"Of course it's true."
Kushina nodded. "You saved Karin—that makes you a friend of the Uzumaki clan. And with talent like yours, you'll pick up sealing jutsu fast!"
As she spoke, she spun around and dashed into the inner room.
"Hold on—I'll find a scroll that's suitable for beginners!"
Watching her whirlwind back, Kakashi quietly said to Kiyohara, "You're pretty lucky. Kushina-senpai's fuinjutsu skill is top-tier in Konoha."
"Yeah." Kiyohara nodded. He already knew.
In canon, Kushina could casually use sealing to pin down Anbu, and after a few more years of growth, she could even suppress the Nine-Tails with sealing. The only reason she had to stay inside the barrier now was because she hadn't reached her peak yet. Her sealing ability was still steadily improving year by year.
Before long, Kushina came back with a scroll in hand.
"Here. This is a sealing jutsu—String Light Formation."
She handed it to Kiyohara.
Kiyohara looked at the scroll.
String Light Formation was an E-rank technique, a basic barrier jutsu. Once cast, it forms a binding barrier centered on the user and the target, restricting the target's movement. Even Iruka could use it. However, the Academy hadn't taught it yet—this kind of technique only became part of the curriculum much later, around the Boruto era.
Right now, you still needed the right connections to get it.
"It's a really practical sealing technique," Kushina said. "Start with this. If you don't understand something, come ask me."
Kiyohara accepted the scroll solemnly. "Thank you, Kushina-senpai. I'll study it seriously."
"No problem!" Kushina grinned and patted his shoulder.
"Alright, alright—breakfast is ready! Everyone eat! Karin, help me bring the dishes out!"
Breakfast was lavish: miso soup, grilled fish, tamagoyaki, natto, rice, and pickles.
They gathered around the table, the atmosphere lively.
During the meal, Kushina talked about the Uzumaki clan; Karin listened quietly, nostalgia and sadness flickering in her eyes.
Sometimes Karin chatted with Rin about medical ninjutsu, and the two got along well.
Kakashi didn't talk much, but he occasionally chimed in.
Kiyohara ate while observing everyone.
He could feel the Nine-Tails inside Kushina still stirring restlessly—yet tightly suppressed.
He suspected his boosted perception was the result of increased mental energy; his Yin Release aspect had grown considerably.
…
After breakfast, Kushina clapped her hands and said gently to Rin, "Rin, come with me into the back room. We need to check something."
The Three-Tails' stability was critical—both for Rin's safety and for Konoha.
"Yes, Kushina-senpai." Rin stood immediately, the earlier ease disappearing as nervousness crept onto her face. She'd always been afraid of the "monster" inside her, and she wanted Kushina to reinforce the seal as much as possible.
Karin lightly patted Rin's shoulder in reassurance, then started cleaning the table.
Kiyohara and Kakashi carried dishes into the kitchen.
While Kiyohara wiped the table, Kakashi suddenly said, "Kiyohara. Over here."
He tilted his head toward the balcony outside the living room.
Kiyohara was surprised, but he set the cloth down and followed.
Kakashi stepped onto the balcony, leaning back against the wooden wall with both hands in his pockets.
"What's up, Kakashi?" Kiyohara asked—he could tell Kakashi had something to say.
Kakashi looked at him. "I got the official order."
"Order?"
"Yeah. Anbu orders." Kakashi lowered his voice. "I'm being assigned to Anbu Squad Six."
Kiyohara understood immediately.
Minato and the Third were moving quickly.
Kakashi was already a famed prodigy, and after the Kannabi Bridge mission and Obito's "death," his strength and mindset were considered mature enough for Anbu.
"Congratulations," Kiyohara said. "Anbu gathers the elite. It'll help you grow a lot."
Kakashi shook his head, like the congratulations didn't matter much. In front of Kiyohara, achievements like this felt small.
An Anbu senpai—half a mentor—had privately told Kakashi that besides him, another very young shinobi was about to be recruited too, someone the Hokage and top brass were watching.
That person was Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara… I'm saying this because I know you're joining too," Kakashi said.
Kiyohara gave a small nod. Once you were Anbu colleagues, there wasn't much point acting like this was a secret between them.
"Yeah. It's me. I'll be reporting in soon." He gave the date.
