"Right now?"
"Yes."
Shizune nodded.
"Lord Minato and Captain Kakashi are already there."
Upon hearing this, Kiyohara replied, "I'll be there immediately."
Without delay, he followed Shizune into the snowy forest.
The snow was thick, and as the two of them walked, a trail of footprints was steadily pressed into the white ground behind them.
Shizune noticed something subtle—her own footprints varied in depth, some deep, some shallow.
Kiyohara's, however, were consistently faint and evenly spaced.
He was taller than her, and logically his weight should also be greater.
Yet his footprints were lighter than hers.
Had his Body Flicker Technique already reached such a level?
Shizune wondered silently.
The so-called Body Flicker Technique fundamentally relied on using chakra to enhance bodily speed, with the legs being the key focus. To execute it skillfully required both excellent physical coordination and refined chakra control.
Kiyohara likely excelled in both aspects.
"What's wrong?"
Kiyohara glanced back at Shizune.
"N-Nothing."
She quickly shook her head.
When the frontline suddenly convened an emergency meeting, it usually meant one of two things: either Kumo was making a major move, or something had gone wrong in Konoha's rear lines.
…
By the time Kiyohara arrived, many shinobi had already gathered outside Tsunade's tent.
He also noticed a considerable number of Hyūga clan members standing nearby.
Among them was a young kunoichi with delicate features and long black hair.
Kiyohara recognized her—Hyūga Ginka.
When Ginka's pale Byakugan eyes fell upon Kiyohara, her pupils visibly contracted.
She had seen him.
Clearly, she now knew that Kiyohara possessed Uchiha blood and the Magnet Release kekkei genkai. He was far from the pure civilian she had once assumed him to be.
Moreover, his recent achievements had already spread throughout the Konoha frontline—single-handedly killing a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, slaying Kumo's Magnet Release jōnin, Toroi…
Hyūga Ginka pressed her lips together, and the chin she once held slightly raised lowered unconsciously.
She averted her gaze, no longer meeting his eyes.
"Why aren't you going in?" Kiyohara asked casually.
"…We're not qualified yet," Ginka replied.
Though she was a member of the main branch of the Hyūga clan, outside of clan affairs she held no official position. Naturally, she did not have the authority to participate in the meeting inside the tent.
Kiyohara nodded faintly and lifted the tent flap to step inside.
He did not think much of it.
War changed many things, including the relationships between people.
Hyūga Ginka's shift in attitude was merely a tiny reflection of the broader upheaval brought by war.
After Kiyohara passed, Ginka watched his retreating figure, biting her lower lip slightly.
A few months ago, the Kiyohara she had looked down upon had been nothing more than an ordinary civilian shinobi. Now, only months later, he had accumulated distinguished battle achievements and possessed dual kekkei genkai.
To put it bluntly, whether in strength or bloodline, he now seemed superior to her.
After all, he carried two bloodline limits—and one of them belonged to the Uchiha clan, Konoha's largest and most powerful clan.
The Hyūga called themselves one of Konoha's great clans, but that was only in the absence of the Uchiha.
"How surreal," Hyūga Ginka murmured, shaking her head.
…
After entering, the most striking figure inside the tent was Orochimaru.
A faint, elusive smile hung upon his pale face as he leaned casually against one of the wooden support pillars, arms folded across his chest, appearing entirely unconcerned with the tense atmosphere.
Yet when he saw Kiyohara step inside, his golden, slit-like pupils shifted toward him.
Orochimaru was naturally aware that Kiyohara had become Tsunade's disciple.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kiyohara greeted.
He could not shake the feeling that he had somehow "snatched" something from Orochimaru. After all, he had originally been Orochimaru's assistant, and now he stood as Tsunade's student instead.
"Hehe, Kiyohara-kun, long time no see," Orochimaru said with a soft chuckle.
"I've heard you've made further progress recently. I look forward to seeing your performance on the battlefield."
