At the Hokage Tower, by the time Kiyohara and Shisui arrived, the atmosphere inside had already turned tense.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the main seat, and once everyone was present, he began slowly explaining the current situation.
He had barely gotten to the part about Kumogakure making moves when Danzo Shimura stood up.
"Let Orochimaru lead this one."
Danzo's single eye swept across everyone in the room before settling on Hiruzen.
"The Kumo front needs truly top-tier combat power, and Orochimaru has been resting in the village these past days. He's in perfect condition."
Seated by the window, Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, a smile appearing on his pale face as he rose.
"Hiruzen-sensei… Third Hokage, I'm willing to take this mission."
Hiruzen looked at him, his pipe suspended in midair.
After a moment, he nodded slowly.
"Very well."
Then he turned toward Kiyohara, seated on the opposite side.
"Kiyohara."
"Yes."
Kiyohara answered.
"Minato Namikaze has already departed ahead of you. Kumogakure is coming hard this time—this may be their final all-out push. Tomorrow, you and Tsunade will lead another team as well. You must stop them."
Kiyohara gave a slight nod.
"Understood."
Tsunade sat beside him with her arms folded, her golden-brown eyes lazily sweeping across the room.
The meeting continued for a while longer as they discussed troop movements and routes. Once everyone gradually dispersed, Kiyohara and Tsunade walked out of the Hokage Tower side by side.
"Looks like that bunch is already fighting over the Hokage seat."
Tsunade said suddenly, amusement in her tone.
Kiyohara turned his head toward her.
"Don't you want to be Hokage, Sensei?"
Tsunade raised a brow.
"What's so great about that mess?"
She reached out and ruffled his hair.
The force would have been a little much for most people, but for Kiyohara, it was just right.
At this point, Kiyohara's physical energy was far beyond that of ordinary shinobi, and that meant his body's durability had risen as well.
Most shinobi in the ninja world were glass cannons, but that only really applied to sharp attacks like kunai and shuriken.
Against things like ninjutsu or blunt-force attacks—fists, kicks, and the like—their resistance was actually much stronger.
"When the war's over, just come travel the world with me."
Kiyohara let her hand rest on his head for a moment, then looked up into her eyes.
"Sensei, has it occurred to you that I might end up becoming Hokage?"
Tsunade's hand stopped.
She froze in place, her hand still suspended in the air.
Those eyes blinked, then narrowed as she looked him up and down.
"…You know, you actually might."
It suddenly hit her that Kiyohara wasn't just bragging.
His strength and war record were both dazzling. If he really became Hokage, it wouldn't be strange at all.
She withdrew her hand and continued walking.
If Kiyohara really did become Hokage, he probably wouldn't have much time left to go gambling with her.
"Would you miss me, Sensei?"
Kiyohara asked.
Tsunade raised a brow and lifted a hand as if to smack his forehead.
"Brat, cut the sweet talk."
Kiyohara slipped to the side and dodged, grinning.
"Then how about I give you a massage as compensation?"
Tsunade paused.
"A massage?"
"Yeah."
After they got back, Kiyohara moved behind her.
"You've had a long day, Sensei. Relax a little."
Tsunade hesitated, but in the end she didn't refuse.
She leaned back against the sofa and let Kiyohara's hands settle onto her shoulders.
His fingers moved from her neck and shoulders, slowly tracing down along her spine.
Tsunade unconsciously relaxed.
"Mmh…"
A soft sound slipped out of her, her voice lazy and loose.
Kiyohara's hands continued downward, gliding along the sides of her waist.
Even through the thin layer of fabric, he could feel the tight lines of muscle beneath.
For a moment, Tsunade's body tensed slightly, then loosened again.
Without realizing it, her hands folded together in front of her. She rested her chin on them, eyes half-lidded, lashes casting faint shadows across her cheeks.
The hem of her sleeveless top rode up a little with the movement, exposing a stretch of pale, taut skin along her waist.
Kiyohara's gaze lingered on her.
From the roundness of her shoulders, to the line of her waist, to the way her legs stretched out so casually—
And finally, to her feet.
Tsunade had beautiful feet.
Elegant arches, rounded toes neatly aligned, painted with red polish.
Her ankles were slender, with faint blue veins just visible beneath the skin.
