"Yeah."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Good kid."
Hearing that, Jiraiya reached out and gave Kiyohara's shoulder a hard slap—hard enough to make his body sink slightly.
Jiraiya wasn't a taijutsu specialist, but with that build, his strength was nothing to scoff at—just not on the same freakish level as Tsunade and Kiyohara.
"That woman Pakura— even I have to put in work against her. And you captured her alive. If Tsunade hears this, she'll be so happy she'll forget her gambling debts."
Still carrying Pakura on his shoulder, Kiyohara replied, "You flatter me, Jiraiya-sama. I just got lucky. Her Scorch Release really is nasty—I almost got dried into a mummy."
"Lucky?"
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and pointed toward the massive burnt crater in the distance—over thirty meters across.
"That kind of Fire Release being 'luck' would make half of Konoha's jōnin so ashamed they'd want to crawl into a crack in the ground."
Sometimes being too humble was just another kind of arrogance. Jiraiya shook his head.
He looked Pakura over a few times. She was unconscious, but breathing steadily. Aside from a few scrapes and burn marks, she had no fatal injuries.
"You held back properly. Nice."
Jiraiya straightened, looking even more pleased.
"You didn't just capture an enemy—you kept her alive. Pakura's status in Suna is special. Alive, she's worth far more than dead. This is a huge merit, Kiyohara."
Kiyohara nodded, about to speak—when hurried footsteps came from behind.
"Kiyohara!"
Kurenai was the first to sprint over, crimson eyes full of worry.
She stopped in front of him and scanned him top to bottom. The moment she saw the heat-burn marks along his arm and neck, her eyes reddened.
"You're hurt…"
"Just minor burns."
Kiyohara flexed his arm. Blackened dead skin flaked off, revealing new, pink skin underneath.
With the White Snake Power's regeneration, burns at this level would heal in less than half a day.
"More importantly—your genjutsu support from the rear was excellent."
Kurenai's cheeks flushed. She lowered her head and said softly, "I only did what I should…"
At that moment, Might Guy rushed over. The green steam around him had already dissipated, but that surging vitality was still roaring off him.
Seeing Kiyohara, he thrust up a thumbs-up and flashed his trademark sparkling grin.
"Kiyohara! That fight was incredible! Youthful passion colliding head-on! I can't wait to have another taijutsu showdown with you!"
"Some other time, Guy."
Kiyohara chuckled and shook his head.
"Kiyohara, you all head back," Jiraiya said. "Suna probably won't be launching another large-scale push today."
"Understood, Jiraiya-sama."
Kiyohara dipped his head slightly and continued walking, Pakura still on his shoulder.
When they reached the Konoha camp, Kiyohara handed Pakura over to a female shinobi and told her he would personally interrogate Pakura later.
The woman recognized him as Tsunade's student and nodded.
Uchiha were known for genjutsu—interrogation wasn't unusual.
On the way back, the Konoha shinobi they passed kept sending him looks of respect.
Kiyohara nodded back to each of them without slowing down.
He understood their feelings.
Pakura's vicious reputation had been circulating the frontline for a long time—plenty of Konoha shinobi had likely died to her Scorch Release.
Now that this terrifying enemy had been captured, it was a massive morale boost for the entire front.
Soon, Kiyohara reached rows of tents.
The medical tent area sat on a relatively gentle hillside, dozens of white tents lined up neatly.
The air stung with a pungent mixture of disinfectant and blood, and now and then he could hear suppressed groans from inside.
When Kiyohara lifted the flap of the main tent, Tsunade had her back to him, seated at a rough wooden table, reviewing documents under a single swaying oil lamp.
The light was dim, but her golden hair still caught it faintly—while the rigid line of her shoulders hinted at exhaustion.
"Sensei."
Kiyohara spoke.
Tsunade flinched slightly and turned.
"You're back? Still got all your arms and legs?"
She stood and, without ceremony, grabbed his arm to inspect him.
"Burn area's small. Not deep… treated in time, at least."
She released him. His recovery speed seemed… abnormal.
Did he use the Mystical Palm Technique?
It didn't matter. Tsunade lifted her gaze.
