Kiyohara and Tsunade walked side by side through the streets of Konoha.
"We're here."
Kiyohara stopped in front of a flower shop.
A wooden sign hung above the entrance, engraved with the words Yamanaka Flower Shop.
The display window was filled with all kinds of flowers and potted plants. Closest to the front was a row of daisies, their white petals packed tightly together. Farther inside were several pots of bellflowers, their purple blossoms drooping gently.
Even standing outside the shop, Kiyohara could smell the faint fragrance of flowers in the air.
Tsunade stopped at the entrance and swept her gaze over the plants.
"The Yamanaka clan's flower shop?"
Tsunade raised a brow.
She had thought it was just some ordinary roadside flower shop.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just looking around."
Kiyohara pushed open the door.
Shelves lined the walls, filled with flowerpots stacked from the floor all the way to the ceiling, like a colorful wall of flowers.
Behind the counter, Yamanaka Inoichi had his back to the door and was bent over, teasing something.
This ninja, known on the battlefield for his calm composure, was currently making sounds that did not match his image at all.
"There, there, good girl. Daddy's right here…"
In his arms was a tiny infant.
The baby was wrapped in a pale pink swaddle, only her little face showing.
Her hair was a light blond, lying softly against her scalp. Her eyes were closed, and her tiny mouth was slightly open as she made weak little whining sounds.
Inoichi gently tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. The baby wrinkled her nose and burrowed her face deeper into the blanket.
"Inoichi."
Kiyohara spoke.
Inoichi's body visibly stiffened.
He spun around, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.
Just now, all of Inoichi's attention had been on his daughter. He hadn't noticed customers entering the shop at all.
And not just any customers, either.
It was Kiyohara and Tsunade.
"H-Hokage-sama?!"
He instinctively tried to bow, but the sudden movement startled the baby in his arms. Her little mouth twisted, and she burst into tears.
"Ah, sorry, sorry…"
Inoichi hurriedly rocked the swaddled baby in his arms, his expression bouncing between respect and panic.
"Hokage-sama, please wait, I'll just—"
"No need to be nervous."
Kiyohara raised a hand, signaling that there was no need for formality.
"I'm only taking a casual look. Don't make a fuss."
Inoichi took a deep breath and suppressed his panic.
At the end of the day, Kiyohara was an Uchiha.
Even though Inoichi knew Kiyohara was different from the other members of his clan, standing before an Uchiha who held tremendous power still made him instinctively nervous.
Konoha's view of the Uchiha as obsessive and extreme had already become a stereotype, and it would not be erased in a short time.
He gently patted the baby's back, and her crying gradually softened.
"I've embarrassed myself before Hokage-sama," Inoichi said.
"It's fine."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Yamanaka Inoichi was the captain of Konoha's Analysis Team, possessing absolute command over it, and his abilities were outstanding.
But in truth, he was a complete doting father.
He often went to izakaya with Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chōza, lamenting that he didn't know how to communicate with his daughter.
Then Kiyohara's gaze fell on that tiny face.
The baby's eyes had already opened. They were the pale green unique to the Yamanaka clan, like jade.
'Sakura should have been born too, right?'
Kiyohara thought to himself.
Sakura came from a civilian family, so Kiyohara hadn't paid her much attention.
Still, he did intend to take Sakura into Konoha Hospital in the future and have her work under Nohara Rin.
That way, Konoha's medical field would be strengthened even further.
After all, Sakura's talent was actually quite good too.
"What's her name?" Tsunade asked.
Looking at this adorable baby, she felt curious.
"Ino. Yamanaka Ino."
Inoichi answered Tsunade.
"A good name."
Tsunade nodded.
She reached out and gently touched the baby's cheek with her fingertip. Ino flinched slightly at the cold touch. Her little mouth puckered, but she didn't cry. She only rubbed her face into her father's arms.
"Mm. She's a healthy child."
Tsunade withdrew her hand.
She had just used chakra to sense the baby's condition.
Inoichi smiled and invited the two of them to sit by the low table.
Soon, footsteps came from behind.
His wife, Yamanaka Rino, walked out from the inner room carrying a tray with a teapot and several teacups on it.
