Shizune let out a helpless sigh beside them.
Kurenai blinked and looked at Kiyohara, clearly waiting to see what he'd decide.
Kiyohara thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Sure—but we can't play for too long," he said.
If Tsunade really cut loose, who knew what time they'd crawl home.
The more familiar he got with her, the more he realized Tsunade was the purest form of bad at gambling but addicted to it.
"How long?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"An hour. A little gambling is fine—too much is bad for you," Kiyohara said.
"No." Tsunade shook her head.
An hour? If the gamblers heard that, they'd think she'd quit.
"At least add a few more hours."
"Three hours," Tsunade decided after doing the math.
If they played three hours, they'd still get home at a reasonable time—eat, wash up, sleep.
"Fine, but I'm leaving after an hour. Sensei can stay longer if you want," Kiyohara said.
He didn't have Tsunade's free time.
"You brat, why are you rushing?" Tsunade flicked his forehead again.
Kiyohara had already covered himself with Earth Release: Earth Spear, so it didn't hurt.
"Tsunade-sama, Kiyohara-kun is right. Don't gamble that long," Shizune said—she agreed with him completely.
"No. You're staying with me for at least two hours." Tsunade held up two fingers.
She'd taken Kiyohara to the casino before.
But his gambling skills were better than hers—he'd gone from newbie to terrifyingly fast learner.
Unlike her, he didn't have that absurd, cursed bad luck.
So sometimes Kiyohara would bet, Tsunade would follow, and she'd actually win a little.
Overall, though, she still lost more than she won.
But to Tsunade, even if she lost in the end, winning a tiny bit during the process was still fun.
"Too long," Kiyohara shook his head again.
He still had training to do.
And he hadn't had time to practice the Water Release jutsu Asuma owed him per their wager.
Tsunade frowned.
If Kiyohara didn't go with her, she probably wouldn't win even a little.
"An hour and a half," she finally compromised after hesitating.
Then she added, like it settled everything:
"I'm the teacher. You listen to me."
She stepped closer, fixing him with those brown-gold eyes.
Kiyohara had the distinct feeling she nearly rammed into him chest-first.
A whole lot of glaring white in his peripheral vision—impossible to ignore.
"Alright. An hour and a half, Sensei," Kiyohara nodded.
That wouldn't delay him too much.
"Hmph." Tsunade smiled, satisfied.
Kids were easy to handle.
She was the teacher, after all.
"Then… I'm heading home first. Kiyohara, Tsunade-sama, Shizune." Kurenai waved.
She did care whether Kiyohara had joined Anbu—she'd almost asked him several times.
But then she reminded herself: respect his privacy, protect sensitive intel.
Besides, Kiyohara was going to the casino with Tsunade, and it wasn't on her way.
So she chose to head back early.
"Okay," Kiyohara nodded.
…
Back home, Kurenai immediately resumed training.
Kiyohara was already too far ahead.
Magnet Release, Sharingan, Earth Release, medical ninjutsu…
He'd even beaten a monster like Oyashiro En on his own.
And her?
Her genjutsu was good, but against real monsters, the weakness of having no bloodline limit was painfully obvious.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
In the Yūhi family backyard, Kurenai formed seals, inhaled, and blasted out a powerful gale.
The target ahead shook violently—still nowhere near the effect she wanted.
Kiyohara had said the essence of Wind Release was sharpness.
Like a blade that cuts—like a storm that lasts.
"Again."
As she kept drilling, sweat soaked through her flak jacket, and her chakra steadily dropped.
When her father, Yūhi Shinkū, returned home, he spotted her shoes in the entryway.
He called out a few times—no answer.
Then he found her in the backyard.
And she wasn't training genjutsu.
She was training Wind Release.
Her hand seals are clean. Her chakra control is precise. This isn't something you reach in the short term—unless someone exceptional is guiding her.
Shinkū could tell immediately.
But he hadn't taught her Wind Release.
