Although the curse mark was merely a high quality imitation of Sage Techniques, it still possessed the ability to amplify a person's power several times over.
The exact degree of amplification varied from individual to individual.
At its core, the curse mark had already touched upon natural energy.
And natural energy could be said to be the underlying code of the entire shinobi world.
Kiyohara pondered this quietly in his heart.
He could rely on the curse mark as an entry point to come into contact with natural energy.
In that way, if he were to follow Tsunade in the future to train in Sage Techniques at Shikkotsu Forest, it would be equivalent to having already laid down a solid foundation.
Or perhaps, in some inhuman future, there might even exist a Snake Sage Kiyohara, a Slug Sage Kiyohara, or a Toad Sage Kiyohara belonging to one of the three great holy lands. That possibility was not entirely impossible.
"The greatest strength of the curse mark is that it is passive, is it not?"
Kiyohara spoke within his mind.
The spirit form of ANBU Kiyohara drifted out.
He nodded and said, "Correct. Based on that, I once wanted to train Sage Mode as well, but unfortunately I failed."
The reason was simple. Sage Mode had a significant flaw, and that flaw was the lengthy preparation time required before activation.
One had to spend a certain amount of time slowly absorbing natural energy, then carefully balancing it with the spiritual energy and physical energy within the body.
If even the slightest mistake occurred during that process, the attempt would fail.
In the end, Naruto solved this problem by relying on shadow clones.
He would prepare a shadow clone in advance, and when he needed it, he would summon the clone back and dispel it, instantly absorbing the senjutsu chakra the clone had gathered, thereby entering Sage Mode.
Alternatively, there was Hashirama Senju, who according to official databooks could enter Sage Mode instantly.
"Now that I have taken Tsunade as my master, I do have the opportunity to go to Shikkotsu Forest to train in Sage Techniques. I just do not know whether Hashirama Senju's instant Sage Mode was due to his own personal ability or something unique to the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest."
Kiyohara spoke slowly.
"That, I do not know," ANBU Kiyohara replied, shaking his head.
In his timeline, he had not apprenticed himself to Tsunade. Upon graduating, he had immediately participated in the Chunin Exams. After becoming a chunin, he had worked continuously in the ANBU.
Kiyohara set the matter aside for now. No matter what, the priority was to complete the two lingering wishes.
If he put in some effort, they were not impossible to complete within a relatively short period of time.
Take En Oyashiro for example. Aside from his public identity as a weapons merchant, Kiyohara also knew that he was the president of Ketsueki Real Estate and a collector of bloodline limits.
In other words, this man had an obsession with collecting bloodline abilities. There would certainly be considerable demand for such things on the black market.
Kiyohara could instead use the black market, combined with certain pieces of information from the original story, to trace this man's whereabouts in reverse.
"Blood…"
Kiyohara stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The true power of the Ketsuryugan lay in its genjutsu and in those techniques that used blood as a medium.
As for genjutsu, it likely would not have much effect against Kiyohara's three tomoe Sharingan.
His spiritual energy was several times that of an ordinary person, and his innate affinity for Yin Release was far beyond what the Ketsuryugan could compete with.
These traits would only make his Sharingan stronger.
That left only the blood manipulation techniques to consider.
"I can inquire about it later."
Kiyohara intended to gather information at nearby black markets while accompanying Tsunade on missions.
At the same time, he could sell off some shinobi tools he had not yet had the chance to dispose of.
Soon, the night passed.
In the morning, Kiyohara used Lightning Release to blast fish out of the stream beneath a nearby waterfall.
He had considered fishing. He could even have done some night fishing while keeping watch.
Unfortunately, he did not have a fishing rod, so he chose the method that guaranteed success, directly using Lightning Chakra to shock the fish.
The stunned fish floated to the surface, and Kiyohara gathered them to prepare breakfast.
After taking a few bites, Tsunade praised him repeatedly.
Soon afterward, the group resumed their journey.
The scenery shifted again. The waterfalls and forests of the Land of Waterfalls gradually faded behind them, replaced by an endless expanse of grassland.
The grass grew extremely tall, reaching above an adult's waist. When the wind swept across it, waves of green rolled like an emerald ocean.
"We have entered the border region between the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Grass," Tsunade said while examining the map.
