Under the moonlit night, he tried again and again.
At the beginning, he could only maintain it for a few seconds. Gradually, it stretched to more than ten seconds, then a full minute…
Sweat slid down from his forehead, yet Kiyohara's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He could clearly feel it, the muscles in his arms were undergoing subtle changes under the stimulation of Lightning Release.
Although the changes were extremely slight, they undeniably existed.
At the same time, Uchiha Kiyohara's spiritual body quietly manifested, floating beside him.
"A very interesting line of thought," Uchiha Kiyohara said as he observed Kiyohara's actions.
"Using Lightning Release to stimulate the body for reinforcement… it reminds me of the secret techniques of Kumogakure."
"Do you know the specific principles behind the 'Lightning Release Chakra Mode'?" Kiyohara asked.
Uchiha Kiyohara shook his head.
"I've only copied some Lightning Release ninjutsu. I don't really understand the training methods of that kind of secret technique. But your direction should be correct."
He looked at the faint arcs of electricity flickering in Kiyohara's palm.
"Still, you need to be careful. Excessive stimulation can damage muscles, or even cause necrosis. It'd be best to experiment on other living creatures first."
Kiyohara's heart stirred.
"Summoned beasts?"
"Yes. The physical structure of summoned beasts is far tougher than that of humans, and their recovery ability is stronger as well. Even if the experiment fails, the summoning will automatically cancel, so they won't truly be hurt too badly unless you exceed the limit in one go."
That really was a good idea.
Kiyohara formed seals, bit his thumb, and pressed it against the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
The white smoke dissipated, and a several-meter-long invisible chameleon appeared in the clearing.
She looked at Kiyohara with fear in her eyes. After undergoing Kiyohara's rather brutal physical taming method, she had become much more obedient.
"Don't be afraid. I just need your help this time," Kiyohara soothed her.
He injected Lightning Release chakra into the invisible chameleon's hind leg.
Unlike when he experimented on himself, he slightly increased the intensity this time.
The chameleon's body trembled violently for a moment, but soon calmed down.
It only felt a numb sensation in its hind leg, without any pain.
"As expected, summoned beasts have a much higher tolerance," Kiyohara muttered.
He observed the chameleon's reaction while adjusting the intensity and frequency of the chakra.
The spiritual body floated nearby, offering suggestions.
"You can try stimulating the nerves. Human nerves are more fragile than muscles, but a summoned beast's nerves should be able to withstand a certain level of electrical stimulation. If you can develop a technique that strengthens the nervous system, reaction speed will see a qualitative improvement."
Kiyohara nodded and began a new round of experiments.
Time quietly slipped by. Kiyohara's control over Lightning Release grew increasingly refined, and his understanding of physical reinforcement deepened further.
But to develop this into a complete technique, this was still not enough.
It would require long-term accumulation and extensive experimentation to succeed.
The two hours of night watch passed quickly. When Kurenai came to relieve him, Kiyohara had already dismissed the summoning and was sitting beneath a tree, eyes closed, regulating his breathing.
"Are you training?" she asked.
She had seen Kiyohara summon a creature from behind earlier. At first, she thought it was to strengthen security, but later realized that didn't seem to be the case.
"Yeah, trying out some new things," Kiyohara replied.
He stood up and stretched his slightly stiff arms.
"Honestly, you should pay attention to resting too," Kurenai said, puffing out her cheeks.
"Here."
She handed him a flask of water.
"Thanks," Kiyohara said.
Taking the water, he sat down by the campfire inside the cave. Watching the flickering flames, his thoughts grew complicated.
'I really do need to integrate my system,' Kiyohara thought to himself.
Right now, he knew too many things—Magnet Release, Steel Release, the Sharingan, multiple elemental ninjutsu, kenjutsu, basic medical ninjutsu…
But all these abilities lacked a core. They hadn't formed an organic whole.
It was like a tree with too many branches, yet no clearly defined trunk.
"Magnet Release and Lightning Release can serve as core offensive methods. Steel Release will handle defense. The Sharingan provides insight and resistance to genjutsu. At this stage, Magnet Release can also stimulate physical reinforcement for speed and strength. Wind Release enhances cutting power, Earth Release serves as support…"
Kiyohara sketched out a rough framework in his mind.
...
Two days later, the squad arrived at the Kikyo Mountain region.
