Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

If it weren't for the fact that his current physical condition and environment don't allow it, Zhili would have liked to verify on-site whether what Shen'er said was true.

"Hehe, it's not hard work."

After a while, Zhi Li recovered, and Shen Er helped her stand up.

The couple looked around the battlefield; the small village was now a ruin. There were hardly any people living there to begin with, and after this battle, they were probably all dead.

Who will speak up for them?

For some reason, I thought of the battle at the Valley of the End, and the people of the Land of Water who were swept away by the tailed beast's arrow. The aftershocks of a battle between powerful individuals are like this: collateral damage is inevitable.

"After we get back, let's give a sum of money to Kawanokuni."

After saying that, the couple summarized their gains for the night.

When the Wind Shadow puppet walked over under Shen'er's control, Zhili looked surprised: "You can actually control it directly?"

“When it comes to lines, this is my home turf. With this puppet protecting me, I will be very safe. So, in the future, Zhili, don’t be too impulsive. Don’t do things like today, rushing into the Dust Release before even knowing where I am.”

“Back then, the earthen wall blocked my view, so I couldn’t see you. Even if it happened again, I would still do the same thing.” On this point, Zhili did not compromise: “But now that you have control of this puppet, I can feel much more at ease if we encounter such danger again.”

After taking control of the Wind Shadow Puppet, Shen Er gained an additional one on the surface.

At least they are no longer "low-strength" medical ninjas.

Next, Shenji collected the bodies of Ebizo and Rashi together.

Both corpses were relatively intact, with no missing limbs or large hollows. Especially Rashi, a dignified elite Jonin, who ultimately died from a kunai piercing his forehead.

It's not that he's too weak, but that Zhili is too strong.

It can kill a bloodline ninja like that without even activating the Mangekyou Sharingan.

“Very good. Tobirama would probably be very happy to see their corpses.”

Shen Er said from the bottom of his heart.

The door was replaced with a door.

Next, Ebizo will return to the battlefield of Sunagakure in his Edo Tensei form.

The goal was to influence Chiyo and lead her down a path of destiny she could rewrite.

As for Rashi, his identity is nothing special. But his heart is of good quality, and the super speed and long-range laser-guided attacks granted by his Storm Release are exactly what I currently lack, so I can use them as a temporary solution.

After placing the two corpses and the Wind Shadow puppet into the sealing scroll, the couple embarked on their journey back to the village.

Chapter 143 I Will Not Keep This Glory to Myself

The rising sun cast its rays upon the entrance to Konoha Village.

Despite the cold wind blowing in gusts, it couldn't dampen the villagers' enthusiasm.

A huge crowd had gathered in front of the Konoha gates, with large numbers of villagers crowding both sides of the main road leading to the Hokage Building. The dark mass of people craned their necks to look into the distance, and the air was filled with heated discussions.

Previously, the Hokage Building had issued the highest level of alert, and everyone was confined to their homes, overwhelmed by anxiety and confusion.

No one could predict what tomorrow would bring, and there was a growing concern about the possibility of Sunagakure ninjas infiltrating the village and carrying out large-scale poisoning.

A somber atmosphere continued to hang over the village.

At this moment, Shen Er brought a glimmer of hope.

From departure to receiving feedback, it took less than a week.

He then deciphered the terrifying Tsunamaru poison technique, ordered the return of a medical scroll capable of curing the Tsunamaru virus, and, as the highest medical authority, advised lifting the highest alert.

However, on the eve of Elder Shen's withdrawal from the front lines, Sunagakure went so far as to use the Jinchuriki on the battlefield, and the Three-Tails revealed its true form, about to unleash a Tailed Beast Ball on the Konoha ninja.

At this critical moment, Elder Shen stepped forward. With his own body, he shielded the ninjas on the front lines behind him, and with a roar, he frightened the Three-Tails into swallowing the Tailed Beast Ball and fleeing back to the village.

When news of this dramatic turn of events reached Konoha, the entire village was in an uproar. The villagers of Konoha deeply cherish hero worship, a tradition dating back to the First Hokage.

Besides his great achievements on the battlefield, there is also a piece of writing called "Leaving the Village" that has moved countless people.

The Zen monastery still retains the style of its early founders!

Although Zenji didn't kill a single person throughout the entire process, he saved the lives of countless Konoha ninjas. What else could he be but a hero?

The villagers are ignorant.

They idolize Shen's shining moments, but no one delves into the essential factors behind Shen's heroic narrative.

If Tobirama Senju hadn't manipulated the Edo Tensei ninja to self-destruct, making Sunagakure hesitant to act and greatly delaying their offensive, the incident of the Three-Tails being repelled by the Roar of the Three-Tails would never have happened.

In reality, the fox was just a figurehead; the villagers only saw the fox in question.

The Hokage Building received advance notice that Jin was returning to the village, and released the news to the public, arranged manpower, and prepared to hold a grand welcoming ceremony for him.

It's said to be an organization...

In fact, there was no need for any deliberate arrangement; the villagers had already spontaneously gathered on both sides of the road to prepare for this welcoming ceremony and to give the Zen temple and its heroes a proper welcome.

