Inside the spiritual space, Uzumaki Kiyohara's spirit floated in midair.
"Your world..."
Kiyohara asked.
"What exactly was the situation like?"
Uzumaki Kiyohara raised a hand and rubbed his own translucent temple.
"It was more or less the same as in the movie, but you only realize how troublesome it truly is once you are actually inside it. All the relationships between people are completely reversed. Sasuke is a womanizer who spends all day surrounded by girls. Hinata has turned into a sharp-tongued delinquent. Jiraiya-sensei, meanwhile, is an extremely serious old scholar who could not possibly be more proper."
"Wait a moment. You're from the same timeline as Naruto and the others?"
Kiyohara suddenly asked.
"That's right."
Uzumaki Kiyohara nodded.
"I see..."
Kiyohara seemed to understand.
This really was the style of the "Limited Tsukuyomi." Everyone's personalities had been twisted in the opposite direction, creating an absurd parallel world that was almost completely contrary to reality.
"So, what is are your last wills?"
Uzumaki Kiyohara lowered the hand that had been rubbing his temple. A trace of anticipation appeared in his translucent eyes.
"Two last will."
He answered.
Although he had originally wanted to say three, he had an inexplicable feeling that he could only make two wills.
"First, I want to go back to that world one more time. I died far too miserably the last time. I did not even have the chance to fight back before I was killed by some inexplicable villain. This time, I want to give that twisted world a proper beating."
He grinned, his smile carrying a hint of gritted determination.
Kiyohara nodded.
"Sure. I will study the method for activating the Limited Tsukuyomi. What about your second will?"
Uzumaki Kiyohara's gaze became even sharper as he looked directly into Kiyohara's eyes.
"I want to see you awaken the Rinnegan."
"Indra's chakra is indeed not difficult to gather."
Kiyohara slowly spoke.
"But without the Sage of Six Paths personally intervening to guide the process, under normal circumstances, the only way is to follow the same path as Madara and rely on decades of accumulation before the final fusion can be completed."
"However..."
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at his own palm.
"The chakra inside my body has already begun transforming toward the nature of Six Paths chakra."
"Madara needed several decades because his chakra itself did not possess the nature of Six Paths chakra. I am different. My chakra has already begun evolving on its own, which has greatly shortened the process. However, I still do not have an accurate answer as to exactly how long it will take."
"It does not matter."
Uzumaki Kiyohara crossed his arms over his chest and sat cross-legged in midair, his spirit hovering there peacefully.
"I am already dead anyway. Dead people have plenty of patience. I will simply stay in your spiritual space and wait slowly. I will wait until the day you get the eyes."
The corners of Kiyohara's lips curved upward slightly.
He would definitely complete it before Uzumaki Kiyohara's spirit disappeared.
After all, Kiyohara was rather interested in deepening his Uzumaki bloodline as well.
"All right."
When he left the spiritual space, the sky outside the window had already become completely dark.
The following day.
Kiyohara passed through the dense forest behind Konoha and arrived at Kaguya's residence.
When Kiyohara pushed open the wooden door and walked inside, Kaguya was sitting in a chair beside the window.
Her body leaned slightly backward, her back resting against the chair. Her hands were folded together and placed on her lap, and she appeared to be lost in thought.
After a thousand years, she had already grown accustomed to staring blankly into the distance.
The years she had spent sealed away had been so long that they could scarcely be counted. The Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei had trapped her deep within the moon, where there was nothing around her except eternal darkness and silence.
The only thing she could do was wait.
She waited for the day the seal would eventually weaken. She waited for Black Zetsu to complete his plan.
Later, Hamura had come to her.
From time to time, he would speak with her through the seal and tell her about what was happening on Earth.
Therefore, at this moment, even simply sitting beside a window and looking at the scenery was a kind of luxury to her.
Kiyohara stood at the doorway and watched her for several seconds before finally breaking the silence.
"Kaguya."
Kaguya's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her pure white eyes slowly turned toward him.
"You're here."
Her voice was as calm as still water.
"What are we doing today?"
"Teaching you ninjutsu."
Kiyohara walked several steps closer.
"But before that, you need to change your clothes."
Kaguya lowered her head and looked at the robe she was wearing.
She had been wearing this robe ever since she awakened from the seal. It was primarily white, with the edges embroidered with the tomoe patterns of the Ōtsutsuki clan. Its style was ancient and loose, wrapping her body completely from head to toe.
