'Th-This… is this even human?'
This single question completely filled Asuma's mind.
The speed that Kiyohara had just displayed was so overwhelming that, if this had been an actual battlefield instead of a sparring ground, Asuma was absolutely certain that he would already be dead by now. There would have been no time to react, no opportunity to counter—only the cold and immediate end that comes with being outmatched.
"Just give me the ninjutsu," Kiyohara said calmly. "Since the Body Flicker Technique doesn't have a specific elemental attribute, how about I choose a Water Release technique instead?"
Water Release was something he was currently lacking. It wasn't that he hadn't considered learning one before; rather, none of the available techniques had struck him as particularly useful, so he had never bothered to spend his hard-earned battle merits to exchange for one. Now, however, Asuma was rather considerately offering him one on a silver platter—an unexpected but welcome source of "warmth."
"…Fine," Asuma replied through clenched teeth.
"But you'll have to wait until tomorrow. I'll bring it to you then."
"Works for me."
Kiyohara waved his hand dismissively. After all, most shinobi wouldn't carry around scrolls of techniques they themselves couldn't use.
"Do better next time."
Kiyohara casually patted Asuma on the shoulder.
Asuma… with your current strength, you're barely at the level of a loli in the shinobi world.
Then again, when Kiyohara thought about Asuma's future rugged, hardened-man appearance—if you added a pair of little white socks to that image, he would probably rank as a must-eat dish on certain niche "menus."
Of course, Asuma wasn't actually that kind of person.
"Asuma, don't get discouraged. Losing to Kiyohara is perfectly normal," said Kurenai from the side.
To Asuma, those words were no different from a follow-up stab after being wounded.
"I know," he said bitterly.
But he wasn't someone who gave up easily.
He would be back.
"Are we still going for barbecue?"
After Asuma left, Kurenai asked.
"Of course," Kiyohara replied.
"You promised you're treating."
Kurenai smiled brightly.
"Let's go!"
......
The next day.
In the afternoon, Kiyohara arrived at the first floor of the Hokage Building.
"Everyone's here," said Tsunade.
When she wasn't drunk, she always carried herself with a heroic, valiant air; there was a sharp confidence between her brows that made her presence particularly striking.
"Starting today, I'll be the temporary leader of your squad. Your original teammate, Genma, has some family matters to deal with and won't be able to join the team for the time being."
Kiyohara froze for a moment.
"What happened to Genma?"
Shizune lowered her voice and said softly, "His father… fell on the front lines. He's currently handling the funeral arrangements and is in a very low state of mind. He voluntarily requested to suspend missions for a while."
Kiyohara fell silent.
That was war. Death could descend at any moment, without warning or mercy. In such a mental state, it was naturally unsuitable to carry out missions.
"So…" Tsunade continued, "Shizune will fill Genma's spot. Her strength is sufficient, and her medical ninjutsu can provide valuable support during missions. You two don't have any objections, right?"
Kiyohara and Kurenai both shook their heads.
Though Shizune was young, as Tsunade's assistant her ability and medical skill were undeniably solid.
Tsunade then produced a mission scroll. She explained that it had just been assigned to her by the Hokage.
The task was to cooperate with Minato's squad and head to a nation located on the edge of the Land of Wind—the ancient kingdom of Rōran.
"According to intelligence gathered by the Anbu, it seems that Rōran's minister, Anrokuzan, has been secretly manufacturing some kind of puppet weapon behind the back of the Queen of Rōran. It may have an impact on the war. We must investigate exactly what they're doing."
"Preferably, we should also seal away something as dangerous as the Dragon Vein."
After explaining, Tsunade handed the scroll to Kiyohara, Shizune, and Kurenai to review.
'Rōran?'
Kiyohara's heart skipped a beat when he heard the mission.
Wasn't this the storyline from the film Naruto the Movie: The Lost Tower?
In the original story, it had been Naruto, Sakura, Yamato, and Sai who pursued the Sand missing-nin Mukade. At the critical moment, Mukade triggered a sealing technique that Minato had set up over a decade earlier, causing the Dragon Vein's chakra to spiral out of control and sending Naruto back in time more than ten years.
Naruto had then encountered Minato and his team during one of their normal missions.
However, Mukade had been the first to travel back to the past. Disguised and reborn under a new identity, he became the minister of Rōran—Anrokuzan.
"Lady Tsunade."
