In the future, Dust Release would practically become a lost art in Iwagakure.
The only person capable of using Dust Release would be a clone of Onoki, known as Ku.
But in this era, there was only one user of the technique.
Onoki himself.
"I wonder whether my Sharingan can see through Dust Release."
Kiyohara pondered silently.
The Sharingan could only copy ordinary ninjutsu. It could not copy Bloodline Limits, and naturally it was even more difficult to copy a Bloodline Selection (kekkei tota), a power that fused three different chakra natures together.
However, Kiyohara could clearly feel that the ocular power of his Sharingan far exceeded that of the overwhelming majority of Uchiha.
Even if he could not copy it directly, perhaps he could still gain some insight into the fusion of the three chakra natures and accelerate his own development of Dust Release.
And the power of Dust Release was sufficient to decompose matter down to the atomic level.
Among all techniques below Six Paths level, it could be considered the strongest offensive ability.
Even the S-rank technique Wind Release: Rasenshuriken and Deidara's C4: Karura could only inflict destruction on the cellular and nanoscopic scale.
Kitsuchi's body collapsed onto the ground.
His knees struck first.
Then his shoulder.
Finally, his entire body sprawled across the earth like an empty shell that had lost its soul.
Kiyohara lowered his head and glanced at him.
"Forget it. I'll take Kitsuchi prisoner and see how much Iwagakure is willing to pay."
He shook his head.
The son of the Tsuchikage undoubtedly possessed enormous value as a captive.
Especially considering Kitsuchi's exceptional talent. In the eyes of Iwagakure's shinobi, he had every chance of becoming the Fourth Tsuchikage someday.
After all, nobody could have predicted that the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, would live for such an absurdly long time that he would eventually step down only to pass the position directly to Kurotsuchi, the younger generation, making her the Fourth Tsuchikage instead.
As Kiyohara reached into his shinobi pouch and pulled out a sealing talisman inscribed with fuinjutsu, the sound of rushing wind came from behind him.
Several figures landed nearby.
It was Hyuga Natsu, along with a handful of Hyuga clan shinobi.
The moment they saw the scene before them, expressions of astonishment appeared on every face.
Kitsuchi lay motionless on the ground.
His left arm was twisted at an exaggerated angle.
Blood had soaked through half his body and stained the shattered rocks beneath him crimson.
Meanwhile, Kiyohara stood calmly beside him, preparing to seal him.
"K... Kiyohara-kun..."
Natsu's voice sounded dry.
Subconsciously, she rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not seeing things.
The man lying on the ground...
Was that really Kitsuchi?
The son of the Tsuchikage?
He had simply...
Lost?
Kiyohara turned and looked at her.
That handsome face remained as calm as ever, as though he had merely crushed a rat underfoot.
Natsu stood frozen in place, staring at Kiyohara's back.
Back then, Kiyohara had been nowhere near this powerful.
How many years had it even been?
Natsu lowered her eyes and clenched her fist.
Was this truly the difference between a genius and an ordinary person?
In the distance, the figures of Rin, Kurenai, and Kakashi also arrived.
Rin immediately spotted Kitsuchi lying on the ground and his horribly twisted left arm.
Her footsteps slowed.
As a medical shinobi, she had seen countless wounded people.
She was long since immune to blood and gore.
But the injury on Kitsuchi's arm...
That fracture had been caused purely through overwhelming physical force.
The bone had been broken directly by brute strength.
How powerful did someone have to be to accomplish that?
Almost instinctively, she looked toward Kiyohara.
He stood there calmly, with only a few bloodstains decorating his clothing.
Sensing her gaze, he turned his head slightly and nodded.
"Are you alright?"
Rin hurried over and carefully examined him from head to toe.
"I'm fine."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"His Fist Rock jutsu couldn't even break through my defense."
Only then did Rin let out a sigh of relief.
Yet her eyes still drifted toward Kitsuchi's arm.
"...The fracture is extremely severe."
She spoke softly.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara nodded.
As long as it was not a fatal injury, there was no need to care too much.
Keeping Kitsuchi alive was enough.
"Treat him later. Just don't let him die."
Kiyohara said.
Kakashi walked over and glanced at Kitsuchi before turning his gaze toward Kiyohara.
"Will taking him prisoner be useful?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
"The Tsuchikage's son is worth a lot of information."
"The surrounding stone shinobi are yours to handle."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
Just now, he had simply employed the strategy of capturing the leader first.
He had taken down Kitsuchi, the commander of this force.
However, many Iwagakure shinobi were still rushing toward this location.
Natsu blinked in surprise before quickly nodding.
"Y... Yes!"
She took a deep breath and suppressed the shock in her heart before turning toward the Hyuga shinobi behind her.
"Do as Kiyohara-kun says. Spread out and eliminate the remaining enemies."