"I heard you captured Pakura alive."
"News travels fast."
Kiyohara smiled.
"Her Scorch Release really is hot. How did you know about it, Sensei?"
"My student's business—how could I not know?"
Tsunade returned to the desk and pulled a fresh battle report from a stack.
"This is the preliminary frontline report: 'Jōnin Kiyohara fought Pakura for several minutes, then suppressed her with an original ultra–high-temperature Fire Release technique and captured the enemy commander alive,'" she read. "They even describe it as a one-sided beatdown."
She sat down again, fingers interlaced on the tabletop.
"That Fire Release you developed—its temperature is way beyond normal Fire Release. How did you do it?"
"I combined Fire Release and Magnet Release," Kiyohara explained.
"I see…"
Tsunade nodded like she half-understood.
She was a titan in medicine, but Fire Release and Magnet Release were outside her main domain—she knew some theory, not much.
Still, she understood one thing clearly: the human body didn't resist heat well. Not even shinobi.
Even ordinary boiling water could cause serious burns.
And according to the report, Kiyohara's flame had exceeded a thousand degrees.
At that temperature, aluminum, brass, magnesium, even pure silver could melt. Higher still, even gold and iron.
"What's the technique called?" Tsunade asked.
"Fire Release: Microwave Bullet," Kiyohara replied.
"Microwaves…"
Tsunade seemed to connect a few dots.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara admitted it openly.
The shinobi world had science—just… science that often went sideways. Plenty of technology relied on chakra, but electricity- and magnetism-related tech existed too.
Refrigerators, streetlights, screens—those alone showed the baseline tech level was solid.
But turning that knowledge into ninjutsu required talent—because of the "body limitations."
Having the idea didn't mean you had the chakra volume and control to actually execute it.
Otherwise, Konoha would mass-produce Flying Thunder God squads and steamroll the entire war. No village could withstand an army that could teleport at will.
Kiyohara's eyes flicked to Tsunade's desk. There was a bowl there.
Inside was the miso soup he'd brought her that morning—now cold, with a thin layer of congealed oil on top.
"Sensei… did you eat this for lunch?"
Tsunade paused, then looked away, a bit stiff.
"Busy. No time."
Kiyohara picked up the bowl and cradled it in his palms.
Fire chakra flowed. Heat shimmered.
A few seconds later, the soup made a faint gloop—and steam rose again.
He set the warmed bowl back in front of her.
"At least reheat it."
Tsunade stared at the bowl, then up at Kiyohara's face—still boyish, but sharper now—and suddenly felt her throat tighten.
She lowered her head, took the spoon, and sipped.
Warm liquid slid down with the salty aroma of miso and the umami of kelp.
"…So how exactly did you use microwaves?" she asked.
"I used sand-iron to generate a strong magnetic field. Then I accelerated the charged particles inside the fireball—creating an induction-heating-like effect. Basically, I heated the fireball from the inside to far beyond normal temperatures."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed in thought.
"Magnet Release can be used like that… what kind of brain do you have?"
"Maybe I just like reading," Kiyohara said, half-joking.
Tsunade snorted and took a few more sips, then put the spoon down. Color returned to her face.
"Winning is one thing—but capturing Pakura alive will help a lot in upcoming negotiations. Suna is strained at the front and unstable in the rear. Losing their 'hero' is a brutal hit to their morale."
She paused, then added, "But don't get arrogant. Victories on the battlefield are never just one person's work."
"I understand."
Kiyohara nodded.
He knew she was trying to stop him from developing a reckless ego.
Even so… Pakura had been taken largely in a one-on-one fight.
And in a world of overwhelming power, individual strength mattered more than collective slogans.
Naruto's "Allied Shinobi Forces" got called a rabble by Madara for a reason.
If a few hundred genin showed up in front of Kiyohara right now, he could harvest them like crops.
That was what power did to the world.
Just then, the tent flap lifted again.
A red-haired figure stepped inside.
Uzumaki Karin.
Her long red hair was tied in a ponytail, framing a delicate face.
She wore standard Konoha combat gear, but at her waist was a special tool pouch bearing the Uzumaki crest.