Although the fabric had become somewhat old, she maintained its cleanliness with chakra.
"Why?"
She raised her head, a trace of confusion appearing in her pure white eyes.
Kiyohara walked up to her, reached out, and pinched the wide cuff of her robe before giving it a gentle tug.
"Ninjutsu requires hand seals. Hand seals require both hands to work together. The movements need to be fast and precise. The sleeves of this robe are too wide, so they can easily catch on your fingers while you are forming seals, which will affect your speed and stability."
"Also, the robe is too long. When you move, it will drag along the ground, making it easy for you to trip or for an enemy to step on it."
He released the sleeve and took a step back.
"Simply put, these clothes are not suitable for combat."
Kaguya remained silent for a moment before giving a slight nod.
She understood.
"But I do not have any other clothes."
Her words were simple and direct, as though this were the most natural thing in the world.
When she emerged from the seal, this was the only robe she had been wearing. After Kiyohara brought her back to Konoha, he had never mentioned the matter of clothing, so she had simply continued wearing it.
Kiyohara glanced at her before turning around and walking outside.
About fifteen minutes later, he returned.
He was carrying a huge bundle.
After placing it on the tatami and opening it, more than a dozen different sets of women's clothing were revealed inside.
There were tops, trousers, skirts, undershirts, belts, and various other garments. The materials ranged from fine silk to sturdy shinobi fabric. The colors ranged from simple and elegant white to deep navy, along with several darker pieces decorated with subtle patterns.
Kiyohara had practically packed up an entire women's clothing store and brought it back with him.
Kaguya knelt in front of the bundle. Her pure white eyes swept over the clothes, yet her expression remained completely unchanged.
"Choose one."
Kiyohara sat cross-legged across from her.
Kaguya slowly moved her fingers through the pile of clothing.
Her fingertips brushed over the smooth surface of the silk. She then pinched and examined the sturdy texture of the shinobi fabric. Finally, her hand stopped over a set of black form-fitting clothing.
"I'll put all the other clothes away for now."
Kiyohara said.
"All right."
Kaguya nodded and let Kiyohara store the clothes inside the room.
Kaguya changed her clothes and waited for Kiyohara after for several minutes.
Before long, the curtain at the entrance was lifted.
Kiyohara walked out.
The moment Kiyohara's gaze fell upon her, his eyes brightened slightly.
She was wearing a pair of black stockings that covered her legs from her toes all the way to the middle of her thighs.
The stockings were light and highly elastic, fitting closely against the natural curves of her legs.
Her legs were already long and well-proportioned, and the black stockings made their graceful lines appear even smoother and more resilient.
On her upper body, she wore a black, form-fitting chainmail garment.
The individual metal rings were fine and flexible, conforming closely to her body and outlining her figure without concealing its natural shape.
She stood at the doorway dressed entirely in black armor and black stockings, her long white hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her pure white eyes calmly met Kiyohara's gaze.
Kaguya had always possessed an exceptionally beautiful figure. It was simply that her previous robe had concealed everything.
"Why did you choose black stockings?"
Kiyohara withdrew his gaze and asked.
Kaguya lowered her head and looked at the black stockings covering her legs. She then reached down and pinched a small section of the fabric on the inside of her thigh, pulling it outward slightly.
The highly elastic black threads stretched and became thinner, allowing the pale skin beneath to show through.
She released the fabric.
The stocking snapped back into place and once again clung tightly to her leg.
Kiyohara's eyelid twitched slightly. He could even see the subtle movement of the flesh along her thigh.
This figure was truly incredible.
"Isn't this thing supposed to prevent varicose veins?"
Her tone remained calm, carrying a hint of confusion.
"I happened to read about it while looking through some books during my free time recently. The books said that these tight-fitting long stockings can promote blood circulation in the legs and reduce the risk of varicose veins caused by standing or sitting for long periods of time. I remained completely motionless inside the seal for a thousand years, so my legs should need protection."
Kiyohara looked at her serious expression as she explained this and slightly curled the corners of his lips.
"Yes. Black stockings do indeed have that function."
Kiyohara felt that Kaguya had absolutely no idea that black stockings had another purpose.
However, he had no intention of explaining it to her.
Letting her maintain such a pure understanding of them was rather amusing.
"Let's go."
Kiyohara extended his hand toward Kaguya.
When Kaguya reached out and took it, the two of them disappeared.
