He had already planned to go to Might Guy for some intensive training, also to try on a new green tight-fitting outfit, and first get his body in shape.
What Kiyoshi had, Asuma Sarutobi would have too.
Both ninjutsu and taijutsu, hand in hand!
...
The sushi restaurant, usually bustling, was unusually quiet today.
"Big sis, there aren't many customers today."
Azui said while wiping down a table.
Most people had gone to see the results of the Chunin exam. Battles between ninjas were a rare spectacle for ordinary civilians.
Only around the Chunin exam could they enjoy such shows.
As Azui wiped the table, his arm moved, revealing that the "Atsui" tattoo had been covered with special paint.
It was a tattoo his parents had given him to commemorate his name—"Azui" means "heat."
Such tattoo culture was popular in the Land of Lightning.
"Mm."
Samui nodded lightly, then asked her brother another question.
"How did the ninja entrance exams go today?"
Recently, the ninja school had begun pre-entry tests.
To become a student, one needed to master basic chakra extraction and control.
The exams involved performing simple genjutsu and ninjutsu—techniques below even E-rank—very rudimentary.
Essentially, it was just basic chakra manipulation.
"All good,"
Azui said confidently.
"That's good enough."
Samui nodded, smiling softly.
Azui was her only family, so she cherished him greatly.
Her smile lingered a while before fading, thinking of someone else.
Kiyoshi Uchiha had also been at the Chunin exam today. Orders had been issued repeatedly to bring him back quickly.
But progress was slow.
Whenever others tried to approach Kiyoshi, he always found reasons to send them away, allowing only Samui to come forward.
Gradually, worry and anxiety crept onto Samui's face—if she couldn't recruit Kiyoshi, higher-ups would punish them.
Samodo had been urging her to hurry along these past days.
But just thinking of Kiyoshi made her uneasy.
"Take this rag to the back to wash it."
Samui handed her brother a cloth while seated.
"Got it."
Azui nodded quickly, golden hair bouncing as he ran to clean it.
Samui rubbed her shoulders, feeling sore.
Sometimes being big wasn't all advantages—under gravity, holding a watermelon is far heavier than holding an apple.
"Samui, don't forget what the village instructed,"
Samodo appeared, noticing her sitting distractedly, watching the sparse crowd outside the glass.
"Yes,"
Samui looked down, remembering Kiyoshi's overzealous help last time—holding her up when she was too tired…
...
A few days after becoming a Chunin, Kiyoshi received his ninja vest and some shuriken.
At the same time, a familiar visitor arrived at home.
"Please, have some tea."
Kiyoshi pushed a freshly brewed cup toward Uchiha Hazuki.
The cup was the old one from before.
Though he now had a little money, Kiyoshi wasn't planning to spend it on such things.
He wanted a larger space-sealed scroll, which started at tens of thousands of ryo—so his finances were tight.
"Mm… thank you."
Hazuki's expression was complicated as she looked at her reflection in the tea.
She had decided not to visit Kiyoshi again, yet here she was.
"Not to your taste?"
Kiyoshi looked at Hazuki holding the cup.
"No, no, of course it's fine."
Hazuki quickly explained.
Thinking of Yamada Daiyu, still in the hospital, Hazuki felt a surge of courage.
Luckily, Kiyoshi's tea wasn't too hot; she tilted her head and drank it in one go.
Kiyoshi watched quietly as she drank.
When Hazuki finished, she asked softly,
"Hazuki-nee, what brings you here?"
"I… I want you to help perform a small surgery for Daiyu."
Hazuki explained Yamada Daiyu's current condition, hoping Kiyoshi could assist with the procedure.
"This isn't exactly a small surgery, Hazuki-nee."
Kiyoshi sipped his tea calmly, looking at Hazuki's anxious face.
"Is there no one else suitable for this?"
"Not at the moment."
Hazuki inwardly scolded him for not being straightforward—if there were someone else, she wouldn't have come to Kiyoshi.
"Oh."
Kiyoshi nodded, gently stroking the white snake's head.
The snake closed its eyes lazily, enjoying the attention.
Hazuki buried her head, staring at the bottom of her cup, waiting for his answer.
Yet he didn't reply for a long while.
Looking up, she saw Kiyoshi playing with his snake.
Suddenly, a surge of indignation rose in Hazuki—she felt disrespected.
She inhaled deeply, saying:
"Would you help? Our past… is already settled, isn't it? If you treat Daiyu successfully, I'll pay you double the surgery fee."
"I see."
Kiyoshi's expression remained calm.
Double the market price was already very generous.
After the procedure, there would still be post-op medication.
In Konoha Hospital, the village offered no subsidies.
The Nara clan owned vast lands with deer and many medicinal herbs.
This was their private enterprise. Konoha Hospital cooperated to purchase large amounts of materials.
The Nara clan, a well-known ninja family, worked with allied clans—the Akimichi and Yamanaka.
Their monopoly kept prices high.
Akimichi handled secret formulas and medicines for processing.
"So even if I cure him, the follow-up medication isn't cheap. Can you afford it?"
Kiyoshi asked.
At this time, Konoha's medical technology was still pre-Third Great Ninja War, far from future advancements.
Hence, the effectiveness and cost of medicines were naturally much higher.
In the official novel Sakura Hiden, a Root operative named Gide managed most of Root's funds under Danzo Shimura—he was extremely money-conscious and skilled at generating profit.
All of this stemmed from Gide's impoverished upbringing; his father, ill and unable to afford medicine, died because of it.
(End of Chapter)