Konoha vs. Sunagakure

After changing her clothes, Tsunade brought Beichen Haotian into the living room and took out several scrolls.

"Here. These scrolls record the principles of the Monster Strength Fist, advanced Medical Ninjutsu for training Chakra control, and some of my own insights into cultivating the Monster Strength Fist and Medical Ninjutsu."

"You need to finish reading them as soon as possible. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me while you can. I still have some time today. Once another mission comes up, you won't even be able to see me."

"Okay." Beichen Haotian answered, then picked up the scroll on the principles of the Monster Strength Fist and began reading. Tsunade also left the room to attend to her own business.

He began reading at dawn and did not finish until evening. Beichen Haotian had not even eaten lunch before he finished reading all the scrolls and committing their contents to memory. Afterward, he consulted Tsunade, thoroughly clarifying the points he did not understand and completing his grasp of the theoretical knowledge before returning the scrolls to her.

After returning home, Beichen Haotian first worshiped his stomach, then began cultivating the Monster Strength Fist.

The principles of the Monster Strength Fist were very simple. They amounted to gathering a large amount of Chakra in one spot and then unleashing it all at once. It sounded simple, but putting it into practice was extremely difficult. First, one needed a certain amount of Chakra. Although the Monster Strength Fist had tremendous power, it also consumed a great deal. Even Tsunade did not dare use Monstrous Strength with every punch.

Next, one needed to understand the human body to a certain degree. The Chakra meridian system involved in the Monster Strength Fist was extremely complicated. If one did not understand the human body and took even one wrong meridian, all one's previous efforts would be wasted.

Finally, one needed to gather a large amount of Chakra and send it through a complex, specific meridian system until it reached the fists and feet. As the Chakra in each meridian converged in the fists and feet, it had to do so in a certain order. The order could not be disrupted. This required exceptionally abnormal Chakra control. Without a certain talent, combined with persistent, unremitting training, it was simply impossible to perform.

After trying more than twenty times, Beichen Haotian still failed. He decided to cultivate step by step, refining more Chakra, setting aside time every day to practice Medical Ninjutsu and train his Chakra control. Whenever he had time, he would also go to Konoha Hospital, using medical knowledge to deepen his understanding of the human body, its Chakra meridian system, and its other systems.

The next morning, in the courtyard.

Since the Monster Strength Fist could not be mastered overnight, aside from his unchanging physical training and Chakra refinement, Beichen Haotian shifted his focus to training his Chakra control and the Six Powers.

Geppo and Kami-e were both extremely practical combat techniques. Once he mastered them, Beichen Haotian's ability to survive future battles would increase significantly. He planned to cultivate Geppo first and set Kami-e aside for the time being.

Geppo required even greater leg strength than Shave. After all, Shave involved stomping on the ground and using the rebound force to move at high speed, while Geppo required stomping on the air to move through the sky. Stomping on air was far more difficult than stomping on the ground.

In fact, after opening the Fourth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates, one could basically already stomp on the air and move flexibly. Rock Lee had proven this when he fought Gaara during the Chunin Exams. Unfortunately, the Eight Inner Gates caused too much damage to the body, so this kind of movement could not be sustained.

Beichen Haotian also had certain ideas about the Eight Inner Gates and would find a way to obtain it in the future. To achieve spatial movement in one's normal state, one needed not only powerful leg strength but also special techniques. These techniques could reduce wasted leg strength, perfectly unleash the body's power, and even produce an effect of one hundred and twenty percent.

He rolled up his trouser legs, removed his fifty-kilogram weights, and replaced them with weights totaling one hundred kilograms, fifty kilograms on each leg. Beichen Haotian immediately felt that his steps had become much heavier, and he was very unaccustomed to it.

However, Beichen Haotian did not show any impatience. Instead, before the sun rose, he began walking around the courtyard, quickly adapting to his heavier steps.

From walking slowly, to walking normally, to jogging, then running, and finally jumping—in one month, under Beichen Haotian's arduous training, he finally adapted completely.

After removing the weights, Beichen Haotian found a secluded valley in the mountains behind Konoha and began cultivating Geppo.

The constant sound of stomping rang out from the valley. At times, it sounded like thunder. This continued for half a month.

Beichen Haotian's talent was quite good, but compared with Minato Namikaze, who had comprehended space ninjutsu and created the Rasengan, he was still somewhat inferior. His talent was probably even slightly worse than Kakashi Hatake's, at best on par with him. The reason he had been able to defeat Minato Namikaze was that Beichen Haotian trained harder. He could not exactly say that he neglected sleep and food—he had to eat his fill at every meal before cultivating with even more abundant energy.

One day, a cheer rang out in the valley. A figure rose into the air from within the valley, repeatedly stomping on the air and producing faint popping sounds. His speed was no slower than it had been on the ground.