When that figure finally appeared on the horizon, the long-awaited cheers erupted, the chaotic discussions turned into unified slogans, and the shouts swept across the entire Hidden Leaf Village like a tsunami.

"It's Lord Shen'er!"

Elder Shen'er is back!

"Zen temple! Zen temple!"

At the very center of the crowd's attention stood the person leading the group, none other than Zen Monk Shen'er.

Zhili followed beside him.

Originally, Zhili planned to enter the village discreetly through a side gate, avoiding the grand welcoming ceremony and not stealing Shen'er's thunder. However, Shen'er's attitude was very assertive, saying, "I will not enjoy this glory alone."

And so, the two returned to Konoha together amidst the attention of everyone.

The Uchiha ninjas who witnessed this scene stood tall, completely impressed by Shen.

For Shen'er, it didn't matter whether the people around her were from Chiri or not; any woman from a major Konoha ninja clan was acceptable. This was also a way of building momentum for herself.

The Power of Naruto!

Tsunade and Orochimaru stood at the very front of the welcoming party.

The air was filled with shouts, everyone calling out the name of the Zen temple. The quick-witted Tsunade noticed Chiri standing nearby, her eyes darting around, and immediately led the charge, shouting, "Uchiha! Uchiha!"

She turned and gave Orochimaru a look, signaling him to join in. Orochimaru was not one to like crowds and seemed somewhat out of place in the noisy scene before him, but seeing Shen'er's triumphant return, he still joined in the shouting.

The two little devils shouted very enthusiastically.

The shouts sounded somewhat jarring amidst the unified chants.

"Uchiha? Who's calling Uchiha?"

Many people turned to look, and when they saw that it was Tsunade who had spoken, they joined in the shouting, hoping to please the princess.

This created a strange sight: on both sides of the road at the village entrance, one side chanted "Zen Temple" in unison, while the other side kept calling out "Uchiha".

Jiri noticed Tsunade in the crowd and nodded to her with a smile.

Tsunade was overjoyed at the sight, knowing that her plan had succeeded. Once she maxed out Jiri's favorability, she could have her whisper in the advisor's ear, and then next time they needed to leave the village... she could take her along.

Plans are in place!

He even responded with a kind smile to the people on both sides of the road:

"You are the real heroes!"

"This is a glory that belongs to everyone!"

...

Tobirama Senju, seated in the Hokage Building, kept his eyes closed while simultaneously manipulating the Edo Tensei ninja scattered across various battlefields.

He was the greatest contributor to the great victory in the Sand Village battlefield, but he was behind the scenes.

Tobirama didn't dwell on these achievements; in his view, these were simply what a Hokage should do. Having reached the position of Hokage, merit was no longer meaningful to him; it was better to distribute it to those in need.

Tobirama saw this very clearly.

Hearing the crowd chanting the name of the Zen temple, he knew that Shen'er had returned and smiled knowingly. But when the Uchiha's shouts rang out one after another, his smile faded.

What does this have to do with the Uchiha clan?

Soon, he waited for Jin to return to the Hokage's office.

"Shen'er, you've had a hard time on this trip."

"It's not hard work, it's all for Konoha."

Shen Er shook his head, his expression showing little joy. He recounted in detail the situation regarding the tailed beasts and poison ninjutsu that Tobirama was most concerned about, then sighed deeply, "Tobirama, you were right."

Tobirama's expression shifted slightly: "What did you see at the front lines?"

Shen Er solemnly said, "I have witnessed the determination of Sunagakure."

"They were determined to get out of the desert and their will to fight was very strong. Even though they knew that the ones blocking their way were Edo Tensei ninjas, they still launched a suicidal charge."

"Whether it's poison ninjutsu or puppetry, they are at the forefront of the ninja world. Without the Impure World Reincarnation technique, I can't imagine what the front lines would be like. But one thing is certain: the casualties on the front lines would have increased dramatically, and even if I had the most powerful medical ninjutsu, I wouldn't have been able to reverse that situation."

"Thanks to you, my friend, you shattered my naive illusions."

There is no exaggeration involved.

Unlike Iwagakure and Kumogakure, who fight for profit, Sunagakure fights purely for survival. In terms of fighting spirit alone, they are no less than the Will of Fire. The harsh desert environment forces them to seek development outwards, and Konoha and Iwagakure are both obstacles they need to overcome.

After weighing their options, they set their sights on Konoha.

It is precisely because they fight for survival that the Sand Village displays such formidable fighting power. In my opinion, during World War I, the Sand Village's strength was enough to rank second in the ninja world, second only to Konoha.

The fact that they were the first to use Jinchūriki in the war is still too over-the-top.

Upon hearing this, Tobirama showed a relieved expression and patted Shinji on the shoulder: "It's good that you understand my predicament. The past is the past. Now, as long as we join forces and continue to develop the Impure World Reincarnation technique in depth, we can better protect Konoha."

A tense atmosphere of brotherly affection and respect permeated the room.

With the atmosphere built up to this point, Shen Er took out the sealing scroll from his bosom and handed it to Tobirama.

"This is……?"

“Inside are the corpses of ninjas sent by the combined forces of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure to assassinate me,” Shen said calmly.

Tobirama's expression changed, and he immediately unwrapped the scroll and took out what was sealed inside.