"Kakashi, what are you planning to give him?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment.
"A book," he finally said.
Lately he'd gotten hooked on certain "yin–yang release research" books about men and women.
But Kakashi figured Kiyohara probably wouldn't be interested, so he planned to give him some of the Hatake swordsmanship techniques his father had left behind instead.
"Oh! Speaking of gifts!"
Might Guy suddenly clapped his hands together, his eyes shining.
"I'll give Kiyohara all my taijutsu insights and training methods! I've even got the title—The Youth Training Manual!"
Hearing Guy's gift would be sort of similar to his, Kakashi shot him a surprised look.
Would Guy's "theory" really be any good?
"Everyone's putting in so much thought," Rin sighed.
"Yeah… probably… I guess…" Asuma scratched the back of his head.
His mood, though, was hard to describe.
When he had a birthday, would Kurenai be this invested?
Asuma drifted into that thought.
…
The next day.
After sending word ahead, Kiyohara headed to the orphanage.
It looked a little desolate. No ninjas came here for treatment anymore—only orphans and the nearby villagers would come and go.
But in these unstable times, villagers rarely came.
That meant the orphanage's finances were even tighter.
No subsidy from treating ninjas, no donations from the local villagers.
The only things they could rely on were whatever money they'd managed to save before, and the relief funds sent from Konoha.
But compared to the growing number of orphans, the relief money was a drop in the bucket.
Up on the second floor, Yakushi Nono stared out the window and sighed.
She didn't know how long the money Kiyohara had left would last.
Just then, she spotted a familiar figure outside.
"Kiyohara?"
Nono froze, pushed up her round glasses, and hurried downstairs.
When Kiyohara reached the gate, she happened to open the door.
"Kiyohara."
"Dean Nono."
Kiyohara greeted her.
Nono looked up, surprise flashing behind her lenses.
"You're back at this time—did something happen at the front?"
"Everything's fine."
Kiyohara took out a glass tube—the remaining half-dose of White Snake Power.
"This is a biological fluid extracted from a white snake. I need you to help me analyze the technique behind it."
Nono's eyes flicked to what he was holding.
A white snake… made her think of someone.
"This is Orochimaru's…"
"Right."
Kiyohara didn't deny it.
Orochimaru, Nono, Tsunade—anyone who seriously studied medical ninjutsu inevitably had a footing in biology.
Even Naruto's later artificial "Hashirama-cells" prosthetic arm was cultivated with Tsunade's help—mechanism and flesh merged so it could conduct chakra perfectly without affecting seals or ninjutsu.
"But…"
Nono looked at Kiyohara.
There wasn't any research equipment here.
If you wanted to do research, the one thing you absolutely couldn't lack was equipment.
Kiyohara saw what she was thinking and pulled out two small cloth pouches.
"These are high-purity gold bars. Convert them into funds and buy better lab equipment. Whatever research needs—just buy it."
He pointed at the larger pouch.
Then he pointed at the smaller one.
"This one's for the orphanage. It'll improve your living situation."
With the sand-gold method now in his hands, as long as he spent time, he could always find high-purity gold.
Lower-purity stuff, he kept for combat use.
Nono accepted the pouches. When she opened them, the gold bars glowed with a heavy, warm light.
She stared for a beat, then adjusted her glasses, face turning serious.
"Kiyohara… this is far too much. The orphanage doesn't need this kind of spending…"
"Anything extra counts as an early investment," Kiyohara said. "If you find any promising kids, tell me early."
There were definitely talented kids here—otherwise Danzo wouldn't have come fishing.
In the original story, there were clear scenes of orphanage kids treating injured ninjas.
And medical ninjutsu was harder than basic elemental releases.
Not every ninja could use it—meaning their chakra volume and control were already above the bar. If they trained as shinobi, they had the potential to reach chūnin, even jōnin—not just become ordinary genin.
Nono finally nodded.
"I understand. I'll set up a small lab in the orphanage basement. It's hidden enough."
For the next few hours, the two discussed White Snake Power in detail.
Kiyohara listened carefully, asking questions whenever something didn't line up.
Nono's overall skills had declined, but after spending time treating ninjas again, her medical ability had returned significantly.
"I'll find a way to buy white snakes and send them over," Kiyohara said.
On the black market, there were plenty—if you had money, you could get them.
Worst case, he could "borrow" some from Orochimaru's lab.
Kiyohara stood to leave.
"Kiyohara-senpai—you're here too?"
Kabuto returned carrying a hoe.
With the orphanage struggling financially, the orphans all did whatever work they could—clearing nearby wasteland and planting crops like potatoes so everyone wouldn't go hungry.
"Yeah. You've grown again," Kiyohara said, looking at him.
Kabuto was a born spy—his disguise skills could fool Konoha, fool Sasori, fool Akatsuki, fool his own Sound comrades… even Orochimaru never fully read him. Both Orochimaru and Sasori had praised his talent.
But Kiyohara knew Kabuto's lifelong problem was always the same:
Who am I?
