Night fell.
The nights on Summoning Island were completely different from the days.
During daylight, the jungle had been filled with beastly roars and birdsong, but once darkness descended, it instead sank into an eerie stillness.
Only the distant sound of waves crashing against the reefs remained, along with the rustling of unknown insects deep inside the bushes.
Kiyohara's group found an open area on slightly higher ground and set up camp there.
A bonfire was lit, its orange-yellow glow carving out a warm little territory in the darkness.
Kurenai and Shizune skillfully put up the tents, while Rin Nohara prepared some wild vegetables they had gathered along the way. Many of the island's plants were edible, which helped supplement the dry rations they had brought.
Kiyohara actually had plenty of ingredients stored in his sealing scroll, but Rin, wanting to conserve supplies, did not ask him to take them out.
After all, not every environment would have edible plants, so some of their food needed to be saved just in case.
Isaribi huddled beside the bonfire with her knees drawn up.
Her body was still trembling faintly, but compared to the daytime, she had calmed down a lot.
Shizune had given her a blanket, and she wrapped it tightly around herself, leaving only half of her pale face exposed.
Kiyohara sat on a fallen log at the edge of the camp, wiping down his ninja sword.
Some of the sticky fluid from the battle earlier was still clinging to the blade.
Chakra metal only made chakra easier to channel through it, but it still needed regular maintenance. Otherwise, it would get damaged.
"Kiyohara."
Tsunade's voice came from behind him.
Kiyohara turned his head and saw Tsunade walking toward him with something in her hand.
Her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, and the firelight danced across her pretty face, giving her a lazy, relaxed look.
"Sensei."
Kiyohara sheathed his blade and stood up.
Tsunade stopped in front of him, but did not speak right away. She simply looked down at the item in her hand.
It was a necklace. The silver chain glimmered faintly in the firelight.
The pendant had a very distinctive design: a long blue gemstone, with small silver bells hanging from both sides.
Kiyohara's gaze lingered on the pendant for a moment, and suddenly it looked strangely familiar.
That design…
The First Hokage's necklace?
No.
Kiyohara immediately rejected that thought.
Because he could still see that Tsunade was wearing a necklace around her own neck.
"This is for you."
Tsunade raised her hand and held the necklace out to him.
Kiyohara took it.
The silver chain felt slightly cool to the touch, and the pendant sat heavily in his palm.
"This too…?"
Kiyohara looked up.
"Was it passed down from the First Hokage too? Sensei, don't tell me you still haven't sold off all the family property yet."
Tsunade shot him an annoyed glare and raised her hand as if to smack him on the head.
"You little brat, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? My grandfather was the First Hokage. How could we possibly be short on valuable things?"
"And besides, no matter how much I like gambling, I still know what should and shouldn't be done. I didn't pawn off everything I own!"
Kiyohara quickly sidestepped out of the way, but he could not stop the corner of his mouth from curling up.
He knew Tsunade would not really hit him. That kind of joking interaction actually made a warm feeling rise inside him.
The old lady had really dropped some gold on him.
"My bad, Sensei."
Kiyohara said it aloud.
Then he lowered his eyes back to the necklace in his hand.
"So what exactly is this one…?"
"It was left behind by my grandfather too. Its effect is actually pretty similar to this one."
Tsunade pointed at the First Hokage's necklace around her own neck.
She explained that the gemstones used in both necklaces were very special and could store chakra for long periods of time.
Sealed inside both necklaces was chakra that Hashirama Senju had stored while he was still alive, giving them sealing properties.
"I was planning to give it to you on your birthday, but thinking about it now, giving it to you early is fine too. Wear it. Maybe it'll bring you a little luck."
Kiyohara immediately understood.
So this was Tsunade's birthday gift for him.
Honestly, it really was an extremely valuable gift.
The necklace around Tsunade's neck could be sold for the price of an entire mountain. Kiyohara's was probably not much less valuable.
The Senju clan's wealth was not something to underestimate.
Especially since Hashirama Senju was the man who had ended the Warring States Era, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had never married either.
That meant all that family property would eventually pass into Tsunade's hands.
"Thank you, Sensei."
Kiyohara said.
Though his expression was a little odd.
If he remembered right, the First Hokage's necklace was also known as the "death necklace."
