Tsunade turned her head and looked at Kiyohara.
"What exactly... was that technique you just used?"
Kiyohara thought for a moment before answering.
"I simply... infused it with chakra."
"And then the flower bloomed."
Tsunade stared at him silently for a while.
Only then did she slowly ask,
"You brat... don't tell me you've been training Wood Release?"
"More or less."
Kiyohara nodded.
However, he had not actually tried to combine Earth Release chakra with Water Release chakra.
Instead, everything had happened naturally.
His chakra had gradually developed the ability to influence the growth of plants on its own.
To anyone else, it looked no different from Wood Release.
After all, within fuinjutsu techniques, the Five Elements consisted of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.
But the five basic chakra natures were Earth, Lightning, Wind, Fire, and Water.
As far as the shinobi world was concerned, Wood Release was a kekkei genkai that belonged solely to one man.
Senju Hashirama.
Someone like Yamato, whose Wood Release had been artificially created, was still considered classified information. Only a handful of people knew about his existence.
"What do you mean by 'more or less'?"
Tsunade asked in confusion.
"It should just be a special transformation of my chakra."
"My life force has simply become too powerful."
Kiyohara answered calmly.
He could still clearly sense that he remained some distance away from truly awakening Wood Release.
The Asura chakra inside his body was still incomplete.
It was nowhere near sufficient to produce genuine Wood Release.
"Your life force... increased again recently?"
"Mhm."
For a moment, Tsunade didn't know what to say.
As a medical shinobi, no one understood better than she did what that meant.
People blessed with extraordinary life force could indeed influence their surroundings.
But someone like Kiyohara, who could make flower buds bloom in an instant...
That reminded her of her grandfather.
Senju Hashirama.
That man had not even needed hand seals.
With nothing more than a glance, he could make withered trees burst back to life.
"I suppose that's true."
"Wood Release is simply too special."
"If you really possessed Wood Release, that would have been wonderful."
Tsunade sighed softly.
She realized she had probably been overthinking things.
Wood Release held an extraordinarily special meaning within Konoha.
Back then, the village had once fallen into a frenzy trying to reproduce Wood Release.
Even now, the power once wielded by the God of Shinobi continued to leave everyone in awe.
Whenever Konoha encountered a crisis in the past, people would inevitably find themselves wishing the First Hokage were still alive.
While he had lived, what village had dared to make trouble for Konoha?
Even the great Shinobi Wars had only broken out after Hashirama's death.
Otherwise, had one begun during his lifetime, it likely would have started and ended on the very same day.
"What if I manage to learn Wood Release through this opportunity?"
Kiyohara asked with a smile.
He was essentially giving Tsunade a bit of advance warning.
"I can also make flower buds bloom."
"But medical ninjutsu and Wood Release are completely different things."
"If you really manage to do it..."
"I'll grant you one wish."
Tsunade couldn't help saying it.
In her mind, the possibility was almost nonexistent.
Konoha simply could not produce another Wood Release user.
If one really did appear, Tsunade felt it was far more likely to be someone who had survived those infant experiments years ago and successfully awakened Wood Release.
Even then, she doubted such Wood Release could ever compare with her grandfather's.
"As long as I have your word, Sensei."
Kiyohara smiled.
Seeing the confidence on his face, Tsunade suddenly felt she might have made that promise too casually.
Could this kid...
Actually create another miracle?
After thinking quietly for a while, Tsunade left.
If he truly succeeded, then granting him a single wish was hardly a big deal.
Before his death, her grandfather had always hoped someone would inherit his Wood Release.
Unfortunately...
Not a single member of the Senju Clan had ever awakened it.
Neither her grandfather's children...
Nor even she herself.
...
At the same time.
The Uchiha Clan compound.
Izumi was walking home while continuously recalling the techniques Kiyohara had taught her earlier.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson...
She softly repeated the name of the technique under her breath.
A B-rank ninjutsu.
With her current abilities, she wasn't even completely proficient with C-rank techniques yet.
But Kiyohara-sensei had said she could begin by hiding only a single shuriken inside the fireballs.
That should make things much easier...
As she was thinking, two figures suddenly came running toward her from ahead.
They were Uchiha Itachi and Might Guy.
Itachi was wearing that iconic green skintight training suit and was running behind Guy.
His skin had become noticeably darker than before, but his body had also become much stronger.
Sweat trickled down his cheeks, soaking the collar of his outfit.
Behind him, Might Guy ran enthusiastically while shouting things like "Youth!" and "Passion!"
Izumi stopped walking.
"Itachi!"
Seeing her, Itachi stopped as well.
