Rin Nohara stirred, her legs curling up even tighter on instinct, her hips lifting slightly without her realizing it.
Kiyohara gave her another light pat.
"Rin, wake up."
Rin's eyes finally opened slowly.
Those brown eyes blinked blankly at first, then focused on the face right in front of her.
"Ki-Kiyohara-kun?!"
She jolted upright. The hem of her white coat fluttered with the motion before settling again.
Her face turned red at a visible speed, the color spreading from her cheeks all the way to her ears.
"S-sorry, I was too tired and accidentally fell asleep…"
Her voice grew softer and softer as she hurriedly smoothed out the wrinkled hem of her clothes, only managing to make them look more disheveled.
Kiyohara sat down beside her and reached out a hand.
Her face was turned slightly toward the sofa back, and Kiyohara noticed that Rin's lips were a little redder than usual today. She had clearly put on lipstick.
He crouched down beside the sofa.
A warm stream of Yang Release chakra welled up from his palm and seeped into Rin's body.
That chakra flowed through her chakra pathways, and wherever it passed, her exhaustion eased away.
Rin's body relaxed, and she let out a long breath.
"Thank you…"
she said softly, looking up at him.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand.
"How did you end up falling asleep here?" he asked.
Rin blinked, then suddenly remembered something. She hurried to her feet, walked to the desk, and pulled a sheet from a stack of documents.
"There's been some progress on the thing you asked me to research before, Kiyohara-kun."
Rin turned back and handed him the report.
Kiyohara took it and lowered his eyes to the dense rows of data and notes.
The handwriting was neat. Some sections were marked in red pen, and there were even a few simple diagrams drawn in the margins.
"Look here."
Rin leaned in, her pale finger pointing to a specific spot on the paper.
She unconsciously moved closer, and the cuff of her white coat brushed the back of Kiyohara's hand.
"The success rate of cell fusion is thirty percent higher than we expected, and the rejection response has also dropped a lot."
Kiyohara looked over the numbers and nodded.
"You did well," he said.
Kiyohara had also sent part of White Zetsu's body to Konoha Hospital, specifically so they could fully research why White Zetsu cells were so compatible with the Hashirama cells.
At the end of the day, all White Zetsu had originally been ordinary people transformed by the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
But after being turned into White Zetsu, they could accept massive transplants of Hashirama cells without much issue.
On top of that, White Zetsu also had many clones, and many White Zetsu came from a single original.
"You don't have to work this hard."
Kiyohara raised a brow, thinking Rin was really pushing herself too much.
"I want to help you, Kiyohara-kun," Rin said.
"This isn't urgent."
Kiyohara gently patted her head.
Then his hand slid from the top of her head to the side of her face.
Rin's skin was soft and fair, and Kiyohara's palm could almost cover most of her cheek.
When his fingertips brushed her earlobe, that patch of pale skin quickly turned pink.
"Kiyohara-kun…"
Rin noticed the look in his eyes.
Kiyohara drew his gaze back to her face.
"You put on makeup today?"
Rin froze for a second, then instinctively touched her lips.
"Mm… just a little."
She nodded.
Her lipstick was a very light red, like a ripe cherry.
Against her already fair skin, it made her look a little brighter and more radiant than usual.
"Why?"
Kiyohara was curious why Rin, who normally didn't bother much with makeup, had done so today.
Even without makeup, Rin was naturally beautiful. There was really no need for her to spend extra time on things like that.
Rin bit her lower lip.
"I was going to ask you to go eat yakiniku with me tonight, Kiyohara-kun," she said.
She just hadn't expected that after taking a short nap, Kiyohara would come here.
"I see."
Kiyohara immediately understood. Rin had put on makeup because she wanted to invite him.
Very good. That had worked too.
Kiyohara felt that it was about time he stopped pretending not to notice Rin's feelings.
"Yakiniku can wait. I remember lipstick is edible."
Kiyohara lifted Rin's chin with his hand.
Using something else to satisfy his appetite first didn't sound bad either.
Rin was forced to tilt her face up. In those brown eyes, all she could see was Kiyohara drawing closer and closer until his lips met hers.
Her body stiffened at first, then gradually softened.