Though called a mountain, it was actually a chain of rolling mountain ranges.
The terrain here was complex, easy to defend and hard to attack—a natural military fortress.
But at this moment, Kikyo Mountain was barely recognizable.
The once lush forests were now scarred with charred marks everywhere.
Trees had been burned down, the mountainsides blasted with enormous craters by ninjutsu. Kunai, shuriken, broken weapons, and dried, blackened bloodstains were scattered across the ground.
The air was filled with the mixed stench of gunpowder smoke and blood. Even with the mountain winds blowing, it lingered without dispersing.
"So this is… Kikyo Mountain?" Kurenai's voice trembled slightly.
She had experienced some missions before, but she had never seen such a horrific battlefield. The devastation before her eyes far exceeded her imagination.
The senbon in Genma's mouth stopped spinning. He silently stared at the scene, his expression heavy.
"This is war. What you're seeing is just the outer perimeter. The real battlefield is at the main peak ahead," Kiyohara said calmly.
He could see densely packed tents on the distant mountainside, that was Konoha's frontline camp.
People moved back and forth inside the camp, but the atmosphere was oppressive. Every face bore exhaustion and vigilance.
"Let's go. First, we'll hand over the supplies," Kiyohara said, taking the lead.
The group advanced along the mountain path. The closer they got to the frontline camp, the more shocking the sights became.
Simple medical tents lined both sides of the road, from which constant groans and cries of pain echoed.
Wounded shinobi were everywhere. Some had lost arms, their empty sleeves hanging loosely in bandages.
Some had their eyes wrapped in gauze, groping their way forward.
Others lay on stretchers—though their wounds were bandaged, blood still seeped through…
"There aren't enough medical shinobi," a voice said from nearby.
Kiyohara turned his head and saw a middle-aged woman wearing a medical-nin uniform. She was kneeling beside a wounded man, her hands glowing with green chakra as she treated an abdominal wound.
But the injury was too severe, his intestines had spilled out. Her treatment could only barely sustain his life.
"Suna's puppet masters are very cruel," the female medic replied without lifting her head. "They deliberately target the abdomen and the eyes."
"We've done everything we can, but we're seriously lacking manpower and supplies."
After the two shinobi finished talking, Kiyohara stepped forward and asked,
"Where is Lord Nara Enchū?"
"The command center, the large tent in the very middle."
"Thank you."
Kiyohara nodded and led the squad onward.
This was the reality of war—there was only survival or death.
That was why many shinobi had… abnormal ways of thinking.
Living under such prolonged high-pressure conditions, yet without any psychological treatment.
Two shinobi stood guard in front of the command tent.
"We're the squad responsible for delivering supplies," Kiyohara said, gesturing toward the cargo behind them.
The two guards nodded slightly.
The three of them had already undergone inspection upon entering the camp.
They lifted the tent flap.
A massive map was spread across the central table. Seven or eight shinobi stood around it. At the head was a middle-aged man wearing a square yellow hat, a Konoha forehead protector tied around his brow.
He was the current head of the Nara clan, Nara Enchū, commander of Konoha's forces on the Kikyo Mountain front.
Nara Enchū looked up, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.
"You're the squad escorting the supplies?"
"Yes. The supplies have been safely delivered," Kiyohara reported.
Nara Enchū nodded and said to his adjutant beside him,
"Take people to inventory them and distribute everything to the medical units as soon as possible."
The adjutant acknowledged and left.
Only then did Nara Enchū carefully examine the three of them.
"You're Kiyohara?" he asked, looking at Kiyohara, whose appearance was clearly a notch above Genma's.
"Yes, Lord Enchū," Kiyohara replied on behalf of the group.
As Nara Enchū observed him, Kiyohara was also observing Nara Enchū.
Nara Enchū's formal appearance was in Boruto. Even when he was old and frail then, he still held considerable power within the Nara clan.
…
"…I heard you performed quite well on the Kiri front, and even killed a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
As stories of his deeds spread, Kiyohara's personal reputation naturally rose as well.
"Your strength is impressive. I hope it can be put to good use."
The man walked over to the map and pointed to a region behind the front lines.
"Here. Between several mountains behind Kikyo Mountain, there's an orphanage. After the war broke out, we set up some temporary tents there to relocate severely wounded personnel, keeping them away from the front lines so they can rest and recover in peace."