"Izumi."
Guy quickly caught up from behind.
The moment he saw Izumi, his eyes lit up.
"Oh! A youthful companion!"
He gave her a thumbs up.
His dazzling white teeth reflected the glow of the evening sunset.
"Would you like to burn your youth together with us?"
Izumi froze for a moment.
Looking at Guy, she couldn't help feeling that this man was... rather strange.
"N... no thank you..."
Guy paid no attention to her refusal.
He immediately continued sprinting forward.
"Youth is an endless run that never stops!"
His voice gradually faded into the distance.
Itachi hurried after him.
"You train like this every day?"
Izumi called after him.
"Mhm."
"Sensei wants me to build a solid foundation under Guy-senpai."
Itachi turned around while answering.
Izumi looked at him.
Honestly...
That green jumpsuit was really ugly.
"Then keep it up."
She waved goodbye.
"I'm heading home."
Itachi nodded.
"Okay."
Izumi continued walking toward home.
When she arrived, her mother, Uchiha Hazuki, was already in the kitchen preparing dinner.
"You're back?"
Hazuki's voice came from inside the kitchen.
"How did today's training go?"
"It went very well."
Izumi changed her shoes and walked over to the kitchen entrance.
"Sensei taught me a new jutsu."
Hazuki turned around.
"What technique?"
"Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson."
Izumi smiled.
"It's a B-rank ninjutsu."
Hazuki's eyes widened slightly.
"A B-rank technique?"
"Yes."
Izumi nodded proudly, her small face filled with excitement.
"Sensei said I can start by using only one shuriken. That'll make it much easier."
But before long, she frowned again.
Even learning the simplified version felt like it would take her a very long time.
Right now, her priority was still to completely master Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu before taking things one step at a time.
Hazuki looked at her daughter with a gentle smile.
"Lord Kiyohara is truly good to you."
Izumi smiled warmly.
" Kiyohara-sensei is a really kind person."
After thinking for a moment, Hazuki suddenly asked,
"By the way, do you know what Lord Kiyohara's current status is?"
Izumi didn't know much about politics.
"What status?"
"He is a candidate for Hokage."
Hazuki replied.
"The Third Hokage has stepped down."
"The next Hokage will be selected from several candidates."
"Lord Kiyohara is one of them."
Izumi was stunned.
Hokage?
The position that stood at the very peak of Konoha?
"Sensei... is going to become Hokage?"
"Not necessarily."
Hazuki shook her head.
"But since he's a candidate, he has the chance."
"If he truly becomes Hokage..."
"You'll be the Hokage's disciple."
Izumi slowly opened her mouth.
Sensei was actually that incredible?
The Hokage's disciple...
That title felt unimaginably distant.
But...
That wasn't what truly occupied her thoughts.
What she cared about...
Was Kiyohara himself.
She remembered that afternoon in the courtyard.
Kiyohara had crouched down in front of her.
Then he gently pressed one finger against her throat while teaching her how to store chakra there.
The warmth of that finger...
Seemed as though it were still lingering on her skin even now.
"Izumi?"
Hazuki's voice pulled her back to reality.
"Ah?"
She blinked.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
Hazuki looked at her carefully.
"It's just that..."
"You looked like you were thinking about something."
A faint blush appeared on Izumi's cheeks.
"It's nothing."
She quickly turned around and walked toward the backyard.
"I'm going to practice."
Hazuki remained standing where she was, smiling quietly as she watched her daughter's retreating figure.
This child...
...
Standing in the open yard, Izumi took a deep breath.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Several small fireballs burst from her mouth.
Compared to that afternoon...
They were a little bigger now.
She clenched her tiny fists.
Tomorrow...
She was definitely going to let Sensei see her improvement.
...
Three days later.
Kiyohara stood before a mirror, quietly looking at his own reflection.
Within those eyes...
The pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan slowly emerged.
After three full days of training, Kiyohara had completely mastered the abilities of those eyes.
The attractive and repulsive forces granted by Ame-no-Minakanushi.
The overwhelming gravity produced by Ashihara no Kakuriyo.
And finally...
Susanoo.
The golden skeletal warrior could now be maintained for much longer than before.
Kiyohara was no longer limited to manifesting only its ribcage and skeletal arms.
Now, he could even form a layer of flesh and chakra pathways over the skeleton.
At this stage, it resembled the upper half of a warrior clad in armor.
He quietly observed his reflection for a while before deactivating his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Turning around, he walked out of his room.
The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom.
Kiyohara walked over and casually pushed the door open.
Tsunade was standing in front of the sink brushing her teeth.
