After the crowd gradually dispersed, only Hiruzen and Kiyohara remained.
There were many matters regarding the position of Hokage, the village's assets, official responsibilities, and various important details that naturally had to be handed over personally by Hiruzen to Kiyohara.
Kiyohara listened patiently.
After all, from this day onward, all of it would become his responsibility, and in a sense, his property.
As for stepping down...
Unless he eventually grew tired of being Hokage, Kiyohara had absolutely no intention of giving up the position.
Even he himself had no idea how long he would ultimately live.
Possessing countless kekei genkai, Kiyohara's vitality was already astonishingly vigorous. On top of that, he had inherited the life-prolonging traits of the toads and the white snakes.
In truth, this was essentially an extremely downgraded version of a Chakra Fruit.
After all, the Chakra Fruit consisted of two essential cores. One was an unimaginably vast amount of natural energy, while the other was the genetic information left behind by all living things upon the earth.
A Chakra Fruit gathered the hereditary factors of countless forms of life, allowing whoever consumed it to evolve toward an entirely new state.
"Lord Third."
Kiyohara finally spoke.
"I'd like to know where the village stores its fuinjutsu techniques."
What he really wanted to know was where the archive was located.
He had never visited a place like this before. Every ninjutsu he had previously exchanged using military merits had only been copied scrolls rather than originals from the actual repository.
"Come with me."
Hiruzen simply assumed Kiyohara was eager to continue learning, so he motioned for him to follow.
Kiyohara nodded and walked behind him.
Not long afterward, Hiruzen led him into an underground chamber.
The basement was heavily fortified.
After passing through several powerful barrier formations, Kiyohara found himself standing inside a place that resembled a massive library.
Rows upon rows of scrolls filled the room.
A quick glance revealed that the overwhelming majority were fuinjutsu techniques inherited from the Uzumaki Clan.
Besides those, there were ancient fuinjutsu arts dating back to the Warring States Era, along with techniques developed by small clans and even independent civilian shinobi.
"This is Konoha's collection of fuinjutsu techniques."
Hiruzen spoke calmly.
"Most of the fuinjutsu techniques collected by every Hokage throughout history are stored here."
Kiyohara's eyes swept across the countless scrolls.
The History of Warring States Seals...
Where was it?
Thanks to his extraordinary dynamic vision, even scrolls placed on distant shelves could be read clearly from where he stood.
After searching for a while, he finally spotted an old, weathered scroll tucked away in an inconspicuous corner.
Several characters were written upon it.
The History of Warring States Seals.
Kiyohara immediately walked over and picked it up.
The paper felt rough beneath his fingers, while the edges had become worn and frayed with age.
Clearly, it had existed for a very long time.
He slowly unrolled it and glanced inside.
Page after page of densely packed writing.
Countless intricate sealing formulas.
Records detailing forgotten secrets surrounding fuinjutsu techniques from the Warring States Era.
This was it.
A ripple passed through Kiyohara's heart.
Power truly was a wonderful thing.
Once someone became the one in authority, obtaining something like this required only a single sentence.
Had he not become Hokage, borrowing this scroll alone would have required considerable effort.
Some things simply could not be exchanged through military merit.
They required layer upon layer of approvals before anyone was even allowed to touch them.
"I'll take this one."
He turned toward Hiruzen.
Hiruzen glanced at the scroll before nodding.
"I've never studied fuinjutsu techniques very deeply. Since you want it, go ahead and take it."
He agreed without hesitation.
"What about the others?"
Hiruzen asked.
"No need."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"This one is enough."
There would be plenty of time in the future to study everything else.
Right now, obtaining this scroll was all he cared about.
"Very well."
A trace of satisfaction flashed across Hiruzen's eyes.
"If only Orochimaru were more like you."
In Hiruzen's opinion, Kiyohara truly did not resemble an Uchiha.
Instead, he reminded him far more of himself.
A shinobi who loved learning this much was genuinely rare.
There had once been a time when Orochimaru had also been his greatest pride.
The student he believed resembled him the most.
Unfortunately...
Orochimaru had already strayed onto the wrong path.
After hearing everything about immortality earlier that day, Hiruzen could only conclude that Orochimaru had completely lost his mind.
A perfectly capable shinobi should devote himself to mastering ninjutsu.
Why obsess over something like eternal life, something that fundamentally violated the natural order of the world?
"You're too kind, Lord Third. Orochimaru is exceptional as well."
Kiyohara deliberately omitted any honorific when referring to Orochimaru.
In terms of status, Kiyohara now stood above him.
"He certainly is."
Hiruzen sighed.
"It's just... what a pity."
Seeing his reaction, Kiyohara understood.
Hiruzen was still shaken by everything Orochimaru had said earlier.
