The Three-Tails' shell was being hammered again and again by lightning.
And where its hide was exposed beyond the shell, the arcs formed by Chidori had already sliced it open, leaving cuts that bled.
A tailed beast was a mass of chakra, but it still mimicked the form of a living creature.
It still had flesh and blood. It could bleed. It could be injured.
And if certain parts were damaged, some of them couldn't even regenerate.
Like the Eight-Tails, Gyūki—its tails could regrow if severed, but the horn on its head could not.
Enduring the agony, unable to move, the Three-Tails finally realized something.
This human wasn't an ordinary Uchiha.
His ocular power—his spiritual strength—everything pointed to one possibility.
"You're Indra's reincarnation…?" the Three-Tails murmured.
The tailed beasts had been created by the Sage of Six Paths himself, and even the Nine-Tails had once joined forces with Asura to fight Indra.
So the Three-Tails knew the Sage's two sons.
And because of their lingering obsessions in life, their chakra would continue to reincarnate.
Over a thousand years, whenever Indra and Asura's reincarnations met the conditions, they would appear.
"No… that's not right. Indra only reincarnates through Uchiha blood. But you clearly carry other bloodlines too—what exactly are you?" the Three-Tails frowned.
Indra had always reincarnated only within the Uchiha. A mixed-blood case had never happened before.
Back when it had been sealed into Nohara Rin in the Land of Grass, the seal hadn't been reinforced yet, so it had been able to glimpse some of the outside world.
And it had seen Kiyohara use Magnet Release—another kekkei genkai.
"Who knows?" Kiyohara walked toward it slowly.
"So. Are you willing to talk now?"
The Three-Tails looked at the army of shadow clones behind Kiyohara, each holding Chidori, then at the scorched marks on its own body.
At last, it lowered itself to the ground.
"I'll admit—you have the right to speak with me," it said.
"But brat, the power of a tailed beast isn't so easy to control. Even if I'm willing to lend strength, that little girl named Nohara Rin might not be able to withstand it."
"That's not for you to worry about," Kiyohara said.
"You only need to agree: when she needs it, you'll lend her a portion of your power. In exchange, one day—I'll return your freedom."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
Tailed beasts were strange existences—so strange they could even split into Yin Kurama and Yang Kurama.
Obito had been able to use just one of the Eight-Tails' tails, combine it with other tailed-beast chakra, and form the Ten-Tails.
Which meant that to "assemble" the Ten-Tails, you only needed a part of each of the nine beasts' chakra.
And Kiyohara… definitely wanted that power. Even as nothing more than a giant battery, it would be useful.
The Three-Tails stayed silent for a long time.
It hadn't had many jinchūriki.
Some treated it as a tool. Some treated it as a disaster. Some even wanted to devour it completely.
But someone like Kiyohara—someone who offered freedom—was the first.
"Why should I believe you?" the Three-Tails asked.
"It's just a formality," Kiyohara said flatly. "Either you willingly give a portion of chakra… or I forcibly take a portion."
As long as a jinchūriki could suppress a tailed beast, they could borrow its chakra.
Naruto's golden cloak before he reconciled with Kurama had come from exactly that.
And if a jinchūriki could truly align with the beast—achieve resonance—then they could become a perfect jinchūriki and draw out far greater power.
In a way, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had been the "perfect" Ten-Tails jinchūriki—because she had become the Ten-Tails itself. Immortal and unkillable, she could only be sealed.
"…"
The Three-Tails stared at Kiyohara.
If it wanted to keep fighting, it still could. It hadn't even used a killing move like a tailed-beast bomb.
But Kiyohara was right.
If all he wanted was a portion of chakra, he could force it.
Uzumaki sealing techniques already weakened the beast's power.
Even now, chains still bound the ends of its three tails, preventing free movement.
And Kiyohara hadn't even "entered" properly—he'd fought through the gaps of the enormous cage.
"…Fine. I'll agree. But brat—remember your promise," the Three-Tails finally said.
It decided it would watch and see what Kiyohara was really planning.
In this mental space, it had no advantage at all.
Uzumaki sealing. Uchiha Sharingan. And Kiyohara's abnormal spiritual energy—here, it was being countered on every front.
More than that… it wanted to confirm whether Kiyohara truly was Indra's reincarnation.
"Good." Kiyohara nodded.
It seemed the Three-Tails—without the decade-plus of trauma from being controlled by Obito—didn't hate humans quite as deeply yet.
The exchange in the mental space took only seconds in the real world.
