Yamanaka Rino walked out from the inner room with baby Ino sleeping peacefully in her arms.
The infant had already fallen completely asleep. Her tiny mouth was slightly open as soft, gentle breaths escaped from her lips. Her rosy little face rested against her mother's chest, wrapped tightly in warm swaddling cloth.
"Hokage-sama. Lady Tsunade."
Rino placed a tray on the low table. On it were two freshly brewed cups of tea, steam rising gently into the air.
She quickly collected the empty teacups and replaced them with the fresh ones in a smooth, practiced motion.
"This is the first tea harvest of the year. It was picked from the mountains. I hope it suits your tastes."
She poured the tea as she spoke.
When she raised her head, her eyes accidentally swept across Tsunade's face. She paused in surprise.
"Lady Tsunade, why is your face so red? Is the tea too hot?"
She asked with concern, reaching toward the teacup in front of Tsunade.
Given Tsunade's status in Konoha, Rino naturally dared not neglect her in the slightest.
"I'll prepare a cooler cup for you."
"No need."
Tsunade waved her hand and cleared her throat, forcing her voice to sound as calm as possible.
"No need to change it. It's fine."
Rino looked at Tsunade before glancing toward Kiyohara.
"If sensei says there's no need, then don't worry about it."
Kiyohara said casually.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Yamanaka Rino nodded obediently.
She did not think much of it.
Perhaps Lady Tsunade had simply walked over too quickly from outside.
"Then I'll excuse myself. Please call me if you need anything."
Holding Ino in her arms, she bowed slightly before turning and disappearing into the inner room.
The curtain fell behind her, hiding her slender figure from view.
The living room returned to silence.
Tsunade gently set down her teacup before turning to glare at Kiyohara.
There was a trace of embarrassment and irritation hidden in her eyes.
"You little brat."
She lowered her voice.
"I'll settle the score with you after we get back."
Kiyohara merely smiled without answering.
His hand withdrew from beneath the table as though nothing had happened. He calmly picked up his teacup again and slowly sipped his tea.
A short while later, footsteps sounded from the inner room once more.
This time it was Inoichi.
He lifted the curtain and walked out while carrying another scroll in his hands.
The scroll was noticeably larger than the one Kiyohara had handed him earlier. The paper had already yellowed with age, and the edges were visibly worn. At a glance, it was obvious that it had existed for many years.
A thin black cord tied the seal shut, while a wax seal bearing the Yamanaka clan's crest secured the knot.
Inoichi sat across from Kiyohara and carefully placed the scroll on the table.
"Hokage-sama, I'll entrust Ino's future to you."
"You have my word."
Kiyohara replied.
Ino actually possessed excellent talent.
In the anime, she had even studied medical ninjutsu under Tsunade and mastered the A Rank Medical Ninjutsu, Mystical Palm Technique.
Besides that, she could also use techniques such as Binding Technique and Four Corner Sealing Barrier, making her an exceptionally versatile shinobi.
Moreover, among the Konoha Twelve, Ino was undoubtedly one of the most fashionable women. By the time of Shippuden, after reaching adulthood, she possessed the graceful charm and mature elegance of an older sister figure.
If Kiyohara personally trained her, there was no doubt that she would surpass her original potential by a considerable margin.
Inoichi nodded before gently pushing the scroll across the table.
Kiyohara accepted it, untied the cord, and slowly unrolled it.
The parchment was densely packed with writing. Some of the ink had already faded considerably, showing that this was an old manuscript copied repeatedly over many generations.
His eyes rapidly swept across the words and accompanying diagrams.
There were quite a few secret techniques recorded inside.
Both the techniques he had specifically requested and those he had not mentioned were all included.
Among them was...
"Shinobi Art: Mind Body Switch Technique."
This technique was the very foundation of the Yamanaka Clan's secret arts and also the technique they used most frequently.
It allowed the user to release their consciousness and possess another person's body.
