Kiyohara led Samui into a quiet room before finally coming to a stop.
He glanced around the interior and concluded that this had probably once been an execution chamber before later being converted into an office.
The room was extremely simple.
There was only a single desk and two chairs.
Other than that, it was completely empty.
"Here?"
A trace of confusion flashed through Samui's pale blue eyes.
She could not understand why Kiyohara had brought her here.
If this was supposed to be punishment, shouldn't it be somewhere filled with torture instruments?
Or had Kiyohara simply forgotten something in this room?
While Samui was silently wondering, Kiyohara took out a sealing scroll.
He rummaged through it for a moment before eventually pulling out a neatly folded set of clothing.
Samui's eyes widened slightly.
It was a maid outfit.
The entire outfit was black and white, trimmed with delicate lace around the edges.
"W... What is that?"
Samui could not help frowning.
Wasn't this outfit a little too small?
The thought appeared in her mind involuntarily.
"This is your punishment to make amends."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
Originally, this outfit had been prepared for Konan.
Giving it to Samui now was admittedly rather forced.
Although Konan's figure was already quite good, compared with Samui's, the difference was enormous.
The gap between them could practically be described as heaven and earth.
It was like the difference between something that could be held with one hand and something that required both hands to fully grasp.
The disparity spoke for itself.
Samui's face turned crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Y... You!"
She pointed at Kiyohara, her finger trembling slightly.
"I am a Jonin of Kumogakure!"
"Prisoners are not qualified to negotiate."
Kiyohara interrupted her.
What a joke.
Did prisoners still get to talk about human rights?
If Konoha had not intended to use them as bargaining chips to extract greater concessions from Kumo, they would have long since been subjected to severe interrogation.
During the Third Shinobi War, Kumo had been the first to initiate the conflict, eventually turning it into a war that engulfed the entire shinobi world.
Although the war had ended, all Five Great Nations, along with countless smaller countries, had been left covered in scars.
"Either put it on, or go back to your cell."
Samui's chest rose and fell violently.
Beneath the black-and-white striped prison uniform, the full curves of her figure swayed noticeably with every breath, as though they were on the verge of bursting free from the fabric.
She bit her lower lip.
The anger burning within her eyes was almost tangible.
Yet in the end, she slowly lowered her hand.
Turning around, she presented Kiyohara with her back.
Her trembling fingers began undoing the buttons of her prison uniform.
The uniform slid off.
Her fair shoulders were revealed first.
Then came her smooth back.
The elegant curve of her waist.
Followed by the generous line of her hips.
She picked up the maid outfit and hurriedly put it on.
The black fabric felt slightly cool against her skin.
The skirt was very short, reaching only halfway down her thighs.
The neckline revealed the deep valley between her chest, along with the graceful curves rising on either side.
She slowly turned around to face Kiyohara.
The face that was usually composed and calm was now filled with humiliation and indignation.
"I... Is this enough?"
Kiyohara looked her over.
The black maid uniform.
The white lace trim.
And those long, slender legs wrapped in black thigh-high stockings.
It suited her remarkably well.
"Not bad."
Kiyohara nodded approvingly.
She possessed a rather exotic charm in it.
"Come here."
He beckoned toward Samui.
She bit her lower lip again before walking over.
Stopping directly in front of him.
Kiyohara patted the seat beside him.
"Sit."
Taking a deep breath, Samui lowered herself into the chair beside him.
The chair sank slightly beneath her weight, causing her body to lean unconsciously toward him.
She hurriedly steadied herself, yet she could still feel his gaze lingering on her.
Her face became hotter and hotter.
"Massage my shoulders."
Kiyohara said.
Samui blinked.
"What?"
"Massage my shoulders and back."
He repeated himself.
"Don't you know what a maid is supposed to do?"
Samui inhaled deeply, suppressing the anger welling up inside her.
She turned around and extended her hands.
Those fair, delicate hands rested gently upon Kiyohara's shoulders.
Then she began kneading and tapping them.
Kiyohara closed his eyes and leaned comfortably against the back of the chair.
"Harder."
Samui bit her lip and increased the force.
"The left side."
Her hands shifted left.
"The right."
She immediately moved them to the other side.
Before long, her arms were beginning to ache.
But Kiyohara showed no sign of stopping.
"Pour me some tea."
He suddenly spoke.
Samui froze briefly before standing up and walking over to the desk.
The teapot was full, and the tea inside was still warm.
She poured a cup and brought it back.
Kiyohara accepted the cup and took a small sip.
"Too hot."
Samui frowned faintly.
"Pour another."
She obediently poured another cup.
