"Oh, right."
Tsunade suddenly remembered something.
"What about that youth preserving technique of yours? How far have you developed it?"
Kiyohara nodded.
"It's basically finished. I already taught it to Rin, and the results are pretty obvious."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Kiyohara extended his hand.
"Want to try it, Sensei?"
Tsunade hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out her own hand.
Kiyohara gently held it, and chakra flowed from his fingertips.
Body Pathway Derangement!
Tsunade's body trembled slightly.
She could clearly feel that unfamiliar chakra traveling upward along her arm. Everywhere it passed, a faint tingling sensation spread through her body.
"Don't resist."
Kiyohara's calm voice reached her ears.
Tsunade relaxed completely.
The chakra continued rising, passing over her shoulder, moving along the side of her neck before finally gathering at the center of her forehead.
Then it began to condense.
She could feel a warm sensation spreading across her forehead.
The warmth became increasingly distinct, increasingly concentrated.
Kiyohara opened his eyes and released her hand.
"It's done."
Almost instinctively, Tsunade raised a hand to touch her forehead.
Her fingertips met only smooth skin.
There was nothing there.
Yet the lingering warmth remained.
"That's it?"
"Mm."
Kiyohara nodded.
He then gave Tsunade the same explanation he had given Rin earlier.
The chakra would automatically form a miniature sealing circuit within her forehead. Afterward, it would only require a tiny amount of chakra to maintain itself, allowing it to continuously preserve her youthful appearance.
Tsunade blinked.
She carefully examined the changes within her body.
Sure enough, she could sense a tiny chakra vortex now existing within her forehead.
More importantly, the vortex operated completely independently of her Strength of a Hundred Seal. It neither interfered with the storage nor the release of the chakra inside the Yin Seal.
"So you actually managed to create it."
"It's all thanks to your teaching, Sensei."
Kiyohara smiled.
Tsunade snorted before taking another swig of sake.
"Quit buttering me up."
She set down the bottle and gently touched her own cheek.
Sure enough.
Her skin felt noticeably softer than before.
Nourished by chakra, it had become incredibly smooth, almost as though she had just finished receiving professional skincare treatment.
"The effect actually seems pretty good..."
she muttered quietly.
She continued drinking, but Kiyohara could already tell she was thoroughly intoxicated.
"Sensei, drink a little less. You should get some rest."
He walked over beside her and reached out.
Before the drunken Tsunade could react, the scenery around her suddenly twisted.
The next instant, the two of them were standing inside another tent.
This was Tsunade's private sleeping quarters.
The previous tent had mainly been used as her office.
Standing where she was, Tsunade rubbed her slightly hazy eyes.
"The Flying Thunder God really is convenient..."
she murmured, swaying gently from side to side.
Kiyohara supported her and led her to the bed.
After helping her sit down, he crouched and gently grasped her ankle.
Tsunade's body stiffened slightly.
The warmth of his hand passed through her skin.
Then she felt him carefully remove her shoes.
After placing them neatly beside the bed, he pulled over the thin blanket nearby and gently covered her.
"Go to sleep."
He stood back up.
Lying on the bed, Tsunade quietly watched as Kiyohara took care of her.
His figure was reflected within her golden brown eyes.
This was no longer the first time.
Whenever she drank herself unconscious, it was always either Shizune or Kiyohara who looked after her.
"Kiyohara."
"Hm?"
"Sometimes..."
Tsunade sighed softly.
"I feel like I'm the student... while you're the teacher."
Kiyohara laughed.
"Please don't say that, Sensei."
Tsunade stared at him.
After a long silence, she suddenly spoke again.
"Oh, right. Be careful during the operation in a few days."
"I know."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Do you think I'm going to lose?"
"Never underestimate your enemy."
Tsunade answered seriously.
"Then..."
Kiyohara smiled.
"Are you going to give me some kind of lucky charm?"
He was honestly curious whether Tsunade still possessed any valuable treasures.
After all, the Senju Clan had once been incredibly wealthy, and now practically everything belonged to Tsunade alone.
She had sold off plenty of unimportant belongings over the years, but truly precious heirlooms, such as the First Hokage's necklace, were things she would never part with.
To Tsunade, debt was nothing more than a troublesome stain on her reputation.
Hearing his request, Tsunade looked directly at him.
She hesitated.
After several seconds, she suddenly sat upright and leaned toward him.
Before Kiyohara could even react, he felt something soft and warm touch his forehead.
It lasted only an instant.
Then it was gone.
"That's your sensei's lucky kiss."
She withdrew, lay back down, and pulled the blanket tightly over herself.
"You can go now."
Turning her face away, she deliberately avoided looking at him.