Its greatest weakness was that the projected spirit could only travel in a straight line. If it failed to hit the intended target, it would also be unable to return to the user's body for a short period of time.
Furthermore, the caster and the target shared any damage they received, making it primarily suitable for espionage missions and intelligence gathering.
'This technique does resemble the Spirit Transformation Technique to some extent.'
Kiyohara stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He had no idea whether Kato Dan had any connection to the Yamanaka Clan or what kind of relationship the two families had possessed during the Warring States Era.
Regardless, the similarities between the two techniques were unmistakable.
However, the Spirit Transformation Technique was clearly the superior version.
It completely lacked the limitation of moving only in a straight line and could even ignore distance altogether while searching for enemies.
He then continued reading.
"Shinobi Art: Mind Body Disturbance Technique."
This technique represented an application derived from the Mind Body Switch Technique.
Instead of taking complete control of the target, it interfered with the opponent's thoughts and movements using one's own spiritual energy.
Even if the victim remained fully conscious, they would still perform actions completely against their own will.
Continuing further down the scroll were techniques such as...
"Shinobi Art: Mind Reading Technique."
"Shinobi Art: Telepathy Technique."
"Shinobi Art: Mind Body Performance Technique."
All of them were recorded in detail.
After mastering these techniques, Kiyohara would gain the ability to directly read another person's thoughts to a certain extent.
He would even be able to communicate mentally without relying on any external devices.
Words, emotions, and even images formed within his own mind could be directly transmitted into someone else's consciousness.
During the Fourth Great Shinobi War, these techniques had played an indispensable role.
They united the entire Allied Shinobi Forces through a shared mental network, allowing extraordinary coordination and unity on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Madara's side had practically become a gathering of double agents.
Kabuto betrayed him.
Nagato betrayed him.
Obito betrayed him.
Black Zetsu betrayed him.
Everyone was secretly acting according to their own agenda.
Only Madara sincerely wanted to wage the Fourth Great Shinobi War from beginning to end.
After briefly reading through the scroll once, Kiyohara had already memorized every single technique.
Even if he don't have the Sharingan, after repeatedly inheriting various abilities, both his memory and comprehension had already far surpassed those of ordinary people.
"These techniques are extremely valuable."
Kiyohara closed the scroll before looking up at Inoichi.
"When Ino reaches the appropriate age, I will officially accept her as my disciple."
Hearing those words, Inoichi smiled with obvious relief.
"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama."
He stood and bowed deeply.
Kiyohara waved his hand dismissively, stored the scroll inside his clothing, and rose to his feet.
Tsunade stood as well.
"Then we won't trouble you any longer."
Kiyohara headed toward the entrance.
Inoichi personally escorted them to the door.
"Please take care on your way back, Hokage-sama."
Standing just inside the doorway, Inoichi watched Kiyohara turn back and give him a slight nod before leaving.
Tsunade quickly turned and increased her pace to catch up with him.
The two figures walked side by side along the road they had taken earlier, gradually disappearing into the distance.
Inoichi remained standing at the entrance, silently watching until both figures vanished at the end of the street.
However...
No matter how he looked at it...
It really seemed as though the two of them were heading toward a gambling house.
He remembered very clearly that if they continued walking along that street, they would eventually arrive at Konoha's largest casino.
He had even heard that a brand new gambling hall was currently under construction nearby.
"Inoichi."
Rino called softly while holding Ino.
"Is Hokage-sama really going to accept Ino as his disciple?"
Inoichi walked over and gently took his daughter into his own arms.
Being shifted into a different position, little Ino pursed her lips slightly but did not cry. Instead, she simply stared at her father's face with her light green eyes.
"Yes."
Inoichi lowered his head, looking gently at the tiny face in his arms.
"Our daughter..."
"One day..."
"She will become the Hokage's disciple."
Rino leaned against her husband's shoulder, lowering her own head to look at their daughter as well.
The baby knew absolutely nothing.
She merely instinctively clenched her tiny fists and held one beside her ear.