When Kiyohara opened his eyes, Rin's body had already begun to change.
Red chakra poured out of her like flowing flames, wrapping around her body.
It condensed at her skin into a semi-transparent red membrane, with bubbles drifting inside.
That tailed-beast chakra formed the shape of a chakra cloak, and behind her, a single chakra tail extended.
"S-Success…?" Rin stared at her hands, stunned.
Small claws had formed at her fingertips, but her mind was still clear—no signs of losing control.
"Try using a jutsu," Kiyohara said.
Rin nodded and formed seals.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
This technique spat water to form a small pool and surge toward the opponent.
Its power could be adjusted freely depending on the user's chakra reserves.
It was flexible—basic Water Release.
Splash!
This time, what burst from Rin's mouth wasn't ordinary water—it was a deep blue wave infused with tailed-beast chakra.
The scale was more than three times what she usually produced, and the impact was several times stronger.
The wave slammed into open ground in the distance and blew out a crater several meters wide.
"A-Amazing…" Rin herself was dumbstruck.
Kurenai and Kakashi were just as wide-eyed.
They could feel it—the power of that Water Release had reached jōnin level.
"So this is… tailed-beast chakra," Kakashi murmured.
"But Rin—be careful controlling it," Kiyohara warned. "When you borrow that power, you have to keep your sense of self. If you feel your emotions starting to slip, stop immediately."
His "deal" with the Three-Tails was still only verbal—there was always a chance it could renege—so caution was necessary.
"I-I understand!" Rin nodded hard, her expression serious.
She tested her body and found her speed, strength, and reflexes had risen sharply.
That overflowing sense of power made her both excited and nervous.
"Kiyohara… thank you," she said, looking at him with gratitude.
"No need to thank me." Kiyohara shook his head.
"So you went into the seal—the place the tailed beast is kept?" Uzumaki Karin asked curiously.
She knew everyone here understood what a tailed beast was.
"Yeah." Kiyohara nodded.
"Incredible," Karin said, impressed.
Living with Kushina, she'd felt the Nine-Tails' chakra before.
It was pure hatred—like a condensed mass of malice, a bundle of "evil of this world."
The Nine-Tails had once been seen as a living embodiment of catastrophe.
That overwhelming power had left a deep impression on her.
"It's fine." Kiyohara nodded.
If anything, the Three-Tails was one of the easier ones.
Among the beasts, the ones with the roughest histories were probably the Nine-Tails, the One-Tails, and the Eight-Tails.
The Nine-Tails had been controlled by Uchiha Madara.
After Bunpuku died, the One-Tails rampaged repeatedly—then was suppressed by Rasa.
That was why Rasa constantly tested whether Gaara would lose control; aside from Bunpuku, every previous host had met a miserable end.
As for the Eight-Tails… it was one of the rare disabled beasts.
"Alright—keep training," Kiyohara said with a wave.
A tailed beast could boost someone's strength quickly, but the ceiling was still limited.
Against true top-tier opponents, it only went so far.
Akatsuki captured most of the tailed beasts—if they had beasts inside them as batteries, they'd be even more terrifying.
Hearing Kiyohara's words, Kurenai bobbed her head, a sense of urgency rising in her chest.
Rin had already become this strong, and Kurenai's own progress still felt small.
Kakashi, seeing Rin grow stronger, felt genuinely relieved.
At least now Rin's life had more protection.
And even outside the battlefield…
Kakashi glanced at Kiyohara without thinking.
With Kiyohara looking after Rin, her emotional state would probably be okay too.
Another day of keeping his promise to Obito.
Kakashi felt—strangely—like things were peaceful.
…
Suna's front-line main camp.
Inside the largest tent, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like water could drip from it.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sat at the head.
The calm face he usually wore was now dark with storm clouds.
Unconsciously, gold dust seeped from him, floating slowly around his body.
Several others were present.
Chiyo sat to the left, her expression just as grim. Ebizō stood behind his sister, brows tightly drawn.
A number of Suna's top brass sat on both sides, all silent.
"Pakura was captured…"
Finally, Rasa spoke, his voice hoarse.
"Who can tell me what happened? Our 'Hero of Suna'—a Scorch Release shinobi—was captured alive by some brat from Konoha?"
A jōnin from intelligence stood up stiffly.
"Kazekage-sama—according to reports from the front, Konoha's Kiyohara used an ultra-high-temperature Fire Release to suppress Lady Pakura's Scorch Release. Eyewitnesses estimate that Fire Release reached at least one thousand degrees."