Kiyohara remained standing there, slowly touching his forehead.
The warmth of her lips still lingered there.
"Sensei..."
he asked with a grin,
"Does your lucky kiss really bring good fortune?"
"You insolent disciple!"
Tsunade grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.
"I'm going to sleep!"
Kiyohara caught the pillow effortlessly, smiling as he placed it neatly back beside the bed.
"Good night, Sensei."
Turning around, he walked out of the tent.
Moonlight bathed his figure.
He reached up and touched his forehead again, the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifting.
His relationship with Tsunade had advanced another step.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Kiyohara reflected on it.
Honestly, if not for the fact that they were master and disciple, along with their age difference, he felt that his relationship with Tsunade had already developed to almost the same level as his relationship with Kurenai.
Still, none of those issues were particularly significant.
Sooner or later...
He really would become the rebellious disciple she kept calling him.
Leaving Tsunade's tent behind, Kiyohara returned to his own.
The moment he lifted the entrance flap, he saw someone already sitting on his bed.
Kurenai.
She wore a light crimson nightgown, her long hair cascading naturally over her shoulders.
Her bare feet dangled gently over the edge of the bed, swaying back and forth.
"Kiyohara?"
She looked up, delight immediately appearing in her crimson eyes.
"You're back."
Then her nose twitched slightly.
"Why do you smell like alcohol?"
"My teacher was drinking."
Kiyohara sat down beside her.
"I just took her back to her tent so she could rest."
Kurenai nodded without giving it much thought.
She stood up, walked over to him, and then naturally settled herself onto his lap.
She straddled him comfortably, her legs resting on either side of his waist.
Her arms slipped around his neck.
"Kiyohara."
She gazed into his eyes, her crimson pupils carrying an unusually serious expression.
"My Wind Release has reached a bottleneck recently."
Kiyohara placed his hands lightly against her slender waist.
Her figure was slim, yet firm with the strength earned through years of training.
Even through the thin fabric of her nightgown, he could clearly feel the warmth radiating from her body.
Kurenai's body temperature had always been surprisingly high.
That was something Kiyohara knew very well.
"What kind of bottleneck?"
"It's..."
Kurenai thought carefully before explaining.
"It feels like I just can't increase its power anymore. My chakra control is much finer than before, and I've become far more proficient with my techniques, but their destructive force has completely stagnated."
Kiyohara nodded.
"That's actually an easy problem to solve."
He paused for a moment.
"I have an idea."
"What idea?"
"I'll give you some of my cells."
Kurenai blinked.
"Your... cells?"
"Mm."
Kiyohara nodded.
"My body contains a special type of cell that can strengthen physical constitution while also increasing affinity with chakra. If the fusion goes well, it should help you break through your current bottleneck."
The power of the White Snake within Kiyohara was incomparably purer than anything Orochimaru had ever researched.
After all, how could artificially synthesized creations compare to a genuine White Snake born and raised in Ryuchi Cave?
Every bit of that White Snake's bloodline had been inherited by Kiyohara.
If he extracted a portion of those cells and refined the White Snake's power within them, Kurenai's chakra reserves would increase as well.
"Will it be dangerous?"
"There will be some risk."
Kiyohara nodded honestly.
The stronger the effect, the greater the burden.
He could withstand it effortlessly, but that did not mean everyone else could.
The process would still require further refinement and optimization.
"I'll let you use it after I've finished my experiments."
"Okay."
Kurenai nodded obediently.
Just as Kiyohara was about to continue speaking, his expression suddenly changed.
Someone was there.
And that presence...
was completely unfamiliar.
What made him immediately wary, however, was that he had absolutely no idea how that person had appeared.
It was as though they had materialized out of thin air.
"What's wrong?"
Kurenai noticed the subtle change in his expression.
"Nothing."
Kiyohara lightly patted her on the hip.
"You should get down first."
"We have a guest."
Kurenai froze for a moment before obediently climbing off his lap.
Kiyohara rose to his feet.
His figure flashed.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the tent.
...
Deep within the distant forest...
A distorted vortex slowly condensed in the darkness.
Then a figure stepped out from the empty void.
He wore an orange spiraling mask and a black cloak, with only a single crimson eye exposed.
Obito stood atop a tree branch, peering through the gaps between the leaves toward the brightly illuminated camp in the distance.
He watched Kiyohara emerge from Tsunade's tent.
At the same time, he sensed another chakra signature inside Kiyohara's own tent.
He immediately recognized it.
It belonged to Kurenai.
Obito had attended the Academy in the same class as Kiyohara and the others, so he naturally remembered the chakra signatures of his former classmates.
What he could not understand was why Kurenai was inside Kiyohara's tent so late at night.
