The moment the orb of light fused into his body, Kiyohara shivered slightly.
The first thing he felt was the change in his physical body.
A warm current of energy surged through every limb and bone, flowing inside him like a river.
Wherever it passed, his muscles became denser, his bones tougher.
Even the chakra pathways that carried chakra through his body grew broader and stronger.
That meant that when Kiyohara used ninjutsu-enhanced taijutsu, he could pour even more chakra into it.
He could clearly feel his bodily energy skyrocketing.
"So this is the Uzumaki clan…"
To Kiyohara, it felt even more exaggerated than when he had inherited the Yotsuki clan's bloodline.
After all, the Uzumaki were famous for their immense life force.
A pure-blooded Uzumaki like Kushina had still been able to help Minato Namikaze use Adamantine Sealing Chains to suppress the complete Nine-Tails for quite a while, even after the full Nine-Tails had been extracted from her.
Naruto, on the other hand, while possessing some Uzumaki traits, still had half of Minato Namikaze's bloodline.
And yet after only half of the Nine-Tails was extracted, he was already on the verge of death.
If Sakura hadn't operated on him, if Minato Namikaze hadn't stuffed the Nine-Tails back into him, if the Sage of Six Paths hadn't passed on his power, he probably would have died right there.
"But Naruto's special because he's Asura's reincarnation,"
Kiyohara thought to himself.
So Naruto couldn't really be judged by the standards of an ordinary Uzumaki, not when his chakra reserves alone were already so enormous.
And now, at least in theory, Kiyohara had inherited a portion of Asura's chakra as well.
He carefully felt the transformation taking place within his cells.
Then he sensed a strange new chakra inside his body.
That chakra was completely different from ordinary chakra.
It was gentler, yet it contained an unimaginable vitality.
Kiyohara tried to move that chakra.
The instant it flowed out through his palm, the environment around him changed subtly.
At his feet, a tender green sprout broke through the soil.
The sprout grew at a speed visible to the naked eye, branching, unfurling leaves, stretching upward. In just a few breaths, it had become a small patch of grass.
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at his hand.
A faint green glow still flickered in his palm.
"Wood Release…?"
There was a trace of uncertainty in his voice.
In the anime version, Asura had possessed the power of Wood Release too.
Even Naruto, in his mental world, had once used Sage Art: Gate of the Great God to suppress the Nine-Tails, making Kurama exclaim in shock, "The Sage's technique…"
And now, the strange chakra newly born inside him was clearly Asura's power.
That power intertwined with his own chakra, both familiar and foreign at the same time.
He tried to mobilize it again, only to find that it wasn't fully under his control.
Sometimes it would stir, but most of the time it lay quietly dormant in the deepest part of his body.
Kiyohara frowned slightly.
"Looks like I'll need more time to adapt,"
he thought.
This power was too vast, too unusual.
If he wanted to fully master it, it would probably take quite a long period of adjustment.
Or perhaps he would need to inherit Asura's full chakra.
But Kiyohara wasn't in a hurry.
The war was already over, and there was still some time left before the Ōtsutsuki invasion.
Right now, Kiyohara still had plenty of time.
Unless Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who had been hiding in the shadows of the ninja world all this time, started moving again.
That was the only thing that would pose a truly massive threat to him.
After all, Isshiki had been able to smash Sasuke's Complete Body Susanoo apart with a single kick, and that was when Sasuke still had his six-tomoe Rinnegan.
In terms of raw physical strength alone, Kiyohara was honestly wondering whether Isshiki might even be able to contend with Eighth Gate Guy.
Because even when Naruto burned away all of Kurama's chakra in an instant to activate Baryon Mode, all he managed to do was temporarily suppress Isshiki in taijutsu. He couldn't even inflict truly serious damage.
"Come to think of it… could this bug out somehow?"
A sudden thought occurred to Kiyohara.
This future belonged to Asura's chakra from another future timeline.
But in the current ninja world, there was only one Asura.
So how exactly should the Asura chakra that had appeared inside him be counted?
Just as he was pondering that question, a sharp stab of pain suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
He covered his eyes, sensing the changes happening inside his eyeballs.