Kiyohara took another sip.
"Too cold."
Samui took another deep breath, forcing herself to suppress her irritation.
"Again."
Time slowly passed.
By now, Samui's arms had become so sore that she could barely lift them.
Finally, Kiyohara stood up.
She secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Just as she was about to stand as well, she suddenly felt a hand rest upon her shoulder.
With a gentle push.
She was pressed back into the chair.
Then that hand slid slowly downward.
It stopped at her waist.
Giving it a light squeeze.
Her entire body stiffened instantly.
"Y... You!"
She had only just begun to speak when the hand moved away.
Then came a sharp sound.
Smack.
The crisp noise echoed throughout the room.
Samui's body froze again.
Her eyes widened as she stared at Kiyohara in complete disbelief.
That hand had just struck her on the hip.
The force had not been heavy, yet it left behind an odd tingling numbness.
"W... What are you doing?!"
Even her voice had changed pitch.
Kiyohara calmly looked at her.
"Does a master need to explain what he does to his maid?"
Then another slap landed.
Smack.
Samui's body trembled slightly.
The cold, indifferent eyes she usually possessed were now overflowing with humiliation and anger.
But beneath those emotions was something even harder to describe.
An unfamiliar sensation.
Without realizing it, she pressed her legs together.
The strange tingling spreading through her body left her completely at a loss.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand.
"That will be all for today."
He stood up.
Samui remained frozen in place.
Only when Kiyohara had nearly reached the doorway did she suddenly come back to her senses.
She hurriedly stood.
"W... Wait!"
Samui called out to stop him.
If she returned dressed like this, how could she possibly explain it to Mabui?
Kiyohara stopped walking and looked back.
"Change back into your original clothes. I'll take you back."
Samui bit her lower lip once more.
Turning around again, she faced away from him.
Her trembling fingers undid the buttons of the maid outfit.
Her fair skin was once again illuminated beneath the oil lamp.
She quickly slipped back into her prison uniform.
Kiyohara opened the door.
"Let's go."
Inside the dungeon.
Mabui was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, seemingly resting.
Hearing approaching footsteps, she slowly opened them.
The moment she saw Samui, her brows twitched slightly.
Something about Samui looked... strange.
Yet she could not quite identify what it was.
"You've suffered."
Mabui comforted her softly.
This was all for Kumogakure.
She sighed quietly.
For a moment, sadness filled her heart.
If Kumogakure had won the war, they would never have had to endure such humiliation.
In the end, they simply had not been strong enough.
Samui shook her head.
"It's... nothing."
Her voice sounded somewhat unnatural.
Mabui looked at her but asked nothing further.
Instead, she simply sighed and gently patted Samui on the shoulder.
Standing outside the cell, Kiyohara told Samui and Mabui to discuss which one of them should be allowed to return to Kumogakure.
He gave them ten minutes.
Afterward, he asked, "Have you decided? Who's going back?"
Mabui and Samui exchanged a glance.
"I'll go."
Mabui spoke first.
"I'm familiar with Kumogakure's technological systems. I know which information can be handed over and which absolutely must be kept secret."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Very well."
He turned around.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone escort you."
The sound of his footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Silence once again settled over the dungeon.
Mabui looked toward Samui.
"He... didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"
Samui's eyelashes quivered slightly.
"N... No."
She turned her face away, not daring to meet Mabui's eyes.
Mabui looked at her for a long moment without saying anything.
Eventually, she simply sighed again and gently patted Samui's shoulder.
Several days passed.
...
As for Kumogakure's affairs, Kiyohara was in no hurry.
There should still be quite some time before Kumo managed to develop the weapon capable of destroying the moon with a single strike.
What Kiyohara wanted to learn was not simply Kumo's completed technology.
What interested him were the concepts behind their inventions and the various branches of chakra-based technology they had developed during the process.
His plan was to apply every one of those technologies to Konoha.
As for the advanced scientific innovations that would later appear in Boruto, Kiyohara intended to bring each of them into existence far ahead of schedule.
Because of that, he had already decided that Konoha's scientific research budget would be increased substantially in the future.
"The orphanage can finally become official."
Kiyohara rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Before becoming Hokage, he had always regarded the orphanage as nothing more than a laboratory and a place for training talented individuals.
Now, however, he possessed the authority of the Hokage.
That meant he could relocate the orphanage directly into Konoha.
He could personally bear all of the expenses required to raise those orphans.
Doing so would also make it much easier for him to collaborate with Nono and Kabuto on various scientific research projects.
Such as cloning the Sharingan.
Or cloning the Byakugan.
