Black markings began to spread, crawling across his skin like veins.
Curse Mark State One.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
After forming hand seals, Kiyohara continuously spat out compressed wind projectiles. Their penetrating power was extremely strong, directly blasting the heads of the snakes into pieces, scattering chunks of flesh across the ground.
More than a dozen pythons were instantly reduced to headless corpses, collapsing limply onto the ground.
A flicker of surprise passed through Orochimaru's eyes, but his movements did not stop.
He clasped his hands together, and his chest suddenly swelled.
"Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands Formation!"
An even greater and denser swarm of snakes poured out from his mouth, so numerous that they almost formed a sea of serpents.
Hundreds, even thousands of snakes writhed as they surged toward Kiyohara, intending to completely drown him.
Kiyohara formed the hand seals for Fire Release.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Three enormous fire dragons roared out, rampaging through the mass of snakes.
The intense flames instantly ignited the swarm, and the air filled with the stench of burning flesh.
Wherever the fire dragons passed, the snakes were reduced to ashes.
But Orochimaru was no longer in place.
The moment he released the snake swarm, he had already leapt into the air, his right arm hardening into a pale white color like actual snake bone.
Snake Limb Hardening.
Kiyohara neither dodged nor retreated. He simply raised his right arm to block.
Clang!
A metallic sound rang out.
On top of his curse mark state, Kiyohara had layered Earth Release: Earth Spear hardening along with Steel Release reinforcement, causing his skin to take on the sheen of black iron.
Orochimaru's hardened snake limb struck it without leaving even a mark.
Instead, Kiyohara pushed forward with the momentum, unleashing immense force that sent Orochimaru flying backward, crashing violently into a large tree.
With a sharp crack, the trunk snapped, and Orochimaru's right arm bent at a grotesque angle, clearly broken.
Yet a smile appeared on Orochimaru's face.
"Impressive. Your physical strength and reaction speed have both improved—"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly fell silent.
Because Kiyohara had already appeared in front of him, his fist cutting through the air as it slammed toward Orochimaru's face.
Instead of dodging, Orochimaru opened his mouth wide.
The corners of his mouth tore all the way to his ears, and his entire body shed like a snake, emerging from his own mouth.
The newly emerged Orochimaru was completely unharmed, while the body struck by Kiyohara collapsed to the ground and rapidly shriveled, resembling a discarded layer of human skin.
Great Snake Escape Substitution Technique.
"That's enough, Kiyohara-kun. Your curse mark transformation is truly powerful."
Orochimaru licked his lips, his eyes filled with excitement.
"It's even more perfect than I imagined. How is its stability? Are there any side effects?"
Kiyohara deactivated the curse mark state, the black markings gradually fading away.
"So far, there are no obvious side effects, but prolonged use still causes a burden."
Kiyohara selectively revealed part of the truth while concealing the rest.
For example, he mentioned that prolonged use caused strain, but did not specify how long qualified as prolonged use.
Such critical information, if disclosed, could easily be exploited.
Orochimaru nodded and took out a scroll from his robes.
"As a reward for showing me your curse mark, take this."
Kiyohara accepted the scroll and opened it. Inside was "Soft Physique Modification," a technique that altered the body's structure through special training, greatly enhancing flexibility and elasticity.
"Kiyohara-kun, your fighting style leans toward brute force. That is good, but excessive rigidity can lead to breaking."
Orochimaru said.
"The body's flexibility is equally important. Only by being able to bend can it withstand greater impacts. Only by being able to stretch can it evade attacks at critical moments."
"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru."
"Heh, you should take good care of your body, Kiyohara-kun."
Listening to Orochimaru's words, Kiyohara felt something was slightly off.
It sounded almost as if Orochimaru was telling him to preserve his body for his own use.
"Lord Orochimaru."
As Orochimaru was about to leave, Kiyohara called out to him.
"I wonder if you could give me another portion of the Power of the White Snake."
Kiyohara said.
After the war, Orochimaru would defect not long afterward.
The human experimentation laboratory he had set up within Konoha was like a ticking bomb, bound to explode sooner or later.
Kiyohara intended to take whatever benefits he could while the opportunity still existed.