His golden eyes lingered on Kiyohara for a moment. It was less the gaze one directed at a person and more like that of an art collector admiring a masterpiece—
A rare and exquisite treasure worth possessing.
"By the way, are you adjusting well under Tsunade?" Orochimaru asked lightly.
"My teacher treats me very well," Kiyohara replied.
"That's good."
Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade.
"Orochimaru, what exactly are you implying?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
Her golden hair was tied into a simple ponytail at the back of her head, with a few loose strands falling across her forehead.
"Nothing at all. I was merely wondering if you'd take Kiyohara-kun gambling with you," Orochimaru said smoothly.
As far as he knew, Shizune was often dragged to casinos by Tsunade and tasked with all sorts of errands.
"Ahem, am I that kind of person?"
Tsunade coughed tactically twice before steering the conversation back on track.
She cut straight to the point, placing her finger on the unfolded map before them.
It was a detailed topographical map of the Land of Iron's border, with several locations marked in red.
"Let's begin."
At that moment, Minato nodded.
He pointed at the map.
"The Seventh Outpost to the northeast has already been breached. All twelve defending shinobi were killed in action. Kumogakure's vanguard is advancing toward the Third Supply Point. If that location falls, a gap will open in our eastern defensive line."
Hyūga Hiashi was also present.
He stepped forward and said, "That's correct. Hizashi detected Kumogakure's movements. Both Jinchūriki have begun mobilizing and are active."
Half a step behind Hiashi stood a man nearly identical in appearance, his twin brother, Hyūga Hizashi.
As a representative of the branch family, Hizashi wore his forehead protector in a way that conveniently concealed the Caged Bird Curse Seal upon his brow.
Orochimaru spoke slowly at that moment, his hoarse voice cutting through the silence.
"Kumo's actions this time are unusually sudden. According to intelligence, the Fourth Raikage should still be stationed at the rear headquarters, with his deputy, Dodai, commanding the frontlines. However, the scale and speed of this assault… do not seem like Dodai's style."
"You mean?" Hiashi turned toward him.
"The Raikage may have already arrived at the frontline in secret."
The atmosphere inside the tent grew heavy.
The Fourth Raikage, A—one of the few capable of matching Minato in speed.
His participation would signify a dramatic escalation of the war.
"So in the coming days, we must act and prepare accordingly," Minato said.
He pointed to a location southeast of the Third Supply Point.
"Five kilometers southeast lies a narrow pass flanked by steep mountain walls. It's an ideal ambush site. If we strike when Kumogakure's forces pass through the gorge, we can maximize our advantage in terrain."
Minato's gaze swept across everyone present.
"Orochimaru-sama, Lord Hiashi, you will each lead an elite squad ahead of time. Lord Hizashi, you will handle flank support. Kiyohara…"
Minato's eyes settled on him.
Among those present, only Kiyohara shared Minato's high mobility as a swift-movement shinobi, and he also possessed medical capabilities.
"You and your team will serve as mobile reinforcement. You'll be responsible for filling any gaps in combat strength."
"Understood."
Kiyohara nodded.
The meeting concluded swiftly, with the operation scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
Everyone dispersed to make preparations.
Night had fully fallen, and throughout the camp, torches and oil lamps were lit, their flickering flames casting long, wavering shadows across the snow-covered ground.
…
There were still two days left before departure.
There were seven days left before the arrival of the new "Last Will."
Kiyohara did not choose to rest. Instead, he sought out Kurenai and Rin, asking the two of them to assist him with training.
The training ground was located in the snowy forest at the edge of the camp.
It was far removed from the bustle of the main encampment. The only sounds were the wind brushing past the treetops and sending loose snow cascading down in soft flurries, along with the occasional distant cry of a shinobi hawk.
Those shinobi hawks were one of the common methods shinobi used to transmit intelligence between one another.