"Then we're on the same schedule," Kakashi said. "Maybe we'll end up in the same unit. Or at least we'll have someone familiar to talk to in Anbu."
He sounded genuinely pleased—working alongside Kiyohara again made him happy.
"Yeah. Having someone you know helps coordination," Kiyohara agreed. "But I've heard Anbu squads and missions are classified. All we can do is wait for orders."
"Right." Kakashi stared out for a moment.
They didn't say more and went back inside.
Not long after, Kushina and Rin returned from the inner room.
Rin looked a little healthier—more color in her cheeks—and the sealing reinforcement seemed to have gone smoothly. She bowed deeply to Kushina.
"Thank you so much, Kushina-senpai. I feel… a lot more stable."
"No problem. It's what I'm supposed to do." Kushina smiled and ruffled Rin's hair. "Just come by regularly so I can check you."
Kiyohara and Kakashi took the cue and said their goodbyes.
Walking on Konoha's morning streets, Kakashi and Rin headed to report back to Minato, while Kiyohara planned to go home and study the String Light Formation scroll.
…
Elsewhere—
Shisui draped a towel over his sweat-soaked shoulders and tilted his head back slightly.
He'd just returned from the border, still carrying that dusty, road-worn look, but his expression was relaxed.
Because sparring with Itachi was, for Shisui, a kind of relaxation.
Itachi stood opposite him, hands braced on his knees, chest heaving.
Four hours of all-out sprinting—even for a well-trained shinobi—was brutal.
His bangs were soaked, stuck to pale skin. Each breath released hot white vapor. His shoulders trembled with every gasp.
The park was empty, with only the distant clink of kunai from a training ground—making this corner feel unusually quiet.
"How've you been lately?" Shisui asked.
Itachi didn't answer right away.
He slowly straightened, wiped sweat from his jaw, and looked up at Shisui.
Those black eyes reflected Shisui's smiling face—and a faint hint of stubborn frustration.
Shisui's breathing had already settled. Only the slight redness on his neck and his soaked Uchiha robe showed he'd gone through the same strain.
Itachi pressed his lips together, then said quietly, "Training with you… is more useful than being with the others in the clan—whether they're my age or a few years older."
Shisui laughed, bright and a little teasing.
"After your birthday, you've gotten more eloquent."
He remembered yesterday—signal flares on the border, standing with kunai in hand and sighing toward the direction of Konoha.
Orders were orders.
A shinobi's duty was to obey—and only by winning on the battlefield would Konoha have a future.
He'd missed the birthday, but the child in front of him never really complained.
"I haven't changed," Itachi said, shaking his head with that stubbornness unique to him.
"You've always been like this." Shisui stepped closer and ruffled Itachi's damp hair. "Still a kid, but you talk and act like a little adult… a lot of people older than you can't compare."
As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Itachi's face—still young, but the edges already sharpening.
The Uchiha never lacked geniuses, but Itachi was still rare.
In fact, Itachi was the most talented Shisui had ever seen…
…if you excluded one man.
Kiyohara.
"…"
Itachi didn't respond.
"…What, besides Kiyohara there's someone else?" Shisui asked, surprised, his hand still resting on Itachi's head.
Itachi shook his head.
"I… don't know about other people." He lowered his eyes to the dusty toes of his shoes. "I've watched everyone in the clan. No one makes me feel admiration…"
"So you're only watching yourself?" Shisui said, half-amused.
Maybe it really was as Shisui said—Itachi hadn't cared about most of the clan's kids.
From the start, he'd been thinking:
What stance should I take?
What should I do to become a shinobi better than anyone else?
He'd been thinking about that since he was little, with no room left to think about others.
"I can promise you—among the ones around your age, nobody in the clan is stronger than you," Shisui said, vigorously mussing Itachi's hair and shaking his head around.
"Stop." Itachi pushed Shisui's hand away.
"As long as you're here, the Uchiha's future will be steady…" Shisui finished, smiling.
He knew the situation between the clan and the village.
And he had a feeling the Konoha higher-ups definitely had people who discriminated against the Uchiha.
But none of that could be allowed to damage the bigger picture.
If the Uchiha and the village started fighting internally, the other villages would reap the rewards.
"I heard Kiyohara's back too. Tomorrow, let's call him over and train together."
