Kiyohara stood amid the drifting dust, breathing slightly hard.
What he had just tried was a simplified version of the Five Release Great Combo Technique. He had only used three shadow clones, each performing a different chakra nature: fire, wind, and lightning.
Even so, the intertwining and collision of those three chakra attributes in midair had still produced astonishing destructive power.
"That's enough for today."
Kiyohara dispelled the shadow clones, and the flood of memories rushing back into him made him feel slightly dizzy for a moment.
But after a few seconds, he adjusted to the sensation.
In his mind, the spiritual form of Toad Kiyohara let out an admiring croak.
"Your learning speed would be top-tier even on Mount Myoboku. But a technique like Five Release: Great Five Release Chain Barrage is, at its core, a combination ninjutsu. In fact, you could split off a few shadow clones and have them all use the same nature transformation too."
"True."
Kiyohara gave a faint nod.
This technique did not really rely on elemental compatibility or counters anyway. Even if he just blasted everything with five fire-style jutsu, the result would not be all that different.
The next morning, just after Kiyohara finished his morning training, an Anbu ninja appeared outside Tsunade's house.
"Hokage-sama has summoned you. Please proceed to the Hokage Building immediately."
Kiyohara nodded and went to change clothes.
Tsunade stretched lazily, the snowy mountain-like weight on her chest swaying as if it might spill free at any moment.
From the side, Kiyohara could even catch a glimpse of smooth white skin.
"I wonder what that old man wants me to do this time."
Tsunade sounded a little annoyed.
She felt like Hiruzen Sarutobi was working them like nuclear-powered pack mules.
"Let's go see first."
Kiyohara had a vague idea what this was about.
After Rasa's retreat last time, the war between Sunagakure and Kirigakure had only grown more intense.
So this meeting was very likely about discussing the alliance negotiations further.
At the Hokage Building, the only ones going upstairs were Tsunade and Kiyohara. Shizune was already a tokubetsu jonin in practice, but her official credentials had not been issued yet, so she was not formally one yet.
So Shizune stayed downstairs to wait.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, thin trails of white smoke rising from his pipe.
Shimura Danzo stood by the window, his back looking dark and heavy.
The moment he saw Kiyohara's face, his mood soured.
The two advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, sat on either side of Hiruzen.
"You're all here."
Hiruzen gestured for them to sit.
"I'll keep this brief. Sunagakure has dispatched a delegation to Konoha. They'll arrive this afternoon. The leaders are Chiyo and senior advisor Tōjūrō."
Tsunade arched a brow.
"For Pakura?"
"Mainly for peace talks," Hiruzen said.
"The Third Shinobi War has gone on this long, and Suna's losses have been severe. Although Rasa is still on the Kiri front, he's clearly already leaning toward withdrawal. If these negotiations can lead to an alliance between our two nations, the pressure on Konoha's western front will be greatly reduced."
Danzo turned around, his single eye sweeping across the room.
"This matter must be handled cautiously. Suna is cunning. There's no guarantee they're sincere."
"That's why Tsunade will be in charge of receiving them."
Hiruzen looked at Tsunade.
"Tsunade is the princess of the Senju clan. Her status is more than sufficient."
Tsunade crossed her arms.
"Old man, you know I hate political events like this."
"That's why the reward will be generous."
Hiruzen took a document from his drawer.
"During the negotiations, all expenses will be covered by the village. And once the mission is completed, there will be an additional bonus."
Tsunade's eyes lit up.
Kiyohara inwardly shook his head. For someone as money-obsessed as Tsunade, cash really was the most effective strategy.
But Danzo cut in again.
"I believe Orochimaru is more suitable. He's currently at the front line. With the Reverse Summoning Technique, he could be back in half a day."
Danzo's intentions were obvious to everyone.
He had always supported Orochimaru. Kiyohara knew what Danzo was plotting, and so did everyone else.
In truth, nobody who had risen to this level of power was a fool.
Hiruzen slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, not responding right away.
After a moment, he finally said, "Danzo, I am the Hokage. Tsunade is the best choice for this matter. She just rendered great service in the Land of Rain, and her prestige is high right now. As for Orochimaru, the fighting on his front is intense. It would be unwise to move him."
"You always do this!"
Danzo's voice suddenly rose.
"For an important diplomatic mission, you hand it over to a…"
"To a what?"
Tsunade frowned slightly.
Though Danzo had been taught by her granduncle, Tobirama, Tsunade had never gotten along with him.
"Danzo, say what you mean."