From a distance, Minato approached, accompanied by Kakashi and Rin.
Kiyohara took one look and thought to himself—has the future changed?
According to the movie, Minato's teammates at the time were Kakashi, Shibi Aburame, and Chōza Akimichi. But now, because Rin had not died, she had filled that position once again.
But… Rin still had the Three-Tails sealed inside her.
Why would the higher-ups of Konoha arrange things this way?
Kiyohara pondered silently.
"You're early, Minato," Tsunade greeted him. Because of Kushina and Jiraiya, she was already acquainted with him.
"I just saw that we'd be carrying out this mission alongside Lady Tsunade's team," Minato replied gently.
"I… is it really okay for me to go on this mission?" Rin asked hesitantly from behind Minato. Today, she was wearing the outfit she used to wear on missions, rather than her nurse uniform.
Although she was excited at the thought of carrying out a mission alongside her idol Tsunade, the tailed beast sealed within her heart made her uneasy. The shadow of her previous rampage still lingered vividly in her memory.
"There's nothing to fear. Minato has the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Tsunade gently patted Rin's shoulder. In her eyes, Rin was much like Kushina, a pitiful child.
Jinchūriki had another name as well: "Sacrificial Power." And the meaning of sacrifice required no further explanation.
"They probably want her to accumulate real combat experience," the spirit of Uchiha Kiyohara floated out and said. "At the same time, they want to observe whether the Three-Tails' seal remains stable when she's far from Konoha."
He gazed at the various figures within the Hokage Building. Kiyohara and the others stood on the first floor, while Hiruzen's Hokage office was located on a higher level.
"That makes sense…"
Listening to his other self's reasoning, Kiyohara found it logical. With Minato present, even if the Three-Tails were to run wild again, it could be suppressed in time.
"Rin is going too?" Kurenai blurted out.
She couldn't hear the conversation between Kiyohara and his spiritual counterpart.
"Yes. Her medical abilities will be useful during the mission," Minato said gently.
"And Rin also needs more experience."
He did not elaborate further. Those who had lived through that incident were bound by strict secrecy orders. Very few people knew that Rin Nohara was the jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.
"Trust in Lord Minato and Lady Tsunade," Kiyohara said, turning to Kurenai.
"Alright."
Kurenai nodded. Her earlier reaction had simply been born of doubt.
Kakashi stood to the side in silence, his expression firm—clearly resolved to protect Rin with everything he had.
And so the matter was settled.
The two squads would depart for the ancient kingdom of Rōran in three days' time.
…
After leaving the Hokage Building, Kiyohara did not immediately return to Tsunade's residence.
He told Tsunade, Kurenai, and the others that he needed to purchase some shinobi tools, and thus departed ahead of them under that pretext.
Soon after, Kiyohara made his way to a remote, sparsely populated blacksmith's shop tucked away in a quiet corner of the village.
The interior of the shop was stiflingly hot. The furnace roared with blazing fire, and the sharp, rhythmic sound of hammer striking metal echoed continuously through the air.
A bare-chested middle-aged craftsman was forging a kunai, sweat streaming down along his firm, well-defined muscles as he worked.
"What does the customer want?"
The craftsman did not even lift his head as he spoke.
After confirming once more that there was no one else nearby, Kiyohara retrieved a fragment from a sealing scroll.
It was a shard of the Executioner's Blade, an exceptional material for crafting shinobi tools.
"I want these to be melted down and reshaped," Kiyohara said, beginning to explain his requirements.
As long as the temperature exceeded 2,000 degrees, the metal of the Executioner's Blade could gradually be melted. After that, it only needed to be recast into a new form—no additional enhancements were necessary.
The shape he requested was that of a "flying shuttle." Its surface was to be carved with spiral grooves, and the overall structure would resemble a thickened long nail or knitting needle.
This design would minimize air resistance to the greatest possible degree. The slender body would also reduce turbulence when breaking the sound barrier, ensuring maximum stability and precision.
The craftsman paused and glanced at the fragments.
"Chakra metal… and specially treated at that."
He picked up a shard and examined it carefully.
He could not determine its exact origin, but he could sense that it was far from ordinary.
"This texture, these patterns… where did the customer obtain this?"
"War spoils," Kiyohara replied briefly.
The craftsman did not press further.
In the world of shinobi, the less one knew about certain matters, the better.