"One thousand degrees?" Chiyo snapped her head up. "Are you sure? That's close to—maybe even at—Lava Release temperatures."
Lava Release typically ran around a thousand degrees as well.
"Absolutely certain," the intel jōnin said with his head lowered. "The blast crater was over thirty meters across. The surrounding rock vitrified—turned to glass. Ordinary Fire Release can't do that."
Silence fell again.
A thousand degrees really could melt soil into glass.
Which meant Kiyohara had terrifying talent in Fire Release as well.
"Kiyohara…" Rasa repeated the name slowly.
"Tsunade's student. Has Sharingan and Magnet Release. And now he's shown this level of Fire Release too—what kind of monster did Konoha raise?"
He stood and walked to the map hanging in the center of the tent, staring toward the direction of Kikyo Pass.
At first, when he heard Kiyohara had Magnet Release, he thought it was some Suna magnet-user's "mistake" from a stormy night long ago.
Then the Sharingan surfaced too.
If these weren't loyal Suna shinobi reporting, Rasa would've wondered if he was reading fake news.
"Kazekage," Chiyo also stood and moved beside him. "Now isn't the time to brood. Pakura's capture is a massive blow to morale. I recommend we organize a rescue immediately."
"Rescue?" Rasa turned, cold light flashing in his eyes. "How? Konoha will lock her up in their tightest facility—maybe she's already been moved to the rear. A forced rescue will only cost us more."
"Then what?" a veteran officer blurted. "Just watch Pakura fall into Konoha's hands? You know her popularity. If this is mishandled, the village will erupt."
Rasa didn't answer right away.
He returned to his seat, fingers interlaced on the table, sinking into a long silence.
At last, he looked up—resolve in his eyes.
"I'll go to the front myself."
"What?!" Chiyo's face changed. "That's too dangerous. You're Suna's leader—if anything happens…"
After the Third Kazekage's mysterious disappearance, Suna had fallen into chaos.
If Rasa suffered an accident—on top of Pakura being captured—Suna could fall into that same nightmare again.
And unlike early in the war, they had already lost many shinobi.
"Precisely because I'm the Kazekage, I have to go," Rasa cut her off. "Pakura's capture has driven morale into the ground. If I don't show up—if I don't personally stabilize the front—this war is already over."
He scanned the room.
"Issue the order. In the coming days, I will personally go to the Kikyo Pass front. Also—if the situation turns bad, send Konoha a message proposing temporary ceasefire talks. Draft the letter now."
"Negotiation?" Ebizō asked, confused.
As head of Suna's intelligence, he maintained networks in the major countries, supporting the village with information.
"Yes. Negotiation." Rasa nodded.
"Suna can't afford this war anymore. Our resources are bleeding out; our manpower is stretched thin. If we keep fighting—even if we take Kikyo Pass—we'll be crippled and invite other villages to take advantage."
"I understand." Chiyo nodded. "I'll arrange it personally."
Rasa turned back to the map.
…
A week passed in the tension of the front.
For Kiyohara, it was a busy week.
By day, he treated the wounded. By night, he immersed himself in training the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
Sometimes he even summoned Anbu Kiyohara's spirit and the two discussed curse marks.
And the seal really was as difficult as Tsunade said—absurdly difficult.
First, he had to open a chakra storage point in his forehead.
It couldn't be placed randomly; it had to sit on a key node in the brain's chakra pathways—able to store massive chakra without disrupting normal brain function.
Then came the harder part: guiding unused chakra, thread by thread, into that seal point.
But during that process, he still had to spend large amounts of chakra daily.
So progress was slow.
Even so, Kiyohara could tell his filling speed far outpaced Sakura's.
"You're still training?" Tsunade lifted the flap of Kiyohara's tent and saw him storing chakra.
She'd come because she was worried he might mess up.
"Sensei… this is harder than I expected."
"Of course it's hard." Tsunade sat opposite him and handed him a cup of warm water. "If anyone could learn it, it wouldn't be an S-rank technique. You're doing great. When I learned to start storing chakra, it took me three days. You nailed it in one."
Kiyohara took the cup, surprised.
"Even you took that long, Sensei?"
"You think I was born knowing it?" Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Any powerful technique demands a matching price and effort. The Strength of a Hundred Seal most of all."
She looked at his forehead. It was still smooth and pale—no mark.
But in reality, chakra was already accumulating there.
"The pattern's already starting to take shape," Tsunade said.
Kiyohara touched his forehead.
He could feel a tiny chakra reservoir forming.
