The shell of the Three-Tails was continuously struck by bolts of lightning.
Outside the shell, the exposed patches of flesh had already been cut and torn open by the lightning formed from Chidori, blood flowing freely from the wounds.
The tailed beasts were aggregates of chakra, yet they also simulated the form of living beings.
They still possessed flesh and blood. They could bleed, and they could be injured.
If certain parts were damaged, some of those injuries might never fully recover.
For example, Gyuki, the Eight-Tails, could regenerate its severed tails, but the horns on its head could not regrow.
At this moment, enduring intense pain and unable to move, the Three-Tails finally realized something.
This human was not an ordinary Uchiha.
His ocular power, his mental strength, all of it pointed toward a single possibility.
"You are the reincarnation of Indra…?"
The Three-Tails muttered to itself.
The tailed beasts had been personally created by the Sage of Six Paths. The Nine-Tails had even once joined forces with Asura to oppose Indra.
So the Three-Tails knew about the Sage's two sons.
Because of the obsessions they held in life, their chakra would continue to reincarnate endlessly.
Over the span of a thousand years, whenever the conditions were met, the reincarnations of Indra and Asura would appear once more.
"No… that is not right. Indra has always reincarnated within the Uchiha clan. Yet you clearly carry other bloodlines. What exactly are you?"
The Three-Tails frowned.
Indra had always reincarnated within the Uchiha lineage. There had never been a case of mixed blood before.
When it had first been sealed into Rin in the Land of Grass, the seal had not yet been fully reinforced, allowing it to observe some things from the outside world.
It had also seen Kiyohara use a kekkei genkai like Magnet Release.
"Who knows."
Kiyohara slowly walked toward the Three-Tails.
"So, are you willing to talk now?"
The Three-Tails looked at the shadow clones behind Kiyohara, each holding Chidori, then glanced at the scorched marks left on its own body by the lightning. In the end, it slowly lowered itself and lay prone.
"I admit that you have the qualification to speak with me," it said.
"But, brat, the power of a tailed beast is not so easy to control. Even if I am willing to lend my power, that girl named Rin may not be able to withstand it."
"That is not something you need to worry about," Kiyohara replied.
"All you need to do is agree that when she needs it, you will lend her a portion of your power. In exchange, one day, I will return your freedom."
Kiyohara spoke slowly.
Tailed beasts were mysterious existences. They could even split into entities like the Yin Nine-Tails and Yang Nine-Tails.
Obito had once relied on just a single tail of the Eight-Tails, combining it with the chakra of the other tailed beasts to form the Ten-Tails.
That meant that to recreate the Ten-Tails, only a portion of chakra from each of the nine tailed beasts was necessary.
The power of the Ten-Tails was something Kiyohara also coveted. At the very least, it would make an excellent "battery."
The Three-Tails fell silent for a long time.
It had not experienced many jinchūriki.
Some had treated it as a tool. Some had seen it as a disaster. Some had even tried to completely devour it.
But someone like Kiyohara, who proposed returning its freedom, was a first.
"Why should I believe you?" the Three-Tails asked.
"This is just a matter of procedure. Whether you willingly give up a portion of your chakra, or I forcibly take a portion of it."
Kiyohara spoke indifferently.
As long as a jinchūriki could suppress a tailed beast, they could draw upon its chakra.
Naruto's golden cloak before reconciling with the Nine-Tails had been obtained in exactly this way.
Of course, if one could truly connect with the tailed beast, achieving mutual understanding and resonance, then even greater power could be unleashed, becoming a perfect jinchūriki.
In a sense, Kaguya was the perfect Ten-Tails jinchūriki, because she had become the Ten-Tails itself, immortal and indestructible, only capable of being sealed.
The Three-Tails stared at Kiyohara.
If it continued fighting, it still could.
It had not yet used its ultimate attack, the Tailed Beast Ball.
But as Kiyohara had said, if he only intended to take a portion of its chakra, he could do so by force.
The sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan had already weakened its power.
Even now, chains were wrapped around the bases of its three tails, preventing it from moving freely.
Even Kiyohara had entered this space through the gaps of the massive cage during their battle.
"…Fine. I agree. But brat, remember your promise."
