As for Mount Myōboku, Kiyohara had not interacted much with those toads.
The main reason was that the snake princesses of Ryūchi Cave suited Kiyohara's tastes more.
And in truth, Kiyohara was more wary of the Great Toad Sage than the White Snake Sage.
Only the Great Toad Sage had been the main driving force behind the Sage of Six Paths brothers turning against Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. He had even prophesied the existence of the "Child of Prophecy" to the Sage of Six Paths a thousand years ago.
That ability to see a thousand years into the future surpassed every other method of prophecy in the shinobi world.
A shrine maiden's prophecy could only briefly glimpse some scenes around her, usually limited to seeing how people near her would die.
As for the White Snake Sage's prophecy, like Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki's, it could only vaguely glimpse a person's fate. It could not span such a vast stretch of time.
"So…"
Tagitsuhime looked at Kiyohara, her tone growing much more eager.
"What do you want?"
Although Tagitsuhime had signed a summoning contract with Kiyohara, she did not believe Kiyohara would simply be nice to her out of nowhere.
"It's simple. I have a path here. The risk isn't very high, but the reward is."
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
"What is it?"
Tagitsuhime pressed.
Seeing the confusion on the snake princess's beautiful face, Kiyohara continued:
"I wonder if you have any interest in becoming the master of Ryūchi Cave?"
"!"
Hearing Kiyohara's words, Tagitsuhime was badly startled.
This man was astonishingly bold.
The White Snake Sage could hear changes occurring in the shinobi world, and that naturally included Ryūchi Cave. It would not be an exaggeration to say that all of Ryūchi Cave was under her eyes.
"No need to be nervous."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"Look again."
Kiyohara pointed outward.
Tagitsuhime followed the direction of his finger and looked over. To her astonishment, at some point, a sealing barrier had appeared around them.
Tagitsuhime examined it carefully for a while and felt that it resembled the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques.
She thought to herself that Kiyohara's mastery of Uzumaki sealing techniques had actually reached such a high level.
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell the White Snake Sage about this?"
Tagitsuhime turned back to look at Kiyohara.
"If you want to tell her, then tell her."
Kiyohara did not believe the White Snake Sage would be able to mobilize Ryūchi Cave to attack Konoha.
To put it bluntly, these sacred lands might have been glorious a thousand years ago, but now they were merely dragging out their existence.
By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, didn't they all hide like turtles?
If they truly had ability, they should have come out when Six Paths Madara used God: Nativity of a World of Trees.
Otherwise, they would all have fallen into the eternal dream of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
There were very few ways to avoid it. Either rely on the Rinnegan, or, like ninja revived by Impure World Reincarnation, evade it by being dead.
As for Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, he was originally a member of the Ōtsutsuki clan, so he naturally understood and had ways to deal with this kind of harvesting technique.
Kiyohara was wary of the Great Toad Sage because of his prophecies. Perhaps the Great Toad Sage had some connection with the Sage of Six Paths, and because of Kiyohara's appearance, he might make preparations in advance. Kiyohara was not wary of the Great Toad Sage's own strength.
"Besides, I doubt you want to remain beneath the White Snake Sage forever."
Kiyohara held Tagitsuhime's chin in his hand, forcing her gaze to meet his eyes.
Within those eyes, tomoe slowly rotated.
If Tagitsuhime showed any intent to deny it, Kiyohara planned to control her directly.
The atmosphere fell silent at once.
In the end, Tagitsuhime slowly nodded and said:
"I… can agree."
Tagitsuhime thought about it. With Kiyohara's strength, he truly did not fear the White Snake Sage.
If she could become the master of Ryūchi Cave, she would be able to command all the snakes in Ryūchi Cave.
Even the places where the natural energy in Ryūchi Cave was densest would be hers to choose freely.
"Agree to whom?"
"…Master."
Tagitsuhime reacted quickly and called Kiyohara master.
Hearing this, Kiyohara nodded.
Very good. A wise person submitted to circumstances.
He appreciated Tagitsuhime's decisiveness.
"But if you want to improve even more, you'll have to offer loyalty."
Kiyohara's hand left Tagitsuhime's chin and landed on her thigh.
