"Alright, let's head out!"
Minato and Mikoto led the group forward again, pausing to rest for a single night before the final push. During the camp, Obito managed to glean deeper information from Minato regarding the truth behind Kakashi's father. Minato seemed intent on only speaking in broad strokes, so Obito eventually retreated to his bedroll.
As he drifted off, Obito saw Kiyoshi and Mikoto talking in the dim light. Mikoto lowered her head and smiled from time to time, as if Kiyoshi had said something particularly charming or insightful.
"Hmph, that guy. Besides being close with Rin, he's even got a good thing going with Mikoto-neesan," Obito grumbled. He truly couldn't fathom how Kiyoshi managed to stay on such good terms with so many women. In his half-asleep state, Obito even dreamed that Kiyoshi was "two-timing" them both!
He woke up in a cold sweat. By the time he opened his eyes, the sun was already up. Minato and Mikoto had already departed to draw away the main enemy force.
"Stop sleeping, Obito! We need to move," Rin urged him softly. Obito nodded quickly, shaking off the dream to keep up with the team.
...
'Finally, the progress is full,' Kiyoshi thought, looking at the two new Traits in his panel.
[Trait: Lightning Style Jonin (Purple)]
Requirement: Learn and use 1 S-rank or 4 B-rank Lightning Style ninjutsu.
Progress: (Completed).
Effect: Your understanding of Lightning Style far surpasses others. During thunderstorms, your Lightning Style techniques are buffed by 200%.
Your muscles have begun to adapt to Lightning Style; your understanding of magnetism has deepened, and the training speed for [Magnet] Style ninjutsu is increased by 50%.
Developing new Lightning Style techniques is significantly easier for you. Your resistance to [Lightning] Style chakra is increased by 100%.
Note: Can be upgraded further.
...
[Trait: Space-Time Ninjutsu (Purple)]
Requirement: Learn 1 S-rank Space-Time ninjutsu.
Progress: (Completed).
Effect: You have touched the realm of Space-Time ninjutsu. Your comprehension of spatial coordinates is increased by 100%.
Training speed for Summoning-type ninjutsu and Space-Time ninjutsu is increased by 100%.
You are now capable of marking the [Flying Thunder God Formula] on any matter.
Note: Can be upgraded further.
'The Lightning Style Jonin Trait is decent,' Kiyoshi mused as he traveled. At the Purple tier, the 100% bonuses were standard, but that 200% boost during a thunderstorm was the real prize. After all, a thunderstorm isn't just a random act of nature—it can be summoned.
In the future, Sasuke would use [Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique] to heat the atmosphere, creating updrafts and cumulonimbus clouds to manifest lightning for [Kirin]. Coincidentally, Kiyoshi's mastery of the [Great Dragon Fire Technique] was even deeper than Sasuke's at that age.
'Because the [Flying Thunder God] involves some summoning principles, those buffs stacked too,' Kiyoshi noted. This was efficient—one Trait boosting two different training paths. The ability to mark the formula on "any matter" was the real game-changer. He had previously considered marking the formula onto electric arcs; now, he could actually try it.
'With this, I am at the very top of the Jonin rank. I might even be able to trade blows with a Kage.' Lacking direct combat data against a Kage-level opponent, Kiyoshi kept his estimate conservative.
...
In a dark, damp cave elsewhere, the air was thick with the scent of decay. Giant cracks crisscrossed the stone walls. In this darkness, a massive entity sat motionless: the Gedo Mazo. It looked like a withered husk, its mouth agape in an eternal, silent scream.
Thick, twisted roots spread from its body like veins, piercing the cavern walls. Hanging from these branches were white, humanoid forms—half-formed bodies of flesh.
In the shadow of this deathly silence, Madara Uchiha sat upon a throne woven from the Gedo Mazo's roots. Suddenly, the shadows shifted, and White Zetsu emerged from the dark.
"Lord Madara, Obito and the others have reached the vicinity of Kannabi Bridge." White Zetsu bowed slightly. Before Madara, even he didn't dare be disrespectful. While most Zetsus were carefree, they all harbored a hidden fear of the old man.
"Are there any variables?" Madara opened his eyes, a crimson glint flashing briefly in the dark. The pipes connected to his back swayed slightly as he looked up.
"Kiyoshi Uchiha is part of this operation. His strength might be greater than the Stone ninjas there," Zetsu reported.
"Kiyoshi..." Madara frowned. The plan had hit a snag. To trap Obito here, he had to be heavily injured. Only then could he justify transplanting [Hashirama's Cells] into him and placing the forbidden curse tag on his heart. If Kiyoshi killed all the enemies, the "heavy injury" scenario would never happen.
"In that case..." Madara tremblingly raised a hand to form a sign. Behind him, the Gedo Mazo pulsed, sending a surge of chakra.