In the end, the Three-Tails decided to see how things would play out.
After all, within the mental space, it held no advantage against Kiyohara.
Uzumaki fuinjutsu's, the Uchiha's Sharingan, and Kiyohara's abnormal spiritual energy… in this place, it was completely suppressed.
More importantly, it wanted to confirm whether Kiyohara truly was the reincarnation of Indra.
"Very good."
Kiyohara nodded.
It seemed that the Three-Tails, having never endured years of control under Obito, had not yet developed a deep hatred toward humans.
The exchange within the mental space lasted only a few seconds in reality.
When Kiyohara opened his eyes, Rin's body had already begun to change.
Red chakra surged out from within her, wrapping around her body like flowing flames.
The chakra gathered along her surface, forming a semi-transparent red cloak with bubbling patterns inside.
This tailed beast chakra condensed into the form of a "tailed beast cloak," with a single chakra tail extending behind her.
"S-success…?"
Rin looked at her hands in astonishment.
Small claws had grown at her fingertips, yet her consciousness remained clear, with no signs of losing control.
"Try using a ninjutsu," Kiyohara said.
Rin nodded and formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
This technique expelled water from the mouth, forming a small pool-like surge to strike the opponent.
Its power could be adjusted based on the user's chakra, making it a flexible and fundamental water-release jutsu.
Crash!
This time, what burst forth from Rin's mouth was no ordinary stream of water, but a deep blue wave infused with tailed beast chakra.
The scale of the wave was more than three times larger than usual, and its impact force was several times stronger.
The wave crashed into the distant ground, blasting out a crater several meters wide.
"A-amazing…"
Even Rin herself was stunned.
Kurenai and Kakashi were also left dumbfounded.
They could feel that the power of that water technique had already reached the level of a jōnin.
"So this is the power of tailed beast chakra…"
Kakashi murmured.
"However, Rin, you must be careful with your control. While borrowing the tailed beast's power, you must maintain your own awareness. The moment you feel your emotions starting to slip, stop immediately," Kiyohara warned.
After all, his agreement with the Three-Tails was only verbal. There was still a chance it could go back on its word, so caution was necessary.
"I-I understand!"
Rin nodded quickly, her small face filled with determination.
She tried moving her body and discovered that her speed, strength, and reaction had all increased dramatically.
That overwhelming sense of power filling her made her both excited and nervous at the same time.
"Kiyohara, thank you…"
She looked at him, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"No need to thank me."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"You just went inside the place where the tailed beast is sealed, didn't you?"
Kyoko asked curiously.
She knew that everyone here was aware of tailed beasts.
"Mm."
Kiyohara nodded.
"That's amazing."
Kyoko nodded in return.
When she had been with Kushina, she had felt the chakra of the Nine-Tails before.
It was filled with extreme hatred, like a concentration of all the malice in the world, an aggregation of wicked intent.
In the past, the Nine-Tails had even been regarded as the embodiment of calamity itself.
That overwhelming power had left a deep impression on Kyoko.
"It's nothing special."
Kiyohara replied calmly.
Among the tailed beasts, the Three-Tails could already be considered one of the more fortunate ones. The ones who had suffered the most were probably the Nine-Tails, the One-Tail, and the Eight-Tails.
The Nine-Tails had been manipulated by Madara. After Bunpuku's death, the One-Tail had gone berserk repeatedly, only to be suppressed and punished by Rasa.
That was why Rasa kept testing whether Gaara would lose control, because aside from Bunpuku, the previous hosts had all met tragic ends.
As for the Eight-Tails, it was one of the few tailed beasts that could be considered disabled.
"Everyone, continue your training."
Kiyohara waved his hand.
Tailed beasts could indeed rapidly increase a person's strength, but the upper limit of that power was still restricted.
When facing true experts, it would only go so far.
The Akatsuki had already captured most of the tailed beasts.
If those people had tailed beasts inside them to sustain their power, they would only become even stronger.
Hearing Kiyohara's words, Kurenai lightly shook her head, a sense of urgency rising within her heart.
Rin had already become so strong, while her own progress still felt minimal.
Kakashi, on the other hand, felt genuine relief upon seeing Rin grow stronger.
At the very least, her life was now more secure.