When Sasuke wandered the world in atonement, investigating the ruins related to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, he relied on shinobi hawks to pass information back to Naruto in Konoha.
The three of them arrived at a relatively open clearing in the woods.
Kiyohara then took more than a dozen small mechanical devices out of his shinobi pouch. These were trigger-based projectile launchers he had personally modified according to the principles of puppet techniques.
In that sense, Sasori had contributed quite a bit to Kiyohara's growth.
Kiyohara set the devices up around the clearing—on tree trunks, behind rocks, and even buried beneath the snow.
After finishing the arrangement, he explained to Rin and Kurenai how to activate the mechanisms.
Finally, Kiyohara returned to the center of the clearing and retrieved a strip of black cloth from inside his coat.
It was a training blindfold designed specifically to block vision. The inner side of the fabric was sewn with a special coating capable of absorbing light. Once tied over the eyes, it produced absolute darkness.
Kiyohara carefully wrapped the cloth around his eyes and tied a firm knot behind his head.
The world instantly fell into blackness.
Yet in exchange, his other senses sharpened.
His skin could detect the subtle shifts of air currents. His nose could pick up the crisp scent of pine needles releasing their fragrance in the low temperature.
His ears could even hear the faint rhythm of Kurenai and Rin's breathing.
"You may begin," Kiyohara said calmly.
"Then I'm starting," Kurenai replied softly, parting her red lips.
She pressed one of the triggers.
Rin followed suit and activated another.
All the devices around the clearing sprang to life at once.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
The sharp snapping of springs releasing echoed like a sudden downpour. Over a hundred shuriken shot toward Kiyohara from every direction!
Some flew straight for vital points. Some curved in arcs. Others struck tree trunks first, using the rebound to alter their trajectory.
A few even collided mid-flight, creating unpredictable deviations.
Each blade glinted coldly beneath the moonlight.
This was a special training regimen Kiyohara had designed for himself—to lose his vision completely and rely solely on hearing and touch to evade dense, ranged attacks.
Its purpose was to improve his response to area-of-effect ninjutsu and hidden projectile assaults.
On a real battlefield, enemies would never grant you the courtesy of a fair duel.
Traps, ambushes, encirclements, sneak attacks—these were the norm.
Kiyohara remembered clearly that in the original history, many powerful shinobi had not fallen in honorable frontal clashes, but to inconspicuous surprise attacks.
It was worth noting that countless prominent figures in the shinobi world had been struck down by ambush.
Madara had once been impaled through the chest by Hashirama, and later stabbed in the back by Black Zetsu.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya herself had been attacked from above.
Pakura was killed by a strike to the back.
Rasa died after being ambushed by Orochimaru.
Shisui lost one of his Mangekyō eyes after being attacked by Danzō.
Konan was pierced from behind by a steel rod wielded by Obito.
Therefore, Kiyohara had to eliminate his blind spots.
The Sharingan did not grant three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision, so he needed to train the areas it could not see.
The first dense wave of shuriken had already closed in.
In that instant, Kiyohara moved.
His neck tilted left, avoiding a blade aimed at his temple.
His right shoulder dipped, allowing another to graze past his collarbone. His waist twisted right as he leapt, evading three shuriken rising from below.
But that was only the beginning.
The second wave arrived immediately after.
Kiyohara's hands dipped into his shinobi pouch. Eight shuriken were already wedged between his fingers.
With a flick of his wrists, he sent the eight blades flying in eight distinct directions.
They were not aimed at the airborne shuriken themselves, but at the points where those shuriken were about to intersect.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The crisp collision of steel rang out in the snowy woods.
One deflected shuriken struck another. That one ricocheted into a third.
A chain reaction began.
Like falling dominoes, the hundred-plus shuriken in the air began colliding under the subtle guidance of Kiyohara's eight throws.
One by one, they veered off course and embedded themselves diagonally into the surrounding snow, tree trunks, and rocks.
