Just as Tsunade took a step forward, about to go look for Kiyohara, Kurenai suddenly spoke up beside her.
"Tsunade-sama—there's movement."
Tsunade followed Kurenai's gaze.
She sensed it too.
And that direction… was exactly where Kiyohara was.
Everyone turned toward the treeline.
In the night, a figure came rushing in fast.
His speed was incredible—just a few leaps and he arrived in front of the camp, landing lightly.
It was Kiyohara.
He looked a bit rough. His upper shirt was basically destroyed, only a few strips of cloth still hanging off him, leaving his lean upper body exposed.
"Sorry, sensei. I'm late," Kiyohara said.
"Ran into a small problem. It took longer than expected."
There was just too much stuff—looting took time.
And after the fight, a lot of things had been damaged in the chaos. Kiyohara could only grab the most valuable and easiest-to-take items first.
Tsunade studied him, visibly relaxing.
"You hurt?" she asked.
"No. I know some Earth Release hardening techniques, and I can use the Mystical Palm, so don't worry," Kiyohara said, rolling his arm.
"Oyashiro En and his people are dealt with. The Grass outpost is cleaned out too. For a while, nobody should be chasing us."
Even so, Tsunade checked him carefully.
After confirming he really was fine, she let him rest for a moment.
The Grass side wouldn't respond that quickly. With the war in full chaos, even the major nations were running short on manpower—small countries were in an even worse situation.
"Thank you…" Uzumaki Karin suddenly said, looking at Kiyohara, Tsunade, and the others.
If not for them, she would still be there, grinding away like a slave.
"It's nothing," Kiyohara said with a small smile.
"The Uzumaki are Konoha's allies. Saving you is only right. And once you're in Konoha, you'll meet your own people. I'm sure she'll be happy."
At the mention of family, light finally returned to Karin's eyes.
After Kiyohara rested and recovered some chakra, Tsunade stood.
"Let's move. The timing's about right—Grass will probably send people to check that place soon. We travel through the night and get out of the Land of Grass as fast as possible."
No one disagreed.
After a quick pack-up, the five of them slipped into the night and sprinted toward the Land of Fire.
Kiyohara took the rear, covering their trail.
As he ran, he organized his haul in his head.
Aside from the jump in strength, the most valuable trophies were the Ketsuryūgan and information about Oyashiro.
I wonder if the Ketsuryūgan rejects transplants… Kiyohara thought.
The Sharingan drained a lot of chakra, but the Byakugan didn't seem to have the same cost—its burden was lighter.
Because the Hyūga, while stronger than civilians, still fell short of giants like the Uchiha or Senju in raw chakra.
In the end, they were a branch line.
The true main line was on the moon.
But the Hyūga and the moon Ōtsutsuki hadn't contacted each other for a thousand years—otherwise they could've just called in help and ended this Third Shinobi War.
The moon's Tenseigan could obliterate the entire Hamura-line main house with one strike.
Even Toneri—after stealing Hanabi's high-purity Byakugan—wielded a Tenseigan that could cleave the moon in a single slash.
By Toneri's own account, the main house was wiped out when he was a child, leaving him as the last of the branch.
Toneri was about Hinata's age—which meant his father was still young right now. The lunar Ōtsutsuki should still exist… probably busy tearing each other apart.
If the Ketsuryūgan doesn't consume much chakra… maybe I could arrange a pair for Kurenai?
Kiyohara glanced at Kurenai.
In a world obsessed with bloodlines, having no kekkei genkai was honestly brutal.
Especially for genjutsu—taijutsu had the Eight Gates, but genjutsu didn't have some "Genjutsu Gates" equivalent.
Even the strongest world-spanning illusion, Infinite Tsukuyomi, required bloodline prerequisites.
Oyashiro En had a daughter too… around the same age, maybe?
Kiyohara kept thinking as they ran.
In Shippuden, En's daughter looked like a little kid, but in reality she was who-knows-how-old—she just looked young. And En never raised her properly, only forced her through shinobi training: lose and you don't eat, so her mental development was stunted.
If he gave her eyes to Kurenai… would that be perfect?
And he wouldn't necessarily have to tear them out.
There was another technique in the shinobi world: cloning.
Cloning only really got shown in Boruto, but even now Orochimaru was already brushing up against it.
Because the arm Danzō always kept wrapped in bandages wasn't his—he'd taken it from someone named "Shin."
Later that guy would call himself "Uchiha Shin" and produce hundreds of clones.
Kiyohara decided to shelve it for now.
It was still too far off.
The most practical thing was to study En's Ketsuryūgan first—figure out what kind of "pupil power" it contained.
As for why he wasn't just giving En's eyes to Kurenai—
Kiyohara had noticed En's eyeballs were larger than a normal person's. A standard transplant simply wouldn't work.
For a hot-swap, the eye socket had to be able to fit the thing…
…
A few days later.
Konohagakure.
Tsunade didn't take Kiyohara and the others back to the front-line camp.
Because this involved the Uzumaki clan, she escorted Karin straight home to Konoha.
