Homura and Koharu exchanged a glance.
"Economic reform?"
"That's right."
Kiyohara turned around.
Back when the Hokage election had taken place, he had already made this exact declaration.
During the past period, he had also repeatedly spoken about carrying out economic reforms.
"Konoha cannot continue relying solely on mission commissions. Tourism, trade, technology, anything that can generate revenue for the village, I intend to develop it."
His voice was calm yet firm.
"As for the detailed proposal, I will present it at the next Jonin Council meeting. Until then, there is no need to continue discussing the restructuring of the Anbu."
Homura opened his mouth, intending to argue, but the moment his eyes met Kiyohara's Sharingan, all the words caught in his throat.
Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed the anger rising inside him.
For the first time, he felt that Kiyohara had completely slipped beyond their control.
This matter absolutely had to be discussed with Hiruzen.
"Koharu, let's go."
Homura turned and walked toward the door.
The door closed behind them.
The room was left with only Kiyohara.
He remained standing where he was, quietly staring at the tightly shut door.
Did those two old men really think he was someone they could manipulate?
Kiyohara shook his head.
Once his economic reform plan was implemented, once Konoha's finances no longer depended on subsidies from the Daimyo's government, those so called advisors would truly become nothing more than advisors in name.
Pulling his thoughts back, he returned to his chair.
A gentle knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Uzuki Yugao stepped inside.
She wore the standard black Anbu uniform. Her mask had already been removed, revealing her elegant and beautiful face.
Her long purple hair was tied neatly behind her head, with a few loose strands hanging beside her ears, making her already fair skin appear even more delicate.
"Hokage-sama."
She knelt on one knee and respectfully presented a sealed scroll.
"The first batch of materials has been completely gathered."
Kiyohara accepted the scroll and opened it.
The list inside was densely packed. Every material was clearly recorded, including its name, place of origin, and quantity.
He scanned through everything at an astonishing speed before rolling the scroll back up.
"Well done."
Kiyohara looked up.
If he had tried to gather all these chakra conductive materials by himself, who knew how long it would have taken?
With the Anbu handling the collection, the efficiency had increased dramatically.
"Any news from Kumogakure?"
He continued asking.
"Yes."
Yugao rose to her feet.
"Kumo has stated that as long as the Raikage is released, every condition is open to negotiation."
Kiyohara stroked his chin before replying.
"Tell them that one month from now, I will personally visit the Land of Lightning. At that time, every issue can be discussed."
Yugao paused in surprise.
"Yourself, Hokage-sama?"
"Yes. I'll go personally."
Kiyohara looked at her.
"Is there a problem?"
"No."
She shook her head.
"I'll send the reply immediately."
"Go ahead."
Kiyohara watched her leave.
After the door closed again, he reopened the scroll, his gaze settling on the long list of materials.
Chakra ore.
Chakra magnetite.
Sealing crystals.
With these resources, the Artificial Tailed Beast Project could officially begin.
Standing up, he tucked the scroll into his robes.
...
Konoha Orphanage.
The newly built orphanage stood in one of the quieter corners of the village, not far from the Shinobi Academy.
Along the courtyard wall grew a row of unknown flowering shrubs, currently covered in countless tiny white blossoms.
When Kiyohara pushed open the gate and entered, Yakushi Nono was crouching beside the flower bed.
Holding a small gardening trowel in her hand, she was carefully loosening the soil around the flowers.
She still wore her heavy black nun's habit, but compared to before, the color had returned to her face, making her look much healthier.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up.
"Kiyohara?"
Setting the trowel down, she stood and brushed the dirt from her knees.
"What brings you here?"
"I came to check on things."
Walking over, Kiyohara took a sealing scroll from his robes and handed it to her.
"A new batch of materials has arrived. I need your help testing them."
Nono accepted the scroll and opened it.
"So many?"
"Mm."
Kiyohara nodded.
"I need to know the tolerance each of these materials has toward different chakra natures. The more detailed the results, the better."
She rolled the scroll back up before raising her head.
"Leave it to me."
She nodded confidently.
"Oh, right, Kiyohara. There was something I wanted to tell you."
"What is it?"
"The orphanage has grown much larger than before. There are many more children now. Thanks to your financial support, they're finally able to eat properly, wear warm clothes, and even attend the Shinobi Academy."
She bowed slightly.
"Thank you."
Kiyohara simply shook his head.
"You don't need to thank me. These children are Konoha's future. Investing in them is the same as investing in Konoha."
From Kiyohara's perspective, the more young shinobis the village produced, the better.
With greater numbers naturally came a much higher chance of exceptional talent appearing.
"Where's Pakura?"
He spread out his chakra perception, but could not sense her chakra anywhere inside the orphanage.
