After all, there were really only two people Hiruzen Sarutobi had in mind right now.
One was Minato Namikaze.
The other was Kiyohara.
Fugaku Uchiha was confident that the Uchiha clan—and even some of their non-Uchiha allies in the Konoha Military Police Force—would vote for him, but in the end, he still lacked that sense of official backing.
If the Uchiha were only going to produce a single Hokage, then Kiyohara was undoubtedly his biggest rival.
"Does it really matter who becomes Hokage?"
Itachi Uchiha asked.
"In the end, not really."
Fugaku nodded.
If the Uchiha truly managed to produce a Hokage, then whether it was him or Kiyohara didn't really matter.
Either way, it would greatly improve the Uchiha clan's standing.
Still, it was too early to talk about that now, so Fugaku picked up his kunai and continued maintaining it.
The next day, when Kiyohara opened his door and went downstairs, Tsunade was already sitting in the living room, her golden hair loosely tied back.
"Sensei."
Kiyohara walked over to her.
"Hm?"
Tsunade looked up, her golden-brown eyes meeting his.
"I want to spar with you."
Tsunade raised a brow.
"Spar?"
"Yeah. I want to see your strength for myself."
Tsunade crossed her arms and leaned back against the sofa.
That posture only made the lines of her figure more pronounced.
"Kid, let me remind you, just because I've got hemophobia doesn't mean I can't fight."
She paused.
"Though it's true I haven't really trained in a long time. I'm a little rusty."
"That's fine."
Kiyohara smiled.
"I won't go all out."
Tsunade's brows rose even higher.
Won't go all out?
So the brat was that confident, huh?
She stood up and rolled her shoulders and neck, her joints cracking faintly.
"Alright then. Let's do it."
As she passed him, she reached out and patted his shoulder.
"But don't cry when you lose."
Kiyohara chuckled.
"Don't worry, Sensei. I won't."
At the training ground, Tsunade flexed her wrists.
As long as there was no blood and it was just a spar, her performance wouldn't be affected.
She had taken off her green coat and was wearing only a gray sleeveless top and dark cropped pants.
The legs of the pants were fitted just below the knee, showing a stretch of pale calf.
She planted her feet on the dirt, toes flexing slightly as she gripped the ground.
Ten meters away, Kiyohara stood opposite her, having also taken off his outer layer, leaving only the black chainmail shirt on.
"Ready?"
Tsunade asked.
"Ready."
Kiyohara nodded.
The moment he finished speaking, Tsunade vanished.
In the next instant, she appeared at Kiyohara's right side, her right leg raised high before crashing down in a brutal axe kick.
Heaven Foot of Pain!
That leg was packed with terrifying chakra, and as it came down, the air roared.
Lightning flashed beneath Kiyohara's feet.
Lightning Release: Lightning Body Flicker.
Tsunade's kick missed and slammed into the ground.
Boom!
The earth split apart, stone shards scattering everywhere as a deep crack tore outward from beneath her foot.
Kiyohara reappeared five meters away, but before he had even settled, Tsunade was already on him again.
Her fist, loaded with superhuman strength chakra, shot straight toward him.
Kiyohara twisted aside, the wind from her punch grazing his cheek.
Then his own right fist drove toward her waist.
Tsunade twisted and threw a punch of her own.
Their fists collided.
Bang!
A heavy impact exploded outward, shockwaves tearing across the ground around them. The earth cracked, dust flew, and Tsunade was forced back three steps, each one leaving a deep footprint behind.
Kiyohara didn't move back even half a step.
Tsunade looked up at him, a flash of shock passing through her eyes.
That strength...
She glanced down at her own hand. Her palm was numb.
That punch just now had been close to full power.
And Kiyohara had taken it head-on, casually, and even forced her back.
Had this brat's raw strength already surpassed hers?
"Sensei, are you alright?"
Kiyohara's voice came from ahead.
Tsunade looked up and saw him standing there, breathing evenly, not even sweating.
"I'm fine."
She rolled her wrist, forcing down the emotions in her chest.
"Again."
She charged once more.
The two of them tore across the training ground, fists and kicks clashing again and again.
Every collision sent out another burst of force.
The cracks in the ground multiplied and deepened until the whole place looked like it had been plowed over.