She wore only a thin white short sleeved shirt.
Below, she had on a pair of light blue triangle-cut underwear.
The hem of the oversized shirt barely reached the tops of her thighs, leaving a stretch of smooth, fair skin exposed.
Her legs were long, firm, and flawlessly toned.
The elastic edge of the underwear pressed lightly against the soft curves of her waist, outlining the full shape of her hips.
Still half asleep, she lazily brushed her teeth with her eyes only half open, clearly not yet fully awake.
Kiyohara stood at the doorway and quietly watched her.
Sensing his gaze, Tsunade raised her eyes.
Their reflections met in the bathroom mirror.
She froze for a second.
Then she instinctively followed the direction of his gaze downward.
Only then did she notice what she was currently wearing.
A thin shirt.
Triangle underwear.
Bare legs.
Her entire body immediately stiffened.
A streak of toothpaste foam slid from the corner of her mouth and dripped onto her chin.
She had gotten out of bed in such a daze that she had completely forgotten Kiyohara was still living here!
Still...
Tsunade forced herself to remain calm.
Pretending nothing had happened, she looked away and continued brushing her teeth as if everything were perfectly normal.
Kiyohara walked over beside her and picked up his own toothbrush.
The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder before the sink, brushing their teeth together.
The bathroom was filled with nothing but the sound of running water and the quiet scraping of toothbrushes.
After finishing, Tsunade rinsed her mouth and wiped the water from her face with a towel.
Then she turned toward the door.
As she passed Kiyohara, she suddenly stopped.
"Seen enough?"
She looked directly at him.
After all, she had noticed that this little brat was always secretly stealing glances at her.
Kiyohara calmly redirected his wandering gaze.
From this side angle, he had been able to catch sight of the full curve hidden beneath her loose shirt, along with the slender line of her fair waist.
"Not yet."
Tsunade shot him a glare.
Yet there wasn't any genuine anger in her eyes.
She merely snorted before continuing out of the bathroom.
Kiyohara remained where he stood.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
A camel in the desert...
That image suddenly flashed through his mind.
Then he calmly continued brushing his teeth.
After breakfast, Kiyohara changed into a fresh set of casual clothes before leaving home.
Today was the opening day of the Shinobi Academy.
Itachi and Izumi would officially begin attending school.
Since Izumi had asked him to come watch, Kiyohara decided to stop by on his way.
By the time he arrived at the academy gates, quite a crowd had already gathered.
Parents stood beside their children.
The academy instructors welcomed the incoming students at the entrance.
Even passing villagers had stopped to watch the lively scene.
Standing outside the crowd, Kiyohara swept his gaze across the many young faces.
Soon...
He spotted Izumi.
She stood near the edge of the gathering, wearing a brand new academy uniform.
A dark blue short sleeved shirt matched with shorts of the same color, exposing her fair lower legs.
A light brown belt was fastened around her waist, while a small shinobi pouch rested behind her.
Her long hair had been tied into two bunches that hung over her shoulders.
A light purple hairpin held back the loose bangs on her forehead, revealing her smooth brow.
Standing on tiptoe, she kept searching through the crowd.
Then...
She saw Kiyohara.
Her dark eyes instantly lit up.
"Sensei!"
She hurried over with quick little steps before stopping in front of him and looking up.
Her small face was filled with an uncontrollable smile.
The beauty mark beneath the corner of her eye seemed to dance along with her cheerful expression.
"You came!"
Kiyohara reached out and gently rubbed the top of her head.
Only then did he notice Uchiha Hazuki standing nearby as well.
Hazuki looked remarkably similar to Izumi.
She was practically an adult version of her daughter.
Kiyohara couldn't help feeling that they truly were unmistakably mother and daughter.
Izumi narrowed her eyes happily, looking just like a kitten enjoying being petted.
"Where's Itachi?"
Kiyohara asked.
"Over there."
Izumi pointed toward the opposite side of the crowd.
Following her finger, Kiyohara soon spotted Itachi.
Standing beside him was his mother, Mikoto.
Kiyohara walked over.
"Sensei."
Seeing him approach, Itachi immediately gave a slight bow.
Mikoto also turned toward him.
"Kiyohara-san."
She nodded gently with her usual warm smile.
Kiyohara nodded in return.
"Lady Mikoto."
Today, Mikoto wore a light lavender kimono that concealed her graceful, mature figure.
Her long black hair was simply tied behind her head, exposing a slender stretch of her fair neck.
Her beautiful eyes lingered on Kiyohara for only a brief moment before quietly looking away.
"Itachi."