Danzo locked eyes with Tsunade for a moment. In the end, he just let out a cold snort and turned to leave.
At the door, he paused for an instant, his gaze sweeping over Kiyohara's face, then disappeared into the corridor.
Bang.
Danzo slammed the door behind him.
Koharu sighed.
"Danzo is only thinking of the village…"
"His concern usually comes with selfish motives," Hiruzen said bluntly, a rare thing for him.
Danzo had privately made contact with parties in the Land of Rain. That had come dangerously close to crossing the line.
Recently, Hiruzen had also grown noticeably colder toward Danzo.
He hoped Danzo would spend some time reflecting on himself.
"This matter is decided. Tsunade, you will have full authority over reception and negotiations. Kiyohara will accompany you as guard and assistant."
"Understood."
Tsunade answered, though her brow was still furrowed.
After leaving the Hokage Building, Tsunade and Kiyohara walked side by side.
Shizune, who had been waiting downstairs, hurried over to join them.
"Sensei, it seems Danzo really wants Orochimaru-sama to be involved in political affairs," Kiyohara said suddenly.
Tsunade gave a cold laugh.
"Of course he does. That old bastard has always secretly supported Orochimaru for the position of Fourth Hokage. Every time there's an important occasion, he wants Orochimaru to show his face and build political capital."
Shizune said quietly, "But for Fourth Hokage… isn't Minato the one with the strongest support in the village right now?"
"That kid Minato really is outstanding."
Tsunade's tone turned complicated.
"But Orochimaru gives me a strange feeling, like he's drifting farther and farther away from us."
As one of the Sannin, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya had once been comrades-in-arms.
But Orochimaru had been off doing who-knew-what all by himself, secretive every single day.
Kiyohara said nothing.
Orochimaru was probably already conducting human experiments. Because of Kiyohara's interference, he had merely become more secretive, which might even accelerate certain developments.
"But none of that has anything to do with us."
Tsunade shook her head, as if trying to fling away her irritation.
"The Suna delegation arrives this afternoon, so stay sharp. Kiyohara, how's your training going? Have you learned the jutsu the old man gave you?"
"I've mastered the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. As for Five Release Great Combo, I still need more time. Right now I can stably use a four-element version."
Tsunade shot him a surprised look.
"Four elements? Already? It's only been how long?"
"I cheated a little. I used shadow clones to train simultaneously and stack experience."
"That still counts as your ability."
Tsunade patted him on the shoulder, pride showing on her face.
"My student, Tsunade's student, can't be anything less."
Shizune asked softly, "Tsunade-sama, what do we need to prepare for the negotiations?"
"Shizune, organize the background information the village has submitted on the Suna delegation, especially Chiyo and Tōjūrō. Both are veteran powerhouses. Chiyo's puppet techniques and poisons, and Tōjūrō's taijutsu and Body Flicker—we need to be on guard against both."
"Yes."
Shizune nodded repeatedly.
That afternoon, at Konoha's main gate, the Sunagakure delegation arrived right on schedule.
It was a team of fifteen people, led by an elderly white-haired woman: Granny Chiyo.
She wore Sunagakure's traditional pale robes. Though advanced in age, her steps were still steady.
At her side stood a tall, lean middle-aged man.
He had short gray-white hair, dark markings running from the corners of his eyes down to his jaw, and a strangely shaped long blade strapped across his back.
Tōjūrō, Suna's taijutsu master and an expert in the Body Flicker Technique.
Standing half a step behind Tsunade, Kiyohara calmly observed the newcomers.
His Sharingan was not active, but his sharp senses had already picked up the fluctuations of chakra within the other party's group.
"Senior Chiyo, thank you for coming all this way."
Tsunade stepped forward, her etiquette flawless.
"You're too polite, Princess Tsunade."
Chiyo gave a slight nod. Her gaze swept across Konoha's group before settling on Kiyohara.
"So this is Kiyohara? As expected, a hero truly has emerged in his youth."
Kiyohara said, "You flatter me, Chiyo-sama."
"Flatter you?"
Chiyo smiled faintly.
"What happened in the Land of Rain has already spread. A young man capable of withstanding Hanzo's iaido slash head-on… how many years has it been since the ninja world has seen someone like that?"
Those words made a short-haired girl with light brown hair in the Suna group suddenly lift her head.
It was Maki—Pakura's student. At that moment, she was staring hard at Kiyohara, her fists clenched inside her sleeves.
Kiyohara felt that gaze, but his expression did not change. He only replied calmly, "I had assistance from my Akatsuki comrades. I was just lucky."