The longer Tsunade fought, the more shaken she became.
Every punch she threw, Kiyohara could catch.
Every strike she launched, Kiyohara could dodge or block.
And that brat's stamina...
She was already breathing hard now, sweat gathering at her temples, breaths growing sharp and fast.
But Kiyohara's breathing was still steady, his movements still fluid, as if he simply didn't know the meaning of fatigue.
Out of options, Tsunade released the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
Using the burst of chakra it provided, she sped up, her attacks hitting harder and faster.
Kiyohara still blocked them.
After a while, Tsunade dropped to one knee, panting heavily.
Sweat rolled down her face and dripped to the ground. Her golden hair was damp now, strands sticking to her cheeks.
Her sleeveless gray top was soaked through as well, clinging to the shape of her body.
She looked up at Kiyohara.
He stood not far away, breathing a little faster now, but nowhere near as worn down as she was.
"Sensei, do you want to keep going?"
Kiyohara honestly felt like Tsunade had gotten weaker.
Or maybe he was just getting stronger too quickly?
Either way, she hadn't given him the pressure he'd imagined.
"No more."
Tsunade shook her head, stood up, and walked over to him. Then she flicked him on the forehead.
"You really don't know how to go easy on your teacher."
Kiyohara rubbed his forehead.
"You weren't using your full strength either, were you?"
"Hmph."
Tsunade turned her face away, but the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
At least the brat knew how to give her a way out.
"Come on. Go to the casino with me."
"Alright."
The casino was packed and noisy.
The moment Tsunade stepped inside, she looked like a completely different person, her steps suddenly much lighter.
She squeezed her way to a dice table, exchanged chips like an old pro, and started betting.
Kiyohara stood behind her, watching her place one bet after another... and lose them one after another.
In less than half an hour, half her chips were gone.
"Small again..."
Tsunade stared at the dice, brows tightly drawn.
"Again!"
She shoved another stack of chips forward.
Kiyohara stood quietly behind her.
He knew there was no point trying to talk her out of anything right now.
Another half hour passed.
Tsunade lost every last chip.
She stared at the empty space in front of her, then sighed.
"Let's go."
She stood and walked toward the exit.
Kiyohara followed.
Outside, the night wind brushed past them, carrying a faint chill.
Tsunade stood at the entrance and tilted her head back to look at the sky.
The stars were bright tonight.
"Sensei."
Kiyohara stepped up beside her.
"Hm?"
"You'll win next time."
Tsunade turned to look at him. In the moonlight, her golden-brown eyes held a soft glow.
"You do know how to comfort people, don't you?"
She reached out and rubbed his hair.
What really surprised Tsunade wasn't losing—it was how much stronger Kiyohara had gotten, how fast he had progressed.
Losing to him didn't feel strange at all.
After all, his record in battle was incredible.
"Sensei, you head back first. I'm going to see Kurenai and work on some genjutsu with her."
Kiyohara said.
Earlier, while chatting with Kurenai, she had mentioned that her father was out tonight and only the cat was home.
"Go ahead."
Tsunade waved him off.
"Oh, and if I don't make it back for dinner, don't wait for me."
Kiyohara added.
Sometimes he got too busy and simply didn't come back.
Tsunade knew that already, so she just nodded and said she understood.
At Kurenai's house, footsteps sounded inside as soon as Kiyohara knocked.
The door opened, and Kurenai leaned halfway out.
She was wearing a light red nightdress, her damp hair falling over her shoulders. She had clearly just bathed.
Her cheeks looked even fairer than usual from the lingering steam, and tiny droplets still clung to her lashes.
"Kiyohara?"
She blinked, then stepped aside.
"Come in."
Kiyohara entered.
There was a half-finished cup of hot tea on the low table, along with an open notebook on genjutsu.
"Just finished bathing?"
Kiyohara sat down against a cushion.
"Yeah."
Kurenai nodded and sat beside him.
She tucked her legs to the side as she sat, and the hem of her nightdress slid to mid-thigh, revealing a stretch of pale skin.
Her legs were pressed together, calves angled slightly out, her bare feet resting on the tatami.
"Learned any new techniques lately?"
Kiyohara asked.
Kurenai's eyes lit up.
"There's one called Demonic Illusion: Mirage."