"The shape isn't a problem, but the craftsmanship requirements are extremely high," the craftsman said seriously. "This type of metal has a very high melting point. Forging it requires special techniques. And the flying shuttle shape you want demands absolute balance—being off by even a fraction will affect its throwing accuracy."
"Can you do it?" Kiyohara asked.
The craftsman smiled and held up three fingers meaning Three hundred thousand ryō.
"As long as it's this much you can pick it up in two days."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Agreed."
After paying the deposit, however, he did not leave immediately.
He stepped in front of the craftsman, and his eyes suddenly turned crimson.
The single tomoe in his Sharingan began to rotate slowly.
He intended to add another layer of insurance.
He even summoned the spiritual form of Uchiha Kiyohara and had him possess his body, using the power of the three-tomoe Sharingan to deepen the hypnosis.
The craftsman's movements froze, his eyes becoming vacant and hollow.
"You will complete this batch of flying shuttles to the highest standard."
"And you will not remember that I came here. You will not remember the origin of these fragments. You only accepted an ordinary custom order, and the materials were common chakra metal provided by the customer."
The craftsman nodded mechanically.
"Yes… an ordinary custom order… common materials…"
Kiyohara deactivated his Sharingan and turned to leave.
By the time he stepped out of the blacksmith's shop, the sun had already begun to sink westward.
He had not used genjutsu to save money—he had already paid.
He did it for secrecy.
The Executioner's Blade was the symbolic weapon of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. If others were to learn that he possessed fragments of it, unnecessary trouble might follow.
The flying shuttle was prepared specifically for his Magnet Release.
Although iron sand was useful, altering its shape required time. A pre-forged flying shuttle, however, could be released instantly. When propelled by electromagnetic force, it could be deployed immediately without delay.
This was yet another hidden trump card he was preparing for future battles.
......
Three days passed in a flash.
Early in the morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Kiyohara woke up in advance to pack his belongings.
The previous day, he had already retrieved the flying shuttles.
When he pushed open his door, he noticed that the light in the downstairs kitchen was already on.
Shizune was inside.
She was wearing an apron and preparing breakfast. Porridge simmered on the stove; eggs were frying in a pan; another small pot was heating milk.
Tonton sat on a small stool nearby, staring eagerly.
"Shizune, you're up early," Kiyohara said as he descended the stairs.
She jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the spatula in her hand.
"K-Kiyohara-san? Why are you up already? It's still early—you could sleep a little longer."
"Couldn't sleep."
He stopped at the kitchen doorway.
"Need help?"
"No, no, it's almost done."
Shizune skillfully flipped the eggs as she spoke.
"Lady Tsunade is actually quite picky about food. If breakfast isn't done well, her mood will be bad all day."
Watching her busy figure, Kiyohara suddenly said,
"Let me try."
He took the spatula from Shizune and activated his Sharingan, immediately beginning to cook the eggs.
The dynamic vision and insight granted by the Sharingan allowed him to perfectly control the shape and timing of the frying process.
He was not the first to think of such a use. In the anime, Itachi once used his Sharingan to make dozens of eggs in pursuit of a perfectly cooked one for Sasuke.
Moments later, Kiyohara plated the egg.
It was cooked flawlessly—the edges lightly crisp and golden, the egg white fully set but tender, the yolk still half-runny, glowing like a small sun.
Shizune stared blankly at the egg, then at Kiyohara.
"The Sharingan… can be used like this?"
In her impression, the Sharingan was purely a weapon for combat.
"Chakra control, heat management, coordination of movement, these can all be observed and mastered with the Sharingan," Kiyohara replied.
In daily life, the Sharingan was surprisingly practical. Even skills unrelated to combat could be mimicked and perfected.
By the time breakfast was ready, Tsunade came downstairs.
She was wearing a loose white nightgown, her long golden hair messy over her shoulders, her eyes half-open and clearly not fully awake.
"Breakfast…"
She muttered as she walked to the table. After catching the scent, her eyes opened slightly wider.
"Oh? The eggs are good today."
She sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite.
Her movement suddenly paused.
A few seconds later, she looked up at Kiyohara.
"You made this?"
She could tell it wasn't Shizune's usual handiwork—Shizune's cooking was often a bit clumsy.
"Yeah. Used the Sharingan," Kiyohara said, pointing at his eyes.
Tsunade: "..."
After finishing the egg and drinking half a bowl of porridge, she set down her chopsticks.
"I'm going upstairs to change. Assemble at the gate in ten minutes."
