Kiyohara and Tsunade walked side by side through the streets of Konoha.
"We're here."
Kiyohara stopped in front of a flower shop.
A wooden sign hung above the entrance, carved with the four words: Yamanaka Flower Shop.
The display window was filled with flowers and potted plants of every variety. A neat row of white daisies lined the front, their petals packed closely together. Behind them sat several pots of purple bellflowers, their blossoms drooping gracefully.
Even standing outside, Kiyohara could smell the faint, refreshing fragrance of flowers drifting through the air.
Tsunade stopped at the entrance and swept her gaze across the plants.
"The Yamanaka Clan's flower shop?"
She raised an eyebrow.
She had thought they were simply stopping by some ordinary flower shop along the street.
"What are we doing here?"
"Just taking a look."
Kiyohara pushed open the door.
Shelves lined the walls from the floor all the way to the ceiling, stacked with flower pots that formed a vibrant wall of countless colors.
Behind the counter, Yamanaka Inoichi stood with his back to the entrance, bent over as he focused on something in his arms.
The calm, composed shinobi who was renowned on the battlefield for his collected demeanor was currently making sounds that completely clashed with his usual image.
"There, there... Daddy's right here..."
Nestled in his arms was a tiny baby.
Wrapped snugly in a pale pink blanket, only her little face peeked out.
Her soft, light blonde hair clung gently to her scalp. Her eyes remained closed, while her tiny mouth opened slightly as she let out faint little murmurs.
Inoichi gently tapped the tip of her nose with a fingertip.
The baby wrinkled her nose in response before burrowing deeper into the blanket.
"Inoichi."
Kiyohara called out.
Inoichi's body stiffened instantly.
He spun around so quickly that his eyes widened into circles while his mouth hung open in shock.
A moment ago, all of his attention had been completely focused on his daughter. He had never even noticed that customers had entered the shop.
Not just any customers, either.
It was Kiyohara...
And Tsunade.
"Ho... Hokage-sama?!"
Instinctively, Inoichi tried to bow.
The sudden movement startled the baby in his arms.
Her little lips puckered.
"Waaah!"
She burst into tears.
"Ah, sorry! Sorry!"
Inoichi hurriedly rocked the baby back and forth, his expression shifting repeatedly between respect and panic.
"Hokage-sama, please wait just a moment. I'll..."
"No need to be nervous."
Kiyohara raised a hand, signaling him not to bother with formalities.
"I'm only here to look around. There's no need to make such a fuss."
Inoichi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
At the end of the day...
Kiyohara was still an Uchiha.
Even though Inoichi knew Kiyohara was different from the rest of his clan, standing before an Uchiha who possessed such overwhelming authority still made him instinctively nervous.
Konoha's prejudice toward the Uchiha Clan had long since become a deeply rooted stereotype, one that could not disappear overnight.
He gently patted the baby's back, and her cries gradually softened until they finally stopped.
"My apologies for making a scene in front of you, Hokage-sama."
"It doesn't matter."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Inoichi was the captain of Konoha's Intelligence Analysis Division and held absolute authority over the department. His abilities as a shinobi were beyond question.
But in reality...
He was hopelessly devoted to his daughter.
He often sat in izakayas (sake shop/bar?) with Shikaku and Choza, sighing over the fact that he never knew how to communicate with his little girl.
Kiyohara's gaze fell upon the baby's tiny face.
She had already opened her eyes.
They were the Yamanaka Clan's distinctive pale green, sparkling like emeralds.
'Sakura should have been born by now too...'
Kiyohara thought silently.
Since Sakura came from a civilian family, he had never paid much attention to her.
However, he already intended to recruit Sakura into Konoha Hospital in the future and have her work under Rin.
That would further strengthen Konoha's medical field.
After all...
Sakura possessed exceptional talent herself.
"What's her name?"
Tsunade asked.
Looking at the adorable baby, curiosity filled her eyes.
"Ino."
"Yamanaka Ino."
Inoichi answered respectfully.
"A good name."
Tsunade nodded.
She reached out and lightly poked the baby's cheek with a fingertip.
Her fingers were slightly cool.
The little girl pouted, but instead of crying, she merely rubbed her face against her father's chest.
"Mmm. She's a healthy child."
Tsunade withdrew her hand.
Just now, she had quietly used her chakra to examine the baby's condition.
Inoichi smiled before inviting the two of them to sit at a low table.
Moments later, footsteps approached from the back room.
His wife, Yamanaka Rino, emerged carrying a tray holding a teapot and several teacups.
The instant she saw Kiyohara and Tsunade, she paused briefly before quickly walking over.
She set the tray down and bowed politely.
"Hokage-sama. Lady Tsunade."
"Sorry for the intrusion."
Kiyohara said.