"Understood."
The Hyuga shinobi responded immediately.
Their figures flashed and disappeared.
One member of the main family did not answer.
It was Hyuga Nobuhiko.
He glanced at Kiyohara once before departing.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Tornado!"
Rin rapidly formed hand seals and unleashed a large-scale Water Release technique.
" Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
Naturally, the stone shinobi responded with the Earth Release techniques they excelled at.
Several shinobi joined forces.
Massive earthen walls erupted from the ground and blocked the dragon-like torrent of water.
"Demonic Illusion: Sound Bind!"
The syllables that left Kurenai's mouth carried invisible Yin Release chakra and spread outward.
Several shinobi maintaining the earth walls suddenly froze.
Their bodies stiffened.
The walls immediately weakened and softened.
Seeing the opening, the Hyuga clan shinobi charged forward.
The battlefield instantly descended into chaos.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm!"
Two Hyuga clan members attacked simultaneously.
Their palms struck forward together, launching chakra shockwaves that dealt twice the normal damage to their target.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!"
"Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists!"
One after another, the Hyuga clan warriors entered the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Kiyohara remained at the rear, completing the sealing process on Kitsuchi.
He observed the battlefield below.
The forces he had brought were more than enough to handle the situation.
In the distance, Kakashi was already hunting down shinobi attempting to escape.
As for the enemy outpost farther away, Kiyohara swept his gaze across it and discovered that numerous Iwagakure reinforcements were already on the move.
"Withdraw."
After observing for a while and confirming that most of the enemy shinobi had been eliminated, Kiyohara gave the order.
If the battle continued any longer, the Iwagakure reinforcements would arrive.
At this moment, Kitsuchi's body was covered with multiple sealing talismans attached by Kiyohara.
The flow of chakra throughout his body had completely stagnated.
Then Kiyohara lifted Kitsuchi onto one shoulder with a single arm and prepared to carry him back.
"Yes!"
Natsu exhaled heavily.
Members of the branch family could at most use the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms.
Even so, the technique placed tremendous demands on stamina.
It required delivering thirty-two strikes in the shortest amount of time possible without a single pause.
Every strike had to land precisely on a chakra point, injecting Gentle Fist chakra into the enemy's body and causing internal damage.
"Good."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
At the same time, he observed the taijutsu of the Hyuga clan members.
Unfortunately, many Gentle Fist techniques required the support of the Byakugan.
Outsiders could certainly learn Gentle Fist.
But the power they displayed would be worlds apart from that of the Hyuga clan.
The principles of Gentle Fist were actually quite abstract.
If one replaced the palms with blades, it could become something like "Gentle Blade Style: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Blades."
Such a technique would likely have remarkable effectiveness against enemies possessing hardening abilities.
For example, opponents like Kiyohara himself, who possessed Steel Release or Earth Release: Earth Spear Technique.
Instead of attacking externally, it would directly inflict internal injuries.
Of course, Kiyohara estimated that his own internal organs were now incredibly durable as well.
The Lightning Release Chakra Mode tempered every cell in the body.
That included the internal organs.
Not to mention that he had inherited the bloodline of the Yotsuki Clan.
"Retreat!"
A Hyuga shinobi shouted loudly.
The entire group immediately began pulling back.
Rin and Kurenai also quickly followed behind Kiyohara.
Meanwhile, Kakashi remained behind to perform cleanup duties.
This was an assignment Kiyohara had specifically given him.
His job was to search the bodies after the battle.
After all, Kiyohara was now the captain of an ANBU squad.
As his number one subordinate, Kakashi could certainly enjoy a little privilege.
Naturally, once everything was finished, Kiyohara would share part of the spoils with him.
The prisoner camp was situated on the western side of the main encampment in a naturally sunken rocky area.
Earth Release techniques had reinforced the surroundings into three-meter-high walls.
At the top, numerous seals used for sensory barriers were wrapped around the perimeter.
When Kiyohara entered the camp carrying Kitsuchi over his shoulder, Shikaku was standing outside a tent, giving instructions to several members of the intelligence division.
Hearing approaching footsteps, he looked up.
His gaze landed on the blood-covered man slung over Kiyohara's shoulder.
The man's left arm was twisted grotesquely.
His body was covered in restraining fuinjutsu.
The moment Shikaku saw his face, his eyes widened.
The more he looked at the man...
The more familiar he seemed.
Wasn't that...
Kitsuchi?
Wasn't he Onoki's son?!
Shikaku immediately strode over.
He circled around Kiyohara once, repeatedly examining the blood-covered face before lowering his gaze to the elite Iwagakure jonin vest Kitsuchi wore.
A conclusion had already formed in his mind.
He simply did not dare believe it.
"This is..."
Shikaku hesitated.
"Kitsuchi?"
