree is fully upgraded, and he receives the feedback of enhanced natural energy, and wields the green dragon... that will be the moment when he truly has the confidence to act according to his own will.