Kiyohara did not take her to Konoha's regular training grounds. Instead, he found an empty clearing deep within a bamboo forest.
He raised his right hand, and Earth Release chakra surged from his palm into the ground.
With a deep rumble, the earth began to shake violently.
Soil and rocks surged upward from beneath the ground. Under the guidance of chakra, they rearranged themselves.
Several-meter-high earthen walls rose from the ground, forming a circular training ground approximately fifty meters in diameter. The ground itself was compacted into a flat surface of hard earth.
The bamboo and trees surrounding the area were separated by the earthen walls, creating a completely enclosed space.
"Let's start with the basics."
Kiyohara turned around to face Kaguya and slowly raised both hands, forming a seal in front of his chest.
"The foundation of ninjutsu is hand seals. The essence of hand seals is guiding chakra."
His hands began slowly changing from one seal to another.
"This is Rat."
Both index fingers stood upright, with the middle fingers overlapping the index fingers.
"This is Ox."
His right hand's five fingers wrapped around the index finger of his left hand.
"This is Tiger."
The thumbs and index fingers of both hands touched while the remaining fingers interlocked.
He demonstrated the twelve basic hand seals one by one, making certain that Kaguya could clearly see the position and angle of every finger.
Kaguya stood where she was, her pure white eyes fixed unwaveringly on Kiyohara's fingers.
When the final Boar seal had been demonstrated, she slowly raised both hands and began to imitate him.
Her first attempt was not particularly fast, but the sequence of the twelve seals and the position of every finger were completely accurate.
By the second attempt, her speed had already increased noticeably.
By the third attempt, all Kiyohara could see was a blur of white afterimages as her hands moved through the seals.
Kiyohara watched from the side, inwardly sighing in admiration.
As expected of the source of the bloodlines that would eventually give rise to the Byakugan and Sharingan.
What Kaguya possessed was not merely some kind of powerful dōjutsu. She possessed the most original and purest Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
For her, anything she saw once could be reproduced with astonishing precision.
This kind of learning ability had already surpassed the realm of mere talent. It was an absolute advantage at the level of her entire race.
"That's enough."
Kiyohara walked over to her side and raised his right hand, beginning to form seals.
"Next is the first ninjutsu, Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. The hand seal sequence is Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger. Concentrate your chakra in the area from your throat to your chest, then use the hand seals to transform the chakra into the nature of fire. Finally, the moment the last seal is completed, release it through your mouth."
As he spoke, he demonstrated.
His hands moved at a normal speed as he formed the six seals. The instant the Tiger seal was completed, he slightly opened his mouth.
A gigantic fireball more than six meters in diameter erupted from his mouth.
Carrying a scorching wave of heat, it roared across the training ground toward the opposite side and slammed heavily into the earthen wall.
The flames exploded outward. The surface of the earthen wall was scorched black and cracked under the intense heat, while the moisture in the surrounding air was instantly vaporized, filling the area with a layer of white mist.
Kiyohara lowered his hand and turned toward Kaguya.
"Your turn."
Kaguya nodded.
She raised both hands, her ten fingers beginning to move through the hand seals in front of her chest.
Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.
The instant the Tiger seal was completed, she slightly opened her mouth.
A fireball flew out.
The fireball was far smaller than Kiyohara's. Its diameter was only about half a meter, and its flames were not deep red but more of an orange-yellow color. The flames around its edges flickered somewhat unsteadily.
However, the important point was that she had succeeded on her very first attempt.
Kiyohara watched the small Great Fireball flying toward the earthen wall and could not help feeling that Kaguya truly possessed an extraordinary talent.
On her very first attempt at forming the hand seals and using a ninjutsu, she had successfully released a complete fireball rather than merely coughing out a puff of smoke or producing an unstable mass of flame.
"Keep going."
Kiyohara said.
For the rest of the afternoon, Kiyohara taught her the basic ninjutsu associated with the five major chakra natures: Fire Release, Water Release, Earth Release, Lightning Release, and Wind Release.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!
After forming the necessary hand seals, Kaguya spat seven or eight small fireballs from her mouth. They scattered through the air before striking every single target point Kiyohara had marked on the earthen wall.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
She summoned a rotating wall of water around herself from the ground in front of her. Both its height and thickness reached the standard level.
Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!
The ground split open, and a dragon head made entirely of earth rose from beneath her feet. Mud projectiles were continuously fired from its mouth, with every single one striking the exact same indentation on the earthen wall.
Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!
A spherical mass of lightning condensed in her palm, producing sharp crackling sounds. The blue-white electric light reflected against her black stockings and chainmail armor, giving them a cold, metallic sheen.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
She exhaled a rapidly rotating whirlwind from her mouth, sweeping up all the loose stones and bamboo leaves scattered across the ground before violently smashing them against the opposite earthen wall.
Every technique took her only one or two attempts to successfully release.
Furthermore, the power of each technique visibly increased every time she repeated it.
Kiyohara clapped his hands.
"That's enough for today."
Kaguya lowered her hands.
She remained silent for a moment before slightly lowering her head.
"Thank you."
In Kaguya's eyes, chakra was the most important thing in the world.
Naturally, training that could improve her ability to manipulate chakra was something that deserved to be taken seriously.
Everything else, such as clothing, food, and shelter, was secondary.
Kiyohara was willing to spend his time teaching her these things, so she felt that she should at least express her gratitude.
Kiyohara looked at her grateful expression and slightly curled the corners of his lips.
"Is a verbal thank-you enough?"
Kaguya straightened herself and looked at him with her pure white eyes. A trace of confusion appeared on her face.
"Then what else is needed?"
Kiyohara took one step forward, stopping less than an arm's length away from her.
"I want to conduct some training in advance for our future reproduction."
Kaguya froze for a moment.
Reproduction.
It was reproduction again.
Her brows furrowed slightly, but they soon relaxed.
She began seriously considering Kiyohara's words.
Advance training?
If this ninjutsu training could ultimately improve her strength, and if that increased strength could indeed serve some purpose in their future reproduction...
Her train of thought went around in a circle.
Although she felt that the causal connection was somewhat forced, she could not find any obvious flaw in his reasoning.
"But I have not agreed to your request for reproduction right now."
She shook her head, and the ends of her white hair gently brushed against her chainmail armor with the movement.
"I said in the future, not now."
"I'm only talking about making some preparations in advance. It is the same as learning ninjutsu. You learn it now and use it in the future."
Kaguya fell silent.
She could not win an argument against Kiyohara.
Moreover, she did indeed need to rely on him at present.
Planting the God Tree, supplying chakra, preparing to deal with the other Ōtsutsuki, and all the other matters ahead of them required Kiyohara's cooperation.
In a certain sense, the two of them really were tied to the same boat.
Since he was merely asking her to make some insignificant preparations in advance and offering her an equally insignificant reward...
"All right."
She spoke in a tone as calm as if she were agreeing to the most ordinary request imaginable.
Kiyohara leaned forward slightly and tapped his own lips with his index finger.
Kaguya took one step toward him.
She rose slightly onto her toes. Even though she was quite tall herself, Kiyohara was still noticeably taller than her.
The kiss could be described as nothing more than a brief touch.
Her lips were soft and slightly cool, and the sensation disappeared almost immediately.
She stepped back.
There was not the slightest change in her expression, as though she had merely completed an additional hand seal.
Kiyohara looked at her pure white eyes, which remained as calm as still water, while he quietly reflected to himself.
Not bad. Soft and pleasantly fragrant.
At certain times, Kaguya really was surprisingly easy to persuade.
...
Several days later, at the Hokage Tower.
When Kurenai pushed open the office door, Kiyohara was leaning back in his large chair with his eyes closed, apparently resting.
A pile of documents was spread across the desk, but he clearly had no intention of dealing with official business at the moment.
Kurenai walked over to Kiyohara's side. Before she could even say anything, Kiyohara's hand had already reached out naturally and grasped the inner side of her thigh through her tight-fitting pants.
Kurenai's body stiffened slightly, but she did not move away.
Kiyohara's fingers slowly traced upward along the muscles on the inside of her thigh before stopping near the top of her leg. His palm rested against her thigh as his five fingers gently tightened.
"Kiyohara, we are in the office right now."
Kurenai's voice was slightly lower than usual, but she did not push him away. Instead, she turned her head toward the entrance to make sure the door was closed.
"Mm. So what about the office?"
Kiyohara's hand continued to move slowly against her thigh.
Kurenai took a deep breath and decided to get straight to the point.
"You asked me to notify the shinobi to collect more Stone of Gelel. I have already arranged it, but everyone is curious. Why do you need so many Stone of Gelel?"
Kiyohara's fingers stopped moving.
