"Want to go for a walk?" Kiyohara asked.
It wasn't too late yet.
And it'd be a good chance to talk a bit more with Nohara Rin about medical ninjutsu.
"Sure." Rin nodded.
She'd been thinking the same thing.
They walked side by side along Konoha's streets.
Eventually, Kiyohara invited Rin back to his place.
She bent at the waist, and the hem of her nurse uniform skirt pulled taut for a moment. Then she slipped off her shoes.
A flash of pale soles—then Rin stepped into the house slippers Kiyohara offered.
Kiyohara went into the kitchen and brought out tea leaves, cups, and the tea bags he'd just bought.
Now that he had money, there was no way he was going to keep living too miserably.
Once he learned how to use Magnet Release to control gold dust, he planned to move.
This tiny house didn't really match his vibe anymore.
And it wasn't convenient for daily practice either—he wanted a place with a bigger backyard.
By now, he could gradually control more and more kinds of metals.
Only gold dust was still tricky.
After all, in canon, the only one shown controlling gold dust was Rasa.
Even in Gaara Hiden, it mentioned Rasa had other students, but at best they controlled other metals—not gold dust.
Rin knelt on a cushion across the low table. The white stockings under her nurse uniform stood out clearly.
They ran to just above her knees; above that were her bare, pale thighs.
"Come to think of it… I don't think I've ever shown you my tea skills, Rin." Kiyohara held a cup. The air above it seemed to ripple and distort as it wavered.
He was infusing Fire Release chakra along the cup's surface—basically "chakra flow." It required extremely fine control.
The heat made the air churn, creating visible convection currents.
From a distance, it looked like he was warping the air.
Rin noticed immediately.
Seeing Kiyohara's palm turning red, she realized he was using Fire Release.
Then she watched him pour cold water into the cup and drop in a tea bag.
The cold water began to boil.
Ten-odd seconds later, a hot cup of tea was done.
He can coat the cup with Fire Release chakra to disinfect it, boil water through precise chakra control, and somehow not damage the cup or the tea bag… That level of control… Rin was honestly stunned.
Was Kiyohara this proficient with Fire Release too?
How is he so all-around?
So far, the only things she hadn't really seen him use were things like sealing techniques, Water Release… that kind of stuff.
"It's a bit hot to hold. Give it a minute." Kiyohara smiled and slid the cup toward her.
The temperature wasn't extreme—just freshly boiled. In this weather it would cool quickly.
"Thanks." Rin looked at him and drifted for a second.
Young. Strong. Handsome.
Any one of those traits would draw attention.
On him, they were stacked together.
He felt… almost too bright. Too outstanding.
"What's wrong?" Kiyohara made his own cup the same way, then looked at her spaced-out expression.
"S-sorry… I got distracted." Rin lowered her lashes, not daring to meet his eyes.
There was no way she was going to admit why she'd gotten distracted. That was too embarrassing.
Kiyohara chuckled softly, then asked,
"By the way, Rin—are you working as a nurse now?"
He gestured lightly at her nurse uniform.
"Yeah… I've been helping Doctor Miyako lately." Rin nodded.
Miyako was the medic who'd taught her medical ninjutsu.
"I see." Kiyohara nodded like he'd figured it out.
"Then tell me what you think of a new medical technique I learned."
As he spoke, pale green light bloomed in his palm again.
"That's… 'Muscle Regeneration Technique,' isn't it?" Rin recognized it right away.
And then she saw him demonstrate one medical jutsu after another.
"Huh?" Rin's eyes widened in confusion.
Did he go "shopping" for jutsu somewhere?
How did he suddenly learn so many medical techniques?
"They… they all look fine." Rin shook her head.
Everything Kiyohara did was textbook-perfect, neat and precise.
"Someone taught you, didn't they?" Rin asked, curious.
"Yeah." Kiyohara nodded.
He'd learned them from Yakushi Nono.
"I see." Rin nodded, satisfied.
Then the two of them started talking shop—medical ninjutsu theory and application.
Even with good Yang Release talent and the Sharingan's copying, Kiyohara still lacked depth and hands-on intuition.
After discussing things with Rin, he improved a lot.
Rin felt the same way from her side.
There were a few medical techniques Kiyohara knew that she didn't.
