"Don't you agree."
Kiyoshi's figure flickered behind Ryuzetsu before she could even react, his hand gently stroking her waist-length white hair. Honestly, the beauty of this movie heroine was quite remarkable.
"Fire Style: Celestial Prison Fire Sword!"
Muku naturally could not stand seeing the person he loved humiliated like this. He immediately gathered fire chakra in his hand, and in an instant, the flames extended into a long, burning blade of fire. He swung it violently at Kiyoshi.
Bang!
Two blades of fire illuminated the darkness, sending out scorching airwaves. The difference was that Kiyoshi's ninja blade was infused with both fire and lightning chakra! Fire and arcs of electricity intertwined, spreading along the solid flame sword in Muku's hand.
Muku's palm went numb, and he felt a piercing pain. There was something wrong with Kiyoshi's blade! He hurriedly retreated several steps, using his fire sword to frantically block Kiyoshi.
"Too slow."
As Muku cautiously backed away to a safe spot, Kiyoshi's leisurely voice echoed right behind him, making the hair on his neck stand on end.
Pshhh!
Kiyoshi delivered a whip kick. Muku's somewhat delicate face instantly caved in as he was sent flying, his fate unknown. After dealing with Muku so easily, Kiyoshi looked at Ryuzetsu, who was frozen in place. To him, this wasn't even a warm-up. If Muku had opened the Box, and undergone ten years of transformation to become Satori, his strength might be worth a look. Now, he was just a wet-behind-the-ears youth.
"Muku!" Ryuzetsu screamed.
She formed hand seals, intending to release a jutsu. But as she reached the final seal, her hands refused to move.
"Don't look into the Sharingan; that is common sense. Did you forget?"
Under the glow of the flames, the three-tomoe Sharingan in Kiyoshi's eyes swirled endlessly. It had to be said—Genjutsu was incredibly satisfying for crushing weaklings. It was somewhat lackluster against ninjas with massive chakra reserves, but unfortunately, Muku and Ryuzetsu weren't that type of ninja.
"What is your purpose?"
Kiyoshi sheathed his blade and walked slowly toward Ryuzetsu, using the scabbard to lift her chin.
"Hmph," Ryuzetsu snorted coldly.
"Stubborn," Kiyoshi nodded.
As an Anbu of the Hidden Grass Village, it was normal for her to have some spirit. But to maintain that pride when one has a clear weakness is simply foolish.
Chink.
Kiyoshi stabbed the scabbard into Muku's arm; the boy's body didn't react at all. Only blood seeped out, accompanied by increasingly weak gasps. Kiyoshi's kick had likely fractured Muku's skull, causing a severe concussion. The fact that his head hadn't been kicked into a pulp was purely because Kiyoshi had held back.
"Mu... Muku!" Ryuzetsu could only let out blurred syllables from her throat, her body trembling as she tried to break Kiyoshi's restraint. But Kiyoshi's pupillary power held her fast; she couldn't move an inch.
"Now, talk," Kiyoshi withdrew the scabbard. "What is your goal here?"
He already had a guess. This was near the border of the Land of Waterfall. It was highly probable that his experimental base had attracted the attention of the Hidden Grass Village; after all, this was technically their territory.
Ryuzetsu glanced at the unconscious Muku on the ground and finally spoke reluctantly: "The village gave me a mission to investigate anomalies in this area."
Her explanation matched Kiyoshi's suspicion.
"I see," Kiyoshi nodded. Now, how to handle her?
A good idea suddenly struck him. The three-tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly.
"!"
Invisible pupillary power was injected into Ryuzetsu. Her eyes, previously filled with anger, instantly became hollow. Her white hair fluttered in the dark. Her figure was quite similar to Anko, small and exquisite. Seeing this, Kiyoshi calculated the amount of pupillary power being infused and stopped once it felt sufficient.