"Modesty is a virtue, but too much modesty becomes hypocrisy."
Tōjūrō suddenly spoke.
"Young people should have the sharpness of youth. Don't you think so, Kiyohara-kun?"
As he spoke, Tōjūrō's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kiyohara could feel the faint hostility radiating from him.
It was not directed at Konoha, but at youth itself.
"Advisor Tōjūrō is right."
Kiyohara met his gaze openly.
"That's why I'll keep getting stronger, until no one can call it luck."
Chiyo stepped in smoothly to ease the atmosphere.
"All right, let's not stand around at the gate. Princess Tsunade, please lead the way."
"Please."
On the way to the guest residence, Tsunade walked beside Chiyo, discussing the scenery along the route and the climatic differences between their two countries.
Kiyohara trailed two steps behind, while Tōjūrō walked at his side.
"Kiyohara-kun, how old are you this year?" Tōjūrō suddenly asked.
Kiyohara told him his age.
"At that age, I had only just been promoted to chunin."
Tōjūrō let out a faint laugh, but there was no warmth in it.
"Young people these days really improve fast. Sometimes I wonder whether old men like us should step off the stage early and leave it to your generation."
Kiyohara could hear the bitterness in his words.
He turned to look at Tōjūrō. The traces of age were indeed clearly etched on the Suna veteran's face: the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, the faint stoop in his back, and that peculiar air found only in someone who had already begun slipping from the peak—an air mixed with pride and unwillingness to accept decline.
"The stage is never something others hand over," Kiyohara said calmly.
"You stand on it with strength. Advisor Tōjūrō's Body Flicker Technique is still one of Suna's finest to this day. Young people would still need time to surpass that kind of skill."
Tōjūrō looked at him deeply.
"You're good with words."
"I'm only telling the truth."
The guest residence was in a relatively quiet part of the village.
Once the Suna delegation had settled in, both sides agreed to begin formal negotiations the next morning.
That evening, Kiyohara accompanied Tsunade back home.
Shizune stayed behind at the residence to assist Konoha's diplomatic staff with the remaining arrangements.
"What do you think of Tōjūrō?" Tsunade asked on the way back.
She felt that Tōjūrō harbored some hostility toward Kiyohara.
"He probably can't accept getting old," Kiyohara said casually.
This guy was the villain boss from Gaara Hiden.
He had even made a move against Gaara after Gaara became Kazekage, and he was extremely jealous of the young.
What he liked most was seeing young people prostrate themselves before him.
Put simply, he was the kind of person who would get along with Orochimaru.
Because that kind of behavior was also a reflection of the pursuit of immortality. He just lacked Orochimaru's technical means.
"He's hostile toward young people, but it's not aimed at me personally. It's aimed at the very concept of youth."
After a moment's thought, Kiyohara continued.
"You read him well."
Tsunade nodded.
"When Tōjūrō was young, he was one of Suna's top taijutsu experts. His Body Flicker was so fast he could leave afterimages in the desert. But now that he's older, his physical abilities have declined. His experience may be richer, but his speed and strength aren't what they were at his peak."
She paused, and her tone turned serious.
"That kind of person is the most dangerous. Because he knows he's losing something, he becomes especially sensitive—and more likely to go to extremes."
"Are you worried the negotiations will go wrong, Sensei?"
"Chiyo is sensible. She knows peace talks benefit Suna. But Tōjūrō…"
Tsunade shook her head.
"He's part of the delegation this time too. Pay close attention during tomorrow's negotiations."
"Understood."
Back at home, Tsunade collapsed onto the sofa.
"I'm exhausted. Political occasions are even more draining than fighting."
Kiyohara poured her a cup of tea.
"Get some rest first, Sensei. I'll go prepare dinner."
"Wait."
Tsunade stopped him.
"You said before that you wanted to go to the Land of the Sea?"
Kiyohara's eyes lit up.
"Yes. I heard there's an island there tied to summoning beasts. I want to see it for myself."
Tsunade sat up and looked at him with interest.
"The Summoning Island, huh… that does sound interesting. All kinds of summoning beasts gather there, and there are ninja who study summoning contracts too. Fine. Once the Suna matter is dealt with, I'll help you apply for a mission."
"Thank you, Sensei!"
"Don't thank me yet." Tsunade showed a sly smile. "Tomorrow, come with me to the casino. My luck's been good lately. I need to win some money before I can afford to take you there."
Kiyohara laughed.
"Yes, ma'am."
The next morning, the negotiations were held in the conference room of the Hokage Building.