Not many, but still—she learned quite a bit too, especially from some of Kiyohara's "previous-life" medical ideas, which felt fresh to her.
She glanced at the sky and, for no reason, felt like time was passing too fast—she wished it would slow down.
"It's getting late. I should head back." Rin said.
"Take care." Kiyohara nodded.
He'd copied the Mystical Palm Technique from Rin.
Yep—using the all-purpose Sharingan.
With Uchiha Kiyohara's spirit boosting him with three-tomoe-level ocular power, he picked it up quickly.
But the Sharingan only forced him past the entry barrier.
From "learned" to "mastered" still depended on him.
Kakashi, for example, used Chidori constantly because it had the highest proficiency and fit his style best.
"I should buy some fish to practice with." Kiyohara rubbed his chin.
Medical jutsu training was usually done with fish.
Mystical Palm should cover internal injuries well enough.
…
Obito stared at the endless white space in front of him.
This was Madara's genjutsu. Even though it was blank, the caster could project their will into it—create anything, control anything.
And after linking to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Madara could expand the illusion even further, down to minute details.
Obito listened as Madara explained everything at the root: the Sage of Six Paths, and the Ten-Tails.
Secrets so buried they weren't even spoken of in the shinobi world.
And the "Madara" in this space wore the face of his younger self.
"Alright, Obito. I've already taught you the Uchiha's forbidden techniques and the 'Six Paths' arts… including everything related to Yin–Yang Release." Madara said, looking at him.
Madara guided Obito out of the illusion and back into reality.
"You've also seen my true appearance. From now on, if you act in my place, no one will be able to spot the difference."
Anyone who lived in Madara's era was basically dead. Only a tiny handful might know fragments of the truth.
Then Madara started moving.
He pressed his palm to a White Zetsu, releasing something like black fluid.
"I've infused this thing with my will. Think of Black Zetsu as 'half me.' He's still a defective product, though. You can make more of them with Yin–Yang Release and use them as disposable pieces."
Elsewhere, inside a White Zetsu embedded in the wall, a twisted black chakra rod—branching like roots—was slowly spat out.
"This black chakra rod is formed from my will. If you want to use Six Paths techniques, it'll come in handy…"
Old Madara slumped back into his chair, panting.
He'd originally planned to hand everything over to Obito and then pull the tubes out—stop clinging to life through the Demonic Statue's chakra.
But after noticing Kiyohara, Madara decided to observe Obito a bit longer, just in case.
He'd already taught Obito everything in advance—Obito had "graduated."
After all, if Madara died, revival depended entirely on external factors.
And if Black Zetsu didn't guide things correctly… his whole resurrection plan would become a joke.
Half a lifetime lurking in the shadows of the shinobi world, only to die without a ripple—Madara would never accept that future.
"No problem." Obito nodded.
With Madara's teaching, they could even spar inside the illusion world, so Obito's combat experience had skyrocketed.
More importantly, Obito could feel the Mangekyō Sharingan feeding back into his body.
His strength was syncing rapidly with the power of the heart—and the vast life force from Hashirama's cells made his current self almost unrecognizable compared to before.
"Remember: go find Nagato. My Rinnegan is in him. That's the key to everything." Madara said.
"I've told you everything. Go. Move. In the outside world… you are Uchiha Madara."
Madara's voice weakened until it was nearly a mumble.
He drifted into a half-sleep.
Obito glanced at him, pulled his black cloak tighter, and walked out.
Sunlight stabbed into the cave.
How long had it been since he'd felt the sun?
He'd forgotten.
The only thing he hadn't forgotten was betrayal.
This world was fake.
Even if he went back, it would end the same way—people would forget him all over again.
And Obito understood something now:
Anyone could be there… except him.
No Kakashi? Then there's Kiyohara.
A girl like Rin would never lack people around her.
He just hadn't wanted to admit it.
"Heh… that's what a fake world is like." Obito narrowed his eyes and adjusted to the glare.
So he'd make a world where Rin loved him.
But before that, Obito decided to return to Konoha once—just to see it.
He put on a mask.
Fwoosh…
Space rippled like a whirlpool.
Obito's figure twisted, spiraled into a dark point—and vanished.
