"Kiyoshi Uchiha?"
Hiashi Hyuga thought of the Uchiha youth who had shone so brightly on the battlefield. To be honest, Kiyoshi was quite deceptive. Although he had studied many medical ninjutsu after graduation, many people tended to overlook that fact. His combat talent was so dazzling that it overshadowed his other side.
Now, it seemed it might really be worth a try. If he remembered correctly, Kiyoshi was also a student of Nono Yakushi.
"Kiyoshi?" Hinayuki murmured. She felt like she had heard the name from someone before—it sounded familiar. Was it... from Ginka Hyuga? She wasn't entirely sure, coughing a few more times as she pondered.
Seeing this, Hiashi continued, "Can Kiyoshi Uchiha find a solution for Hinayuki's illness?"
Tsunade stared at Hinayuki for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "I can't say for certain. You must understand that Kekkei Genkai are inherently mysterious. Why are some people born with them while others are not?"
Tsunade began to explain her perspective to Hiashi. In the shinobi world, people were not created equal from the moment of birth. As for why such a gap existed, perhaps only the Sage of the Six Paths, who supposedly created the world with the [Amanonuboko], could answer.
Clans that held Kekkei Genkai often practiced endogamy, rarely marrying outsiders. Even when they did, it was usually an outsider marrying into the clan, changing their surname. In such situations, issues related to inbreeding were difficult to avoid. Furthermore, Kekkei Genkai could undergo postnatal mutations.
Just as ordinary people can suffer from physical deformities like having two heads or four arms, Kekkei Genkai users were not exempt from biological anomalies. This was one of the many reasons that induced Bloodline Diseases.
Hinayuki's current condition strongly resembled a Bloodline Disease. Tsunade had seen a boy named Hayate Gekko at the hospital who was also plagued by a similar ailment, looking pale and frail at a young age. Since no one had fully researched Kekkei Genkai to this day, the illnesses they caused were naturally difficult to treat.
"I see..." A flash of disappointment crossed Hiashi's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. Regardless, he had to try.
"Kiyoshi is heading to the battlefield in a few days. I'll have him visit you tonight to check the situation," Tsunade said.
The Hyuga couple expressed their immense gratitude before taking their leave, leaving the sealing scroll behind as an advance payment for Tsunade. To Hiashi, Tsunade was one of the icons of the Hidden Leaf Village; she surely had that much credit.
"This is more than I expected." Once they were gone, Tsunade immediately pulled the cash out of the scroll to count it, looking like a little miser. "This should cover my gambling funds for a good long while."
'Well, probably,' she added silently. In the world of gambling, no amount of money was ever enough. Once the adrenaline hit, money vanished like water down a drain.
"Tsunade-sama, you just accepted it like that?" Shizune asked, cradling Tonton. The little pink pig wearing a pearl necklace made a "poyu~ poyu~" sound, as if expressing its own speechlessness.
"Cough, Kiyoshi and I are close; it's only normal to push some clients his way. It's called building a network." Tsunade found a legitimate excuse for herself. After savoring the weight of the bills, she turned to Shizune. "Shizune, go get Kiyoshi. Tell him I'm treating him to dinner."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama." The quiet, short-haired girl nodded, sighing inwardly. Tsunade-sama was as unreliable as ever. However, she didn't have the authority to control her, only to offer slight advice.
"Tonton, stay home. I'll be back shortly." Shizune set the pig down and headed out. She had been to Kiyoshi's house twice and knew the way well.
Before long, she arrived at the old, worn-out Uchiha residence. Since Kiyoshi moved in years ago, the house had only grown more dilapidated under the erosion of time. Shizune was used to this.
If Tsunade-sama hadn't been of the Senju clan with property in the Leaf, they probably would have lived in much worse conditions. She had traveled with Tsunade before, dodging debt collectors and sleeping in the rough—that was not a pleasant experience.
When Shizune knocked, a little girl with blue hair opened the door.
"Shizune? Is something wrong?" Kiyoshi's gaze shifted to her. He clearly saw her pale, oval face and petite frame. Shizune wasn't very tall, but she possessed a quiet, refined temperament that gave her a unique charm.
"I..." Hearing the familiar voice, Shizune looked past Guren. In the center of the courtyard, she saw Kiyoshi holding a white towel, wiping away sweat. He wore loose black trousers, but his upper body was bare, revealing a perfectly sculpted muscular silhouette. Under the sunlight, the sweat shimmered, making his impactful physique appear even more three-dimensional.
*Thump, thump.* Shizune quickly lowered her head.
Muscles were common among ninjas. Even some sturdy female shinobi would reveal abs if they lifted their chainmail. But... Kiyoshi was different. Most people who trained hard, like the Cloud ninjas, were bronze-skinned and hulking.