She turned to leave, then halfway up the stairs, looked back.
"The eggs—make them again tomorrow."
Kiyohara smiled.
"Sure."
Ten minutes later, Tsunade came down dressed and ready, her long hair tied into a ponytail, looking capable and refreshed. If one didn't know she had been drinking until late the night before, one might think she lived a perfectly disciplined lifestyle.
The three of them then headed to the village gate.
......
Before long, Minato arrived as well.
He was punctual to an almost frightening degree—arriving at the exact appointed second.
Behind him were Kakashi and Rin.
On the other side, Kurenai also arrived, taking her place beside Kiyohara.
"Everyone's here," Minato said with a gentle smile.
"Then… let's set off."
And so, the two squads departed together.
…
Several days of travel passed.
The world that had once been lush with mountains and clear waters gradually transformed into an expanse of endless yellow sand.
Kiyohara gazed at the boundless desert before him, the horizon shimmering and warping beneath waves of heat.
As the wind swept through, it kicked up sand and dust that struck his face with a faint, stinging pain.
The ancient kingdom of Rōran lay at the edge of the Land of Wind, yet it was still considered part of that nation's territory.
However, Rōran maintained an independent relationship with both the Land of Wind and Sunagakure.
Moreover, Rōran had not participated in the Third Great Shinobi War at all; it was merely a very small country.
So small, in fact, that the entire nation consisted of only a single city.
"This is the Land of Wind," Minato said.
"From here on, we need to be more cautious. There are Suna patrol units scouting all over the Land of Wind."
He took several scarves out of his pack and handed them to everyone.
"Use these to cover your faces. The desert winds carry a lot of sand, and this will also reduce facial exposure so we're less likely to be recognized by enemies."
Kiyohara took the scarf and wrapped it around his face, leaving only his eyes visible.
The others followed suit.
Standing beside Kiyohara, Rin asked softly,
"Kiyohara, how is your injury now?"
"It healed a long time ago," Kiyohara replied, rotating his right arm slightly.
"Medical ninjutsu works wonders."
"That's good, then."
Rin smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
Kakashi glanced over in their direction but said nothing.
"All right, let's move," Minato said, taking the lead as he stepped into the desert.
Tsunade also donned a thin veil, making her look like a beauty from some distant foreign land.
…
The desert of the Land of Wind was a place of extremes—day and night were like two different worlds.
During the day, the sun scorched the earth mercilessly, and temperatures easily soared past forty degrees Celsius.
The sand reflected blinding white light, and waves of heat rose from the ground, distorting the scenery in the distance.
There was no vegetation, no water sources—only endless yellow sand and the occasional exposed rock formation.
At night, however, the temperature plunged sharply, dropping below freezing.
Cold winds howled from the depths of the desert, carrying a biting chill that pierced to the bone.
Such an environment was a severe trial for any shinobi.
For the shinobi of Suna, the fertile lands of the Land of Fire were something they dreamed of day and night.
Because in the world they lived in, one could not survive without enduring hardship.
Sand.
That was the scenery they had been most familiar with since the day they were born.
At dusk, the team set up camp on the leeward side of a rocky hill.
They found a semi-open cave that could barely shield them from the wind and sand.
Tsunade then used medical chakra to check everyone's physical condition.
Her primary concern was Rin, as the Three-Tails sealed within her needed to be monitored carefully under such extreme conditions.
"The seal is fairly stable, but you need to be careful with your emotions," Tsunade said sternly as she withdrew her hand.
"Anger, fear, sorrow—these negative emotions can all become triggers for tailed-beast chakra leakage."
Rin nodded seriously.
"I understand."
Kiyohara lit a campfire and took out a kettle to start boiling water.
In the desert, water was precious, but they had brought ample supplies.
Minato had stored a large amount of clean water and food in sealing scrolls—enough to last them half a month.
After the water came to a boil, Kiyohara did not pour it out immediately.
He left the kettle over the fire until the water was rolling vigorously, then wrapped the handle with cloth and lifted it.
Instead of pouring directly into the cup, he raised the kettle high and poured from at least half a meter above.
The scalding stream of water traced a smooth arc through the air, landing precisely in the cup with barely any splashing.
Kurenai watched his actions with curiosity.
"Why pour it like that?" she asked.
"Tea in the desert has its own rules," Kiyohara said as he handed the first cup to Tsunade and began pouring the second.