His finger moved across the map.
"But recently, we've discovered signs that Sunagakure's reconnaissance squads may be operating nearby. Your mission is to station yourselves near the orphanage and protect both the wounded there and the orphanage itself."
"Just the three of us?" Kiyohara asked.
"There are two other squads stationed elsewhere to provide support."
Nara Enchū answered his question.
"An orphanage?" Kurenai couldn't help but ask.
"Why would there be an orphanage in a place like this?"
She was genuinely curious as to why an orphanage would be established in such a location.
Nara Enchū sighed softly.
"War creates far too many orphans. That orphanage existed long before this war. The headmistress is a kind woman who took in many children who lost their parents."
He looked at Kiyohara.
"This mission may seem simple, but it's extremely important. If the orphanage is attacked, not only will the wounded be in danger, those children as well…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"We understand."
Kiyohara nodded solemnly. "We'll protect the place."
"Very good."
Nara Enchū was clearly satisfied with Kiyohara's response.
"Rest for a while, then set out. You should be able to arrive before nightfall."
"Yes!"
The three of them left the command center. After resting briefly in the camp, they followed the map and headed toward the rear of Kikyo Mountain.
Life is filled with joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, and people like cattle and horses merely decorate it.
Shinobi were exactly that kind of cattle—screws on the assembly line of war, moved wherever they were needed.
…
The three walked along a dirt road. There were fewer trees here, mostly rugged mountain paths, uneven and difficult to traverse.
But compared to the oppressive atmosphere of the front lines, the air in the rear was much fresher.
As they moved farther from the battlefield, traces of war gradually diminished. From time to time, they could see intact forests and clear streams.
"The front lines and the rear really are two completely different worlds," Genma said with a sigh.
"But the two worlds are connected," Kurenai replied. "If the front collapses, the rear will quickly turn into a battlefield as well."
Meanwhile, Kiyohara carefully observed the terrain, thinking about the situations they might encounter during the mission.
Sunagakure's reconnaissance squads… what kind of people would they be?
Ordinary scouting shinobi?
Or something more dangerous?
"Will a future puppet master show up?" Kiyohara mused, stroking his chin.
Sunagakure's puppet techniques were indeed formidable, even capable of recycling human corpses.
The stronger a person was in life, the stronger the puppet created from them would be.
But what interested Kiyohara even more was poison.
Sand shinobi were masters of poison, often coating their puppets or shinobi tools with toxins.
Chiyo was a prime example.
Even a tiny scratch could become a fatal wound once poisoned.
'I need to be careful of airborne poisons, and toxins that cling to the skin,' Kiyohara thought to himself.
Steel Release could prevent his skin from being cut or pierced by sharp weapons, but once he deactivated it, any poison on the surface could still adhere to his skin and possibly seep in.
Moreover, some poisons could volatilize into the air and be inhaled, like the toxins of Hanzō of the Salamander's summoning beast.
What Kiyohara wanted was resistance to poison.
If he could strengthen that aspect as well, he wouldn't need to worry in the future about being poisoned or taken down by underhanded tricks.
The Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kazekage in Sunagakure's history, undeniably possessed Kage-level strength, yet he still died unknowingly to Sasori's poison.
Even someone as powerful as Jiraiya would collapse after being poisoned by Tsunade.
Before long, as dusk approached, they arrived at their destination.
It was a small basin located within a mountain valley, surrounded by layers of mountains that formed a natural barrier.
At the center of the basin stood several simple houses built against the mountainside. In front of them lay a patch of cultivated land, planted with vegetables.
About a kilometer away from the houses, over a dozen white tents had been set up—the resting place for the wounded.
Some injured shinobi sat outside the tents, some basking in the sun, others playing board games. Compared to the front lines, the atmosphere here was much more relaxed.
However, Kiyohara noticed that most of these were severely wounded shinobis—some had lost limbs, some were blind, and others bore terrifying scars across their faces.
"This is the place…" Kurenai murmured, a trace of pain flashing through her eyes as she looked at the wounded.
"Yes. The rear medical relocation site of Kikyo Mountain," Kiyohara nodded.
"Let's go. First, we should meet the head of the orphanage."
In the past, while in Konoha, he had coincidentally seen Yakushi Nono before she left.
But those were only brief encounters, and there was no real acquaintance between them.