Because after losing his memories, his only "home" was the orphanage—his adoptive mother, Yakushi Nono.
And then Root's scheme made Nono fail to recognize him. Kabuto, shocked, broke his medical jutsu mid-operation—leading to Nono's death.
That single event shattered Kabuto and pushed him into darkness.
Kiyohara was curious: how strong could this "steadfast Kabuto" become?
Like "Back-home Minato," "Healthy Itachi," or "Info-rich Jiraiya," a ninja's ceiling could often be raised—if the right conditions were met.
"I'm giving you this jutsu," Kiyohara said, handing him a Wind Release scroll.
Kabuto's chakra natures included wind, earth, water, yin, and yang, so learning Wind Release was no problem.
"Thank you, Kiyohara-senpai," Kabuto said earnestly.
He was grateful that Kiyohara helped his adoptive mother, helped the orphanage, and saved him.
He wanted to repay that.
"It's nothing." Kiyohara shook his head.
Kabuto learned fast—once he learned more jutsu, Kiyohara could copy them with the Sharingan. It was pure profit.
After a few more words, Kiyohara returned to the Konoha camp.
…
The next morning.
The morning fog hadn't lifted yet; the forest was grey and hazy.
Kiyohara formed hand seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Three clones—identical to him—appeared at his side.
He asked whether any of them had the "Willbook."
All of them shook their heads.
"As expected…"
Kiyohara nodded.
"Shadow clones are still just manifested chakra. They carry my thought patterns, but they don't count as independent existences."
He thought for a moment.
"The 'Willbook' isn't bound to the body or chakra… so it's probably bound to the soul, or something even deeper—like that future-self 'spirit' state?"
After thinking, he created more shadow clones and had them train Wind Release with him, refining wind-nature transformation.
But because Shadow Clone Jutsu had limits, he couldn't create too many—unless he used Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
And that would massively increase fatigue. Not everyone could handle the mental burden of countless "death experiences" and stacked exhaustion the way Naruto could—without even frowning.
There was a reason it was classified as a forbidden technique.
After training for a while, Kiyohara formed a vivid blue sphere of rotating chakra in his hand—Rasengan's base form.
Then he guided Wind Release chakra into it.
First it became Wind Release: Rasengan, with small spiraling gusts forming around it.
Then it gradually grew larger, spinning faster and faster.
Inside, countless wind blades rotated like needles, shredding everything.
If someone were caught inside, they'd be riddled with holes instantly.
When it reached about two heads in diameter, the violent wind chakra tore apart the balance. The sphere burst in his palm, leaving several small cuts on his right hand.
Blood seeped out, but Kiyohara simply shook his hand. Medical chakra flowed, and with Mystical Palm Technique plus White Snake Power, the wounds sealed almost immediately.
Next, he slowed the wind-chakra infusion.
Fine spirals appeared on the surface, like a thin white veil wrapping the blue chakra sphere.
Then one of his clones stepped in and helped stabilize the formation of the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
A piercing shriek burst from Kiyohara's hand—
like thousands of birds flapping at once.
The sphere was no longer pure blue. It became a swirling white-blue vortex, with four sharp wind blades extending outward, each spinning fast enough to carve the air itself.
Kiyohara felt how unstable it was—like holding a storm that could erupt at any moment.
And he could feel intense pressure on the chakra network in his hand.
"It doesn't seem as bad as Naruto's…"
He wasn't sure if it was because his chakra reserves were larger than Naruto's normal state, but while the strain was heavy, it wasn't at the "hand goes useless" level from the original story.
Finally, from thirty meters away, he hurled the technique at a steep rock wall.
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
The moment it left his hand, it carved an arc through the air. Trees in its path were sliced cleanly, like tofu.
When it hit the cliff face, it released a tearing hiss—
as if countless tiny blades were slicing at once.
The entire cliff wall was shredded into a storm of dust.
The shockwave even shaved a small hill behind it flat.
Dust drifted down slowly, like grey snowfall.
Kiyohara stood there, breathing lightly.
The chakra cost was terrifying.
But the power… had undeniably reached the S-rank threshold.
…
"Kiyohara!"
A familiar voice came from the valley entrance.
Kurenai came running over.
She'd been heading this way to find him, heard the massive sound, thought it was an attack, grabbed a kunai, and rushed in—only to see Kiyohara standing alone in front of a crater.
"This… this was you?"
Kurenai stared in disbelief at the surroundings.
A flattened hill, a cliff that had vanished, deep gouges in the ground.
That kind of destruction wasn't something ordinary jutsu could do.
Kiyohara dusted himself off and walked toward her.
"New technique: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. I was just testing the output."
"Testing?"
Kurenai's eyes widened.
"You're telling me that terrifying destruction was just a test?"
"Yeah. It's still not finished."
A completed Rasenshuriken would reduce the strain on the hand even further.
"Sometimes I really don't understand the world you geniuses live in," Kurenai sighed.