…
Back in the Hokage's office, smoke hung thick in the air.
Outside the window, the streets of Konoha were crowded—war's shadow temporarily pushed aside by warm sunlight.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his wide desk, brow knotted.
His pipe had gone out a while ago, but he hadn't even noticed.
A fresh report from the Kikyo Pass front lay open on his desk.
The situation… wasn't good.
A few days ago, Danzō had left Konoha—claiming he was going to the front.
But Anbu intelligence said Danzō seemed to have gone to the Land of Rain.
And Orochimaru had formed an even tighter working relationship with Root under Danzō.
Not officially "joined," perhaps—but the cooperation had become blatant.
Hiruzen drew a breath from his pipe, realized it was cold, and gave a bitter smile as he relit it.
Still, it wasn't all bad news.
He thought of Kiyohara.
A young shinobi who'd begun to shine on the battlefield.
According to reports, Kiyohara not only performed brilliantly—he also brought back valuable intelligence about Sasori.
To be honest, Hiruzen had even felt the impulse to take Kiyohara as a student.
But he was already in his fifties, and he'd raised the Three Sannin.
Taking another student now felt… inappropriate.
In a year or two, his own strength would drop sharply, sliding from the end of his prime into old age.
"If Danzō sets his sights on Kiyohara…" Hiruzen's frown deepened.
He knew his old friend too well.
Danzō's attitude toward the Uchiha was always contradictory: he feared their power, yet desperately wanted it under his control.
A "special case" like Kiyohara—Uchiha blood, but distant from the clan—was exactly the kind of prey Danzō liked.
Even more so if Kiyohara became Orochimaru's student; Danzō could use Orochimaru as the line to pull Kiyohara into his influence.
Then Kiyohara would become a critical piece in Danzō's hand.
Danzō's earlier impatient move already showed how much he valued him.
And besides—Kiyohara was already Orochimaru's assistant.
That wasn't acceptable.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
Smoke coiled in the air, mirroring the messy thoughts in his head.
Someone had to counterbalance this.
Jiraiya.
The first name that rose in his mind.
His student. Konoha's gallant hero—sloppy, shameless, but with a righteous heart.
If Jiraiya could take Kiyohara as a student, it would be the best outcome. Jiraiya's stance was reliable, and his teaching style suited someone who carried the Will of Fire.
Hiruzen extinguished his pipe and stood.
"Someone."
An Anbu appeared instantly, kneeling.
"Bring Jiraiya here."
"Yes."
About twenty minutes later, the office door swung open.
"Old man, what do you want? I was just about to head to the front!" Jiraiya strode in, white hair loose and messy, forehead protector tilted.
He sounded casual, but the fatigue in his eyes was unmistakable. War weighed on everyone—even a legendary Sannin.
"Sit first." Hiruzen gestured.
Jiraiya shrugged and dragged a chair over.
"Make it quick. The front's bad—I need to get back."
Hiruzen nodded and went straight to the point.
"I want you to take a student."
Jiraiya froze, then waved his hands dramatically.
"Old man, you know I'm not taking students anymore. I'm searching for the 'Child of Prophecy'!"
"This kid is different." Hiruzen looked at him.
Honestly, even as Jiraiya's teacher, Hiruzen sometimes felt Jiraiya had gone a little off the rails.
Chasing a vague prophecy, wandering for years after the Second War…
If the Third War hadn't erupted, Jiraiya—like Tsunade—rarely came back.
And he'd stayed in the Land of Rain for three full years.
Teaching three Rain orphans was one thing. Leaving them there, not bringing them back to Konoha—that was another.
If Konoha ever fought the Rain again, what did that become?
"Old man… since you're saying it like that, I'll at least take a look." Jiraiya waved and walked out.
Truthfully, he already had two "probable" candidates in mind.
One was his Rain student.
The other was… Minato Namikaze.
Could Kiyohara be it?
Sure—anyone could be. It was just a question of probability.
And in Jiraiya's view, his first two picks were far more likely than Kiyohara.
The door shut.
Hiruzen sat alone, silent for a long time.
Jiraiya's answer had been a polite refusal.
So the next option was…
Tsunade.
Hiruzen summoned Anbu again and had them bring Tsunade.
"Old man—what do you want?" Tsunade frowned.