They formed a neat circle around him.
"Magnificent."
A hoarse voice emerged from the shadows of the forest.
Kiyohara slowly removed the blindfold.
He turned toward the source of the voice.
Standing there was Orochimaru.
No one knew when he had arrived or how long he had been watching. Moonlight filtered through the branches, illuminating his pale face.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kiyohara said.
Seeing Orochimaru's sudden appearance, Kurenai and Rin hurried forward as well, greeting him respectfully before standing behind Kiyohara.
Kurenai stole a glance at Kiyohara.
The Sannin were figures rarely encountered by ordinary shinobi, yet Kiyohara had become Tsunade's disciple and had once served as Orochimaru's assistant.
Rin, on the other hand, looked at Orochimaru with mild confusion. She had no idea how long he had been there observing Kiyohara.
Orochimaru approached slowly. His gaze traveled from Kiyohara's eyes to the spot where he had been standing, then to the surrounding area bristling with embedded shuriken, and finally back to his face.
"Blindfolded, evading over a hundred shuriken launched from multiple angles… Kiyohara-kun, do you understand how dangerous that training was just now?"
"If even a single blade had struck a vital point, not even Tsunade might have saved you in time. Training is important, but recklessly wagering your life is not the conduct of the wise."
Though there was a trace of reproach in his tone, it was overshadowed by something else—curiosity.
Kiyohara gathered the scattered shuriken and replied calmly,
"Orochimaru-sama, I do not do things without certainty."
Beneath his clothing, he had already layered his body with Steel Release.
It was his safeguard.
As for truly relying on his flesh to tank shuriken?
He was not that reckless.
Orochimaru lacked the ability to see through the flow of chakra in that manner, so he had no idea Kiyohara had taken such precautions.
"Certainty…"
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
When he had first learned that Kiyohara possessed Uchiha blood, he too had been shocked.
After all, they had worked together under his very nose for so long, and he had detected nothing unusual.
Now it seemed that Kiyohara's composed and unyielding demeanor might have stemmed from that very lineage.
"Two-tomoe Sharingan… Kiyohara-kun, your rate of growth is truly astonishing."
"Luck, perhaps," Kiyohara replied.
"Luck?"
Orochimaru's smile deepened.
"No. This is not luck. This is talent. It is ability. It is… beautiful potential."
How beautiful indeed.
Whether it was the body itself or such keen perception.
It was a pity, truly, that such a person was not his disciple.
Then again, if Kiyohara were his disciple, certain matters might not be so convenient.
Orochimaru pondered this silently.
The choice of words caused Kiyohara's brows to knit slightly.
Beautiful?
Hearing that word from Orochimaru's mouth always felt unsettling.
Kiyohara remembered that when Orochimaru had once secretly observed Itachi training, he had used the same word—beautiful.
It was around that time that Orochimaru had begun contemplating the importance of the physical vessel.
Had Orochimaru already mastered the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique during their time apart?
Kiyohara wondered inwardly.
If so, he would need to protect himself carefully.
Orochimaru's obsession with the Uchiha and with bodies had been made abundantly clear in history.
If Orochimaru had simply killed Sasuke instead of grooming him as a future vessel, perhaps the entire shinobi world's story would have ended much sooner.
Naruto alone would never have been able to defeat Six Paths Madara unless the Sage of Six Paths himself had descended to intervene.
Orochimaru seemed either unaware of Kiyohara's guarded thoughts or simply indifferent.
He continued to appraise him with that same gaze one reserved for fine art—from his hair to his face, from his shoulders to his fingers.
"Magnet Release… Sharingan…"
"For an ordinary shinobi, possessing even one kekkei genkai is rare. Yet you possess two—and have not even developed a bloodline disease…"
His voice grew lower, deeper, carrying a nearly obsessive warmth.
"Such a body… such potential… such… beauty."
That final word, he almost breathed out as a sigh.
A chill crept down Kiyohara's spine.