It had been given to Nawaki and then to Dan Kato, and both of them still ended up dying young.
The one Kiyohara was holding now was not Tsunade's actual necklace, but it was still basically the same model.
"Hmph, you'd better be extra filial to me from now on."
Tsunade said smugly.
Then she reached out, took the necklace from Kiyohara's palm, and stepped around behind him.
"Lower your head."
Kiyohara obediently dipped his head.
Tsunade's fingers brushed the back of his neck, cool to the touch.
The silver chain slipped around his neck, and the clasp gave a faint click.
The pendant settled against his chest over his clothing, giving him a slight feeling of weight.
"Keep it on."
Tsunade stepped back and looked him over.
She realized this little brat had really grown more handsome by the day.
Then again, when she remembered the Uchiha bloodline in him, it felt only natural.
Not every Uchiha was a stunning beauty or a handsome man.
But the odds of producing good-looking men and women were still far higher than in other ninja clans.
"It actually suits you pretty well."
Kiyohara raised a hand and touched the pendant on his chest.
"Anything Sensei gives me is bound to be good."
He tucked the necklace under his shirt.
If it was swinging around during battle, it would be too easy for an enemy to damage it.
Tsunade waved a hand and turned back toward the bonfire.
"Get some rest early. We're continuing the exploration tomorrow."
Kurenai and Shizune also noticed the gift Tsunade had given him.
"Good thing I already prepared a birthday gift too."
Shizune took out a box.
"What are you giving him?"
Kurenai asked quietly.
The two women lowered their voices and chatted softly by the fire.
"A set of needles."
Shizune opened the box, revealing rows of senbon needles in different sizes.
"That's actually a really good gift."
Kurenai nodded.
It was useful ninja gear too.
"So what are you giving him?"
Shizune closed the box again and asked curiously.
Hearing that, Rin Nohara also came over, curious.
She had already decided that she would give Kiyohara a custom medical kit.
"I'm thinking… maybe a set of furniture."
Kurenai had originally planned to give him something else, but after thinking about Kiyohara's extremely bare home, she decided it would be better to get him a few pieces of furniture instead.
"That really would be useful."
Shizune and Rin exchanged a glance, covering their mouths as they laughed softly.
They had both been to Kiyohara's house.
Kiyohara had called that miserably empty home of his "minimalist style"…
At the same time, deep underground in the island's inner base—
The lights in the laboratory were ghastly white, shining down on rows of cultivation tanks filled with pale green liquid.
Hiruko stood staring at the data displayed on a monitor.
He wore a white robe, and under the harsh lights his face looked unnaturally pale.
"My lord."
A voice came from behind him.
Hiruko did not turn around, only asked blandly,
"One, any word from Two yet?"
The man codenamed One stepped forward.
He wore a black skintight outfit and a metal mask that covered half his face, leaving only a pair of cold gray eyes exposed.
"Two has been out of contact for more than six hours," One said calmly.
"Based on the last location signal we received, she lost contact near the eastern coast of the island. When I went to investigate, all I found were the corpses of the summoning beasts."
Hiruko stroked his chin.
"The coast…"
he muttered.
"So those outsiders really did come ashore."
"Should I go scout them out?"
One asked.
Hiruko did not answer at once.
His gaze shifted to one corner of the monitor, where a few blurry frames of footage from Two's last transmission were displayed.
They had been captured through the monitoring device on her summoning beast just before she launched her attack.
In the footage, several figures stood before her.
Because of the angle and distance, their faces were not clear.
But the eyes of one of them…
Hiruko enlarged the image.
They were a pair of crimson eyes, with three tomoe slowly spinning inside the pupils.
The Sharingan.
Hiruko's breathing caught ever so slightly.
"The Sharingan…"
he repeated in a low voice, unable to hide the excitement underneath it.
"A member of the Uchiha clan, in a place like this…"
One had also seen those eyes in the footage.
His expression remained cold, but his body tensed slightly. It was the instinctive reaction one had when facing a powerful enemy.
That man was… Kiyohara.
One recognized him.
After all, Kiyohara's reputation was already quite famous now.
"My lord, should we take action?"
One asked again.
Hiruko was silent for a moment.
"No. One, stay here and continue monitoring the condition of the test subjects. As for those guests…"
He turned and walked toward an isolated chamber deeper within the lab.
