After Uchiha Inabi's fireball was shattered, the remaining flames continued to surge upward, shooting straight at him in midair.
His expression changed drastically. He tried to dodge, but with no footing in the air, he had nowhere to borrow force.
Just as the fireball was about to hit, several shuriken shot up from below and struck key points in the flames.
The fireball burst in midair, scattering into a skyful of sparks.
Inabi used the opening to land, stumbling back a few steps, his face pale.
He looked at Kiyohara and saw that at some point Kiyohara had already palmed several specially-made shuriken. Thin black threads were attached to their tails.
They were iron-sand threads condensed through Magnet Release.
Those shuriken were what had blown apart the fireball.
What shook Inabi even more was that, at some unknown moment, those threads had already spread out like a spiderweb through the surrounding space, sealing off every route he could have taken.
If Kiyohara had wanted to, he could've seriously wounded him just now.
"I…" Inabi opened his mouth, but no words came out.
With a flick of his fingers, Kiyohara reeled the shuriken and threads back into his hand and stored them in his ninja pouch.
"Looks like I win," he said calmly.
At his current level, handling two Uchiha jōnin wasn't even stressful—he'd essentially ended it instantly.
Good. That meant one technique had been "legitimized."
Inabi had used Fire Release: Great Fireball, so next time Kiyohara used it, he'd have a perfectly clean source.
Elder Setsuna, who had been half-lidding his eyes, opened them fully now. A trace of surprise flashed through his murky pupils.
He'd assumed a bloodline that had wandered outside the clan—only with a one-tomoe Sharingan—couldn't be that strong.
But in that exchange, Kiyohara hadn't even used the Magnet Release everyone kept talking about. With nothing but taijutsu, Sharingan-based reading, and that terrifyingly fast hand-sign speed, he'd crushed Tetsuka and Inabi with ease.
That talent… that combat instinct…
For a moment, an image of that man surfaced in Setsuna's mind.
No. Impossible.
He shook his head, forcing the absurd thought away.
That man was one of a kind. This kid was just… gifted.
"Not bad," Setsuna finally said flatly, giving no hint of mood. "But don't think this level of strength is enough. You haven't seen the Uchiha's true power."
With that, he turned and walked away slowly, leaning on his cane.
Inabi and Tetsuka hurriedly crawled out of the rubble and limped after him.
Only when they were far did Shisui finally let out a long breath.
"Kiyohara… your strength has gone up so fast," Shisui said, genuinely impressed. "When I saw you last, you weren't this…"
"This strong?" Kiyohara finished.
Shisui gave a wry smile and nodded.
He'd recently awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and he'd thought his growth had been explosive—standing at the peak among his peers.
But after seeing what Kiyohara had just done, he was reminded: there's always someone beyond you.
Kiyohara's talent might not be inferior to his.
He'd just awakened his bloodline late.
Maybe someday… Kiyohara would even be qualified to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Come on," Shisui said. "Fugaku-sama is waiting."
They kept walking.
After crossing several streets, they arrived at a spacious estate.
They entered the courtyard. The paper sliding door of the main room stood open.
Uchiha Fugaku was kneeling on tatami inside, a tea set laid out in front of him.
"Fugaku-sama, Kiyohara is here," Shisui announced from the doorway.
Fugaku lifted his head, his gaze settling on Kiyohara.
"Come in. Sit."
Kiyohara removed his shoes and entered, sitting opposite Fugaku.
Shisui took a side seat.
Fugaku poured Kiyohara a cup of tea.
The tea was jade-green, steam curling upward.
"I've already been informed about what happened outside," Fugaku said.
As clan head, he had plenty of subordinates and quick information channels.
"Elder Setsuna was… overly aggressive. I apologize to you on his behalf."
Kiyohara accepted the cup but didn't drink.
He figured Fugaku had known the hardliners might come looking for him.
But that was the Uchiha: some things had to be "witnessed" firsthand.
At least Kiyohara wasn't the genin he used to be.
If he'd awakened the Sharingan back when he was still a genin, he'd have had no choice but to bow his head and endure.
"Fugaku-sama called me here… because of the Sharingan?" Kiyohara asked.
Fugaku nodded.
"Kiyohara, your situation is unusual. You've awakened the Sharingan, but your upbringing and experiences don't match the clan's."
He took a sip of tea, then continued.
"But you do carry Uchiha blood. So the Uchiha clan will always welcome you."
Fugaku didn't pressure him—he simply gave Kiyohara time to think.
"I understand, Fugaku-sama." Kiyohara finally took a sip.
He only indicated that he understood.
Joining the Uchiha now might not be a good thing.
Besides—he wasn't truly Uchiha to begin with.
That "bloodline" was simply inheritance from another future-self.
After that, Fugaku didn't press the issue. Instead, he asked Kiyohara about the front lines.
Kiyohara talked with Fugaku, listening carefully.
Some intel wasn't accessible at Kiyohara's rank, so speaking with Fugaku gave him a clearer picture of the war's broader situation.