Orochimaru had taken an interest in him.
Not the kind of interest a teacher has in a student, nor the kind a senior shows toward a junior, but the kind a scientist has toward experimental material—like a collector gazing upon a rare and priceless specimen meant to be preserved, studied, and ultimately possessed.
"Orochimaru-sama,"
Kiyohara spoke, interrupting the increasingly dangerous direction of the other man's thoughts.
"It's getting late. I still need to prepare for tonight's mission."
Orochimaru paused for a moment, slightly taken aback, then gradually resumed his usual smile.
"Ah, you're right. The mission comes first."
He turned as if to leave, but before taking a step, he looked back at Kiyohara once more.
"Kiyohara-kun, take good care of yourself. Your life… is very valuable."
After saying that, his body slowly sank into the ground, as though melting into the shadows themselves, disappearing without leaving even the faintest trace behind.
Kiyohara remained standing where he was, staring at the spot where Orochimaru had vanished, his brows faintly furrowed.
Once the war ended, there would be the selection for Hokage—and then Orochimaru would defect.
Orochimaru was drawing closer and closer to the darkness.
......
Soon, the day of departure arrived.
Five days remained until the arrival of the next "Last Will."
Eastern Assembly Area, Konoha Camp.
More than forty shinobi had already gathered there, lined up neatly according to their squad formations.
Every one of them wore black combat uniforms, layered with white snow-camouflage cloaks. Their shinobi pouches and weapons had all been inspected to ensure they would not malfunction in the extreme cold.
Orochimaru and Hyūga Hiashi stood at the very front of the formation.
Orochimaru wore a white fur-collared cloak draped over his shoulders, while Hiashi was fully armed and equipped, even carrying a sealing scroll strapped across his back.
Hyūga Hizashi stood at his elder brother's side. His gaze swept over every shinobi present, lingering for a moment longer on several of the younger faces.
As a member of the branch family, he understood better than anyone the cruelty of war—and more than anyone, he hoped these young shinobi would return alive.
Hyūga Ginka stood half a step behind Hiashi.
She had changed into a fitted white combat uniform as well, the same camouflage cloak layered over it. Her long hair was tied neatly into a high ponytail.
Her gaze seemed to drift, intentionally or not, toward Kiyohara's direction—only to quickly move away again.
Kiyohara's squad stood on the left side of the formation.
"You brat, be careful this time."
Tsunade was not participating in this mission; she had come only to see Kiyohara off.
"I understand, Sensei."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Good."
Tsunade stretched lazily.
Her tightly fitted shinobi trousers accentuated the smooth curve of her long legs.
But the most eye-catching sight was the pronounced contour above her green flak vest.
Kiyohara noticed that she seemed to be the only one not wearing a winter camouflage cloak.
Should he say Tsunade was resistant to the cold—or that she simply had… thicker insulation?
All Kiyohara could conclude was that the layer of "insulation" near Tsunade's heart was indeed substantial.
"Lady Tsunade, aren't you cold?"
Kurenai asked curiously.
"Not at all."
Tsunade shook her head.
"Are you cold?"
Kurenai froze for a moment, then shook her head vigorously.
"No, not at all!"
Rin giggled softly from the side.
"Kurenai, your hands are shaking."
"Th-That's just from the wind!"
Kurenai waved her hands hurriedly in denial.
The playful interaction between the two young women eased some of the heavy tension in the air.
"Alright, do your best."
Tsunade slipped a packet of soldier pills into Kiyohara's hand before stepping back.
Kiyohara glanced down at them and realized they were specially made.
The taste was probably not as good as the ones he prepared himself, but their chakra recovery efficiency was likely higher.
"Understood, Sensei."
He inclined his head.
The brief exchange was interrupted by Orochimaru's voice.
"Move out."
The command was given, and the formation immediately set into motion.
The shinobi advanced swiftly across the snow, making almost no sound.