Where was Rin?
Obito unconsciously clenched his fist.
His greatest wish in the past had always been to earn Rin's attention.
Yet all the tenderness and affection that should have belonged to him had instead been given to Kiyohara.
Everything Obito had longed for with all his heart was something Kiyohara could obtain effortlessly.
And yet, Kiyohara still maintained ambiguous relationships with other women.
Why?
Why was Kiyohara allowed to have so much?
"Damn it..."
Obito's emotions nearly exploded.
He simply could not understand what had happened to the shinobi world.
The world created by the Sage of Six Paths...
...was a failed world.
"Damn it!"
White Zetsu emerged from Obito's shoulder, its pale face grinning mischievously as it echoed his words.
"Obito, your emotions are really unstable."
"Shut up."
"Want to go fight him? You've become a lot stronger too. Maybe you can actually win."
"I said shut up!"
Obito growled in a suppressed voice.
"I am Madara now."
"I'm no longer the Obito I used to be."
Taking a deep breath, he forcibly calmed himself.
"So... are we heading back now?"
Obito remained silent.
His gaze never left the distant tent.
Then he spoke.
"No."
"No?"
"I'm going to test him myself."
White Zetsu blinked.
"Test what?"
"I want to see whether Kiyohara has really improved as much as the rumors claim."
The moment those words left his mouth, the flap of the distant tent was suddenly lifted.
A figure walked outside.
Obito's eye widened in surprise.
He had only appeared for less than ten seconds.
Yet Kiyohara had already come out.
Even through the darkness, Kiyohara could clearly see Obito in the distance.
Perhaps it was because he had inherited the combined abilities of both the Sharingan and the Byakugan.
Or perhaps because his ocular power had become overwhelmingly powerful.
Whatever the reason, his night vision had improved dramatically.
"He found us?"
White Zetsu exclaimed in astonishment.
"No way... we're this far away..."
Before it could finish speaking, Obito saw Kiyohara's figure disappear.
The next instant...
Kiyohara was already standing directly in front of him.
So fast!
Obito instinctively leaned backward while simultaneously forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
Combining Kamui's warped space with Fire Release, an enormous vortex of blazing flames erupted before him, roaring toward Kiyohara.
Kiyohara remained motionless.
His own hands completed a set of seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale burst from his mouth.
The fierce wind collided with the enormous inferno.
Rather than canceling each other out, the wind seized the flames, twisting them upward before hurling them into the night sky.
BOOM!
The fire exploded overhead, illuminating nearly half the heavens.
Kiyohara immediately formed another series of hand seals before slamming his palm against the ground.
"Uchiha Flame Formation!"
Rumble!
Centered around the two of them, a crimson ring of chakra fire spread rapidly across the ground.
An enormous scarlet barrier rose into existence.
The barrier formed a massive cylinder composed entirely of blazing flames.
Fire flowed endlessly across its surface.
The surrounding air shimmered violently under the intense heat.
The two combatants were completely enclosed inside, isolated from the outside world.
That way...
there was no need to worry about harming anyone else.
This was, after all, one of Konoha's military camps.
If they fought inside the camp itself, countless comrades would be caught in the crossfire.
Kiyohara shifted his attention toward the masked man before him.
His body blurred.
Lightning chakra instantly gathered in his right hand.
Chidori!
Blue lightning crackled wildly around his arm.
Seeing this, Obito's Sharingan spun rapidly.
Kamui!
Kiyohara's lightning pierced straight through his body.
Yet at the exact instant it passed through...
Kiyohara's left hand had already arrived.
"Water Release: Water Blade!"
A razor-sharp blade formed from flowing water extended from his palm, slicing horizontally toward Obito's waist.
Still intangible, Obito's body distorted slightly, allowing the water blade to pass harmlessly through him.
However...
The two consecutive attacks forced a brief interruption in his intangibility.
Kiyohara seized that fleeting opportunity.
His right hand opened.
"Lightning Release: Black Panther!"
Black lightning exploded from his palm, transforming into a ferocious panther that lunged directly toward Obito.
Obito gritted his teeth.
Intangibility!
The lightning beast passed through him.
Yet several strands of black lightning remained attached to his body.
The tiny arcs possessed terrifying corrosive properties.
A searing pain spread across his skin as though he had been burned alive.
Obito felt utterly suffocated during the exchange.
From beginning to end...
he had done almost nothing except endure Kiyohara's relentless assault.
He had not been given even the slightest opportunity to breathe.
"Water Release: Twin Dragon Storm Kill!"
Two enormous water dragons erupted beside Kiyohara, roaring as they charged from opposite directions to trap Obito.
Kamui!
The dragons rushed harmlessly through his body.