Rino smiled and shook her head before skillfully pouring tea for everyone.
Kiyohara's eyes wandered across the many flowers until they eventually settled on a pot of bellflowers tucked away in one corner.
"That pot of bellflowers has been raised quite well."
He remarked casually.
Following his line of sight, Tsunade's brows twitched slightly.
She noticed another flower sitting beside the bellflowers.
It was a pale pink rose.
The blossoms were not especially large, yet they possessed countless overlapping petals packed tightly together. Their edges curled slightly, resembling the pleated folds of a young girl's skirt.
One slender branch stretched elegantly over the edge of the flowerpot.
Three blossoms bloomed beautifully at its tip.
"That rose is rather lovely."
As she spoke, Tsunade unconsciously stepped closer and bent down to admire it.
From this angle, the sunlight streaming through the window illuminated her profile, making her already fair skin appear even smoother and more delicate.
Kiyohara remained seated on the round stool without moving.
A threadlike strand of Wind Release chakra quietly flowed from his fingertips.
Silent.
Invisible.
Like an impossibly fine silk thread.
It slipped through the air, weaving effortlessly between the crowded branches until it wrapped around the uppermost blossom.
The flower stem was lightly brushed by the tiny wind blade.
Without making the slightest sound...
It separated cleanly.
The blossom detached from its stem.
Yet instead of falling, it was gently supported by the flowing current of wind.
Slowly...
It rotated gracefully in midair.
The flower drifted over Tsunade's shoulder, neither too quickly nor too slowly, before stopping directly in front of her eyes.
Tsunade froze.
She instinctively reached out her hand.
The blossom descended softly into her palm.
"It's for you."
Kiyohara said.
Tsunade lowered her head to look at the flower resting in her hand.
It was blooming at its most beautiful moment.
Its layers of petals unfolded perfectly.
She pursed her lips, clearly wanting to say something.
But the words reached her lips only to be swallowed back down.
In the end...
She merely let out a quiet snort.
"What a busybody."
She tucked the flower behind her ear with a swift, practiced movement.
The simple action somehow suited her perfectly.
Standing behind the counter, Inoichi witnessed the entire scene.
However...
His attention wasn't focused on the flower.
It was fixed on Kiyohara's Wind Release.
That thread of chakra control had been unimaginably delicate.
A strand of wind finer than a human hair had sliced through the stem without damaging a single nearby petal. Then it had gently carried the flower several meters through the air before lowering it flawlessly into Tsunade's palm.
What kind of chakra control was required to achieve something like that?
Inoichi instinctively began estimating.
He couldn't do it.
Of that, he was absolutely certain.
The Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques emphasized spiritual manipulation and likewise demanded precise chakra control.
But this...
Was an entirely different field.
Wind Release chakra was already far more difficult to control than ordinary chakra because of its inherently unstable, flowing nature.
It was like trying to hold water in one's hands.
Apply the slightest excess force, and it slipped away through the gaps between your fingers.
Someone capable of controlling Wind Release to this extent...
Inoichi couldn't help recalling Minato.
The legendary shinobi famous for his speed was also highly skilled in Wind Release.
But every time Inoichi had seen Minato use Wind Release, it had focused on explosive offensive power rather than this almost microscopic level of precision.
S Rank.
That was the conclusion Inoichi reached internally.
No...
Perhaps even higher.
The chakra control of this young Hokage had already surpassed anything Inoichi was capable of evaluating.
"Hokage-sama's mastery of Wind Release is truly astonishing."
Inoichi said sincerely, admiration evident in his voice.
Kiyohara simply waved a hand dismissively.
To him...
This was nothing worth mentioning.
After all, Wind Release wasn't even the chakra nature he excelled at the most.
The other six chakra natures, including those formed through Kekkei Genkai chakra transformations, were all fields in which he possessed equally extraordinary mastery.
His gaze returned to the baby in Inoichi's arms.
Little Ino had already calmed down.
Her emerald eyes were half open.
One tiny hand slipped out from her blanket.
Her fingers, soft and delicate, reached aimlessly into the air as though trying to grasp something invisible.
"Ino resembles you."
Kiyohara said.
Inoichi lowered his head to look at his daughter.
She was still so young that her features had not fully developed.
Truthfully, he couldn't tell whether she looked more like him or his wife.
But if the Hokage said so...
Then perhaps she really did.
"R... Really?"
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I have an idea."
Kiyohara shifted his gaze from the baby to Inoichi.
"When Ino grows a little older..."
"I'd like to take her as my disciple."
Inoichi's expression shifted from confusion...
To shock...
Then finally to complete disbelief.
"Hokage-sama... Are you saying... you want to accept Ino as your student?"
"What?"
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
"Are you unwilling?"
"No! No, of course not!"