The hatch slid open, revealing complicated instruments and storage equipment inside.
"I'll go meet him myself."
One froze slightly.
Huh.
Seriously?
Lord Hiruko was going to fight Kiyohara himself?
One had barely ever seen Hiruko act in person.
He only knew Hiruko had been a contemporary of the Sannin during their academy days, yet his achievements had fallen far short of theirs.
Of course, he would never dare say such things to Hiruko's face.
"My lord, this could be risky. If they were able to deal with Two and her summoning beast, then they are not to be underestimated. And judging from the footage, Tsunade-sama is there as well."
"I know."
Hiruko removed a syringe from a storage rack. Inside it was a dark red liquid.
"That's exactly why I need to go. The Sharingan… it's an indispensable part of my plan."
He pressed the syringe to the vein in his neck and slowly injected it.
The dark red fluid flowed into his bloodstream. Hiruko's body trembled slightly, and blood-red vein-like patterns spread across his skin like a spiderweb.
A few seconds later, the markings faded, and his complexion returned to normal. Only deep within his pupils, an abnormal red gleam flickered faintly.
"The preliminary fusion of several bloodline limits is already complete."
Hiruko tossed the empty syringe into the disposal slot and flexed his wrist.
"Perfect timing. I just needed a suitable target to test my ultimate secret technique—the Chimera Technique."
One did not try to dissuade him any further.
He knew Hiruko's personality too well. Once Hiruko had made up his mind, no one could change it.
If he kept talking, he might end up as one of the test subjects himself.
"Do you need me to prepare anything?"
One asked.
"No need."
Hiruko was brimming with confidence.
One bowed.
"Yes, sir."
Hiruko headed toward the base's exit.
That sickly smile never left his lips as his mind kept circling back to Kiyohara's crimson Sharingan.
The Uchiha… the Sharingan…
What a perfect power.
If he could obtain it, his Chimera Technique would become even more complete.
The fusion of five bloodline limits might then truly be possible.
Just thinking about it made Hiruko more and more pleased.
He had even begun looking forward to meeting Kiyohara.
After all, what could be more thrilling than seizing the power you had always dreamed of with your own hands?
As for Tsunade being there?
From bits of information gathered through indirect channels, Hiruko had already figured out that Tsunade could not stand the sight of blood.
If Tsunade could not fight, then as long as he was careful, dealing with Kiyohara should not be much of a problem.
After all, no matter how strong a ninja was, if they were ambushed in a vital spot, there was only one possible outcome.
"Swift Release…"
Hiruko murmured softly.
In the next instant, his figure vanished without a trace.
At dawn the next morning, before the sea mist had fully cleared, Kiyohara's group was already packed and on the move.
The ashes of last night's campfire had long since gone cold, leaving only a scorched black circle on the ground.
"Let's check over there."
Kiyohara pointed toward a mountain ahead. There were faint traces of human activity there.
The group continued forward.
Tsunade walked in the middle of the formation, her eyes sweeping over the surroundings.
The famous First Hokage necklace around her neck occasionally glimmered beneath her collar, while Kiyohara's similar necklace had been carefully tucked beneath his clothes, only the occasional length of silver chain showing when he moved.
From behind, Kurenai thought the whole thing looked a little strange.
A thought even popped into her head.
A matching set for a couple?
No, impossible.
Kurenai decided she was definitely overthinking it.
Kiyohara and Tsunade were simply a case of a deeply affectionate teacher and student, with the teacher kind and the student dutiful.
Isaribi had been placed in the middle of the group right beside Shizune.
She was still quiet, but compared to her terrified state yesterday, there was now a little more life in her eyes. Even so, every time the forest made a sound, her body tensed reflexively.
The deeper they went, the denser and stranger the vegetation became.
Towering trees blotted out the sky with their canopies, casting heavy shade below.
Vines as thick as human arms hung down in tangles, some blooming with bizarrely shaped flowers in lurid colors, giving off a sweet fragrance.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of humus, soft and springy underfoot, and now and then they could spot enormous beast tracks or fresh bite marks.
"The natural energy here… is a mess."
Kiyohara said inwardly to Toad Kiyohara.
In his perception, the natural energy in the air was no longer an evenly flowing stream.
