"An eternal black flame?"
Kiyohara tried focusing his gaze.
In front of him, a mass of black flame appeared out of thin air.
The moment it emerged, it quickly began to spread.
Its temperature also climbed higher and higher.
Seeing this, Kiyohara stretched out his hand.
A layer of black flame instantly attached itself to his skin.
The flame burned his skin continuously. Very quickly, his fair skin was burned away, revealing the red tendons and white bone underneath.
"Anything seen by these eyes will be burned to ash. The temperature really is high enough."
Kiyohara felt that this dōjutsu's temperature was even higher than the microwave Fire Release he had developed.
After all, in theory, Amaterasu was said to have the temperature of the sun.
It was just that its actual performance in the story fell far short of such a grand and high-end setting.
"I can feel that the longer it burns, the higher the temperature gets. If it burned for seven days and seven nights, I wonder how hot it would become."
Kiyohara closed his eyes and canceled the dōjutsu.
The black flames of Amaterasu instantly vanished.
As for the arm that had been burned by the flames, it began recovering at a visible speed and returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
"Did the Ōtsutsuki bloodline also improve my regeneration?"
Kiyohara was slightly surprised. His body's recovery speed was much faster than he had expected.
And…
Kiyohara touched his eye socket.
He had activated Amaterasu, but he hadn't bled.
In the original story, both Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke would shed blood after using Amaterasu.
"It is powerful, but its flaws are obvious too."
Kiyohara sighed.
The greatest weakness of Amaterasu was that it was too slow.
Its burning speed was too slow to cover the target's entire body in an instant.
To the point that it became absurd enough for a samurai to defend against Amaterasu simply by taking off his armor.
Aside from that, there were other ways to counter it too, such as the Fire Sealing Method, or using certain ninjutsu that could absorb chakra to wash it away.
Alternatively, one could directly cover their body with a layer of chakra cloak. When the chakra cloak was removed, Amaterasu would disappear with it.
The core principle behind all these methods was the same: use an outer medium to block Amaterasu, and the body beneath would not be affected.
And though it was called an eternal flame that would never go out, once the burning medium was gone, it would also vanish. The process still required constant fuel.
"But against someone like Might Guy, who doesn't have special abilities, it really is unsolvable."
Kiyohara shook his head.
If he ambushed Guy with it, then unless Guy could make an instant decision like the Fourth Raikage and cut off part of his own body, there would only be one outcome: being burned to ash.
Even opening the Gate of Death would not change that result.
"As for the other dōjutsu… Naraku Yomotsu."
Kiyohara touched his other eye socket.
Now, each of his eyes contained two dōjutsu.
Naraku Yomotsu could pull anything within his line of sight into a mental abyss ruled by Kiyohara's will.
Those pulled into that abyss would see what they feared most and hear the voices they least wanted to hear, over and over again, until their minds were completely crushed.
Unlike Tsukuyomi, Naraku Yomotsu simply dug out a person's deepest fear, laid it bare before them, and watched as it swallowed them bit by bit.
"It's a little like the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."
Kiyohara pondered.
But this dōjutsu was clearly much stronger, a superior version.
Whether tailed beast or human, every person had something they feared.
Kiyohara felt that this technique might pair well with Shinnō's dark chakra.
After all, dark chakra needed people's negative emotions, and fear was one of the main representatives of that.
When he lacked dark chakra, he could directly use this dōjutsu to extract more from other living beings.
"I should also go take a look at the Box of Ultimate Bliss in Hōzuki Castle."
Kiyohara thought of Hōzuki Castle in the Land of Grass.
The Box of Ultimate Bliss was also one of the ninja tools left behind by the Sage of Six Paths in the movie. It was said to be able to grant wishes.
However, a monster named Satori was sealed inside it, and it fed on human fear.
"How does it feel?"
Mangekyō Kiyohara's voice came from beside him.
His body had already become more transparent, like a piece of ice about to melt.
"Very good."
Kiyohara clenched his fist, feeling as if one punch from him could collapse half of Konoha.
"Better than ever."
Kiyohara continued.