After the stab of pain passed, it felt as though warm blood had flowed out within his eyes, leaving behind a gentle heat.
Kiyohara touched them, then looked at his hand after lowering it. There was no blood on his palm.
And yet that warmth kept pouring up from the depths of his eyes, flowing slowly like spring water, nourishing his optic nerves and capillaries.
He could feel that something was taking shape inside his eye sockets.
That thing was becoming clearer, more complete, like an egg about to hatch.
At this rate…
Kiyohara closed his eyes and sensed the warm pulse within them.
"By tomorrow night, there should be a result."
He already had a suspicion.
There was a very high chance that this was… the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had most likely used the power of Asura's chakra to force his way straight through that barrier.
Even though Kiyohara hadn't experienced the pain of losing a loved one, or some overwhelming emotional shock, he had still reached this step.
Everyone who awakened the Mangekyō had, without exception, endured intense psychological trauma.
Even Sasuke's daughter, Sarada, had paid a heavy price to awaken hers.
From her perspective, she didn't know Naruto had merely been sealed away.
All she knew was that Naruto, the man she admired and saw as her goal, had been declared dead.
Her most important companion, Uzumaki Boruto, had become Ōtsutsuki Boruto, turned into a rogue ninja of Konoha, and was being hunted by the entire ninja world.
Under the combined assault of betrayal, shattered beliefs, helplessness, despair, danger to her loved ones, and the death of her idol, Sarada naturally underwent a violent emotional upheaval, and that was how she awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"A painless awakening?"
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
If he really did awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, then he would have to start thinking about the next step.
Namely, how to preserve his eyesight and keep himself from going blind.
Because that was the curse of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Only the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan could break that curse.
Only then could one use the Mangekyō's ocular powers freely, without worrying about blindness.
"Looks like he's really about to awaken it."
Uzumaki Kiyohara had noticed the changes in Kiyohara.
He realized that Kiyohara had already unconsciously activated his Sharingan, and those eyes had become even redder.
"Looks that way."
Kiyohara nodded as he looked out at the shimmering sea in the distance.
He was curious.
What kind of ability would his Mangekyō possess?
…
The next day.
Nine in the morning, meeting room of the Hokage Building.
By the time Kiyohara pushed the door open and walked in, the room was already packed.
Both sides of the long table were filled with Konoha's jonin. Most were representatives from the major clans, while a smaller number were civilian jonin with no notable clan background.
Hyuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuga clan, sat near the window with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, resting.
On the other side sat Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan, with Uchiha Yashiro and several trusted clan members beside him.
Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi sat in a corner, quietly discussing something among themselves.
There were also clan representatives like Aburame Shibi and Inuzuka Tsume, along with civilian shinobi who had risen to jonin rank purely through strength.
At a quick glance, there were at least fifty or sixty people present.
The moment Kiyohara walked in, the atmosphere in the room shifted slightly.
"Kiyohara-kun is here."
"Captain Kiyohara."
"Lord Kiyohara."
Countless eyes turned toward him at once.
Kiyohara kept a calm expression and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Then he walked toward his seat.
Along the way, the people who had been sitting down rose one after another to greet him.
"Kiyohara-kun, sit over here."
Nara Shikaku stood and gestured to the seat beside him.
Kiyohara nodded to him, but kept walking.
He made his way to Tsunade's side and sat down in the empty seat next to her.
Today Tsunade was wearing her signature green haori over a gray sleeveless top.
She sat there with one leg crossed over the other, her pale foot swinging lightly.
"You're here?"
She turned her head and glanced at Kiyohara.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara nodded.
Tsunade suddenly leaned in and twitched her nose lightly.
"Why do you smell like… leaves?"
Kiyohara froze for a second.
Leaves?
Was it from trying out Wood Release last night?
"Probably because I spent too long at the training grounds."
He answered without changing expression.
Tsunade gave him a suspicious look, but didn't press further.
More and more people entered the room.
At exactly nine o'clock, the doors to the meeting room opened again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in.
He was wearing his signature Hokage robe, with his hat in hand.
Behind him followed Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and… Danzo Shimura.
At the very back were several middle-aged men in official robes.
