Night had fully fallen.
By the time Kiyohara returned to camp, most of the tents were lit. The medical sector was still busy, but it was noticeably quieter than during the day.
He went back to his own tent first, changed into clean clothes, then hesitated—before turning toward Tsunade's command tent.
A lamp was on inside, but it was silent.
Kiyohara lifted the flap and froze for a beat.
Tsunade was asleep, lying on her side on a folding chair.
She'd adjusted the chair into a recliner—backrest lowered flat. She was curled on her side, one hand tucked under her head as a pillow, the other hanging loosely.
Her long blonde hair had come undone, messy across the chair and spilling onto the ground.
Because of the way she lay, her top was pulled tight; her waist dipped in a slim line beneath the fabric. The rounded outline of her hips and thighs was clearly visible through the cloth. One leg was slightly bent, the other stretched straight—long lines from thigh to calf, ending in bare ankles and a pair of pale, soft feet.
Kiyohara's gaze landed on the jacket draped over her—his jacket, the one he'd left a few days ago.
It was too small for her, only barely covering her upper body. Her lower half was completely exposed to the night's chill.
The temperature in the tent had dropped.
Kiyohara watched for a few seconds, then quietly left.
Back in his own tent, he pulled out a spare thin blanket from his cot.
Looks like Tsunade had basically decided to use this command tent as her bedroom.
Which was normal enough. This area was restricted—anyone who wanted to enter had to report in advance. Realistically, only Kiyohara and Shizune could come and go freely.
He returned to the command tent with the blanket. Tsunade was still asleep, her position unchanged.
Kiyohara unfolded the blanket and gently laid it over her.
It was large enough to cover her from shoulders to ankles.
After that, he carefully tucked in the corners to keep the draft out.
Finished, he turned to leave.
But as he moved, he noticed Tsunade's eyelids twitch.
Kiyohara paused. He waited a moment. When she didn't wake, he slipped out quietly.
The flap fell with the lightest sound.
Inside the tent, Tsunade slowly opened her eyes.
She'd actually woken up while he was covering her.
Years of war had drilled vigilance into her—she could sense someone approaching even in deep sleep.
But she hadn't opened her eyes right away. She'd kept pretending to sleep.
Only after Kiyohara left did she look down at the blanket now covering her.
It wasn't hers.
Only she and Shizune had permission to enter this tent. Shizune was on night duty in the medical tents and wouldn't be back. So…
Tsunade reached out, rubbed the fabric between her fingers, then leaned closer and breathed in.
Yep. Kiyohara.
Same scent as the jacket.
She pulled the blanket higher, wrapping herself tighter.
It still held the warmth from Kiyohara's tent—soft and comforting, pushing the night chill away.
She closed her eyes again, and this time her lips curved slightly.
"Nosy little brat…" she muttered under her breath.
Then she drifted back into sleep.
…
The next day, the Hokage Tower.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, smoke curling from his pipe.
Two reports lay open before him—one with the latest front-line situation, the other an evaluation record that had just been delivered back via summon.
The door opened. Sarutobi Shinnosuke entered, no longer in Anbu gear, wearing standard shinobi clothes.
He'd traveled hard, using reverse summoning at intervals, and finally made it back to Konoha.
Even so, it had taken him a full day.
"Father," Shinnosuke said.
Unlike the rebellious Asuma, Shinnosuke felt like an older, more mature version of Asuma—ten-plus years ahead.
"Sit."
Hiruzen gestured to the chair opposite.
"You've been on the road all day. Tired?"
"Not really—Sarumi and the others helped me," Shinnosuke replied.
Reverse summoning demanded coordination. It wasn't something he could do alone; it required advance understanding and specific preparation.
But reverse summoning was far harder than normal summoning—and shinobi battles erupted without warning, leaving no time to prepare—so very few people used it.
Shinnosuke sat down, expression complicated.
"I lost."
"Oh?"
Hiruzen's face didn't change much.
If Kiyohara could capture Pakura alive, being stronger than Shinnosuke wasn't hard to accept.
"Even though it was just sparring, he really does have the ability to defeat me."
Shinnosuke described the fight in detail.
If he hadn't ended it early, he likely would have been beaten outright.
"His Sharingan use is extremely refined. His elemental combinations have no drag or hesitation."
He paused, then added,
"He's like you were when you were young… and I can tell that still wasn't all of his strength."
Hiruzen drew calmly on his pipe, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.
Kiyohara's growth rate was absurd.
What was this kid's ceiling?
"Do you think he's suited to be a captain?" Hiruzen asked.
"He is."
Shinnosuke answered without hesitation.
"His power is sufficient, his judgment is sharp, and he stays calm enough to analyze the situation mid-fight. He's young, but that steadiness is rare."
Hiruzen nodded and tapped ash from his pipe.