"You didn't just inherit ocular power. Your chakra and body should continue transforming too," Mangekyō Kiyohara reminded him.
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
He could feel this change very clearly.
His muscles had become denser and tougher.
His bone density was increasing as well. Blood surged through his vessels, and with every heartbeat, more oxygen was pumped throughout his body.
The color of his chakra had also become more golden, like a burning sun.
His originally fair skin had become even paler.
However, it was not a sickly white like Orochimaru's.
Kiyohara's paleness looked natural.
He raised his hand and condensed chakra.
A black rod slowly grew out of his palm. It was pitch-black from end to end, without the slightest reflection on its surface.
A chakra black rod.
"My chakra has changed quite a lot."
Kiyohara estimated that the Ōtsutsuki bloodline had brought certain changes to his chakra. He looked at the chakra black rod in his hand, then pulled it free.
Crack.
A black rod was now held in Kiyohara's hand.
He found that the rod was quite heavy, with a dense weight to it.
Then Kiyohara tried throwing it.
Bang!
The chakra black rod instantly pierced through the wall of the Hokage building, including the faint barrier layered inside it, and shot straight out.
This immediately made many Anbu ninja think there had been an enemy attack.
The Anbu hurriedly came over on guard, protecting Kiyohara.
But when they arrived, they only saw Kiyohara with his back to them, reaching toward the hole in the wall.
Thin chakra threads were connected to the black rod. Kiyohara pulled, the threads tightened, and the black rod that had flown out was drawn back, landing in his hand again.
"It's fine. I was just testing a new ninjutsu."
Kiyohara looked back and said calmly.
The others looked at one another.
They hadn't expected Kiyohara to test ninjutsu inside the Hokage building and cause such a huge disturbance, even breaking through a layer of barrier.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
A tall Anbu ninja dropped to one knee before Kiyohara, then led the others out.
Kiyohara looked back at the chakra black rod.
Inserting the black rod into an opponent's body could seal the chakra points used to refine chakra and disrupt the opponent's chakra. That was a very convenient ability.
After thinking about it, Kiyohara placed the chakra black rod into a sealing scroll and stored it away.
Then his Sharingan transformed into the Byakugan.
From Kiyohara's perspective, the distance he could see through suddenly increased greatly, fully doubling from before.
"Did Ōtsutsuki chakra also affect the purity of my Byakugan?"
Kiyohara was delighted.
If that was the case, did that mean he might awaken the Tenseigan without going to the moon?
Kiyohara felt that he had now inherited half of Mangekyō Kiyohara's Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
Half of half.
That made him a noble one-quarter Ōtsutsuki now.
...…
The next day.
Kiyohara opened his eyes. Looking left, he saw Kurenai Yūhi's smooth, beautiful back.
Kurenai was still asleep. Her curled long hair was scattered across the pillow, with a few strands lying beside her cheeks, rising and falling gently with her even breathing.
"Awake?"
Kiyohara looked at Kurenai.
Kurenai's eyelids moved, but she did not open her eyes. She merely rubbed closer into Kiyohara's arms, burying her face in his chest and letting out a cat-like hum.
"No."
"Let me sleep a little longer…"
Kiyohara's hand moved upward from her waist and settled on her back.
Her body was very warm. The side of her skin pressed against him was especially hot, like a little furnace.
Birdsong came from outside the window.
More sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains and climbed onto Kurenai's exposed shoulder.
She finally opened her eyes.
Her red eyes blinked blankly at first, then focused on the face in front of her. The corners of her mouth slowly curved upward.
"Morning."
"Morning."
Kiyohara nodded.
After becoming familiar with Kurenai, Kiyohara discovered that she liked sleeping in more than he had imagined.
As for Nohara Rin, she rarely acted like that.
As for Tsunade…
Mm. Kiyohara had not experienced it yet.
He planned to try experiencing that during this period.
A mature A8 was still an A8, and besides, Tsunade looked exactly like a young girl.
Kurenai propped herself up, and the blanket slipped from her shoulders.
One strap of her nightgown also slid down, hanging around her upper arm and exposing her fair shoulder.
Kiyohara looked at her.