Instead, it had turned into countless chaotic currents moving in different directions with varying intensities, colliding and twisting together, the source seeming to be not far ahead.
"Croak. Looks like that thing's influence spreads pretty wide."
Toad Kiyohara's voice had turned serious.
"Be careful, past me,"
Toad Kiyohara said.
"I know."
Kiyohara gave a slight nod.
The Ultimate Summoning Beast on Summoning Island really did have some strength.
In the original story, it had taken both Naruto and Shizuka's spirit combined to defeat it.
But against the current Kiyohara, it was still not nearly enough.
He could use sealing techniques by himself.
And he also had genjutsu.
In the entire ninja world, the only being probably completely immune to genjutsu was that dinosaur from Sasuke Retsuden.
Because those dinosaurs were not naturally born creatures at all. They had no chakra in their bodies.
So genjutsu simply could not work on them.
Of course, that too could technically be fixed artificially.
If they had no chakra, then just inject a little chakra into them.
Just like how Naruto once distributed tailed beast chakra to other people.
Though obviously, effects like that would only be temporary.
While Kiyohara was mulling it over, six or seven creatures shaped like oversized hedgehogs rolled out from ahead of them.
Their back-spikes gleamed with a metallic cold light as they curled into balls and spun at high speed, smashing toward the group.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Kiyohara formed hand seals and slammed one hand onto the ground.
A thick wall of earth rose up with a rumble, blocking the first wave of impacts.
The spiked monsters slammed into the wall with heavy thuds, their needles gouging deep furrows into the stone and dirt.
But when that attack failed, the creatures bounced back immediately and lunged again from different angles.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!"
Kiyohara unleashed another fire-style technique.
It instantly seared the summoning beasts, burning open their flesh and skin.
The remaining two creatures realized they were outmatched, let out shrill cries, and turned to flee into the deep forest.
"Don't chase them."
Tsunade stopped Kurenai just as she moved to pursue.
"They're not our target. Save your chakra and stamina."
After a short pause to regroup, the group continued forward.
During the rest of the journey, similar ambushes happened two or three more times. The creatures they encountered were grotesque and varied—giant toad-like beasts that spat acid, enormous beetles with iron-hard shells and scythe-like six legs, even living vine-like plants hidden beneath fallen leaves that suddenly lashed out without warning…
"This damned place is basically a mad biological testing ground."
Shizune wiped the sweat from the side of her forehead. She had already gone through quite a few poison needles and smoke bombs.
"It probably isn't just 'basically.'"
Tsunade's expression was grim. She had examined several of the mutated summoning beast corpses they had killed. There were traces of water-style ninjutsu on them, but no blood, so Tsunade had been able to inspect them properly.
She discovered obvious signs of unnatural stitching and enhancement on these creatures. The cells in some parts of their bodies had abnormally high activity—far beyond anything natural evolution could produce.
Kiyohara nodded in agreement.
Summoning Island had, in truth, already become one massive testing ground.
Even without Hiruko and his people, there were still other ninja coming here to conduct research.
That was why so many popular summoning beasts sold across the ninja world actually originated here.
They would modify and breed the local summoning beasts, then ship them overseas for sale.
After circling around a forest of giant mushrooms, the group finally found signs of actual humans.
There was a building up ahead, with several ninja standing guard around it.
In front of the structure was a small clearing, where a few people in white lab coats—apparently researchers—were gathered around a portable instrument, busily recording data.
One of them stood with their back to Kiyohara's group.
That person had a head of vivid red hair like blazing fire, loosely tied behind the head.
"Stop right there! This area is off-limits!"
One of the guard ninja shouted sharply, stepping forward to block Kiyohara and the others.
"This is the place. A bunch of lunatics with no sense of self-preservation."
Toad Kiyohara floated out from Kiyohara's body.
In Toad Kiyohara's view, these people were the perfect example of "play stupid games, win stupid prizes."
They had cultivated an experimental subject they could not control, and in the end every last one of them had died.
"We're ninja from Konoha, here to investigate the recent giant sea monster attacks on fishing boats in the nearby waters."
Kiyohara said flatly.
"And besides, this place doesn't exactly have a clearly recognized owner, does it?"
He added coolly.
These ninja were not from the Land of the Sea.
They were simply blinded by greed and had come here to conduct their research for their own benefit.
~~~
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