"Then it's decided. Tomorrow, we issue the formal appointment. Kiyohara will be promoted to captain of the First New Anbu Squad, temporarily overseeing four teams—four members per team."
Shinnosuke—the current captain—belonged to the "old" Anbu structure. The numbering was just a label; it didn't carry special meaning.
Above squad captains were positions like commander-in-chief and deputy commander.
"Yes."
Shinnosuke acknowledged.
"One more thing."
Hiruzen added,
"About Tsunade's hemophobia… any ideas?"
Shinnosuke was silent for a moment.
"It's difficult. That's psychological trauma—not something ordinary medical ninjutsu can fix. Unless there's a major stimulus or turning point…"
"I understand."
Hiruzen sighed.
"Go rest."
But privately, he began thinking: could Kiyohara attempt to help Tsunade recover?
Doctors often can't treat themselves—yet Kiyohara studied under Tsunade and knew her techniques. As an outside observer, he might have a better chance.
If Tsunade regained her full strength, it would greatly increase Konoha's odds.
…
Two days passed.
Kiyohara received his official Anbu appointment.
A new set of Anbu uniform was delivered—some details subtly different from standard gear.
Along with it came corresponding documentation—basically a certification/credential.
What surprised him was that Kakashi ended up assigned under him.
"You… became a captain?"
Kakashi was stunned when he got the notice.
How did Kiyohara suddenly become captain?
They'd both reported on the same day.
And now, in the blink of an eye, Kiyohara was his superior.
"Ahem. Work hard."
Kiyohara patted Kakashi on the shoulder.
At the same time, he was thinking about how to recruit more talent as his "laborers"…
No—his capable subordinates.
His mind jumped to Might Guy.
Not a bad pick.
In canon, Guy was rejected by both Hiruzen and Danzo. But Kiyohara didn't mind.
Everyone knew Kakashi's "assassinations" were basically: run in with Chidori and a thunderclap. Anbu secrecy worked only until contact.
The moment jutsu started flying, identity was basically exposed. If anyone survived and escaped, the enemy would record it.
That was how Kakashi could still become famous as "Copy Ninja Kakashi."
So even if Guy joined, Kiyohara didn't think it mattered.
He was also curious what Guy would look like in Anbu uniform.
Of course, Guy lacked the "darkness" for certain jobs—he probably couldn't accept many methods.
But as captain, Kiyohara could assign him missions that weren't so dirty.
"Kakashi," Kiyohara said, "go ask Guy if he's willing to join Anbu and work under me."
Kakashi and Guy were close friends. In canon, Guy's core motivation for joining Anbu was largely connected to Kakashi.
If Kakashi persuaded him, the odds were high.
"Me?" Kakashi pointed at himself.
"Yep. That's your first mission—issued by me, your captain."
Kiyohara declared that as the new captain of the First New Squad, his authority in his unit was unlimited.
"…Fine."
In the end, Kakashi could only nod.
Honestly, he was curious too—what Guy would look like after taking off that eye-searing green outfit.
After Kakashi left, Kiyohara returned to his tent immediately.
At the same time, a translucent figure slowly appeared.
Anbu Kiyohara's spirit.
He wore Anbu gear, but his mask was off—revealing a face seven or eight parts similar to Kiyohara's, just more mature.
"Now it's done," Kiyohara said, showing him the credentials and new uniform.
"You became an Anbu captain. You walked the road you never got to finish."
Anbu Kiyohara nodded.
He'd only just been promoted when he died.
If he hadn't flipped the table against Miuchi Shien, he wouldn't have been "packed up" and sent to his past self.
"…Yeah," Anbu Kiyohara sighed. "That settles one lingering regret."
His body began to glow, breaking into countless points of light.
The light didn't vanish—it flowed into Kiyohara and merged with him.
Kiyohara felt a warm current pour down from the top of his head, spreading through his spine into his limbs.
His body changed again.
He inherited even more complete knowledge—stealth, infiltration, assassination, poisoncraft—Anbu Kiyohara's techniques in fuller form than last time.
For Kiyohara, it was perfect timing.
He'd just become captain of the First New Squad—these skills would help him train his subordinates.
And maybe, in time, train private troops loyal to him alone.
As he absorbed it, his mental energy surged. It felt like a new door opened in his mind—thinking speed, sensory range, memory, all improving.
His chakra pathways widened. Flow became smoother.
His chakra reserves rose again.
Kiyohara's reserves now reached about 9.5 "Kakashi units"—and once his body finished adapting, it would likely climb a little more.
In other words, Kiyohara had roughly the chakra of 9.5 Kakashis with Sharingan.
"If I hit ten… maybe I'll brush 'Kage-level' chakra," Kiyohara mused.
In the world's informal power tiers, "Kage" wasn't just a job title—it also meant combat level.
