After searching the bodies, Kiyohara found five shuriken, two Kunai, a compass, and a map.
"It's encrypted."
Kiyohara studied the strange symbols marked on the parchment.
This was standard procedure. If tactical maps were written in plain text, every dead scout would become an intelligence leak.
"Encrypted, huh?" Minato Namikaze stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Kurenai, you specialize in Genjutsu. Try to interrogate the survivor."
It was a pity there were no Yamanaka Clan members present. Their mind-walking techniques were the gold standard for interrogation. However, Genjutsu was a solid alternative. It could break a mind just as easily as a torture rack.
"Understood."
Kurenai nodded. She walked over to the unconscious Iwa-nin Kakashi had spared.
She formed a seal. Her chakra flared, subtle and invasive.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
As the illusion took hold, the Iwa-nin's resistance crumbled. He began to babble, revealing fragments of their defensive strategy.
They were just one of many small squads.
To protect the vital Kannabi Bridge, Iwagakure had established a network of hidden outposts. Each outpost watched the others, creating a web of overlapping surveillance zones. If one node was attacked, the others would swarm to support it.
'No wonder,' Kiyohara thought, piecing it together. 'In the original timeline, after Kakashi lost his eye and they defeated the first wave, reinforcements arrived almost instantly. It wasn't bad luck; it was a system.'
In that timeline, Kakashi had collapsed from chakra exhaustion. Minato had arrived just in time to save Kakashi and Rin, but Obito was already "dead."
The reason Minato could arrive in time?
Because he had given Kakashi a beacon.
"By the way," Minato said, breaking Kiyohara's train of thought. "Today is Kakashi's first mission as a Jonin. We should celebrate."
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a distinct, three-pronged Kunai. The handle was wrapped in heavy tape, and the kanji for 忍愛之剣 (Sword of Shinobi Love) was engraved on the hilt.
"This is my gift to you."
Minato spun the heavy blade on his index finger by the ring on the pommel.
"It's a bit heavy and the balance is unusual, but once you get used to it, you'll find it surprisingly handy. Carry this with you on the mission."
He handed the Flying Thunder God Kunai to Kakashi.
'Here it comes,' Kiyohara watched silently. 'The flag is raised.'
"I have something too!"
Rin Nohara smiled warmly. She pulled out a compact medical kit.
"I customized this myself. It has everything you need for field treatment, and I reorganized the pouches so they're easy to grab."
"Thank you, Rin." Kakashi took the kit, his expression softening slightly.
Then, he turned to Obito.
He didn't say a word. He just extended his hand, palm up.
'Well?' The gesture said. 'Where's mine?'
"Wh-what do you mean by that hand?!" Obito spluttered, turning red. "I don't have anything for you! I didn't get you anything!"
"Figured," Kakashi scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "Never mind. It probably would have been useless junk anyway. Useless things are just a burden on a mission."
"Hey!" Obito shouted, indignant. "I am an Uchiha! I will definitely surpass you in the future! Just you wait!"
Kiyohara watched the bickering, stroking his chin.
'Unfortunately, Kakashi never gets the chance to return the favor. Obito and Rin stay Genin and Chunin forever in memory.'
'Speaking of which,' Kiyohara mused, 'after this mission, I'll likely be promoted to Chunin. Should I expect gifts?'
"Hey," he projected his thought to the urn. "When you were promoted to Chunin, did anyone give you gifts?"
"I didn't have that kind of free time," the Missing-nin scoffed. "While you're worried about parties, I was worried about getting strong enough to survive. That's why I'm a Jonin and you're a Genin."
"Fair point."
"Alright, alright, settle down," Minato interrupted the squabble. "We are crossing into the Land of Grass."
Ahead of them, the terrain shifted. The open plains gave way to a bizarre, alien landscape. Massive, towering trees dominated the skyline, but what was truly strange were the mushrooms. Giant fungi, larger than houses, grew from the trunks and the soil.
"We'll rest here for a while," Minato decided. "I'll stay with you for today to ensure we pass the initial perimeter, but tomorrow, I must split off to the front lines."
"Yes, sir!"
The group found a secluded hollow beneath the roots of a giant tree to set up a temporary camp.
While the others rested or checked their gear, Kiyohara pulled out two vials.
One contained milk. The other, black coffee.
He poured them into a clear cup. The liquids swirled together, turning a murky brown.
"Time to practice."
He placed his hands over the cup.
Antidote Technique (Dokunuki).
This technique required the user to use chakra to separate toxins (or foreign substances) from a body fluid. It was a delicate process of filtration.
Hummmm.
His chakra flared. The liquid in the cup began to spin. Slowly, painstakingly, the black coffee began to separate from the white milk, like oil and water unmixing.
The Missing-nin's spirit hovered behind him, critiquing his chakra flow.
'Too rough. You're agitating it, not separating it.'
"Eh? Kiyohara-kun? You can use Medical Ninjutsu?"
Rin, who had been organizing her pack nearby, walked over, her eyes wide with surprise.
"I just started learning," Kiyohara admitted, wiping sweat from his brow.
"That's impressive!" Rin smiled. She knelt beside him. "But you're forcing the chakra too much. Look, if you pulse it like this, instead of pushing it..."
She demonstrated the hand motion, guiding his fingers.
Kiyohara listened intently. Rin was a natural medic; her advice was intuitive and effective. He adjusted his flow.
Immediately, the separation speed doubled.
'This works,' he thought. 'The forbidden drug doubled my reserves, so I actually have the stamina to practice this without passing out.'
"If only I could get more types of forbidden drugs," Kiyohara mused greedily.
Infinite stacking was impossible—the body would break—but mixing different types might work. A cocktail of chemically enhanced power.
According to the Missing-nin, there were other formulas. Drugs that boosted reaction speed, drugs that hardened skin, drugs that dulled pain.
Sasuke had likely been on a similar regimen under Orochimaru.
'It reminds me of the bodybuilding circles in my past life,' Kiyohara chuckled internally. 'Cultivating the "Nine Dragons Body" by ascending to Planet Steroid. Everyone wants to be natural until they realize how heavy the weights are.'
The same principle applied here.
The ultimate drug user in history was Kabuto Yakushi. The man injected himself with the DNA of the Sound Five, Taka, and Orochimaru himself. He turned his body into a walking chemistry experiment and attained Sage Mode.
'I don't need to be a snake dragon,' Kiyohara decided. 'I just need to be strong enough to survive the crash.'
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