"What are you looking at?"
Tsunade's voice came suddenly, carrying a trace of complaint.
Kiyohara lifted his eyes to meet those half-lidded golden-brown ones.
"Your feet are beautiful, Sensei."
Tsunade froze.
Then her face turned slightly red.
"You little brat, trying to take advantage, are you?"
She scolded him, but didn't move away. Instead, she shifted into an even more comfortable position and let her feet rest casually on the tatami.
Kiyohara smiled and sat down beside her.
"Don't you want to know how I plan to deal with Kumogakure?"
Tsunade turned her head toward him.
"Go on."
Kiyohara explained his plan.
The basic idea was simple: he and Minato Namikaze would use their speed to wage constant guerrilla warfare against Kumo, wearing them down little by little.
That would strain Kumo's logistics enormously, while steadily reducing their numbers as well.
Tsunade listened, nodding occasionally.
"Not a bad approach."
That kind of plan was simple in theory, but almost no one could actually pull it off.
Tsunade knew Kumo also had a space-time ninjutsu somewhat similar to the Flying Thunder God, but it was nowhere near as convenient.
A guerrilla strategy like this absolutely required the Flying Thunder God.
"Still, the Fourth Raikage won't be easy to deal with. They say his speed is monstrous."
"I know."
Kiyohara nodded.
The Fourth Raikage's greatest advantage was speed.
But he also had a major flaw—his resistance to genjutsu was not particularly good.
"I'll be careful."
Kiyohara nodded again.
The two of them talked a while longer, until the sky outside turned fully dark.
Tsunade yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Alright, we're traveling tomorrow. Get some rest."
She stood, her bare feet touching the floor as she walked toward the stairs.
The next morning, at Konoha's main gate, the squad was already assembled when Kiyohara arrived.
Several hundred shinobi stood in formation, all in full combat gear, every one of them wearing a grim expression.
Tsunade spotted him and gave a small nod.
"Move out."
The force began marching.
A few days later, at the Kumo front, the camp had been built across a stretch of hilly land, surrounded by rising forest on all sides.
Kiyohara stepped into the tent assigned to him, set his things down, and didn't rest right away.
He sat on the simple bed and closed his eyes, drawing his mind back to the idea that had been circling there for a long time now.
Modify the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
The training and battles of the past months had given him a much deeper grasp of chakra control.
If he could separate out the anti-aging effect of the seal and turn it into a technique of its own, then it would consume less chakra and might even work better.
He already had the concept.
But he needed someone to help him test it.
Kiyohara decided to find Rin Nohara.
If Rin had been Tsunade's student, there was a very good chance she could have learned the Strength of a Hundred Seal too.
After thinking it over, Kiyohara got up and stepped out of his tent.
Inside the medical unit's tent, Rin Nohara was crouched beside a wounded shinobi.
She wore her usual white nurse's uniform, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, exposing slim forearms.
Green medical chakra glowed over both her hands as she treated a wound on the shinobi's leg.
"Rin."
Kiyohara's voice came from the entrance.
Rin looked up.
"Kiyohara-kun?"
She stood, gave the wounded shinobi a few quiet instructions, then hurried over.
"You needed something?"
Kiyohara nodded.
"There's something I want your help with."
Rin blinked.
"What is it?"
"Come with me."
"Right away."
Rin first finished wrapping up the treatment, tying off the bandages, then quickly followed after Kiyohara.
He brought her to an open space at the edge of camp.
Rin trailed behind him, curiosity written all over her face.
"Kiyohara-kun, what is this about?"
Kiyohara looked at her.
"I have a technique that can preserve someone's appearance indefinitely."
"Preserve someone's appearance?"
"Yeah."
He nodded.
"It can keep you looking the way you do now and stop you from growing older."
Rin's eyes widened slightly.
"There's really a technique like that?"
"There is."
Kiyohara said.
"The Strength of a Hundred Seal has that effect, but the full seal requires storing a huge amount of chakra, so the threshold is too high. My idea is to separate out just the anti-aging effect and turn it into a technique on its own."
Rin listened carefully. For any girl, that kind of technique would naturally be hard to ignore.
And, for some reason, Rin also found that she didn't want Kiyohara to see her when she was old.
"So… what do you need me to do?"
"Help me test it."
