After more than a day of expending energy, the restlessness in Shun's eyes faded. It was replaced by a desireless, almost saintly tranquility.
He returned to the Ninja World, but didn't know what to do.
Thus, Shun, on a whim, appeared in Sunagakure without warning.
He wore a plain long robe, his long hair casually tied behind him, and no Chakra fluctuations emanated from his body, yet the passing ninjas instinctively stopped, even their breathing softening a few points.
He looked at the houses, the villagers coming and going, and even the sparrows flying overhead with a detached indifference, as if nothing in the world could capture his attention.
"After becoming invincible... indeed, only loneliness remains." Shun murmured to himself, his eyes shifting slightly, then locking onto Temari's location.
His figure flickered, and in the next second, he stood outside a courtyard planted with sea buckthorn. Inside, the clear voice of a young girl could be heard, mixed with the "whoosh" of a fan.
When he pushed open the door, he saw Temari practicing Wind Release against a wooden stake with her iconic iron fan.
She wore the Sunagakure ninja uniform, her blonde hair tied back with a hairband, a few stray strands clinging to her forehead, swaying gently with her movements.
The 15-year-old girl had already matured. Her 1.63-meter height gave her a tall and graceful posture, her waist slender but not delicate.
Her arm lines were smooth, and when she swung her iron fan, the sand stirred up by the Wind Release hit the wooden stake, leaving fine indentations.
Hearing the door open, Temari spun around, her iron fan still suspended in mid-air.
When she saw that the person was Shun, her pupils suddenly contracted, the iron fan in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," and she froze.
She had seen Shun before. At that time, the pressure emanating from him had suffocated the entire Sunagakure.
Now, looking at him up close, she felt that he was even calmer than in her memory, yet also more intimidating.
"You... why are you here?"
Temari reacted, quickly picking up her iron fan, her fingertips trembling slightly, even her words stammering a bit.
She had already accepted her identity as his fiancée, but the sudden meeting left her feeling flustered.
Shun walked up to her, his gaze sweeping over the wooden stake she had just been practicing on, and said lightly, "Temari, as my fiancée, your strength is growing too slowly. I plan to take you to Immortal Village to train for a while."
"Immortal Village?"
Temari was stunned, then her eyes widened, her voice full of surprise. "What kind of place is that? Is it like the legendary place where immortals live? But... I still have to perform Sunagakure missions."
The words were on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed them back. Facing Shun, she didn't even dare to think of refusing.
Moreover, the words "Immortal Village" themselves were full of temptation, making her curious.
Shun's gaze fell on her flushed ear tips, seeing her hesitation and curiosity. "Immortal Village is a special place, with many ninjas training there, so the living facilities are complete. You can ask your parents for their opinion."
Temari nodded quickly, clutching her iron fan. "I'll go right now."
With that, she was about to run out, but after taking two steps, she stopped and asked, "Then... will the training in Immortal Village be very hard? Also, do I need to bring anything? Will the people there be very fierce?"
Shun looked at her nervous yet expectant expression, and a rare hint of warmth appeared in his eyes. "It will naturally be hard, but it will allow you to breakthrough your bottleneck in a short time. You don't need to bring too many things. The village has shops and medical clinics, so you can buy all your daily necessities."
Temari said "Mm" and turned, running quickly out of the courtyard.
She ran all the way towards the Kazekage Building, not bothering to respond to greetings from acquaintances on the way, until she burst into Rasa's office.
She panted, shouting, "Father! Mother... Shun is here! He dislikes my low strength and wants to take me to Immortal Village to train!"
Rasa was discussing Sunagakure's material distribution with Karura when he heard this, and the pen in his hand "clattered" onto the paper.
Karura also stood up abruptly, her face full of shock.
"What did you say? Shun wants to take you to Immortal Village?"
Rasa quickly stood up, his voice filled with awe and worry. "Immortal Village... is that place safe? Did he not say what he would teach you?"
"He said there are shops and things in Immortal Village, and that it can help me breakthrough my strength bottleneck. He didn't say exactly what he would teach, but it sounds very powerful." Temari panted, recounting the conversation, her eyes full of anticipation.
Rasa and Karura exchanged glances, both seeing complexity in each other's eyes.
They were both worried about their daughter suffering in the unfamiliar Immortal Village, and yet they dared not defy Shun's wishes.
Moreover, being able to enter Immortal Village for training was a great opportunity for Temari and for Sunagakure.
Karura walked forward and gently stroked Temari's hair, her voice soft but with reluctance. "Then you should go. Remember to take good care of yourself. If you need anything, tell that man. Don't let yourself be wronged."