And he hadn't arranged for her to study under any Wind specialist.
So… Kiyohara?
He thought about the war and the wave of new talent it always produced.
The previous "wave" had been geniuses like Minato.
And Kiyohara felt like the representative genius of this wave.
So now the kid wasn't just gifted—he could teach others too?
Two kekkei genkai—Sharingan and Magnet Release—and his medical ninjutsu was already at a high level.
"Heroes really do come young…" Shinkū murmured.
A talent like that would absolutely make a name for himself across the shinobi world.
As a father, Shinkū wanted his daughter to keep up with someone like that…
But he also feared she'd be left far behind.
When Kurenai finished training, she finally noticed her father watching.
"Dad," she said.
She was a little worried he'd scold her for "neglecting genjutsu" to train Wind Release instead.
"You're training Wind Release?" Shinkū asked—already knowing the answer.
Kurenai's heart jumped.
Of course he'd ask.
"Yes. Kiyohara said it would give me more options in combat, so I wouldn't be so passive," she said quickly.
Shinkū was quiet for a long moment.
Then he said, "He's right."
He didn't oppose her.
As a genjutsu specialist, he understood both genjutsu's strengths and its limitations.
Seeing his daughter build a different path on top of his foundation—honestly, he was proud.
And that change… had come from Kiyohara's influence.
"Kurenai," Shinkū said carefully, his lean, stern face studying her.
"Kiyohara… what do you think of that boy?"
Kurenai froze, cheeks faintly warming.
"Kiyohara is really strong, and he's kind. He's reliable as a teammate, and he's willing to spend time guiding me."
"Only that?" Shinkū asked, seeing the way her eyes dodged away.
He already understood.
"O-of course!" Kurenai stammered. "Dad, don't overthink it!"
Shinkū chuckled and didn't press further.
Let young people handle young people's business.
But he did remind her:
"Kiyohara is excellent. Still—your path as a shinobi is something you ultimately have to walk yourself. Don't rely too much on anyone."
"I know." Kurenai lifted her head.
"That's why I'm training this hard. I don't want to be anyone's burden."
Shinkū nodded, pleased.
His daughter had grown up—she had her own determination and goals.
After that, he told her to get ready for dinner. He'd bought some prepared food outside; it just needed simple reheating.
Since Kurenai's mother died, Shinkū had raised her alone.
In the shinobi world, death was common.
A huge number of shinobi were orphans—parents taken early by the battlefield.
After training, Kurenai chose to bathe first.
Shhh—
Water poured from the shower, sliding down her slender curves.
What is Kiyohara doing right now…?
The thought came out of nowhere.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of Konoha.
By the time Kiyohara and Tsunade left the casino, it was fully dark.
Tsunade's expression was hard to read—somewhere between satisfied and annoyed.
"Ugh. My luck was trash today!" she complained.
"If you hadn't helped me win a few rounds, I would've been cleaned out again."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"Sensei, casinos are built on 'nine losses out of ten.'"
"I KNOW!" Tsunade glared at him.
"But I'm the legendary fat—no, the legendary Sannin. How could I always lose?!"
Kiyohara wisely didn't respond.
Over the ninety minutes, Tsunade still lost overall—just less than usual. That was probably her definition of victory.
They walked home and reached the gate.
"We're back!" Tsunade threw the yard gate open and shouted.
Shizune ran out from inside.
"Tsunade-sama, Kiyohara-kun—you're back! The alcohol's ready!"
"I'll drink later." Tsunade's eyes lit up and she strode into the house.
Kiyohara paused at the entryway to change shoes.
Just then, Tsunade—who'd walked ahead—bent down to take off her shoes too.
She was wearing black shinobi pants—tight, elastic fabric that clung to her legs.
When she bent, the fabric stretched and outlined a smooth line from waist to thigh down to calf.
The movement naturally lifted her hips, and under the black cloth they looked… like a ripe peach.
