As for the birthday gift he planned to give to Kurenai, Kiyohara had already made up his mind.
It would be an anklet.
He went out to purchase the corresponding materials and crafted it himself.
It was actually very simple, just a red cord that he braided personally, along with a small bell attached to it.
The bell did not make any sound, so it would not create noise when it swayed while walking.
When Tsunade's birthday arrived, Kiyohara was also considering whether to give her a necklace.
With that thought in mind, Kiyohara decided to first go to Konoha Hospital and analyze the split portions of the "Power of the White Snake."
When dealing with Orochimaru, he intended to be cautious.
Orochimaru relied on cursed seals to leave behind contingencies. Based on his current level of research into cursed seals, Kiyohara estimated that Orochimaru could not yet revive himself merely by leaving chakra within another person's body.
At the very least, that would have to wait until the first generation of cursed seals was completed.
That would be the one Orochimaru had just developed before implanting it into Anko.
Still, being cautious in all matters was never a mistake.
After arriving at Konoha Hospital, Kiyohara headed straight to his laboratory.
Because he was Tsunade's disciple, he also had an independent laboratory, though it was relatively small.
With practiced ease, he conducted another analysis of the components and discovered that the "Power of the White Snake" was also extremely pure, without any extraneous substances.
Only then did Kiyohara feel assured enough to hand it over to Kurenai and Rin.
Before long, he found Rin within the hospital.
He planned to give this portion to Rin first since she was nearby.
Then tomorrow, he would give the remaining half to Kurenai.
In his hand, he held a small sealed vial containing half of the "Power of the White Snake."
Eventually, he spotted her in her office.
Rin seemed to be finishing up her shift for the day, as she was tidying her things.
Dressed in a nurse's uniform, she wore white over-the-knee socks, completely different from the dark red ones she wore as a shinobi.
"Kiyohara?"
Rin turned around and was visibly surprised to see him.
"You were looking for me?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded, walked up to her, and handed over the small bottle in his hand.
"This is for you."
Rin took it with a puzzled expression and examined it under the office light.
The bottle was tightly sealed.
"This is…?"
"It was developed by Lord Orochimaru. It can enhance cellular vitality and improve chakra recovery. It is especially beneficial for medical shinobi."
Kiyohara explained it in a way that was easy to understand.
"I have already tried it. The effect is good, and there are no side effects. It suits you well."
Rin's eyes widened in surprise.
The thoughtfulness behind Kiyohara's gesture warmed her heart.
Something like this was something countless shinobi would want.
"This is too precious, Kiyohara, I…"
Feeling uneasy about accepting it, Rin unconsciously clenched the hem of her nurse uniform with both hands.
"Just take it."
Kiyohara interrupted her refusal.
"Speaking of which, I also have something I want to ask you. Rin, I heard from Kakashi that you exchanged for quite a few Water Release scrolls?"
"When you have time, aside from medical ninjutsu, we can also study Water Release techniques together."
Kiyohara said.
At present, the only thing he lacked was water nature chakra.
However, even without water nature chakra, it did not prevent him from learning Water Release jutsus, it just made the learning process slower and harder to execute.
Rin nodded quickly.
"Of course, Kiyohara, you have helped me so much. This is such a small matter…"
She suddenly thought of something and added a little awkwardly.
"Besides, I am actually not that skilled in Water Release…"
Rin had only studied Water Release for a short time. Although she had the enhancement of the Three Tails, she lacked experience.
"We can learn from each other," Kiyohara said simply.
"Really?"
Rin looked at him with an expression that clearly showed she was skeptical.
She knew very well that Kiyohara was strong in every aspect.
Would he really need her help?
"Of course it is true."
Seeing her disbelief, Kiyohara could not help but pinch her slightly chubby cheek.
Rin's body trembled faintly, and she remained standing there, looking even more nervous.
"I will have use for you in the future," Kiyohara said.