When Konoha's iconic Hokage Rock came into view, Karin stopped.
She looked up at the carved faces—especially the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the Second, Senju Tobirama—her expression complicated.
This was her first time in Konoha.
She'd stayed in the Land of Fire before, but she'd never set foot inside the village.
Tsunade walked up beside her and looked up at the statues of her grandfather and great-uncle as well.
"That's Konoha," Tsunade said.
The Senju and Uzumaki were relatives—two clans once extremely close.
Yet both glorious clans had declined.
The Senju dissolved by choice, merging into Konoha and abandoning the Senju name.
The Uzumaki were wiped out—nearly erased from the shinobi world.
Karin was silent for a moment, then nodded.
She didn't say anything, but her tightly clenched fists loosened slightly.
On the way to the Hokage Building, a shinobi spotted Tsunade and immediately greeted her.
"Tsunade-sama—you're back!"
"Mhm." Tsunade nodded. "Let the old man know. I have something important to report."
"Yes!"
They walked through the streets toward the Hokage Building.
Villagers who saw Tsunade watched with respect.
But when they noticed the red-haired woman behind her, whispers spread instantly.
"Red hair… is she Uzumaki?"
"I heard after Uzushiogakure fell, the Uzumaki almost vanished…"
"Tsunade brought her back—does that mean…?"
"Isn't there already one in the village? You just don't see her much."
Under the hushed chatter, Karin lowered her head and quickened her pace.
…
Hokage's office.
When Tsunade pushed the door open, Hiruzen Sarutobi was behind his desk, reviewing paperwork.
Seeing her, he smiled.
"Tsunade. Mission complete? Why are you back early… hmm?"
His gaze landed on Karin. His pupils tightened.
As someone who lived through the fall of Uzushiogakure, Hiruzen knew that red hair too well.
"This young lady is…?"
He set down his pen and stood.
Tsunade hadn't reported this beforehand.
Before Anbu could even submit a full report, Tsunade had brought Karin straight here.
"Uzumaki Karin. We found her near the Grass border—an Uzumaki survivor," Tsunade reported crisply, summarizing everything from discovering the site to rescuing Karin.
Of course, she also mentioned Kiyohara staying behind alone to deal with Oyashiro En.
That part Kiyohara had told them on the way back—though he omitted the Curse Mark and Ketsuryūgan details.
That outpost was deep in the Land of Grass, and Kiyohara had erased the traces. Practically impossible to verify.
Meaning: whatever the truth was, the only witness was Kiyohara himself.
When the report ended, Hiruzen's expression turned grave.
"Grass dares treat Uzumaki like that… and Oyashiro En got involved…"
He looked at Karin, and his fifty-something face softened into a kindly grandfather's smile.
"Lady Karin, welcome to Konoha. From today on, this is your home."
"Th-this…" Karin glanced uncertainly at Tsunade.
Here, Tsunade was the only one she had any connection to.
"Don't worry. Nobody in the village will dare do anything to you," Tsunade said, thumping her chest. "You'll live with Kushina."
"Mhm. Living with Kushina is good," Hiruzen said, thinking further than most.
A jinchūriki nearby also meant extra security.
Karin bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"No need for formalities." Hiruzen waved a hand and looked to an Anbu at the side. "Go bring Kushina."
"Yes!"
While they waited, Tsunade suddenly held out her hand.
"Old man. The money."
"Huh?" Hiruzen blinked.
"Mission payout," Tsunade said, totally serious.
"It was supposed to be a simple recon mission. But we rescued an Uzumaki, killed Oyashiro En and his men, and wiped a Grass outpost. The difficulty jumped to at least A-rank. By A-rank standards, we're worth at least a million. And Kiyohara killed En solo—calculate that separately."
Even while squeezing benefits, Tsunade didn't forget to raise Kiyohara's value and get him a better cut.
The big fat sheep wouldn't forget the little sheep.
Hiruzen laughed helplessly.
"Tsunade… that's not how the accounting works…"
"How is it not?" Tsunade raised a brow.
"We saved an ally bloodline from being cut off—how big is that? Kiyohara killed En and removed a menace from the shinobi world—how big is that? What, Konoha's finances are that bad?"
The barrage left Hiruzen with only a wry smile.
He looked at Kiyohara—who was standing there with eyes down, expression calm, like I obey whatever the higher-ups decide.
"This kid…" Hiruzen sighed.
He honestly wasn't sure if handing Kiyohara to Tsunade was a good thing.
But compared to Orochimaru's path with Danzō, or Jiraiya returning to the village just to drink and chase women… Tsunade's flaws were mild.
"Fine," Hiruzen said at last. "I'll pay at the highest A-rank standard. As for the reward for En, I need to verify it first, but it won't be less than what you're asking."
Only then did Tsunade pull her hand back, satisfied.
A moment ago her palm had been cracking loudly—just the sound made you imagine how terrifying her punch would be.
At that moment, the office door opened.
After getting Anbu's message, Kushina arrived at the Hokage Building as fast as she could.
