Tsunade's body stiffened slightly, and she instinctively raised a hand to cover her chest.
"Kiyohara."
"Hm?"
"Shizune will be back soon."
"Then let's make it quick."
Kiyohara sat up from her lap. He slipped one arm around her waist, while his other arm passed beneath her knees, lifting her entire body into his arms.
Tsunade was not much shorter than him, and she had a full, well-developed figure, but the weight of her body in his arms was just right.
Her long golden hair slid from her shoulder, the ends hanging over Kiyohara's arm and swaying gently with every step he took toward the bathroom.
The bathroom door closed behind them.
The shower was turned on, and hot water poured from the showerhead, splashing loudly against the tiled floor.
Steam quickly filled the entire bathroom, covering the glass partition with a thick layer of white mist.
Before long, the vague outline of a pair of hands appeared through the fogged glass.
The fingers were slender, pressed firmly against the glass, the knuckles turning slightly pale from the force.
If one looked carefully, the hands leaving those marks on the glass clearly belonged to Tsunade. Behind the glass was her face, distorted slightly by the steam.
Her brows were tightly knitted together, her amber eyes unfocused and slightly rolled upward, while her lips were parted as she gasped for breath again and again.
She trembled for quite some time before finally recovering from her nearly suffocating state.
Behind her was another, much taller shadow. It leaned close to her ear, seemingly explaining some insights regarding a certain ninjutsu about the Wood Release.
The sound of rushing water continued to echo throughout the bathroom, drowning out everything else.
Not long afterward, the living room door was pushed open.
Shizune walked inside carrying a stack of documents she had just brought back from Konoha Hospital. Her short black hair was slightly disheveled from hurrying back.
She placed the documents on the low table and turned around, about to call for Tsunade, when she suddenly heard the sound of running water coming from the direction of the bathroom.
She froze for a moment.
Then her cheeks instantly became hot.
Shizune tiptoed backward into the hallway, leaning her back against the wall as she tightly hugged the tray in her arms.
The sound of water continued to rush from the bathroom. Every now and then, a few other noises could be heard, though they were too muffled by the running water to make out clearly.
After a very long time, the water finally stopped.
The bathroom door opened, and Kiyohara stepped out wearing a loose bathrobe. His long black hair was still dripping with water.
When he saw Shizune standing in the hallway with a face as red as a boiled shrimp, he raised one eyebrow.
"Shizune."
"I-I didn't hear anything!"
Shizune hurriedly shook her head.
Kiyohara let out a small laugh, reached over, and ruffled her hair before turning around and walking toward the entrance.
His figure disappeared around the entryway, and the door gently closed behind him.
Shizune took several deep breaths before she was finally able to suppress the heat in her cheeks. She then walked toward the bathroom.
Tsunade was sitting on the changing bench, her long golden hair soaked through and clinging to her shoulders. A large bath towel was wrapped around her body.
Her face was flushed, and a layer of lingering moisture still remained in her amber eyes.
"Lady Tsunade..."
Shizune cautiously approached and handed her a clean towel.
"Are you all right?"
Tsunade took the towel and began drying her hair.
"I'm fine."
Shizune did not ask anything else.
She simply stood quietly behind Tsunade and used the dry towel to wipe her still-dripping hair, while secretly thinking to herself.
That Kiyohara guy really is getting bolder and bolder.
Tsunade, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shizune.
Had Shizune heard something?
…
When Sasuke returned home, the sky had already grown dark.
He changed his shoes at the entrance and stepped onto the wooden corridor, his footsteps producing soft thumping sounds.
The lights in the living room were already on. Itachi was sitting in front of the low table, holding a white cloth in his hand as he carefully wiped the shuriken from his tool pouch.
Every single shuriken had to be turned over and wiped several times. Under the light, the edges of the blades reflected a cold, silvery gleam.
For a shinobi, this was a necessary part of training.
Maintaining one's tools could also temper a shinobi's patience and increase their spiritual energy.
After all, the two major sources of spiritual energy were the refinement of one's will and the accumulation of knowledge.
"Big Brother."
Sasuke sat down across from Itachi, resting both hands on his knees as he looked at his older brother with undisguised admiration in his dark eyes.
"What were you busy with all day today?"
Itachi raised his head and placed the shuriken he had finished cleaning back into his tool pouch. His long black hair slipped from his shoulder with the movement.
