More than half a month passed.
In an empty clearing, Kiyohara was attempting to infuse Wind Release chakra into the Rasengan.
Once successful, he would be able to transform the A rank Rasengan into the S rank Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Although Kiyohara currently had Fire Release: Microwave Bullet, that technique required preheating in advance. Its execution speed was not as fast and convenient as the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Moreover, the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken could be further developed.
Kiyohara planned that later on, he would also incorporate Lightning Release chakra into it. In that way, once thrown, it could become invisible, and if the enemy failed to notice it, they would be cut down instantly.
Kiyohara extended his hand and began to gather Wind Release chakra.
With his current talent in Wind Release, it should already surpass Naruto in the original story. Therefore, even without using so many shadow clones, Kiyohara's development speed was not slow at all.
For example, he had already created the transitional form, the Wind Release Rasengan.
Its power was far greater than the ordinary Rasengan, and its appearance was somewhat different as well. Around the spherical mass of chakra, there were white air currents swirling around it.
Buzz!
Kiyohara directly slammed the Wind Release: Rasengan in his hand into a rock, instantly blasting out a large crater.
And behind that crater, the rock split apart completely.
"Not bad."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
After all, this technique was something he had developed during his spare time over this period and had not consumed too much effort. Achieving this level of power was already quite good.
To deal with all kinds of enemies, one had to possess a variety of methods.
For instance, Chidori excelled more in cutting and piercing.
Meanwhile, Rasengan was stronger in blunt impact and sustained damage.
Both techniques had different application scenarios, and what Kiyohara wanted was to master them all.
Furthermore, later on, the Wind Release: Rasengan could also be combined with Water Release: Breaking Surge to form a tornado wrapped in water mist, which could be used both offensively and to block enemy ninjutsu.
That technique was called the Typhoon Water Vortex Technique.
"I hope that in the next future, I can obtain a Water Release chakra nature."
Kiyohara calculated the time in his mind.
There were less than ten days left until the arrival of a new future.
…
Mount Myoboku.
A massive toad statue stood within a lush green valley, while a waterfall hung down like a silver ribbon.
Fukasaku had just finished eating when he saw Shima hurrying over.
"Old man, the Great Lord has awakened and says he wants to see us."
Her tone was unusually serious.
The two old toads exchanged a glance and quickly headed toward the great hall deep within Mount Myoboku.
Inside the hall, a faint scent of incense smoke lingered in the air. The Great Toad Sage sat upon a high stone seat with his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep again.
But when the two approached, those aged eyes slowly opened.
"The Child of Prophecy…"
The Great Toad Sage's voice was low and slow, as though it came from a very deep dream.
"…has changed."
Fukasaku stepped forward. "Great Lord, what did you see?"
"Light… and shadow…"
The Great Toad Sage's cloudy pupils seemed unfocused, as though he was awake and yet still dreaming.
"The once clear path has split into branches. A child with red eyes… stands at the crossroads of fate."
His voice grew lower and lower, until it was almost a murmur. "Call him back… little Jiraiya… he must know…"
Before he could finish speaking, the Great Toad Sage fell into a deep sleep once more, and soft snoring gradually rose.
Fukasaku and Shima withdrew from the hall, their expressions grave.
"The Great Lord's prophecies have never been wrong," Shima said.
"For the fate of the Child of Prophecy to change… this is no small matter."
Fukasaku nodded. "We must inform little Jiraiya immediately."
That afternoon, at the Konoha camp.
Kakashi had just finished his night patrol and returned to his tent to rest, only to find Kiyohara already waiting for him.
"Kiyohara?"
Kiyohara took out a glass tube from his robes. Inside it was a small amount of liquid.
"This is for you."
"This is…?"
"The Power of the White Snake."
Kiyohara said calmly.
This was something he had obtained from Orochimaru last time.
With Kakashi's body, bearing half a portion of the Power of the White Snake, like Kurenai and Rin, should not pose any major problem.
"This kind of power can significantly enhance bodily vitality and accelerate chakra recovery. For you, it should help reduce the burden of the Sharingan."
Kiyohara intended to strengthen Kakashi as well.
After all, Kakashi was currently considered his subordinate, and at this point in time, Kakashi was still far from becoming the future Copy Shinobi known as the one who could match anyone.