There was a reason the Uchiha clan's Genjutsu struck fear into the ninja world. After Obito Uchiha awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, he began walking the world in Madara's place. He used Sharingan: Genjutsu to control the Three-Tails Jinchuriki and the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
The Blood Mist Village became even darker than during the Third Mizukage's era, reaching an extreme level of oppression. It wasn't until Mei Terumi and Zabuza Momochi grew suspicious that Ao used a stolen Byakugan to see through Yagura Karatachi's Genjutsu. In other words, this behind-the-scenes control lasted for years without a single person noticing!
The Hidden Grass Village had no Byakugan to check if Ryuzetsu was under Genjutsu, and Kiyoshi didn't believe they had any other means to see through it. From the moment Kiyoshi released the Genjutsu, this poor little Anbu from a small village became his hypnotized... slave.
Of course, that phrasing is a bit exaggerated. Sharingan: Genjutsu still has flaws; it can't change too much, or it will arouse suspicion. Moreover, the pupillary power needs to be replenished periodically; once it runs out, the target will recover.
"When you return, report that everything here is normal. Afterwards, come to this address." Kiyoshi took out a map and circled the location of the experimental base.
"Yes..." Ryuzetsu's tone was flat, devoid of emotion, like a cold machine.
After she took the map, Kiyoshi put his ninja blade back into the sealing scroll. Using Sharingan: Genjutsu to control her and send back false reports would make the base even more hidden. Ryuzetsu was Grass Anbu; her word carried weight. Having her as cover would yield twice the result with half the effort. As for having her come to the base later, that was also part of his plan.
The Bloodline material for the Ryumei Clan had just fallen into his hands so easily. He had originally thought he would have to go to Hozuki Castle to find Ryuzetsu, so this was an unexpected joy.
"Where is Mui?" Kiyoshi asked.
Mui could be the master of the castle and was among the strongest ninjas in the Land of Grass. His Fire Style: Great Fire Celestial Prison, released when he was on the verge of death, could even bind the chakra of Satori. Such a technique, if used on a Tailed Beast, could significantly impact its chakra.
"In... Hozuki Castle."
Ryuzetsu parted her bright red lips. Her healthy wheat-colored skin gave off a primitive charm.
"I need to get back quickly."
Kiyoshi's Sharingan glanced in the direction of Orochimaru and Anko. Now wasn't the time. However, collecting a bit of interest to raise the pupillary power in his reservoir was still possible.
"Kneel," Kiyoshi said indifferently.
The next moment was a darkness deeper than the night. The shadows descended!
....
"Heh heh, did Kiyoshi-kun take that long as well?" Orochimaru had a slight smile.
"The opposition was Grass Anbu. There were quite a few of them, so it took a while," Kiyoshi reported truthfully. There was indeed one Grass Anbu, and two people was technically quite a few.
"The soup is going to get cold. Drink up," Orochimaru pointed to the bowl Kiyoshi had left before departing. The soup had solidified slightly, losing its freshly cooked steam.
"Right," Kiyoshi nodded. The pupillary power in his eyes was gradually increasing, like a small stream flowing into a vast river. It wasn't much, but it was growing.
"Hey, Kiyoshi, what kind of ninjutsu do Grass ninjas use?" Anko was curious, as she had never fought them before.
"Grass ninjas are actually quite similar to us in the Land of Fire. Many of the jutsu we have, they have too. The difference is the quantity of high-level jutsu and secret techniques. The one I met was skilled in Fire Style..."
Kiyoshi spoke calmly while Anko listened intently. She was very interested in such things. From midnight to dawn was only a few hours. After packing up, the group set off again. According to Orochimaru, they weren't far from Ryuchi Cave.
....
"What happened to me?"
Ryuzetsu suddenly stopped her movements. It was as if she had just woken from a dream; the pitch-black world regained its colors. She looked down at her hands and found them covered in blood. Muku was leaning against a mushroom tree, and she had just been bandaging his arm.
"Ugh~ it hurts."
Ryuzetsu clutched her head. A flash of crimson weirdly flickered in her ripple-patterned eyes as memories flooded her brain. She vaguely remembered encountering an enemy yesterday; Muku was heavily injured, and after she drove the enemy away with great effort, she dragged Muku under the mushroom tree to bandage his wounds and had been guarding him since.