…
The sky had already begun to darken.
The orphanage was entering dinnertime.
"It's time to eat, children," a somewhat plump middle-aged nun said to the children.
Behind her stood a neatly dressed middle-aged man, serving food to them.
The children gathered around the serving area like hungry fledglings.
Yakushi Nono stood a short distance away, quietly watching the scene.
She wore a black nun's habit similar to the plump nun's.
She looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a full figure. Her long golden hair was neatly tucked beneath her nun's headdress, revealing a gentle face filled with almost Madonna-like compassion.
Yakushi Nono adjusted her glasses, reminding the children to line up properly.
After leaving Konoha, she had opened this orphanage.
The plump nun and the bespectacled middle-aged man were caregivers who ran the orphanage together with her.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.
'Are there shinobi here?' Yakushi Nono thought.
She remembered being told that several squads of shinobi would arrive in the coming days to handle security.
She went to open the door. When she saw Kiyohara and the other two, she froze for a moment, then revealed a gentle smile.
"Are you… the new shinobi from Konoha?"
"Yes," Kiyohara nodded.
"I'm the headmistress here, Yakushi Nono."
Yakushi Nono bowed slightly.
"Thank you for coming. This place truly needs more protection."
Hearing that, Kiyohara's heart stirred.
Yakushi Nono… so it really was her.
The former top intelligence operative of Root, a woman of formidable strength and means, known as the "Walking Shrine Maiden," now living under an assumed name as the humble head of a small orphanage.
"Headmistress Nono, could you introduce the situation here?" Kiyohara asked.
Kurenai curiously peeked inside and saw many children.
Genma, meanwhile, was more curious about what they were eating.
"Of course. Please come in."
Yakushi Nono stepped aside.
"The place is rather simple inside, so please don't mind it."
Everyone entered the wooden building. The interior was more spacious than it looked from the outside and was divided into several rooms.
The largest room was the children's activity room, furnished with a few old tables and chairs. Children's drawings were pasted on the walls—crude, but filled with innocence.
It was dinnertime. Dozens of children sat around a long table, simple food placed before them—mostly mashed potatoes, with some greens.
Kiyohara noticed that the children's clothes were very plain, some even patched, yet everyone was clean, their faces glowing with pure, innocent smiles.
"Children, these are the newly arrived shinobi big brothers and sisters," Yakushi Nono introduced gently.
The children looked at Kiyohara and the others with curiosity.
To them, shinobi were part of a distant world.
Yet the children here all admired shinobi.
If they had the kind of power shinobi possessed, they could help the headmistress even more!
"Headmistress, are we having mashed potatoes again today?" asked a little boy of about five or six. He had messy brown hair and big eyes.
"Yes, Kato," Yakushi Nono replied, sighing softly.
"All right," Kato said.
He didn't complain and obediently lined up.
Even though they had been eating potatoes for two whole months, so much that just looking at them made them want to vomit, this was still the best food they had.
After Kiyohara and the others arrived, Yakushi Nono also asked whether the three of them would like to eat together.
Kiyohara declined. There was no rush for that.
Gathering intelligence was the more important matter.
So Yakushi Nono's smile faded slightly. She led the three of them upstairs to a small office.
Inside stood an old desk and several chairs. Maps and documents hung on the walls. Though simple, everything was orderly.
"Yes. About three days ago, while I was gathering medicinal herbs in the back mountains, I noticed some unusual footprints," Yakushi Nono said, pointing to a spot on the map.
"Here, about three kilometers from the orphanage."
She paused, then continued.
"The footprints were very light, clearly left by someone deliberately concealing their tracks. However, in several places they stepped on newly sprouted grass, snapping it. The breaks were very fresh. And the distribution of the footprints closely resembles a shinobi squad formation."
Kiyohara was secretly impressed.
To deduce so much information from such subtle traces—she truly deserved her reputation as a former top Root intelligence operative.
"You think it's likely to be a Sunagakure's reconnaissance squad?" Kiyohara asked.
"The possibility is very high," Yakushi Nono nodded.
"With the recent intensity of the front-line battles, Suna may dispatch reconnaissance teams to infiltrate the rear, gather intelligence, or… carry out sabotage."
Although she had long stopped involving herself in shinobi affairs, from the fragmented words of the wounded, she instinctively pieced together the current situation.
(End of Chapter)