Rin was now the Three Tails jinchuriki. The stronger she became, the greater the possibility that she would be able to control the Three Tails in the future.
Her Water Release techniques might even surpass those of Yagura.
After all, under Kiyohara's influence, Yagura no longer had the chance to obtain the Three Tails.
Hearing this explanation, Rin finally relaxed a little.
"Try it now. I will watch, just in case," Kiyohara said.
Rin nodded, sat down, opened the bottle, and tilted her head back to drink the pale green liquid in one gulp.
Meanwhile, Kiyohara carefully observed her condition.
The "Power of the White Snake" could be taken orally or injected.
Oral consumption took longer to digest compared to injection, but it was safer.
After drinking it, Rin felt a gentle warmth appear within her body, rapidly spreading through her limbs.
She could not help but let out a soft moan as she felt her chakra become much more active, the deep fatigue within her body being gradually dispelled, replaced by a light and powerful sensation.
She subconsciously raised her hand to look at it and noticed that the skin on her arm seemed to have become smoother and firmer, radiating a healthy glow.
"How does it feel?" Kiyohara asked.
"It is amazing…"
Rin stood up and moved her limbs, her eyes filled with delight.
"My chakra flows much more smoothly, my mind feels refreshed, and… my skin seems different."
She only realized the last point afterward. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at Kiyohara with a more complicated expression.
There was no woman who did not want better, firmer skin.
But for Kiyohara to give her this… could it be that he had considered this aspect as well?
Thinking that Kiyohara might have noticed such details, Rin's heartbeat quickened.
"As long as it works."
Kiyohara did not seem to notice her embarrassment, or perhaps he simply did not care.
"This was refined by Lord Orochimaru from a white snake. Its regenerative ability is quite remarkable. It has unique effects when it comes to improving physical condition, and it can also improve skin."
Rin suppressed the ripples in her heart and sincerely thanked him.
"Kiyohara, thank you. You are always thinking of me. I really do not know how to repay you."
Kiyohara looked at her.
"Is a verbal thank you all there is?"
"?"
Rin was momentarily stunned, then suddenly remembered her previous promise.
"Ah, I can help you organize medical ninjutsu notes, and my insights on Water Release. I can also make delicious bento for you…"
"Is that all?"
Kiyohara's voice seemed to carry a hint of teasing.
Sometimes, watching Rin fluster like this was genuinely amusing.
After all, compared to Kurenai, Rin was even more shy.
Rin blinked, looking at Kiyohara's handsome face, and suddenly felt a spark of inspiration.
Her skin had improved.
He had deliberately mentioned that.
Could it be that what Kiyohara wanted was that kind of thing?
The thought made even the tips of her ears burn.
She nervously clenched the hem of her clothes and glanced around. The corridor outside the office was empty.
This was the top floor of the hospital, where no patient wards were set up, so there were very few people.
Taking a deep breath, Rin seemed to make up her mind.
She took a small step forward, stood on her toes, and quickly pressed a kiss onto Kiyohara's cheek.
The touch was fleeting, like a butterfly skimming the surface of water.
The moment she finished, she immediately stepped back twice, her entire face flushed red, as if steam might rise from her, turning into a blushing steam girl.
"T-this should be enough, right? I I will go first. See you tomorrow."
As soon as she finished speaking, Rin turned and hurried away without looking back, her figure quickly disappearing into the corridor outside the office.
Tap tap, tap tap.
Only the hurried sound of her footsteps descending the stairs could be heard.
Kiyohara raised his hand, his fingertips brushing the spot on his face where she had kissed him. There still seemed to be a trace of soft warmth lingering there.
People in the shinobi world really did mature early.
Kiyohara could not help but shake his head.
After all, in this world, people could go to the battlefield at just a few years old. The number and density of their body cells far exceeded those of humans from his previous life, making them practically all miniature superhumans.
Moreover, the current war had already lasted longer than it had in the original story.
Rin was also older than she had been originally.
The prolonged war forced these boys and girls to grow up faster, to witness life and death, and their ways of expressing emotions often became more direct.
