Shibuki's expression changed the instant he heard those two words.
The several Taki shinobi standing behind him tightened their grips around their kunai. Shibuki's Adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed.
"The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki is indeed in Takigakure. She is one of the village's most important combat forces and one of our most important companions. Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but the Seven-Tails is the Tailed Beast of our Takigakure. We cannot hand it over to anyone."
"I'm not here to take the Tailed Beast."
Kiyohara shook his head, his tone calm and indifferent.
"If I wanted to take it by force, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you."
To put it bluntly, Kiyohara did not even need to take action himself.
With all kinds of shinobi from Konoha alone, Takigakure could be crushed.
Mangekyō Fugaku, The Yellow Flash, The Toad Sage, and many others were still in Konoha.
"All I need is a portion of the Seven-Tails' chakra. I don't need to take the Jinchūriki away, and I don't need to take the entire Tailed Beast. Just let me fight the Jinchūriki one-on-one. If I win, I'll take a portion of its chakra. If I lose, I'll turn around and leave."
Kiyohara said that he wanted chakra, but in reality, what he intended to take was a portion of the Tailed Beast's flesh.
For a Tailed Beast, however, there was little difference between the two.
Shibuki remained silent for quite some time.
Kiyohara's reputation throughout the shinobi world was complicated. Some people said that he was the strongest Hokage. Others called him Konoha's most ruthless reformer. There were also those who said that he was a man who always kept his word and placed great importance on promises.
Shibuki had never personally dealt with Kiyohara, but he knew one thing very clearly.
If Kiyohara truly intended to fight, Takigakure's current strength was simply incapable of stopping him.
The fact that Kiyohara was willing to speak with them calmly was already giving them an enormous amount of face.
"Just a battle?"
Shibuki finally spoke.
"It won't endanger her life?"
"It won't."
"Then... fine."
Shibuki's expression shifted several times before he stepped aside and gestured for Kiyohara to follow.
"She usually likes to stay in the treehouse above the waterfall. I'll take you there."
They passed through the tangled roots of an ancient tree and followed a concealed stone staircase upward for several minutes.
Shibuki led Kiyohara to a platform at the highest point of the valley.
The platform had been built directly above the waterfall, with the roaring water plunging into the deep pool below their feet.
At the edge of the platform stood a crooked old tree. A small treehouse made from wooden planks and vines had been built among its branches.
The window of the treehouse was open, and a young girl was leaning against the windowsill, looking downward.
She appeared to be around the same age as Uchiha Izumi. Her short blue-green hair stuck up messily around the top of her head, while the ends were tinged with a light yellow color.
Her skin was a healthy wheat color, and several faint freckles dotted her cheeks.
"Lord Shibuki?"
She leaned half of her body out of the window and waved at Shibuki before her gaze fell upon Kiyohara.
"Who is this handsome big brother?"
Shibuki was just about to introduce him, but Kiyohara had already stepped forward.
He stood beneath the crooked old tree and looked up at the girl in the treehouse window.
"Kiyohara, the Hokage of Konoha. I came here to fight you."
Fu looked somewhat confused.
She placed one hand against the windowsill and pushed herself up. Her entire body flipped out of the treehouse before she landed steadily in front of Kiyohara.
"Fight? With me?"
She pointed at the tip of her own nose.
Because of the Seven-Tails, there were already very few people in Takigakure who could be considered her opponents.
"Are you really the Hokage? Uncle Shibuki said that the Hokage is the strongest shinobi in the entire shinobi world. You came all the way here to fight me, so does that mean I'm really strong?"
Shibuki wanted to say something to explain the situation, but Kiyohara raised a hand and indicated that there was no need.
Shibuki sighed and retreated toward the edge of the platform. He then made a hand gesture toward several Taki ANBU nearby.
The ANBU silently spread out and began setting up a barrier around the platform.
Tsunade also walked several steps backward.
In her opinion, Kiyohara handling a little girl was something he could do with one hand tied behind his back.
"Ready?"
"I've been ready for a long time!"
Fu formed hand seals with both hands, and a surge of red chakra erupted from within her body.
The chakra gathered behind her and took shape, unfolding six translucent wings. Each wing was composed of countless tiny chakra veins, with faint green light flowing between them.
Seven-Tails Wing Formation!
Fu's body rose into the sky under the power of the chakra wings.
"I'm attacking first!"
Her voice came down from above.