Kiyohara held out a hand.
"I've already worked out the basic idea, but I need someone to actually practice it so I can observe the results."
Rin was silent for a moment.
"But… this is Lady Tsunade's technique…"
"Sensei agreed."
Kiyohara said.
Only then did Rin relax.
She looked up at him.
His reflection was visible in her brown eyes.
"Kiyohara-kun… you really think I can do it?"
"Of course."
Kiyohara smiled.
"With your talent, you're more than qualified."
Rin's face turned slightly red.
"I… I'm still nowhere near that level…"
"Rin."
Kiyohara cut her off.
"You don't need to be modest. You're already better than most medical ninja."
In his eyes, Rin actually had even better aptitude than Sakura.
She had learned the Mystical Palm Technique without being personally trained by a master, and she had done it younger than Sakura had.
Rin lowered her eyes and looked at her own hands, pressing her lips together.
Her pale fingers were faintly red at the tips from years of medical training.
"Then… I'll try."
She raised her head again.
"But if I fail, don't blame me."
"I won't."
Kiyohara held out his hand.
"Come on. I'll explain the theory first."
The two of them sat down in the open space.
Kiyohara gave her a simple explanation of how the Strength of a Hundred Seal worked: how chakra was stored in the forehead, how it was released when needed, and how the anti-aging effect naturally emerged from that slow, continuous circulation of chakra.
Rin listened intently, nodding from time to time and occasionally asking questions.
"…So the core of this beauty-preserving technique is creating a miniature sealing cycle. As long as it stores a small amount of chakra dedicated to maintaining appearance, it can reach—or even surpass—the effect of the full Strength of a Hundred Seal."
When he finished, Kiyohara looked at her.
"Understand?"
Rin nodded.
"I think so."
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"So… how do I learn it?"
"Hold out your hand."
Kiyohara told her.
Rin extended it toward him.
Kiyohara looked at the hand she offered.
Pale, slim, fingertips faintly flushed, the joints clearly defined.
Then he reached out and took it.
Soft.
The sensation in his palm was warm and fine, carrying the softness unique to a young woman.
As he held it, Rin's fingers curled slightly, but she didn't pull away.
Her face reddened.
She lowered her head, lashes trembling faintly.
"Kiyohara-kun…"
she said softly.
"Don't be nervous. I'm going to use Body Pathway Derangement to guide your chakra."
Rin nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
At the same time, she found herself wondering what Body Pathway Derangement actually was.
If she remembered right, wasn't that one of Tsunade's techniques too?
"Isn't that the technique that turns chakra into electrical signals, creates an electric field, and interferes with—or guides—someone else's nervous system?"
"That's right."
Kiyohara began feeding his chakra into her.
Rin's body trembled slightly.
She could feel that unfamiliar chakra moving up through her arm. Everywhere it passed, it left behind a tingling sensation.
"Don't resist it."
Kiyohara's voice came again.
Rin nodded and forced herself to relax.
That chakra kept flowing upward, through her shoulder, along the side of her neck, and finally gathered at the center of her forehead.
Then it began to condense.
Rin could feel warmth building there.
The sensation grew clearer and more focused until it became a small rotating whirlpool at the center of her brow.
At the same time, her own chakra began to gather toward it.
Kiyohara opened his eyes.
In his field of vision, a pale violet pattern was slowly taking shape on Rin's forehead.
The process resembled finger-carved sealing—concentrating chakra into the fingers, then etching the pattern onto the target.
"This will still take a few days."
Kiyohara let go of her hand.
Rin immediately raised her hand and touched her forehead.
Her skin felt smooth beneath her fingertips. There was nothing there yet.
But the warmth remained.
"How does it feel?"
Kiyohara asked.
Rin carefully felt for the changes inside her body.
"My forehead… feels kind of swollen."
She concentrated on the sensation.
"And I'm a little dizzy."
Kiyohara nodded.
"That's normal."
He stood up.
"I'll walk you back so you can rest. We'll need to observe the technique for a few days and see how it behaves."
Rin nodded and tried to stand.
But her legs felt weak.
Kiyohara reached out and caught her by the arm.
"Can you walk?"
Rin tested it and shook her head.
"…I'm kind of dizzy."
Seeing that, Kiyohara crouched down in front of her.
"Get on."