'Boys really needed to learn how to protect themselves.'
Kiyohara thought to himself.
He had only intended to tease Rin a little, yet she had taken the initiative instead.
At that moment, Kiyohara suddenly looked in a certain direction.
He felt as if something had been watching him.
As he turned, that sensation vanished instantly.
'White Zetsu?'
Kiyohara frowned.
White Zetsu could move freely through organic matter and could also disguise itself as others with near perfect imitation.
This infiltration ability was superior even to the professional spies of the great nations.
Kiyohara suspected that either Obito or Madara was still monitoring Konoha.
'I will need to be more careful in the future.'
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
He had no desire to have anything exposed like a live broadcast.
Before doing anything, he would need to use sensory ninjutsu to check his surroundings in advance.
And the other selves within the urns could not come out without his permission.
Inside the urns, those spirits were also unable to perceive or sense anything outside.
Kiyohara was more like a sealed container, holding all those urns within himself, turning into a moving memorial hall.
Time to go back and train.
After observing for a while longer and finding nothing unusual, Kiyohara left Konoha Hospital.
At the same time, in another patch of shadow, a figure disguised as an ordinary villager, with skin that had turned pale, slowly withdrew its head.
"My, what sharp perception."
White Zetsu muttered in a voice only it could hear, having nearly been discovered by Kiyohara.
But that was quite an interesting scene.
Human emotions are truly complex and contradictory.
It had witnessed everything just now.
White Zetsu did not understand.
From its observations, Kiyohara seemed to be an extremely rational and goal oriented person.
So why would he give such a valuable resource to a companion?
Would it not be more logical to use such an enhancement on himself or exchange it for benefits?
Could it be that Kiyohara had already used it and no longer needed it, which was why he gave it away?
And then there was Rin. She was clearly shy, so why would she take the initiative to kiss him?
Did human gratitude require this kind of physical contact?
I need to tell Obito.
White Zetsu's body slowly began to sink, merging into the shadows of the structure.
He will definitely be interested in this information, although I do not know why he would be.
As for itself, it was only interested in… other things.
After a moment of thought, White Zetsu silently melted into the shadow beneath the eaves, disappearing like wax dissolving away.
Elsewhere,
Obito sat with his upper body bare.
The right half of his body looked no different from that of a normal person, but the left half was covered in a pale, unnatural color.
Obito slowly raised his right hand.
The hand appeared normal, yet its color resembled that of a corpse.
Without realizing it, it had already been a long time since he had transplanted half of his body with Hashirama's cells.
During this period, his body had undergone earth shaking changes.
He no longer needed to eat normally, nor did he need to excrete waste.
As for the exact mechanism behind it, Obito did not know.
He only felt as if he had become something like a plant.
Especially after discovering that he could use the secret technique of Wood Release, that feeling became even stronger.
Because of that, Obito would sometimes eat, even though he no longer needed to.
He took out a rice ball, picked it up with his right hand, and brought it to his mouth.
The rice ball had already gone cold. The seaweed had softened, and the rice had lost the fragrance it had when freshly made.
But he did not care. What he needed was the process itself.
He took a bite.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
Obito quickly finished one.
"Obito!"
An exaggerated voice came from the rock wall.
A white figure seeped out from the stone, forming into the shape of the spiral faced White Zetsu.
It waved its arms and jumped in front of Obito, its tone full of excitement as if it had major news to share.
"What is it?" Obito asked calmly, taking out a second rice ball.
He placed it in a bowl, then took out a pair of chopsticks.
He even added grilled fish on top of the rice as a side dish, intending to eat in a more traditional way.
"There is news from Konoha."
The spiral faced White Zetsu leaned closer and lowered its voice.
Though the action was meaningless, as there were only the two of them in the cave.
"It is about Rin."
Obito's brows furrowed slightly.
"Rin… what happened to her?"
"Obito, Rin kissed Kiyohara!"