The speed at which she formed her hand seals was even faster than Kiyohara had expected. Chakra gathered in her palms, condensing into countless tiny points of light that emitted a faint buzzing sound.
Secret Technique: Scale Powder Scatter!
Light green powder shook loose from her wings and scattered down toward the platform where Kiyohara stood.
Each particle of the powder was only about the size of a grain of rice, yet they reflected a dazzling fluorescent glow beneath the sunlight.
Kiyohara's Sharingan appeared in his eyes. With a single glance, he saw through the true nature of the powder.
He raised his right hand and spread all five fingers.
Ice Release: Ice Wall!
A curved wall of ice appeared out of thin air in front of him. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror.
The instant the scale powder struck the ice wall, it erupted into a dense series of small explosions.
The explosions merged into a continuous roar, shaking leaves loose from the trees surrounding the platform.
Taking advantage of the cover provided by the exploding powder, Fu had already circled around behind Kiyohara.
Her wings folded inward at the same time. Her body spun through the air, her right leg rising high before descending toward the back of Kiyohara's neck like a whip.
Her taijutsu lacked any particularly sophisticated structure, but her speed was astonishing.
Kiyohara did not even turn around.
Repulsive Force erupted outward from his body.
At his current level, Kiyohara had become increasingly proficient in manipulating the two fundamental forces of repulsion and attraction.
He was also deliberately adapting himself to them.
He was very curious about something.
If he became thoroughly proficient in all four fundamental forces of the universe, would it be possible for him to create a completely new Kekkei Genkai or some new form of chakra transformation?
Fu's whipping kick stopped just before it reached the back of his neck, as though she had kicked into an invisible wall.
Her amber eyes widened slightly.
Before she could even react, her entire body was blasted backward by the repulsive force.
She flipped several times through the air before finally using her wings to stabilize herself.
Kiyohara turned around and looked at the girl in the air, who was frantically beating her wings as she adjusted her posture.
Her breathing was slightly heavier than before, but the excitement in her eyes had not diminished in the slightest. Instead, it burned even more intensely.
"That was amazing!"
She stabilized herself in midair.
"What was that just now? I clearly kicked you. How did I end up flying backward?"
"Repulsive Force."
Kiyohara withdrew the ice wall, and shattered pieces of ice fell onto the grass with a loud clatter.
"Your scale powder isn't bad either. Your chakra shape transformation is quite delicate."
Fighting these younger shinobi always gave Kiyohara a strangely relaxed feeling.
He knew countless powerful ninjutsu, many of which could instantly kill a Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.
But if he did that, Kiyohara would have no opportunity to learn more techniques.
Orochimaru's ideal of learning every ninjutsu in existence had, in a sense, already been realized through Kiyohara.
Nowadays, Kiyohara essentially learned a new technique whenever he encountered one.
Even secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai were things he would gradually learn in the future.
Fu raised her right hand.
Light traveled downward along the intricate chakra veins of her wings, gathering at her fingertips until it condensed into a ball of light roughly the size of a fist.
Secret Technique: Scale Powder Explosive Orb!
The ball of light shot from her hand and streaked toward Kiyohara.
A mass of slowly rotating magma appeared in Kiyohara's palm.
The tremendous heat of the Lava Release chakra caused the surrounding air to begin twisting. The magma rolled within his palm, releasing waves of scorching heat.
Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique!
The magma sphere and the scale powder sphere collided in midair.
BOOM!
The shockwave from the explosion tore the grass from the platform in one enormous sheet, sending soil and broken stones flying in every direction.
The branches and leaves of the crooked old tree at the edge of the platform were directly snapped by the shockwave and fell into the roaring waterfall below.
When the smoke finally cleared, Fu discovered that Kiyohara had disappeared from his original position.
She suddenly raised her head.
Kiyohara was floating directly above her.
He extended his index finger, and a streak of black lightning condensed at its tip.
Lightning Release: Black Panther!
Fu's seven wings vibrated simultaneously, and her body rapidly shifted sideways in midair, narrowly avoiding the leopard-shaped bolt of lightning.
The lightning grazed the edge of her wings before shooting into the forest below, carving a massive trench into the ground.
Fu lowered her head and glanced at the enormous trench.
A trace of lingering fear flashed through her eyes.
The wings behind her spread wide at the same time, and the Seven-Tails' chakra within her body erupted without restraint.
Half-Tailed Beast Transformation!
Light green chakra condensed around her body, forming a translucent Tailed Beast cloak.