She straightened up and formed hand seals.
Chakra stirred.
In the next instant, another Kurenai appeared at her side.
An identical figure, in the same nightdress, with the same posture.
That copy smiled at Kiyohara.
Kiyohara reached out to touch it, but Kurenai stopped him.
"If you attack that image, it attacks back. It's basically like a trap."
"I see."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand.
He knew the technique already—Kurenai used it in canon too.
He had just wanted to test its bite.
"Well?"
Kurenai looked at him smugly.
"It's a good technique."
Kiyohara let his gaze settle back on her.
The neckline of her nightdress was a little low, and from this angle, he could see the pale curve beneath it.
Her collarbones were delicate, her shoulders soft, and beneath them there was the faint suggestion of a deeper line.
His gaze lingered a little too long.
Kurenai noticed it, and a flush rose to her cheeks.
She shot him a look, but there was no real reproach in it—just the indulgence of someone who already knew him too well.
Then she stood up and turned her back to him.
"I wore stockings today."
Kurenai said.
She knew Kiyohara liked them, and she also knew there was a good chance he'd come by tonight.
She had, after all, made sure to mention that she'd be home alone.
Kiyohara's gaze dropped to her legs.
They were black thigh-high stockings, thin as cicada wings, clinging tightly to her long legs.
From her ankles, up along her calves, over the backs of her knees, and disappearing beneath the hem of her nightdress halfway up her thighs.
In the warm yellow light, the stockings held a faint sheen that made her already beautiful legs even more tempting.
Kurenai sat down on the sofa.
That posture made the curve of her hips stand out, the thin fabric of the nightdress stretched snugly over them.
Through the light material, the stockings underneath subtly outlined every curve.
Kiyohara swallowed.
"I'm borrowing the bathroom for a moment."
He stood up and went to rinse off quickly.
When he came back out, Kurenai was still there by the sofa.
"Can I?"
Kiyohara reached out and rested a hand lightly at her waist.
Her body shivered slightly.
She nodded.
Then one of the straps of her nightdress slipped from her shoulder.
A pale shoulder was left bare.
Like mist peeling away.
"Come on."
Kiyohara lifted her into his arms.
Thinking of what might come next, Kurenai's breathing gradually grew faster.
Before long, they were inside the room.
Kiyohara held her close.
Kurenai wrapped her arms around him in return.
Maybe from the heat, she had begun to sweat.
Her damp hair clung in loose strands to her face.
No one knew how much time passed.
Eventually, her focus blurred, and all that remained were a few indistinct, breathless sounds.
The next morning, sunlight slipped through the curtain gap and into the room.
Kiyohara opened his eyes.
He felt completely refreshed, not tired in the slightest.
It was a strange feeling.
He had clearly used up a fair amount of energy the night before, and yet now he felt as if he had only just awakened from a perfect rest.
He lifted a hand and looked at his palm.
The more future selves he inherited, the stronger his body's recovery became.
Once the snowball started rolling, he was essentially unstoppable.
If he inherited even more futures, even more bloodlines...
If he kept snowballing like this, sooner or later he would become the strongest person the ninja world had ever seen.
And the stronger he became, the harder it would be for him to die.
The harder it was for him to die, the easier it became to keep snowballing.
A perfect positive loop.
Kiyohara shook off the thought and looked down.
Kurenai was clinging tightly to him.
Curled up in his arms, her face buried against his chest, one arm around his waist, one leg resting over his.
Her nightdress was nowhere to be seen now. Only a thin blanket covered them.
Her long hair was spread across the pillow, a few strands stuck to her cheeks.
The black strands, damp with sweat, clung softly to her pale skin.
Her brows were faintly drawn together, and there was still a trace of exhaustion on her face.
Kiyohara didn't move. He just looked at her.
After a while, Kurenai's lashes trembled.
She opened her eyes and looked at him hazily.
"...Kiyohara?"
Her voice was slightly hoarse.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara answered.
Kurenai's mind gradually cleared.
Then she felt it.
Her body hurt a little.
Not sharp pain—just enough to remind her of everything that had happened the night before.
Her face instantly turned red.
Kiyohara raised a hand, green light glowing in his palm.
Medical chakra flowed into her body.
That warm chakra spread through her, and as it did, the soreness and fatigue gradually faded away.