Three days later, Beichen Haotian received a notification from above: the Sand Ninja were gathering their forces and preparing to make a comeback.

The atmosphere in Konoha grew heavy once again, but beneath that heaviness lay anger. Did they really think Konoha was easy to bully? It was said that the Third Hokage had slammed his hand on the table in fury and issued an order. This time, they would not only repel Sunagakure's attack but also invade the Land of Wind and teach Sunagakure a serious lesson.

The hardliners led by Shimura Danzō were even shouting for the Sand Village to be crippled, or even destroyed. In short, the war that had only recently subsided was about to begin again.

Large forces were assembled. The Second Legion, which had been defending against the Land of Water, was recalled, while other legions were assigned to take its place. Together with the Third Legion, whose organization remained relatively intact and whose losses were minor, nearly eight thousand ninja began rushing toward the Land of Rain.

Because Beichen Haotian had performed well in the previous war, he was allowed to participate this time as well. However, unlike ordinary Genin and Chunin, Beichen Haotian would not be assigned missions that were too dangerous.

The commander of this war was still Hatake Sakumo, assisted by the Legendary Sannin. It was worth mentioning that while passing through the Land of Rain, Jiraiya handed some things to Yahiko and the other two before joining the battlefield as well. According to Jiraiya himself, after the war ended, he would return to teach them for some time.

In the Land of Rain, the forces of Sunagakure and Konoha faced each other. This time, both sides had very large armies. Including the Logistics Units, their combined forces numbered nearly seventeen thousand. The battlefield covered a radius of one hundred li and included mountains, forests, swamps, plains, and towns, making the terrain quite complicated.

The regular forces, scout units, and assassination units began clashing. Frontal battles, chance encounters, and raids broke out. Within this hundred-li area, nowhere was safe. The Logistics Units and Medical Units of both sides would also come under attack.

It was worth mentioning that Konoha's medical facilities were the strongest in the entire Ninja World. This was also one of the reasons Konoha was the strongest hidden village. In every war, the other hidden villages would do everything they could to strike at Konoha's Medical Units. Konoha, in turn, would do everything it could to protect them.

This time, Beichen Haotian's mission was to follow the other ninja in protecting the field hospital and various medical-supply transport teams, under Tsunade's command.

"Ah, how boring!" Beichen Haotian lay on the grass outside the field hospital, gazing listlessly at the sky and letting out a long sigh.

Protecting the medical-supply transport teams was relatively dangerous, but staying at the field hospital was unbearably dull. With Tsunade stationed there, no one really dared to cause trouble for the time being. At the hospital, Beichen Haotian also witnessed Tsunade's prestige. The patients, staff, and protecting ninja all respected her deeply, greeting her respectfully whenever they saw her. No wonder that despite being away from the village for so many years, Tsunade could still become Hokage after returning, with almost no opposition.

As he lay there, the sky suddenly darkened. It rarely stopped raining in the Land of Rain, and sunlight was even rarer. Today was one of those rare sunny days.

Beichen Haotian opened his eyes and glanced up. He immediately performed a kip-up and jumped to his feet.

"Sister Tsunade, is there a mission? I'm nearly dying of boredom."

"Everyone else tries to avoid missions whenever they can, but you're unusually eager. Didn't you want to carry out a mission protecting a medical transport team? Your chance has arrived." Tsunade planted her hands on her hips and scolded him with a laugh.

"That's great. Let me see the mission scroll."

Tsunade took out a scroll and handed it to him. Beichen Haotian eagerly opened it and began reading.

It was a mission to protect a medical transport team from the border of the Land of Fire to the hospital. It was nothing unusual. "Don't worry, I guarantee I'll complete it," Beichen Haotian declared confidently.

"Good, go ahead. Although there shouldn't be many Sand Ninja who have crossed Konoha's blockade, every one of them is an elite. Be cautious, pay attention to your safety, and don't underestimate any Sand Ninja." Tsunade's expression turned serious as she cautioned him.

"I understand." Beichen Haotian turned around briskly and waved without looking back.

"That boy is truly confident. If only my Nawaki had Haotian's strength, I wouldn't have to worry so much. He's been on the battlefield after barely more than a month of missions. Although Orochimaru is looking after him, I'm still somewhat uneasy. Nawaki's personality isn't well suited to the battlefield."

"Forget it. Why am I thinking so much? With Orochimaru looking after him, he should be fine. Wait, Dan will be coming later. I'd better finish my work early so we can eat together." At this thought, Tsunade's face filled with happiness.

While Tsunade was lost in her thoughts, Beichen Haotian had already left the Konoha field hospital with a small squad of ninja and was heading to the border of the Land of Fire to rendezvous with the medical transport team.

Thanks to Sheshe for the recommendation ticket! Sheshe has shown tremendous support, and I'm truly grateful! Thanks again to Zhuhán Wàndāndàn for the recommendation ticket. This reader has also shown tremendous support.