"Ino."
Inoichi looked lovingly at the little face that had gradually relaxed.
"When you grow up..."
"You must study diligently under Hokage-sama."
Ino let out a tiny yawn before burying her face back into the swaddling blanket.
Moments later, she was asleep once again.
Several days later.
At the border of the Land of Fire.
Kiyohara held Konan in his arms as he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly arriving at the location she had specified.
Moments later, after the two appeared...
Kakuzu was already waiting there.
The place was a desolate valley near the border of the Land of Fire.
Mountain ridges stretched endlessly on both sides like the enormous ribs of some colossal beast, squeezing the sky above into nothing more than a narrow strip of blue.
Kakuzu stood before the valley entrance, observing Kiyohara with great interest.
Huh...
That woman actually allowed herself to be held.
It was Kakuzu's first time witnessing Konan in such a state.
Feeling his gaze, Konan frowned slightly before gently patting Kiyohara's arm, signaling that he could let go now.
"Kakuzu is waiting ahead."
She said calmly.
Today she was still wearing her ANBU uniform.
However, she had already removed her mask.
Her cool, beautiful face was fully revealed, along with the silver lip piercing resting beside her lips.
"Alright."
Kiyohara nodded slightly before releasing her.
At the same time, he carefully observed Kakuzu.
This was essentially the first formal meeting between the two of them.
Kakuzu looked almost exactly as Kiyohara remembered.
He wore the familiar black cloak decorated with red clouds that every member of the Akatsuki wore.
Unlike the others, however, Kakuzu preferred wearing a black face mask just like Kakashi, exposing only a pair of emerald green eyes.
Was it to hide the stitched seams around his mouth?
Kiyohara pondered silently.
Hiruko had been much the same.
People who loved modifying their own bodies always had a habit of turning themselves into creatures that were neither fully human nor fully monster.
"I've long heard of your reputation... The Fourth Hokage... Kiyohara."
Kakuzu looked directly into Kiyohara's eyes as he spoke.
Kiyohara was much younger than he had imagined.
"If you're going to spar with me, you should at least put something on the line."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
"What do you have in mind?"
Kakuzu asked in return.
"If you lose, you leave behind Earth Grudge Fear. After all, you stole it from Takigakure, so I doubt you'd feel much guilt about giving it up."
Kiyohara spoke at an unhurried pace.
"So you even know about that."
A hint of surprise flashed through Kakuzu's eyes.
Several decades had already passed since he had defected from Takigakure.
Furthermore, Taki had never intentionally publicized the incident, yet Kiyohara somehow knew about it.
Kakuzu immediately assumed that Kiyohara had deliberately investigated his background and gathered detailed intelligence on him.
"Konoha's intelligence network is truly terrifying."
Kakuzu thought silently.
"That's acceptable."
He nodded without hesitation.
He had absolutely no intention of losing.
"However, if you lose, then I want one of the techniques you possess."
"Naturally."
Kiyohara nodded.
He honestly felt that even if he handed one of his techniques over, Kakuzu would have an extremely difficult time learning it.
There was no point mentioning ordinary ninjutsu.
As for techniques like the Flying Thunder God Technique or the various Bloodline Limit secret arts, they simply were not abilities Kakuzu could casually master.
"Then shall we begin?"
Kiyohara asked.
"Heh, of course."
Kakuzu smiled, clearly satisfied by Kiyohara's straightforward attitude.
Kiyohara then glanced toward Konan.
Understanding immediately, she stepped backward several paces.
Two wings formed entirely from countless sheets of paper spread open behind her back.
With a gentle flap, her body rose gracefully into the sky.
She stopped dozens of meters above the battlefield, silently overlooking the two men below.
"Then let's begin."
Seeing that Kiyohara had intentionally moved Konan away from the battlefield, Kakuzu slowly raised a hand and untied the collar of his cloak.
The black robe adorned with red clouds slipped from his shoulders.
He casually tossed it onto a nearby boulder.