The moment she saw Kiyohara and Tsunade, her steps paused slightly. Then she quickly walked over, placed the tray on the low table, and bowed.
"Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama."
"Sorry for disturbing you."
Kiyohara said.
Yamanaka Rino shook her head and began pouring tea with practiced movements.
Kiyohara's gaze swept over the flowers and plants before finally landing on a pot of bellflowers in the corner.
"That pot of bellflowers is well cared for."
Kiyohara said casually.
Tsunade followed his gaze and looked over, her brow moving slightly.
She also noticed a plant beside the bellflowers.
It was a pale pink rose. The flower wasn't large, but it had many layers of petals tightly packed together, the edges curling slightly like the pleats of a young girl's skirt.
The flower branch reached diagonally out from the edge of the pot, with three blooming flowers at its tip.
"This rose is pretty."
As Tsunade spoke, she unconsciously stepped closer and bent down to examine the flower.
From that angle, her profile was lit by the light outside the window, making her skin look fair and smooth.
Kiyohara remained seated on the round stool.
A thread of wind-release chakra, finer than a hair, flowed silently from his hand like an invisible strand. It passed through the air, slipped around the crowded flower branches, and precisely wrapped around the topmost flower on the rose plant.
The stem was lightly touched by the wind blade and silently severed.
The flower separated from the branch, but did not fall. Instead, it was held up by the air current, slowly rotating in midair.
The flower drifted past Tsunade's shoulder and floated unhurriedly in front of her, stopping right before her eyes.
Tsunade froze for a moment.
She reached out, and the flower gently fell into her palm.
"For you."
Kiyohara said.
Tsunade lowered her head and looked at the flower in her palm.
The rose was blooming beautifully, its petals layered and open.
She pressed her lips together, wanting to say something, but the words reached her mouth and were swallowed back down. In the end, she only gave a soft snort.
"Unnecessary."
She tucked the flower behind her ear. The movement was quick, but somehow unexpectedly beautiful.
Inoichi stood behind the counter and saw the whole thing.
His attention, however, was not on the flower, but on the Wind Release technique Kiyohara had just used.
That thread of chakra control had been terrifyingly precise. A wind strand finer than a hair had accurately cut the stem without damaging the surrounding petals, then held the flower up with air current, carried it steadily over several meters, and finally lowered it gently into Tsunade's palm.
What kind of chakra control did that require?
Inoichi quickly calculated it in his mind.
He knew very clearly that he couldn't do it himself.
The Yamanaka clan's secret techniques focused on the mental side, and they also demanded very fine chakra manipulation, but that was a different field entirely.
Wind Release chakra was already harder to control than ordinary chakra because it was, by nature, flowing and unstable. It was like water cupped in the hand—squeeze even slightly, and it would slip through the fingers.
Someone who could control Wind Release to this degree…
Inoichi thought of Minato Namikaze.
That ninja, famous for his speed, had also been quite skilled in Wind Release. But when Inoichi had seen Minato use Wind Release, it had leaned more toward explosive attacks rather than this kind of microscopic precision.
S-rank.
Inoichi made the judgment in his heart.
No, perhaps even higher.
This young man's chakra control had already exceeded the range Inoichi could evaluate.
"Hokage-sama's mastery of Wind Release is truly admirable."
Inoichi spoke, his voice carrying genuine admiration.
Kiyohara waved his hand, indicating it was nothing.
Wind Release wasn't even what he was best at.
The other six chakra attributes, including kekkei genkai chakra natures, were all things Kiyohara was equally proficient in.
He looked back at Ino in Inoichi's arms.
Little Ino had quieted down. Her eyes were half open and half closed, and one small, soft hand stretched out from the swaddle, unconsciously grasping at the air.
"This child, Ino, looks like you."
Kiyohara said.
Inoichi lowered his head and looked at his daughter.
His daughter was still very small and hadn't grown into her features yet.
He honestly couldn't tell whether she looked like him or his wife, but since Hokage-sama said so, then perhaps she did.
"Is… is that so?"
He scratched his head.
"I have an idea."
Kiyohara's gaze moved away from Ino and landed on Inoichi's face.