Tagitsuhime's body stiffened slightly.
She did not move away, nor did she remove his hand.
She only lowered her head and watched that hand rest on her leg, gently stroking her thigh.
"How do I offer it?"
Tagitsuhime's voice was a little tense.
She had lived for over a hundred years, but in the past, she had always focused solely on cultivating senjutsu, hoping that one day she would become as powerful as the White Snake Sage. She had never experienced relations between men and women.
Kiyohara's hand moved upward from her knee, settling near the middle of her thigh. He could feel the fullness and softness there.
"Let's first see your sincerity."
Tagitsuhime raised her head, her golden vertical pupils filled with confusion.
"Sincerity?"
"Mm."
Kiyohara's hand continued upward.
Fair skin was exposed, glowing with a delicate sheen under the light.
Tagitsuhime's breathing grew hurried.
She could feel that hand slowly moving along the inside of her thigh.
His fingertips brushed across her skin, sending a tingling sensation through her.
Her body tensed involuntarily, and her fingers clenched the edge of her robe.
Kiyohara's hand left her thigh and settled at her waist.
Tagitsuhime's breathing became even more rapid.
She could feel Kiyohara's hand moving over her upper body.
A layer of moisture gradually appeared in those golden vertical pupils.
Just as she thought things would continue, Kiyohara's hand stopped.
Tagitsuhime froze.
"That's enough for today. I'll practice Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation for a while, then leave."
Kiyohara waved his hand.
For now, he only intended to enjoy the feeling a little. He still had proper business to handle later.
Then Kiyohara stood and walked toward the door.
Tagitsuhime remained sitting where she was, her chest still rising and falling sharply.
The flush on that beautiful face had not yet faded.
She bit her lower lip and looked at Kiyohara's back.
"You…"
She wanted to say something, but did not know what to say.
Kiyohara stopped and looked back.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Tagitsuhime turned her face away.
"Go."
Kiyohara smiled, pushed the door open, and walked out.
The door closed behind him.
Only Tagitsuhime remained in the room.
She sat on the tatami, her hands folded on her knees, one hand touching her chest, her eyes hazy and alluring.
That wicked master—was he teasing her and stopping right at the edge?
…
The backyard of Tagitsuhime's residence.
Kiyohara stood in an open space. Before him were several stalactites protruding from the ground.
Ryūchi Cave's natural energy was far denser than the outside world's, and the air was filled with the damp scent of soil.
Those energies were clearly visible in his perception, like invisible rivers slowly flowing through the air.
He took a deep breath and drew that natural energy into his body.
Spiritual energy, physical energy, natural energy.
The three converged and fused within him, finally becoming senjutsu chakra.
Emerald-green markings appeared around his eyes, and dark-green chakra flowed over the surface of his body like a thin outer garment.
He opened his eyes. In those vertical pupils marked with three tomoe, the stalactites in front of him were reflected.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation."
In that instant, the stalactites began to writhe and change shape.
Kiyohara could sense that the stalactite now possessed "life."
It was no longer a cold stone. It had become something with will and mobility.
The stalactite pulled itself from the ground and raised its body like a snake.
A moment later, it moved rapidly across the ground like a serpent, leaving a shallow groove wherever it passed.
It was very fast, so fast that only a gray-white afterimage could be seen.
Then it slammed into another stalactite.
Boom!
The instant the two stalactites collided, broken stone scattered everywhere.
The one being controlled remained intact, while the one it struck snapped in half, its upper portion rolling to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Kiyohara's brow moved slightly.
He raised his other hand and aimed it at another stalactite.
The second stalactite came alive as well.
It pulled itself from the ground and stood beside the first one.
Kiyohara withdrew his right hand and controlled them only with his left.
Driven by his will, the two stalactites began moving.
They shuttled across the open space side by side.
Kiyohara ordered them to stop.
The two stalactites immediately stopped, completely motionless.
Kiyohara ordered them to attack.
The two stalactites rushed toward the rock wall ahead at the same time, moving rapidly.
Boom!
Two deep dents were smashed into the rock wall, and broken stone flew everywhere as dust filled the air.
Kiyohara withdrew his chakra.