Rasa nodded, saying in a deep voice, "Pack some common things. Don't make Shun wait too long."
Temari responded, turned, and ran back to her room, quickly packing a few changes of clothes and common medicines. She then carefully wiped her iron fan clean before hurrying back to the courtyard.
Shun was still standing there, looking at the sea buckthorn in the courtyard, as if contemplating something.
"I'm ready."
Temari ran up to him, looking up at him, carrying a small cloth bag in her hand.
Shun waved his hand, opening a spatial gate. "Look, inside is Immortal Village. Don't be afraid."
Temari hesitated for a moment, then gently took his hand. His palm was broad and warm, giving her an inexplicable sense of security.
The next second, the surrounding scenery suddenly twisted. The houses and sea buckthorn trees instantly disappeared, replaced by an open village surrounded by clouds and mist.
In the distance were scattered wooden houses with roofs covered in lush green moss. At the village entrance hung a wooden plaque, on which the characters "Immortal Village" were carved.
Ninjas in various clothes walked along the road. Some were discussing Ninjutsu, some carried things they had just bought from the shops, and even children were chasing and playing under the trees. The air was filled with a rich yet gentle natural energy, completely different from Sunagakure's dry and hot climate.
Temari's mouth dropped open in surprise, the cloth bag in her hand almost falling to the ground.
She looked around, her voice full of disbelief. "This... this is Immortal Village? It's much livelier than I imagined."
Shun released her hand and pointed to the depths of the village. "Yes, this is the Immortal Village I told you about. The house with the courtyard in front is the residence I prepared for you; daily necessities are already provided inside."
He paused, his gaze falling on Temari's curious face, and added, "By the way, the flow of time in Immortal Village is different from the outside world. One year in the Ninja World is five years in the village. If you stay here for three years, only about eight months will pass outside. By the time you come out, your strength will be enough to undergo a transformation."
Temari's eyes widened suddenly, and the iron fan in her hand almost dropped again. "Eight months outside... and over three years here?"
Shun chuckled softly, raising a hand to gently brush a fallen leaf from her shoulder, his tone softer than before. "Not only that, what I want to teach you is Nature Mode."
Seeing Temari tilt her head in confusion, he patiently explained, "Nature Mode requires absorbing natural energy. Once mastered, it not only greatly enhances strength but also nourishes the body. Like Princess Mikoto and the others, after mastering it, their skin becomes even more delicate, their appearance doesn't easily age, and their lifespan can be extended by decades or even centuries—consider it an extra gift of training."
Temari's eyes instantly lit up, her previous nervousness completely gone.
Her voice was full of anticipation. "It can beautify and extend lifespan? Then, when can I start learning? I'll definitely learn well."
Shun said, "This cannot be rushed, and you don't need to be anxious. Take your time, you have plenty of it."
Shun led her towards her residence. Along the way, he smiled and nodded in response to greetings from some Uchiha.
"First, adapt to the natural energy here. Tomorrow, I will teach you the basic breathing methods. The natural energy is dozens of times denser than in the Ninja World, so initial absorption can easily lead to loss of control. You must proceed gradually."
Temari followed behind him, looking at the lively yet peaceful scene around her, feeling the gentle natural energy in the air, clutching the iron fan in her hand, her eyes becoming incredibly firm.
Although more than three years of training would be hard, as long as she could learn Nature Mode, become stronger, more beautiful, and also become his princess, everything would be worth it.
Her voice was extremely low, as if afraid of being overheard by others, and she asked softly, "Then, when I learn Nature Mode, will I be as powerful as you?"
Upon hearing this, a faint, almost imperceptible smile seemed to hide in Shun's eyes.
His lips curved slightly, and he replied softly, "As long as you are willing to put in enough effort, perhaps one day in the future, you will be able to catch up to my pace."
An excited expression appeared on Temari's face, and she eagerly pressed, "Really?"
"Hahaha, of course I'm just teasing you."
Shun's teasing laughter caught Temari off guard.
Her smile instantly froze on her face, and she grumbled somewhat annoyed, "Hmph, why tell the truth? Can't you let me be happy for a while?"
Seeing this, Shun reined in his smile and said, "Learning Nature Mode allows you to master natural energy. By mixing natural energy, spiritual energy, and physical energy in a 1:1:1 ratio, you can make Senjutsu Chakra, thereby performing powerful Sage Arts. At that time, there will probably be no one in your Sunagakure who can rival you."
Temari's eyes instantly lit up again. "Are you telling the truth this time?"
Shun laughed heartily. "Of course it's true. The power of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu used with Senjutsu Chakra will increase several times."