She didn't know where to put her hands. They hovered awkwardly in the air for a moment before finally clutching the sleeve of Kiyohara's Hokage robe.
Only after a long while did Kiyohara pull back.
Rin gasped for breath, her cheeks flushed red. The lipstick on her lips was now slightly smudged, leaving the corners of her mouth a little messy.
Kiyohara's hand slid down from her chin to her shoulder, then traveled along her arm before finally resting on her thigh.
"Kiyohara-kun…"
Rin seemed like she wanted to say something.
Kiyohara's hand didn't stop, brushing lightly over the stockings on her thigh.
He could feel the muscles there tense slightly, then slowly relax.
The white stockings were so smooth his fingers could barely find purchase on them.
Rin's breathing grew quicker.
"Someone… might come in…"
Her voice came out in broken fragments.
Kiyohara stopped and looked up at her.
"So that means it's fine when no one's around?"
A smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Rin's face instantly burned bright red.
She raised her hand and gave him a light slap on the shoulder.
Kiyohara chuckled and withdrew his hand.
"I accept tonight's yakiniku invitation."
Rin froze for a second, then her eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Kiyohara nodded.
"But before that, there's something I need to tell you."
Rin blinked.
"What is it?"
Kiyohara took a document from inside his robe and handed it to her.
Rin accepted it and unfolded it.
Her eyes widened more and more, and her mouth parted slightly in surprise.
"Starting today, you're the vice director of Konoha Hospital," Kiyohara said.
As for the salary increases he had given Anbu earlier, the higher-ups in Konoha had also pressured him privately over that afterward.
But Kiyohara didn't care.
At the very start, Anbu had only had about seventy people with official positions. Everyone else had basically been temporary workers or contract staff outside the official system.
Even now, though there were more people in Anbu than in the original story, the total still hadn't exceeded one hundred.
Covering benefits for a few dozen people was nothing to Kiyohara.
And Kiyohara had already reviewed Konoha's finances. There wasn't a lot of money, but it wasn't too little either.
If he implemented his economic reforms, Konoha's finances would improve significantly.
The traditional system of shinobi completing commissions while the village took a cut would eventually be changed.
If things continued as they were, Konoha would inevitably end up like the neighboring Sand Village, dependent on the daimyō's economic support.
Even after Naruto became the Seventh Hokage, he hadn't solved that problem and still had to be highly deferential to the daimyō.
Once Konoha's economy improved, that portion of the money could be fully paid by Konoha's own treasury instead of being fronted by Kiyohara.
At that point, he could gradually reform Konoha's position within the Land of Fire.
In Kiyohara's view, something like a daimyō had no real reason to exist at all.
Raising Anbu待遇 was only the first step.
And also the simplest way to win people's support.
"I… I…"
Rin's voice shook.
"How could I possibly take on something like…"
"You absolutely can," Kiyohara cut her off.
"Your medical ninjutsu ranks among the top ten in Konoha, your management skills aren't bad either, and more importantly…"
He looked at her.
"I trust you."
Hearing that, Rin was deeply moved.
"As for the director, we'll just let my teacher hold the title in name," Kiyohara added.
"That way, no one will dare question you when you're handling affairs."
Rin looked up at him.
"That makes sense."
She nodded.
If Tsunade were listed as the director, very few people would object.
Her abilities were obvious to everyone.
Whether it was during the First Shinobi War or the Second, Tsunade had treated countless people and made enormous contributions.
"I'll see you at the yakiniku place tonight."
After chatting a bit more, Kiyohara got ready to leave.
"Okay, I'll wait for you, Kiyohara-kun."
Rin nodded eagerly, full of anticipation.
...…
When Kiyohara left Konoha Hospital, people around him greeted him as he passed.
"Hokage-sama."
"Fourth-sama."
Kiyohara nodded back to them one by one, but his steps never slowed.
Sometimes, he would walk home instead of always using space-time ninjutsu.
Just as he reached the entrance to Tsunade's house, a figure darted out from the mouth of an alley.
"Hokage-sama."
Uchiha Tekka called out to him.
His green flak jacket still carried traces of dust and travel. He had clearly just returned from a mission.