The two stalactites instantly lost their vitality, fell back to the ground, and returned to ordinary stone.
He stood where he was, looking at the two stones thoughtfully.
"Inorganic reincarnation… but it only grants life to objects. Once the chakra is cut off, they return to normal."
Kiyohara pondered.
The principle of this technique was different from ordinary ninjutsu.
Ordinary ninjutsu used chakra to manipulate objects, like puppet techniques. Chakra threads connected to the puppet, and the puppet's movements were controlled through the movements of the fingers.
Inorganic Reincarnation was different.
It was not "manipulation." It was "granting life."
It did not use chakra threads to control stone. Instead, it injected natural energy into the stone, allowing the stone to "come alive" on its own and then act according to his will.
This was like…
Kiyohara's brow furrowed slightly.
This was like the First Hokage's Wood Release.
The principle of Wood Release was to transform chakra into the life source of trees, causing seeds to sprout, saplings to grow, and trees to move according to the caster's will.
But the two were also different.
Trees were living things to begin with. Even without chakra, seeds would sprout, and saplings would grow.
A stalactite had no life. It was only a piece of stone. It would never move on its own.
Inorganic Reincarnation was "creating" life.
Not creating life in the biological sense, but in a more fundamental sense.
It injected vitality into lifeless things and made them come alive.
Kiyohara raised his hand and looked at his palm.
Senjutsu chakra was still flowing there.
"Interesting."
The corners of Kiyohara's mouth curved slightly.
What he was thinking about was this: what would happen if this technique were used on materials capable of carrying chakra?
And then, if he combined it with some of the characteristics of Earth Grudge Fear and the Chimera Technique, making their fusion more perfect?
Kiyohara felt that by doing this, he might be able to achieve an effect similar to Yin-Yang Release.
At that point, the vessel for the artificial tailed beast would also be extremely perfect.
"I can collect some dragon vein chakra in advance and begin preliminary experiments."
Kiyohara thought to himself.
If this method truly worked, then the next step would be finding a way to guide large amounts of dragon vein chakra and seal it inside the vessel.
Near evening, Kiyohara returned to Tagitsuhime's residence.
Tagitsuhime had already tidied herself up and gave Kiyohara a rather resentful look, as if accusing him of not understanding romantic mood earlier.
"You're leaving already?"
Tagitsuhime felt that Kiyohara had practiced for an hour at most before deciding to leave.
In her view, a senjutsu technique of such refinement should be practiced in units of years.
"It's simple enough. There's no need to keep practicing here."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Ryūchi Cave's natural energy was dense, so cultivating senjutsu here was faster.
He had basically learned it now. There was no need to continue wasting time.
After going back, he could directly use those chakra materials for practical experiments.
"Your talent really is terrifying."
Tagitsuhime clicked her tongue.
"The White Snake Sage taught this technique to some snakes before, but not a single one learned it."
Kiyohara picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"Maybe they simply aren't as talented as I am."
Tagitsuhime fell silent.
She truly did not know how to respond to that.
...
Hokage building.
Kiyohara had just returned from Ryūchi Cave and sat back in his chair when there was a knock at the door.
The knocking sounded.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Akimichi Chōza stood at the entrance, holding a scroll in his hand.
"Hokage-sama."
He walked in and stopped in front of the desk.
The chair creaked as he sat, bending slightly under his weight.
Kiyohara leaned back in his chair and looked at him.
"Made your decision?"
Akimichi Chōza nodded. He placed the scroll on the desk, his fingers lingering on it for a second before letting go.
"These are the Akimichi clan's Yang Release secret techniques. They have been passed down since the Warring States era, taught orally from generation to generation, and never shared outside the clan."
"Today, I hand them to Hokage-sama."
Kiyohara did not immediately take it.
He looked at Akimichi Chōza, his black eyes revealing no emotion.
"Chōza, what do you want?"
Akimichi Chōza was silent for a while.
"The Akimichi clan wants one forbidden technique."
"A forbidden technique?"
"Yes."
Akimichi Chōza raised his head, seriousness in his eyes.