Inoichi waved his hands frantically.
The movement was so exaggerated that little Ino was startled once again, blinking around with her bright green eyes in complete confusion.
"I mean... this... this is just too sudden..."
His thoughts had already become a tangled mess.
The Hokage's disciple.
This meant far more than anyone else might realize.
Inoichi understood it all too well.
Names like Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Izumi had already spread throughout Konoha. Their fame did not come from belonging to the Uchiha Clan, but from the title that now shone above their heads: Disciples of the Hokage.
And now...
That same honor might one day fall upon his own daughter.
Inoichi took a slow, deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He was the head of the Yamanaka Clan, one of Konoha's elite jonin, and a veteran who had survived two great shinobi wars.
He could not lose his composure over a single sentence.
Even so...
His heartbeat was still racing unnaturally fast.
"Hokage-sama's favor is an honor beyond anything the Yamanaka Clan could have imagined."
"It's just... Ino is still so young. It's impossible to tell what her aptitude will be..."
"Aptitude isn't the issue."
Kiyohara interrupted him calmly.
"What I value isn't talent."
Inoichi blinked in confusion.
Not talent?
Then what was it?
The question reached his lips but never came out.
Kiyohara seemed to read his thoughts. A faint smile appeared on his face, but he offered no explanation.
Leaning casually against the counter, Tsunade absentmindedly rolled the petals of the rose tucked behind her ear between her fingers as she listened to the conversation without interrupting.
She knew exactly what Kiyohara was doing.
Taking Ino as his disciple was merely a convenient excuse.
His true objective...
Was the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques.
Still, she had no intention of exposing him.
The brat knew where the line was.
She trusted him.
As expected, Kiyohara smoothly changed the subject.
"However..."
"There is something I'd like your help with, Inoichi."
'Here it comes.'
Inoichi felt his heart sink slightly, though his expression remained unchanged.
"Please tell me, Hokage-sama."
"I'd like to study the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques."
Kiyohara spoke directly.
No beating around the bush.
"The Mind Body Switch Technique, the Mind Body Disturbance Technique, and the other related techniques as well."
Inoichi's brows furrowed ever so slightly.
He neither refused immediately nor agreed.
Instead, he continued gently patting the blanket wrapped around Ino.
"If I understand them..."
"I'll be able to guide Ino much better in the future."
There was logic behind those words.
Inoichi knew that an excellent teacher truly should understand the origins and principles behind the techniques their student practiced.
But...
The Yamanaka Clan's secret arts had always been passed down exclusively within the clan.
Never once had they been shared with outsiders.
"Hokage-sama..."
He carefully considered his wording.
Compared to a great clan like the Uchiha...
The Yamanaka Clan was still far too small.
That was precisely why the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi Clans had maintained their alliance for generations, upholding the ancient oath witnessed by the Sarutobi Clan.
"This isn't something I can decide on my own. The clan elders will have to discuss whether our secret techniques can..."
"I know."
Kiyohara did not pressure him.
Instead, he reached into his robe and withdrew a scroll.
It was neatly tied shut with thin hemp rope.
"This is a small token of my sincerity."
He gently pushed the scroll toward Inoichi.
"As an exchange."
After a brief hesitation, Inoichi freed one hand, untied the rope, and slowly unrolled the scroll.
"Yin Release: Yin Body Conversion Technique."
Kiyohara introduced it calmly.
"This technique temporarily increases the activity of the brain's cells, thereby enhancing spiritual energy and strengthening Yin Release ninjutsu."
"It should serve as an excellent support technique for the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques."
Inoichi's eyes rapidly scanned the contents of the scroll.
If everything written here was true...
Then this technique's value to the Yamanaka Clan was immeasurable.
The Mind Body Switch Technique required overwhelming mental strength to penetrate another person's consciousness.
The Mind Body Disturbance Technique demanded exceptionally refined control over spiritual energy.
This Yin Release technique...
Just so happened to temporarily increase spiritual energy itself.
If it could be incorporated into the Yamanaka Clan's inheritance...
Inoichi immediately began weighing everything in his mind.
The risks of allowing the clan's techniques to leave the family.
The consequences of offending the Hokage.
The tremendous benefits this technique could bring.
"Hokage-sama."
Inoichi slowly raised his head.
"This technique..."
"Did you create it yourself?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
"It was inspired by some concepts I developed while researching Dark Medical Ninjutsu."
When it came to spiritual energy...
There was no one in the entirety of Konoha who surpassed him.
After repeatedly enhancing his own mental strength over time, Kiyohara's spiritual energy had reached a level far beyond everyone else's.
Naturally, developing techniques related to it came with remarkable ease.
He estimated that even his soul itself had become extraordinarily powerful.
Unfortunately...