Kiyohara quickly averted his eyes.
Even if she was his teacher, he had to admit: the legendary Sannin had a figure any normal man would notice.
"Hm?" Tsunade seemed to catch his glance and shot him a quick look, but said nothing, continuing to remove her shoes.
She kicked off her sandals and stepped barefoot onto the wooden floor with a soft tap.
Her feet were well-kept—pale skin, neat toes—though her nail polish was a bit faded.
"Ah. I need to redo my polish," Tsunade muttered, then suddenly turned to Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara. Go to my room—on the vanity—bring me the red bottle of nail polish."
Kiyohara blinked.
"Now?"
"Yes. Now."
Tsunade had already plopped into the living room couch, stretching lazily.
She'd fought wars her whole life—couldn't she enjoy herself a little?
And students were supposed to listen to their teacher.
That was her logic.
So Kiyohara went upstairs.
It was his first time entering Tsunade's bedroom.
It was neater than he expected, and packed with books.
Medical texts… and plenty of gambling books too:
How to Win in the Gambling World, Quitting Gambling Is Quitting Life, If You Don't Gamble, You'll Live a Relatively Failed Life…
After searching through the bottles on the vanity, he found the red polish and brought it downstairs.
"Here, Sensei."
Tsunade took it… but didn't look like she planned to apply it herself.
She stared at him.
"You do it."
Kiyohara wondered if he'd misheard.
"I said, you paint my nails." Tsunade repeated, crossing her legs and extending her left foot toward him.
Kiyohara stared at the foot in front of him and went speechless.
Her feet were beautifully shaped—slim ankle, pale skin, faint blue veins visible.
"Sensei… that's not really appropriate—"
Tsunade raised a brow.
"What, you don't want to? Fine. I was thinking… if you did well, I might consider teaching you Body Pathway Derangement…"
Kiyohara's eyes lit up instantly.
Body Pathway Derangement—an A-rank medical ninjutsu that converts chakra into electrical signals to disrupt the enemy's nervous system, making them unable to control their body.
Kiyohara immediately chose to obey his heart.
Forget painting toenails—he wouldn't even mind painting Shizune's too.
Tsunade loved ordering people around.
But when it came to handing out real techniques, she didn't hold back.
With a teacher like this, Kiyohara almost wanted a whole stack of them.
So he sat on a small stool in front of her, opened the bottle, and a faint fragrance drifted out.
He held Tsunade's ankle—warm, smooth, fine to the touch.
He felt her foot tense slightly… then relax.
He started painting.
The brush glided smoothly. Color spread evenly. Clean edges. No overflow.
When he finished her left foot, he looked up.
Tsunade casually switched to her right foot for him.
"All done, Sensei."
Tsunade lifted her foot under the lamp and inspected it.
The red polish gleamed—full, even, perfectly edged.
"Mm. Not bad," Tsunade nodded, satisfied.
"Letting you do it was the right call. Better than my own work."
Kiyohara stood and rolled his stiff shoulders.
"Then, Sensei… about Body Pathway Derangement—"
"Slow down." Tsunade leaned back, wearing a sly grin.
"You think painting nails earns you an A-rank jutsu? That's way too cheap."
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
"But you just said—"
"I said I'd consider it." Tsunade wagged one finger.
"I didn't promise. But…"
She dragged the word out, clearly enjoying his frustrated face.
"Since you're so dutiful, I'll teach you. However—"
Another "however."
Kiyohara already felt doom coming.
"For the next few days, you're coming to the casino with me," Tsunade said, smiling sweetly.
"It helps… the teaching process."
Kiyohara went silent.
This was blatant exploitation.
She didn't really want to teach him—she wanted a fixed gambling partner.
A bad woman playing with his feelings.
"Sensei, you're—"
"What, you don't want to?" Tsunade folded her arms.
"Then forget it. Plenty of people want my jutsu."
Kiyohara looked at her smug, got-you expression, and finally sighed.