"Besides your training at the Shinobi Academy, don't neglect your training with Kiyohara either."
She spoke softly.
Itachi nodded.
"I understand."
At that moment, Izumi also ran over and stood beside Kiyohara.
"Itachi, we'll be classmates from now on."
She said with a bright smile.
Itachi glanced at her.
"...Yeah."
Izumi paid no attention to his usual reserved attitude and continued smiling happily.
Just then, the academy gates slowly opened.
The children began entering the school in an orderly line.
Izumi turned toward Kiyohara.
"Sensei, I'm going in now."
Kiyohara nodded.
"I'll see you tonight, Sensei!"
She waved enthusiastically before running inside.
Mikoto watched the scene unfold.
"That child..."
"She really likes Kiyohara, doesn't she?"
Hazuki had also walked over beside Mikoto.
She nodded in complete agreement.
"She certainly does."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand.
"Mhm."
Itachi bowed to him once more before turning and following the other students into the academy.
After leaving the Shinobi Academy, Kiyohara headed toward the Hokage Tower.
There, he casually accepted a mission.
His destination...
The Land of Rain.
Just as he stepped out of the Hokage Tower, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
Turning around, he saw Rin running toward him.
"Kiyohara!"
Rin hurried over, her brown hair fluttering gently in the breeze.
Today, she wasn't wearing her usual white medical uniform.
Instead, she had changed into practical shinobi attire.
The lightweight fabric swayed with every step she took, subtly outlining the graceful figure she had begun developing as she matured.
"Rin."
"What brings you here?"
She stopped before him, breathing slightly from running.
"I..."
"I'd like to go with you."
A short while earlier, Rin had also been browsing through available missions.
By coincidence, she noticed that Kiyohara was accepting one as well.
So she immediately ran over.
Both she and Kiyohara were already jōnin.
They were no longer restricted to fixed teams.
They could lead squads, work with their own teammates, or freely cooperate with other shinobi whenever necessary.
"The situation in the Land of Rain is unclear."
"There may be danger."
"I'm not afraid."
Rin shook her head.
Without realizing it, both hands tightened around the edges of her clothing.
"Besides..."
"What if you end up needing an assistant?"
Kiyohara considered it for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Sure."
He had no reason to refuse.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Kiyohara nodded again.
"I'll let you know the meeting place in a few days."
Several days later.
At the border of the Land of Fire.
The sky grew darker and darker.
After traveling for quite some time, a village finally appeared ahead.
Calling it a village, however...
Was generous.
It looked more like a field of ruins.
Most of the houses had collapsed.
Wild grass covered the broken walls and shattered foundations.
The farmland had long since been abandoned.
The weeds had grown taller than a person.
At the entrance stood a crooked wooden sign.
The words carved into it had already faded beyond recognition.
Rin stopped walking.
Looking at the desolate landscape before her, she frowned slightly.
"This place..."
"It's so deserted."
Kiyohara calmly swept his eyes across the surroundings.
Although the war had ended...
Its scars remained deeply etched into this land.
His sensory perception spread outward.
Soon...
He detected something.
"There are still people inside."
Rin blinked in surprise.
"There are still people here?"
"Mhm."
Kiyohara immediately began walking toward the deepest part of the village.
He had sensed a very unusual chakra signature.
Rin hurried after him.
The two passed through narrow paths hidden beneath overgrown weeds.
They walked around collapsed houses before finally arriving at a small courtyard deep inside the village.
The courtyard wasn't large.
Half of its earthen wall had collapsed, allowing them to see the dilapidated wooden house within.
Its door was slightly ajar.
A faint light seeped through the narrow crack.
Just as Kiyohara reached out to push the door open...
The ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled.
Boom!
Three figures burst violently out of the earth.
They wore tattered shinobi clothing.
The symbols on their forehead protectors had all been deliberately scratched away.
It was the common disguise used by rogue shinobi.
Leading them was a middle-aged man with a vicious scar stretching across his face.
His hands rapidly formed seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale roared forward.
It carried countless stones as it rushed toward Kiyohara and Rin.
Rin reacted instantly.
Stepping in front of Kiyohara, she quickly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A towering wall of water surged upward from the ground.
The rapidly spinning current completely blocked the incoming wind and flying debris.
Water splashed in every direction, soaking the hems of her clothes and the ends of her hair.
The rogue shinobi finally saw the forehead protectors worn by the two of them.
Their expressions changed dramatically.
"Konoha..."
The scar-faced man's pupils shrank.
Why would Leaf shinobi...
Appear in a place like this?
(End of Chapter)