Sensing Minato's return, Kiyosuke opened his eyes. His golden, vertical pupils turned toward Minato.
Minato glanced around and asked,
"Kiyosuke, is this senjutsu from Ryūchi Cave?"
"Yes. It's an illusion-based senjutsu. I'm still practicing it. Since it doesn't have any offensive capability, I figured I'd just train in your backyard, Minato-san," Kiyosuke said softly.
"It's fine. But this illusion still needs some polishing."
Though it was quite realistic, the details needed work—after all, tree bark doesn't look this smooth in real life.
Kiyosuke waved his hand, and the forest scenery reverted to Minato's backyard. He exited Sage Mode and said,
"Since you're back, Minato, I'll take my leave. There's nothing left for me to do here."
"Stay for dinner. I'm cooking tonight."
"No, I'll pass. I have some things to deal with back home. I'll come by tomorrow morning."
Minato was back, so there was no reason for him to stick around. Minato was fast enough to handle things on his own.
"Alright then."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade him to stay, Minato walked Kiyosuke to the door. Rin followed them out as well.
The two chatted as they walked and eventually parted ways at a fork in the road.
But instead of heading home, Kiyosuke made his way to one of Orochimaru's many research labs.
There, he found Orochimaru dissecting a corpse.
"Sense. It's been a pain trying to find you."
Orochimaru carefully sliced into the body with a scalpel and said,
"Did you need something from me? Aren't you training at Ryūchi Cave these days? What's the matter, hit a wall?"
"Something like that. But I'll figure it out myself."
Kiyosuke glanced at the corpse.
"Sensei, I remember that human experimentation is strictly forbidden in the village, right?"
"Kiyosuke-kun, you're not exactly the rule-abiding type," Orochimaru said with a rare, ambiguous smile.
"Rules are meant to be broken. Still, sometimes following them isn't such a bad idea either."
Kiyosuke paused, then added,
"If you keep going down this path and the village finds out, there'll be no turning back. Danzo's not someone to be trusted."
As his student, Kiyosuke felt obligated to at least offer a warning.
"I know Danzo better than you do. If things go bad, he won't hesitate to sever ties with me and send people to hunt me down. But if that's the price of pursuing truth, so be it, Kiyosuke-kun."
Orochimaru's eyes burned with fanaticism—he was indistinguishable from a madman.
Yeah, this guy's beyond saving.
Orochimaru was a mad seeker of knowledge, obsessed with truth, blindly devoted to ninjutsu and power. He disregarded the sanctity of life and had no qualms about sacrificing others—his own subordinates included—for his personal goals.
He was deeply self-centered, shaped by a fear of losing his comrades and his experiences during the war, where life was treated as disposable. Witnessing the deaths of Tsunade's brother and lover pushed him further into darkness, and his methods grew more and more terrifying.
Most people avoided him because of his cruel, cold-blooded personality. He was a fusion of reason and emotion—but still, he was a good teacher. Kiyosuke's success wasn't just thanks to his own "cheat codes"; Orochimaru had given him a solid foundation.
Otherwise, Kiyosuke would probably still just be an average tokubetsu jōnin.
"Working with him never ends well, Orochimaru-sensei. I really don't want to be the one chasing you across the world with a bounty notice someday," Kiyosuke said, shaking his head.
But Orochimaru just chuckled and pointed to his own chest.
"Kiyosuke-kun, you won't. Your biggest weakness—like Jiraiya—is how much you value relationships. In fact, you're even worse than him. At least he wouldn't risk his life for a ninja from Kirigakure. You won't kill me. I'm your sensei."
Damn. He saw right through me.
"Tch."
"If that day ever comes, would you be willing to leave the village with me? To pursue a stronger future?"
Orochimaru extended his hand—just like he had years ago when he first offered to take Kiyosuke in.
This time, Kiyosuke simply looked at him and replied,
"Sensei, I won't leave Konoha. I'm not cut out for a life on the run."
He had lived in Konoha for over a decade—of course he'd grown attached.
Besides, with Orochimaru… who knew if one morning he'd wake up on an operating table?
"I see. Suit yourself. Take care of Anko. You can go. Don't come back too often—better if you don't come at all."
Orochimaru turned away and picked up his scalpel again.
"Then I'll head out. Don't stay up too late, sensei. Get some rest."
Kiyosuke walked out and closed the lab door behind him.
The lab fell silent, save for Orochimaru's breathing and the sound of the scalpel slicing through flesh...
...
Back home, Kiyosuke took a bath, then soaked in the hot spring as he mulled over his conversation with Orochimaru.
Those words earlier… was Orochimaru trying to distance himself, so Kiyosuke wouldn't be dragged into his mess later?
But a master-disciple bond isn't something you can sever so easily. In the end… he was still his sensei.
Kiyosuke knew exactly what Orochimaru would do in the future—but that had nothing to do with him. Orochimaru would never stop his pursuit of truth. He would keep moving forward, shedding his body again and again, surviving in new vessels until he reached the gates of ultimate knowledge.
Chasing… immortality.
But living too long wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Over time, emotions would dull until nothing remained—no joy, no sorrow—just a cold indifference.
Kiyosuke didn't want that kind of future.
If he did, he would've already latched onto Orochimaru's coattails.
He was someone who had already died once. There was no need to chase after more.
After dying once, you start to see things differently.
"In the end… I'm just too softhearted," he muttered as he climbed out of the hot spring, dried off, and returned to his room to begin chakra cultivation.
He cultivated late into the night, then lay down to sleep.
...
The next morning, after breakfast, he settled under the shade in Minato's backyard and meditated.
The boring and uneventful life of a bodyguard had begun.
If Kushina went out, he had to follow her. If she stayed home, he kept watch from the roof or the backyard, rain or shine.
Being a bodyguard was no easy job, especially over such a long period.
Kushina's belly was growing larger by the day, which meant Naruto's birth was approaching fast.
During this time, the Konoha Twelve began arriving one by one. A new generation of Konoha was being born.
Not long ago, Sasuke was born. With a little brother, Itachi officially became a doting older sibling.
Kiyosuke had even been invited to dinner by Uchiha Fugaku, which forced him to give a cash gift.
That put him in a foul mood—and for a moment, he had the sudden urge to beat up Sasuke...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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