"Although the Akimichi clan's secret techniques are powerful, their price is too high. The Expansion Jutsu consumes fat, stored chakra, and that can be replenished after use. But those techniques that can truly turn the tide of battle…"
He did not continue. But Kiyohara understood.
The Akimichi clan's Butterfly Transformation Technique generally required the Akimichi clan's secret red chili pill to trigger it.
But the red chili pill placed an excessive burden on the body and could very easily lead to death.
Only a small number of examples, like Akimichi Chōji, could successfully activate that mode through their own power without any side effects.
That was why it was also called Butterfly Chōji Mode.
"You want a technique that can replace it?"
Kiyohara asked.
Akimichi Chōza nodded.
"The Akimichi clan does not lack ninja. What we lack are ninja who can survive. If there is a forbidden technique that can preserve life at a critical moment, even if it can only block one attack…"
He paused and lowered his head.
"Then a few more of our clan members may come back alive."
Kiyohara was not surprised by Chōza's thinking. Most clan leaders, or ninja in high positions within their clans, thought mainly about the interests of their family.
The higher the survival rate of their clan members, the easier it would be for the clan to continue its legacy.
Then Kiyohara snapped his fingers.
A black figure emerged from the shadows and dropped to one knee in front of the desk.
That figure had a curvaceous body, wore an Anbu uniform, and had an animal mask over her face. Purple hair spilled from the edge of her hood.
It was Uzuki Yūgao.
"Take Chōza to the forbidden technique archive and let him choose one."
Kiyohara did not feel like having someone bring the Scroll of Seals over for Chōza to slowly pick from.
"Yes."
Uzuki Yūgao stood and turned to Akimichi Chōza.
"Chōza-sama, please follow me."
Akimichi Chōza stood.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Kiyohara waved his hand.
"Go."
Akimichi Chōza turned and followed Uzuki Yūgao toward the door.
Their footsteps gradually faded away.
The office became quiet again.
Kiyohara sat in his chair and looked at the scroll on the desk.
He reached out, picked up the scroll, untied the thin cord, and opened it.
The paper was densely covered in writing, the ink varying in shade.
Those words recorded the Akimichi clan's Yang Release secret techniques passed down through generations: how to transform fat into chakra, how to use chakra to enlarge one's physical body, and so on.
"Does this count as complete?"
Kiyohara said calmly.
Mangekyō Kiyohara floated out from Kiyohara's body, his silver-white hair falling to his waist.
His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan looked at the scroll on the desk, the pattern slowly rotating in his pupils.
"The Akimichi clan's Yang Release secret techniques, plus the Yamanaka clan's Yin Release secret techniques from before…"
He paused, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"That is enough."
Kiyohara looked at him.
"Good."
Kiyohara nodded.
If it still wasn't enough, he would have had to go collect more secret techniques.
Very soon, a ball of light floated out from Mangekyō Kiyohara's body.
That ball of light merged directly into Kiyohara's body.
Kiyohara closed his eyes.
In that instant, he felt unprecedented spiritual energy.
It caused his already vast spiritual energy to rise by another large margin.
"As expected of the Eternal Eye."
Kiyohara instinctively closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.
The spiritual energy inherited this time was greater than any previous inheritance.
As he sighed inwardly, his eyes were also quietly changing.
A warm ocular power surged from deep within his eye sockets and wrapped around his eyeballs.
He could feel his Mangekyō Sharingan being nourished and strengthened by that eye power.
His already powerful ocular power was now like a reservoir receiving fresh water, beginning to expand outward.
Then came chakra.
That power began from both eyes and spread through his entire body along his chakra pathway system.
His chakra pathways were being widened, and the amount of chakra they could bear was climbing at a visible pace.
Kiyohara opened his eyes.
The world he saw had become even more vivid in color, its outlines sharper and clearer. Every speck of dust floating in the air could be seen distinctly.
Everything was laid bare before his eyes.
Kiyohara took out a mirror and looked at himself in it.
Against the crimson base of the Mangekyō, the pattern had changed.
Beside the originally overlapping black crescent moons, new markings had appeared.
Those markings were like vines, growing out from the edges of the moons, finally converging at the center of the pupil into an even more complex pattern.
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
New dōjutsu also surfaced in Kiyohara's mind.