"When Ino gets a little older, I'd like to take her as my student."
Inoichi's expression shifted from confusion to shock, then from shock to disbelief.
"Hokage-sama… you mean you want to take Ino as your student?"
"What, you're unwilling?"
"No, no, no!"
Inoichi waved his hand repeatedly. The movement was so big that Ino in his arms was startled again, looking around blankly with those eyes.
"I mean… this is just too sudden…"
His mind had already turned into a mess.
The Hokage's student.
He knew exactly what that meant.
Uchiha Itachi. Uchiha Izumi. Those names had already spread throughout Konoha, not because of their clan, but because of the halo over their heads: students of the Hokage.
And now, that halo might fall onto his daughter?
Inoichi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He was the head of the Yamanaka clan, a jōnin of Konoha, and a ninja who had lived through two wars. He couldn't lose his composure over a single sentence.
But his heartbeat was still abnormally fast.
"Hokage-sama's favor leaves the Yamanaka clan deeply honored."
"It's just… Ino is still so young. We can't tell what her talent will be yet…"
"Talent isn't the issue."
Kiyohara cut him off.
"That isn't what I value."
Inoichi was puzzled.
Not talent? Then what?
He did not ask aloud.
But Kiyohara seemed to see through his thoughts. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, though he offered no explanation.
Tsunade leaned beside the counter, her fingers idly touching the petals of the rose behind her ear. She listened to their conversation without interrupting.
She knew what Kiyohara was doing. Taking a student was the pretext. His true goal was the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques.
But she had no intention of exposing him.
This brat knew what he was doing. She trusted him.
Sure enough, Kiyohara shifted the subject and continued:
"However, there is one thing I need your help with, Inoichi."
Here it comes.
Inoichi's heart sank slightly, though his expression remained unchanged.
"Please speak, Hokage-sama."
"I want to understand the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques."
Kiyohara spoke directly, without beating around the bush.
"The Mind Body Switch Technique, the Mind Body Disturbance Technique, and other related techniques."
Inoichi's brows furrowed slightly.
He did not immediately refuse, nor did he agree. He only continued patting Ino's swaddle.
"That way, I'll be able to guide Ino better in the future."
That reasoning was sound.
Inoichi knew that a good teacher truly did need to understand the foundation of what their student would learn.
But the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques had always been passed down only within the clan. They were never leaked outside.
"Hokage-sama…"
He carefully chose his words.
Compared to a great clan like the Uchiha, the Yamanaka clan was still too small.
That was why the Ino-Shika-Chō clans had always maintained their alliance, generation after generation, under the witness of the Sarutobi clan.
"This matter is not something I can decide alone. The Yamanaka clan's secret techniques must be discussed by the clan elders…"
"I know."
Kiyohara did not make things difficult for him. Instead, he took out something from inside his clothes.
It was a scroll tied with thin hemp cord.
"This is a small gesture from me."
Kiyohara pushed the scroll over.
"As an exchange."
Inoichi hesitated for a moment, then freed one hand, untied the cord, and opened the scroll.
"Yin Release: Yin Body Enhancement Technique," Kiyohara explained.
"This technique can temporarily increase the activity of brain cells, thereby strengthening spiritual energy and enhancing the power of Yin Release ninjutsu. It should have a good supportive effect on the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques."
Inoichi's eyes swept across the scroll.
If it really worked as described, then this technique was indeed extremely valuable to the Yamanaka clan.
The Mind Body Switch Technique required a sufficiently powerful spirit to pierce through the opponent's consciousness. The Mind Body Disturbance Technique required precise control of spiritual energy.
And this Yin Release: Yin Body Enhancement Technique could temporarily boost spiritual energy.
If this technique could be integrated into the Yamanaka clan's inheritance system…
Inoichi immediately began weighing the risks of leaking their secret techniques, the disadvantages of offending Kiyohara, and the benefits this technique would bring.
"Hokage-sama."
Inoichi raised his head.
"This technique… did you develop it?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
He had taken inspiration from Dark Medical Ninjutsu.
When it came to spiritual energy, there was no one in all of Konoha who surpassed him.