"To forge a key leading to another world."
Kurenai turned her head and met his scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan. She froze for a moment.
"Another world?"
"The Limited Tsukuyomi."
Kiyohara leaned back against his chair.
"A parallel world that is completely opposite to the present world. Activating it requires an enormous amount of energy, and Stone of Gelel is one of the minerals with the highest known energy density. Once I combine it with the chakra of the Tailed Beasts, I will be able to activate it."
Kiyohara explained.
As for the method of creating it, Kiyohara also had a way to learn that.
After hearing his explanation, Kurenai nodded thoughtfully.
Then her lips pressed together slightly, and a trace of grievance flashed through her eyes. Her voice became softer than before.
"You haven't had any time to spend with me lately."
She puffed out her cheeks slightly.
"I know you're very busy. You have to expand Konoha, deal with the daimyo, and handle the allied forces from the other shinobi villages. But it has already been nine whole days. You haven't come to see me even once."
Kiyohara looked at her aggrieved expression, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
"Are you really that unsatisfied?"
Kurenai's cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
Her crimson eyes widened as she stared at Kiyohara, both embarrassed and annoyed.
"I-I wasn't thinking about anything like that!"
Her voice rose slightly before she quickly lowered it again, afraid that someone outside might hear her.
"I just wanted to spend more time with you, Kiyohara. I mean the kind where the two of us sit together in the courtyard, drink some tea, chat, and simply spend some time together. That's all. I never said I wanted to do that kind of thing!"
The more she spoke, the more flustered she became, until even the tips of her ears had turned completely red.
Kiyohara looked at her embarrassed and irritated expression. He removed his hand from her thigh and then lightly patted her buttocks.
Smack.
The sound was not loud, but Kurenai's body suddenly trembled as though she had been shocked by electricity.
"Really?"
There was unmistakable amusement in Kiyohara's voice.
Kurenai took a deep breath, turned her head away, and gave a heavy huff.
But she did not leave.
In fact, while her face remained flushed, she moved another half-step closer to Kiyohara.
…
At the same time, in Kirigakure.
Inside the office of the Mizukage Building, Mei rested her chin on both hands as she gazed out at the mist-covered sea.
An intelligence scroll was spread across her desk. It contained a detailed record of the entire process of Kiyohara declaring himself emperor, along with the movements of the Kumo and Iwa allied forces.
Hōzuki Mangetsu stood opposite her with his arms crossed. His pale face showed little emotion.
"Mizukage-sama, Kiri should avoid getting involved in this mess."
"At present, the daimyō of all five great nations are dissatisfied with Kiyohara. Our own Land of Water daimyo is especially opposed to him. Yesterday alone, he sent three secret letters demanding that Kiri join the alliance."
"Since when has the Land of Water daimyo's opinion been able to influence the Mizukage's decisions?"
Mei lazily raised her eyes, but there was no warmth in her green gaze.
Mangetsu's fingers, which had been tapping against his arm, stopped.
"This is not a matter of whether the daimyo can influence the Mizukage. The entire structure of the shinobi world is changing."
He stepped forward and placed one hand on the desk.
"Kiyohara intends to become emperor. The other shinobi villages cannot simply sit back and do nothing. Kumo and Iwa are already forming an alliance. Suna will most likely stand on Konoha's side. That leaves only Kiri. Whichever side we choose will gain the military strength of an entire great nation."
"Then that is perfect."
Mei flipped the intelligence scroll over.
"We can use this opportunity to choose our side. If we choose correctly, Kiri's position in the new order will not be low."
"And what if we choose incorrectly?"
Mangetsu lowered his voice.
"No matter how powerful Kiyohara is, can he really fight Kumo and Iwa simultaneously, along with Kiri and the other smaller shinobi villages that might join them? Even if he is the God of Shinobi, wars are not won by a single person."
Mei rose from her chair.
She walked over to the window and pushed it open.
The damp sea breeze, carrying a layer of mist, surged into the office and sent her reddish-brown hair streaming backward.
Kiyohara's figure appeared in her mind.
"Mangetsu."
She spoke while facing away from Hōzuki Mangetsu.
"Yes?"
"Kiyohara's strength is far greater than any of you imagine. I have personally witnessed it while standing beside him. The power he possesses at that level is no longer something that can be defeated through more numbers. Even if the allied forces of Kumo and Iwa were doubled, they still would not be his match."
(End of Chapter)