Honestly, Kiyohara never understood why shinobi loved wearing their clan crests everywhere. Wasn't that just handing the enemy intel?
"Tsunade-sama. Kiyohara-kun."
Karin bowed politely, her voice clear.
"Karin? Why are you here?"
Tsunade looked surprised.
"By the Hokage's order," Karin explained.
After spending time in Konoha, she'd begun integrating.
But manpower was tight, and now Konoha was putting her on the line too.
"With the increased pressure on frontline medical support, I've been temporarily assigned to assist the medical corps. And…"
She hesitated, then continued.
"The Hokage believes my knowledge of sealing techniques may be useful in certain special situations."
Kiyohara understood immediately.
"Special situations" probably meant something like Three-Tails going berserk inside Rin—Uzumaki sealing arts would matter then.
Hiruzen was clearly preparing redundancies. Karin's presence wasn't just "extra hands."
"Good timing."
Tsunade nodded.
"Shizune can't handle everything alone. You'll help a lot. By the way—how's your medical ninjutsu training?"
"Konoha has many techniques I didn't know. I've learned a lot."
Karin answered seriously.
"Good."
Tsunade waved her off.
"Go get settled. Come report the details to me later."
"Yes."
Karin answered—but didn't leave immediately.
She looked at Kiyohara, her red eyes (matching her hair) shimmering with curiosity.
"Kiyohara-kun… how is the sealing technique Kushina taught you?"
Kiyohara was a little surprised, but answered honestly.
"I already mastered it."
"I see. If you'd like, I can teach you more."
Karin smiled.
"My level is nowhere near what the elders had back when Uzushio still existed, but I can handle the basics. After all…"
Her voice softened.
"I still have Uzumaki blood."
In the shinobi world, kekkei genkai could be inherited—so could talent.
Uzumaki were famous for huge life force and sealing mastery.
"Then I'll be counting on you."
Kiyohara nodded.
Saving Karin really was paying off.
His mind drifted to the orphanage situation.
When things calmed down, he needed to check in—ask Yakushi Nono how the Ketsuryūgan research was progressing.
And he intended to cultivate Yakushi Kabuto too.
A research talent like that, if he ran off with Orochimaru, would spend his life hiding like a sewer rat.
With Kiyohara, at least he'd live cleanly.
Kiyohara wasn't a missing-nin, and he wasn't doing human experimentation that could blow up later.
"When I have time, I'll come learn properly," Kiyohara said.
"It's a promise."
Karin smiled, and finally left.
After her footsteps faded, Tsunade spoke quietly.
"Karin's a good kid. Solid talent, strong heart… just born in the wrong era."
She didn't finish, but Kiyohara understood.
If Uzushio still existed—if the Uzumaki hadn't suffered that disaster—Karin would have grown under protection, systematically learning the deepest sealing arts.
Instead, she was forced to scrape by on fragmented knowledge and self-study.
Tsunade glanced at Kiyohara and asked suddenly, "Kiyohara—why are you learning sealing arts? With your talent, if you specialize in ninjutsu and taijutsu, your future could rival Minato's. Sealing… doesn't seem like it boosts you much."
Kiyohara fell silent for a moment.
Why learn sealing?
Because it was the meta.
Even Kaguya—absurdly strong—was ultimately defeated by sealing.
All Six Paths Naruto and Sasuke had to do was touch her together and she'd be sealed.
If a single person could wield both Yin and Yang power and use Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei alone, then in the shinobi world, nothing would be unsealable.
And that power was still an external "cheat" the Sage gifted them.
Kiyohara could only say: the waters ran deep.
If you want to fight seals without being sealed yourself, you have to understand seals.
At the highest levels, battles always circle back to sealing.
"In short," Kiyohara said at last, "I want my kit to be more complete."
Tsunade only nodded.
If it were anyone else, she might've scolded them for being overly ambitious.
But for a prodigy like Kiyohara, it felt… reasonable.
"Go. Get some rest."
…
Meanwhile, back in Konoha—Hokage Tower.
The atmosphere in the conference room was nothing like the frontline.
No smoke. No blood stench. Only the soft rustle of paper and the curling smoke from a pipe.