*Glow.*
The root-like pipes visibly expanded as surges of chakra were forced into Madara's frail body. Since his battle with Hashirama—where he had bitten off a piece of the man's flesh and staged a fake death—Madara had waited decades for this moment. He had proven the truth of the stone tablet: when two opposing powers work together, all things in the universe are possible.
In those decades, he had experimented with the Gedo Mazo and created artificial humans. Using [Hashirama's Cells], he had mastered Wood Style and even Tobirama's forbidden arts like the [Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu].
"Wood Style: Wood Clone."
A wooden figure split from Madara's body, gradually taking on his likeness. This version looked much younger, perhaps in his fifties or sixties.
"This Wood Clone possesses my chakra and that of the Gedo Mazo. Though it is not my true peak, it holds a fraction of my power." Madara looked at the clone as if looking at his past self. "Lead the way."
The Wood Clone spoke slowly, hands forming signs. Wooden branches wrapped around its body, shifting its appearance. The clothes transformed into a Stone Village combat uniform with a bare right arm.
Wood Style: Wood Transformation!
"Understood." White Zetsu placed a hand on the clone's shoulder, and together they phased through the cavern wall, swimming rapidly through the earth.
...
"Mahiru went out and hasn't returned. He couldn't have been taken out by those brats, could he?" Kakkō muttered, his brow furrowed.
Three Stone ninjas were hidden beneath a massive rock, watching Kiyoshi's group approach through the bamboo forest.
"Who knows?" Taiseki said, his face stern. He began forming signs, his body gradually becoming transparent. "I'll go check."
Ninjutsu: Hiding in Camouflage!
"Here we go again," Kiyoshi said, raising his hand toward the empty space.
*Crackle!*
Black lightning surged from Kiyoshi's palm, electric arcs scattering before snapping back together into the shape of a panther made of dark electricity.
Lightning Style: Black Panther!
"What? You saw through my technique?!" Taiseki had only taken a few steps while invisible when he saw Kiyoshi release the attack without even turning his head. Panic gripped his serious face. He, who had been invincible with his camouflage, was exposed in a single glance.
*Boom!*
Taiseki had no time to dodge; the black lightning tore a hole through him.
"The Sharingan can see the flow of chakra. The chakra covering your body is like a firefly in the dark," Kiyoshi said tonelessly as the black arcs dissipated from his hand.
Before the other team members could even react, Kiyoshi had already eliminated one enemy.
"So fast... so strong," Rin whispered, covering her mouth. She felt even more validated in having Kiyoshi guide her in Lightning Style. This level of mastery was incredible.
"Another unfamiliar Lightning Style technique," Kakashi's "dead-fish eyes" widened slightly above his mask. He didn't understand how Kiyoshi knew so many varied techniques.
"Don't get distracted," Kiyoshi said suddenly. Just as he was about to move against the ninja hiding under the rock, he sensed a massive surge of chakra moving underground.
*Bam!*
A pair of hands erupted from the earth, reaching for Kiyoshi's ankles! Kiyoshi didn't retreat; instead, electric arcs flared around his feet as he stomped down.
*Bang!*
Another loud crash echoed, followed by the sound of falling rubble. A stranger in a Stone Village uniform emerged from the soil ten meters away, his hands coated in a layer of rock that was currently crumbling from the impact of Kiyoshi's lightning.
"You have some skill," the man said, clenching his fists. More stone wrapped around his hands, forming massive, rocky gauntlets.
Earth Style: Rock Fist Jutsu!
"I was thinking the same thing about you," Kiyoshi replied. The tomoe in his crimson eyes spun rapidly.
The opponent hadn't revealed his identity, but that cold chakra—almost identical to his own—told Kiyoshi exactly who this was. A Stone ninja's chakra would never be this frigid; this was the result of Uchiha power. At this stage, only one Uchiha could appear here.
Madara Uchiha!
"Rin!" Obito screamed.
While they were occupied, the other Stone kunoichi, Kakkō, had snatched Rin away. If one looked closely, Kakkō's eyes were slightly hollow, but Obito, desperate to save Rin, didn't notice. He immediately began to give chase.
"Obito! Have you forgotten the rules of a ninja?" Kakashi drew his short blade. After a brief internal struggle, he decided to prioritize the mission. To a ninja, tools were necessary, but emotions were baggage.
"Kakashi, go help Obito save Rin. Tekka, Inabi, and I will stay here to intercept these enemies," Kiyoshi said. Seeing that Kakashi didn't have Obito's "Talk no Jutsu" to convince him to save her in this timeline, Kiyoshi decided to use his authority as captain.
"I am also a captain, and I am the strongest. You follow my lead." Kiyoshi's voice carried an undeniable power that brooked no argument.