He looked at Sasuke, the corners of his lips curving into a gentle smile filled with affection for his younger brother.
"I was working for Kiyohara-sensei."
Sasuke's eyes immediately lit up.
He moved a little closer, his knees almost touching the edge of the low table. His voice was filled with envy.
"Was it another task for the Hokage? Big Brother, you're with Hokage-sama every day. That's so nice."
He paused, his fingers tightening around his knees.
"I want to become Hokage-sama's disciple too!"
Itachi looked at his younger brother's serious little face and remained silent for a moment.
There was always something burning within Sasuke's eyes.
Itachi knew that his younger brother's admiration had gradually transformed into a desire to become stronger.
"All right."
Itachi reached out his hand and extended his index and middle fingers, gently poking Sasuke's forehead just as he had done when they were children.
"I'll talk to Sensei about it."
Sasuke's head tilted backward slightly from the poke, but he could not hide the smile spreading across his face.
He rubbed the spot on his forehead and looked extremely happy.
Early the next morning, Sasuke left the house.
He passed through the alleys of the Uchiha district, crossed the small bridge over the Naka River, and ran all the way to Naruto's house.
He knocked on the door several times with his fist.
The door was pulled open from inside. Naruto stood at the entrance with his blond hair even messier than usual. The three whisker-like markings on each cheek wrinkled slightly as he yawned.
He rubbed his eyes, but the moment he realized that the person standing outside was Sasuke, his bright blue eyes immediately became alert.
"Sasuke? Why are you here so early?"
"I might become Uncle Kiyohara's student."
In Sasuke's heart, Itachi was highly valued by Kiyohara, and Sasuke also felt that Kiyohara was a very approachable person.
Although nothing had been officially confirmed yet, Sasuke was already so pleased with himself that he could not resist coming over to brag about it to Naruto.
Naruto froze for a second.
Then his expression changed drastically.
"What? You're going to become Uncle Kiyohara's disciple?"
"No, no, no! I want to become one too!"
Naruto shook his head vigorously.
"You don't have an older brother to speak for you."
"I'll go ask him myself!"
Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the sleeve and immediately ran outside without even closing the door behind him. He was still wearing slippers, which slapped noisily against the stone pavement with every step.
"Come on! We're going right now!"
The two boys ran all the way from Naruto's house to Konoha's main street.
Teuchi the owner of Ichiraku Ramen was in the middle of raising the shop's rolling shutter. When he saw Naruto and Sasuke rushing past one after another, he could only smile and shake his head.
Just then, Sasuke suddenly stopped.
Naruto nearly crashed into his back. He was about to complain, but when he followed Sasuke's gaze and looked ahead, the words became stuck in his throat.
At the other end of the main street, Kiyohara was walking toward them.
He was holding the hand of a girl about the same age as them.
She had short, dark blue hair that reached just to her ears, softly framing both sides of her face.
Her cheeks still carried a hint of baby fat, making them look as soft and fair as freshly steamed rice cakes. Her forehead was smooth, and her features were gentle and delicate.
Naruto and Sasuke had seen this girl before.
They knew her name was Hinata.
The last time they had encountered her had been at Training Ground Three, where Kiyohara had been teaching Hinata.
However, Hinata seemed to be very shy around strangers. One of her hands was tightly gripping Kiyohara's sleeve, and she was practically walking pressed against his arm. Her fair little face carried a somewhat timid expression.
Kiyohara also noticed them.
He stopped in front of Naruto and Sasuke, and Hinata stopped with him. Her pure white eyes curiously examined the two boys standing in front of her, who were about the same age as she was.
One had blond hair and blue eyes, with three whisker-like markings on each cheek.
The other had black hair and black eyes, with a small fan embroidered on the collar of his clothes.
"Naruto, Sasuke."
Kiyohara greeted them casually.
"Uncle Kiyohara!"
Naruto practically bounced in front of him.
"I have something to tell you! It's really, really important!"
"I want to become your disciple! I want to become your student, and then I'll become the strongest Hokage!"
Several pedestrians passing by on the street were startled by his shout and turned their heads to look.
Standing behind Naruto, Sasuke felt embarrassed on Naruto's behalf.
He reached out and tugged on Naruto's clothes, lowering his voice.
"Hey, you're being too loud. That's rude."
"So what?"
Naruto turned his head, completely unable to understand what he had done wrong.
"If you're going to say something important, you have to say it loudly. That's what makes it exciting!"