That was perfectly understandable.
The shinobi world was, in truth, an extremely conservative place.
There were barely any people who genuinely pursued immortality.
Even Sasuke, the one person who had once considered extending his lifespan, had only done so because he wanted to shoulder everyone's darkness for a longer time, sever every bond, and preserve peace throughout the shinobi world.
"Let's go."
Hiruzen changed the subject.
Kiyohara carefully put away the scroll before following behind him.
After passing back through the barriers, the sealed entrance, and a deliberately winding passage, the two returned to the outside world.
"I'll have someone notify you once the inauguration ceremony has been scheduled."
Hiruzen said.
"The preparations at the Hokage Rock have already begun as well. The craftsmen will soon carve your monument alongside the First, the Second, and mine."
His gaze drifted toward Hokage Rock in the distance.
The three enormous stone faces quietly overlooked the village.
"Starting today..."
"You are the Fourth Hokage."
Kiyohara followed his gaze.
Before long...
A fourth face would stand beside the other three.
"I understand."
Kiyohara replied.
Hiruzen nodded.
"The future belongs to you young people."
Leaving those words behind, he turned and walked away in another direction.
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at the scroll in his hands.
The History of Warring States Seals.
He had finally obtained it.
The corners of his lips slowly curled upward.
The next instant, his figure vanished.
The moment he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to an uninhabited location, Kiyohara suddenly felt something stirring inside his body.
The spirit of Uzumaki Kiyohara emerged from within him, floating silently in midair.
The translucent figure, which had nearly faded away completely, was now radiating countless gentle points of light.
"My younger self..."
Uzumaki Kiyohara's voice had become noticeably softer.
"You finally got your hands on The History of Warring States Seals. Hurry up and let me see it."
He immediately merged into Kiyohara's body.
As he flipped through the pages of the ancient scroll, examining one fuinjutsu technique after another, an expression of complete satisfaction spread across his face.
Without Kiyohara...
He probably would never have had the chance to read what had been recorded inside this legendary scroll during his entire lifetime.
"So..."
"I've finally fulfilled my dream."
Uzumaki Kiyohara said contentedly.
"I'm glad."
Kiyohara discovered that control over his body had returned entirely to him.
Meanwhile, more and more glowing particles began to emerge from Uzumaki Kiyohara's body.
His spirit dissolved into countless tiny specks of light, fluttering through the air like thousands of fireflies.
The lights circled overhead several times.
Then, like birds returning to their nest, they streamed toward Kiyohara.
One after another...
They entered his body.
Kiyohara slowly closed his eyes.
At that instant, he experienced a transformation unlike anything before.
The first change was his chakra.
A warm current surged through every limb and every bone, like countless small rivers flowing into a vast ocean.
His entire chakra pathway system continuously expanded and strengthened beneath the impact of this tremendous power.
The amount of chakra he could contain increased at an astonishing rate.
Compared to before, his chakra reserves had increased by at least another five Kakashis.
Then came his physical energy.
Kiyohara could clearly tell that the increase in this aspect was even greater than the enhancement to his spiritual energy.
That immense power was tempering every part of his body.
Ashura's chakra seeped out through his chakra pathways, merging into his muscles, bones, blood, and internal organs.
He could distinctly feel his muscles becoming denser.
His blood circulated with greater speed.
It felt as though a body that had already been incredibly powerful had now been infused with an entirely new source of life.
Kiyohara slowly opened his eyes.
Lowering his head, he looked at his hand.
It was slender and fair.
Even the old calluses that countless years of training had left behind had begun peeling away.
He casually tore off the dry outer layer of skin.
Beneath it was fresh, smooth skin that looked almost newborn.
Kiyohara clenched his fist.
An overwhelming feeling of strength instantly filled it.
"My physical strength has improved quite a bit too."
He felt as though he could punch a summoned beast to death with a single blow.
And if one punch somehow wasn't enough...
He could always throw another.
He casually swung his arm.
A deafening sonic boom exploded through the air.
A visible white shockwave spread outward in every direction.
"So I've already surpassed the speed of sound with a casual swing?"
Kiyohara rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then he raised his other hand.
Wind chakra gathered at his fingertips, condensing into a blade of wind as thin as a butterfly's wing.
Its edge was sharp enough to slice through steel forged from chakra-conducting ore.
Kiyohara lightly drew the blade across the back of his hand.
A tiny cut immediately appeared.
Blood slowly seeped from the wound.
Then he watched as the injury began healing on its own.
The regeneration was even faster than he had anticipated.
The flesh at the edges of the wound wriggled gently as newly formed cells rapidly multiplied, visibly filling the narrow gap until the cut steadily disappeared.
Within only a few breaths, the wound had completely disappeared.