Kurenai blinked, then felt her body lighten.
"How do you feel?"
Kiyohara asked.
His chakra control was good enough now that if he really wanted to, he could repair even more than that.
But there was no point. Making Kurenai's body feel normal again was enough.
"Much better..."
Kurenai said softly.
The pain was gone now. If anything, with Kiyohara right beside her, there was even a faint, giddy warmth lingering in her chest.
"I meant how did yesterday feel?"
Kiyohara smiled.
Kurenai froze.
Then several things came rushing back to her.
How tightly she had held onto him near the end, and the things she had said without meaning to...
Her face turned redder and redder, until it looked like it might drip blood.
Then she yanked the blanket up and hid completely under it.
"I don't know!"
her muffled voice came from beneath the blanket.
"I don't remember anything!"
Kiyohara reached for the blanket, but Kurenai clung to it stubbornly.
They tugged at it for a while before he gave up.
"Alright, alright. I won't ask."
He patted her lightly through the blanket.
"But it's time to get up."
There was silence under the blanket for a moment.
Then it slowly slid down, revealing Kurenai's head.
She looked at him, those red eyes still full of embarrassment, but even more full of warmth.
"...Okay."
She answered quietly and sat up.
The blanket slipped down along her body.
Her graceful figure was revealed in the morning light, with nothing to hide it.
Kiyohara's gaze rested on her.
Kurenai noticed—and only smiled faintly, a slightly smug curve at the corner of her mouth.
Then she stood, bare feet touching the floor, and walked toward the wardrobe.
Half an hour later, Kiyohara got dressed as well.
"Want to go out for a walk?"
He ate the breakfast Kurenai had made.
"Sure."
Kurenai nodded.
Under normal circumstances, she definitely wouldn't have had the energy to go out.
But after Kiyohara's medical ninjutsu, she felt perfectly fine.
She had even managed to make breakfast and wash the sheets before this.
"Alright."
Kiyohara nodded.
On Konoha's streets, the sun was bright.
Asuma Sarutobi was walking along in the best mood he'd been in for ages.
He had just returned from the battlefield, reported in at the Hokage Tower, and could finally rest for a few days.
Then, walking through the village, Asuma saw two people.
Kiyohara and Kurenai.
They were walking side by side, browsing the stalls along the road.
Kurenai was wearing a light red dress today, the hem stopping above her knees and showing a stretch of pale calf.
There was a faint smile on her face.
Asuma stopped dead.
He stared at Kurenai and couldn't speak for a moment.
Kurenai... had become even more beautiful.
Not just in outward appearance, but in a kind of glow that came from inside.
Like a flower after rainfall, every petal opened fully, radiant and alive.
She almost looked as though she were glowing.
Asuma stared in a daze.
Had Kurenai always been this beautiful?
"Asuma?"
Kurenai noticed someone looking at her, turned, and saw him standing not far away.
So she waved.
Asuma snapped back to himself and hurried over.
"Kurenai. Kiyohara."
He greeted them.
"Long time no see."
Kiyohara nodded.
Asuma now looked almost the same as he did in his later years. Kiyohara figured it was because Asuma had started training harder in taijutsu, plus the effects of adolescence.
He had grown his beard in quickly too, and there was still a bit of untrimmed stubble on his face.
"Asuma, what's wrong? You look kind of strange."
Kurenai felt he was acting oddly.
"N-no, nothing."
Asuma shook his head quickly.
"I just... just got back. I'm a little tired."
Then he added,
"You two... shopping?"
"Yeah."
Kurenai nodded.
"We just bought a few things and were about to head back."
She lifted the paper bag in her hand.
Inside were some sweets they'd just purchased.
Asuma nodded.
"Then... then I should get going."
He turned to leave.
"So soon?"
Kurenai sounded surprised.
"The old man told me to report back early."
Truthfully, Asuma didn't want to leave so quickly, but Hiruzen had already given the order.
The moment he got back to the village, he had to report in first.
After a few steps, he couldn't help looking back.
Kurenai and Kiyohara were still standing there, talking.
Kiyohara was looking down at her.
Asuma felt a trace of envy.
If only he and Kurenai had been placed on the same team, then he would've had so much more time with her.
~~~
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