A dark line appeared across Sasuke's forehead.
He was just about to say something else when Kiyohara raised a hand, signaling that Sasuke did not need to worry about it.
"It's fine."
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at Naruto, the corners of his lips curling upward slightly.
"I've heard your request."
Kiyohara had already intended to take Naruto and Sasuke as his disciples.
After all, these two were destined to become the greatest combatants of the shinobi world.
With just a little proper guidance and training, their futures would be limitless.
Naruto's eyes immediately widened.
"Then, then you agree?!"
"I agree."
Kiyohara nodded before shifting his gaze from Naruto to Sasuke.
"Sasuke as well, right? Itachi already told me about it."
Sasuke froze for a moment before nodding vigorously.
The corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably, but he quickly forced them back down, trying to maintain his usual composed expression.
Kiyohara looked at the two little boys standing before him, each with a personality completely different from the other, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Naruto's chakra was as warm as a little sun, and his entire body radiated an excitement that he could barely contain.
Although Sasuke was doing his best to keep his face expressionless, there was still a glimmer of light in those dark eyes.
Meanwhile, Hinata was still clutching Kiyohara's sleeve, her pure white eyes moving back and forth between the two unfamiliar boys.
What should he give these two little brats as a welcoming gift?
Kiyohara pondered the matter silently.
Shinobi tools would be too ordinary. They were still too young to understand profound ninjutsu scrolls, and Kiyohara did not have enough time to personally provide them with practical combat instruction.
After considering the matter for a while, he looked down at the three children, none of whom had even reached his shoulders, and decided to give them something more practical instead.
"Since this is our first meeting, as your sensei, I should give you a welcoming gift."
"Come with me. We'll find somewhere with no one around."
Kiyohara led the three children into a secluded alley beside the main street.
"Summoning Technique!"
As Kiyohara slammed his palm against the ground, a huge black summoning formula spread outward.
With a muffled bang, white smoke erupted into the air.
Within the swirling cloud of smoke, a slender figure slowly emerged.
It was none other than Tagitsuhime.
Her graceful and curvaceous figure was completely concealed beneath a somewhat conservative robe, giving her the appearance of a tall, elegant, and delicate beauty with an almost otherworldly air.
When Tagitsuhime saw Kiyohara, she bowed respectfully.
"Lord Kiyohara."
Naruto's mouth fell open.
He stared at Tagitsuhime before taking a deep breath. Then, in a volume that showed he had absolutely no idea what speaking quietly meant, he exclaimed,
"This big sister is so beautiful!"
Sasuke said nothing, but a hint of amazement also flashed through his dark eyes.
The woman's features were indeed extraordinarily beautiful.
But there was something else.
Sasuke could not quite put his finger on what felt wrong.
It was not that she was unattractive. Rather, her aura seemed somewhat different.
Sasuke always felt that this woman was missing a certain sense of humanity.
Hinata instinctively shrank half a step behind Kiyohara, her pure white eyes secretly peeking through the gap beside his arm as she examined the unfamiliar woman standing before them.
Her instincts told her that this woman was dangerous, but Kiyohara-sensei seemed to know her.
"Tagitsuhime."
Kiyohara spoke.
"I intend to make a trip to Ryuchi Cave and arrange summoning beasts for these three little ones. You don't have any objections, do you?"
Tagitsuhime straightened up. Her slit pupils swept over the three children one by one, lingering for a moment on Hinata's Byakugan before returning to Kiyohara.
"Since Lord Kiyohara has personally brought people here, Ryuchi Cave naturally has no reason to refuse."
Tagitsuhime spoke respectfully.
Kiyohara nodded.
"Then lead the way."
With that, Tagitsuhime disappeared.
At the same time, Kiyohara picked up Hinata, took hold of Naruto and Sasuke, and used the Reverse Summoning Technique to travel there.
In the blink of an eye, the world around them became completely different.
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.
So this was Ryuchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions.
It was an entirely different world from Konoha.
Naruto jumped out from behind him. His golden hair reflected the light of the glowing moss around them, taking on a faint green tint, while his bright blue eyes opened as wide as possible.
Tagitsuhime informed Tagorihime of their arrival.
Before long, another figure slowly descended the stone steps from the depths of the cave.
Tagorihime looked at Kiyohara as he approached and could not shake the feeling that this Lord had become even stronger.