"Yeah. I went out for a trip, and a big fish jumped out all by itself."
Kiyohara lowered the man from his shoulder and casually tossed him onto the ground.
Kitsuchi let out a muffled groan.
Yet his eyes remained unfocused and vacant.
The effects of the Sharingan genjutsu had not completely faded yet.
"The Tsuchikage's son."
Shikaku crouched down and brushed away the blood covering Kitsuchi's face, revealing features that were seventy to eighty percent similar to what the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had looked like in his younger years.
He stared at that face for three full seconds before suddenly standing up and turning toward Kiyohara.
"...How did you do it?"
"He tried to crush me first with Earth Release: Sandwich Technique."
Kiyohara casually brushed the dust from the hem of his clothes.
"I broke his technique with senjutsu and then finished it with one punch."
"One punch?"
Shikaku instinctively looked toward Kitsuchi's grotesquely twisted left arm.
The bones of his forearm had completely dislocated at the elbow joint. Pale white bone fragments had pierced through the skin, and the blood had already hardened into a dark brown crust.
This was not the result of a blade or a ninjutsu explosion.
It was an injury inflicted purely by overwhelming physical force.
It looked as though he had been struck by a speeding freight truck.
One punch had defeated the Tsuchikage's son?
And crippled one of his arms in the process?
Shikaku inhaled deeply.
As the strategist of the Nara Clan, he had seen countless powerful shinobi and analyzed innumerable battles.
Yet at this moment, he still felt slightly dizzy.
Kiyohara simply never played by the rules.
A reconnaissance mission completed like this?
Shinobis were not supposed to operate this way!
You were supposed to bring a team out with you and search for the target like looking for a needle in the ocean.
If you got lucky, you would capture a squad leader first and torture some information out of him.
Then you would follow the clues, slowly uncovering more intelligence and eventually capturing increasingly important figures.
Step by step.
That was how things were supposed to work.
How did you skip all of that and immediately capture the Tsuchikage's son?
I refuse to accept this!
"Anyway, I'll leave him to you."
Kiyohara looked at Shikaku.
"As for how you interrogate him or exchange information, that's your business. The Torture and Interrogation Department should have arrived by now. They're professionals when it comes to extracting information."
He paused briefly.
"Just make sure to count a few more merits for me."
Shikaku froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Merits?"
He shook his head.
"Kiyohara-kun, do you realize what this means?"
He pointed at Kitsuchi lying on the ground.
"The Tsuchikage's only son. The sole heir of Onoki's bloodline."
"Capturing him is equivalent to holding Iwagakure's lifeline in your hands."
He paused, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.
"This achievement alone is enough to allow you, within the village..."
He did not continue.
But Kiyohara understood exactly what he meant.
A great military achievement.
Once the war ended, the merits earned during wartime would become incredibly valuable.
For example, when competing for important positions within the village.
Or even...
The position of Hokage.
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That sounds pretty good."
He smiled and turned toward the exit.
"Just remember to give me a higher evaluation."
After reaching the entrance, he suddenly stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.
"Oh right."
"I'd like to exchange some more forbidden techniques."
Kiyohara spoke casually.
The Flying Thunder God Technique had proven extremely comfortable and useful.
As for the other forbidden techniques recorded inside the Scroll of Seals, he coveted them quite a bit as well.
Shikaku watched his departing back for a long while without speaking.
Forbidden techniques?
This kid really dared to think of anything.
But after considering it carefully, with the level of merit Kiyohara currently possessed...
Perhaps it was not entirely impossible.
After all, the Flying Thunder God Technique itself was already considered a forbidden technique with an absurdly high learning threshold.
If it were ever passed down in the future, Shikaku suspected it would have to be divided into separate sections before ordinary shinobi could have any hope of learning it.
As for how such a division would work, he had absolutely no idea.
Looking down at Kitsuchi once more, Shikaku shook his head.
This time, Kitsuchi had truly kicked an iron plate.
…
At the same time, the news was being rushed back to Iwagakure at top speed.
Inside the Tsuchikage's office, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki sat behind his desk.
A freshly delivered battle report lay open before him.
His hands trembled slightly.
Kitsuchi had been captured.
His only son had been taken alive by a leaf shinobi.
That Uchiha named Kiyohara.
Kiyohara again.
"...Kitsuchi."
Onoki closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the edge of the report.
He only had this one son.
His wife had passed away early.
Kitsuchi had been raised entirely by his own hands.
He had taught him ninjutsu.
He had taught him how to be a man.
He had taught him how to inherit the future of Iwa.
And the unique Will of Stone that belonged solely to Iwagakure.
And now...
Kitsuchi was in enemy hands.
What would Konoha do to him?
Interrogate him?
Torture him?
Exchange him as a hostage?
Or...