Right now, his abilities were still somewhat lacking. He had not yet copied as many ninjutsu as he would in the future, nor did he possess that level of experience.
Yet the consumption of the Sharingan was just as heavy as ever.
Kakashi looked at the Power of the White Snake in his hand. Of course he understood its value.
But this gift was far too heavy.
"Why give this to me?" Kakashi asked.
"Aren't you going to keep it for yourself?"
"I've already used it."
Kiyohara paused briefly before continuing, "And on the battlefield, you and I are companions. Your increase in strength benefits the entire team."
Naturally, he was not going to say something as direct as wanting Kakashi to become stronger so he could be more useful.
Instead, he framed it appropriately.
Companions…
Kakashi's fingers tightened slightly.
So this was what they called a bond.
"Thank you."
Kakashi accepted the Power of the White Snake and drank it immediately.
Kiyohara stood nearby and observed.
It had already been tested, and there were no issues.
As for the remaining half portion, Kiyohara planned to hand it over to Yakushi Nono at the orphanage for research.
The current Power of the White Snake was only the initial version.
Kiyohara also intended to study it further and develop a stronger version.
After all, once Orochimaru developed the Cursed Seal, he would become quite fond of leaving hidden backdoors everywhere.
Kiyohara did not dare to use his creations carelessly.
Even now, he only used them after thorough testing.
The moment Kakashi consumed it, he felt subtle changes occur throughout his entire body.
A warm current flowed from his heart to every limb, his long fatigued muscles felt as though they were soaking in a hot spring, and his chakra pathways seemed gently nourished.
The most noticeable change was in his left eye. The constant sense of heaviness had lightened somewhat.
He attempted to refine chakra, and the speed was nearly twice as fast as before.
"This effect…"
Kakashi rarely showed such a surprised expression.
"It will improve further after a few days of adaptation," Kiyohara said.
"Tomorrow morning, spar with Guy and test the improvement in actual combat."
Kakashi nodded, silently committing this favor to memory.
The next morning, in the clearing outside the camp.
Might Guy was already waiting there early, dressed in his black Anbu uniform.
When he saw Kakashi and Kiyohara approaching, he immediately gave a thumbs up, flashing his signature bright smile. "Kakashi! I can hardly wait for today's youthful duel!"
Kakashi pulled down his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan. "I hope you'll still have that much energy later."
The two stood facing each other, ten meters apart.
Kiyohara stood at the edge of the field as the referee.
"Begin."
The moment the word fell, Might Guy's figure vanished, leaving behind only an afterimage.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
A fierce kick came sweeping in from the left, the pressure of the wind it generated stirring Kakashi's silver hair.
But Kakashi merely shifted slightly. The three tomoe in his Sharingan slowly rotated as he predicted the trajectory of the kick.
He stepped back half a pace, and Guy's foot brushed past his chest.
"You've gotten faster, Kakashi," Guy said as he landed, performing three consecutive backflips to widen the distance.
"But my youth is more than just this level of speed!"
"Eight Gates, First Gate, Gate of Opening, open!"
A green aura of chakra ignited around Guy as his speed surged once more.
Kakashi's expression grew serious as his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Chidori!"
A sharp chirping sound rang out as blue white lightning gathered in his palm.
Against Guy who had opened the Eight Gates, relying purely on taijutsu evasion was no longer enough.
The two clashed once more.
Every kick from Guy carried the force to shatter rock.
Naturally, Kakashi did not dare to take them head on, instead relying on the dynamic vision of his Sharingan to maneuver around him.
The battle quickly entered a heated stage.
Guy continued opening more of the Eight Gates, the second gate, then the third.
His skin began to redden, and steam rose from his pores.
Yet Kakashi, empowered by both the Sharingan and the Power of the White Snake, was actually able to keep up with that level of speed.
Finally, Kakashi seized an opening.
One of Guy's heavy punches missed, and in that instant, Kakashi's Chidori was already pressed against his throat.
The crackling of lightning illuminated the sweat on both of their faces.
"I lose."
Guy admitted it readily, raising his thumb.
After all, in his duels with Kakashi, there had always been wins and losses.
Only when facing Kiyohara had he never managed to win even once.