"There are Konoha spies in the Land of Grass. If we head there now, we should have support waiting for us."
She pointed to a marked location on the map.
"We should arrive by evening."
The team continued forward.
Traveling across the grasslands was in fact more dangerous than moving through the mountains. The tall grass could conceal venomous snakes, traps, or even enemies.
Tsunade took the lead, Kiyohara guarded the rear, and Shizune and Kurenai stayed in the middle.
As they advanced, Kiyohara suddenly frowned.
He sensed fluctuations of chakra.
He spread the Yang Release chakra within his body outward, probing the surrounding area.
As expected, he detected several distinct chakra signatures.
"There is an ambush."
Kiyohara rose directly into the air, using a combination of Magnet Release and Steel Release to lift himself skyward.
His Sharingan functioned like a powerful scope as it scanned the surroundings.
The three tomoe rotated slowly within his eyes, and the flow of chakra in his field of vision became crystal clear.
Although the Sharingan could not see through solid obstacles, Kiyohara's eyesight was so sharp that even the smallest gap was enough for him to detect movement.
Within moments, he located the enemies.
"Two jonin and three chunin."
"Sensei, I will handle it," Kiyohara said.
"No."
Tsunade shook her head.
"Let Kurenai and Shizune try. They have improved greatly recently and need real combat experience."
If Kiyohara were to act, the enemies would likely be wiped out immediately. Tsunade intended to temper Shizune and Kurenai instead.
Kurenai's eyes lit up.
"May I?"
"Be careful," Tsunade instructed. "Open with genjutsu and coordinate your attacks. Kiyohara, provide support."
Kiyohara nodded and stepped back, giving Kurenai space.
Tsunade moved off to the side as well. She disliked the sight of blood.
Kiyohara descended from the sky and quietly informed Kurenai of the enemies' positions, guiding her precisely.
Kurenai took a deep breath and began forming hand seals.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death."
An invisible wave of genjutsu rippled outward.
In a distant shrub, a chunin from Takigakure suddenly froze.
In his perception, the surrounding bushes began to sway and twist, transforming into thick tree roots that coiled tightly around him. Though it was only an illusion, the overwhelming sensory realism left him completely unable to move.
"Now!"
Kurenai shouted softly as she formed another series of hand seals.
"Wind Release, Great Breakthrough!"
A sharp torrent of wind burst from her mouth and struck the immobilized chunin.
With a wet, slicing sound, blood sprayed into the grass as the ambush began in earnest.
In Kiyohara's eyes there was a flicker of approval as he remarked,
"Good progress. The connection between your genjutsu and ninjutsu is flowing smoothly." Kurenai's young face lit up with a smile, but the expression tightened almost immediately. The other enemies had already noticed.
From the third house on the western side a Takigakure jonin rushed out, hands forming seals as he shouted, "Water Style, Water Dragon Bullet!"
Streams of water gathered into the shape of a dragon that roared as it surged toward Kurenai.
"Shinobi Art: Poison Mist!"
Shizune exhaled a cloud of purple poison that spread quickly, blocking the path of the water dragon. The mist hissed with corrosive force and then began to surge toward the Takigakure jonin. He had no choice but to blow the mist away with Wind Chakra before charging forward.
Shizune's heart jolted in shock, not expecting the enemy's hand seals to be so fast. The jonin was already upon her, kunai aimed straight at her throat.
At that moment Kiyohara moved. His eyes flashed red as he froze the jonin in place with a Sharingan genjutsu, then scattered the water dragon with Wind technique.
"Finish it, Shizune," Kiyohara ordered.
Hearing his voice, Shizune snapped out of her daze and nodded. Her role was the same as Rin's, a medical shinobi, but she also had deep knowledge of toxins and mechanisms. She raised her right hand, pulling back her sleeve, and the wrist guard snapped open to reveal a row of tiny holes. A volley of poisoned needles shot out.
The Takigakure jonin's face changed drastically as he tried to dodge, but Kiyohara struck him again with Sharingan genjutsu. He groaned as paralysis spread from the wounds, the needles coated with neurotoxin. Yet Shizune was not finished.
