Kiyohara's consciousness quickly sank inward.
Unlike the last time—when he'd received a [Will Testament] from his future self bearing the Sunagakure symbol—
this time, the urn had a rough, stone-like texture, its surface imprinted with the Iwagakure insignia: two interlocking slabs of rock.
He focused his will and touched the new urn.
And just like before, a soul—visible only to Kiyohara—emerged from within.
"I played it so safe… and still died, huh..."
The new "Kiyohara" gave a heavy sigh, visibly regretful.
He appeared roughly the same age as the current Kiyohara, dressed in a mixed brown-red Iwagakure shinobi uniform—
his right arm bare, the left clad in a long red sleeve.
His skin was visibly darkened, as though he had long lived beneath the sun.
"You're… my past self?"
The figure nodded. "Yeah. Looks like you've used the [Will Testament] before?"
"I have. Actually, I got a future version of me just a day before coming here."
Kiyohara rubbed his chin.
"And then… you died the next day?"
"Right. I'm a ninja from Iwagakure," the soul said, gesturing to his forehead protector and uniform.
"And I possessed a Kekkei Genkai."
"!"
Kiyohara's eyes lit up.
Another future self with a bloodline limit?
Even a mediocre Kekkei Genkai was still incredibly valuable—
if nothing else, it helped him fill in the Otsutsuki genetic puzzle piece by piece.
After all, many Kekkei Genkai ultimately traced their roots back to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki,
whose ingestion of the Chakra Fruit had caused massive genetic mutations across the shinobi world.
Chakra could change DNA—change heritable genes.
"So what was your Kekkei Genkai?" Kiyohara asked eagerly.
"…Steel Release," the soul replied in a deep, gravelly voice.
Steel Release.
Kiyohara recalled it—
a bloodline limit that hardened the user's body, granting extreme defense.
Similar to Earth Style: Earth Spear,
but vastly stronger thanks to its Kekkei Genkai foundation.
"Exactly. I used it to great success in Iwa,"
the Steel Release Kiyohara said.
"My chakra could harden both my body and techniques. I was considered quite elite..."
"…But I overrelied on it. That's what got me killed."
"In a skirmish against a Yūgakure elite squad,"
he went on, "I trusted too much in my 'absolute' defense. My whole arsenal was Earth Release.
But Earth is naturally weak to Lightning."
He gave a bitter chuckle.
"I got shredded. When my chakra ran out, my body couldn't hold anymore.
I still remember the smell of my own roasted flesh."
Kiyohara winced.
He thought of Deidara—how he was completely countered by Sasuke's Lightning Release.
Sometimes it wasn't about strength—
it was about bad matchups.
"So, what's your final wish?"
The soul rubbed his chin.
"…I have two."
"First, master at least one B-rank Lightning Release technique.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Avenge me by using their own element to beat them senseless."
B-rank…
That was Jōnin-level.
Kiyohara mentally checked his current merit points.
He'd spent most of them unlocking Earth Style: Rising Stone Spear.
Otherwise, he would've had just enough.
Still, it wouldn't take long to earn more.
"Second…"
The soul's tone turned solemn.
"Find and defeat at least one other ninja who possesses Steel Release.
My kekkei genkai… must not be inferior to anyone's."
"Once you complete the first wish, you can have my Steel Release," he added.
"The second is for honor."
Kiyohara nodded.
Steel Release wasn't as flashy as Magnet Release,
but this version of him had been careful—methodical.
It was chakra depletion and elemental weakness, not recklessness, that had led to his death.
He added "Death by overconfidence in defense" to his mental list.
His consciousness returned.
The flickering campfire light reflected in his eyes.
Steel Release—powerful, but not invincible.
A reminder: Kekkei Genkai weren't shortcuts.
Solid foundations mattered more.
"By the way," Kiyohara asked inside, "any useful Earth techniques you know?"
He wanted to squeeze every drop of knowledge out of his dead self.
"I can teach you Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique."
A classic Iwagakure jutsu.
"Works for me."
The two began a soul-to-soul transmission.
From the outside, Kiyohara was simply… staring into the fire.
"Should I cut a hole in my sleeve for it?"
