"How could this be? That's too exaggerated..." Tian Uguisu staggered back half a step, her lower back hitting the cold rock wall. She remembered the glory of single-handedly dealing with various missing-nin when she was on missions in the Shinobi World, but now compared with her sisters, she felt like a big joke.
Tian Muyan said, "It's not an exaggeration at all! The one ranked third among us is the real exaggeration— Tian Mai. She's the only one among us with Spiritual Root. Like Tsubasa, she's capable of Immortal Cultivation, and her strength is already at the Sage Level. My husband gave her three pills, and she's only taken one so far, yet she's already at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm. She just needs to consolidate her cultivation before she can proceed to Foundation Establishment. If she succeeds in Foundation Establishment, she'll be at the High Immortal level. With the help of the remaining two immortal pills, she might become a peak Foundation Establishment expert. At that point, all of us combined wouldn't be able to defeat her."
Tian Uguisu felt a throbbing pain in her temples. She had never met Tian Mai before, and now she was Immortal Cultivation? She suddenly remembered that Madara Uchiha always said she was exceptionally talented, and now she felt only irony.
The only ones we're confident we can defeat right now are the youngest students Tian Zhiyun and Tian Yukihime, who haven't graduated yet. But they both have teleportation abilities, and their attacks use the Kekkei Tōta White Light Dust Shield, so we have to be extremely careful when fighting them."
The wind whipped up sand and grit that stung Tian Uguisu's face, but she felt no pain. After seven years of arduous training, she thought she had returned as a champion, but she never imagined that in this family, she would become the worst one, not even qualified to enter the sect.
Tian Uguisu listened attentively, then said in a hoarse voice, "According to you, after all these years of hard training outside, doesn't that mean I've become the worst in the family?"
Tian Muyan burst into laughter, her silvery chuckle startling the Crow perched on the broken wall, "Just temporarily at the bottom! But with your husband around, who knows, he might give you a divine artifact as a wedding gift, and then you'll turn the tables!" She suddenly leaned closer, the red mole at the corner of her eye trembling with her laughter, "I heard he's been tinkering with some kind of alternate dimension that can distort time and space..."
These words struck Tian Uguisu like a hammer blow. She turned around abruptly and said, "Then let's go back quickly. I can't wait to see Tsubasa." She wanted to see her legendary strongest Hokage husband with her own eyes and see just how many secrets he was hiding that could overturn the Shinobi World.
Tian Muyan linked arms with Tian Uguisu and walked towards the inner village on the brand-new asphalt road. In the distance, towering glass curtain walls reflected the afterglow of the setting sun, and between the rows of skyscrapers, suspended rune trains shuttled like silver dragons. On the bustling streets, rune gasoline cars drove in an orderly manner. All of this left Tian Uguisu dumbfounded.
"Is... is this still Konoha?" Tian Uguisu stared in disbelief at the towering building. "I've only been gone for seven years, how has it changed so much?"
Tian Muyan raised an eyebrow triumphantly, her eyes gleaming with pride. "Shocking, isn't it! This is the change Tsubasa brought after becoming Hokage. Now the villagers are prosperous, children go to school in groups, and everywhere is full of vitality. Look," she pointed to the side of the street, where several children were chasing and playing, their clear laughter echoing in the air, "There's no more backstabbing and infighting. Everyone helps each other, and when one is in trouble, everyone lends a hand."
Like a curious child, Tian Uguisu's gaze was drawn to the cars whizzing by on the street, then to the small planes soaring overhead. Neon lights cast dappled shadows on her eyes, and the music flowing from the street speakers made her unconsciously sway her toes to the rhythm. The most striking thing was the giant screen in the square, which was playing Hokage 'Tsubasa speech. The man on the screen was tall and straight, and the immaturity of his youth had faded, replaced by a sense of composure and authority.
"Has it really only been seven years?" Tian Uguisu murmured to herself, suddenly realizing that her experiences traveling the world over the past few years seemed insignificant compared to the completely transformed Konoha before her. "I thought I was well-traveled and knowledgeable, but now I feel like a country bumpkin who has never seen the world."