But immediately afterward...
Kiyohara himself appeared.
His fist struck once again.
This time...
Obito was too late.
There was no time to become intangible.
He could only raise an arm to block.
Bang!
A dull explosion echoed through the barrier.
Obito was blasted backward, crashing into its blazing edge.
The flames burned against his back, scorching his cloak and flesh.
Dropping to one knee, he gasped heavily for air.
His right arm trembled violently.
The skin between his thumb and forefinger had split open.
Blood dripped steadily from his fingertips.
Kamui could ignore virtually every attack.
But only if he successfully activated it in time.
Obito frowned deeply.
His Kamui could only remain active continuously for five minutes.
After that came an extremely long cooldown period.
That was why he normally activated and deactivated it repeatedly in short bursts to prolong its overall usage.
"You've improved."
Kiyohara's calm voice echoed from ahead.
"But not by much."
Obito slowly raised his head.
Kiyohara stood a short distance away.
Dark emerald chakra cloaked his body.
Behind him hovered the phantom silhouette of a gigantic serpent.
Snake Sage Mode!
Even the three tomoe within his Sharingan had changed.
A vertical slit had emerged at their center, making his eyes resemble those of a snake.
Obito inhaled deeply before standing once more.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, the crimson light in his eye intensified.
The Mangekyo Sharingan's terrifying dynamic vision caused the entire world to slow around him.
"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Technique!"
Countless sharp wooden spikes burst outward from his body.
Kiyohara spread his fingers.
One after another...
he caught every incoming spike.
"They're too slow."
His voice remained utterly indifferent.
With a simple flick of his wrist...
he threw every spike back.
This time, they traveled even faster.
And with even greater force.
Obito's pupil contracted.
Kamui!
Most of the spikes passed harmlessly through him.
But there were simply too many.
Three of them slipped through the brief gap in his defense.
Puchi!
One pierced his right arm.
Another impaled his left shoulder.
Blood splattered through the air.
He let out a muffled groan and staggered backward.
They were simply too fast.
So fast that he couldn't make his entire body intangible in time.
Before Obito could stabilize himself...
Kiyohara was already standing directly before him.
His hand straightened into a blade.
Invisible edges of wind chakra wrapped around its sides.
The chop descended.
Obito's right arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder.
He did not even have time to feel pain.
Because the same strike continued forward...
piercing straight through his chest.
Kiyohara's hand emerged from Obito's back.
Blood burst from the wound, staining the ground crimson.
Obito slowly lowered his head.
He stared blankly at the hand protruding through his own body.
At that moment...
White material began emerging from his body.
The strange substance rapidly spread across him, restoring both his chakra and his injuries.
White Zetsu?
A hint of surprise appeared in Kiyohara's eyes.
White Zetsu could hide deep within another person's body, only emerging when needed.
Back when Sasuke had been driven into a desperate situation, White Zetsu had restored both his chakra and his wounds in exactly this manner.
Now...
Obito was using the same method.
"Kamui!"
Obito did not leave behind any threats or final words.
His figure gradually faded.
Becoming increasingly transparent...
Until he completely disappeared into empty space.
Kiyohara remained where he stood, quietly watching the place where Obito had vanished.
He certainly escaped quickly.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Kiyohara considered the situation.
Originally, Obito had only lost his left arm.
That prosthetic had been created from Hashirama Cells.
Now, however, Kiyohara had also severed his right arm.
He estimated that Obito would soon have to transplant another replacement.
If Obito continued replacing more and more of his body with Hashirama Cell prosthetics...
Could he still truly be considered human?
Or would he eventually become nothing more than a White Zetsu infused with Hashirama Cells?
After thinking it over, Kiyohara released the Uchiha Flame Formation.
Meanwhile...
The fierce battle between Kiyohara and Obito had already thrown the entire military camp into chaos.
The pillar of fire reaching into the sky...
Along with the gigantic crimson barrier...
had alarmed everyone.
Kakashi was the first to rush outside, his shinobi blade already in hand.
"Kiyohara?"
He stared at the figure emerging from the darkness, momentarily stunned.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"What happened?"
Kurenai also rushed out of her tent.
She had already changed into full combat attire, looking every bit the seasoned kunoichi prepared for battle.
Running up to Kiyohara, she carefully examined him from head to toe.
"Were you hurt?"
"No."
Kiyohara gently took hold of her hand.
"Who attacked you?"
Kurenai asked.
"A man who possesses both the Sharingan... and Wood Release."
Kiyohara spoke quietly.
Yet those simple words shocked everyone present.
Sharingan...
And Wood Release?
Someone possessing both kekkei genkai at the same time?
"That's impossible..."
(End of Chapter)