"Okay." Itachi nodded.
…
The next day—
It was also the day Kiyohara was scheduled to report to Anbu.
He'd just finished morning training and was about to study the sealing scroll Kushina gave him when a light knock sounded at his door.
He opened it to find an Anbu shinobi in an animal mask standing outside.
"Kiyohara-kun. Today at 2 PM, report to the underground level of the Hokage building to receive your equipment."
The Anbu's voice was flat, but the gaze behind the mask carried a hint of evaluation.
He'd heard Kiyohara's name plenty—this was his first time seeing him in person.
"Understood. Thank you," Kiyohara said.
The Anbu said nothing else and vanished with Body Flicker.
"Two in the afternoon…" Kiyohara rubbed his chin. It was only around nine. Plenty of time.
After returning from Kushina's place yesterday, he'd been practicing String Light Formation.
Fortunately, Anbu Kiyohara also understood a little fuinjutsu, so with a man and a spirit discussing it together, he'd progressed quickly.
In just one night, he could barely cast it.
With some more practice, he could attempt more sealing techniques.
Still, he couldn't help feeling a bit regretful.
If he had Uzumaki blood, he could just throw out Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Even the Nine-Tails would have to think twice.
After all, Kushina—tail-beast extracted, heavily wounded, and mid-childbirth—still managed to bind the full Nine-Tails with those chains. That alone showed how absurdly powerful they were.
In short: every tailed beast had two weakness.
One was Sharingan.
The other was fuinjutsu.
Thinking it over, Kiyohara decided to stay home and train for the rest of the day.
As for Tsunade—she was still snoring away.
Shizune was studying medical scrolls at home.
Kurenai hadn't come by these past two days—seemed like she'd been holed up training.
Rin and Kakashi?
One was helping at the hospital.
The other had become addicted to novels.
On the way back yesterday, Kiyohara had caught a glimpse of what Kakashi was reading.
Not Jiraiya's Icha Icha stuff—but honestly, it wasn't much different from smut.
Kiyohara could only conclude: Kakashi was a closeted perv.
Just as Kiyohara went out to buy supplies to maintain his tools, someone called his name on the street.
"Kiyohara!"
Shisui waved as he jogged over.
"I knew I'd catch you. I heard someone in the clan saw you back in the village yesterday."
"Shisui." Kiyohara stopped. "Need something?"
"Yeah." Shisui nodded. "Since you're back, I wanted to find you. Are you free today?"
He paused, then added, "I want to invite you to the training grounds—let's spar."
Then he added one more thing.
"Itachi really wants to see you again. He still remembers losing to you. He hasn't said much, but he's training harder than ever. If you'd train with us, it'd be a great push for him."
Kiyohara thought to himself that the timing couldn't be better.
He needed a good, public setting to show off the "Uchiha-labeled" gifts in his head—Uchiha-style taijutsu refinements, Fire Release, and other techniques—without raising suspicion.
A public spar with Shisui was the perfect way to "wash" it clean.
"Sure," Kiyohara agreed easily. "I've been meaning to loosen up too. Where?"
"Let's go to Itachi's house first. Aunt Mikoto said she wants to see you," Shisui said. "Then we can head to Training Ground Three. I remember you like that place."
"That works." Kiyohara nodded. "Let's do it."
The two walked side by side toward the Uchiha district.
Soon they arrived at a home that wasn't overly luxurious, but elegant and well-kept.
Shisui knocked. The door opened quickly.
A beautiful woman stood there—mid-to-late twenties, gentle features, pale skin, and eyes soft like water. Unlike many Uchiha, she had none of that faint arrogance or distance.
Itachi's mother: Uchiha Mikoto.
"Shisui, you're here—" Mikoto began, then her gaze fell on Kiyohara, and a trace of appreciation flashed in her eyes.
"Kiyohara-kun. This is our second time meeting, right? Come in."
She'd met him once before when Fugaku invited him over.
"Sorry to intrude, Mikoto-san," Kiyohara said politely, bowing slightly.
Mikoto's beauty and warm aura really did make you like her. Completely different from the rigid stereotype of the Uchiha.
Somehow, one line popped into Kiyohara's head:
Your wife, I'll take care of. Don't worry.
Mikoto really was the most "normal" person in Itachi's family.