"Here… there's someone from my clan?"
A beautiful red-haired woman pushed the door open.
Since coming to Konoha, she'd been alone.
Back in school, some people even bullied her—pulling at her red hair—because they thought red hair meant "freak."
Grandma Mito was old; she couldn't protect Kushina from everything.
After Mito died, Kushina was completely alone.
In all of Konoha, she couldn't find even one member of her own clan.
"It's her—Uzumaki Karin." Tsunade pointed.
Kushina's gaze immediately locked onto the only other red hair in the room.
"You…"
The moment she heard the surname, saw that unmistakable red hair, and sensed the chakra inside Karin—far beyond normal shinobi—she knew.
This was her blood.
Overwhelmed, Kushina rushed forward, wrapped Karin in a hug, and burst into tears.
"It's really… a clan member… I thought… after Uzushio… I'd never see anyone again…"
Karin's eyes reddened too. She hugged Kushina back, and the two cried together.
Their country had fallen. Their clan had been wiped out.
No Uzumaki could accept that.
Now—meeting a fellow survivor—of course the tears came.
Everyone in the office fell silent.
Tsunade turned her face away. Kiyohara stared down at the floor. Hiruzen let out a long, heavy sigh.
Shizune and Kurenai also looked moved.
As women, their hearts ran softer, more sensitive—they could feel the bitterness in it.
After a long while, the two finally separated.
Kushina wiped her tears and only then noticed the others.
She bowed to Hiruzen first.
"Hokage-sama."
Then she looked at Tsunade.
"Tsunade-nee… thank you for bringing Karin back."
Finally, her eyes landed on Kiyohara.
This was the first time Kushina had formally met him.
"Kiyohara… thank you too," she said seriously.
"I heard it—you stayed behind alone and beat Oyashiro En. I'll remember this kindness."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"You're overestimating it, Kushina-senpai. It's what I should've done."
"No." Kushina insisted.
"From now on, if you ever need anything, just say it. As long as it doesn't cross the line, I'll help."
She said it in her straightforward, energetic way.
Kiyohara didn't refuse. He just nodded.
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Kushina-senpai."
Only then did Kushina smile. She took Karin's hand again.
"Come on, Karin—come to my place. I'll cook for you, and we'll talk about everything that's happened these years…"
She dragged Karin out of the office in a rush, so eager she even forgot to formally excuse herself.
Hiruzen said to Tsunade, "Let them have time together."
Tsunade nodded and was about to leave too.
"Wait."
Kiyohara suddenly spoke.
Everyone looked at him.
Kiyohara turned to Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama… is Anbu still recruiting?"
The question caught everyone off guard.
Hiruzen froze for two seconds before reacting.
"You want to join Anbu?"
"Yes." Kiyohara nodded.
"I think Anbu experience will help me grow faster. And my Sharingan and Magnet Release give me advantages in reconnaissance, tracking, and assassination."
Hiruzen studied him.
He'd already intended to place Kiyohara in Anbu.
Clean background, outstanding ability, huge potential—exactly the kind of talent Anbu needed.
But he hadn't expected Kiyohara to volunteer.
"Are you sure?" Hiruzen asked in a low voice, glancing at Tsunade—then signaling her to take the others outside.
Tsunade hesitated as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she stayed silent.
She knew this was her student's choice.
So she led the others out.
When they were gone, Hiruzen continued.
"Anbu work is different from ordinary shinobi work. You'll execute the most dangerous, darkest missions. And once you join, your identity becomes classified—you can't even publicly acknowledge you're Anbu."
"I'm sure." Kiyohara nodded.
Otherwise, how would he fulfill the wish?
Hiruzen considered for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. Three days from now, report to the basement level of the Hokage Building. You'll receive your Anbu equipment and mask. Your squad assignment will be arranged then."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." A flicker of joy crossed Kiyohara's eyes.
Joining Anbu was only the first step.
Next, he needed to rack up achievements fast—rise to squad captain.
Only then could he complete Anbu Kiyohara's second wish: become an Anbu squad leader and fully inherit that curse-mark power.
When that happened, his strength would surge again.
"Oh—and if anyone asks whether you joined," Hiruzen added, "remember to say no."
"Yes." Kiyohara nodded.
Anbu identities had to stay secret.
Though honestly, secrecy was hard to maintain.
People close to an Anbu shinobi usually knew.
Outsiders—especially well-informed shinobi—often knew too.
Like Konoha's "celebrity," Hatake Kakashi.
Villagers knew him. Enemies knew him. Everyone knew exactly who he was.
When Kiyohara stepped out of the Hokage Building, the sky was already nearing dusk.
"Let's go."
He found Tsunade and the others waiting below.
Just as Kiyohara was about to say something, Tsunade walked up and flicked him on the forehead.
To Kiyohara, the world suddenly became a blinding white snowfield rushing at his face—he nearly toppled into it.
Luckily, Tsunade stopped after the flick.
"This mission wrapped up perfectly," Tsunade said, shaking her coin purse with confidence. "Want to go gamble a round?"
~~~
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