"…I understand. I'll go with you, Sensei."
"That's more like it!" Tsunade happily patted his shoulder.
"Relax. I won't shortchange you. Come on—first lesson starts now."
She sat upright, suddenly serious.
"Body Pathway Derangement is essentially converting chakra into weak electrical currents, invading the opponent's body, and disrupting nerve signal transmission. That requires extremely precise chakra control, and deep understanding of the nervous system…"
Kiyohara listened intently.
To learn that level of technique, some price was worth paying.
For the next hour, Tsunade explained the theory, seals, chakra pathways, and key cautions.
Kiyohara listened, memorized, and asked questions when needed.
"Your medical fundamentals are solid, and your chakra control is excellent. This shouldn't be hard for you," Tsunade concluded.
"But use it carefully."
"Yes. I'll remember," Kiyohara nodded.
"Alright. That's it for today." Tsunade stretched lazily.
"Starting tomorrow—3 PM—casino entrance. Don't be late."
"…Yes," Kiyohara said.
"Oh, and Kiyohara." Tsunade suddenly remembered something.
"You told the old man you want to join Anbu?"
Kiyohara nodded.
"Yes. I think Anbu experience will help me grow faster."
Tsunade frowned slightly.
"Anbu… it'll sharpen you, but it's dangerous. Be careful."
"I will, Sensei."
"And," Tsunade stared at him, "even if you're my student, once you're in Anbu, a lot of things can't be shared. You understand that?"
"I understand."
Tsunade stared for a moment, then sighed.
"Remember—no matter what happens, staying alive comes first. I'm not letting the student I finally decided to keep… die on me."
Kiyohara felt warmth in his chest.
"Thanks for worrying, Sensei."
…
The next day, Kiyohara went out to buy some daily necessities.
Normally Shizune handled that, but she'd gone to Konoha Hospital, so the job fell to him for now.
He bought what they needed and sealed everything into scrolls.
The sealing scrolls he'd looted from Oyashiro En were compact but had huge capacity.
Kiyohara couldn't help thinking: rich people really were different.
A shame that weapons merchant hadn't stocked more weapons inside.
Kiyohara guessed those were all stored in "Oyashiro"—his hidden base.
But he wasn't in a hurry. Without guidance, outsiders could never find that offshore island base anyway.
Not long after finishing his shopping, Kiyohara ran into someone unexpected at a street corner—
Kakashi and Rin.
"Kakashi—you're back?" Kiyohara asked, surprised.
Kakashi and Rin looked equally surprised to see him.
"Yeah. We got a village order, so we came back first," Kakashi nodded.
"I see." Kiyohara could guess the reason.
Probably to reinforce the seal inside Rin.
That kind of insurance was necessary.
After all, she was the Three-Tails' jinchūriki.
"Kiyohara-kun, morning!" Rin waved quickly.
"It's been a while. Since you're here… we were about to go see Kushina-senpai."
She looked like she wanted Kiyohara to come along.
"Want to come with us?" she asked.
She wanted to walk with him a little more.
Kiyohara thought briefly, then nodded.
"Sure."
Kushina probably felt good toward him right now.
Kiyohara also wanted to see where Kushina lived—and get some exposure to sealing techniques.
From Minato Gaiden, Kushina was living in the house Uzumaki Mito had once lived in.
Not because it was luxurious.
It was big, but the interior was plain.
The reason Kushina lived there was the sealing array under the floors.
It was an Uzumaki sealing formation that resonated with the village barrier system, creating a double-layer barrier.
That greatly increased the Nine-Tails' stability.
That was also why Anbu would stop Kushina whenever she tried to leave the barrier zone.
That side story mainly covered how Kushina stepped outside, and not long after the Nine-Tails' chakra destabilized—forcing Minato to strengthen the seal with an improved Four Symbols Seal.
"Here," Kiyohara said.
They had reached Kushina's house.
Kakashi stepped up and knocked.