Kumogakure had managed to develop the Chakra Cannon through massive amounts of scientific research.
Naturally, there were also other methods of creating similarly devastating weapons.
If a large number of Byakugan were gathered together and combined with Ōtsutsuki chakra, they could eventually form the Giant Tenseigan.
The Giant Tenseigan possessed such terrifying power that it had once annihilated the main branch of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
If he could successfully recreate something like that, the entire balance of any future shinobi war would be rewritten.
From an enormous distance, it would be capable of delivering catastrophic destruction to an enemy camp.
It was practically an upgraded version of a Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Perhaps I should try the Yin Release Chakra Mode."
Kiyohara pondered silently.
He shook away his wandering thoughts and began refining Yin Release chakra.
This was the result of several days of accumulated experimentation.
Using Asura's chakra as a foundation, together with Moryo's Dark Medical Ninjutsu, he had managed to imitate part of Moryos chakra properties.
This portion of Moryo's chakra was, in essence, an unusual form of Yin Release chakra.
A faint layer of dark violet mist gradually surrounded Kiyohara.
The purple-black mist floated around him like flowing water.
It slowly drifted across the surface of his skin, at times condensing into intricate patterns, at others dissolving into hazy clouds.
Every breath he took caused the mist to rise and fall gently with his chest, resembling a layer of armor that clung tightly to his body.
This was the result of his attempts to reproduce the principles behind Chakra Armor.
The only difference was that the entire process relied upon materializing chakra itself into an extremely precise suit of armor.
"Fortunately, I can also mix a portion of my Sharingan's ocular power into it, making the chakra even more solid."
Kiyohara raised his hand and looked at the black armor wrapped around it.
The Susanoo, by its very nature, was simply a technique that materialized chakra into physical form.
In this field, the Uchiha Clan stood far ahead of every other shinobi clan.
If anyone else attempted to materialize such an enormous amount of chakra, only the Tailed Beasts possessed enough chakra to sustain it.
Otherwise, even materializing a small amount of chakra would rapidly exhaust one's reserves.
That fact made Kiyohara's research much easier.
"No... that's not entirely correct."
He shook his head.
"It is because of me that the ocular power can be integrated so smoothly."
Moryo's Yin Release chakra was simply too violent.
Using it directly would cause irreversible mutations to the physical body.
However, by first using Asura's Yang Release chakra to neutralize it, that violent power became docile, like a wild beast that had finally been tamed and could now be controlled at will.
If he had simply fused it with his ocular power directly, it might even have backlashed through the eye's chakra pathways, damaging his vision and weakening his Sharingan.
Kiyohara continued adapting to the new chakra for a while before gradually increasing its output.
At this stage, he found the process remarkably similar to creating Sage Chakra.
Sage Chakra required spiritual energy, physical energy, and natural energy to reach perfect equilibrium.
Now, however, he was balancing Yin Release chakra, Asura's chakra, and Sharingan ocular power.
The dark violet mist condensed outside his body.
Eventually, it transformed into a much thicker suit of solid black chakra armor.
Kiyohara closed his eyes, carefully sensing the newborn power flowing through his body.
The first change was perception.
The instant the black chakra armor enveloped his entire body, his sensory abilities increased severalfold.
He could hear the sound of leaves falling thousands of meters away.
He could even smell the damp scent carried by the underground river beneath the earth.
The entire world became astonishingly clear within his mind.
Every grain of dust followed a perfectly visible trajectory.
Nothing escaped his perception.
Then came the enhancement to his ocular power.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Within those crimson pupils, the three tomoe began rotating.
Faster.
And faster still.
Their movement deepened until they intertwined completely, transforming into the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
His ocular power surged dramatically.
Kiyohara could clearly feel that, in this state, his Mangekyō Sharingan was capable of containing at least twice the ocular power it normally could.
What did that mean?
It meant he could use his Mangekyō techniques far more times.
He could maintain Susanoo for much longer.
He could perform far more delicate and precise maneuvers during battle.
"Interesting..."
Kiyohara slowly raised one hand toward a massive tree ahead that required two adults to wrap their arms around its trunk.
Within his Mangekyō Sharingan, ocular power surged.
"Ashihara no Kakuriyo."
A pitch-black singularity formed upon the tree's trunk.
Although it was not a true singularity, it still possessed terrifying gravitational force.
The enormous trunk visibly collapsed inward.
In barely an instant, the giant tree was compressed into a heap of shattered wood that scattered across the ground.
Kiyohara lowered his gaze, a trace of satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
While using his Mangekyō techniques in this state, the chakra consumption had been reduced by nearly half.