Tian Muyan was amused by her expression and pulled her along as they walked, introducing the vehicles. "This is the latest rune-inscribed hovercar, it can fly in the sky, run on the ground, and swim in the water. Pretty amazing, right?; That's an electronic advertising screen, it can inform the villagers of important matters immediately; and there's the medical machine newly developed by the Konoha Research Institute, it can even detect lesions in internal organs clearly..."
As they chatted, they arrived at the heart of Konoha — Hokage Street. The familiar Phoenix Tower still stood, its carved beams and painted rafters exuding the charm of time; the sign of the Divine Weapon Pavilion gleamed in the neon lights. However, the once bustling site of the Medicine King Pavilion was now just a lush green square, where a gentle breeze seemed to carry the sound of Grandpa teaching about medicinal herbs.
As they stepped into the Divine Weapon Pavilion, the clear sound of wind chimes rang out. Senju Ga and Mei'er, who were wiping the display shelves, looked up at the same time, and the rags in their hands fell to the ground with a "thud".
"You're Tian Uguisu, aren't you?" Senju Ga's voice trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly reddened.
Tian Uguisu's nose tingled with emotion. She quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying, "Mother, I'm sorry for making you worry all these years."
Senju Ga pulled her into his arms, choking back tears as he said, "Silly child, I'm so glad you're back safe and sound. You must have suffered a lot these past years out there, right?"
Tian Uguisu nestled in her mother's warm embrace, shaking her head with a wry smile. "I didn't suffer. Master treated me very well. I just really miss Konoha, I miss everyone." She raised her head, her gaze sweeping over the familiar Divine Weapon Pavilion. "I especially want to see what the village has become over the years, and Tsubasa... what has become of him?"
Senju Ga gently patted her back, then turned to Mei'er and said, "Go quickly and tell the family that Tian Uguisu is back!"
Mei'er nodded, walked quickly to the service desk, and rapidly dialed on the telephone communication panel.
Not long after, the door of the Divine Weapon Pavilion was suddenly pushed open. Second Mother Gi Senju rushed to the front, her hands trembling with excitement as she looked at the girl who was a head taller than her. Tian Uguisu took the initiative to greet her, grasped her hand, and said apologetically, "Mother, I'm so sorry to have worried you."
Gi Senju smiled and wiped away her tears, playfully scolding, "It's all my fault. I always provoked you into going to the battlefield. I can only rest easy now that you've returned safely."
"I've never blamed you," Tian Uguisu said earnestly. "I went to the battlefield to become stronger faster so I could protect Tsubasa. But now..." She recalled the spirited figure on the giant electronic screen, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips, "Now that Tsubasa is so powerful, it no longer needs my protection."
"Silly girl," Senju Ga gently pinched her nose, "Even if he becomes incredibly powerful, even if he becomes Hokage, the people he cares about most are still us, his family."
Tian Uguisu's cheeks flushed slightly as she lowered her head to hide the shyness in her eyes. Seven years away from home, she had grown from an innocent girl into a capable and strong ninja. But now, in the familiar courtyard, surrounded by the warm greetings of her in-laws, she seemed to have turned back into that easily embarrassed little girl.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Tsubasa, who was processing documents, suddenly looked up in the direction of home. He sensed a familiar presence, and the ink on his pen smeared across the paper. Outside the window, the Hokage Street was brightly lit, reflecting his complex expression. " Tian Uguisu, is that you back?" he murmured to himself, his voice filled with anticipation and longing. Back then, he had searched the Land of Earth and the Land of Rain for her.
Tsubasa formed a Flying Thunder God Seal, and his figure vanished instantly from the Hokage's office. When he reappeared, he was already standing in the villa on the upper floor of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. His gaze swept across the room, and he immediately saw the tall girl, who was 1.8 meters tall, surrounded by her family. Tian Uguisu seemed to sense something, and the moment she looked up, their eyes met.