The spiral faced White Zetsu's tone was full of excitement, clearly enjoying the drama.
"It happened tonight. The two of them were in an office at Konoha Hospital. Kiyohara gave Rin a bottle of something, and after she drank it, she kissed him."
The cave suddenly fell silent.
Obito lowered his head, his black hair covering his eyes.
His right hand slowly tightened, gripping the bowl, his knuckles turning pale from the force.
On the surface of the limb infused with Hashirama's cells, tiny wooden thorns began to emerge, as if something was trying to grow, only to be forcibly suppressed.
After a few seconds,
Obito suddenly laughed.
It began as a low chuckle, then grew louder and louder, until it turned into nearly hysterical laughter.
He laughed so hard that his body shook, tears streamed down his face, and the entire cave echoed with his distorted laughter.
The spiral faced White Zetsu was startled and shrank back slightly.
"O-Obito? Are you alright?"
"Hahahaha… I am fine. I am very fine."
Obito wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, yet the smile on his face vanished in an instant.
"I already knew. I had already expected this."
"In this false world, everyone is the same."
"Rin is no exception. She has changed, or perhaps she was never the person I imagined her to be."
Obito suddenly slammed the untouched bowl of rice in his hand down onto the stone table.
With a dull sound, the rice inside scattered slightly, turning into something like a messy rice bowl.
Watching Obito's abrupt change in behavior, the spiral faced White Zetsu felt that Obito's mood had shifted far too quickly.
Was he not laughing just a moment ago? Why had he suddenly become so extreme?
"Hmph."
Obito's voice was low.
"I already knew. Someone like Kiyohara, who looks calm and composed on the surface, who knows what he is really thinking inside. Rin is too naive. It is easy for her to be deceived by someone with a bit of strength who also knows how to put on an act."
The spiral faced White Zetsu tilted its head, silently complaining in its heart. Was it not Rin who took the initiative to kiss him?
How had it turned into Kiyohara scheming?
Still, it wisely chose not to say anything.
Obito raised his right hand. The five fingers formed from Hashirama's cells slowly opened and clenched.
"This world filled with hypocrisy, betrayal, and pain will only twist everything. The Rin I knew was kind, the one who would wait for me to return. But this one now…"
That was why he wanted to create a new world. This Rin was no longer the Rin he knew.
The spiral faced White Zetsu nodded as if it understood, though in truth it did not. It could not comprehend human emotions, but it could sense the stubborn will radiating from Obito.
That was what Madara needed, and it was also their mission.
…
The next morning, just as the sky began to brighten,
Kiyohara was conducting experiments on several fish in front of him.
He extended the index finger of his right hand, chakra gathering at the tip.
"Body Pathway Derangement."
His fingertip lightly tapped the fish's scales.
The fish's movement inside the water filled plastic container froze instantly.
Then it began spinning wildly in the water, its fins twitching in disarray, its mouth opening and closing as bubbles escaped, completely losing its balance and sense of direction.
A few seconds later, it flipped belly up. Although it was still alive, it could no longer swim properly.
Five seconds later, Kiyohara tapped the fish again.
As chakra was injected, the chaotic nerve signals were calmed, and the fish's movements gradually returned to normal.
It swam in place in confusion for a moment, then flicked its tail and moved to the other end of the container, completely unaware of what had just happened.
"It works."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.
Body Pathway Derangement.
Kiyohara had mastered this technique in just a few days.
By converting chakra within his body into electrical signals to generate an electric field, and then releasing those signals into the opponent's nervous system, he could disrupt their control over their own body.
Since communication between the brain and body relied on electrical signals, disturbing those signals could interfere with movement.
While the Sharingan's copying ability had helped, the key factor was his precise control over chakra.
Long term training in Magnet Release and Steel Release had also contributed to this level of control.
'Next is practical application.'
Kiyohara thought to himself.
"In battle, this jutsu can create a brief opening. Combined with the Sharingan's perception, it should produce unexpected results."