Beneath it was a tight-fitting gray chainmail shirt that hugged his body closely, outlining his powerful muscles.
His thick arms were covered with ring after ring of stitched seams.
With Kiyohara's extraordinary eyesight, he could vaguely see those black stitches squirming ever so slightly beneath the surface.
Every single section of those seams could separate at any moment, allowing Kakuzu's arms to extend outward and strike over long distances.
Kiyohara knew this perfectly well.
Even so, it hardly mattered.
He possessed Steel Release.
He also possessed Earth Release: Earth Spear.
Not to mention the dynamic vision granted by his Sharingan.
There was virtually no chance Kakuzu could launch a surprise attack that Kiyohara failed to perceive.
If this had been the Kiyohara from long ago, facing Kakuzu might have brought him considerable pressure.
But the current Kiyohara...
Defeating Kakuzu would be effortless.
"Earth Grudge Fear!"
In the next instant, Kakuzu's body split apart.
The stitched seams burst open simultaneously, as though something inside had violently torn through a tightly sewn sack.
Pitch black matter emerged from every opening.
Countless black tendrils poured from the cracks in overwhelming numbers.
They twisted and writhed through the air like a nest of living serpents.
Within the blink of an eye, they completely enveloped Kakuzu's body.
At that very instant, Kiyohara's black pupils transformed into the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Within the unique vision granted by those eyes...
Kakuzu no longer resembled a human being.
His true body appeared as an enormous mass of writhing black tendrils.
Every single tendril was woven together from countless delicate strands of chakra.
Five hearts were embedded throughout the tangled mass.
Each one pulsed rhythmically, pumping chakra into the countless black threads.
Five hearts.
Five chakra natures.
Kiyohara saw them clearly.
Fire.
Wind.
Lightning.
Earth.
Water.
Each heart functioned like an independent engine.
They operated separately without interfering with one another, yet remained connected into a single organism through the countless chakra threads.
Then the tendrils began to gather together.
They surged outward from Kakuzu's body, accumulating around his shoulders and back.
Four masks slowly emerged from the writhing mass.
Each mask was pale gray, resembling fired clay, with differently colored patterns carved across its surface.
The Fire Element Mask and Wind Element Mask merged into his shoulders, facing outward.
The Lightning Element Mask and Earth Element Mask embedded themselves into his back, one facing left and the other right.
Eight enormous black tendrils extended from Kakuzu's body.
Each one was as thick as an adult's arm.
They slowly writhed through the air like the tentacles of a giant octopus.
Kakuzu fixed his gaze upon Kiyohara.
Just moments ago, he had fully expected Kiyohara to launch a surprise attack while he was transforming.
Instead...
Kiyohara had simply stood there observing him.
Was that confidence born from overwhelming strength?
Or was he merely being cautious and unwilling to attack recklessly?
Kakuzu silently weighed the possibilities.
"Fourth Hokage."
"I want to see exactly how much of the First Hokage's power you truly possess."
The moment his words fell...
The Fire Element Mask on Kakuzu's shoulder opened its mouth.
Fire Release: Searing Migraine!
An enormous torrent of flames erupted from the mask.
The fire poured forward like an endless ocean.
The instant it touched the ground, its range expanded explosively.
For a single moment...
The entire world seemed to turn crimson.
The sea of flames spread outward with Kakuzu at its center.
Everything it touched was consumed.
Broken rocks melted into glowing pools.
Withered grass was instantly reduced to ash.
Witnessing the overwhelming inferno below, Konan had no choice but to ascend another dozen meters into the air.
The paper wings behind her trembled under the violent waves of heat.
She instinctively raised an arm to shield herself from the scorching air rushing toward her.
The blazing flames reflected across her normally cold face, bathing it in alternating light and shadow.
"Kakuzu has become stronger?"
Konan muttered in surprise.
The Kakuzu she remembered should not have possessed such overwhelming power.
Yet the current Kakuzu was vastly stronger than the one in her memories.