He asked mentally.
Most Iwa shinobi left their right arm exposed for faster jutsu execution.
"No need. You'll manage."
He listened carefully as his soul clone explained the principles behind the jutsu—
how chakra infused with Earth nature hardened around the arm like a gauntlet, forming a stone fist.
It could even surpass granite in hardness.
Then Kiyohara turned to Kakashi.
"You get some rest. I'll take first watch."
"Alright."
Kakashi nodded—splitting shifts meant both could rest well for tomorrow.
When the time came, Kiyohara ended the conversation and woke Kakashi.
He slipped into his sleeping bag and rested.
The next day, their squad resumed travel.
Kiyohara kept practicing in his head, reviewing hand seals and chakra flows for the Rock Fist Technique.
Eventually, they reached their destination—
a full-scale Konoha forward base.
Heavily fortified.
More like a miniature fortress than a camp.
Tsunade led them toward the lab area—
but on the way, a man caught Kiyohara's eye.
Someone unsettling.
He was speaking with Tsunade, but his gaze flicked over Kiyohara like he was observing a rare specimen.
Hiruko.
Kiyohara's heart tensed.
He hadn't defected yet?
According to the movie continuity, Hiruko was one of the Three Sannin's classmates.
Not nearly as gifted as the others, he'd turned down a darker path.
Later, he'd defect from Konoha and create the forbidden Chimera Technique—
allowing him to steal other people's Kekkei Genkai.
Kiyohara narrowed his eyes.
Was Hiruko interested in him because of his Magnet Release?
"Tsunade," Hiruko said, pushing up his glasses,
"Regarding cell activity and chakra affinity—if we had Orochimaru's insight,
progress would be much faster."
"He's the boldest researcher I've seen.
Maybe one day… he'll be the smartest man alive."
"The smartest... man?"
Kiyohara blinked.
'You sure you want to assume Orochimaru's gender?'
Tsunade didn't seem thrilled by the conversation.
She'd only come out of retirement because Konoha desperately needed manpower.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered.
"Where's the lab?" she interrupted.
"This way," Hiruko replied, leading the way.
But his probing stare never left Kiyohara's back.
Before entering, Tsunade turned.
"You four wait here. No one enters without permission. Especially you, Hiruko. Don't interrupt me."
"…Understood," Hiruko said, hands raised.
As they left, Kiyohara felt that unsettling gaze still clinging to him.
Back at their assigned quarters, he pushed the encounter aside—
then headed out to train Rock Fist Technique in private.
Using the methods taught by Steel Release Kiyohara,
he began channeling chakra into his arm, coaxing it to take on an earth nature transformation.
The progress was smooth.
Thanks to his Magnet Release background, he already had a strong Earth chakra affinity.
At noon, he bit his finger and formed seals:
"Summoning Technique!"
BOOM.
With a burst of smoke, the chameleon reappeared.
The same stealth beast he'd contracted days ago—
now fully healed.
"Tough hide as always, huh?" Kiyohara muttered.
The chameleon blinked, then tried to vanish again.
But he was ready.
"Iron Sand: Drizzle!"
A downpour of iron sand needles blanketed the ground—
forming a tight perimeter around the beast.
Not a direct attack,
but enough to nullify its camouflage and restrict movement.
"Still defiant?" Kiyohara asked calmly.
He summoned more iron sand, whipping it through the air like a lash.
THWACK!
It slammed against the creature's scales.
Domestication required dominance.
Only by breaking a summon's wildness could it truly serve a ninja.
When the chameleon finally stopped growling and flinching,
he stood over her, playing with a compressed iron sand pellet.
Discipline first.
Treats later.
He recalled stories of chameleon clans in the small nations nearby—
larger, rarer species like the giant chameleon used by Pain,
or the first-gen Shōzaki Lizard that could disguise itself as a castle.
'If her species really has a larger bloodline…
Maybe I can evolve her—
or find an even stronger one to contract.'
Eventually, when her resistance faded,
Kiyohara released the technique.
With a snarl, she vanished once more.
But the contract was still active.
He would summon her again later—
and again, and again—until she submitted.