"Haven't you seen enough?"
Kurenai asked.
"No."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Kurenai finally turned her head. Then she seemed to remember something, and her brows furrowed.
Kiyohara noticed the change in her mood.
"What is it?"
Kurenai bit her lower lip and hesitated.
"There's something… I want to tell you."
She lay back down and turned sideways to face him, her fingers unconsciously tapping against his chest.
"The Kurama clan came to find me."
"They want me to become a private tutor."
Kiyohara's brow moved slightly.
He immediately thought of Kurama Yakumo.
That woman's talent in Yin Release was terrifying. It could even affect reality.
If she drew a bolt of lightning in a painting, a bolt of lightning would appear in the outside world as well.
Sure enough, Kurenai continued:
"It's a girl named Kurama Yakumo. I went to meet her once. She looked very frail and didn't talk much."
Kurenai stopped for a moment, then continued.
"She's very special."
"Special how?"
"Genjutsu talent."
Kurenai raised her eyes and looked at Kiyohara.
"I've never seen a child with such good talent. No, I should say, aside from you, I've never seen one."
Kurenai revised her wording.
"Did you agree?"
Kurenai shook her head.
"I didn't agree, but I didn't refuse either."
She sighed.
"That child… how should I put it? She makes people feel uneasy…"
Kurenai had no confidence that she could teach Kurama Yakumo well, so she was still hesitating.
"Is her body in poor condition?"
Kiyohara asked.
Kurenai's eyes widened slightly.
"How did you know?"
Kurenai was extremely confused.
"She is indeed physically weak. She can't be active for long, and even when drawing, she can only draw for a little while before needing to rest. I asked them if it was because of her kekkei genkai, but they were vague and couldn't explain it clearly…"
Kiyohara had some understanding of Kurama Yakumo's condition.
Past versions of Kiyohara had encountered something similar.
When spiritual energy was too powerful and physical energy couldn't keep up, it would create an imbalance.
Kurama Yakumo's situation was more severe, to the point that it affected her daily life.
Becoming a ninja was also an extravagant hope for her.
"Take me to see her. If possible, I'll take her as my student."
"But you've already accepted Itachi, Izumi, and several others as students, and you still have to handle Hokage affairs. Won't you be too busy?"
"No."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"I have experience teaching students now."
Kiyohara was very tempted by Kurama Yakumo's talent. If she was properly nurtured, she would definitely become an extremely strong genjutsu ninja.
One had to know that the Kurama clan had once been very famous, even comparable to the Uchiha clan.
Unfortunately, fewer and fewer members of their clan were able to awaken their kekkei genkai, and in the end, they gradually faded into mediocrity.
"You're so good to me."
Kurenai didn't know Kiyohara had already intended to take her as a student. She thought Kiyohara was taking the initiative to share her burden, and she was very moved.
She slid down toward Kiyohara's thighs and slipped under the blanket, making a small raised curve beneath it.
Kiyohara reached out, his fingers threading through her hair as he pressed lightly.
For a while, Kurenai did not speak again.
Kiyohara did not start another topic either. He only felt that Kurenai was becoming more and more skilled.
Kiyohara felt that this was the charm of nurturing.
...…
One hour later.
Kurenai stood in front of the mirror and tied the last bandage.
The white bandage wrapped around her thigh and continued up above her knee.
Its edge pressed slightly into the flesh of her leg, leaving a shallow indentation.
She moved her leg, confirmed it would not affect her movement, then straightened and adjusted her top in the mirror.
"Done."
She turned and looked at Kiyohara.
Kiyohara leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, watching her.
Being looked at by him made Kurenai feel somewhat uncomfortable, and she lowered her head to check her clothes.
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"No."
Kiyohara spoke.
"You look very good."
Kurenai's face flushed slightly, and she turned away.
They were practically an old married couple now, so why was he still saying things like that?
"Let's go."
Kurenai walked past Kiyohara, her fingers lightly brushing the back of his hand.
"Don't make them wait too long."
The two quickly headed out.
"The Kurama clan's estate is on the east side of the village, near the back mountain."
She spoke as they walked.