"Pouring from a height lets the water fully contact the air, carrying away impurities and off-odors."
He pointed at the thin layer of fine foam floating on the surface of the tea.
"The desert winds carry a lot of sand, and dust easily mixes into the tea. When you pour from high up, the sand collects in this foam. Skim it off, and the tea becomes clean."
Kiyohara explained calmly and confidently.
Most shinobi who had never been to the Land of Wind lacked this kind of experience.
The technique he used came from Gaara Hiden Secret Book. Back then, Gaara had poured tea this very way for Shizuka of the Hoki Clan in the desert.
Everyone looked at their cups, and sure enough, a delicate layer of white foam floated on the surface.
Kiyohara gently skimmed it away with the lid, revealing the clear tea beneath.
"And there's more," he continued. "In the desert, the body loses sugar and heat very quickly. Because the air is so dry, you might not even notice it yourself. By the time you feel cold or weak, it's often already too late."
He added a small spoonful of sugar and a few mint leaves to the tea.
"Sugar replenishes energy, and mint refreshes the mind. It also helps the body adapt to extreme temperature differences. At night, everyone should drink at least two cups to maintain body temperature and stamina."
Tsunade took the tea and sipped it, her eyes lighting up slightly.
"Well said."
She set the cup down.
These were things she had originally planned to explain to the others.
But it was clear that Kiyohara had done his homework, so there was no need for her to add anything.
"Many shinobi die in this desert not at the hands of enemies, but because of the environment—dehydrated during the day, hypothermic at night. By the time they realize something is wrong, it's already too late."
Rin pondered this and asked,
"So Sand shinobi probably carry tea leaves and sugar with them most of the time?"
"Not just tea leaves and sugar," Minato interjected.
Like Tsunade, he was a veteran shinobi with rich experience.
The reason for explaining all this was mainly for Kakashi, Rin, and Kurenai who lacked such knowledge.
"They also carry salt-sugar pills, sand-proof masks, heat-insulating cloaks… Sunagakure's survival gear is the most comprehensive among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, because they grow up in this kind of environment."
As he said this, Minato glanced at Kiyohara.
It was clear that Kiyohara was the studious type, with a remarkably broad base of knowledge.
Kakashi drank his tea silently without speaking, but it was obvious he was listening carefully.
Kurenai held her cup, feeling the warmth seep into her palms, and said to Kiyohara with a hint of admiration,
"You really know a lot."
"I read it in books," Kiyohara replied simply.
Night fell completely.
The desert sky was unimaginably clear, the Milky Way stretching across the heavens like a glowing ribbon, stars densely packed as if one could reach out and touch them.
Yet beneath this beauty lurked deadly cold.
The campfire became their only source of warmth.
Everyone sat around it, eating simple rations and occasionally speaking in low voices.
Rin sat beside Kiyohara, occasionally asking him questions about medical ninjutsu.
Kiyohara answered each one patiently, and the two of them discussing softly by the firelight looked especially harmonious.
Kakashi sat opposite them, staring at the flickering flames, lost in thought.
Kurenai leaned against the rock wall, already growing drowsy.
But seeing that Kiyohara was still talking with Rin, she forced herself to stay awake.
Eventually, her head began to bob visibly, until it finally tilted onto Kiyohara's shoulder.
Kiyohara did not move, letting her rest there.
Minato and Tsunade were discussing the next day's route and the possible dangers they might encounter.
Shizune tended the campfire carefully.
…
When the moon set and the sun rose, after a night of rest, they finally arrived at their destination.
When the city appeared on the horizon, everyone stopped in their tracks.
What lay before them could only be described as a city of steel.
Towering spires pierced the sky, their metallic exteriors reflecting dazzling sunlight.
It looked like a highly advanced, modern metropolis.
Yet surrounding it was a belt of trees—clearly planted to resist the encroachment of desertification.
"This must be the change Anrokuzan brought about," Minato said as he gazed at the developed city.
He had been to Rōran before, and it had not been like this back then.
"Let's go take a closer look," Tsunade said, glancing up at the blazing sun overhead.
Soon after, the group secretly infiltrated the ancient kingdom of Rōran.
Everywhere were towers dozens of meters high, clocks, and gear-like mechanisms spread throughout the city.
"This entire city…" Kiyohara said slowly, "is built on puppets."
However, none of these puppets could function without the chakra of the Dragon Vein.
(End of Chapter)