And in terms of daily life…
Kakashi subconsciously glanced at Kiyohara.
With Kiyohara taking care of Rin, she would likely be in a much better place mentally as well.
Another day of fulfilling his promise to Obito.
Kakashi felt as though the years were peaceful and quiet.
—
At the Suna's frontline camp.
Inside the largest tent, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt as though it could drip with tension.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sat at the head seat. His usually composed face was now covered with gloom.
Around him, grains of gold dust unconsciously drifted and floated in the air.
Several others were present in the tent.
Chiyo sat on the left side, her expression equally grim. Ebizo stood behind her, his brows tightly furrowed.
Several high-ranking Sunagakure officials sat on both sides, all of them silent.
"Pakura has been captured…"
At last, Rasa spoke, his voice hoarse.
"Can anyone tell me what exactly happened? The Hero of Suna, a Scorch Release user, was actually captured alive by a brat from Konoha?"
A jōnin from the intelligence division stood up reluctantly and reported, "Kazekage-sama, according to the information sent back from the frontlines, Konoha's Kiyohara used a kind of extremely high-temperature Fire Release Jutsu to suppress Lady Pakura's Scorch Release. That fire… according to witnesses, its temperature exceeded at least one thousand degrees."
"One thousand degrees?"
Chiyo suddenly raised her head.
"Are you certain? That is already approaching, or even reaching, the temperature of Lava Release."
The temperature of Lava Release techniques was typically only a little over a thousand degrees.
"It is absolutely certain."
The intelligence jōnin lowered his head.
"The explosion created a crater over thirty meters in diameter. The surrounding rocks were completely vitrified. This is not something ordinary Fire Release can achieve."
Silence once again filled the tent.
A temperature of one thousand degrees was indeed enough to melt soil and turn it into glass.
This alone was enough to prove that Kiyohara possessed extraordinary talent in Fire Release as well.
"Kiyohara…"
Rasa slowly repeated the name.
"Tsunade's disciple, possessing both the Sharingan and the Magnet Release kekkei genkai… and now he has demonstrated Fire Release at this level. What kind of monster has Konoha raised?"
He stood up and walked toward the map hanging in the center of the tent, staring in the direction of Kikyo Mountain for a long time.
At first, when he learned that Kiyohara possessed the Magnet Release bloodline, he had assumed that some Sand shinobi with that bloodline had made a mistake on a stormy night long ago.
Then the Sharingan appeared.
If not for the absolute loyalty of those involved, Rasa would have suspected that the reports were fabricated.
"Kazekage."
Chiyo also stood and walked to Rasa's side.
"Now is not the time for regret. Pakura's capture has dealt a severe blow to our morale. I suggest we immediately organize a rescue operation."
"A rescue?"
Rasa turned around, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"How do you propose we rescue her? Konoha will certainly keep her in the most secure location. She may have already been transferred to the rear. A forced rescue would only cost us more lives."
"Then what should we do?"
One of the higher-ups could not help but ask.
"Are we supposed to just watch as Pakura remains in Konoha's hands? You know her reputation within Suna. If this is not handled properly, it could provoke strong dissatisfaction among the village's shinobi."
Rasa did not answer immediately.
He returned to his seat, folding his hands on the table, sinking into deep thought.
Finally, he raised his head, a decisive glint flashing in his eyes.
"I will go to the frontlines myself."
He spoke firmly.
"What?!"
Chiyo's expression changed.
"That is too risky. You are the leader of Sunagakure. If anything happens to you…"
After the mysterious disappearance of the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure had once fallen into chaos without a leader.
If anything were to happen to Rasa now, and with Pakura, who had immense support, already captured, the village would once again be plunged into the same predicament.
Moreover, this was no longer the early stage of the war. Suna had already lost a great number of shinobi.
"It is precisely because I am the Kazekage that I must go."
Rasa interrupted Chiyo.
"Pakura's capture has already pushed our morale to the brink. If I do not appear and personally take command at the frontlines, then there is no point in continuing this war."
He stood and looked around at everyone.
"Pass down my orders. In a few days, I will personally head to the Kikyo Pass front. Also, if the situation turns unfavorable, immediately send a message to Konoha expressing our intent for temporary ceasefire negotiations. Draft the letter in advance."