She opened her mouth again and expelled another purple mist that enveloped the jonin. He tried to hold his breath, but the poison corroded his skin on contact. Screaming, his flesh erupted in purple lesions before he collapsed, convulsing, and soon lay still.
At the same time two more Takigakure chunin leapt from a nearby well, attacking Kiyohara from both sides. He did not even glance at them, simply drawing his blade. With a flash of Leaf-Style Willow, the throat of the chunin on the left split open. He clutched his neck and fell to his knees, eyes wide with disbelief.
The chunin on the right tried to retreat, but Kiyohara's figure was already behind him, the blade thrust into his back. Two seconds, two chunin, both dead. The last Takigakure jonin rushed out from beneath a tree trunk to the east, his face pale at the sight.
Kiyohara had deliberately left him alive.
"Damn it, who are you people?" the jonin demanded, sweat pouring down his face. He had followed them hoping to find an opening to exploit.
"What do you think?" Kiyohara replied calmly.
This time, when Tsunade had led them out, none of them wore Konoha forehead protectors. Sometimes this caused enemies to misjudge. If they had known Tsunade was present from the start, they would have fled immediately.
"Damn it, Water Style: Water Dragon Technique!" The jonin formed seals and unleashed another water dragon. Takigakure's water release techniques looked larger and more ferocious than Konoha's traditional ones.
The snarling dragon surged toward Kiyohara. He formed Fire Style seals and expelled a torrent of flames stretching dozens of meters. The water dragon evaporated instantly in the fiery flood.
Seeing an opening, the jonin turned to flee.
"Trying to run?" Kiyohara flicked his wrist and hurled his blade. Empowered by his chakra, it shot forward like a bullet. The blade pierced through the steam and nailed the jonin to the ground.
He screamed in agony. Kiyohara stepped forward, placed his hand on the man's shoulder, and released the Binding Curse Technique, immobilizing him completely.
The battle was over.
From start to finish, less than a minute had passed. Five Takigakure shinobi, four dead and one captured.
Kiyohara crouched before the captured jonin and asked, "Who sent you? Why were you lying in ambush here?"
The jonin clenched his teeth and remained silent.
Kiyohara responded by subjecting him to a brutal interrogation technique. The man screamed, his weak will breaking quickly. Kiyohara used genjutsu to simulate Lightning chakra, piercing his psychological defenses, then applied ocular power to disrupt his nerves and extract information.
"I will talk, I will talk!" the jonin cried, collapsing. "It was the village chief who sent us. He said Konoha shinobi had been active in this area recently and ordered us to eliminate all outsiders."
"Village chief?" Kiyohara frowned. "You are Takigakure shinobi?"
"No, not exactly. We are rogue shinobi, wanted by Takigakure. We fled here and were taken in by the village chief. We kept our forehead protectors intact to disguise ourselves."
"Who is this chief?"
"En Oyashiro. He wears sunglasses."
En Oyashiro?
Kiyohara's mind stirred. Yes, that made sense.
According to the anime, he had shown great interest in kekkei genkai.
In the timeline of Sasuke's True Legend, after the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Sasuke's right eye was the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and his left eye the Six Tomoe Rinnegan.
Yet En Oyashiro had dared to covet Sasuke's eyes, even threatening him face to face.
Fortunately, it was the tempered Sasuke shaped by Naruto's influence. If it had been the younger Sasuke, En Oyashiro would have been incinerated by Amaterasu before he even realized what had happened.
Now, with intelligence about the descendants of the Uzumaki clan, it was natural that En Oyashiro would be drawn here.
Just as Orochimaru had lured him out using kekkei genkai as bait, En Oyashiro's interest was piqued.
"Where is he?"
Kiyohara pressed further.
"He is at the underground base north of the village. We usually meet through the black market…"
The Takigakure jonin stammered as he revealed the location of the black market. It was situated at the border of the Land of Grass, inside an abandoned mine. On the surface it appeared to be nothing more than a gathering place for wandering shinobi, yet in reality it was the largest underground intelligence and resource trading hub in the region.
"Why were you lying in ambush here?"
"To… to capture people…"
The Takigakure jonin trembled as he spoke.
"The village chief said he wants to collect bloodline limits, so we often capture shinobi and bring them back."
"We heard there were traces of an Uzumaki clansman here, so we came. We happened to see you and thought we could make some extra money…"
He did not continue.