Kiyoshi was a contradiction that balanced aesthetic beauty with raw power. It was as if he had inherited the best genes of the Uchiha and the Yotsuki clan, combined with his own extraordinary talent.
Just as men react to a woman's curves, women react to a man's physique. It was the most primitive instinct carved into human DNA. For the innocent Shizune, it was like a heavy blow to her senses.
"Shizune?" Kiyoshi called again.
"Ah, sorry, I got distracted." Shizune shook her head repeatedly, not daring to look at his muscles again. She shifted her gaze upward to his thin lips and said slowly, "Tsunade-sama asked me to bring you to her. She said she wants to treat you to dinner."
"Treat me to dinner?" Kiyoshi put down the towel. Guren immediately picked it up, replacing it with a fresh one. She folded the old towel, ready to wash it later.
"Wait for me to change." Kiyoshi put on a white undershirt and threw a black Uchiha robe over it.
He was curious about why Tsunade was looking for him. During the Third Shinobi World War, Tsunade had been quite low-profile due to her hemophobia. The true protagonists of this war were the emerging ninjas of Minato Namikaze's generation.
Once dressed, Kiyoshi followed Shizune toward Tsunade's home. On the way, he turned to the girl beside him. "Shizune, your uncle was Dan Kato, right?"
"Huh? You knew that, Kiyoshi?" Shizune was surprised. Her uncle had passed away many years ago; she hadn't expected Kiyoshi to know of him.
"I've heard of Master Dan Kato's [Spirit Transformation Technique]," Kiyoshi said casually. "As his niece, I imagine you must have mastered such a powerful jutsu as well."
"I don't have that kind of talent," Shizune shook her head in shame. "I can't learn the [Spirit Transformation Technique] my uncle left behind. I can't even learn many of the jutsu Tsunade-sama tries to teach me."
Shizune looked up at Kiyoshi. He and she were two extremes. He was a genius in the eyes of the world. It was said he could learn any jutsu instantly; besides Minato Namikaze, he was the only one who knew the Second Hokage's [Flying Thunder God Technique]. He even possessed specialized skills like flight ninjutsu.
"I see." Kiyoshi nodded.
"Can't learn" meant she had tried and failed, confirming that Dan Kato's [Spirit Transformation Technique] had indeed been passed down to Shizune. After Dan died, Tsunade took the young Shizune in, likely because Shizune was Dan's only living relative. It was natural for her to have the technique.
Whether she could master it was another story; Shizune's talent was weaker than the top geniuses but stronger than average, putting her in the second tier.
Much like how Sakura Haruno would later surpass her in medical ninjutsu despite starting much later, eventually mastering the [Strength of a Hundred Technique] and the [Strength of a Hundred Seal] while Shizune never could.
***
Half an hour later.
Kiyoshi and Shizune arrived at Tsunade's house.
"Cough, take a seat first." Tsunade was clutching a bottle of sake. Seeing them enter, she took a sip with her plump, cherry-pink lips. Once finished, she placed the bottle gently on the tatami mat with a hand that was smoother and more delicate than white jade.
Kiyoshi sat down, his dark eyes scanning Tsunade. She had been drinking again, and quite a bit. She sat at the tatami, leaning against a low table. Her loose, sleeveless top revealed her exquisite collarbones and a significant portion of her chest.
Her weight rested against the table, giving an impression of immense heaviness. The legendary 106 cm was no light load.
After Kiyoshi sat, Tsunade poured him a cup of sake and explained the situation. Kiyoshi was indeed the best candidate for this. The Sharingan would be of immense help in such delicate surgery.
"So that's how it is..." Kiyoshi's eyes flickered as he rubbed his chin.
This was certainly interesting. Hiashi Hyuga had actually lost his dignity as a man. But it made sense. Ninjas only wore chainmail on their upper bodies; the heavy armor of the Warring States period was rarely used in this era. Even when wearing protective gear, it only covered vital spots. The lower body was not among them.
"No problem. Since it's a favor for Tsunade-sama, I will definitely help." Swirling the sake in his small cup, Kiyoshi downed it in one go. As the alcohol hit his stomach, it was quickly digested by the [Gluttonous Maw (Blue)] trait, stored as energy deep within his body.
"You're quite the sensible kid," Tsunade patted his shoulder, her lips curving upward. She found that this guy was almost too good to be an Uchiha. He was more like the gentle Minato Namikaze.
After a few more words, Tsunade pulled Kiyoshi up. "Then it's settled. Now, come with me to the casino first!" she said impatiently.
With new gambling funds and a skilled gambler like Kiyoshi by her side, she felt she could finally win big.