"When she learned that the orphanage would be relocating to Konoha, she left."
Nono explained.
"I see."
Kiyohara wasn't surprised.
Pakura had probably grown tired of living under someone else's protection. She was likely planning to become a wandering shinobi while waiting patiently for the right opportunity.
He wondered how strong she had become by now.
Kiyohara had always found Scorch Release fascinating.
With his current understanding of chakra nature transformations, there was a real possibility that he could recreate the Scorch Release Bloodline Limit through research alone, rather than relying on inheriting it.
"Kiyohara-sensei!"
Suddenly someone called out to him.
Turning around, he saw Uchiha Izumi running across the courtyard.
She hurried over and stopped in front of him, tilting her head upward.
Those dark, sparkling eyes reflected only Kiyohara's figure.
"Kiyohara-sensei, what brings you here?"
"I came to take care of some business."
Kiyohara looked down at her.
"What about you? Why are you here?"
"The Academy arranged volunteer work."
Izumi blinked cheerfully.
"We came to help the director organize the books and clean the orphanage."
As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed the edge of his sleeve.
"Sensei, do you want to come take a look?"
She tugged him forward.
Inside the courtyard, several children were gathered together.
Guren was squatting on the ground, holding a pink crystal in her hand while slowly turning it beneath the sunlight.
The crystal refracted brilliant rainbow colors that scattered across her face like tiny dancing lights.
Standing beside her was Shion.
She wore shrine maiden robes very similar to Miroku's, while her slightly pale white hair rested naturally across her shoulders.
Around her neck hung a small golden bell.
With a single glance, Kiyohara recognized it.
It was the same bell Miroku had given Shion in the anime.
Inside the tiny bell was a crimson gemstone that sealed away a portion of Miroku's chakra.
Hearing Kiyohara and Izumi approach, Guren looked up.
"Kiyohara-sama!"
She immediately stood and ran over, proudly raising the crystal toward him.
"Look! My Crystal Release has improved again!"
Compared to before, the crystal was considerably larger.
Its shape was also much more refined.
Its edges were perfectly defined, and not the slightest impurity could be seen inside.
Kiyohara accepted the crystal and weighed it thoughtfully in his hand.
"Very good. You've improved much more than last time."
At the same time, another thought surfaced in his mind.
Since Guren's Crystal Release essentially created gemstones, could these crystals be sold for money just like the gold dust he produced?
After thinking for a moment, he slipped the crystal into his pocket.
There were two directions worth exploring.
First, whether these crystals possessed scientific value in fields such as semiconductors, optics, or other advanced technologies.
Second, whether they could be turned into luxury goods by establishing an exclusive premium brand around them.
Seeing him keep the crystal, Guren's eyes instantly lit up.
The usually cold and expressionless little girl's face was now filled entirely with pride.
To her, receiving Lord Kiyohara's approval was more important than anything else.
"I practice every single day."
"The teachers at the Shinobi Academy said my chakra control has become much better than before."
Kiyohara reached out and gently rubbed her head.
"You're doing very well."
Guren narrowed her eyes contentedly, looking exactly like a kitten enjoying being petted.
Standing nearby, Shion watched the scene with obvious envy.
Because of everything surrounding the Daimyo of the Land of Swamps, Shion had always lacked a proper father figure growing up.
Noticing the look in her eyes, Kiyohara turned toward her.
"Shion, have you gotten used to living here?"
She nodded.
"Yes. I've learned so many things I never knew before."
She began counting on her fingers, seemingly trying to calculate just how much she had learned.
"I never knew there were so many different kinds of ninjutsu in the shinobi world. Back in the Land of Demons, I only knew fuinjutsu techniques."
Soon she discovered that even all ten of her fingers were nowhere near enough.
She had learned far too many new things since coming here.
"The power of a priestess is also a very unique kind of strength."
Kiyohara crouched down until they were at eye level.
Shion had already grown a little taller compared to when she had first arrived.
"If it's properly developed, it could become even more powerful than many forms of ninjutsu."
Shion blinked.
"Really?"
"Really."
Kiyohara smiled gently.
"When you're a little older, I'll teach you some chakra control techniques. The power of priestesses shares certain similarities with Sage Arts. Perhaps the two can complement and inspire each other."
Shion's eyes immediately sparkled.
"Okay!"
Guren stood quietly to the side, watching everything unfold.
Her lips pressed together ever so slightly.
Guren walked over and gently grabbed Kiyohara's sleeve.
"Kiyohara-sama, I want to learn too."
Kiyohara could not help but laugh.
"Alright. I'll teach all of you."