They were officials from the Land of Fire, here on behalf of the Daimyō's court to supervise this Hokage election.
Hiruzen walked to the main seat, but did not sit down.
He stood there, his eyes sweeping across the room.
The meeting room instantly fell silent.
"Today's meeting concerns only one matter."
Hiruzen spoke slowly.
"The election of the Fourth Hokage."
His voice landed in every ear in the room.
Everyone's hearts stirred.
Without question, the Hokage stood at the very peak of Konoha's power.
Of course, starting from Hiruzen onward, the Hokage's authority was no longer as centralized as it had been under the First and Second Hokage. Instead, it had become a system of shared governance among multiple sides.
The Hokage's power was checked by the Hokage's advisors and by officials of the Land of Fire.
That way, it prevented the Hokage from becoming a dictator.
Even so, among all individuals in the village, the Hokage still held the greatest power.
"According to the rules established since Konoha's founding, the senior leadership will first nominate the Hokage candidates, and then the jonin as a whole will vote to select the new Hokage."
Hiruzen looked over the gathered crowd and continued,
"Now, we begin the nominations."
The atmosphere in the room immediately tightened.
Danzo Shimura sat farther back, his one eye sweeping across everyone present.
His gaze paused briefly on Kiyohara, then moved away, landing on Minato Namikaze, and finally on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru lounged against the back of his chair, a faint smile on his pale face.
His golden slit pupils were half-lidded, as if he had little interest in what was happening before him.
But Danzo knew better.
Orochimaru cared.
He cared more than anyone.
Because Orochimaru needed money. He wanted the funding for his research, and becoming Hokage was the best path to that.
"Orochimaru."
Danzo lowered his voice as he spoke to the man beside him.
"When they start nominating, you're one of the strongest contenders."
Orochimaru turned his head to look at him.
"Danzo, you sound awfully confident."
"It's not confidence."
Danzo shook his head.
"It's fact."
He sounded extremely certain.
"You're one of the Sannin, Hiruzen's student, highly accomplished in battle, and your prestige is immense. You're no worse than anyone else."
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"Danzo does have a point."
"But Kiyohara-kun… doesn't seem any worse, either."
A slight furrow appeared between Danzo's brows.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing much."
Orochimaru withdrew his gaze.
"I just think this election may not be as simple as we imagined."
Danzo fell silent.
His lone eye drifted back toward Kiyohara.
The young man sat there calmly, as though he were listening to something that had nothing to do with him.
There was no emotion visible on that handsome face.
Danzo's hand unconsciously tightened.
His knuckles turned white.
Noticing the change in his mood, Orochimaru gave a quiet chuckle.
"No need to worry, Danzo."
His voice was very soft, audible only to the two of them.
"No matter what, I am still Lord Hiruzen's student. I'll definitely have a place on the candidate list."
Danzo stared at him.
This bastard was playing with him.
When he said Orochimaru would be fine, Orochimaru replied that the election wouldn't be simple.
When he showed concern, Orochimaru answered with something vague about having a seat on the list.
"Hmph."
Danzo let out a cold snort.
Even if Orochimaru did become Hokage, the dirt Danzo had on him would be enough to get him impeached by everyone and forced back down.
Their quiet conversation did nothing to interrupt the flow of the meeting.
Homura Mitokado stood up and walked to the front.
He cleared his throat and opened the scroll in his hand.
"Now, the list of Hokage candidates will be announced."
Everyone in the room held their breath.
Homura's eyes swept over the scroll as he slowly read out the first name.
"Minato Namikaze."
Minato rose to his feet and gave the room a slight nod.
Hearing his own name, Minato felt a rush of excitement.
Even though Hiruzen had already told him beforehand, it still felt like his dream was finally about to come true.
Hiruzen was the first to start clapping.
The other shinobi followed.
Soon the entire meeting room was filled with applause.
"Minato, huh. As expected."
Nara Shikaku looked at Minato.
"There's basically no suspense with this one."
Akimichi Choza nodded.
Minato's achievements were plain for everyone to see. There was nothing to argue about.
If anything, the truly shocking scenario would be if Minato somehow didn't get chosen.