The only thing left on the back of his hand was a faint smear of blood, serving as the sole proof that there had been a cut there only moments ago.
Kiyohara casually wiped the blood away.
His skin was once again flawless, smooth as though it had never been injured in the first place.
Not even the slightest scar remained.
"So this is... the complete Uzumaki bloodline together with Ashura's chakra."
A trace of delight surfaced within Kiyohara's heart.
Back then, Madara had only managed to obtain this possibility by biting off a piece of Hashirama's flesh while standing on the brink of death. After faking his own death and escaping everyone's pursuit, he secluded himself in secret before, on a sudden whim, grafting the flesh of the man he had once regarded as his closest rival and truest friend onto his own chest.
At that moment, Indra's chakra and Ashura's chakra had finally converged.
Only after several decades of slow fusion had they eventually given birth to the Sage of Six Paths' chakra.
Now, however, Kiyohara already possessed Ashura's chakra within his own body.
If one day he were to obtain Indra's chakra as well...
Would he awaken the Rinnegan immediately?
He lowered his hand.
The odds of that happening were probably rather slim.
After all, he had no idea what kind of future he would inherit next.
"Hmm..."
Still...
There was another possibility.
He could study Sasuke's cells in the future and see whether it would be possible to extract the Indra chakra hidden within them.
Calculating the timeline...
Naruto should be born very soon.
And after that...
Sasuke's birth would follow not long afterward.
The children of the new generation had already begun arriving one after another.
The postwar baby boom would become especially noticeable during this period.
"I should go outside and see whether my Wood Release has improved."
Leaving his bedroom, Kiyohara walked into the courtyard.
He slowly closed his eyes.
To his surprise, he could now clearly sense the rhythm of every surrounding plant.
The trees beyond the windows.
The flowers.
The grass.
Their life force became astonishingly vivid within his perception.
He raised one hand toward a tree standing before him.
Chakra flowed from his palm, gently enveloping the tree.
The next instant...
The tree began changing.
Fresh branches sprouted from the aging trunk.
Tender green leaves unfurled one after another.
Within only a few breaths, the old tree that had already begun to wither regained vibrant life.
Its vitality returned completely.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and looked at his palm.
Ashura's chakra had fused with him even further.
He was now only one final step away from completely mastering Wood Release.
'Later, I'll have to ask Tsunade for the Wood Release ninjutsu that the First Hokage left behind.'
Kiyohara thought silently.
Hashirama had undoubtedly left behind quite a number of Wood Release techniques.
What he probably never could have imagined was that after his death, there would be so few shinobi in Konoha capable of using Wood Release.
Just as Kiyohara was preparing to return from the backyard to his bedroom, he noticed someone approaching.
It was Uchiha Izumi.
Today she wore a dark blue short sleeved shirt with matching shorts, revealing a pair of fair lower legs.
Her long hair had been tied into a ponytail that hung behind her waist, gently swaying as she ran.
Her youthful little face was flushed with excitement.
"Kiyohara-sensei!"
She ran straight up to him before looking up eagerly.
Her dark eyes sparkled with admiration, as though tiny stars were hidden inside them.
"Congratulations on becoming Hokage!"
Her crisp, pleasant voice was filled with joy that she simply could not conceal.
Kiyohara lowered his head to look at her.
The tiny beauty mark beneath the corner of Izumi's eye seemed to dance slightly along with her bright smile, adding an extra touch of charm to her youthful appearance.
"So you've already heard?"
"Yes!"
Izumi nodded vigorously.
"Everyone's talking about it! They all say Sensei is the Fourth Hokage now, and the hero of Konoha!"
Without realizing it, her small fists clenched tightly as she struggled to contain her excitement.
Kiyohara smiled.
He reached out and gently rubbed the top of her head.
"Then from now on, you're the disciple of the Hokage."
"You'll have to work even harder."
A faint blush spread across Izumi's cheeks.
Instead of avoiding his hand, she actually narrowed her eyes slightly, looking just like a kitten happily enjoying being petted.
"I will!"
She nodded firmly.
"I'll definitely work hard! I won't embarrass you, Sensei!"
Looking at her, the smile on Kiyohara's face deepened a little.
This child really was lovable.
"Oh, right."
He suddenly remembered something.
"How have things been with Shion and Guren?"
Izumi blinked.
"Really well!"
She looked up at him with the innocent expression unique to children.
After a brief pause, she added,
"Shion is a little tsundere, but she's actually really easy to get along with. And Big Sister Guren takes great care of us. She's been teaching us how to refine chakra."
Kiyohara couldn't help laughing.
Relationships between young girls really were easy to manage.
At present, both Guren and Shion were students at the Shinobi Academy.
Through Kiyohara's introductions, Izumi had gradually become friends with both of them.