Seated along the two sides of a long table, Konoha's representatives faced Sunagakure's.
Tsunade was the lead negotiator, with Kiyohara seated behind her as part of her entourage.
Across from them sat Chiyo, Tōjūrō, and three Suna diplomatic officials.
Hiruzen did not participate directly, but he had set up a monitoring room next door, where he and the two advisors could follow the proceedings in real time.
The negotiations began with border demarcation.
Suna was willing to withdraw from part of the territory it occupied in the Land of Fire, but it demanded to retain several strategic locations.
Tsunade, meanwhile, insisted that Konoha required full sovereignty, and the two sides went back and forth.
Kiyohara listened quietly, but his attention was on observation.
Every time Chiyo spoke, she cut straight to the heart of the matter. Tōjūrō, on the other hand, was silent most of the time.
Maki stood behind Chiyo as an escort, and her gaze never left Kiyohara.
By the third hour of the negotiations, the issue of prisoner exchange was brought to the table.
"Konoha is currently holding a total of one hundred and forty-seven Suna prisoners of war, including three tokubetsu jonin and forty-two chunin," Tsunade read from the report.
Chiyo replied calmly, "Suna is currently holding eighty-nine Konoha prisoners of war: one jonin and thirty chunin."
"Prisoner exchanges will follow the usual one-for-one standard. As for the surplus, Suna is willing to pay ransom."
"Agreed." Tsunade nodded.
"But there is one person who requires separate discussion—Pakura."
At that, Tōjūrō finally spoke, his voice icy.
"Pakura is Suna's hero, not a prisoner of war."
"She was captured on the battlefield by a Konoha shinobi."
Tsunade pointed toward Kiyohara.
"My student Kiyohara captured her alive. According to the conventions of the ninja world, that makes her a prisoner of war."
Maki's body trembled slightly.
Chiyo pressed a hand onto Maki's and signaled her to stay calm.
"What terms does Princess Tsunade want in exchange for Pakura?"
"Two choices."
Tsunade held up two fingers.
"First, Suna cedes the mining rights to three border mines for thirty years. Second, Suna signs a ten-year non-aggression pact with Konoha and promises to remain neutral in any future conflicts between Konoha and Iwa or Kiri."
Both conditions were harsh.
Tōjūrō gave a cold laugh.
"Doesn't Princess Tsunade think that's a bit too greedy?"
"Pakura is worth that price."
"And if we refuse?"
"Then Pakura will remain in Konoha."
Tsunade leaned back slightly.
"We will guarantee her personal safety, but she may never return to Suna."
Maki could not help stepping forward.
"You can't—"
"Maki!"
Chiyo barked sharply.
The girl bit down on her lip, her eyes reddening.
Watching the scene, Kiyohara felt no real stir in his heart.
Honestly, staying in Konoha might leave Pakura safer than she had been in the original story.
These Suna higher-ups wanted to bring Pakura back now only because her current value made her worth retrieving.
If something of greater value appeared later, they could just as easily discard her without hesitation.
Meanwhile, deep within Root's underground base, Danzo Shimura stood before the observation window of a laboratory, watching an ongoing operation.
A Root shinobi lay on the operating table. His right eye was wrapped in bandages, but three scarlet Sharingan had already been embedded into his exposed right arm.
"How is the transplantation progressing?" Danzo asked.
A Root medical-nin behind him answered, "The three Sharingan in the right arm have begun to fuse, but the rejection response is stronger than expected. We need more 'Hashirama cells' to balance it out."
"What about the samples Orochimaru sent?"
"They arrived this morning. We've already injected the sample cells. The sample appears to produce no rejection at all, regardless of the transplant."
The Root medic hesitated for a moment.
"Danzo-sama, the risks of repeated Sharingan implantation are extremely high. Even with 'Hashirama cells,' it still might…"
"I'll bear the risk."
Danzo cut him off.
"Continue the operation. I want results before the end of the month."
"Yes, sir."
Danzo turned and left the laboratory, a cold gleam flashing in his single eye.
In the shadows of the corridor, he muttered to himself:
"Sharingan… Wood Release… once I master both of these powers, Hiruzen, what right will you still have to sit in the Hokage's seat?"
"I'm the one most fit to lead Konoha—the true Hokage!"
The negotiations lasted a full three days.
In the end, the two sides reached a preliminary agreement. Sunagakure would withdraw from the territory it occupied in the Land of Fire, prisoners of war would be exchanged on a one-for-one basis, and the surplus Suna prisoners would be ransomed back.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!