The corner of Kiyohara's mouth lifted slightly.
Attraction!
Fu, still in her Half-Tailed Beast Transformation, had not even had time to launch her attack before an invisible force forcibly dragged her down from the sky.
She beat her wings desperately, attempting to break free from the pull of gravity, but Kiyohara's power was simply too great.
She could not escape at all.
The force dragged her directly in front of Kiyohara.
Kiyohara's right hand pierced straight through the Tailed Beast cloak surrounding her body and entered the spiritual space within her.
It was a vast spiritual space.
Water rose to just above the ankles beneath his feet.
Directly ahead stood an enormous stone cage.
Behind the cage coiled a colossal creature.
The Seven-Tails, Chōmei.
Its appearance resembled that of a gigantic beetle. Its entire body was covered in a pale green carapace, with dark green patterns spread across its surface.
Its enormous wings were folded along both sides of its shell. Each wing was dozens of meters long, and the veins running through them gave off a faint fluorescent glow in the darkness.
A pair of curved antennae grew from its head.
Between the antennae was a gigantic single eye, its pupil resembling the hexagonal compound eye of an insect.
"Human."
The Seven-Tails' voice was unlike Kurama's furious roar and unlike Shukaku's sharp, shrill tone. Instead, it carried a strange vibrating quality that resembled the chirping of an insect.
"You are certainly much stronger than that successor of Uchiha Madara. He only knew how to use the Sharingan to forcibly control Tailed Beasts. You, on the other hand, have been integrating us into your own body one by one."
"When the Sage of Six Paths separated us from the Ten-Tails back then, he probably never imagined that one day, a human would gather us together again."
"Since you already know what I'm here to do, cooperate a little."
Kiyohara reached his right hand into the cage and grabbed onto a gap along the edge of the Seven-Tails' carapace.
He suddenly pulled outward with tremendous force.
A chunk of flesh was forcibly torn from the Seven-Tails' body.
The Seven-Tails let out a low, vibrating insect cry, but its emotions were not particularly intense.
It merely shook its antennae before curling its enormous beetle-like body back into the depths of the cage. Its compound eye narrowed slightly.
"Very well. It is still better than being controlled by the Sharingan like the Nine-Tails."
The Seven-Tails knew some things about what had happened to the Nine-Tails.
Kiyohara withdrew his right hand and sealed the piece of flesh into a sealing scroll that he carried with him.
His consciousness returned to reality, and the Tailed Beast cloak surrounding Fu dissipated at the same time. Her entire body went limp, and she collapsed onto the ground.
"I... lost."
She raised her head.
"But that fight was so much fun! Will you come back and fight me again next time?"
Kiyohara looked down at her.
"Come find me again after you can completely control your Tailed Beast transformation."
Fu nodded.
Takigakure, the Village Head's Residence.
"Fourth Hokage, Fu..."
"She's fine. She only exhausted too much of her stamina. She'll be fine after getting some sleep. I've already obtained the Seven-Tails' chakra."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"There's one more thing. I want the Hero's Water from Takigakure."
Shibuki's expression changed dramatically. His hand instinctively moved to the hilt of the short blade at his waist.
"The Hero's Water is a secret treasure passed down through generations in Takigakure. It can only be used when the village is facing a crisis of life and death. I cannot..."
He paused before continuing firmly.
"I cannot hand it over to someone from another village. This is a rule established by the first leader of Takigakure."
"I'll exchange it for a Chakra Armor."
Kiyohara calmly offered his terms.
"Once equipped, it can greatly increase the user's abilities while also amplifying the power of their ninjutsu."
Shibuki's fingers loosened around the hilt before tightening again. Then they loosened once more.
The Hero's Water could indeed cause a person's chakra to increase several times over for a short period of time. However, the price was extremely severe. Once the surge of power subsided, the user would have to endure an enormous burden on their body. It was practically equivalent to trading one's life for strength.
That was also why the leaders of Takigakure throughout the generations had been unwilling to use it lightly.
The Chakra Armor, on the other hand, was completely different.
It was reusable equipment. Wearing it could increase a shinobi's combat power, and taking it off would not result in any serious consequences.
For a small shinobi village like Takigakure, the value of the Chakra Armor was far greater than that of a sacred water that could only be used in desperate circumstances at the cost of one's life.
Shibuki remained silent for a long time before slowly releasing his grip on the knife.
"Deal."