Orochimaru looked at him with some surprise.
Refining the Power of the White Snake required considerable effort. Did Kiyohara intend to use it on someone else?
After a moment of thought, Orochimaru did not refuse.
He had never been stingy toward geniuses.
"Here."
Orochimaru tossed him a sealed scroll.
After Kiyohara caught it, Orochimaru's body had already merged into the shadows and disappeared.
Opening the scroll, Kiyohara discovered that it contained quite a large amount of the Power of the White Snake.
He thought of Orochimaru's Great White Snake form. To transform into that state likely required a vast quantity of this power to sustain it.
But at that point, whether one was still human or had become a snake was difficult to determine.
"Still, it has research value."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
After returning, he would follow his usual routine and thoroughly test it first to ensure no hidden traps remained.
Only after confirming its purity would he use it on others.
He felt that this could even be used as a form of reward to distribute.
Afterward, Kiyohara looked at the other scroll.
'Soft Physique Modification really is a good technique.'
He thought to himself.
Steel Release provided defense, the curse mark enhanced power, and if combined with the flexibility of Soft Physique Modification, his close combat capabilities would become far more versatile.
More importantly, this technique could effectively reduce damage to joints and ligaments, extending one's combat lifespan.
Many shinobi ended up carrying hidden injuries in old age.
After all, a shinobi's life was inseparable from battle, whereas weaker shinobi could survive by taking on miscellaneous tasks and even enjoy a peaceful old age.
Putting the scrolls away, Kiyohara returned to the camp.
As he passed by Tsunade's tent, he paused.
The tent was still lit, and he could faintly hear the sound of liquid being poured into a cup.
Working this late?
Kiyohara lifted the curtain and stepped inside, only to be momentarily stunned by what he saw.
Tsunade sat on a folding chair, with a bottle of sake and a small cup placed in front of her.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her gaze somewhat unfocused, clearly indicating she had already drunk quite a bit.
When she saw Kiyohara enter, she was startled, nearly dropping the cup in her hand.
"K-Kiyohara? At this hour—"
"Sensei, are you secretly drinking?"
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
Like a child caught doing something wrong, Tsunade initially looked a bit guilty, but quickly straightened up and declared confidently, "I'm your teacher. What's wrong with having a drink?"
Kiyohara walked over and sat across from her, glancing at the bottle.
"This is your third bottle, isn't it?"
"None of your business!"
Tsunade glared at him, though her gaze lacked any real intimidation and instead appeared moist due to the alcohol.
"Ever since I came here, I've barely had a chance to drink."
She patted her chest, her figure swaying, as if emphasizing how difficult things had been for her.
Thinking about it, Kiyohara realized that was indeed true.
Since arriving here, aside from occasionally gambling with them to relieve boredom, Tsunade had mostly been busy handling documents, leaving her no opportunity to drink.
"Come on, have a drink with me."
"I'm not old enough to drink."
"So rigid."
Tsunade pouted, lifted her cup, and downed it in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh afterward.
"Ever since the war started, life hasn't been good."
She shook her head.
Before, she had traveled freely with Shizune, living quite a carefree life.
Now she had to deal with Konoha's mess.
"The war shouldn't last much longer."
Kiyohara said.
"Hopefully."
As she spoke, Tsunade took another gulp.
The liquid passed over her lips, making them glisten with moisture.
"Oh right, Sensei, can the Strength of a Hundred Seal only store ordinary chakra?"
Kiyohara asked curiously.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal was essentially an internal container that could store chakra and release it when needed.
But did the chakra stored inside have to be non-attribute chakra?
What if it were fire-natured chakra?
What about lightning-natured chakra?
Or even… Sage Chakra?
Kiyohara even wondered whether it might be possible to store ocular power.
Ocular power was, in fact, also a form of chakra, a rather special type of Yin Release chakra.
After all, the Uchiha clan had inherited the Yin Release power of the Sage of Six Paths, and the Sharingan itself was a symbol of Yin Release.
"This question…"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned by Kiyohara's inquiry.
It was something she had never really considered.
"Don't mess around recklessly. Wait until the mark of the Strength of a Hundred Seal has fully formed first."
Tsunade spoke softly.