"Let's see who's next."
Yamanaka Inoichi was curious about the next name.
"The second candidate."
After the applause gradually died down, Homura continued reading from the list.
The shinobi all pricked up their ears and listened carefully.
"Orochimaru."
As soon as Homura finished speaking, the room broke into applause again.
Orochimaru stood up.
"Oh ho, me…?"
As he rose, his golden slit pupils swept across the room, then settled on Hiruzen.
Hiruzen looked at him and gave a slight nod.
Orochimaru smiled, then sat back down.
"If Jiraiya and Tsunade wanted to become Hokage too, they could probably be candidates as well, right?"
Inuzuka Hana whispered softly.
"Of course. They're both Sannin. They already built enormous prestige back in the last shinobi war."
Beside her, Inuzuka Tsume nodded.
In such an important occasion, neither of them had brought their ninja hounds into the room. Only a few clan members had accompanied them.
"Nervous, kid?"
While the meeting continued, Tsunade looked at Kiyohara with amusement.
She blinked, carefully watching his face for any little change in expression.
"Not nervous."
Kiyohara shook his head.
What a joke. He already knew the inside story, so what was there to be nervous about?
"Really?"
Tsunade deliberately leaned closer, her full figure nearly pressing against him.
And yet Kiyohara's expression remained perfectly unreadable.
Tsunade instantly lost interest.
No wonder she always lost to him when they played Old Maid.
His control over his facial expressions was just too good.
With that thought, she straightened up and turned her attention back to the meeting.
Only after Tsunade turned away did Kiyohara glance back at her.
Then he lightly patted her thigh.
Under the touch, Tsunade's long, shapely leg gave the faintest bounce, the flesh beneath shifting ever so slightly.
Kiyohara could feel how soft and springy it was. Even though Tsunade rarely fought these days, she still maintained her figure exceptionally well.
Tsunade turned and shot him a glare.
Only then did Kiyohara say,
"The next one should be me."
Hearing that, Tsunade temporarily let go of the fact that he had just taken advantage of her.
"Really?"
Her expression turned suspicious.
"If not next, then the one after that."
Kiyohara said.
Seeing how confident he was, Tsunade found herself half convinced.
As the two spoke, the meeting continued.
"The third candidate."
Homura looked down at the next name on the list.
"Kiyohara."
The moment that name was read out, a low murmur spread through the meeting room.
Even though everyone had already guessed this would happen, hearing Kiyohara's name actually spoken aloud still sent a jolt through their hearts.
Kiyohara.
An Uchiha.
The first Uchiha in Konoha's history to be nominated as a Hokage candidate.
What did that mean?
Did it mean the senior leadership had finally begun to accept the Uchiha?
Did it mean the Uchiha had finally gained a chance to reach for the village's highest seat?
Countless eyes landed on Kiyohara.
He stood up.
"I'm honored by everyone's support."
Then he sat back down.
Tsunade turned to look at him, the corners of her lips rising slightly.
"Not bad."
She whispered.
Apparently forgiving him for patting her thigh a moment ago.
Kiyohara smiled faintly and replied,
"Well, I'm your student, sensei. Of course I'd be impressive."
At that, Tsunade let out a smug little laugh.
The room was still buzzing with whispers.
But in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, there was a gloom he couldn't hide.
Uchiha Yashiro stood up.
Clear anger showed on his face.
"I object!"
His voice rang through the meeting room.
All eyes turned toward him at once.
Homura Mitokado's brows drew together slightly.
"What is your objection?"
"Why isn't Lord Fugaku on the list?"
Yashiro pointed at Uchiha Fugaku.
"He's the head of the Uchiha clan, highly accomplished in battle, and held in immense esteem. Why can't he be a candidate?"
The atmosphere in the room turned delicate.
Some people exchanged glances. Others began whispering under their breath.
Homura looked at him and answered slowly,
"The candidate list was selected by the senior leadership based on a comprehensive evaluation of battlefield achievements, prestige, and strength."
"The Uchiha clan already has one candidate."
Homura fixed his gaze on Yashiro.
"No ninja clan has ever produced two Hokage candidates."
~~~
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