He looked up at the sky. The sun had fully risen, and sunlight filled the courtyard.
It was time to deliver the other gift.
Kiyohara returned inside, took a small box from a drawer, and opened it.
Inside lay a delicate red cord anklet, with a tiny silver bell attached. The bell was no larger than a fingernail.
The red cord had been braided by Kiyohara himself, and the bell had been specially made so that it would not produce any sound while moving.
He closed the box, changed into his usual shinobi attire, and headed out toward Kurenai's home.
At Kurenai's house,
"Kiyohara?"
Hearing the knock, Kurenai came to the door and opened it, surprised to see him.
"What are you doing here?"
For the past few days, she had been staying at home training and had not gone to see him.
"I came to deliver your birthday gift in advance."
Kiyohara handed her the box.
"I have a mission today, so I might not make it back in time for your birthday."
Kurenai's eyes widened slightly. So he really remembered her birthday.
She had only mentioned it casually before and had long since forgotten.
Kurenai accepted the box with delight, a smile blooming on her face. "Thank you for remembering. You did not have to come all this way to deliver it."
"It is fine. You can open it and take a look."
At his words, Kurenai carefully opened the lid.
Inside the box lay a red cord anklet, along with a small bottle of liquid.
The color of the cord was bright and pure, exactly the same red as in her name.
A small, delicate silver bell was threaded onto the cord.
"This is…"
Kurenai gently picked up the anklet. The bell felt cool to the touch and almost weightless.
"An anklet," Kiyohara explained simply.
Confusion filled Kurenai's eyes.
An anklet was a kind of gift she had never received before.
Was this kind of gift really appropriate?
Or did Kiyohara have some unusual preference?
"You are not actually a pervert, are you?"
Kurenai asked.
"Of course not."
Kiyohara shook his head.
How could she slander his innocence like that?
It was simply that Rin had given him a bracelet before, so he felt that giving Kurenai an anklet would make a nice pairing.
"This liquid can enhance your chakra and recovery ability."
Kiyohara repeated the same explanation he had given Rin.
Kurenai showed the same expression Rin had earlier.
He was actually giving her something like this?
"Alright, I will be going now."
Kiyohara waved his hand.
He still had a mission to carry out today.
After Kiyohara left, Kurenai closed the door and leaned against it, holding the box tightly in her hands.
Her heartbeat was a little fast. She could not tell whether it was anticipation or something else.
Returning to her room, she sat down in front of her dressing table and opened the box again.
Her fingers gently traced the red cord. The knots were even and tight, clearly crafted with care.
"An anklet…"
She murmured softly, her cheeks beginning to warm.
Among shinobi, wearing accessories was not uncommon, but anklets were indeed rare, especially ones given by someone of the opposite sex.
After hesitating for a moment, she decided to try it on.
Kurenai sat at the edge of her bed and removed the white sock from her left foot.
Her foot was slender, her ankle delicate.
Years of training had given her calves smooth and firm lines, yet they still retained the soft curves unique to a young girl.
She picked up the anklet, and as she bent forward, her collar loosened slightly, revealing a hint of her developing figure.
The red cord wrapped around her ankle, and when she fastened it, the cool touch made her shiver slightly.
She stood up and took a few steps.
Her left foot lifted and fell, the small bell at her ankle swaying gently with each movement.
Kurenai walked to the mirror and lifted her pant leg to examine it carefully.
In the mirror, the girl's cheeks were flushed, her gaze drifting.
She suddenly lowered her pant leg and quickly returned to sit by the bed, her fingers brushing over the knot at her ankle.
"This is too strange…"
She said softly, yet she did not remove it immediately.
In the end, Kurenai gently unclasped the anklet and carefully placed it back into the box.
As she closed the lid, she made a quiet decision in her heart.
She would only wear it at home, when she was alone.
"Now, it is time for this liquid."
Kurenai looked at the bottle containing the "Power of the White Snake."
(End of Chapter)