From Fugaku's tone, it sounded like Cloud's forces were difficult to deal with.
Most of the Uchiha were currently fighting on the Cloud front, while the Mist front had eased.
Right now, the most aggressive threats to Konoha were Cloud and Sand.
'Cloud's swordsmanship… even the Sharingan has trouble keeping up,' Kiyohara thought.
The Sharingan wasn't omnipotent.
When Sasuke fought Killer B—even with the Mangekyō—B's swordsmanship still styled on him. Sasuke had to rely on Amaterasu just to force B into faking his death.
Against a true swordsman, those dazzling blade patterns could overwhelm you; even if the Sharingan sees it, the body may not keep up.
So the Uchiha were stuck in a grind on the Cloud front.
"Father."
As it grew late and Kiyohara was about to ask permission to leave, a small figure appeared at the doorway.
Those distinctive nasolabial lines—Kiyohara recognized him instantly.
Uchiha Itachi.
And Kiyohara's second wish was to defeat him.
Itachi looked about four years old.
Kiyohara stared at him and thought: Defeat Itachi? At this age, that's basically free.
But…
He glanced at Fugaku.
A jōnin insisting on "sparring" with a child who wasn't even a genin yet made no sense.
He'd have to find an excuse to "beat Itachi up" and fulfill the wish…
"It's about dinner time," Fugaku said, glancing at the hour. Cooking sounds were already coming from the kitchen—Mikoto was clearly preparing the meal.
"Shisui-kun and Kiyohara-kun, stay and eat."
"Then I'll be intruding," Kiyohara said after thinking briefly, accepting.
He needed to get closer to find a plausible reason to fulfill the wish requirement.
Since Kiyohara stayed, Shisui stayed as well.
Shisui blinked at Itachi. Itachi looked back at him.
Watching their subtle back-and-forth, Kiyohara guessed the two already knew each other.
That was earlier than canon.
In canon, Itachi went to the battlefield at four, and only met Shisui a month or two later when he was five.
Right now, Itachi likely hadn't seen a battlefield yet.
Kiyohara didn't see that "Hokage-style thinking" in his eyes.
That mindset only started after Itachi witnessed the real shinobi world on the battlefield—when he began asking what kind of person he was.
Soon, Mikoto brought the food out.
She looked gentle and warm, wearing a conservative apron that still couldn't hide her lovely figure. Her expression was soft and kind.
"Kiyohara-kun, I'm not sure whether the food suits your taste," she said.
"Mikoto-sama, I really like this," Kiyohara replied.
Mikoto didn't do much in the original story, but the databooks recorded her as a retired jōnin.
Meaning Mikoto very likely had… a three-tomoe Sharingan.
During the meal, Fugaku asked, "Has your next mission come down yet?"
Even on leave, shinobi rarely got more than a few days—especially during wartime.
"Not yet. It'll probably arrive in a few days," Kiyohara said.
Now that he had Magnet Release–assisted flight, where he went didn't matter much.
He still hadn't shown the ability, but when needed, it could become a lethal trump card.
It was perfect for pursuit—or escape.
"If you ever need anything, you can accept guidance from Uchiha shinobi as well," Fugaku added.
Kiyohara nodded slightly, understanding he'd gained a kind of "unification value."
He was close to Orochimaru, and Hiruzen favored him, so Fugaku's stance stayed soft.
Time slipped by.
After the meal, Kiyohara and Shisui took their leave.
Shisui escorted him to the edge of the district.
After they parted, Kiyohara walked home alone.
"In the end… it's still about strength," Kiyohara murmured, rubbing his chin.
He suddenly thought: if Obito still ended up teaming with Itachi for a clan massacre…
Then what did that make him—an "outsider Uchiha"? Would the clan count him?
…
A few days later, a new mission came down.
Kiyohara's assignment this time was to deliver supplies near Kikyo Pass.
Sand's incursions into the Land of Fire were growing more frequent.
The mission rank wasn't high—only C-rank.
But because it was a supply escort, enemies could attempt sabotage.
So the difficulty could jump from C to B, even A.
It all depended on probability.
Kiyohara felt that probability was high.
The battle of Kikyo Pass was notoriously brutal—Konoha lost a lot of shinobi there.
Yakushi Kabuto was adopted by Yakushi Nono in that period, after she found him with amnesia.
Nono gave him her surname—Yakushi—and named him Kabuto.
"I wonder how Nono's medical ninjutsu compares to Tsunade's," Kiyohara thought.
It was funny: both top-tier medics were deeply tied to money.
Tsunade for gambling.
Nono for the orphanage's children.
And Danzo used money to control Nono.
Kiyohara had already sold the haul he collected from Mist shinobi and Anbu at the Grass border incident.
This time he sold even more—two million ryō.
"If I'm buying medical instruction, Nono would be easier to approach," Kiyohara mused.
Because of hemophobia, Tsunade's teaching had limitations.