After multiple layers of improvement, Kiyohara's spiritual energy had already far outstripped everyone else's. Naturally, developing related techniques was quite fast.
Kiyohara guessed that his soul was also very powerful.
Unfortunately, for now, he still did not know techniques involving the soul.
As for the Spirit Transformation Technique, Kiyohara planned to look into it later, after finishing the tasks at hand.
Inoichi's throat moved.
Someone who could develop a technique of this level probably really only wanted to understand the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques, nothing more.
"I'll go get the scrolls."
Inoichi made his decision. He carefully handed Ino to his wife beside him.
Yamanaka Rino accepted their daughter and glanced at her husband. She said nothing, only nodding slightly.
"Please wait a moment."
Inoichi bowed slightly to Kiyohara, then turned and quickly walked into the inner room.
Rino also carried Ino toward the back of the flower shop.
The sound of footsteps gradually faded.
Tsunade sat in front of the low table and watched the two disappear behind the curtain. Then she turned to Kiyohara.
"What are you collecting the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques for?"
Tsunade asked casually.
"Research."
Kiyohara picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had already cooled a little.
"Suit yourself."
Tsunade looked away and did not continue asking.
Her attention returned to the rose behind her ear.
The pink petals had a delicate shine under the lamplight. The edges had wilted a little, but it was still beautiful.
Kiyohara watched her movements and waved lightly at the flower.
The next moment, the slightly wilted rose in Tsunade's hand seemed to be infused with new vitality.
The entire flower bloomed again in her palm, its size doubling.
"You…"
Tsunade looked at Kiyohara.
She had seen before that Kiyohara could affect certain plants.
But back then, Kiyohara's excuse had been that his vitality had increased, and he had merely injected chakra into them.
This time, at such close range, Tsunade was certain that Kiyohara was not using medical ninjutsu, nor was he simply injecting chakra.
Medical ninjutsu could create similar effects, but only to a limited degree.
Now, the way Kiyohara made the flower grow larger reminded Tsunade of her grandfather.
Wood Release.
Kiyohara looked at Tsunade's beautiful face. Confusion still lingered on it.
Kiyohara smiled.
"Teacher, do you remember what you once said?"
Tsunade froze.
"What?"
"You said that if I learned Wood Release, you would grant me one wish."
"You brat. You remember things like that very clearly."
Tsunade snorted in annoyance.
"Why do I get the feeling you really are developing Wood Release?"
Tsunade said.
"Something like that."
Kiyohara felt he would be able to fully master Wood Release next month.
"If I really do learn it, Teacher, you'll have to give me some Wood Release secret technique scrolls."
Kiyohara said.
"If you really can learn it, I'll give them all to you."
Tsunade shook her head.
Those Wood Release scrolls were only gathering dust at home anyway.
Then Tsunade began carefully examining the flower Kiyohara had given her.
Seeing that, Kiyohara moved his hand away from the table and slipped it below.
He touched the back of Tsunade's hand resting on her knee, then slid along it and landed on her thigh.
Tsunade's body stiffened slightly.
Kiyohara's fingers gently squeezed the outside of her thigh. He could feel his fingertips sink into the soft flesh of her leg.
Soft, yet held taut by her light-blue cropped pants, dimpling slightly before springing back.
Tsunade was afraid Inoichi would come back and see.
She lifted her foot and stepped on the top of Kiyohara's foot with her heel.
"No respect for your sensei."
Tsunade lowered her voice.
Kiyohara did not pull his hand back.
His fingers lightly brushed over her thigh. Tsunade's leg was very tense, the muscles beneath his fingertips trembling faintly.
"Behave!"
Tsunade tried to remove Kiyohara's hand, only to realize that this rebellious student was too strong and she couldn't move it.
"I'll go to the casino with you later."
Kiyohara offered Tsunade a carrot.
Hearing that, Tsunade glared at him, then let him do as he pleased.
Just then, footsteps sounded from behind them.
Tsunade's body abruptly stiffened.
She patted the back of Kiyohara's hand, straightened her collar, and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear.
Then Tsunade picked up her teacup and lowered her head to drink, perhaps moving too hastily, because a few drops of tea splashed out and scattered across the table.