What followed was obvious. Before they could even make a move, Kiyohara had discovered them first and allowed Kurenai to seize the initiative. They had been forced to hurriedly reveal themselves and fight.
"Did you find that Uzumaki clansman?"
"No… no. We only found some traces. They were probably captured by shinobi from the Land of Grass…"
"How do you enter that black market?"
"You need a password. It changes every three days. Today's password is…"
Kiyohara nodded. He had asked everything he needed to know.
He stood and looked toward Tsunade in the distance.
Tsunade had her back turned, her arms folded across her chest, clearly unwilling to witness what would happen next.
Kiyohara pulled the shinobi blade from the Takigakure jonin's back.
A flash of steel followed.
Blood splattered across the green grass and was quickly absorbed by the soil.
Kiyohara flicked the blood droplets from the blade and sheathed it.
To put it bluntly, these people were no different from human traffickers. Kiyohara naturally felt no mercy when dealing with them.
In the anime, the shinobi captured by En Oyashiro were raised like livestock, fed like animals.
At times, when his perverse interest grew bored after collecting too many of the same bloodline limit, he would force one of them to slaughter all the others.
"Sensei."
Kiyohara walked to Tsunade's side.
"I got the information. They say they were taken by shinobi from the Land of Grass. There is a black market nearby where we might obtain more detailed intelligence. I want to make a trip there."
Tsunade turned around. Her face was still slightly pale, but she had regained her composure.
"How long will it take?"
"At most two hours. The black market is less than five kilometers from here."
"Be careful."
Tsunade gave her reminder.
Although Konoha's intelligence personnel had already gathered some information, it was always better to prepare thoroughly.
"The black market is full of dangerous individuals. Do not expose your identity. We will wait for you in the patch of low woodland three kilometers to the east."
"Understood."
Kiyohara turned and disappeared into the grass after a few swift movements.
...
The abandoned mine lay at the bottom of a desolate valley. Its entrance was concealed by dense vines. Without prior intelligence, it would have been impossible to discover.
Kiyohara paused outside the mine and changed his attire. From his shinobi pouch he took out a dark gray cloak and draped it over himself, then covered the lower half of his face with a cloth.
He approached the entrance and lowered his voice as he spoke the password.
A middle aged man's voice responded from within, granting him passage.
A seam suddenly opened in the wall, just wide enough for a person to slip through.
Kiyohara entered sideways and walked down a narrow passage for about fifty meters before the space opened up dramatically before him.
It was an enormous underground chamber, roughly half the size of a football field.
Crude stalls had been carved directly into the rock walls, illuminated by oil lamps or glowing stones.
The air was thick with the mingled scents of smoke, alcohol, blood, and various indescribable odors.
Dozens of shinobi and ronin dressed in all manner of attire were scattered throughout the space. Some were conducting transactions, some drinking, others observing everything with cold detachment.
Kiyohara blended into the crowd.
He first located several stalls that purchased shinobi tools and sold off the spoils he had accumulated over the past few months in batches. In the black market, such items fetched a good price.
After completing the transactions, he tucked away a bulging money pouch and walked toward the area where intelligence brokers gathered.
"Buying information or selling?" an old man asked.
"Buying two pieces of information. First, about the rumored Uzumaki clansman. Second, about En Oyashiro."
"The first piece costs one hundred thousand ryo. The second…"
Kiyohara did not haggle. He counted out the banknotes from his pouch and pushed them forward.
The money had all belonged to those Takigakure missing nin. After covering expenses, he had even made a small profit.
"As for the Uzumaki clansman, there have been many rumors recently. It is unclear which are true, but she was likely taken by Kusagakure. The approximate location is here."
The old man marked an area on a map, outlining Kusagakure's sphere of activity.
He then provided the information about En Oyashiro.
Kiyohara had expected to receive only fragments, yet there was far more detail than anticipated.
En Oyashiro was currently in the neighboring Land of Steam, the same place that had once been suppressed by the Uchiha clan.
However, they no longer resided in Hell Valley as before, having relocated elsewhere.
Kiyohara thought for a moment and arrived at a conclusion.
That made sense. The En Oyashiro of more than twenty years later was a cunning old fox. The present him was still too young.
