Kurenai's expression was full of confusion too.
A lot of the major clans knew about the long-standing hostility between the Senju and the Uchiha, so how could there be someone who possessed both of their bloodline powers at once?
Or was it possible that the Uchiha could also awaken a power like Wood Release?
"Did you get a clear look at him?"
Tsunade's voice came from not far away.
Because there was blood on the ground, she still had her eyes closed.
"He wore a mask. Only one Sharingan was visible."
Kiyohara let go of Kurenai's hand and turned toward Tsunade.
More and more people were gathering in the camp.
The Hyuga shinobi activated their Byakugan and scanned the surrounding forest, confirming there were no other hidden intruders.
The Uchiha shinobi, meanwhile, all had their eyes on Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara, what did that person's Sharingan look like?"
Uchiha Tekka couldn't help asking.
Kiyohara thought for a moment.
"A Mangekyo Sharingan."
The moment he said that, Tekka's eyes widened.
The Mangekyo Sharingan.
The legendary eyes of the Uchiha clan, awakened by only a handful of people.
And that man had not only possessed the Mangekyo, but Wood Release as well.
"The techniques he used were all over the place too."
Kiyohara continued.
"Fire Release, Wood Release, space-time ninjutsu… and he used all of them with real skill. He didn't feel like someone who had just recently acquired that kind of power."
"Space-time ninjutsu?"
Kakashi suddenly spoke.
"What kind?"
"His body could phase through any attack."
The camp fell into a brief silence.
Everyone was trying to process that.
A mysterious figure with both the Mangekyo Sharingan and Wood Release had suddenly appeared near the Konoha camp—and Kiyohara had driven him off.
What did that mean?
"Don't let this information spread."
Kiyohara looked at the shinobi nearby. Since the crowd still wasn't too large, he immediately gave the order to keep it sealed.
The next morning, the news was sent back to Konoha.
At the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his broad desk, the pipe in his hand frozen halfway to his mouth.
Two scrolls were spread out before him. One was Kiyohara's battle report. The other was the Anbu's initial investigation.
"The Sharingan… and Wood Release…"
His brows drew tighter and tighter.
The office door was pushed open.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado hurried in, both wearing grave expressions.
"Hiruzen, I heard last night—"
"Yes."
Hiruzen cut her off and pushed the scrolls toward them.
"Read them yourselves."
The two of them leaned in and quickly read through the contents.
A moment later, Koharu lifted her head.
"Someone who possesses both the Sharingan and Wood Release… could it be one of those old test subjects?"
"It's possible."
Homura nodded.
"Officially, the Wood Release experiments only produced one successful case—Kinoe. But who knows whether there were others being handled in secret."
Hiruzen kept smoking in silence for a while, then finally exhaled and spoke.
"Seal off the information. Then call Danzo back."
At the same time, in some hidden cave, Obito lay on the cold ground. Blood was still seeping from the stump of his right arm, and although the wounds in his left shoulder and chest had been temporarily closed by White Zetsu cells, every breath still tore through him with pain.
"I was seriously close to dying there."
White Zetsu emerged from his shoulder. For once, that white face of his wasn't grinning.
"Kiyohara really doesn't hold back."
Obito ignored him and used medical ninjutsu on himself, healing his wounds.
"You shouldn't have tested him."
Black Zetsu's voice came from the shadows as the black-and-white figure slowly emerged.
"Kiyohara's growth has already gone beyond our projections. There's no point in clashing with him head-on right now."
"Then how long am I supposed to wait?"
Obito frowned.
"Until he becomes Hokage? Until he becomes even stronger?"
He had already had enough of waiting.
"Wait until he lets his guard down."
Black Zetsu said.
"Your advantage is Kamui. Make proper use of it and focus on what you're supposed to be doing."
Black Zetsu looked at him.
He had no intention of letting the thousand-year plan go off the rails because of Obito.
Madara had already awakened the Rinnegan. From here, all they had to do was gather the chakra of the nine tailed beasts, use the method for becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, and move forward.
And because the Rinnegan could suppress the Ten-Tails, the vessel for their mother's revival would be complete.
"Focus on dealing with Kirigakure. Even though Yagura has Kiyohara's ocular power inside him, as long as we handle things carefully, he can still be used. Take control of the Mist first, pull in our strength, and slowly build things up."