"Negotiations?"
Ebizo asked in confusion.
As the head of Sunagakure's intelligence division, he was responsible for all espionage operations.
Even now, he still had hidden networks across the major nations, supporting the village through information.
"Yes, negotiations."
Rasa nodded.
"This war… Sunagakure can no longer afford to continue it. Our resources are being depleted too quickly, and our manpower is beginning to fall short. If we keep fighting, even if we manage to take Kikyo Mountain, we will be severely weakened, leaving an opening for other villages to take advantage."
"I understand."
Chiyo nodded.
"I will personally make the arrangements."
Rasa turned around and looked back at the map.
A week passed quietly amid the tense atmosphere of the battlefield.
For Kiyohara, this week had been relatively busy.
During the day, he treated the wounded. At night, he immersed himself in the training of the Yin Seal.
At times, he would also summon his Anbu counterpart, and the two of them would discuss curse marks together.
The difficulty of the Yin Seal was indeed as Tsunade had said, astonishingly high.
The first step was to open up a chakra storage point on the forehead.
This point could not be chosen arbitrarily. It had to be located at a key acupoint along the brain's chakra pathways, capable of storing a large amount of chakra while not interfering with normal brain function.
The next step was even more difficult, guiding unused chakra bit by bit into the location of the Yin Seal.
However, during this process, a large amount of chakra had to be consumed every day.
As a result, the progress of the Yin Seal training was somewhat slow.
Even so, Kiyohara felt that his speed in filling the Yin Seal far surpassed Sakura's.
"You're still training, kid?"
Tsunade lifted the flap of Kiyohara's tent and immediately saw him accumulating chakra.
She was worried that something might go wrong during his training, so she came to check on him.
"Sensei… this jutsu is even more difficult than I imagined."
"Of course it is."
Tsunade sat down across from him and handed him a cup of warm water.
"If just anyone could learn it easily, it wouldn't be an S-rank jutsu. You're already doing very well. Back then, it took me three days just to learn how to start storing chakra inside it. You managed it in one day."
Kiyohara accepted the cup, a little surprised.
"Even you took that long, Sensei?"
"Do you think I was born knowing it?"
Tsunade shot him a glance.
"Any powerful jutsu requires a corresponding price and effort. The Yin Seal is especially so."
She looked at his forehead. Though it still appeared smooth and unmarked, in reality, chakra had already begun to accumulate there.
"The mark on your forehead is already starting to take shape."
Tsunade said.
Kiyohara touched his forehead.
He could feel a tiny pool of chakra forming there.
Later, if he mastered Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal and the Creation Rebirth, it would become even stronger.
Although it sounded somewhat complicated, Tsunade's entire medical combat system was built upon the Yin Seal.
The Yin Seal functioned like an externally installed battery. By releasing it, one could unleash the stored chakra, enabling the use of large-scale medical ninjutsu or certain forbidden techniques.
It was like turning a shinobi with a chakra capacity of five into one with ten in an instant, allowing them to use techniques that were previously impossible due to insufficient chakra.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal then allowed that released chakra to flow throughout the entire body, creating a state similar to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, except that the chakra involved was non-attribute chakra.
Then, by using Creation Rebirth, the chakra that had just been released and spread throughout the body could continuously heal injuries at any moment.
As long as vital areas were not critically damaged, the body could be restored to a completely unharmed state in a short time.
And Kiyohara's chakra reserves already far exceeded those of ordinary people.
If he could fully charge the Yin Seal, the explosive release upon breaking it…
Just thinking about it made his blood surge with excitement.
"Take it slow."
Tsunade stood up.
"In training, you must avoid rushing for quick results. Especially with jutsus involving the brain, it is better to be slower and ensure safety. Remember that."
"I understand, Sensei."
Kiyohara replied.
Only then did Tsunade leave.
On her way out, she casually took a banana from Kiyohara's tent.
It was something he had bought earlier when he made time to visit a nearby village.
The next day.
Kiyohara slowly opened his eyes from his training.
He had gotten up early to train, and the Yin Seal had accumulated a bit more chakra.
After a simple wash, he changed into his combat outfit and checked his shinobi tools once again.