Kiyohara nodded.
"That's good."
He withdrew his hand.
"Come on."
"Let's head to the training ground. I want to see how much you've improved recently."
Izumi's eyes immediately lit up.
"Okay!"
She turned around and sprinted toward the training grounds.
After only a few steps, she suddenly turned back.
"Sensei, hurry!"
Kiyohara smiled before leisurely following after her.
The Third Training Ground.
Standing in the center of the open field, Kiyohara quietly watched Izumi, who stood opposite him.
She took a deep breath.
Her hands rapidly formed one seal after another.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Dozens of small flames burst from her mouth.
Like scattered blossoms drifting through the air, they spread outward in every direction.
Compared to before, each flame had become noticeably larger.
Every fireball was roughly the size of an infant's fist, burning with a brilliant orange red glow.
Instead of immediately vanishing, the flames remained suspended in midair for roughly four or five seconds before gradually fading away.
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow slightly.
Her improvement really was remarkable.
"Very good."
He nodded approvingly.
"Your chakra control is far more refined than before."
A bright smile blossomed across Izumi's face.
"It's all because you taught me so well, Sensei."
She jogged over until she was standing directly in front of him, tilting her head up.
Those eyes were filled entirely with admiration.
Kiyohara reached out once more and gently rubbed her head.
He had noticed something.
Izumi genuinely loved it whenever he patted her head.
Could it be...
She was missing a father's affection?
The thought surfaced in his mind without warning.
After all, Izumi's father was already dead.
In the original story, he had died during the Nine Tails Incident.
This time, however, he had perished in the prolonged war instead.
The conflict lasting several years longer than in the original timeline had naturally produced countless butterfly effects.
"Keep it up."
Kiyohara said.
Izumi happily narrowed her eyes.
"Mm!"
After leaving the Third Training Ground, Kiyohara returned to the Hokage Tower.
He sat inside the office that would soon officially belong to him.
His eyes drifted toward the white Hokage robe hanging upon the wall.
The inauguration ceremony would probably take place within the next few days.
It would not be long now.
When that day arrived...
He would be wearing that robe himself.
But before then...
There was still something he needed to do.
Kiyohara withdrew his gaze before picking up a scroll lying on the desk.
It contained the roster of the Anbu.
He picked up a brush and quickly wrote several lines.
A short while later...
Several figures silently emerged from the shadows before kneeling on one knee in front of him.
"Hokage-sama."
Kiyohara looked up.
Leading them was a female shinobi with striking purple hair.
After removing her mask, she revealed a graceful and beautiful face along with an upright posture.
Uzuki Yugao wore the standard Anbu uniform.
Even if she had kept her animal mask on, that distinctive head of purple hair alone was enough for anyone to recognize her immediately.
Standing beside her, Gekkō Hayate coughed several times, looking as sickly as ever.
"You two will lead a team on a mission."
Kiyohara said calmly.
Yugao raised her head.
"Please give your orders, Kiyohara-senp..."
She paused briefly before immediately correcting herself.
"...Hokage-sama."
Kiyohara picked up another scroll and handed it to her.
"This is the mission list."
"I need a batch of special materials."
"Minerals, metals, and crystals capable of storing enormous amounts of chakra."
After a brief pause, he continued,
"Search throughout the entire shinobi world."
"I don't care how much money it costs."
"Find them."
Yugao accepted the scroll and unfolded it.
The contents were densely packed.
Dozens of materials had been listed together with their characteristics and the regions where they were most likely to be found.
"Understood."
She closed the scroll before looking back up.
"I'll handle it immediately."
Kiyohara nodded.
"You may go."
The several Anbu saluted simultaneously.
Then, just as silently as they had appeared, they vanished back into the surrounding shadows.
Outside the Hokage Tower.
Yugao and Hayate walked side by side through the streets.
"Kiyohara-senpai is really incredible."
Hayate suddenly spoke, unable to conceal the admiration in his voice.
"To become Hokage at such a young age..."
Yugao glanced sideways at him.
"You should be calling him Hokage-sama now."
Hayate froze for a moment before awkwardly scratching his head.
"Right... right."
"Hokage-sama."
After another pause, he still couldn't help saying,
"But he's seriously amazing."
"I still remember when he saved us all those years ago..."
Yugao did not respond.
Yet deep inside...
She was thinking exactly the same thing.
Kiyohara-senpai...
No.
Hokage-sama.
He truly was remarkable.
She withdrew her gaze and quickened her pace.
"Come on."
"The mission comes first."
Hayate nodded and hurried after her.
The two figures quickly disappeared into the far end of the street.
After they had left, Kiyohara continued reading through The History of Warring States Seals.
When...
Should he go and find Uchiha Hikari?
(End of Chapter)