Maybe Sasuke's mental toughness came from her.
"No need to be so formal. Just call me 'Auntie,'" Mikoto said, stepping aside.
"Itachi's in the backyard practicing shuriken. I'll go call him. You two sit in the living room first—I'll make tea."
"Thanks, Aunt Mikoto," Shisui said easily, clearly familiar with the place.
He led Kiyohara into the living room.
Tatami mats, a low table, and a vase with fresh lilies in the corner filled the air with a light fragrance.
Mikoto soon returned with tea.
"Here you go." She placed two cups of green tea before Kiyohara and Shisui, smiling warmly.
"I heard from Fugaku that you're very impressive—Sharingan, and even Magnet Release. That's remarkable."
"Fugaku-sama flatters me," Kiyohara said, shaking his head.
"Then I'd like to ask you a favor." Mikoto blinked slightly, watching him.
"A favor?" Kiyohara asked, curious.
"Itachi used to think he was doing fine among his peers. After losing to you, he's become more grounded and diligent—so in a way, it's good."
She smiled gently.
"In the future, I hope you and Shisui can keep guiding him."
"I understand. No problem," Kiyohara nodded.
Being around talented people raised you.
From others' perspective, Shisui and Kiyohara were both prodigies—training with prodigies naturally pushed you harder.
Which meant Kiyohara had now become the "other people's good kid" benchmark.
"Itachi is extremely talented and hardworking. His future is limitless," Kiyohara said, taking a sip of tea—polite mutual praise.
Before long, Itachi walked in from the backyard.
He wore a dark blue short-sleeve top and matching pants, fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
"Kiyohara-senpai. Shisui-nii."
"Itachi, looking sharp," Shisui grinned. "Ready? Training Ground Three."
Kiyohara set his cup down and looked at Itachi. "Ready? Let's go."
Itachi nodded firmly. "Ready."
After saying goodbye to Mikoto, the three left the Uchiha district and headed for Training Ground Three.
It was a versatile training area—trees, open ground, a stream, varied terrain. Kiyohara liked it for that reason.
They reached an open patch of grass, and Shisui stopped, turning to face Kiyohara with bright, eager eyes.
"Kiyohara—after that mission, we never got a proper spar. This time, let me see your real progress."
Kiyohara's expression sharpened too.
"I've been wanting to test my recent training results. Shisui, please."
Itachi stepped back to stand under a large tree and watch.
Who's stronger now? he wondered.
Strength was always changing—what you experienced, what you learned, what you developed.
Both Kiyohara and Shisui had clearly grown.
So… who had grown more?
In the field, the two faced off and formed the Seal of Confrontation.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Their bodies vanished from where they stood, colliding in the next instant.
No ninjutsu—just pure Uchiha-style taijutsu.
But the speed was insane; fist and foot impacts thudded like muffled drums.
Itachi's eyes widened as he strained to track them.
So this is Uchiha-style taijutsu…?
His blood heated with excitement.
He could tell their foundations were the same—Uchiha-specific footwork and force application—but their details had distinct styles.
He'd learned these too… but he was nowhere near their level.
So fast! Itachi thought, shocked.
Even fully focused, he could only barely follow—and that was with neither of them using chakra to accelerate.
In the field, Kiyohara caught the tiny pause in Shisui's sidestep and drove a straight punch toward him.
Shisui calmly shifted, his left palm sliding onto Kiyohara's wrist and deflecting it outward, his right hand forming a blade-finger and stabbing toward Kiyohara's ribs.
Kiyohara looked like he'd expected it—he dodged, then whipped his left leg like a lash toward Shisui's base.
Shisui sprang lightly upward, twisting midair, hands flashing through seals—
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A scorching fireball burst from his mouth—three meters wide—slamming toward Kiyohara just as he landed.
Is Kiyohara going to answer with the same jutsu? Itachi stared at him, watching the hand seals.
Kiyohara didn't rush.
Almost the moment Shisui finished, Kiyohara's seals were already complete.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Another massive fireball roared out—several times larger than Shisui's.
The two fireballs collided in midair—
BOOM!
The explosion blazed. Heat and shockwaves rolled out, scorching a large patch of grass.
Even Itachi, far back, felt his hair whip and his cheeks burn.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Shisui chained instantly into another jutsu.