Medical ninjutsu differed from other ninjutsu: it required practice, surgery, hands-on correction.
Without a mentor, self-study led to mistakes fast.
If he used money to open a door with Nono, he might get patient, careful guidance.
That wouldn't violate her principles—teaching medical ninjutsu wasn't the same as rejoining the shinobi world.
In the anime and manga, she taught some gifted orphans medical ninjutsu too.
After thinking for a moment, Kiyohara returned to training.
The mission departed tomorrow at noon.
It was afternoon now—he still had half a day.
He'd already mastered Lightning Release: Thunder Roar about ninety percent. One last step remained.
In the courtyard, Kiyohara resumed training.
Lightning chakra surged through his tenketsu, running along the chest, throat, and mouth pathways.
Stray lightning chakra crackled faintly around him, blue arcs snapping in the air.
He didn't forget to call out Uchiha Kiyohara's spirit for guidance.
With a three-tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Kiyohara had copied countless techniques—teaching lightning training was easy for him.
After three hours—
"Lightning Release: Thunder Roar!"
A thick bolt of blue lightning erupted from Kiyohara's mouth and slammed into the wooden stake he'd bought.
It shattered instantly into scorched fragments.
Success.
Kiyohara felt the residual chakra turbulence inside him and smiled.
The technique hit harder than he expected.
Fast. High penetration. Perfect for ambushes.
…
Elsewhere, Hiruzen Sarutobi finished the day's paperwork.
He looked out the office window; streetlamps were already lit, and the evening crowd had grown.
"Is it time…" he murmured, glancing at the clock, preparing to go home and train.
His younger son, Asuma, had been sent to the battlefield for experience, but his elder son and daughter-in-law stayed in the village due to Anbu duties, guarding Konoha.
As he was about to head home, Hiruzen thought of Kiyohara.
A few days ago he'd given Kiyohara the formula for Thunder Roar. He wondered how Kiyohara's training was going.
So he decided to check.
If you wanted to cultivate a trusted subordinate, it helped to guide them during training.
"Hokage-sama," the Anbu on duty opened the door.
Hiruzen nodded. Other Anbu melted into the shadows to escort him discreetly.
He already knew where Kiyohara lived from background checks.
He walked over.
Before he entered, his sharp senses caught a pulse of chakra.
"This late, still training?" Hiruzen thought, surprised.
Then—
BOOM.
Crackling lightning filled the air.
That sound—Hiruzen froze.
As the creator of Thunder Roar, he knew exactly what a successful cast looked like.
That wasn't the messy crackle of a failed attempt.
That sounded… condensed. Stable.
Had Kiyohara already succeeded?
Hiruzen placed a hand on the gate.
He pushed.
It opened.
And he saw it—
Kiyohara's mouth wreathed in blue-white arcs, like he was holding a handful of liquid lightning.
BOOM!
In the dim courtyard, a white serpent-shaped bolt surged forward from Kiyohara's mouth like a spear, tearing into the remaining half-stake and smashing through into the ground.
For an instant, the lightning lit everything like midday.
Including Hiruzen's face—quietly stunned.
Thunder Roar.
A B-rank technique he'd handed Kiyohara only days ago.
Days?
No—five days.
Five days to master a B-rank technique?
Hiruzen's throat went dry.
He'd been called "The Professor" in his youth—master of all five natures, an acknowledged genius.
But even he couldn't learn a B-rank technique that fast at that age.
He thought of his three students.
Jiraiya: average talent, carried by effort and grit.
Tsunade: Senju blood and unmatched medical talent, but not extraordinary in most other ninjutsu.
Only Orochimaru—
A genius obsessed with ninjutsu, born with all five natures.
Hiruzen had long believed Orochimaru was the student most like him—most suitable to inherit his mantle.
Even Minato, whom Hiruzen also favored, didn't have all five base natures: Minato had fire, wind, lightning, yin, yang—missing two.
True "five-nature" prodigies were rare.
And by intel alone, Kiyohara already used four natures.
Did Orochimaru, at the same age, display that much?
No… not comparable.
Hiruzen suddenly remembered: Kiyohara wasn't just fast at elemental training.
He also had two bloodlines.
Only then did Kiyohara "notice" Hiruzen, turning quickly.
"Hokage-sama—why are you here?"
In truth, Kiyohara had known from the start—Uchiha Kiyohara's spirit had warned him, since it had been hovering outside to guide him.
Hiruzen steadied himself and stepped into the courtyard.
"I came to check on you," he said, forcing his voice calm.
"That technique just now… was it Thunder Roar?"
"Yes," Kiyohara nodded. "Thanks to the scroll you gave me, Hokage-sama. I've gotten the basics down."
"Basics…" Hiruzen repeated softly.
That lightning's power and stability were far beyond "basic."
"Kiyohara… your talent is extraordinary," Hiruzen said, gaze complicated.
He couldn't help but feel the boy had a bit of his own youthful silhouette.
~~~
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