The white camouflage cloaks blended seamlessly with the night and snowfall; without careful observation, it would have been nearly impossible to notice this forty-plus-man unit threading through the snow-laden forest.
Kiyohara's squad was assigned to flank security.
They separated from the main force and proceeded along a more concealed route. Their task was to monitor any potential Kumogakure scouts and, once battle commenced, to launch a flanking assault.
The snow began falling more heavily.
Fine grains struck against their faces, bringing a sharp, stinging chill.
Visibility steadily worsened; objects beyond ten meters blurred into indistinct shapes.
For shinobi reliant on sight, this was bad news—but for those possessing the Sharingan or the Byakugan, the impact was comparatively minimal.
"Stop."
After advancing for roughly half an hour, Kiyohara suddenly raised his hand.
The squad halted immediately. Kakashi leapt soundlessly into a snow-covered pine tree, concealing himself within its dense branches.
Rin and Kurenai stood back-to-back, scanning their surroundings with vigilance.
Kiyohara crouched, his fingers lightly brushing the surface of the snow.
"Shinobis passed through here. No more than twenty minutes ago," he said in a low voice.
Kakashi dropped lightly from the tree.
"How many?"
"Three. Most likely a Kumogakure reconnaissance squad. They were cautious, used a trace-erasing technique but the snow is too fresh. It still left marks."
Kiyohara rose to his feet and looked toward the direction in which the tracks extended.
It led toward the snow-mountain gorge, the most probable route for Kumo scouts.
"Intercept them?"
Kurenai asked.
Kiyohara considered briefly before shaking his head.
"No. Let them pass. Intercepting them now would alert the enemy. Our mission is surveillance and containment—not the elimination of scouts."
He turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, continue forward along this path and maintain a safe distance. Kurenai, Rin—come with me. We'll circle around to the side."
"Circle around?"
Rin asked, puzzled.
A faint curve tugged at Kiyohara's lips.
"Since Kumogakure has sent scouts, it means they're cautious as well. We can… feed them a little misinformation."
At the same time, Kiyohara also intended to see whether he could secretly learn Kumo's Lightning Release techniques.
If he could grasp the principles behind the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his speed could ascend to an entirely new level.
Moreover, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode could also temper the body.
It would raise Kiyohara's physical energy, allowing it to better merge with his significantly expanded spiritual energy.
That fusion would cause his chakra growth rate to surge dramatically.
...
Meanwhile—
The main force led by Orochimaru and Hyūga Hiashi had already taken position.
The terrain on both sides consisted of nearly vertical cliffs towering over a hundred meters high. Bare rock was exposed, with only a few hardy shrubs clinging stubbornly within cracks.
The valley floor was about thirty meters wide, strewn with broken stones and perennial ice. A frozen stream wound its way through the center.
It was an ideal ambush location.
Twenty shinobi concealed themselves along both sides of the cliffs, using rocks and shrubs as cover, blending perfectly into the environment.
Another twenty lay in wait near the exit of the gorge, prepared to seal off any retreat once the enemy entered the kill zone.
Hyūga Hiashi stood on a protruding rock ledge midway through the gorge, his Byakugan activated.
His vision pierced through stone, wind, and snow, locking onto the advancing Kumogakure forces several kilometers away.
"Sixty-four,"
he reported quietly.
"Four more than expected. Jōnin count… ten."
"Ten?"
Orochimaru arched a brow.
"The intelligence was inaccurate."
"Or they received reinforcements at the last minute."
Hiashi's expression was grave.
The gap between one jōnin and another could be immense.
Some merely stood at the threshold of the rank. Others were true elite jōnin.
The few figures within his field of vision were undoubtedly elites.
"Three of them possess extremely large chakra reserves—not ordinary jōnin. And one… the texture and color of that chakra is very unusual. It resembles…"
He paused.
"It resembles a Tailed Beast."
(End of Chapter)