He had yet to truly delve into techniques that directly manipulated the soul.
As for the Spirit Transformation Technique...
He planned to study it later.
For now, he preferred finishing everything already on his agenda.
Inoichi swallowed unconsciously.
Someone capable of creating a technique of this caliber...
Perhaps his interest in the Yamanaka Clan's secret arts truly was nothing more than academic curiosity.
"I'll go retrieve the scrolls."
Inoichi finally made his decision.
He carefully transferred baby Ino into the arms of his wife.
Rino accepted their daughter, glanced quietly at her husband, and said nothing.
She simply nodded once.
"Please wait a moment."
Inoichi bowed slightly toward Kiyohara before turning and quickly disappearing into the back room.
Rino also carried Ino toward the rear of the flower shop.
Their footsteps gradually faded away.
Tsunade remained seated before the low table, watching the two disappear behind the curtain before turning back toward Kiyohara.
"What exactly are you collecting the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques for?"
She asked casually.
"For research."
Kiyohara lifted his teacup and took a sip.
The tea had already become slightly cold.
"Suit yourself."
Tsunade looked away again without asking further questions.
Her attention returned to the rose tucked behind her ear.
Its soft pink petals shimmered delicately beneath the warm light.
The edges had begun to wilt just a little.
Even so...
It remained beautiful.
Watching her quietly admire it, Kiyohara casually waved a hand toward the flower.
The next instant...
The slightly withered rose in Tsunade's hand suddenly seemed to receive an entirely new burst of vitality.
The blossom reopened before her eyes.
Its petals spread wider and wider.
Within moments, the flower had become nearly twice its original size.
"You..."
Tsunade stared at Kiyohara.
She had seen him influence plants before.
Back then, he had brushed it off by claiming he was simply supplying them with chakra and stimulating their life force.
But this time...
She had witnessed everything from only a short distance away.
She was absolutely certain.
This was not medical ninjutsu.
Nor was it merely injecting chakra.
Medical ninjutsu could produce somewhat similar effects.
But there were limits.
Making an entire flower grow larger and bloom so dramatically...
Only reminded her of one person.
Her grandfather.
Wood Release.
Kiyohara looked at Tsunade's beautiful face.
Confusion still lingered in her eyes.
He smiled.
"Sensei..."
"Do you remember what you once promised me?"
Tsunade froze.
"What?"
"You said that if I ever learned Wood Release..."
"You'd grant me one wish."
"You little brat."
"You certainly remember things like that."
Tsunade snorted helplessly.
"Somehow..."
"I really do feel like you're actually developing Wood Release."
"More or less."
Kiyohara estimated that by next month, he would have completely mastered it.
"If I really do learn it..."
"You'll have to give me those Wood Release secret technique scrolls."
He smiled.
"If you really can master Wood Release..."
"I'll give you every single one."
Tsunade shook her head.
Those scrolls had been gathering dust at home for years anyway.
Afterward, she continued carefully examining the enlarged flower in her hand.
Seeing that all of her attention had shifted toward the blossom...
Kiyohara quietly lowered his hand beneath the table.
His fingers lightly brushed the back of Tsunade's hand resting upon her knee.
Then...
His hand slowly slid downward until it came to rest against her thigh.
Tsunade's body stiffened almost instantly.
Kiyohara gently squeezed the outside of her thigh with his fingers.
He could clearly feel the soft firmness beneath them.
Her leg was supple, wrapped tightly by her light blue cropped pants.
The flesh yielded slightly beneath his touch before springing back into place.
Tsunade's greatest fear at that moment was Inoichi returning and witnessing the scene.
She quietly lifted one foot and deliberately stepped on the top of Kiyohara's foot with the heel of her shoe.
"You have absolutely no sense of respect."
She whispered through gritted teeth.
Kiyohara made no attempt to withdraw his hand.
Instead, his fingers continued slowly stroking her thigh.
Her entire leg had tensed, the muscles trembling ever so slightly beneath his fingertips.
"Behave yourself."
Tsunade reached down, trying to pull his hand away.
Only then did she realize...
This rebellious disciple was simply too strong.
She couldn't move him at all.
"I'll go to the casino with you later."
Kiyohara offered the promise like bait.
Tsunade shot him an annoyed glare.
After a moment...
She finally gave up trying to stop him and simply let him do as he pleased.
Just then...
Footsteps sounded from behind them.
Tsunade's body instantly became rigid.
She quickly patted the back of Kiyohara's hand, silently urging him to stop, before straightening her collar and brushing the loose strands of hair behind her ear.
Immediately afterward, she picked up her teacup and lowered her head to take a sip.
Perhaps because she had moved too hastily...
Several drops of tea splashed over the rim and scattered across the tabletop.
(End of Chapter)