Rin froze.
"Kiyohara-kun…"
"Come on."
Kiyohara said.
Rin looked at his broad, solid back and felt embarrassed.
But her head was spinning too much for her to really walk.
After a moment of hesitation, she finally lifted her arms and lightly wrapped them around his neck.
Kiyohara stood, supporting her with both hands beneath her thighs, feeling the softness there.
Rin's whole body tensed slightly.
Her legs were gently parted so he could hold her properly, and that posture pressed her fully against his back.
Without thinking, Rin drew her legs together again.
That movement tightened her legs against his waist and brought her even closer against him.
Her face turned so red it looked ready to drip blood.
She buried her face against his shoulder and didn't dare lift her head.
Kiyohara carried her toward her tent.
Curled against his back, listening to the steady beat of his heart, Rin felt as though even the ache in her forehead had eased a little.
At last, they reached her tent.
Kiyohara set her down and turned to face her.
Rin stood there with her head lowered, a faint flush still lingering on her cheeks.
"This technique still needs a few days of observation."
Kiyohara said.
"If anything feels strange during that time, tell me immediately."
Rin nodded.
"I understand."
Then she hesitated, looked up, and said,
"Kiyohara-kun… um… thank you."
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
"You don't need to thank me."
He turned to leave.
Then Rin suddenly called out,
"Kiyohara-kun!"
He stopped and looked back.
Rin pressed her lips together and forced herself to say it.
"Um… are you free tonight? I wanted to… ask you more about sealing techniques."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was nearly inaudible.
Her face was still red, but in her brown eyes there was a careful, hopeful look.
"Tonight probably won't work."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Her expression dimmed for a moment.
"After dinner, I still have to do another patrol."
he added.
"When I'm free, I'll come find you."
Her eyes lit up again.
"Okay!"
She nodded quickly.
"I'll wait for you."
Kiyohara smiled, then turned and left.
A sigma man always knew what mattered and what didn't.
…
A few days passed.
The situation on the Kumo front grew even more tense, with small-scale clashes breaking out almost daily.
Kiyohara continued carrying out his usual patrol and reconnaissance duties.
In one stretch of mountain forest, three figures burst from the mist, kunai in hand, charging at him.
Kiyohara stood where he was and raised his right hand.
One palm strike.
Lightning Release: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
The original Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm simply launched Gentle Fist chakra, but Kiyohara had converted that chakra into Lightning Release chakra instead.
Boom!
A giant hand of lightning tore through the air with a thunderous roar.
The three Kumogakure shinobi didn't even have time to react before the force blasted them backward into the trees, where they fell silent.
Kiyohara lowered his hand, his combat uniform fluttering lightly in the disturbed air.
"Amazing…"
A woman's voice came from nearby.
Kiyohara turned his head.
Natsu Hyuga was standing not far away, staring at him with unblinking pale eyes.
"That strike just now…"
She hesitated.
"It felt kind of like Gentle Fist… but not quite."
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
"It does borrow some ideas from Gentle Fist."
Natsu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Moves like this were common enough in both Gentle Fist and Strong Fist circles.
But inwardly, she couldn't help thinking that without the Byakugan, even if someone learned Gentle Fist, it wouldn't amount to much.
Kiyohara seemed to understand what she was thinking, but he didn't bother explaining.
Just then, footsteps sounded through the forest.
Two figures approached rapidly.
One of them was Kakashi.
The other was an unfamiliar shinobi following behind him.
The man wore an Anbu uniform and an animal mask.
"Kiyohara."
Kakashi stopped in front of him and stepped to the side.
"This is Kinoe. A Root shinobi who's just been transferred to our side."
Kiyohara looked at the young man called Kinoe.
Yamato.
Kiyohara rubbed his chin.
As of right now, Yamato was essentially the only shinobi in Konoha who could use Wood Release.
That said, his Wood Release was nowhere near the First Hokage's level.
Yamato felt Kiyohara's gaze and his body tightened slightly.
Danzo-sama had told him about this man.
Kiyohara. Konoha's genius. The one who had killed many members of Root.
Those names, those missions, those people who vanished forever into the darkness…
Would he kill him too?
Yamato's hand tightened instinctively, his knuckles turning pale.
Then a hand landed on his shoulder.
~~~
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