Shibuki asked Kiyohara to wait for a moment.
When he returned, he was carrying a gourd in his hand.
The gourd was filled with Hero's Water.
Kiyohara took the Chakra Armor out of a sealing scroll and placed it on the table. Shibuki, meanwhile, poured the Hero's Water into another gourd before pushing it across the table toward him.
No matter what, Shibuki intended to keep half of it for Takigakure.
Kiyohara did not mind.
Half was enough for him anyway.
…
Meanwhile, within the Akatsuki Organization's territory, deep underground, there was a gigantic underground factory that had been extensively modified.
Far below the surface, a massive flying fortress was parked.
The outer shell of the fortress was constructed from dark gray metal plates and dark brown magnetite fitted together. Countless intricate formula patterns covered its surface.
The enormous magnetic levitation system beneath the fortress was operating at low speed, producing a deep, continuous hum.
Shinno stood on the command platform directly in front of the fortress.
His hands were clasped behind his back as he looked up at the enormous structure that had consumed several years of his painstaking efforts.
This had once been the flying fortress of the Land of Sky.
Shinno had rebuilt it.
"The flying fortress of the Land of Sky is finally complete."
Shinno sighed.
The outer shell of the flying fortress was primarily constructed from metal and magnetite, allowing it to be directly controlled through Magnet Release.
Its internal structure was divided into three major areas: the command center, the weapons and ammunition storage area, and the energy core.
The core energy source was the Zero-Tails chakra sealing device, which was located inside the central pillar-like structure of the fortress.
While in flight, the fortress could even block out the sky above an entire forest.
Orochimaru emerged from the shadows.
He raised his head and carefully examined the enormous fortress. Even with his extensive knowledge, he had to admit that the technological level of the Land of Sky was indeed impressive.
"The technology of Soragakure really is advanced."
Orochimaru licked his lips, his gaze lingering on the magnetic levitation device for quite some time.
"A levitation system driven by Magnet Release, with the Zero-Tails' chakra serving as the energy core. The basic design concept is somewhat similar to the way the dragon veins of the city of Rōran were used as a power source. However, the dragon veins powered an entire city, while yours powers a flying fortress."
"Of course."
Shinno looked rather pleased with himself.
"The technological development of the Land of Sky follows a completely different path from that of ordinary shinobi villages. Shinobi villages study how to use chakra to strengthen individual combat power, while the Land of Sky studies how to use technology to amplify chakra to a strategic level."
"When this fortress unleashes its full firepower, it can flatten a medium-sized shinobi village in a very short period of time."
Shinno spoke with obvious confidence.
More importantly, it could be mass-produced.
The only problem was that it required an enormous amount of resources.
"I'll report the progress here to Pain."
Orochimaru withdrew from the shadows of the factory and made his way to the private chamber reserved for the leader of the Akatsuki Organization.
Pain stood inside the secret room, listening to Orochimaru's report.
"The flying fortress has been completed."
"Shinno's technology is more mature than we expected. The Zero-Tails chakra sealing device is operating stably, and the magnetic levitation system has also passed its low-speed tests."
Pain remained silent for a moment.
"Can it be mass-produced?"
"Heh heh. Of course."
...
Konoha, the Hokage's Office.
The sky outside had already darkened.
Kiyohara had only recently returned from Takigakure and was sitting in the Hokage's chair, going through the documents that had accumulated over the past two days.
The door was pushed open from outside, and Uzuki Yugao hurried inside.
Her long purple hair swayed over her shoulders, while her high heels clicked against the wooden floor.
"Hokage-sama, we've received an urgent report from the border patrol."
She stopped in front of the desk and bowed slightly. Her breathing was somewhat hurried from rushing over.
"Around the outer forest above Konoha's northwestern border, a gigantic flying fortress has been spotted. There appears to be a massive amount of chakra inside it."
Kiyohara put down the document in his hand and leaned back against the chair.
"It's nothing. It should be something belonging to Shinno."
He briefly explained the background of the Land of Sky, including the characteristics of the Zero-Tails.
Kiyohara estimated that Shinno was conducting experiments somewhere inside the Land of Rain and had been discovered by Konoha's sensory shinobi. After all, Chakra Armor could enhance the power of ninjutsu.
Konoha's ability to sense activity in the surrounding countries had become extremely strong.
As for the Chakra Armor, Kiyohara had already distributed it among the shinobi responsible for guarding the borders.
