Shun stood before everyone, his usually gentle expression now tinged with seriousness.
"Our training in the Immortal Village is about to conclude, and I am preparing to send you all back to the Ninja World."
Upon hearing this, the many Geniuses became excited, as they had been away from home for over three years.
"You have all skillfully mastered Natural Energy, but the Natural Energy in the Ninja World is more than ten times scarcer than on the Ancestral Planet. Therefore, after you return to the Ninja World, you must persist in practicing Nature Mode every day."
"Adapt to mobilizing Natural Energy in a low-energy environment, this will be a test of your training results."
Everyone's gaze was fixed on Shun, quietly awaiting his next words.
"Additionally, the Ancestral Planet and the Immortal Village are our top secrets. This is a secret that absolutely cannot be known by outsiders. No matter who you face, even your closest people, you are absolutely forbidden from revealing a single word, understand?"
The dozen or so young men and women exchanged glances, clearly surprised by this demand, but they quickly responded in unison, "Understood."
Shun looked at their young faces and nodded with satisfaction. Then, he slowly turned around and snapped his fingers.
As he moved, streams of black light emerged from his hand.
Like meteors in the night sky, they quickly intertwined. These lights swirled and wove together in the air, eventually forming a giant black spatial gate.
The spatial gate rapidly expanded on the ground, its edges shimmering with faint golden light, exuding a mysterious and profound aura.
With the injection of Chakra, the spatial gate grew larger and larger, eventually forming a two-meter-high spatial gate. Behind the gate, the outlines of the Land of Water's architecture could vaguely be seen.
"Let's get ready to depart."
Shun stepped aside, calmly saying, "After returning to the Ninja World, report to your respective families or the Hokage through normal procedures. Just say that these past seven months were spent 'training in a secret place.'"
"Understood, Shun-sensei."
Upon hearing this, Hinata nodded gently. Then, she raised her hand and carefully adjusted the collar of her light purple outfit. The Hyuga clan had many rules, and she was afraid of being impolite in front of her father.
Ino stood to the side, adjusting her makeup in a small mirror she held. She secretly glanced at Shun, a faint sense of melancholy rising in her heart.
'After returning to the Ninja World, it will probably be difficult to see Shun-sensei again.'
Hana crouched down, gently stroking the head of her ninja dog beside her, softly admonishing it, "We're back in the Ninja World, so you must be good, okay? Don't run around."
The ninja dog seemed to understand its master's words. It wagged its tail happily, letting out cheerful "woof woof" barks, its excited demeanor making everyone chuckle.
A dozen young men and women, dressed in brand new ninja uniforms and carrying ninja tool pouches filled with tools and training notes, stood neatly before the spatial gate.
Their eyes held both anticipation for the Ninja World and reluctance to leave the Immortal Village, and even a hint of nervousness about having "achieved something."
In the eyes of the people in the Ninja World, they had only been apart for a mere seven months. However, these seven months felt like an eternity to them.
Because they had spent a full three years in Immortal Village!
The growth they experienced in those three years was beyond what ordinary people could imagine. In that secluded place, they underwent countless challenges and trials, constantly breaking through themselves and surpassing their limits.
Now, they were no longer who they once were, but had been reborn, becoming true powerhouses.
Looking at these vibrant youths, Shun felt deeply gratified and said softly, "Go, your families are waiting for you outside."
Upon hearing this, the youths all broke into excited smiles. They walked into the spatial gate one by one, each step seeming a little impatient.
As their figures gradually disappeared, Ino intentionally lagged behind. When she confirmed that only she and Shun were around, she suddenly dashed over like a gust of wind and tightly clasped Shun's arms.
Before Shun could react, she quickly kissed his lips, then, like a startled fawn, she swiftly ran into the spatial gate.
Shun stood rooted to the spot, only coming back to his senses after a long moment.
He smiled helplessly, gently wiped the lipstick mark from his lips, and muttered to himself, "That little Ino, she really is a bit mischievous and cute."
Finally, Shun stepped into the spatial gate.
...
At the exact same time, in a side hall of the Royal Palace of the Land of Water, the atmosphere was unusually tense.
Minato and Kushina stood side by side, their figures particularly prominent in the side hall.