"When Madara's plan truly begins, there will be plenty of chances to deal with Kiyohara."
Obito glanced at Black Zetsu. Then a new White Zetsu rose out of the ground.
With a chop of his hand, Obito severed the White Zetsu's arm and grafted it onto his own.
Ssshhh…
White steam rose.
Obito flexed the fingers of the new arm a few times.
"I understand."
Two days later, at the Hokage Tower in Konoha, Danzo Shimura pushed open the office door with a relatively relaxed expression.
He had just returned from another front, still dusty from the road, but in a good mood.
After storming out the other day because Kiyohara had infuriated him, Danzo had gone to another sector to look for opportunities.
Then an Anbu shinobi appeared out of nowhere and told him Hiruzen Sarutobi had summoned him back.
Danzo had immediately assumed it must be some important mission and rushed back without wasting a second.
And the more important the mission, the more likely it would lead to merit.
Which meant a better chance to arrange for Orochimaru to do it.
The more Danzo thought about that, the more excited he became.
"Hiruzen."
He walked up to the desk and fixed his one eye on his old friend.
"You called me back in such a hurry. What is it?"
Hiruzen looked at him without saying anything.
That dark look on his face made Danzo's heart sink slightly.
Could it be that something had come to light?
No. That shouldn't be possible.
Danzo forced himself to stay calm.
"Danzo."
Hiruzen had clearly noticed the subtle shift in Danzo's expression, and at last he spoke.
"I'm going to ask you something. Answer honestly."
"What is it?"
"In the old Wood Release experiments, besides Kinoe, was there ever a second survivor?"
Danzo's pupils contracted ever so slightly.
So Hiruzen really did know something.
"No."
Danzo answered quickly.
"I personally cleaned up all the test subjects. Kinoe was the only successful one."
"Is that so?"
Hiruzen's voice was unreadable.
"Then how do you explain the one who attacked Kiyohara? The one with both the Sharingan and Wood Release?"
"What?"
I don't even know Kiyohara was attacked.
The Sharingan and Wood Release?
Danzo frowned.
A few days ago, something had apparently happened in the sector Kiyohara was responsible for.
But Danzo himself hadn't been there at all.
He realized he genuinely knew nothing about it.
And what was this about Wood Release and the Sharingan being combined?
He hadn't even fully mastered that technology yet.
"Hiruzen, you know me. I've devoted myself to Konoha my entire life. Why would I ever send someone to attack Kiyohara?"
Danzo shook his head.
Hiruzen looked at him.
Danzo felt a cold pressure under that gaze.
He had already started thinking of excuses for his old attempts to attack Kiyohara when Hiruzen spoke again.
"Danzo, you really know nothing?"
"I really don't know anything!"
Danzo suddenly felt deeply wronged.
Come on. If he really had that kind of capability, he'd already have fully mastered Wood Release for himself.
What a joke—just sitting at home and somehow a pot comes flying out of the sky to land on his head.
If there were ranks for taking the blame, Danzo felt like he could be crowned the Hokage of scapegoats.
"Hiruzen, you suspect me?"
Hiruzen's eyes stayed fixed on him.
"Who else in Konoha besides you and Orochimaru has been carrying out experiments like these?"
Danzo's face changed.
"Orochimaru was the one leading those experiments!"
He immediately pushed the responsibility away.
"I only provided resources. He handled the actual details!"
"And the Sharingan you've hidden away?"
Hiruzen asked suddenly.
"Where did that man's Mangekyo Sharingan come from?"
Danzo's hand tightened.
"I have no hidden Sharingan!"
He denied it flatly.
"Hiruzen, don't swallow Kiyohara's side of the story whole. He's an Uchiha, of course he'd want to dump every bit of dirt onto me!"
For once, Danzo's face actually looked almost righteous.
Because in this case, it truly hadn't been him. There was no way he was going to take the blame.
For a moment, even Hiruzen found it hard to decide what to believe.
"Danzo, how many years have we known each other?"
"From the Academy until now… decades."
"Decades."
Hiruzen nodded.
"All these years, I haven't been blind to the things you've done. I just chose not to pursue them, for old times' sake."
He raised his eyes to Danzo.