"Ryuzetsu?" Muku finally woke up.
His voice sounded strange, like a broken radio. Every time he opened his mouth, the bone under his cheek would throb with pain. Along with the cheek pain, his arm also throbbed. Muku felt terrible. He struggled to stand up using his good arm against the tree and asked Ryuzetsu what happened after he passed out.
"Dammit, they actually escaped," Muku clutched his cheek; every word was painful.
"This area is safe. It was probably Leaf ninjas passing through on a mission yesterday," Ryuzetsu said. She looked at Muku clutching his face in pain and, wondering if it was an illusion, felt that her own mouth was very sore too. It felt as if it had been roughly beaten.
"Your face is swollen," Muku noted. It seemed Ryuzetsu, like himself, had been slapped by that strange Uchiha.
"Yeah... I guess," Ryuzetsu hesitated, but a surge of memory immediately told her that was indeed the case. The pupillary power was changing her subtly. If someone were to check with a Byakugan, they would see a wisp of pitch-black chakra lurking in her nerves.
"Alright, let's go back," Ryuzetsu was brief. She didn't want to say a single word right now; her throat felt raw and painful. There was also a strange aftertaste.
"Fine," Muku agreed. Their injuries certainly required treatment back at the village. The two paired up and quickly returned.
....
Several more days passed.
Kiyoshi's group moved from the giant mushroom forest to a dense jungle. These were the tallest trees Kiyoshi had ever seen. Unfortunately, they were shrouded in mist, making it hard even for him to see through. The Sharingan could only see chakra flow, and long-range vision could only see distant objects. To see through obstacles, one would need x-ray vision.
"This is Ryuchi Cave," Orochimaru stopped.
Kiyoshi and Anko stopped behind him. Following Orochimaru's gaze, they saw a grand building with the words Ryuchi Cave written on it. Many yellow lanterns were hanging, each inscribed with the word Dragon.
"It's different from what I thought," Anko whispered. Since it was a place to learn Senjutsu, shouldn't it be an ethereal, solemn, and majestic place? Why did it look like a bustling marketplace?
Creak...
The gates of Ryuchi Cave pushed open, revealing a magnificent interior. A beautiful young woman stepped out, her posture elegant, with green hair and a golden crown topped with a golden sphere.
"We have been expecting you for a long time."
"Heh heh, Tagitsuhime, long time no see. It's me," Orochimaru spoke to the woman.
"Why is it you again, Orochimaru? Aren't you afraid of being eaten by the White Snake Sage?"
Tagitsuhime's skin was as pale as Orochimaru's, with golden vertical pupils and red eyeshadow extending to her nose. As she spoke, her elegant face suddenly grew fangs, the corners of her mouth split back, and her face elongated into a snake-like form, flicking a blue tongue to intimidate Orochimaru.
"The one coming to train in Senjutsu this time isn't me, but the youth behind me." Orochimaru stepped aside.
Tagitsuhime looked over. Anko was completely ignored. She stared fixedly at Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi felt a bit puzzled by the stare. He knew he had never had contact with anyone from Ryuchi Cave before, nor had he practiced any other Senjutsu.
The only contact he had was with Katsuyu, who had only infused him with ordinary chakra. So... why was she looking at him? Quietly, Kiyoshi prepared to use Flying Raijin to bolt if things went south.
"Who is this person you brought?" Tagitsuhime asked after staring for a long time. Her face returned to its elegant, beautiful state.
"He is a youth of the Uchiha clan. Is there a problem?" This behavior piqued Orochimaru's curiosity. When he had worked so hard to find this place with the Jugo clan, Tagitsuhime had maintained a haughty attitude. To pass through Ryuchi Cave, one had to pass three trials to see the esteemed White Snake Sage.
Each trial was guarded by a high-level confidant of the Sage; if a traveler failed, they would be eaten on the spot. Back then, he had barely passed the three trials, only to fail at the final stage of absorbing natural energy. He did not have the aptitude for Sage Mode!