Seeing this, Yugao had no choice but to withdraw for the time being.
Kurenai walked out from the resting room connected to the office.
She approached Kiyohara from behind and naturally placed one hand on his shoulder.
Kiyohara reached out, put an arm around her waist, and gently pulled her closer, allowing her to sit on his lap.
"The flying fortress was also created by the Akatsuki?"
Kurenai turned her head, her ruby-like eyes looking at Kiyohara's profile.
"More precisely, it was created by Shinno's faction within the Akatsuki. Shinno is a survivor of the Land of Sky. After the Land of Sky was destroyed by Konoha back then, he escaped with the remaining technology. Later, Orochimaru recruited him into the Akatsuki."
As Kiyohara spoke, he leaned closer to Kurenai.
There was a faint fragrance lingering in her hair, and Kurenai could feel his breath against her neck, causing her body to tense slightly.
"Where have you been these past few days?"
"I went to obtain the Hero's Water."
Kiyohara answered calmly.
"The Hero's Water is a secret treasure of Taki. Drinking it can cause one's chakra to increase several times over in a short period of time, but the price is that it drains the user's life force."
"I've already obtained a sample. If we can find a way to weaken its side effects and turn its effect from a one-time burst into a controllable enhancement, we could mass-produce it as a chakra-enhancing agent."
"It wouldn't require someone to trade their life for power like with the Hero's Water. It would only need to provide a temporary boost to chakra during battle."
Kurenai blinked and slightly turned her head away from his breath, but the tips of her ears had already turned red.
Kiyohara was always like this.
Whenever he discussed serious matters, he still liked to tease her and act overly affectionate.
"Where exactly do you keep getting all these incredible things?"
she asked quietly.
"I've just been lucky. I'll save a portion for you when the time comes."
Kiyohara gently squeezed her waist.
Kurenai froze for a moment before raising her head and giving him a quick kiss at the corner of his mouth.
Her lips were soft and warm, carrying a faint fragrance.
"Only one?"
Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she leaned forward and kissed him again.
This time, she lingered a little longer.
Kiyohara leaned close to her ear and whispered something suggestive, teasing her about taking their intimacy further.
Kurenai immediately stiffened.
Her blush spread visibly across her face.
She opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to find an answer, before finally springing up from his lap.
"You... How can you be so shameless?"
With her face burning red, Kurenai hurried toward the door.
She pulled it open, stepped into the hallway, and quickly closed it behind her.
Her footsteps gradually faded into the distance before the corridor fell silent.
Kiyohara leaned back in the Hokage's chair and looked at the door that was still swaying slightly.
He chuckled.
Meanwhile, Kurenai's footsteps gradually slowed as she walked down the corridor.
She reached the staircase and placed her fingers against the cold metal railing, but she did not continue downward.
The heat in her face had not completely faded.
She turned around and glanced at the tightly closed office door.
She bit her lower lip, a conflicted expression appearing in her ruby-like eyes.
She had rejected him so decisively just now, but after calming down, she felt a little regretful.
It was not entirely regret.
She was nervous, but she was also somewhat curious.
She wanted to refuse, but at the same time, she did not want to disappoint Kiyohara.
Kurenai stood at the top of the stairs for quite some time.
In the end, she still did not return.
She took a deep breath and quickly descended the stairs.
Not long afterward, the office door was silently pushed open.
Konan walked inside.
She glanced at Kiyohara and noticed that his gaze was still fixed on the door that had just closed.
"What happened to Kurenai?"
"Nothing."
Kiyohara pulled his thoughts back and pushed a report from the border patrol toward Konan.
"Let's talk about business. A flying fortress has been discovered near Konoha's border. It should be somewhere inside the Land of Rain. Take Yugao and ANBU Team Two to the border and investigate the fortress. Find out exactly what it's doing there."
Konan picked up the report and quickly scanned through it before nodding.
"Also, when you go to deliver the medicine to Nagato, investigate two other matters while you're there."
Kiyohara took a sealed medicine package from his drawer and placed it on the desk.
"First, the matter concerning the fortress. Second, Akatsukigakure we discussed with you last time. Find out what Nagato and Yahiko have decided after discussing it."
Konan put the medicine package into her shinobi tool pouch.
"Understood."
Her figure flashed at the doorway and disappeared.
After Konan's footsteps had completely faded away, Kiyohara took the scroll containing the sealed flesh of the Seven-Tails from within his sleeve.
(End of Chapter)