The sheer range and terrifying temperature of that Fire Release attack had already surpassed the limits of ordinary Fire Release specialists.
Her eyes shifted toward Kiyohara standing below.
She had already prepared herself to unleash Paper Release at any moment, erecting a defensive barrier around him if necessary.
Yet...
Kiyohara remained completely motionless.
The flames capable of melting solid stone suddenly stopped several meters before reaching him.
A brilliant layer of golden chakra surrounded his entire body, completely isolating him from the blazing inferno.
The endless flames slammed against the golden chakra barrier.
Countless sparks exploded in every direction.
Yet they failed to advance even a single inch.
Susanoo.
At the very next moment...
Kiyohara employed one of the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques.
"Shinobi Art: Mind Body Switch Technique."
In an instant, his consciousness left his body.
Ordinary members of the Yamanaka Clan needed to pour every ounce of their spiritual energy into this technique in order to avoid failure.
Kiyohara did not.
He did not need all of his spiritual power.
He did not even need most of it.
His spiritual energy had become so unimaginably vast that separating only a tiny fraction was already more than enough to complete the technique.
That tiny strand of consciousness became like an invisible needle.
It pierced straight through the sea of flames.
Then...
It shot directly into Kakuzu's mind.
Kakuzu's body instantly stiffened.
The eight massive black tendrils slowly writhing in the air froze simultaneously.
Kiyohara's consciousness entered Kakuzu's body.
At that moment...
He experienced many things.
The first sensation...
Was sluggishness.
Compared to his own body, this one was incomparably slow.
The transmission speed of its nerve signals felt as though someone had stretched time itself.
To Kiyohara...
It felt like fighting an intense PvP battle while connected through a deep red, extremely high latency network.
Everything responded far too slowly.
He spent a brief moment adapting before finally growing accustomed to it.
Of course...
That did not mean Kakuzu's body was weak.
Compared to the overwhelming majority of shinobi, Kakuzu's physical body could easily be considered exceptional.
The problem was simply...
Kiyohara's own body had become absurdly powerful.
After adapting, Kiyohara could clearly feel the simultaneous beating of all five hearts.
Five completely different chakra natures surged through the body together.
Three seconds later...
He raised one of Kakuzu's tendrils.
The Fire Element Mask on Kakuzu's shoulder extended outward.
Its black tendrils stretched like an elongated neck before aiming directly at Kakuzu's own chest.
Boom!
A massive torrent of flames exploded directly into his torso.
The thin layer of black tendrils protecting his body was instantly torn apart.
A huge gash opened across his chest.
Scorched muscle and stark white bone were revealed beneath the burned flesh.
At that very instant...
Kakuzu's consciousness struggled violently.
Although his spiritual strength could not compare with Kiyohara's, the countless decades of life experience he had accumulated granted him mental resilience and computational ability far beyond that of ordinary people.
Like a hedgehog suddenly startled by danger...
He instinctively erected every defensive spike he possessed.
All of the black tendrils erupted into violent motion.
They lashed madly through the air, smashing apart nearby rocks and scattering the scorched earth in every direction.
Seeing this, Kiyohara immediately withdrew his consciousness and returned it to his own body.
Even after his spirit had completely returned...
Kakuzu's body continued moving under the lingering inertia of that self-destructive posture.
"Cough!"
Kakuzu violently spat out a mouthful of blood.
The blood splashed across the scorched ground, staining the already blackened earth an even darker shade.
"Damn it."
His expression grew extremely grim.
He should never have underestimated Kiyohara.
An attack that directly targeted the spirit...
Really was impossible to guard against.
After suffering that unexpected blow, Kakuzu immediately wrapped his entire face with a dense layer of black tendrils, forming something resembling a solid black mask.
From now on...
He intended to rely solely on his sensory perception to fight Kiyohara.
That way, he could avoid being influenced by the Sharingan or any other form of spiritual attack.
(End of Chapter)