She observed him for a moment and noticed that Kiyohara's progress seemed faster than it had been a few days ago.
It was truly strange.
Tsunade could not quite figure it out.
In the end, she could only attribute it to Kiyohara's age.
A shinobi's chakra reserves increased as they grew.
A person's golden age was when their vitality, energy, and spirit were at their peak, and naturally, it was also when their chakra reserves were at their highest.
At that time, supplemented by training, one could reach the limits of the physical body.
After that, it would gradually decline over the years.
Tsunade believed that Kiyohara could still continue to grow for several more years until he reached that theoretical golden age.
But thinking about it this way, she suddenly felt that this kid's chakra reserves were a bit excessive.
He had not even reached his golden age yet, and he already had this much chakra?
"Yes, sensei."
Kiyohara nodded.
He would not recklessly experiment just based on speculation.
However, controlled experiments were still possible.
He could deconstruct the Yin Seal, extract only the part responsible for absorbing chakra, and test it on summoning beasts.
But his current level in sealing techniques was not high enough yet, so he would have to wait until his proficiency improved.
Tsunade nodded and took another sip of alcohol.
"You're learning very quickly, faster than I expected. Are there any problems with your chakra control?"
Kiyohara indeed had a few questions.
The master and disciple exchanged questions and answers, and time passed without them noticing.
Gradually, Tsunade's speech slowed, and her gaze became unfocused. It was clear she was thoroughly drunk.
"Hurry and carry me back, kid."
Tsunade stretched lazily.
The weather had been a bit cool lately, and sleeping here would make it easy to catch a cold.
Kiyohara wanted to ask whether Tsunade could not simply dispel the effects of the alcohol with a thought.
But in the end, he did not ask and obediently carried her.
At the very least, it was better than being Jiraiya's disciple and having to cross-dress.
When Naruto trained with Jiraiya for those three years, he even had to use the Sexy Technique to give Jiraiya inspiration, and Naruto had even ghostwritten parts of Jiraiya's books.
Tsunade leaned directly against Kiyohara's back, and he immediately felt the heavy softness pressing against him.
Turning his head slightly, he could see Tsunade resting her chin on his shoulder.
Seeing this, Kiyohara adjusted his hold, supporting her by holding her thighs.
This was the most energy-saving way to carry her.
Tsunade's figure was full, and she was not light.
Although with Kiyohara's current physical condition, carrying her for several kilometers posed no difficulty at all.
Because of the alcohol, her lips were more flushed than usual, slightly parted, her breath carrying a faint scent of wine.
It was not the unpleasant smell of alcohol, but rather a fragrance mixed with a subtle sweetness.
Her face was close to his ear, and the warmth of her breath made it itch slightly.
Kiyohara guessed that this was also the effect of the Yin Seal, maintaining her in a youthful and healthy state.
However, without chakra, it would lose its effect and require time to recover.
Kiyohara carried Tsunade out of the tent and walked toward her resting quarters.
The night wind blew, and Tsunade seemed to feel cold, curling closer against his back.
Her legs instinctively tightened around his waist, her whole body clinging to him like a koala.
As they walked, her chin slid slightly on his shoulder.
When they arrived at her private tent, Kiyohara carefully laid her down on the bed.
He crouched down and helped her take off her shoes.
Her feet were pale, her ankles slender, and the skin on the tops of her feet was so thin that faint blue veins could be seen.
Her toes were full and rounded, her nails neatly trimmed and clean, shining with a pearly luster.
Kiyohara pulled the blanket over her, then glanced at the kettle on the table.
He walked over, poured a cup of water, and placed it on the bedside table. People who were drunk often felt thirsty in the middle of the night.
After finishing all this, Kiyohara left the tent.
The next morning, Tsunade woke up with a headache from the hangover.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tent, making her eyes ache.
Rubbing her temples, she called out instinctively, "Shizune, get me a glass of water…"
Footsteps approached, and a cup of water was handed to her.
Tsunade took it and gulped down more than half before finally feeling some relief from the dryness in her throat.
She opened her eyes, about to speak, only to find that the person standing by the bed was not Shizune.
It was Kiyohara.
"You…"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned.
Kiyohara pointed to the bedside table.