"He is somewhat similar to the Jugo clan outside, yet entirely different," Tagitsuhime finally spoke.
In her vision, the dense natural energy in the air had become much gentler, affectionately crowding around Kiyoshi. The Jugo clan had a similar effect, but it was much more violent. The rampaging natural energy would rush in without regard for the host's will, as if trying to assimilate them.
The result was that the Jugo clan frequently suffered from madness and physical mutation. They couldn't control the energy. Thus, while they could often enter Sage Transformation, they could only live far from civilization.
"The Jugo clan?" Orochimaru's eyes flickered. Did Kiyoshi also possess that kind of talent?
"Let that be the first trial. Go to the second trial." Tagitsuhime waved her hand, and the magnificent building instantly turned into a patch of mist. Beneath the mist were skeletons of humans and beasts.
Anko jumped in surprise; it was all Genjutsu! She had seen plenty of fragrant food in the palace behind, but it vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Continue forward; Ichikishimahime is there." Tagitsuhime pointed in a direction. If it were anyone else, she wouldn't be so kind. After seeing Kiyoshi's anomaly, she didn't mind forging a good bond.
Hiss, hiss...
The little white snake seemed to scent its own kind and poked its head out of Kiyoshi's sleeve.
"Go on, Kiyoshi." Orochimaru and Anko remained where they were.
Kiyoshi nodded and walked further into the mist. The first trial tested human greed. Anyone who stayed to eat the food would have their body and chakra consumed by her.
Soon, Kiyoshi was alone in the mist. He reached a cave. The walls were covered in gaps of various shapes, and stones of similar shapes lay on the ground.
"If you fill the gaps in the wall with the stones on the ground, I will let you pass." This was Ichikishimahime of the second trial. Her dress was similar to Tagitsuhime's, but the edges were blue. Her frame was much smaller and less curvaceous.
"Fill them up, huh." Kiyoshi reached out, and a whirlwind picked up all the stones, roughly jamming them into the gaps. "Done."
In less than three seconds, Kiyoshi spoke. He looked up at Ichikishimahime floating in the air. These snakes that could transform into humans at Ryuchi Cave possessed the ability to fly. Kiyoshi guessed it was some kind of Senjutsu.
"Eh?" Ichikishimahime was about to mock him contemptuously when she saw he was finished. Sure enough, the gaps were filled. The reason was that the stones were brittle; parts that couldn't fit were squeezed out, and gaps were filled by forcing more stone in. The gaps were filled to the brim.
The solution to the trials had actually been revealed in the Boruto anime. Boruto's method was to crush the stones by hand and stuff them in. Kiyoshi had simply simplified the process.
"You... you passed." Ichikishimahime's eyes widened. In hundreds of years, Kiyoshi was the first to speedrun it! Was this person quick-witted or just incredibly arrogant? Ichikishimahime wondered. Then, she realized the same fact as Tagitsuhime.
The natural energy affectionately guarded Kiyoshi, carefully lingering around him. She had never seen such a phenomenon even on the White Snake Sage herself. Truly miraculous. She immediately stepped aside and pointed out the next trial.
Two minutes later. A dark shadow suddenly lunged for Kiyoshi's neck.
Bang! A muffled sound.
"What a hard neck." Tagitsuhime clutched her mouth. Her teeth were nearly shattered by the impact.
"You must be the final trial," Kiyoshi said calmly.
"Of course. I am here to test your heart... if you fail, I will eat you," Tagitsuhime said, pink eyeshadow framing her eyes. She wore a white robe with three jade-like green ornaments across her chest. Despite her beautiful appearance, her words were chilling.
"Then have I passed?" Kiyoshi's expression was calm; there was no sign of him being under Genjutsu.
"My Genjutsu has no effect on you?" Tagitsuhime frowned, unsure. Even though her teeth hurt, she had injected chakra through them into the blood vessels in Kiyoshi's neck. That chakra should have started interfering with his optic nerves. What was going on?
