Tsunade turned her head and looked at Kiyohara.
"What kind of jutsu did you just use?"
Kiyohara thought for a moment.
"I just… poured chakra into it."
"And then the flower bloomed."
Tsunade stared at him for a while before speaking.
"You brat… don't tell me you're training in Wood Release?"
"Something like that,"
Kiyohara said.
But he hadn't actually tried combining Earth Release chakra with Water Release chakra.
It was more like a completely natural state.
His chakra had simply developed the ability to affect plant growth on its own.
To outsiders, that really did look no different from Wood Release.
After all, in sealing arts, the Five Elements are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
But the five basic nature transformations are earth, lightning, wind, fire, and water.
In the ninja world, Wood Release was considered something only Hashirama Senju had ever possessed.
An artificially created case like Yamato was still classified information, known only to a small number of people.
"What do you mean, 'something like that'?"
Tsunade asked, puzzled.
"It's probably just a special change in my chakra. My life force has gotten too strong."
Kiyohara replied.
He felt he was still some distance away from true Wood Release.
The Asura chakra inside him still wasn't complete Asura chakra.
It was nowhere near enough for real Wood Release yet.
"Your life force… increased again recently?"
"Yeah."
For a moment, Tsunade didn't know what to say.
As a medical ninja, she understood too well what that meant.
People with immense life force really could affect the environment around them.
But for someone like Kiyohara to make a flower bud bloom instantly…
That reminded Tsunade of her grandfather.
Hashirama Senju.
That man hadn't even needed hand seals. Just a glance from him could make dead wood bloom again.
"Well, Wood Release is far too special. If you really had Wood Release, that would be something."
Tsunade let out a sigh.
She felt she had probably been overthinking it.
Wood Release was simply too special to Konoha.
In the past, Konoha had even fallen into a frenzy of researching Wood Release. The power once possessed by the God of Shinobi still left everyone awestruck even now.
Whenever Konoha faced a crisis, people would think about the days when Hashirama Senju was alive.
Back when he was alive, what village would dare make a move against Konoha?
Even the great ninja wars only broke out after Hashirama's death. Otherwise, they would have erupted and been crushed on the very same day.
"What if I use this opportunity to actually learn Wood Release?"
Kiyohara asked back.
It was basically a way of giving Tsunade some advance warning.
"I can make flower buds bloom too, but medical ninjutsu and Wood Release are still very different. If you can really do it, I'll grant you one wish on the spot."
Tsunade couldn't help saying it.
She thought the possibility was practically zero.
As far as she was concerned, Konoha simply could not produce another Wood Release user.
If there really were going to be one, she thought it was more likely to be some surviving subject from those old infant experiments who had somehow managed to master Wood Release.
But even then, she doubted that kind of Wood Release could compare to Hashirama's.
"As long as you've said that, sensei, that's enough."
Kiyohara smiled.
Seeing how confident he looked, Tsunade suddenly had a nagging feeling that she might have been too hasty.
Could this brat really create a miracle?
Tsunade thought about it for a while, then left Kiyohara's side.
If it really happened, so what if she granted him one wish?
Before her grandfather died, he had wanted to see someone else inherit his Wood Release.
Unfortunately, not even a single member of the Senju clan could use it.
Not his children, and not even Tsunade herself.
…
At the same time.
Uchiha district.
Izumi walked home, still replaying Kiyohara's instructions in her mind.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson…
She softly repeated the name of the jutsu to herself.
A B-rank technique.
At her current level, she still couldn't even perform C-rank jutsu consistently.
But sensei had said she could start by hiding just one shuriken inside a fireball.
If that was the case, then the difficulty should be much lower, right?
As she was thinking about it, she suddenly saw two figures running toward her.
It was Uchiha Itachi and Might Guy.
Itachi was wearing that signature green skintight suit, running behind Might Guy.
His skin was noticeably darker than before, but his build had become sturdier.
Sweat slid down his cheeks and soaked his collar.
Might Guy was running behind him, shouting things about "youth" and "passion" as he went.
Izumi stopped walking.
"Itachi!"
When Itachi saw her, he stopped too.
"Izumi."