"Kakashi, your youth has finally ignited!"
Kakashi dispersed the Chidori and pulled his mask back into place. "Black Beast, you should use my codename."
Might Guy scratched his head. "No problem, Kakashi."
Kakashi fell silent.
"The effect is better than expected."
Kiyohara walked over to Kakashi's side.
He noticed that Kakashi no longer seemed as drained as before.
Kakashi nodded in agreement.
As the one experiencing it firsthand, his understanding was naturally deeper.
This meant he could use Chidori more frequently and would have a greater advantage in prolonged battles.
This gift had truly changed his combat style.
Kiyohara nodded, then proceeded to spar with both Kakashi and Might Guy.
The result was unsurprising. Neither Kakashi nor Guy could defeat Kiyohara.
Seeing this, Kiyohara took his leave, while Kakashi and Guy remained behind to continue their training.
Not long after returning to the camp, Kiyohara ran into Genma Shiranui.
"Genma, you're back?"
"I'm back."
Genma waved when he saw Kiyohara.
Ever since Genma had left the team, the two had not seen each other for quite some time.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Genma said, "I returned from another front line last night, and on the way, I ran into someone from the Akatsuki."
"The Akatsuki?"
"Yeah."
Genma nodded.
"It was that blue haired woman, Konan."
Genma had previously followed Kiyohara, Kurenai, and Orochimaru on a mission to the Land of Rain, so he was familiar with the Akatsuki.
"She seemed to have run into some trouble and was asking about you. She happened to be looking for a Konoha shinobi, so she asked me to pass on a message, saying the Akatsuki needs help and hopes you can make a trip to the Land of Rain."
Akatsuki…
Kiyohara stroked his chin thoughtfully.
According to the timeline, the Akatsuki had not yet fallen into darkness.
If they had, then Hanzo of the Salamander would have already been killed by Nagato using the Six Paths of Pain.
Right now, Hanzo was still alive and well.
The turning point for their descent into darkness would come when Obito began to interfere.
On one side, Obito would manipulate Nagato, and on the other, he would allow Danzo to influence Hanzo.
With both forces acting simultaneously, the Akatsuki would suffer heavy losses, and Yahiko's death would push Nagato into an extreme desire to make the entire world feel pain.
At this moment, however, the Akatsuki was still an idealistic mercenary group, trying to change the Land of Rain through peaceful means.
If he could establish contact with them before their fall, or even reach cooperation…
Kiyohara pondered for a moment.
He could potentially strike a deal with the Akatsuki and have them work for him.
Moreover, as long as the Akatsuki existed, they would tie down forces within the Land of Rain, reducing the pressure on Konoha.
"Is she still at the border of the Land of Rain?" Kiyohara asked.
"She should be. She said she would wait for a week," Genma replied.
"Oh, and Kiyohara, I'm currently teamed up with Raido Namiashi and Iwashi Tatami."
"Got it."
Kiyohara nodded.
To him, it made little difference whether his teammate was Shizune or Genma.
After talking a bit longer, Kiyohara went to find Tsunade.
Inside the tent, Tsunade was reviewing medical reports.
After hearing Kiyohara's explanation, she put down her pen and tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "The Land of Rain… that's Hanzo's territory. I've heard of the Akatsuki, a group of young people trying to promote peace. Hanzo doesn't seem to like them."
"That's exactly why they're worth contacting," Kiyohara analyzed.
"The Akatsuki are mercenaries. If Konoha can establish a cooperative relationship with them, it could ease the pressure on frontline forces. Moreover, the Land of Rain sits at the intersection of three nations, so its intelligence value is extremely high."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "You want to take a mission to the Land of Rain and meet that Konan while you're at it?"
"Yes."
"The reasoning is solid…"
Tsunade considered it. Kiyohara's idea was indeed not bad.
Besides, Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato were all Jiraiya's disciples.
"How about this, in a few days I'll go with you and take a look."
Tsunade stretched lazily, her posture relaxed.
After Rasa's retreat, Konoha and Suna had entered a period of negotiation.
Sunagakure wanted to redeem Pakura and form an alliance with Konoha.
Meanwhile, Konoha was still making demands.
Under such circumstances, the pressure at Kikyo Mountain had lessened significantly. There were rarely any enemy incursions now, at most a few reckless rogue shinobis from time to time.