"Yakumo's parents are both members of the Kurama clan, but neither of them awakened the kekkei genkai. Only their daughter Yakumo did."
"That really is rare."
Kiyohara nodded.
The Kurama clan's kekkei genkai, Five Senses Control, could turn illusion into reality and rob people of their five senses.
Many ninja of their clan had died during the Third Great Ninja War.
But there were no successors. Fewer and fewer members could awaken the kekkei genkai, and they had now lost their status as a prestigious clan.
After a few more generations, they might not even be able to maintain their status as a ninja clan and would directly become civilians.
Before long, the two arrived.
The door opened from the inside.
A middle-aged woman stood at the entrance, wearing a dark kimono. Her face was dignified, and her eyes and brows somewhat resembled Yakumo's.
Her gaze first landed on Kurenai, and she bowed slightly. Then she turned to Kiyohara, and her body visibly stiffened.
"H-Hokage-sama?!"
Her voice trembled slightly. She hurriedly bent down and gave a deep bow.
"I did not know Hokage-sama was coming. Forgive me for failing to welcome you properly…"
"No need for formalities."
Kiyohara waved his hand.
"I came today because I want to meet Yakumo."
Kurama Yakumo's mother straightened. Her expression shifted several times between shock and unease.
"Please come in, please come in."
Then she called inside.
"Hokage-sama is here!"
The moment her voice fell, hurried footsteps sounded from within.
A middle-aged man quickly walked out. He still had a forehead protector tied around his waist, clearly having been about to go out.
His face shape was very similar to Yakumo's, and his brows carried a sharp quality. But the instant he saw Kiyohara, that sharpness immediately vanished, replaced by respect and a hint of nervousness.
Kiyohara's reputation was known everywhere, blazing like the sun at its peak.
He was afraid that one careless mistake might offend Kiyohara.
"Hokage-sama."
Kurama Yakumo's father dropped to one knee.
"For Hokage-sama to personally visit, the Kurama clan is honored beyond measure."
Kiyohara raised a hand, indicating for him to rise.
"I only came to see Yakumo. There's no need to make such a fuss."
Kurama Murakumo stood up and exchanged a glance with his wife.
In both their eyes, there was confusion, unease, and faint expectation.
"Yakumo is painting on the mountain behind the house. I'll have someone call her…"
"No need."
Kiyohara interrupted him.
"I'll go see her there."
Kurama Murakumo froze for a moment, then nodded.
"I'll lead the way."
...…
The back mountain.
Behind the Kurama estate, a narrow stone path led out from the rear gate.
The path was not long. After walking for about ten minutes, they reached the end.
An open slope appeared before them, covered in wild grass.
At the very front, Kiyohara saw Kurama Yakumo.
The current Kurama Yakumo was still very young.
The small girl had an easel set up in front of her. A sheet of drawing paper was spread across it. She held a brush in her right hand, while her left hand pressed against the edge of the paper, and she was applying color.
She painted very slowly.
With every stroke, the tip of the brush would pause on the paper for a while before slowly moving.
After painting for a bit, she stopped and took several breaths.
She put down the brush, wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, then picked the brush up again and continued painting.
Even from far away, Kiyohara's eyesight could clearly make out what Kurama Yakumo was painting.
She was painting a tree.
Its branches spread outward, its leaves dense. Every leaf was drawn very carefully, even the veins sketched in detail.
But the overall tone of the painting was very dark. The leaves before them were clearly golden yellow, yet on the paper they were gray and hazy, as if covered by a layer of fog.
"The painting is quite good."
Kiyohara nodded.
"Uh… yes. Yakumo has quite a bit of talent in this area."
Kurama Yakumo's father froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting Kiyohara to be able to see that far.
"Let's go over."
Kiyohara suggested.
So the group continued forward.
"Yakumo."
Kurama Yakumo's father spoke.
"Hokage-sama has come to see you."
Kurama Yakumo's brush paused, and she turned around.
Kiyohara also clearly saw Kurama Yakumo's face.
Her skin had the sickly paleness of weakness, but her features were very delicate, like a porcelain doll. A yellow hair clip was pinned in her hair.