And now that Kiyohara was Hokage, Tekka no longer dared call him by name and could only address him respectfully.
"Lord Fugaku asked me to inform you that the clan is hosting a banquet tomorrow and would like to invite you."
Kiyohara stopped walking.
"What's the occasion?"
He wondered why Uchiha Fugaku was hosting another banquet.
To celebrate him becoming Hokage?
There had already been a similar feast before.
But Kiyohara had found it boring and left after only staying for a bit.
Usually, when he went to the Uchiha clan compound, it was to see Itachi or Izumi.
"Lord Fugaku has another son now," Uchiha Tekka explained.
Kiyohara suddenly understood.
I see.
So Sasuke… had been born.
"Sasuke?" Kiyohara said.
"Right. That's the name Lord Fugaku chose—Sasuke."
Tekka nodded, then added,
"It's a good name. Just hearing it, you can tell he's definitely going to be someone impressive in the future."
"Wait, that's not right."
Tekka suddenly realized something.
"How did you know?"
He looked curious. He hadn't said the baby's name just now, so how had Kiyohara said it first?
Could someone else in the clan, maybe Shisui or someone, have already told him ahead of time?
"I've always heard that Lord Fugaku admires the Third Hokage's father, Sarutobi Sasuke. Given Lord Fugaku's personality, it wouldn't be surprising for him to choose that name for his son."
"Oh, that makes sense."
Tekka found that perfectly reasonable.
Sarutobi Sasuke had been a legendary shinobi from before Konoha was founded.
Fugaku often said that Lord Sarutobi Sasuke's ninjutsu and character were both top-tier.
Naming the child Sasuke was clearly a sign of high expectations.
"So does Hokage-sama have time tomorrow night?"
"I do."
Kiyohara nodded.
Since Sasuke, Indra's reincarnation, had been born, he naturally had to go take a look.
Of course, because of the butterfly effect he himself had caused, Sasuke might not necessarily be the reincarnation anymore.
Still, reincarnations had a special kind of resonance between them. Kiyohara would know once he went to see him.
"Good, then I'll go back and report."
Tekka's figure blurred and vanished down the street.
Sasuke…
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
He should probably bring a gift too.
But that was tomorrow's matter.
Right now, Kiyohara had two things he planned to deal with.
First, receiving the new Last Testament. Second, going to meet Rin tonight as promised.
...…
Meanwhile, on the border of the Land of Rice Fields, in an abandoned underground base—
Only a few emergency lights still glowed in the dim hallway, and now and then droplets of water fell from the pipes overhead.
Orochimaru walked in front, his pale face reflecting an unhealthy chill under the lights.
Today he wore a dark gray robe, with a purple rope tied around his waist.
At the end of the corridor stood a heavy metal door.
Orochimaru stopped and raised his hand, knocking three times with his knuckles.
The door opened from the inside.
Shinnō stood there.
He was thinner than he had been a few years ago, but his build was still imposing.
The moment his eyes landed on Orochimaru, they turned cold.
"What are you here for?"
Shinnō frowned.
The shinobi he had left behind should have all been dealt with by Orochimaru.
What surprised him was that those subordinates hadn't been killed. Orochimaru had only knocked them unconscious.
"I'm here to see an old friend. Won't you invite me in?"
Shinnō let out a cold laugh.
"Orochimaru, there's no such thing as old friendship between us. You should be grateful I haven't settled accounts with you yet."
Shinnō had never cared much for Orochimaru.
The two had worked together on plenty of things before, but there was a deep contradiction between them.
Konoha had destroyed the Land of Sky.
And as the leader of the Land of Sky, Shinnō carried the responsibility of restoring it.
"Shinnō, I came today in good faith," Orochimaru said calmly.
"Good faith?"
Shinnō's brow furrowed.
He had no idea what Orochimaru was plotting.
"The path to immortality," Orochimaru said.
He tossed over a scroll.
Shinnō caught it and took a look. Written on it were the words Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique.
"Immortality?"
Shinnō was stunned.
"That's right. Immortality."
Orochimaru nodded.
The fools in Konoha didn't understand, but someone like Shinnō would absolutely recognize its value.