As Kiyohara prepared to leave, the old man suddenly called out to him.
"Wait. Since you purchased so much information, I will give you one for free."
He pulled out a bounty notice from beneath the table and slid it across.
Kiyohara looked at the notice and saw his own portrait printed on it. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
The bounty was fifteen million ryo.
About one third more than anime Asuma's bounty.
It seemed that Kumogakure truly hated him to the bone, or perhaps certain individuals were very interested in his publicly known dual bloodline limits.
"This bounty has been quite popular in the black market lately," the old man said leisurely.
"Many people want to earn this money, but I suggest you do not touch it."
"Why?"
Kiyohara feigned curiosity.
"Someone who can single handedly kill Toroi and retreat unharmed from the Two Tails jinchuriki. What kind of person do you think that is?"
The old man narrowed his eyes again.
Kiyohara remained silent.
He very nearly asked why the man had shown it to him in the first place.
...
In the low woodland, Tsunade and the others were resting.
Kurenai appeared restless, glancing from time to time in the direction Kiyohara had departed.
Shizune was inspecting their shinobi tools.
Tsunade leaned against a tree trunk with her eyes closed, resting.
Yet Kiyohara knew her perception extended over a radius of one hundred meters.
"I am back."
Kiyohara stepped out from the shadows of the trees and removed his disguise.
"Well?"
Tsunade opened her eyes.
"There are two pieces of news."
Kiyohara relayed the intelligence obtained from the black market.
"We have an approximate location, she is a woman though the black market is not certain whether she's truly an Uzumaki."
He paused and stated the coordinates.
Tsunade nodded. It was roughly consistent with the information provided by Konoha's intelligence shinobi.
"Also, En Oyashiro has designs on the Uzumaki clanswoman as well," Kiyohara added.
"En Oyashiro?"
Tsunade frowned.
"That weapons merchant is interested in the Uzumaki clan too?"
At present, En Oyashiro was known as a prominent arms dealer, particularly active during wartime. No one knew that he was a member of the Chinoike clan.
"Apparently he wants to add the Uzumaki clan as part of his collection."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade stood.
Her brown golden eyes swept over Kiyohara, Kurenai, and Shizune.
"If we confirm she is an Uzumaki clansman, persuade her to come with us if possible. If we encounter En Oyashiro, Konoha will not fear a mere merchant."
Tsunade had no intention of allowing an Uzumaki to become someone's collectible.
"Yes, Sensei."
Kiyohara felt reassured.
This was his opportunity to fulfill that lingering wish.
Following the marked location on the map, the group soon arrived at a concealed settlement near the border of the Land of Grass.
Using Sharingan genjutsu, Kiyohara hypnotized the Grass shinobi stationed on guard and infiltrated smoothly.
Low earthen houses were scattered irregularly. The air carried the scent of medicinal herbs mixed with a faint odor of decay.
Many people were wrapped in dirty bandages stained with dark red blood. Rather than a village, it resembled a gathering place for the wounded.
However, the number of stationed shinobi did not seem large.
Tsunade frowned, her expression slightly grim.
Seeing this, Kiyohara said softly, "Sensei, hold onto the corner of my clothing and close your eyes as you walk."
Tsunade hesitated briefly before grasping the edge of his garment.
They then blended into the crowd without drawing attention.
Soon, Kiyohara noticed something amiss.
After entering the earthen houses, the injured would emerge shortly afterward completely healed.
Did Kusagakure truly possess medical shinobi of such exceptional skill?
"Sensei, I sense a concentration of chakra."
Kiyohara released his Yang Release chakra and detected a relatively large mass of chakra nearby.
Tsunade nodded, a trace of seriousness appearing on her refined features.
It seemed they had indeed come to the right place.
They waited outside until dusk. At last, Kiyohara saw several Grass shinobi escorting a red haired woman out.
The woman appeared exhausted and haggard.
Karin's mother?
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
He noticed there were no bite marks on her body.
That suggested that at present she was only using chakra to heal the wounded and that they had not yet discovered that biting her could instantly restore vitality.
After all, within the Uzumaki clan, this ability of physical healing was not something every member inherited.
Neither Nagato nor Naruto had inherited it.
(End of Chapter)