Before the light faded, countless phoenix-seed-like flame bullets curved through the air, covering Kiyohara's zone.
Those scattered shots were harder to dodge than a straight fireball.
But Kiyohara slipped through the pattern, his Sharingan active, reading trajectories and evading in advance.
His hands never stopped.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
A matching storm of flame bullets burst from Kiyohara—intercepting some of Shisui's shots and counterattacking at the same time.
Itachi stared in disbelief.
Kiyohara's flame bullets—speed, count, and control—looked slightly better than Shisui's.
Shisui's three-tomoe Sharingan spun fast as he avoided and deflected, surprise flashing in his eyes.
When did Kiyohara's Fire Release reach this level?
You couldn't get there just by copying.
That demanded deep mastery of chakra nature transformation and relentless practice.
"Looks like I can't hold back!" Shisui's gaze sharpened.
He formed seals again while flicking a handful of shuriken from his pouch.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
This time, it wasn't scattered flame bullets.
A denser bloom of fire burst out, wrapping around the shuriken he'd thrown—
Turning them into flaming shuriken with trailing tails of fire.
A B-rank technique.
Itachi's heart lifted into his throat.
This was far beyond the earlier C-rank.
But Kiyohara's response was unexpected.
He didn't answer with the same jutsu.
He used Magnet Release.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
His gourd rumbled as iron sand surged like a black river, intercepting the flaming shuriken.
Clang clang clang!
Hiss!
The iron sand struck and clung, disrupting trajectories, dragging the shuriken off-course. The attached flames scattered and died out.
At the same time, Kiyohara moved.
His hand seals were faster than Shisui's even in this moment.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
A blossoming fire burst from Kiyohara too, wrapping around the shuriken between his fingers.
But when he threw them, Magnet Release subtly latched on—
whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The flaming shuriken flew even faster than Shisui's.
Shisui's pupils shrank.
His three-tomoe spun, tracking every trajectory—
Too fast.
And the subtle magnetism meant they could turn mid-flight.
Prediction became brutally difficult.
"Ha!" Shisui roared and drew his short sword.
Fire chakra flooded the blade, turning it into a blazing edge.
"Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame!"
He moved in a burst of afterimages, sword carving a red curtain of light—
clang clang clang!
He blocked, deflected, and split the incoming flaming shuriken, sparks erupting around him.
But his motions grew tighter—more pressured.
Just as he finished defending, Kiyohara was already in close.
Same Uchiha-style taijutsu… but the force and pressure felt stronger than at the start.
Shisui raised his blade to meet him. Fist and sword interwove.
And then Shisui realized something was wrong.
Kiyohara kept predicting his blade path half a beat early, tapping the side of the blade to disrupt his force.
Even worse—some joint locks and throws Kiyohara used were unmistakably Uchiha-style… yet carried subtle refinements Shisui had never seen.
When did he get this skilled?
Shisui stared at Kiyohara, inner waves crashing.
Those refinements required elders' guidance, or long years of real combat, plus talent to truly understand.
Kiyohara hadn't grown up Uchiha—how long had he even had access to these?
Copying the form couldn't explain this.
The only explanation was terrifying:
Kiyohara's talent was beyond imagination.
He wasn't just copying—he was adapting, even improving.
Pressure mounted so much Shisui almost wondered if Kiyohara had Mangekyō and was hiding it.
But Kiyohara's Sharingan still showed two tomoe—not even three.
And Shisui had already tried "downgrading" his own three-tomoe before. It didn't work.
As time passed, Shisui's proud speed and technique kept lagging half a beat behind Kiyohara—locked down, trapped, suffocating.
And Shisui knew Kiyohara still had Magnet Release, Lightning Release, and other stronger tools unused…
While Shisui, aside from his Body Flicker and Mangekyō, had basically shown everything in the normal Uchiha toolkit.
Boom!
After a fierce clash, they separated again, standing more than ten meters apart.
Shisui's breathing had grown rougher, sweat at his temples, his sword hand tingling.
Kiyohara looked like he was fine.
Off to the side, Itachi frowned deeply.
Kiyohara… had spent most of the fight using the same kinds of techniques Shisui used.
Did he really think that alone was enough to handle Shisui?
What kind of confidence—and strength—did that take?
~~~
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