Seeing her confusion, Kiyoshi smiled lightly. There are two ways to break Genjutsu:
Non-Pupil Genjutsu, you can disrupt your own chakra flow to break it.
Pupil Genjutsu, you can only break it if someone else disrupts your chakra flow.
Tagitsuhime's injection method was naturally a non-pupil Genjutsu. Kiyoshi's chakra volume was already massive, and with the Lightning Style ninjutsu running continuously in his body, he had instantly scattered and dissolved her chakra. He could wipe away any residual effects at will. From the outside, it looked as if he had never been affected.
"You... passed." Tagitsuhime waited another minute, and finding he really was unaffected, she stepped aside.
The mist cleared, and the true appearance of Ryuchi Cave was revealed. It was a palace with upturned eaves and red tiles, decorated with exquisite dragon carvings. The plaque boldly read Ryuchi Cave. The palace was backed by jagged rocks inside a deep cavern, giving off a sense of dread. Kiyoshi walked forward, stepping up the stairs.
"Tagitsuhime, did he pass your stage too?" Tagitsuhime (the first one) exclaimed. Beside her was Ichikishimahime. The three Hime were the high-rank officials of Ryuchi Cave. If an ordinary person saw them in their ethereal robes and floating ribbons, they would likely kneel and cry out that goddesses had descended.
"You're ones to talk." Tagitsuhime (the third one) withdrew her gaze. Like the others, she could feel Kiyoshi's uniqueness. It was as if... the natural energy was favoring him. How was that possible? At most, a person's constitution could attract the influx of energy, but that was passive.
Rumor has it that the ancestor of ninjas, the Sage of Six Paths, only sensed natural energy through learning and mastered the method of blending it with his own chakra through training. If natural energy truly favored someone, wouldn't that mean he was blessed by the earth? Or a Child of Nature?
"Didn't the Uchiha only inherit the Eyes of the Sage of Six Paths?" Tagitsuhime asked. The three of them had lived for centuries, much like Shima and Fukasaku of Mount Myoboku. During their centuries of serving the White Snake Sage, they had learned some historical secrets.
"That vitality is as vigorous as the Senju and Uzumaki. He might be the offspring of those two clans; this kid perfectly inherited two lineages," the shortest one, Ichikishimahime, remarked. The Sage's Body was inherited by those two lines. Looking at it this way, had Kiyoshi gathered both Eyes and Body?
"Not necessarily. Their ancestors didn't show this kind of performance, so how could he? Perhaps it's his own talent," Tagitsuhime finally concluded. The three women looked at each other, feeling as if they were witnessing history. They floated through the air and flew toward the inner cave.
"Heh heh, a successful pass?" Inside the hall, atop countless red stairs, Orochimaru watched Kiyoshi push open the doors below. Anko stood behind Orochimaru, leaning over to look down.
"Your life is saved, Orochimaru." On the highest level where Orochimaru stood, there was a purple bed. An old woman with orange hair was reclining on it. She opened her eyes, revealing cloudy golden vertical pupils and black sclera. "Everything that happens in Ryuchi Cave reaches my ears, as do the changes in natural energy. This child of humanity you brought is quite interesting. As per our agreement, I will not eat you this time."
The White Snake Sage smiled. Anko shrank her neck in fear. Looking down, Kiyoshi was ascending the red stairs.
"Teacher Orochimaru, White Snake Sage."
Kiyoshi said with feigned respect.
Anko ran over and poked Kiyoshi's waist from behind, seemingly asking why he hadn't greeted her.
"Anko."
Kiyoshi patted her head.
Anko's personality had always been rowdy and bold. As a child, she was more like a boy than a girl.
"Humans are born with desire and are destined to slowly fall into darkness. Everyone who comes to me abandons everything to satisfy their greed..."
The White Snake Sage stared at Kiyoshi.
She seemed suspicious of how a person pursuing power could be favored by natural energy.
To sense natural energy, one must empty their mind and blend into nature.
Yet this Uchiha, born with a cold chakra, had such extraordinary talent.