Tagitsuhime walked over to Tagorihime and quietly explained the reason for Kiyohara's visit.
Tagorihime's gaze passed over Tagitsuhime's shoulder and landed on Kiyohara. She then looked at the three children beside him and nodded slightly.
"Since this is Lord Kiyohara's intention, Ryuchi Cave naturally will not be stingy with its summoning contract scrolls."
Tagorihime stepped aside and gestured for them to proceed.
"Come with me, children. The snakes will help you find summoning beasts that are suitable for each of you."
Naruto immediately grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him forward.
"Come on, come on! Hurry up, Sasuke!"
"Stop pulling me. I can walk by myself."
Sasuke shook Naruto's hand off, although his footsteps were hardly any slower than Naruto's.
The two children followed Tagorihime toward the depths of the cave.
Naruto's chattering voice gradually faded into the distance, becoming increasingly muffled as it traveled through the winding passageways.
Kiyohara lowered his head and noticed that Hinata was still standing beside him.
One of her hands was tightly gripping his sleeve, while her pure white eyes watched Naruto and Sasuke disappear farther into the cave.
She then looked up at Kiyohara.
Her fair little face was filled with hesitation.
Kiyohara crouched down and reached out to gently pat her head.
"Go ahead. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Hinata raised her head, her fingers slowly loosening their grip on Kiyohara's sleeve.
"Then... then I'll go, sensei."
Her voice was still soft and timid, but it was already considerably louder than when she had first begun training under Kiyohara.
She turned around and ran toward Tagorihime.
After taking several steps, she looked back at Kiyohara once more.
Only then did she quicken her pace and catch up with the two boys ahead of her.
Naruto heard the footsteps coming from behind and turned around.
When he saw Hinata running toward them, he stopped and tilted his head as he looked at the white-eyed girl.
Hinata did not know why Naruto was staring at her and felt a little confused.
"Are you also Uncle Kiyohara's disciple?" Naruto asked bluntly.
Hinata gently nodded.
"Mm..."
"Your eyes are really strange. They're completely white. Can you see properly?"
Sasuke kicked Naruto in the back of the leg.
"Don't ask such a rude question."
"I'm just curious."
Naruto rubbed his calf where Sasuke had kicked him, then turned around and flashed Hinata a wide grin.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to become the strongest Hokage in the world!"
It was the first time Naruto had formally introduced himself to Hinata.
Because of Kiyohara, Hinata had never been bullied during her childhood.
Naturally, Naruto had never gotten the opportunity to play the hero and rescue her.
As a result, their relationship at this point was still very distant.
"Hyuga Hi... Hinata."
Hinata introduced herself quietly.
…
Deep within the cave, a gigantic white snake coiled around a massive stone seat slowly opened her eyes.
Her body was larger than any other snake in the cave.
Each of her scales was roughly the size of a washbasin, with an extremely fine golden border around the edges.
The White Snake Sage.
She had sensed Kiyohara's chakra.
It was already far beyond the level of an ordinary human shinobi.
Although Kiyohara had deliberately concealed his aura extremely well, the power within him, which had fused the chakra of multiple Tailed Beasts, had still seeped through the layers of Ryuchi Cave.
That chakra reminded her of an existence from an extremely distant past.
Otsutsuki Kaguya, the Rabbit Goddess.
That woman had once ruled over the entire world through her own power.
The Ten-Tails chakra within her was connected to the direction Kiyohara was currently moving toward.
In other words, he was heading toward the path of "Transforming into a Dragon."
A trace of undisguised greed flashed through the White Snake Sage's slit pupils.
If, if she could devour the Senjutsu chakra and Tailed Beast chakra within Kiyohara and seize that power that was gradually approaching the level of the Ten-Tails for herself, perhaps she could skip a thousand years of painstaking cultivation and directly complete her transformation into a dragon.
At that time, that red toad and that blue slug would no longer be beings capable of standing on equal footing with her.
The entire Three Great Sage Regions would bow before her.
No.
The entire shinobi world would kneel beneath her.
The White Snake Sage's tail gently flicked against the stone throne, producing a soft scraping sound.
She raised her head and sent a thought toward the entrance of the cave.
"Bring him here."
When Tagitsuhime received that mental message, her eyelashes trembled slightly.
"Lord Kiyohara, the White Snake Sage requests that you go see her."
Kiyohara said nothing more.
