Upon hearing this, Nobuhiko Hyuga urged Ginka Hyuga to focus on resting and subsequently left the tent. Once she was certain Nobuhiko was far enough away, Ginka hurriedly pulled Natsu aside to ask about the outcome of her meeting with Kiyoshi Uchiha.
"He... he agreed," Natsu said.
The price paid was, naturally, not something to be shared with outsiders. But this time was different from the past; Natsu could see a sliver of hope in it. Consequently, Natsu did not feel too much anguish about giving herself to Kiyoshi.
Objectively speaking, Kiyoshi possessed startling talent that far exceeded his peers, and he was tall and handsome. If one were to be strictly honest, she, a mere Branch House member, was the one punching above her weight.
"It's for the best that this matter can be put behind us."
Ginka felt a wave of relief. The invisible pressure that had been accumulating over these days dissipated significantly. Turning swords into plowshares was the best possible outcome.
"Natsu, you did well." Ginka patted Natsu on the shoulder with satisfaction, praising her competence.
Natsu lowered her eyes and nodded silently. After Ginka finished her praise, Natsu excused herself.
"How happy she is..."
The scene of Ginka and Nobuhiko conversing flashed through Natsu's mind. Why was it that Ginka Hyuga got to have a noble status and a man who loved her? Why did she have to learn how to serve the Main House from the moment she was born?
A trace of jealousy appeared in Natsu's eyes. Then, she smiled. Kiyoshi-kun didn't exactly seem disinterested in Ginka Hyuga. If one must fall into the abyss, then Ginka Hyuga should be dragged down to accompany her.
...
A few days later, at the cave.
"This is the power of Moryo."
Kiyoshi had removed his shirt, revealing robust muscles, with loose black trousers on his lower body. On his tough skin, black grid-like patterns emerged. Kiyoshi's physical strength was slowly rising. His physical attributes, already enhanced by the ocular power feedback, were once again accelerating in their growth.
Crackle!
Countless electric arcs flowed through his body, and lightning flashed within his blood. A pale blue hue flickered in Kiyoshi's eyes. His internal organs and muscles were being continuously torn and struck by the current. Dark purple chakra constantly repaired the broken areas; the cycle of destruction and repair revolved endlessly, each iteration leaving him sturdier than the last.
The patterns on Kiyoshi's skin faded. He moved to the north side of the cave, looking at the exposed rock, and pressed a finger against it.
*Squelch.*
His finger pierced the hard mountain rock as easily as if it were white tofu rather than stone.
"Without refining or gathering chakra in my finger, I can achieve this level with pure physical strength alone?" A hint of joy appeared in Kiyoshi's eyes.
All Ninja Art Taijutsu is backed by chakra. While pure Taijutsu moves don't require chakra for release, one still needs to gather chakra to strengthen physical attributes. A ninja's body is much stronger than a civilian's, but without chakra, there is still no qualitative difference. They still feel pain and get sick. But Kiyoshi hadn't used chakra to augment his body; he used pure strength.
"Now then..." Kiyoshi condensed his chakra and applied a bit of force.
*Crack!*
The rock was instantly gouged into two deep pits, and a web of cracks spread out.
"If I keep this up, I'll be keeping pace with the meta," Kiyoshi thought. In the future "meta," only Taijutsu, Sage Art, and Divine Art would be viable. As for Ninjutsu? Any random "dog or cat" from who-knows-where could absorb Ninjutsu; it had become completely devalued.
Divine Art was the progenitor of Ninjutsu. In *Boruto*, it was said that Ninjutsu was a system created to mimic Divine Art. Just how strong was Divine Art? Koji Kashin, the clone of Jiraiya, had been transplanted with the cells of Shibai Otsutsuki and awakened the Divine Art [Ten Directions]. This Divine Art allowed him to see all possible futures across every timeline! Every future had different branches, and Koji Kashin selected one particular future, successfully helping Boruto learn a special version of the [Flying Raijin Jutsu].
"The research yielded results?"
As Kiyoshi slowly withdrew his finger, Ringo Ameyuri walked in from outside. Upon entering and seeing Kiyoshi's sturdy upper body, her face immediately flushed. She had never seen anyone with such a robust, perfect, yet non-bulky physique.
The only one who came close was a kid named Kisame Hoshigaki, but he was blue-skinned all over and looked like a monster. Moreover, his muscle definition wasn't as aesthetic as Kiyoshi's.
"It has."
Kiyoshi tossed a test tube to Ringo Ameyuri. After "consuming" Natsu Hyuga, his ocular power had surged again, and his thinking speed had improved. His research pace had accelerated significantly, completing the final crucial step.
The power of Moryo could now be controlled within a safe range to enhance recovery without constantly draining life force. Of course, the limit was finite; if used too much, there was still a risk of losing control and backlash.
With his Sharingan, suppressing Moryo's power was much easier for Kiyoshi. Others wouldn't be so fortunate. Ringo Ameyuri caught the test tube, looking at the dark black liquid swirling inside.
"Put your shirt on." Ringo tossed the chainmail and outer coat Kiyoshi had left on the table toward him. Kiyoshi caught them with one hand and put them on unhurriedly.
Ringo twisted the cap, gave it a sniff—finding no scent—opened her mouth to reveal her shark-like teeth, and drank it in one gulp.
"Doesn't taste like much," she evaluated, wiping the corner of her mouth. "Alright, we're even now, Uchiha brat." She glanced at Kiyoshi, her face tense.
"Is that so?" Kiyoshi slowly approached, cornering Ringo against the table. She leaned back, watching him warily. "This 'medicine' requires several courses of treatment. This was only the first."
Having already established this connection, he naturally needed to squeeze out a bit more "ocular power."
"This time will stabilize your condition for six months. Come find me again in six months." Kiyoshi's fingertip met Ringo's chin, tilting her face up.
"Hmph." Ringo turned her face away. She found that Kiyoshi was truly skilled at pushing his luck.
"Continue to help me with my training," Kiyoshi said. Last time was a discussion on Lightning Style; this time, it would be about Taijutsu. For instance, Ringo Ameyuri's unique shark-like teeth. With his current skin defense, he might just be able to withstand it.
Before Ringo's eyes, which held a faint glint of understanding, Kiyoshi began the "discussion."
...
The border of the Land of Fire.
Cloud Village forces were beginning their advance.
"Yugito, want me to come with you? Yo, yo~ this master can definitely bring that brat back."
Killer B, with his dark skin and pale yellow hair, rapped in his peculiar style. He made strange gestures from time to time. The cool and elegant Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, merely gave B a flat glance and replied nonchalantly, "No need."
She had undergone grueling training to communicate with the Two-Tails, Matatabi, within her and to borrow its power. Bringing back Kiyoshi Uchiha would be the perfect conclusion to her training results. Having said her piece, Yugito led a portion of the Cloud forces and headed into the distance.
The Cloud forces here were not their main strength. Cloud was currently fighting the Land of Earth, so most of their main forces were on that front.
"Then we go elsewhere," Killer B said to the remaining Cloud forces as he withdrew his gaze.