Today, he planned to first check on Rin's training progress, and then visit Pakura.
Outside the tent, the camp remained bustling day and night.
Medical shinobi hurried between tents, and the gears of war never stopped turning.
Kiyohara walked along the pathways between the tents and soon arrived at the medical unit's area.
On the open ground, Rin was already there.
She wore a short-sleeved outfit suitable for movement. Her brown hair fell to her shoulders, and a few strands on her forehead were damp with sweat, sticking to her fair cheeks.
At that moment, she was forming hand seals, fully focused as she gathered chakra.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Rin gave a light shout. The scale of the water wave was even larger than it had been a week ago. It crashed into a wooden target in the distance, shattering the thick post instantly.
Water splashed everywhere as Rin panted slightly, but a joyful smile appeared on her face.
"Looks like you've improved quite a bit."
Kiyohara's voice came from behind her.
Rin was startled and quickly turned around.
When she saw that it was Kiyohara, her face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Kiyohara-kun… when did you arrive?"
"Just a moment ago."
Kiyohara walked to her side and carefully examined the shattered wooden post. The break was irregular and torn, clearly not caused by water pressure alone, but also by the destructive force of chakra itself.
"This Water Release jutsu of yours is quite good. You can start learning other techniques."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Can your body now withstand tailed beast chakra for longer periods?"
"Mm… I can probably maintain it for about three minutes."
Rin said softly, her fingers unconsciously pinching the corner of her clothes.
"If it goes beyond that, my chakra pathways and skin start to hurt."
"Take it slow."
Kiyohara said.
"The first step in controlling power is understanding your limits. Three minutes is already very good. Don't rush."
Receiving Kiyohara's approval, the blush on Rin's face deepened.
She suddenly remembered something and took out a box from her shinobi pouch.
It seemed to contain something inside.
"Um… Kiyohara-kun, I made some extra rice balls this morning. Would you like to try some?"
She opened the cloth wrapping, revealing five neatly arranged triangular rice balls.
Sesame seeds were sprinkled on the surface, and faintly visible inside were fillings of pickled plum and salmon.
"You made these yourself?"
Kiyohara asked, a little surprised.
"Mm…"
Rin lowered her head, her voice growing even softer.
"When I was at home, my mother taught me. I thought… everyone is working so hard on the frontlines, so maybe having something homemade would make them a little happier…"
Kiyohara picked up a rice ball. It was still warm to the touch.
He took a bite. The rice was soft yet firm, and the sourness of the pickled plum perfectly balanced the savory taste of the salmon.
"Your cooking is very good."
Kiyohara said.
It seemed that Rin truly had the qualities of a good wife and mother.
Even now, the cooking utensils in Kiyohara's tent were still the ones Rin had brought over last time.
"R-really?"
"Of course."
Kiyohara took another bite and quickly finished one rice ball.
Seeing how quickly he ate, Rin could not stop the smile spreading across her face.
She wrapped up the remaining rice balls again and placed them into Kiyohara's hands.
"Then you can have the rest, Kiyohara-kun. I still have some over there…"
"You don't need to give me all of them. You should eat too."
"I already ate!"
Rin said quickly, but her large eyes clearly showed her expectation.
Kiyohara smiled and accepted the box.
"Then thank you."
"You're welcome!"
Rin said happily, then suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right, Kiyohara-kun, I have a break this afternoon and plan to practice medical ninjutsu. Do you want to come watch?"
"We'll see. I still have some things to take care of today."
Kiyohara put the box away.
"But remember, if you plan to train using more tailed beast chakra, you must have Sister Kyoko or me present. Although the Three-Tails agreed to lend you its power, you must not be careless."
Kiyohara said.
"I understand!"
Rin nodded vigorously.
Although she did not know exactly what Kiyohara had said to the creature inside her, she had always treated it with great caution.
As a jinchūriki, she could feel the immense magnitude of that chakra.
After giving her a few more reminders about training precautions, Kiyohara finally turned and left.
As he walked away from the open ground, he glanced back once.
Rin had already begun forming hand seals again, her small face filled with concentration.
Seeing this, Kiyohara continued walking toward the place where Pakura was being held.
(End of Chapter)