A moment later, the door opened.
The one who answered was Uzumaki Karin.
She'd changed into Konoha-style casual clothes, her long red hair tied into a simple ponytail. Her complexion looked much better than yesterday, and her eyes had some life in them again.
"Kiyohara?" Karin smiled when she saw him.
"Come in. Kushina's making breakfast."
A lively voice called from the kitchen.
Kushina—hair tied up, apron on, spatula in hand—poked her head out.
When she saw Kiyohara, her eyes lit up.
"More people! Perfect! I'm cooking breakfast—eat with us!"
"Sorry to intrude, Kushina-senpai," Kiyohara said.
"No intrusion! More people is more fun!" Kushina waved him off and ducked back into the kitchen.
"Karin, help host them! Breakfast is almost ready!"
"Okay." Karin led everyone to the living room and went to brew tea.
After spending the entire night talking with Kushina, the two had already gotten much closer.
Kiyohara could feel the sealing layers in this house—everywhere.
If he opened his Sharingan, he'd probably see chakra flow woven through the entire structure.
No surprise. This was where Mito and Kushina had lived.
The sealing defenses were stacked in layers.
"Tea's ready."
Karin returned with a tray and poured each of them a cup.
"Thanks." Kiyohara took his cup; warmth seeped through the porcelain into his palm.
"Thank you," Rin said too, watching Karin curiously—still trying to understand how Kushina suddenly ended up living with another person.
Kakashi stared at the tea, then in one smooth motion tugged his mask down, drank it, and pulled it back up.
Karin blinked—and the cup in front of Kakashi was already empty.
She still hadn't seen his face even once.
She found it weirdly impressive.
"Are you settling in alright here, Karin?" Kiyohara asked.
"Mhm." Karin nodded with a sincere smile.
"Kushina's been really good to me. This place… feels like home."
As she said it, her gaze drifted to the portrait of Uzumaki Mito on the wall.
That woman, with the same red hair—even in a still picture—radiated warmth and kindness.
"I'm glad." Kiyohara smiled.
For Kakashi and Rin, meeting Karin for the first time still felt unfamiliar.
Especially once they realized she was an Uzumaki—they were genuinely surprised.
"Oh—Rin!" Kushina called from inside, poking her head out again.
"When you've got time, can you teach Karin a little? Tsunade-nee's been busy, and I'm worried she won't have time…"
"No problem," Rin nodded.
"But if we're talking medical ninjutsu… isn't Kiyohara-kun better? He's Tsunade-sama's student."
Everyone looked at Kiyohara.
He set his tea down and answered evenly.
"I've learned some things from my teacher, but Rin's medical skills are excellent too. We can help Karin together."
"Kiyohara, you're being way too modest!" Kushina waved a spatula.
"I've heard about you. You saved a lot of people on the battlefield. Tsunade-nee even praised you."
She looked Kiyohara over again, admiration in her eyes.
"Honestly, Kiyohara… you feel like you don't have any weaknesses. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, medical… you can do everything a bit. And you even beat someone like Oyashiro En alone. That's insane."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"You're flattering me, Kushina-senpai. I still have plenty of weaknesses—like…"
He paused, then said:
"I'm not good at sealing techniques."
Sure enough, Kushina's eyes lit up.
"You're interested in fuinjutsu?"
"Yes." Kiyohara nodded seriously.
That was one of the reasons he came here.
He wanted to see if Kushina could teach him some sealing.
He'd considered Minato too.
But Minato was busy to the point of spinning like a top—he didn't have time.
Right now, in Konoha, Kushina was the best choice.
"Fuinjutsu is useful in a lot of situations—especially against special enemies," Kiyohara continued.
"I haven't had much exposure, though. I only know the basics."
Kushina rubbed her chin, thinking, then broke into a bright grin.
"Perfect! I can teach you!"
"Really?" Kiyohara let a bit of excitement show on his face, right on cue.
~~~
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