Standing on the outer edge of the group, Izumi watched as Guren and Shion surrounded Kiyohara. An indescribable feeling quietly rose in her heart.
She bit her lower lip before finally stepping forward as well.
Wrapping both hands around one of Kiyohara's arms, she looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
"Sensei... I've been working really hard too."
There was a trace of grievance hidden in those pitch black eyes.
"I've recently learned several C Rank ninjutsu, and my Phoenix Sage Fire Technique has improved a lot too..."
Looking at her adorable expression, Kiyohara's lips curved into a faint smile.
Sure enough.
If you wanted to cultivate talented people, you had to start while they were still young.
Whether it was Shion, Guren, or Izumi, none of them would become ordinary figures after they grew up.
Yet during their childhood, every single one of them was so unbelievably adorable.
"I know."
He reached out and gently rubbed her head as well.
"Izumi has worked very hard too."
Izumi's face immediately flushed a light shade of red.
She lowered her head shyly, but the smile tugging at the corners of her lips rose higher and higher, impossible to suppress.
At that moment, the other children in the courtyard noticed the commotion.
"It's Hokage-sama!"
"Lord Hokage is here!"
"The Fourth Hokage!"
Immediately, they put down whatever they had been doing and rushed over, surrounding Kiyohara from every direction.
Some craned their necks to look up at him.
Some stood on their tiptoes, trying to get a better view.
The bolder children even reached out and grabbed the corners of his robes.
"Hokage-sama, you're so handsome!"
"Hokage-sama, when I grow up I want to become a shinobi too!"
"Hokage-sama..."
Kiyohara stood in the middle of the crowd, completely surrounded by smiling children.
Standing beside the flower bed, Nono watched the scene with an amused smile.
"Hokage-sama really is popular."
She teased him lightly.
Kiyohara shook his head.
"I'm nowhere near as popular as the director."
When it came to being loved by children, no one could compare to Nono.
After chatting with the children for a while, Kiyohara formed a hand seal with one hand.
Bang.
A cloud of white smoke exploded into the air.
As the smoke dispersed, another figure walked out.
The exact same face.
The exact same Hokage robes.
It was unmistakably Kiyohara's Shadow Clone.
"I still have work to take care of."
Kiyohara smiled at the children.
"So my Shadow Clone will stay here with you."
The children froze for a second before erupting into excited cheers.
"Yay!"
"It's Hokage-sama's clone!"
"Can you teach us ninjutsu?"
The Shadow Clone smiled before crouching down to meet their eye level.
"What would you like to learn?"
"Fire Jutsu!"
"I want to learn Fire Jutsu!"
"Me too!"
The clone chuckled and shook his head.
"It's still too early for chakra nature transformation."
"I'll teach you something more fundamental."
"First, how to maintain your chakra for extended periods."
"We'll begin with tree climbing..."
Seeing everything settle down, Kiyohara turned and headed toward the entrance.
Nono followed after him.
"Kiyohara. Thank you."
He stopped walking and turned around.
"What are you thanking me for?"
"For everything you've done for these children."
She paused.
Those gentle eyes were filled with sincere gratitude.
"If it weren't for you, this orphanage wouldn't exist as it does today."
Kiyohara simply shook his head.
"I only did what needed to be done."
With that, he pushed open the gate and left.
Nono remained where she was, quietly watching his figure disappear around the corner of the alley.
"Director, was Hokage-sama here just now?"
Kabuto had just finished his work and returned to the orphanage, only to find the children happily gathered around someone.
"Yes."
Nono nodded.
"Kiyohara left behind a Shadow Clone before he left."
"I see..."
Kabuto sounded slightly disappointed.
He had missed the chance to see Kiyohara again.
"So Hokage-sama has another mission?"
"That's right. He asked us to research a new batch of materials."
Nono gave a slight nod as she looked toward Kabuto.
Even she, as the orphanage director, had never imagined that Kabuto possessed such extraordinary talent in both scientific research and medical techniques.
Kabuto had already mastered more than half of everything she knew.
More impressively, he frequently expanded upon what he learned, drawing new conclusions and applications from existing knowledge.
Only then did Nono truly understand why Kiyohara valued Kabuto so highly.
It seemed Kiyohara's discerning eyes had recognized Kabuto's talent long before anyone else had.
...
Several days later.
Konohagakure.
The Hokage Tower.
Kiyohara sat behind his desk, completely absorbed in a document.
Its pages were filled with dense numerical data.
Several neatly written sticky notes were attached to the margins.
The elegant handwriting belonged to Nohara Rin.
A soft knock sounded at the office door.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A slender figure stepped inside.
She wore the standard Anbu uniform together with an animal mask.
Several strands of blue hair peeked out from beneath her hood.