Kushina's gaze drifted towards the door from time to time, and she finally couldn't help but softly murmur, "It's been over seven months, why is there still no news? Naruto always gets into trouble. I wonder if he's been training properly over there."
Minato stood quietly beside Kushina, his hand gently resting on the back of her hand, as if to convey strength and comfort to her.
He said softly, "Kushina, don't worry. Since Shun-sama took the children, he will definitely take good care of them. Besides, although Naruto is mischievous, he is also very clever. I believe he will gain something from his training."
Besides Minato and Kushina, several high-ranking members of various clans were also present in the side hall.
They were either sitting or standing, and each person's face bore a complex expression, a mix of concern for their children and worry about the unknown situation.
Hiashi sat upright in a chair, his gaze fixed on the ground, deep concern hidden in the depths of his eyes.
Shikaku leaned by the window, a document in his hand, but he hadn't turned a single page for a long time. His thoughts had already drifted far away, his heart filled with worry for his son, Shikamaru.
Just then, a faint spatial fluctuation suddenly emanated from outside the main hall.
Everyone immediately looked up, gazing towards the entrance. They saw a dozen familiar figures walking towards them.
When Naruto saw Minato and Kushina, his eyes instantly lit up, and he ran over quickly.
"Mom, dad! I missed you so much!" Naruto shouted loudly as he ran.
When he reached Kushina, he unhesitatingly spread his arms and hugged Kushina's waist.
"Mom, although training over there was tiring, I learned many amazing moves. When we get home, I'll perform them for you."
Kushina's eyes instantly welled up. She hugged Naruto tightly, her fingers gently stroking his hair. "Naruto, it's good you're back. Mom missed you too. You've grown a lot. Did you eat well over there? When we get home, Mom will make you your favorite ramen."
Minato stood to the side, watching the mother and son embrace. He reached out and patted Naruto's shoulder. "Welcome back, Naruto. It seems you've grown a lot."
"Dad, I missed you too."
Hinata saw Hiashi from afar and unconsciously paused her steps, but soon resumed, slowly walking towards Hiashi.
When she reached Hiashi, her voice was still as gentle as before. "Father, I'm back."
Hearing Hinata's voice, Hiashi slowly rose from his seat, carefully observing her.
The once timid little girl had grown up considerably. Her back was straight, and her eyes held a new firmness.
A complex emotion swelled in Hiashi's heart. He was both relieved by his daughter's growth and felt a touch of guilt for his past strictness towards her.
In the end, he merely nodded slightly, his tone softer than usual. "It's good you're back. Was the training hard? Were you injured?"
Hinata gently shook her head and replied with a smile, "No, father. I learned a lot during this training, and I will definitely be able to contribute more to the clan in the future."
Shikamaru slowly walked towards Shikaku, his steps somewhat dragging. He scratched his head a little uncomfortably, his gaze somewhat evasive.
He said with a slightly guilty tone, "Dad, I'm back."
Shikaku was originally focused on the document in his hand. Upon hearing Shikamaru's voice, he slowly raised his head, and said with a faint tone of relief, "Hmm, Shikamaru, you've grown quite a bit taller and become much more mature."
Shikamaru felt a slight sense of relief after hearing his father's words. He smiled a little sheepishly. "Hehe, maybe it's because of the training."
Shikaku put the document aside, crossed his arms over his chest, and raised an eyebrow, asking, "So, you didn't slack off much during training, did you?"
Upon hearing this, Shikamaru immediately sighed helplessly. He shook his head. "No way, I was very serious. But training is really such a hassle."
Shikaku couldn't help but laugh at Shikamaru's expression.
He gently tapped Shikamaru's forehead and said, "You rascal, this was a rare opportunity. But it's good you're back. When we get home, I'll make you your favorite mackerel."
Shikamaru's eyes instantly lit up when he heard the words "mackerel," and he broke into a happy smile.
Yakumo walked up to Murakumo and handed him a scroll. "Father, these are my notes on Mental Energy application that I recorded during my training. Please see if there's anything useful."
Murakumo took the scroll and looked at his daughter's steady demeanor, his heart filled with pride. "Good. You have grown up, even more capable than I was back then."
Kimimaro, Suigetsu, Ino, Tenten, Hana, and others also spoke with their respective families, and the hall was filled with the warmth of reunion.