Might Guy caught up from behind, looked at Izumi, and his eyes lit up.
"Oh! A youthful little companion!"
He gave her a thumbs-up, his gleaming white teeth flashing in the sunset.
"Would you like to burn with the flames of youth together?"
Izumi froze for a second. Looking at Might Guy, she couldn't help feeling he was a little strange.
"N-No… I'm okay…"
Might Guy didn't mind at all and kept running forward.
"Youth is an endless sprint!"
His voice gradually faded into the distance.
Itachi hurried to follow him.
"Do you train like this every day?"
Izumi called out from behind.
"Yeah. Sensei told me to build a solid foundation under Guy-senpai first."
Itachi turned his head back.
Izumi looked at him.
Honestly speaking, that green skintight suit was really ugly.
"Then keep it up."
Izumi waved a hand in goodbye.
"I'm heading home first."
Itachi nodded.
"Mm."
Izumi continued on her way home.
When she got back, her mother, Uchiha Hazuki, was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
"You're back?"
Hazuki's voice came from the kitchen.
"How was training?"
"It went really well."
Izumi changed her shoes and walked to the kitchen doorway.
"Sensei taught me a new jutsu."
Hazuki turned around and looked at her.
"What jutsu?"
"Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson."
Izumi said.
"It's a B-rank technique."
Hazuki's eyes widened slightly.
"B-rank?"
"Yeah."
Izumi nodded, a proud look on her small face.
"Sensei said I can start by using just one shuriken, and that would make it much easier."
But very quickly, Izumi frowned again.
Even learning the simplified version, she still felt it would take her a long time.
Right now, the most important thing was to master Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu first, then keep moving forward one step at a time.
Hazuki looked at her, a gentle smile appearing on her face.
"Lord Kiyohara is very good to you."
Izumi smiled and said,
"Sensei is really kind."
Hazuki thought for a moment, then said,
"Oh, right. Do you know what status Lord Kiyohara has now?"
Izumi didn't really understand politics.
"What status?"
"Hokage candidate."
Hazuki replied.
"The Third Hokage has stepped down, and the new Hokage will be chosen from several candidates. Lord Kiyohara is one of them."
Izumi froze when she heard that.
Hokage?
The position at the very top of Konoha?
"Sensei… is going to become Hokage?"
"Not necessarily."
Hazuki shook her head.
"But he's a candidate, which means he has a chance. If he really becomes Hokage, then you'll be the Hokage's student."
Izumi parted her lips slightly.
Sensei was really that amazing?
The Hokage's disciple…
That identity felt far too distant.
But that wasn't what mattered most to her.
What she cared about was Kiyohara himself.
She remembered the way he had crouched down in the yard that afternoon and touched her throat with his finger as he taught her how to store chakra.
It almost felt like the warmth of that finger was still there even now.
"Izumi?"
Hazuki's voice pulled her back to reality.
"Huh?"
Izumi snapped out of it.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
Hazuki looked at her.
"It's just that you seemed to be thinking about something."
Izumi's face reddened slightly.
"It's nothing."
She turned and walked toward the backyard.
"I'm going to practice."
Hazuki stood where she was, watching her daughter's back, and smiled.
That child…
Izumi stood in the open yard and took a deep breath.
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
Several little flames shot from her mouth.
They were a bit bigger than they had been in the afternoon.
She clenched her tiny fists.
Tomorrow, she absolutely had to show sensei that she had improved.
…
Three days later.
Kiyohara stood in front of the mirror, looking at his reflection.
The pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan had appeared in his eyes.
After three days of practice, he had fully mastered the abilities of those eyes.
The attraction and repulsion of Amenominakanushi.
The gravity formed by Ashihara no Kakuriyo.
And Susanoo.
That golden skeleton could now be maintained for much longer.
Kiyohara could now manifest not only the ribs and skeletal arm, but also a layer of flesh and chakra pathways.
At this stage, it looked like half of an armored upper body.
After watching for a while, Kiyohara deactivated the Mangekyō Sharingan and turned to leave the room.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Kiyohara walked over and pushed the door open.
Tsunade was standing in front of the sink brushing her teeth.