Konan raised a hand and removed her mask.
Kiyohara set the document aside and looked up.
"You came back rather quickly."
Konan walked over to his desk.
"The mission was completed, so I came back."
Her voice remained as calm as ever.
Kiyohara carefully examined her.
Although her beautiful face remained cold and composed, a trace of exhaustion lingered beneath her expression.
"That's good."
He gestured toward the chair opposite him.
"Have a seat."
Konan did not sit.
Instead, she stood silently for a moment.
"There's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"Someone in the Akatsuki wants to spar with you."
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
"Who?"
"Kakuzu."
Konan answered.
"He said he wants to witness the strength of Konoha's new Hokage."
Leaning back in his chair, Kiyohara recalled everything he knew about Kakuzu.
The greatest missing nin of Takigakure.
Using the forbidden secret technique known as Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu could release black tendrils that stole the hearts of his enemies.
He could possess up to five hearts.
Each heart corresponded to one chakra nature.
As long as he possessed that heart, he could use the corresponding elemental techniques.
If a heart was destroyed, he permanently lost access to that chakra nature.
However, after stealing another person's heart, he also appeared to inherit part of their lifespan.
Kiyohara suspected that the technique did not merely steal the heart itself.
For example, transplanting a Mangekyo Sharingan between blood relatives transferred not only the eye itself but all of its ocular power.
Likewise, Earth Grudge Fear likely extracted not only the physical heart, but also the target's chakra and life force.
That would explain how Kakuzu continuously prolonged his own life.
Kiyohara even suspected Kakuzu's original body had long since ceased to exist.
What remained was essentially a mass of black tendrils controlling an artificial body.
That would explain why even after living for more than ninety years, Kakuzu's appearance had barely aged.
Had he not eventually been killed in his nineties, he might have continued living indefinitely.
Judging solely from the results, Kakuzu possessed greater longevity than Orochimaru.
Moreover, Kakuzu only needed to steal hearts to extend his lifespan.
Unlike Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation, there was virtually no risk of being consumed by his new host.
If Orochimaru happened to encounter someone like Sasuke, the spiritual struggle during Living Corpse Reincarnation was something he simply could not win.
"Interesting."
Kiyohara straightened in his chair.
"When?"
"Any time."
Konan replied.
"Then let's hold it at the border of the Land of Fire."
"You choose the exact location."
Konan nodded.
"Very well."
She turned, preparing to disappear back into the shadows to continue protecting him.
"Wait."
Kiyohara stopped her.
Konan halted.
"I'll continue researching Nagato's condition."
He spoke calmly.
"When the first batch of medicine is finished, take it back to him."
Konan silently looked at him.
After a long pause, she quietly said,
"Thank you."
Once Konan returned to the darkness to resume her hidden guard duty, Kiyohara picked up the document again.
Kakuzu truly would make an excellent opponent.
More importantly, Kiyohara was deeply interested in Earth Grudge Fear itself.
Perhaps that forbidden technique had certain principles in common with Hiruko's Chimera Technique.
Earth Grudge Fear stole lifespan and chakra natures.
The Chimera Technique stole Bloodline Limits.
What kind of result would emerge if the two techniques were combined?
After pondering the idea for a while, Kiyohara temporarily set it aside.
For now, his priority was to gather secret Yang Release and Yin Release techniques in order to fulfill one of his long term goals.
The question was where to begin.
After thinking it over, he decided to start with the Yamanaka Clan.
Their Yin Release secret techniques would probably be the easiest for him to master.
With his understanding of chakra, he might even be able to use them more effectively than members of the Yamanaka Clan themselves.
...
An hour later, after finishing all of his administrative work, Kiyohara left the Hokage Tower.
"So, brat, why have you been acting so mysteriously lately?"
Just as he was about to head toward the Yamanaka Clan, he ran into Tsunade.
She stared at Kiyohara suspiciously.
For some reason, she thought she could smell the faint fragrance of a woman lingering on him.
"I've been discussing ninjutsu with Rin lately."
Kiyohara answered with a completely straight face.
After all, Yin Release and Yang Release were still forms of ninjutsu.
"Ninjutsu?"
Tsunade completely failed to catch the hidden meaning behind his words.
"So where are you heading now?"
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"I'm going to visit a flower shop."
Kiyohara replied.
The Yamanaka Clan operated many flower shops throughout Konoha, especially the one owned by Ino Yamanaka's parents.
"Would you like to come with me, Sensei?"
Kiyohara asked.
Tsunade considered it for a moment.
"I suppose I can. It wouldn't hurt to take a look."
After all, she had nothing particularly important to do that afternoon, so accompanying Kiyohara seemed perfectly fine.
(End of Chapter)