"No. Desire is neutral, not derogatory. Humans can start wars for desire, but they can also develop civilizations for it. From the first time humans lit a fire to preserve the spark, wasn't the driving force behind that desire?"
"A so-called ninja is one who endures what others cannot. If one cannot even master their own desires, then falling into darkness is certain. A true ninja wouldn't be like that; at least, I am confident I won't be."
Kiyoshi spoke indifferently.
Is desire necessarily bad? It is desire that has driven human progress from primitive gathering to agriculture.
As long as one can master it and not be controlled by it, one can climb higher.
Since awakening his memories, Kiyoshi had never slackened in his training for a single day.
Even now, his puppet clones far away in the Land of Grass were still learning and researching.
The exhaustion they bore would eventually be passed to Kiyoshi.
He relied on tasting beautiful things to increase his pupillary power, but he also strictly adhered to his shallow bottom line.
Only when the fruit was ripe would he harvest it.
Even for Rin Nohara, her age was already much older than in the original timeline, reaching the legal age.
Kiyoshi would not indulge in this. He distinguished clearly between what was for enjoyment and what was for increasing pupillary power.
"An interesting child of humanity."
The White Snake Sage shook her head with a smile. She wore a military-green horn-shaped ornament on her forehead, and a red night-pearl was embedded in her crown, glowing in the dim hall.
It was rare to see someone who looked so directly at their own desires.
"Alright. Before I give you Senjutsu, let me be clear: if you fail, I will eat you in one bite. Orochimaru was just an exception."
With her laughter, her human form vanished.
A massive white snake curled atop the giant throne, her body blending into the thick darkness.
Only her tail, wearing two golden rings, could be seen looping back from the gloom.
She wore a green cat-eye stone on her chest and held a pipe in her mouth. Even in her true snake form, orange hair fell from her head.
Her laughter became deep and eerie, echoing in the hall.
Tagitsuhime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime (the first one) stood beneath the throne.
Kiyoshi instantly released all his puppet clones, and a surge of exhaustion and experience flooded his mind.
"...Okay."
After adjusting, Kiyoshi nodded.
Swoosh!
The White Snake Sage extended her body, the sound of her slicing through the air ringing out.
Pshhh!
Blood sprayed from Kiyoshi's neck as two puncture wounds appeared.
They were massive, about one-third the size of a fist.
Dense natural energy rushed into the wounds, the speed creating a gust of wind.
Kiyoshi's robes fluttered violently, and his black hair danced wildly.
The sound of the trait panel faintly echoed in Kiyoshi's mind, and a display appeared before him.
You have received the infusion of the White Snake Sage. Synthesizing Trait: [White Snake Sagehood (Purple)].
A new trait appeared.
[Trait: White Snake Sagehood (Purple)]
[Requirement: Receive the infusion of the White Snake Sage and sense natural energy.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: Your physical body has sensed the Snake's understanding of natural energy. Natural Energy affinity is increased by 100% on its original basis.
Learning speed for the Ryuchi Cave lineage of Senjutsu is increased by 100%.
The power of your Ryuchi Cave Senjutsu is increased by 100%.
When a Snake is weaker than you, it will instinctively bow to you and acknowledge you as master.]
[Note: Can be upgraded further.]
"..."
Kiyoshi silently closed the panel, lacking the energy to think.
He felt every cell reacting to the natural energy.
Horn-like growths sprouted on his head, and glowing scale patterns appeared on his skin.
The aura of a snake spread out.
"Did he fail?"
Tagitsuhime (the first one) exclaimed.
Kiyoshi was clearly undergoing snake-ification.
If a trial-taker's body cannot withstand the energy, the Sage eats them!
"It shouldn't be. He is absorbing more natural energy than any other trial-taker," Ichikishimahime remarked.
They had never heard of such an anomaly.
"Let's watch a bit longer," Tagitsuhime (the third one) said.
The women fell silent, focusing on Kiyoshi.
"Teacher Orochimaru, Kiyoshi will be okay, won't he?" Anko asked worriedly.