She was wearing only a thin white T-shirt, and on her lower body, a pair of light blue panties.
The hem of the shirt barely covered the tops of her thighs, leaving a stretch of pale skin exposed.
Her legs were long, her skin firm and smooth.
The edge of the panties pressed lightly into the soft flesh at her waist, outlining the full curve of her hips.
She was brushing her teeth drowsily, her eyes half-lidded, clearly not fully awake yet.
Kiyohara stood in the doorway, watching her.
Tsunade sensed his gaze and raised her eyes.
Their gazes met in the mirror.
She froze for a second, then followed his line of sight downward.
She saw what she looked like right now.
That thin T-shirt, those panties, those bare thighs.
Her movements instantly stiffened.
Toothpaste foam slid from the corner of her mouth and dripped onto her chin.
She had gotten up half-asleep and completely forgotten that Kiyohara was still here!
Then Tsunade forced herself to stay calm, withdrew her gaze as though nothing had happened, and continued brushing her teeth.
Kiyohara walked over to her side and picked up his own toothbrush.
The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder at the sink, brushing their teeth together.
The only sounds in the bathroom were the running water and the faint scraping of toothbrush bristles.
After Tsunade finished brushing, she rinsed her mouth and wiped the water from her face with a towel.
Then she turned and started toward the door.
As she passed by Kiyohara, she suddenly stopped.
"Seen enough?"
Tsunade looked at him.
Because she had noticed that this brat was always sneaking looks at her.
Seeing that, Kiyohara shut off his auto-aim.
From the side angle, he could see the full curve beneath Tsunade's loose shirt, along with the pale line of her waist.
"Not yet."
Tsunade glared at him.
But there was no real anger in her eyes.
She gave a soft huff and kept walking out.
Kiyohara stood where he was, the corner of his lips curling upward slightly.
A camel in the desert…
That image flashed through his mind.
Then he continued brushing his teeth.
…
After breakfast, Kiyohara changed into a clean set of casual clothes and left the house.
Today was the opening day of the Ninja Academy.
Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Izumi were officially enrolling today.
Izumi had asked him to come take a look too, so he planned to stop by.
By the time Kiyohara reached the academy gates, quite a crowd had already gathered.
Parents were with their children, academy teachers stood at the entrance welcoming them, and some passing villagers had stopped to watch curiously.
Kiyohara stood outside the crowd, his eyes sweeping across those young, childish faces.
Then he saw Izumi.
She was standing near the edge of the crowd, wearing a brand-new Ninja Academy uniform.
A dark blue short-sleeved shirt, matching shorts, and a stretch of pale calf left exposed.
A light brown belt was tied around her waist, and a small ninja pouch hung at her back.
Her long hair was tied into two sections that hung over her shoulders.
The loose bangs at her forehead were pinned back with a pale purple hair clip, revealing her smooth forehead.
She stood on tiptoe, searching for something in the crowd.
Then she saw Kiyohara.
Her dark eyes instantly lit up.
"Sensei!"
She ran over to him, stopped in front of him, and looked up at him.
Her little face was overflowing with a smile she couldn't hide, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye seemed to sway lightly with it.
"You came!"
Kiyohara reached out and gently rubbed the top of her head.
Then he also spotted Uchiha Hazuki.
Hazuki looked very much like Izumi, almost like a grown-up version of her.
That made Kiyohara think, as expected of mother and daughter.
Izumi squinted happily, like a kitten being stroked the right way.
"Where's Itachi?"
Kiyohara asked.
"Over there."
Izumi pointed toward the other side of the crowd.
Kiyohara followed the direction of her finger.
Itachi was standing at the edge of the crowd, with his mother, Uchiha Mikoto, beside him.
Kiyohara walked over.
"Sensei."
When Itachi saw him, he bowed slightly.
Mikoto also turned and looked at Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara."
She gave a slight nod, a gentle smile on her face.
Kiyohara nodded back.
"Lady Mikoto."
Today Mikoto was wearing a pale purple kimono that concealed her curvy waist.
Her long hair was simply tied behind her head, exposing a stretch of pale neck.