"I've already found a way. All I need to do is transfer my soul into a new vessel and break through the natural limits of mortal lifespan."
Orochimaru licked his long tongue.
Of course, the technique worked, but it still wasn't perfect and had plenty of room for refinement.
That was also why he was showing it to Shinnō—he wanted Shinnō to help perfect it.
Shinnō fell into thought.
He was much older than Orochimaru, and the problem of lifespan was indeed right in front of him.
The forbidden techniques he possessed could let him return to his peak for a short time, and with enough dark chakra supporting him, he could even continue fighting at peak condition for quite a while.
But that still would not increase his lifespan.
When it was time to die, he would still die.
And once he died, he would never be able to restore the Land of Sky or take revenge on Konoha.
As those thoughts ran through his mind, Shinnō's expression flickered back and forth between caution and greed.
Orochimaru didn't rush him. He simply waited.
After a long silence, Shinnō finally spoke.
"What do you want?"
"Bloodline limits. I want to work with you to uncover the secret of bloodline limits."
Shinnō's brow furrowed even deeper.
"Bloodline limits aren't something you can just reproduce through research."
"I know that. But Kiyohara's bloodline limit is worth researching."
Orochimaru took out a tiny vial of blood.
Kiyohara was rarely injured badly enough to bleed, and Orochimaru had gone to great lengths just to collect this little bit.
Shinnō's gaze dropped to the blood.
"Kiyohara…"
He frowned.
A few years ago, he had fought Kiyohara. That was when the grudge between them had begun.
"His blood undergoes mutations every so often."
Orochimaru's voice cut through Shinnō's thoughts.
"Every time I analyze a sample, I find something new. The strangest part is…"
He paused, those golden slit pupils narrowing.
"These changes don't seem to arise naturally from within him. It's more like… something is constantly being integrated into him."
Shinnō's eyes lit up.
"You mean…"
"Kiyohara may possess a bloodline limit never recorded anywhere in the shinobi world—a bloodline limit that allows him to learn other bloodline limits!"
Orochimaru voiced his hypothesis.
That was the only explanation for how Kiyohara could learn ninjutsu and develop bloodline limits so quickly.
Unfortunately, the amount of blood Orochimaru had managed to gather was far too small.
Especially now that Kiyohara had grown stronger, Orochimaru had no way to obtain any fresh samples.
The blood he had now had been secretly collected on the battlefield back when Kiyohara wasn't this powerful yet.
"So what do you want me to do?"
Shinnō asked.
"Simple."
Orochimaru paused, then said,
"I need more of Kiyohara's blood—preferably a sample taken while he's in battle."
Shinnō raised a brow.
"You want me to attack the Hokage?"
He knew Kiyohara had become Konoha's Fourth Hokage.
"You just have to disguise yourself as a ninja from another village. Kirigakure, Iwagakure—pick one. The shinobi of those villages haven't exactly settled down after the war, so a few extra conflicts would seem normal."
Orochimaru said,
"And if the two of us work together, our odds are high. Your control over the Zero-Tails is nothing like it used to be, and with my techniques added in…"
Shinnō stared at him.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
Orochimaru nodded.
At the same time, he was also planning to find a way to swindle Shinnō's technique out of him.
Orochimaru was very interested in the Zero-Tails, that artificial tailed beast.
Shinnō was silent for a while.
"Deal," he said.
...…
When Kiyohara entered the house, he found it unusually quiet.
Shizune had taken Tonton out shopping, and Tsunade was still upstairs catching up on sleep. Rarely, she hadn't gone to the casino today.
Kiyohara opened the door and entered his room.
Several notebooks on sealing techniques were lying beside the pillow.
He waited quietly for the new future to appear.
Today just happened to be the day the new Last Testament would arrive, which was why Kiyohara had been so eager to leave Rin's office earlier.
Otherwise, he would have stayed a little longer, lingering with Rin and teasing her some more.
Kiyohara sat down on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.
Before long, he heard a mechanical female voice.
[Please receive your will and urn, and see that the remains are properly buried.]
"It's finally here."
At that, Kiyohara sank his consciousness inward.
Inside his mind, a brand-new urn slowly appeared.