"Understood, Sensei."
Kiyohara nodded.
"You've done well recently, so I'll reward you by letting you visit the casinos in the Land of Rain when the time comes."
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow at Tsunade's words.
"Sensei, is that really a reward for me, or for you?"
"Of course it's for you. And I even plan to accompany you to the casino. Isn't that considerate?"
Tsunade smiled.
Kiyohara was momentarily speechless.
He realized that the more familiar he became with Tsunade, the more she let herself go.
On the other side.
"Rin, what are you preparing?"
Kurenai approached with curiosity in her crimson eyes.
Rin looked up, her brown eyes curving into crescents beneath her short bangs. "A special hemostatic powder. I added burnet and agrimony, so it works better than the standard formula."
"Kiyohara's birthday is coming up soon, so I'm planning to make a medical kit."
Hearing this, Kurenai suddenly understood.
She also knew Kiyohara's birthday was around this time.
But she had not yet decided what to give.
So she carefully examined the medical kit Rin was preparing.
"This kit looks more refined than the one you gave Kakashi before," Kurenai said thoughtfully.
Rin's fingers paused slightly, and the tips of her ears turned faintly red. "I added a waterproof layer and hidden compartments. It can hold three more rolls of bandages and two bottles of antidote. Kiyohara's fighting style is more aggressive, so the chance of injury is higher."
"I see."
Kurenai rested her chin on her hand as her long hair slipped over her shoulder.
"But if it's a birthday gift, isn't it a bit too ordinary?"
"Not at all."
Kurenai shook her head and looked at Rin seriously.
"That guy Kiyohara lives in an empty house. Whatever you give him, he'll be happy."
Rin immediately felt that made sense.
After all, even the kitchen utensils in Kiyohara's home had been gifts from her.
At that moment, Asuma walked over from not far away. He had just rotated off patrol and was looking for some water to drink, but happened to overhear their conversation.
"You're talking about Kiyohara's birthday?"
Asuma picked up a water bottle and took a large gulp.
Kurenai turned her head, a teasing smile appearing on her lips. "Yeah, Asuma. What are you planning to give? Don't say something like shinobis don't need birthdays like an old man."
Asuma choked on his water and coughed a few times.
He really had not thought about it. On the battlefield, birthdays were often forgotten amid life and death.
And to be honest, he did not particularly like Kiyohara.
Although he knew Kiyohara was a good person, the closeness between Kurenai and Kiyohara made him feel uneasy.
Now that Kurenai asked him directly, he felt an urge not to lose face.
"Chakra metal."
Asuma set down the bottle, trying to sound casual.
"I still have a small piece in storage. If it's mixed in when forging kunai or shuriken, it can greatly improve their ability to conduct chakra."
Kurenai's eyes lit up. "Really? Then Kiyohara will definitely be happy."
Seeing the smile on her face, a sense of pride rose in Asuma's heart.
This gift was both valuable and practical, worthy of the Hokage's son.
But in the next moment, Kurenai added, "If Kiyohara is happy, I'll be happy too. With better weapons, he'll be safer in battle."
Wait, why did it feel like Kurenai was asking for a gift on Kiyohara's behalf?
For a moment, Asuma felt both hurt and confused.
"Asuma?"
Kurenai noticed his distraction.
"It's nothing."
Asuma shook his head, took out a cigarette pack from his pocket, then remembered he could not smoke in the camp and put it back with a resigned expression.
"I just feel like you've been in a pretty good mood lately."
"Have I?"
Kurenai blinked, unconsciously twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
"Maybe it's because the situation has stabilized. Suna is negotiating, and we can finally catch our breath."
As they spoke, Kakashi and Might Guy approached one after the other.
"Hey, everyone's here."
Guy had already changed out of his Anbu uniform and was back in his usual green training suit.
"Kakashi and I just finished a passionate duel of youth. Although I lost, my youth is burning even brighter!"
"What are you talking about?"
Kakashi asked curiously.
"We're discussing Kiyohara's birthday gifts."
Rin carefully placed the ground medicinal powder into a porcelain bottle.
"I see."
Kakashi recalled Kiyohara's birthday date.
(End of Chapter)