"But this time is different. A shinobi with the Mangekyo Sharingan and Wood Release—if that really is someone you raised, then what exactly are you trying to do?"
"I said it wasn't me!"
Danzo snapped, genuine anger rising in his voice.
Hiruzen actually didn't believe him?
"Hiruzen, you don't trust me?"
Danzo said it directly.
Hiruzen was silent for a while.
Honestly, someone with Danzo's history was very hard to trust.
"You can go."
Hiruzen finally waved a hand.
"I'll have people track down this masked man. In the meantime, behave yourself."
Danzo stood there, face dark as iron.
In the end, he only let out a cold snort, turned, and strode away.
The office door slammed heavily behind him.
Once outside, Danzo only grew angrier the more he thought about it.
At the same time, he was deeply confused. How had an Uchiha with Wood Release and the Sharingan suddenly appeared?
Could it be that one from back then?
Danzo remembered that when Kiyohara had still been in Konoha, he had once been attacked by an Uchiha too. In the end, Kiyohara's house had collapsed, which was what led to him moving into Tsunade's place.
The next day, at the old site of the Land of Whirlpools, Kiyohara stood on the coastline, looking out over the desolate land before him.
Once, Uzushiogakure had stood here, home of the Uzumaki clan.
Now there was nothing left but broken walls and ruins.
Weeds grew everywhere. The sea wind howled. Every now and then a few seabirds passed overhead.
Kirigakure really had withdrawn its troops.
Kiyohara confirmed that the place was completely abandoned now, save for a few temporary buildings the Mist had left behind during their occupation.
"So this is the Land of Whirlpools?"
Uzumaki Kiyohara's spirit rose from within him and hovered at his side.
Those eyes looked over the ruins in silence for a long time.
"It's changed so much."
He shook his head.
"When I left, this place was still lively."
Kiyohara didn't interrupt him.
He just stood quietly and waited.
After a long time, Uzumaki Kiyohara withdrew his gaze.
"Thank you for bringing me here."
"It hasn't even started yet."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"First, let's take a look."
He pulled out a sealing scroll and poured chakra into it.
With a pop, a small clay bird appeared in his palm.
The bird flapped its wings and flew high into the sky, giving a view over the entire ruin.
Kiyohara closed his eyes, sharing the bird's vision.
The terrain, the land shape, the remaining structures, the direction of the shoreline…
All of it entered his mind.
A moment later, he opened his eyes.
"Once the traces of war are cleared away, the eastern beach would make a good dock. The western slope would be good for planting trees. The flat land to the south could be used for housing."
He paused.
"If we want to develop tourism, we'll need roads too. The Land of Fire and the Land of Whirlpools are separated by the sea."
"A bridge?"
Uzumaki Kiyohara raised a brow.
"Something like that."
Kiyohara nodded.
The Land of Fire and the Land of Whirlpools were actually very close. With ninjutsu involved, it wouldn't be especially hard.
"And I'm also planning on airships and trains."
"Using the technology from the Land of Snow?"
Uzumaki Kiyohara asked curiously.
"Yeah. They already have the technology there."
Kiyohara explained.
"Their airships can handle long-distance transport, both passengers and cargo. As for trains, we'd need to build a rail line to the east coast of the Land of Fire first, then connect across the sea by ship."
Uzumaki Kiyohara listened and nodded.
"That sounds workable."
"I'm going to the Land of Snow first."
Kiyohara put away the clay bird.
The next moment, he vanished.
At the royal palace of the Land of Snow, the daimyo was sitting in his study reviewing documents when the scenery around him suddenly warped slightly.
He looked up and saw Kiyohara appear out of nowhere.
"Kiyohara?"
He shot to his feet in surprise.
"You… how…"
"I came to discuss a business deal."
The daimyo blinked, then smiled.
"Please, sit."
He quickly invited Kiyohara to the tea table and personally poured tea for him.
"What kind of deal?"
"Airships and trains."
Kiyohara accepted the teacup.
"I need a number of airships for developing the Land of Whirlpools. And for the trains, I need the full set of blueprints and equipment."
The daimyo blinked again.
"The Land of Whirlpools?"
"Yeah. The old homeland of the Uzumaki clan."
Kiyohara didn't hide anything.
"I want to build a tourism city there. I need transportation."
The daimyo was silent for a moment.