Onoki dared not continue thinking.
"Someone."
He finally spoke.
A figure emerged silently from the shadows.
It was an Iwagakure ANBU operative.
"Notify Roshi and have him depart immediately."
Onoki paused.
"Tell him that no matter what happens, he must bring Kitsuchi back."
The shinobi was stunned.
Roshi.
The Four-Tails Jinchuriki.
The Tsuchikage wanted to personally deploy a tailed beast host?
"Tsuchikage-sama, this..."
"This is an order."
Onoki interrupted him.
"I only have this one son."
The Iwagakure shinobi fell silent.
A few moments later, he bowed respectfully and disappeared back into the darkness.
The office became quiet once more.
Only Onoki remained.
Slowly, he sat back down in his chair.
His eyes remained fixed on the report spread across his desk.
Fixed on that particularly glaring name.
Kiyohara.
…
Inside the main command tent of the Konoha camp.
Tsunade was reviewing medical reports when she heard approaching footsteps.
Looking up, she saw Kiyohara push aside the curtain and walk in.
"Back already?"
She set down the report and examined him from head to toe.
"You're not injured, are you?"
"No."
Kiyohara walked over and sat beside her.
"I captured someone."
"Who?"
"Kitsuchi."
...
Tsunade's movements stopped.
"...The Tsuchikage's son?"
"Yeah."
She stared at him for three seconds.
Then suddenly burst into laughter.
The smile on her face was bright and radiant, filled with pride and satisfaction.
"Good kid."
She forcefully slapped Kiyohara on the shoulder.
"Beautifully done."
Kiyohara's shoulder sank slightly under the impact.
Whenever Tsunade became happy, she never paid attention to controlling her strength.
"That old Tsuchikage is probably panicking out of his mind right now."
She withdrew her hand and crossed her legs.
"He only has this one son. Raised him like a treasure since childhood. And now he's fallen into our hands..."
Her eyes narrowed as the smile on her face deepened.
"Iwagakure is probably going to bleed heavily this time."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Shikaku said this merit should be enough to exchange for quite a lot of things."
"Of course it is."
Tsunade stood up and stretched her shoulders.
"We're having a feast tonight."
She grinned.
"I'll cook personally."
Kiyohara froze.
"...You're cooking, Sensei?"
"What? Looking down on me?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"I'm a medical shinobi. My knife skills are precise, and my control over heat is meticulous. What's wrong with cooking?"
Kiyohara immediately nodded.
"Of course not."
"I love everything Sensei makes."
"Hmph."
Only then did Tsunade lower her hand, which had nearly flicked his forehead.
"I'm going to catch some fish."
Kiyohara stood up.
"Fresh ingredients are easier to cook with."
Tsunade looked at him suspiciously.
"You're not trying to run away, are you?"
"Why would I?"
Kiyohara smiled.
"It's a rare occasion for Sensei to cook. Naturally, I need to prepare the best ingredients."
With that, he lifted the curtain and walked out.
Behind him came Tsunade's voice.
"Get back early!"
Three kilometers outside the camp flowed a small river.
The river was not particularly wide.
The distance between the banks was only two or three meters.
But the water was crystal clear, allowing one to see the pebbles on the riverbed and the shadows of fish swimming beneath the surface.
As Kiyohara arrived at the riverbank, he spotted a familiar figure.
Kurenai was crouching beside the water.
A wooden bucket sat in her hands as she bent over and scooped water into it.
The hem of her skirt was slightly lifted, revealing her fair calves.
Her long hair had been loosely tied back with a hairband.
Several loose strands hung beside her neck, swaying gently as she moved.
Hearing approaching footsteps, she turned around.
The moment she saw Kiyohara, her eyes brightened noticeably.
"Kiyohara?"
She stood up and brushed the water droplets from her hands.
"What brings you here?"
"Fishing."
Kiyohara walked over to her side and glanced at the wooden bucket.
"Fetching water?"
"Yeah. Water is running short in the camp, so I came out to get some."
Kurenai set down the bucket and looked at him curiously.
"Fishing..."
"You're not planning to use lightning jutsu to electrocute the fish again, are you?"
The memory of Kiyohara shocking fish with lightning jutsu surfaced in her mind, making the corner of her mouth twitch.
"That's too crude."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"I have another method."
Kurenai became even more curious.
"Another method?"
She looked around.
"But you didn't even bring a fishing rod."
Kiyohara did not answer.
Instead, he walked toward a drooping cherry blossom tree growing beside the river.
Raising a hand, he snapped off a slender branch.
The branch was delicate, only about as thick as a little finger.
Several pale pink cherry blossoms bloomed at its tip.
Turning around, he looked at Kurenai.
"The fishing rod..."
He lifted the cherry blossom branch.
"...is this cherry blossom twig."
(End of Chapter)