"The water was already poured last night. Shizune is outside preparing some hangover soup. She'll bring it in soon."
Tsunade looked down at the cup in her hand, then at the half-empty kettle on the bedside table, and suddenly understood.
Fragments of last night's memories surfaced. She had talked with Kiyohara, asked about his training progress, answered his questions, and then had him carry her back.
After that… she seemed to have fallen asleep.
"But next time, don't drink so much. It's not good for your body."
Kiyohara said.
Tsunade flicked his forehead with her finger.
"You're starting to manage your teacher now."
Even so, she continued, "I won't drink that much next time."
As they were talking, Shizune's voice came from outside.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm coming in."
"Come in."
Tsunade responded.
Shizune entered carrying the soup and overheard Tsunade saying she would drink less next time.
A hint of surprise appeared in her eyes.
She could not help but think that the relationship between Tsunade and Kiyohara was truly good. At the very least, he was more persuasive than she was.
Shizune had told Tsunade to drink less countless times before.
Then Shizune served Tsunade the soup, while Kiyohara excused himself and left.
After returning to his own tent, he began studying the scroll Orochimaru had given him.
"Soft Physique Modification" was a systematic training method, essentially a type of taijutsu.
Through special movements, it guided chakra, then stretched the body, gradually altering the structure of muscles and ligaments, allowing the body to perform movements unimaginable to ordinary people.
Kiyohara tried the first movement, bending his arm backward until his palm touched his shoulder blade.
An ordinary person might dislocate their joint attempting this, but following the chakra flow described in the scroll, Kiyohara's arm joints emitted faint cracking sounds and actually bent to that angle without any pain.
"Interesting…"
He continued practicing, and faint sounds of joints moving could occasionally be heard from within the tent.
Over the next few days, the frontline remained relatively calm.
Suna did not launch another attack, as if that night's operation had merely been a coincidence.
But Kiyohara knew this was the calm before the storm.
At the same time, he intensified his training in Soft Physique Modification.
Combined with the enhancements from his cursed seal transformation, his flexibility improved rapidly.
Now he could twist his body into various angles and even move across the ground like a snake.
Moreover, it was slightly faster than normal walking.
Kiyohara finally understood why Orochimaru and Kabuto sometimes traveled like this.
There was no other reason, it was simply practical.
However, it looked too unsettling, so Kiyohara rarely used this method to travel.
If he really needed to move quickly, flying was even faster.
That afternoon, the ANBU sent Kiyohara a message.
They said that Might Guy's information had already been entered into the ANBU system, and his uniform had also been approved.
"Kakashi, please help me deliver the clothes to Guy."
Kiyohara said.
"Alright."
Kakashi nodded.
He was also curious about what Guy would look like.
After a while, Kakashi found Guy inside a tent.
He handed him the ANBU uniform.
"This is the ANBU uniform?"
Guy looked at it, feeling that it was a bit tight.
"Hurry up and change."
Kakashi said, standing there.
"Change here?"
Guy widened his eyes. Even though they were inside a tent, it still felt a bit strange.
"I'll turn around. I won't look."
Kakashi turned his back.
He had seen Guy's "little acorn" before. Despite his strong physique, it had been unexpectedly disproportionate.
"Let's have a match, Kakashi!"
Seeing Kakashi's expression, Guy instantly realized he was thinking about the past.
After some noisy back and forth, Guy finally changed out of his signature green bodysuit and into the ANBU uniform.
Wearing the uniform and putting on the mask, Guy actually looked quite fitting.
Kakashi turned back and examined him, finding that ANBU Might Guy looked the part.
He carried more of the demeanor of a taijutsu master than before.
But in the very next moment, Guy burst forth like a blazing flame of youth, giving a thumbs-up, his passionate voice ringing out even through the mask.
"I will definitely become the most dazzling shinobi in the ANBU!"
Kakashi suddenly felt that recruiting Guy into the ANBU might not have been a good decision after all.
The ANBU was about to become the Bright Division instead.
"Alright, Guy. We'll go see Kiyohara together in a bit."
Kakashi said.
"We'll also tell you your new codename."
"No problem."
Guy nodded.
(End of Chapter)