"Kiyohara-kun… you're aiming high."
He smiled faintly.
"I can provide the airship technology, but it will take time. As for the trains, the blueprints and equipment already exist. But the cost…"
"Money isn't a problem."
Kiyohara made it clear that, for him, this wasn't any major issue at all.
Hearing Kiyohara speak with such extravagant confidence, the daimyo immediately saw the potential for a deal that would benefit both sides.
What the Land of Snow lacked most right now was money.
After all, finishing the half-complete climate-control machine would require a truly bottomless sum.
"Done!"
The daimyo slapped the table decisively.
"I'll have people start preparing immediately!"
After leaving the Land of Snow, Kiyohara went to several small fishing villages near the eastern coast of the Land of Fire.
There, he met with one village head after another and proposed buying the barren land behind the village.
One of the village heads was a man in his fifties, his skin darkened by the sea wind, his cloudy eyes sharp and calculating.
"My lord, that stretch of wasteland is useless. What do you want with it?"
"To build a dock and lay down a rail line."
Kiyohara answered.
There was no point hiding that. Once development began, everyone would see it anyway.
"If this works, your village can shift into tourism. It'll make far more money than fishing."
The village head froze for a moment, then broke into a smile.
"My lord… are you serious?"
"Of course."
Kiyohara set a cloth bag on the table.
"This is the deposit. We can discuss the details of the arrangement slowly."
The village head opened the bag and saw the glittering gold dust inside. His eyes nearly popped out.
"Good! Good!"
He nodded rapidly.
"Whatever my lord says!"
After that, Kiyohara went into the desert of the Land of Wind and refined a fresh batch of gold dust.
Then, by nightfall, he returned to his camp.
When he arrived, he happened to run into a newly arrived logistics team.
The one leading it was a thin shinobi wearing round glasses, and the instant he saw Kiyohara, his expression changed.
"Lord Kiyohara!"
Kabuto Yakushi hurried over, his face full of excited admiration.
"Kabuto."
Kiyohara nodded.
"So you applied for early graduation?"
Kiyohara asked.
Kabuto had long since been placed by him into Konoha's Ninja Academy, but Kabuto's grades had been excellent. Even starting late, he still surpassed many of the normal academy students.
"I did."
Kabuto nodded.
"I've been assigned to the logistics unit, handling medical supply distribution."
As he spoke, he took out a small notebook from his chest.
"Lord Kiyohara, I've been studying medical ninjutsu lately, and there are a few things I wanted to ask you…"
"No rush."
Kiyohara cut him off.
"Come with me."
He turned and headed toward his tent.
Kabuto froze for a second, then hurried after him.
Inside the tent, Kiyohara gestured for him to sit.
"So you're in the logistics unit now?"
"Yeah."
Kabuto nodded.
"My captain said I'm still young, so I should start with support work and get used to the battlefield first."
"That works out perfectly."
Kiyohara said.
"I've got a task for you."
Kabuto's eyes lit up even more.
"What task?"
"Go to the orphanage and assist Dean Nono with her research."
Kiyohara intended for Kabuto to work alongside Nono Yakushi on White Zetsu cells and Hashirama cells.
After all, Nono still had the White Zetsu limbs Kiyohara had given her.
If they could analyze the principles involved, then perhaps it would become possible to create a side-effect-free form of limb regeneration—or at the very least, a way to lessen the burden of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Given Kabuto's talent, if he kept studying long enough, he might produce results earlier than he ever did in the original timeline.
"Back with the Dean…"
Kabuto's heart jumped with joy. He hadn't expected an opportunity like this.
It had been a long time since he had gone back. If he could stay with her and do research there, that would be wonderful.
And at the same time, he could help take care of the orphanage too.
"I won't let Lord Kiyohara down!"
Kiyohara looked at him and smiled faintly.
"No rush."
He gestured for Kabuto to settle down.
"Since you're here already, I'll teach you a few things about medical ninjutsu."
Kabuto immediately straightened up, took out his notebook, and looked as though he were ready to absorb every word.
Kiyohara began explaining.
From chakra control, to the key points of medical ninjutsu, to the proper ways to handle certain special cases.
Kabuto listened with total focus, jotting notes into his little notebook from time to time.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— Currently You can Read 120 Chapters Ahead of Others!