He simply nodded slightly and followed Tagitsuhime toward the depths of the cave.
"Tagitsuhime, you still remember what I told you before, right?"
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
Tagitsuhime understood exactly what Kiyohara meant.
It was about supporting her in becoming the master of Ryuchi Cave.
"Of course I haven't forgotten."
Tagitsuhime replied.
However, the impression the White Snake Sage had left in her heart was simply too deep.
Although Tagitsuhime had her own ambitions, she still did not dare to openly rebel against the White Snake Sage.
"Good."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
His gaze swept across the murals painted on both sides of the cave.
The murals depicted the deeds of the White Snake Sage.
Some showed her devouring humans, while others depicted her fighting a giant red-skinned toad.
When Kiyohara arrived in the main hall, the White Snake Sage's slit pupils were already looking down at him from above.
"It has been some time since we last met, Kiyohara."
The White Snake Sage spoke.
"Your chakra..."
The White Snake Sage lowered her head slightly and moved closer to him.
The greed in her slit pupils became increasingly obvious.
"You have already embarked upon the path of 'Transforming into a Dragon.' I do not know what method you used to fuse the chakra of the Tailed Beasts, but you have gathered the power of all nine Tailed Beasts into your own body."
The White Snake Sage's forked tongue slipped from the corner of her mouth and gently flicked through the air.
"To reach this point, you must have endured no small amount of hardship. However, if you wish to cross the final threshold, relying solely on yourself will not be enough."
The White Snake Sage's tail slowly moved across the stone seat. Her white scales rubbed against one another, producing a metallic scraping sound.
"Give me a portion of that Tailed Beast chakra. I will refine it for you. With Ryuchi Cave's thousand years of accumulated Senjutsu foundation supporting us, I can help you complete the final step. Once that happens, you and I will become one, and together we will stand at the pinnacle of the shinobi world as true dragons."
Tagitsuhime stood beneath the stone steps.
Her slit pupils moved back and forth between Kiyohara and the White Snake Sage.
Who should she choose?
The thought had barely appeared in her mind before Kiyohara's figure completely overshadowed it.
After all, Kiyohara was invincible in the current era.
The White Snake Sage was powerful as well, but she had merely survived from the great war a thousand years ago through sheer perseverance.
If Kiyohara's strength had been placed in the era a thousand years ago, he certainly would not have been an unknown figure.
More importantly, Tagitsuhime could sense the aura of a fellow member of her species from Kiyohara.
This meant that Kiyohara likely would not have the same short lifespan as ordinary humans.
From that perspective, Kiyohara was practically an extraordinary investment with limitless potential.
Listening to the White Snake Sage's fantastical proposal, Kiyohara let out a mocking laugh before turning his gaze toward Tagitsuhime.
"Tagitsuhime."
Her body trembled slightly.
She raised her head, her dark green slit pupils meeting Kiyohara's gaze.
"Are you prepared to become the master of Ryuchi Cave?"
Those words caused Tagitsuhime's heart to tremble.
She knew that Kiyohara would ask her this question sooner or later, but she had never expected him to say it directly in front of the White Snake Sage.
The White Snake Sage had naturally heard him as well.
Her head suddenly snapped toward Tagitsuhime, her slit pupils filled with icy coldness.
"You actually betrayed me, Tagitsuhime?"
Tagitsuhime lowered her head.
When she raised it again, all hesitation had disappeared from her dark green slit pupils.
"I am ready."
"Good."
Kiyohara withdrew his gaze and turned back toward the White Snake Sage.
"I don't have the patience to continue playing along with you. Ryuchi Cave has been in your hands for far too long. It is time for it to have a new master."
Ever since the first time he had visited Ryuchi Cave, Kiyohara had been able to sense that the White Snake Sage had ulterior motives toward him.
At that time, however, Kiyohara had not intended to do anything about it.
Now, his strength had already reached a level where he was powerful enough to completely ignore the White Snake Sage.
There was no longer any reason for him to care about her.
The White Snake Sage's slit pupils suddenly contracted into two extremely thin vertical lines.
She opened her mouth, the corners stretching all the way toward both sides of her massive head and revealing a mouthful of razor-sharp venomous fangs.
An oppressive aura powerful enough to make an ordinary shinobi suffocate on the spot erupted from her enormous body.
The force shook the stalactite pillars surrounding the stone throne until they hummed and trembled.
"Arrogant!"
(End of Chapter)