Once he learned Strength of a Hundred Technique and Creation Rebirth, he'd be even stronger.
Tsunade's entire medical combat system was built around this seal.
The seal was like an external battery. Activate it and you could unleash that stored chakra for massive medical techniques or forbidden arts.
It could effectively push a shinobi's "chakra stat" up a tier in an instant.
Then the Strength of a Hundred Technique spread that released chakra through the whole body—similar to Lightning Chakra Mode, except it was neutral chakra.
And Creation Rebirth used that chakra to continuously heal the body.
As long as vital points weren't catastrophically damaged, the body could recover to near-perfect condition.
And Kiyohara's chakra pool already dwarfed normal standards.
If he filled the seal completely… just imagining the burst was exhilarating.
"Take it slow," Tsunade stood. "Training's not about rushing—especially anything involving the brain. Better slower, safer. Got it?"
"Got it, Sensei."
Satisfied, Tsunade left—then casually grabbed a banana from Kiyohara's tent on the way out.
He'd squeezed time to buy those in a nearby town.
…
The next day.
Kiyohara opened his eyes slowly after training.
He'd been up early again; the seal had filled a little more.
After washing up, he put on his combat gear and rechecked his kit.
Today, he planned to check Rin's progress first—then visit Pakura.
Outside, camp was still a constant churn.
Medics hurried between tents; the gears of war never stopped.
Kiyohara walked down the lane between tents and soon reached the medical unit's training area.
In the clearing, Rin was already there.
She wore a short-sleeved outfit for movement, brown hair down to her shoulders, a few sweat-damp strands stuck to her pale cheeks.
Hands forming seals, she focused hard.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
She fired—this time the wave was even larger than a week ago, smashing a thick wooden target into splinters.
Water sprayed everywhere. Rin panted lightly, but she was smiling.
"Looks like you've improved a lot," Kiyohara's voice came from behind.
Rin jumped and spun around.
When she saw it was him, her cheeks reddened and she lowered her head shyly.
"Kiyohara… when did you get here?"
"Just a moment ago." Kiyohara walked closer and examined the shattered posts. The break pattern was jagged, not just from impact—there was chakra damage layered in.
"That Water Release is good enough that you can start learning more techniques." He paused, then asked, "Can your body handle tailed-beast chakra for longer now?"
"Um… about three minutes." Rin said softly, unconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt. "If I go longer, my chakra pathways and skin start to hurt."
"Slow and steady," Kiyohara said. "The first step to controlling power is knowing your limit. Three minutes is already great. Don't rush."
Rin's blush deepened under his approval.
Then she hesitated, pulled a box from her pouch.
"Um… Kiyohara, I made extra rice balls this morning. Do you want some?"
She opened the cloth wrap—five triangular onigiri arranged neatly, sesame sprinkled on top, umeboshi and salmon visible inside.
"You made these yourself?" Kiyohara was surprised.
"Yeah…" Rin's voice got smaller. "My mom taught me back home. I thought… everyone's working so hard at the front. Maybe eating something homemade would make people feel a little better…"
Kiyohara took one. It was still warm.
He bit in—rice firm but soft, the sour plum balanced perfectly with the salty salmon.
"Really good," he said.
She really does have that 'good wife, good mother' aura, he thought.
Even now, the cooking tools at Kiyohara's place were still the ones Rin had brought last time.
"R-Really?" Rin brightened.
"Of course." Kiyohara finished one quickly.
Rin couldn't stop smiling as she watched him eat.
She repacked the rest and tried to push them into his hands.
"Then please take these too—I've got more…"
"Not that many. You need to eat too."
"I already ate!" Rin insisted—though her eyes were clearly hopeful.
Kiyohara smiled and accepted the box.
"Then thanks."
"You're welcome!" Rin said brightly, then remembered something. "Oh—Kiyohara, I'm off duty this afternoon. I'm planning to train medical ninjutsu. Want to come watch?"
"Maybe. I have some things to handle today." Kiyohara tucked the box away. "But remember—if you're going to draw out more tailed-beast chakra, make sure Karin or I are present. The Three-Tails agreed to lend you power, but we can't be careless."
"I understand!" Rin nodded hard, serious again.
She didn't know what Kiyohara had said to the beast, but she'd always treated that power with caution.
As a jinchūriki, she could feel how enormous that chakra really was.
Kiyohara gave her a few more reminders, then turned to leave.
As he walked away, he glanced back.
Rin was already forming seals again, face set with determination.
Satisfied, Kiyohara headed toward the place where Pakura was being held.
~~~
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