Looks like Kiyohara's Wind Release had already "won everything."
In both Wind Release and genjutsu, she'd have a hard time surpassing him now.
That made her wonder: what could she even compete with him in anymore?
…
A few days later, Konoha camp.
Tsunade wore a mobile combat outfit—black pants hugging her long legs, her full figure outlined just right.
She tied her hair into a blonde ponytail and checked her medical kit and… playing cards.
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
"Sensei, we're going on a mission, not on vacation."
"Land of Rain casinos have their own flavor," Tsunade said matter-of-factly. "Rare chance."
"And the road's boring. It's something to kill time during breaks."
Kiyohara could only go along with her.
That's how gamblers were.
Then they headed out—Kurenai and Shizune were already waiting.
The four-person squad moved quickly toward the Rain border.
The Land of Rain sky was always coated in a lead-grey layer.
The endless drizzle was like the nation's breathing, soaking every inch of land.
Half a day after crossing into the borderlands, they met Konan at the agreed valley.
Kiyohara, having the sharpest eyes, spotted her first—a cool, blue-haired girl in Akatsuki's black cloak.
Akatsuki hadn't "gone dark" yet, so there were no red cloud patterns.
"Long time no see," Kiyohara said.
Konan looked at Tsunade and suddenly felt she looked familiar.
Wasn't that the famous Princess Tsunade?
"Konan." Tsunade studied her beautiful face and the paper flower on the right side of her head.
She still remembered the tiny Konan from over ten years ago—back when Konan had made a paper flower for them.
So much time had passed. Konan had changed completely.
"Is Jiraiya-sensei still busy lately?" Konan asked.
"Pretty much," Tsunade nodded.
Either Jiraiya was fighting wars, or he was obsessing over his so-called "Child of Prophecy."
Tsunade felt he was basically getting brainwashed by those toads.
"How are things on your end?" Kiyohara asked.
"Worse than when I sent word. In the last half month, we've lost seven comrades."
"Who's attacking you?" Tsunade asked directly.
"On the surface, it's Rain Village shinobi, but…" Konan paused. "Their fighting style and team patterns differ from Hanzo's direct forces. And lately, we've even had attackers 'from Iwa'—but their Earth Release is clumsy. It feels like a disguise."
Kiyohara immediately understood: Danzo was behind it.
Just then, an explosion and screams erupted in the distance.
"They're here again," Konan's face changed. Two huge paper wings unfurled from her back.
"East ridge."
The four followed her at once.
They cut through a patch of dense forest—and what appeared was an Akatsuki temporary camp.
Or rather, its ruins.
Three rough wooden huts were burning. Five or six corpses lay on the ground.
A dozen Rain-uniform shinobi were surrounding and attacking the remaining four Akatsuki members.
Tsunade immediately shut her eyes.
Kiyohara handed Tsunade one of his Anbu masks to cover her face.
He had many masks—mission masks, infiltration masks—each with tiny differences.
Then Kiyohara charged out first.
"Wind Release: Rasengan!"
A spinning chakra sphere formed in his palm, edged with sharp gust spirals.
A Rain shinobi swung a blade at him. Kiyohara slipped aside and pressed his hand into the man's chest.
Boom!
With a dull crunch, the spinning force pulverized the man's breastplate and ribs. He flew backward and slammed into two teammates behind him, injuring them heavily as well.
"Genjutsu: Flower Mist!"
Kurenai released her genjutsu.
Three Rain shinobi in the front instantly stiffened, eyes dull.
In their hallucination, a gigantic lotus burst from the ground. It slowly closed, distorting their vision as it bound them tight.
In reality, they simply stood frozen—until Akatsuki kunai pierced their throats.
Shizune flicked a handful of needles, fine as hair.
"Scatter!"
The needles rained over the left flank.
Three Rain shinobi hurriedly raised Water Release: Water Formation Wall, but Shizune's needles were treated specially—they pierced through the water curtain.
Two were struck in the neck; within seconds their faces darkened and they collapsed.
Konan's style was the strangest of all.
She floated in the air, two pairs of massive paper wings spread wide. Countless paper sheets shot out like blades.
They were absurdly sharp, easily cutting through armor.
One Rain shinobi tried to counter with Fire Release, but a slick sheen flashed across Konan's paper—special sealing treatment that resisted water and oil.
In a short time, the twelve Rain-uniform attackers were wiped out.
But Akatsuki had also gained two more corpses.
Konan landed slowly, folding her wings back.
Kiyohara checked the bodies—nothing unusual.
That was expected. If it were easy to find proof, Danzo wouldn't still be Root's leader.
Kiyohara knew it was Danzo thanks to plot knowledge.
And he wasn't particularly afraid.
His "new future" was supposed to arrive tonight.
He was curious what kind it would be.
"How many of these raids have there been recently?" Kiyohara asked Konan.
"More and more." Konan stood up. Rain slid down her delicate cheeks—hard to tell whether it was rain or something else.
~~~
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