And if Yin Release Chakra Mode were stacked together with Sage Mode...
He did not continue the thought.
The faint smile forming on his lips already spoke for itself.
Then...
What about the Complete Body Susanoo?
Kiyohara inhaled deeply as he sensed the Flying Thunder God markers he had left across various distant locations.
In the end, he decided to conduct the experiment within an uninhabited mountain range.
He raised his right hand.
A single hand seal was formed.
The Flying Thunder God Technique.
Space twisted.
His figure instantly disappeared.
...
A desolate mountain range.
Almost no one had set foot here for countless years.
Mountain after mountain stretched endlessly across the earth.
The ridges were covered with withered yellow grass.
Only an occasional crooked ancient tree could be seen growing inside the valleys.
Kiyohara's figure appeared atop one of the highest peaks.
The cold night wind swept across the summit, causing his flak jacket to flutter loudly.
Standing upon the mountain's edge, he overlooked the pitch-black valley beneath him.
For dozens of kilometers, there was not a single trace of human life.
Safe.
Kiyohara slowly closed his eyes.
Chakra poured from his body.
A gigantic golden skeleton materialized around him.
Golden strands of chakra extended outward from the bones, weaving themselves into thick muscles, tendons, and veins.
Armor gradually formed.
Shoulder guards.
Breastplate.
Arm guards.
Leg armor.
Piece by piece, magnificent golden armor covered the colossal warrior.
At its waist, an enormous double-edged sword condensed from pure chakra.
Its blade was long and elegant.
At the center of its hilt rested a golden magatama.
Complete Body Susanoo.
A golden giant well over one hundred meters tall now stood proudly among the mountains.
Kiyohara stood within the forehead of the Susanoo, completely enveloped by golden chakra.
He slowly exhaled.
The Susanoo exhaled together with him.
Its breath transformed into a violent gale that burst from the giant's mouth, roaring through the valleys below.
The forests beneath swayed violently beneath the tremendous wind.
Countless branches and leaves rustled frantically.
Kiyohara lowered his head to look at his own hand.
The golden giant did exactly the same, lowering its enormous head to gaze upon its massive golden hand.
"I wonder..."
"Compared to Madara's and Sasuke's Complete Body Susanoo, which one is actually larger?"
Kiyohara pondered quietly.
Neither Madara nor Sasuke possessed ordinary Complete Body Susanoo.
One had been enhanced by Six Paths chakra, allowing his Complete Body Susanoo to become four or five times larger than Sasuke's ordinary version.
The other could absorb the chakra of all Nine Tailed Beasts, transforming it into the Takemikazuchi Susanoo.
Of course, Madara's particular form had only ever appeared in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Shinobi Storm.
In the anime, just as Madara was preparing to begin the second phase of the final battle, Black Zetsu stabbed him in the back before he ever had the opportunity.
Still...
In Kiyohara's opinion, the largest Susanoo of all belonged to the Sage of Six Paths himself.
His Susanoo was so enormous that it rivaled the standing Ten Tails in sheer size.
"Forget it."
Kiyohara dismissed those thoughts.
His hand reached toward the sword hanging at his waist.
The Complete Body Susanoo mirrored his movement.
The gigantic golden hand wrapped firmly around the sword's hilt.
Clang.
The blade was drawn.
Kiyohara looked toward the mountain peaks stretching endlessly before him.
Then...
He swung.
The colossal golden chakra sword carved a great semicircle through the sky.
A crescent-shaped blade of chakra shot forward.
Rumble...
A deafening roar echoed throughout the mountain range.
The peak of the foremost mountain slowly began sliding downward.
Then the second mountain.
The momentum of the slash remained completely undiminished.
The summit of the second mountain was likewise sliced clean away.
The massive rock tumbled repeatedly through the air before crashing violently onto the earth.
Boom!
The instant it struck the ground, the entire landscape shook violently.
Countless shattered rocks exploded outward.
Dust filled the sky.
The deep impact echoed endlessly throughout the valleys, startling flocks of birds into frantic flight.
Every swing of Kiyohara's sword erased another section of the mountain range.
Each slash could sever towering peaks.
Some strikes even split apart the clouds high above the heavens.
"So..."
"This is the true Susanoo."
Kiyohara smiled with complete satisfaction.
The power to split mountains, sever peaks, divide seas, and tear apart the clouds.
It was rightly known as the Third Power.
The Power of God.
Even if the Fourth Shinobi War were to begin immediately, Kiyohara was confident that he would survive until the very end.
As long as he did not face an opponent at the Six Paths level, this technique was, for all practical purposes, utterly invincible.
(End of Chapter)