Hiruzen took one look and immediately knew: she'd lost again.
Whenever she came back to Konoha, she practically lived in the gambling hall.
He didn't waste time.
"I want you to take a student."
"What?" Tsunade's frown deepened.
"You called me here for that? Old man, you know I don't take students."
"This kid is special." Hiruzen said steadily.
"You've met him. It's Kiyohara."
Tsunade's expression shifted slightly. Kiyohara's medical talent really was good.
She'd taught him for a day—she knew exactly how much potential he had.
"So what? Lots of kids have talent."
"His position is sensitive." Hiruzen met her eyes.
"He's working under Orochimaru. And Danzō's attention on him is growing. I need someone to keep him on the right path."
Tsunade went quiet. She didn't want to wade into politics.
She was sick of factional struggles.
"I don't want to get involved in that."
"Tsunade—if you don't take Kiyohara, he might end up in Danzō's hands—"
"That old bastard? What's he trying to do?" Tsunade frowned.
She knew Danzō—Tobirama's student.
"He's already tied tightly to Orochimaru. Orochimaru's now working with Root." Hiruzen kept it brief.
Even he hadn't expected Orochimaru to get so close to Danzō.
But as for who should become Fourth Hokage… Hiruzen already had an answer forming.
"How about this: you teach Kiyohara for a while. Help him ride out this period." Hiruzen said.
Once the war ended, he planned to step down and begin the selection for the Fourth.
Tsunade hesitated.
But when she looked at the wrinkles on Hiruzen's face, she suddenly realized: the man who'd once been a titan really was getting old.
"I'll allocate three million ryō to medical ninjutsu research." Hiruzen said.
"No problem." Tsunade's last hesitation vanished instantly.
"Since I'm here anyway, I'll teach him for a few months."
Research funds?
With her ability, she could "research" something easily.
The rest… well. A "handling fee" would naturally appear.
"…" Hiruzen stared at his money-hungry student, speechless.
…
The next day, Kiyohara heard that Tsunade would be teaching him for the next few months.
"So… whose side am I on now?" Kiyohara rubbed his chin.
Orochimaru's assistant on one side, Tsunade's student for months on the other.
Obviously, this sudden long-term teaching arrangement had the higher-ups' fingerprints all over it.
Otherwise, Tsunade would at most teach him for a few days when she felt like it.
"Whatever." Kiyohara shook his head.
Training with Tsunade didn't mean he stopped being Orochimaru's assistant.
He just had to be careful around Danzō.
He wasn't about to hand his heart over to some old man.
…
A few days later.
Deep in the forest outside Konoha, space rippled like water.
A whirlpool-shaped distortion appeared out of nowhere, widening.
From its center, a figure emerged—wearing an orange spiral mask and a black cloak.
"Obito. Back in Konoha again—how does it feel?" Swirl Zetsu's voice said.
He was still "wearing" Obito—this was possession.
Only like this could they avoid other shinobi sensing him.
White Zetsu's Mayfly Technique let them move underground and evade detection.
And with the Hyūga clan around, they had to hide every trace they could.
"…Looks like nothing's changed." Obito stood high up, gazing over the wall at Konoha's buildings.
Everything matched his memories—and yet everything felt different.
In those memories, Konoha had been warm. Bright. Full of hope.
But now, through the mask's eyehole, the world looked like it had a gray filter—fake, unreal.
Because Rin was gone.
No—Rin was still alive.
But that Rin… wasn't his Rin anymore.
Obito's fist tightened slightly.
"Let's go." Obito's figure sank again into a spiraling space vortex.
His first destination: the Uchiha district.
With Kamui, Obito slipped through Konoha's barrier effortlessly.
And arrived in the Uchiha clan compound.
The clan's security was tight—but against Kamui, it was meaningless.
The district was quiet.
During wartime, most Uchiha combat power was at the front. Those left behind were on Police Force patrols.
At this hour, the ones inside were mostly ordinary clan members, the elderly, women, and children.
The streets were nearly empty, aside from the occasional patrol passing by.
Obito reached what used to be his home.
His grandmother had died long ago.
All that remained were old belongings.
"…So." After a brief, quiet moment, Obito decided to go see Kakashi and Nohara Rin.