Hiruzen sat in the main seat, a fresh battlefield report spread before him.
He read it over and over, and with each pass, the corner of his mouth lifted a little more.
"Good… good."
At last, he set it down and looked around the room.
Homura and Koharu sat to the left; Danzo sat to the right. All three had identical copies.
"Kiyohara gave us another surprise."
Hiruzen's tone held undisguised satisfaction.
"Capturing Pakura alive… means we've removed one of Suna's biggest trump cards on the front. In the negotiations to come, we'll hold the initiative."
Koharu pushed up her glasses and spoke cautiously.
"It's certainly a great achievement, but Hiruzen, we must consider the aftereffects. Pakura's reputation among Suna's civilians is high—if handled poorly, it could ignite even stronger resistance."
Homura nodded.
"Koharu is right. My suggestion is to keep Pakura detained in secret for now. Don't publicize the details. Once the front stabilizes, we decide whether to exchange her for prisoners or use her as leverage."
Hiruzen nodded.
"We can discuss the details. But the most important point is this: Kiyohara's merit deserves reward—and promotion."
He paused.
"Anbu can be expanded. That would create openings for captains. With Kiyohara's ability and achievements, he is fully qualified."
The instant those words landed, Danzo's grip on his cane tightened, veins standing out on the back of his hand.
His usually expressionless face twitched—just slightly.
Homura noticed and murmured, "Danzo, what is it?"
Danzo drew a breath, forcing his face back into cold neutrality.
"Nothing."
Kiyohara.
Again.
That Uchiha-blooded brat who kept wrecking his plans—now strong enough to capture Pakura alive.
Even Root's elite jōnin couldn't easily do that.
And Anbu Captain?
If Kiyohara rose into Anbu's upper ranks, moving against him would get far harder.
Anbu's independence was high—even Danzo couldn't casually interfere with Anbu personnel decisions.
He was the uncrowned king of Root, not the uncrowned king of Anbu.
That was Hiruzen's territory—territory Danzo's hand couldn't reach.
Touch it, and Hiruzen wouldn't just sit still.
"Danzo seems to have a different opinion?"
Hiruzen asked casually, exhaling smoke.
"No objection."
Danzo's reply was flat.
What objection could he have?
They were Hiruzen's people.
The bitterness rose anyway.
First Minato—now Kiyohara.
Meanwhile, Root was starving for fresh prodigies.
At least he still held one card: Orochimaru.
If Orochimaru became Hokage, Danzo's room to maneuver would expand drastically—maybe even enough to pave a path to becoming Fifth himself.
After all, Orochimaru's heart was in research, not administration.
Koharu spoke again, measured and careful.
"Kiyohara has indeed earned rewards. But an Anbu Captain position is significant. We must evaluate not only strength, but command ability. I suggest we continue observing him in his current post for a time."
Homura nodded.
"Agreed. He's still young. Even if his power is exceptional, his experience and seniority may be lacking. Promoting him too abruptly may not benefit him either."
Hiruzen didn't refute immediately.
He slowly exhaled, eyes passing over the advisors, then drifting to the village outside the window.
After a long moment, he spoke.
"Then this: Shinnosuke is currently in the village. Send him to the front under the name of 'inspection.' Let him observe Kiyohara up close. If Kiyohara truly has the qualities of a captain, we promote him through procedure. If not, we reconsider."
It was a compromise everyone could accept.
Koharu and Homura nodded.
Danzo, though dissatisfied, had no clean grounds to oppose it. He remained silent.
In truth, it meant Kiyohara's promotion was already set—this was simply running the process.
And "Shinnosuke" meant Sarutobi Shinnosuke—Hiruzen's eldest son, an Anbu captain. His wife was also an elite jōnin within Anbu.
"Then it's decided."
Hiruzen finalized it.
"Meeting adjourned."
Everyone began to file out.
Homura deliberately slowed his steps to walk beside Danzo.
"Danzo… what's really going on?" he asked again outside the tower.
"Ever since that incident with the secret base Kiyohara destroyed, every time his name comes up, you react strangely. Is something happening that I don't know?"
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!