Her eyes lingered on Kiyohara for a moment before moving away.
"Itachi, besides your training at the academy, don't neglect your training with Kiyohara either."
She spoke softly.
Itachi nodded.
"I know."
Izumi ran over too and stood at Kiyohara's side.
"Itachi, we're classmates from now on."
Itachi glanced at her.
"…Mm."
Izumi didn't mind his indifference in the slightest and kept smiling.
Just then, the academy gates opened.
The children began entering the school in an orderly line.
Izumi turned to Kiyohara.
"Sensei, I'm going in."
Kiyohara nodded.
"See you tonight, sensei!"
Mikoto watched this scene as well.
"That girl…"
"She really likes Kiyohara-kun."
Mikoto said.
Hazuki had also stepped over beside Mikoto, and she nodded in full agreement.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand.
"Yeah."
Itachi gave him another slight bow, then turned and walked toward the school.
......
After leaving the Ninja Academy, Kiyohara headed to the Hokage Building. He casually picked up a mission, planning to make a trip to the Land of Rain.
Just as he came out of the Hokage Building, he suddenly heard someone call his name.
When he turned around, he saw Nohara Rin jogging toward him.
"Kiyohara-kun!"
Rin ran over, her brown hair fluttering in the wind.
Today she wasn't wearing her white nurse uniform, but had changed into a shinobi outfit better suited for movement.
The material was light, and as she ran, it traced the increasingly graceful lines of her young body.
"Rin, what are you doing here?"
She stopped in front of him, breathing lightly.
"I… I want to go with you."
Rin had also been looking through missions earlier, and had happened to notice that Kiyohara was taking one as well.
So she came running over.
Both she and Kiyohara were jonin now, so they no longer had to strictly stick to fixed team structures.
They could lead teams, pair up with former teammates, or even work with other shinobi.
"The situation in the Land of Rain is unclear. It could be dangerous."
"I'm not afraid."
Rin shook her head, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her clothes.
"And if you end up needing an assistant, Kiyohara-kun?"
"That works."
Kiyohara thought about it and did not refuse.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
He nodded.
"I'll let you know the location in a few days."
......
A few days later.
At the border of the Land of Fire, the sky had grown darker and darker.
After walking for who knew how long, a village appeared up ahead.
Though calling it a village was generous. It looked more like a ruin.
Most of the houses had collapsed, and wild grass had grown thick among the broken walls and rubble.
No one was farming the fields; weeds had grown taller than a person.
The road sign at the village entrance leaned crookedly, its lettering already blurred beyond recognition.
Rin stopped walking and looked at the scene in front of her, her brows knitting together slightly.
"This place… is so desolate."
Kiyohara's gaze swept over the area.
The war might have ended, but its scars still remained on this land.
He expanded his sensory perception.
Then he noticed something.
"There are still people inside."
Rin froze.
"There are?"
"Yeah."
Kiyohara started walking deeper into the village.
He had sensed a very unusual chakra signature.
Rin hurried after him.
The two of them passed along a narrow path hidden by overgrown weeds, skirting around the collapsed houses, they arrived at a small courtyard at the very back of the village.
The yard was small. Half the mud wall had collapsed, and through it they could see the dilapidated wooden shack inside.
The shack's door was half-open, and a faint light leaked through the crack.
Just as Kiyohara was about to push the door open, the ground beneath his feet suddenly shook.
Boom!
Three figures burst up from underground!
They were dressed in ragged shinobi clothing, and the symbols on their forehead protectors had been deliberately scratched away—a disguise commonly used by rogue ninja.
The leader was a middle-aged man with a vicious scar across his face. His hands flashed through hand seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale roared out, carrying countless bits of stone as it swept toward Kiyohara and Rin.
Rin reacted instantly.
She stepped in front of Kiyohara and formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A wall of water surged up from the ground, spinning rapidly and blocking the gale and debris completely.
Water splashed everywhere, wetting the hem of her clothes and the ends of her hair.
The rogue ninja caught sight of their forehead protectors, and their faces changed instantly.
"Konoha shinobi…"
The scarred man's pupils shrank.
What were Konoha ninja doing in a place like this?
~~~