Akatsuki members were all at least "Kage-level," whether they were raw stat monsters or broken-mechanics monsters.
That's why they could hunt tailed beasts and become S-rank rogue ninjas.
Then Kiyohara felt something else shift—
His Curse Mark.
He looked down. The seal pattern was darker than before.
He had a strong sense that, with a single thought, the power inside could burst out.
He stood, rolled his shoulders.
"My Curse Mark techniques… got a lot more complete too."
He closed his eyes and examined what he'd gained.
He now had the full operational method for the Earth Curse Mark, from Stage One through Stage Two.
He also had some additional Curse Mark techniques—though most of them were still written in scrolls, requiring self-study. What could be inherited directly was always only part of the whole.
But the most valuable piece was clearly the Earth Curse Mark.
"Let's test it."
He headed outside to the secluded area where he'd fought Shinnosuke earlier.
It was far from the main camp—no one would come at night.
He found a quiet cliff wall, took a deep breath, and drew out the power sleeping in his body.
"Curse Mark Transformation—Stage One."
Black patterns spread across his skin, branching like veins.
Not enough.
Kiyohara closed his eyes and pushed further.
"Stage Two… open!"
A harsher transformation hit.
The black markings rose from the skin. Along his spine, bones crackled—vertebrae pushing upward into a ridged bone spine.
And at the tailbone, flesh and chakra condensed into a thick, two-meter tail.
The tail was covered in dark gray keratin, its tip sharp as a spear.
It swung, whipping the air with a howl.
Kiyohara walked up to the cliff without using his hands.
With a thought—
The tail lashed out like a whip and slammed into the rock.
Boom!
Stone exploded. The cliff caved in with a crater, cracks spiderwebbing outward.
He reeled the tail back and inspected the damage.
That strike's force was far beyond his normal punch.
The tail's structure—bone and muscle—was optimized for explosive power.
He tested finer control: curling stones off the ground, using the tip to write in dirt, even mimicking hand movements to form seals.
It wasn't as dexterous as hands, but it could do the basics.
"Now try Steel Release coating."
He infused Steel Release chakra into the tail.
A black metallic sheen formed on the keratin, hardness increasing sharply.
He struck again.
This time it didn't sound like a blunt hit—it sounded like a cut.
The steel-coated tail sliced into the cliff like a blade, carving off a huge slab of rock with a mirror-smooth cut face.
Another strike—only seventy percent force—caused even greater destruction than before, and the tail itself remained unscathed.
"Good."
Kiyohara released Stage Two. The tail withdrew, and the markings faded.
No side effects—other than some chakra consumption.
Steel Release plus a Stage Two tail was offense and defense in one: a brutal weapon, and an extra limb for movement or support.
A true survival trump card.
Stage Two's amplification far exceeded the early Gates, and it didn't carry the same extreme bodily burden.
Of course, the systems were different: the Eight Gates removed internal limiters; the Curse Mark borrowed external power. But in raw immediate combat boost, Stage Two was terrifying.
"If someone had Shikotsumyaku… this Curse Mark would be even stronger," Kiyohara thought.
It made sense why Orochimaru gave Kimimaro the Earth Curse Mark and Sasuke the Heaven Curse Mark.
Earth Curse Mark meshed perfectly with Shikotsumyaku; many of Kimimaro's techniques relied on Stage Two.
Then again—if Kimimaro had the Heaven Curse Mark, Kiyohara figured he'd become a literal "fighter jet": flying and firing bone bullets from above.
Kiyohara returned to camp late at night.
Most tents were dark now. Only patrols and sentries remained active.
He went back to his tent and fell into deep sleep.
…
Another half month passed.
Suna scouts had shown up near the border, but Minato happened to pass through at that exact moment.
Suna immediately withdrew.
Once Minato left, Suna started probing again.
Kiyohara knew the fight was inevitable.
They were just waiting for Konoha to show a weak point.
If Minato hadn't passed through at the right time, it probably would've already erupted.
Which was good for Kiyohara—more time to grow.
Chakra reserves weren't everything.
Kaguya had more chakra than Six Paths Madara and still got sealed.
If you nerfed Kaguya down to a normal jōnin's chakra pool, it was unclear whether she could even beat an ordinary jōnin—because her "mechanics" needed colossal chakra just to function.
At jōnin levels, she might not even have enough for a single eye technique.
"Kiyohara, if you don't use your Sharingan, I'll definitely beat you this time."
In a secluded woodland clearing, Yūhi Kurenai and Nohara Rin were gathered with others.
Kurenai looked confident—ready to spar Kiyohara with her newly learned genjutsu.
Of course, they were both using newly learned techniques.
The rule was: no techniques beyond what they'd just learned—otherwise it would be bullying.
"Yeah?"
Kiyohara gave a small nod.
The sky cleared, the rain stopped—Kurenai decided she was invincible again.
~~~
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