The room still carried the lingering afterglow of what had just happened.
The white sleeveless tank top on her body had long since been pulled out of shape during their earlier entanglement. Most of the stitching around the collar had come apart, exposing a large expanse of fair skin.
"My clothes are ruined again."
Her tone carried a hint of reproach, but the moisture from before still lingered at the corners of her eyes. She looked as if she had just been pulled out of water, so languid that she could barely be bothered to move a finger.
Kiyohara sat beside her, one hand still resting on her waist.
"I'll buy Teacher a new one."
Tsunade's eyes lit up at once.
She propped up her upper body, her hands unconsciously rubbing together.
Because she had lifted herself up, the already precarious tank top could no longer hold properly.
The majestic snowy peaks swayed heavily with her movement, so white they were almost dazzling.
Her eyes were full of expectation as she spoke slyly.
"Just the clothes?"
There was clear implication in Tsunade's words.
Kiyohara knew Tsunade wanted to squeeze out a little more.
She had probably lost most of her money again.
But Kiyohara did not care much.
After all, he had also established a casino in Konoha. At worst, it was just money moving from his left hand to his right. Whatever Tsunade lost, he could win back from other gamblers.
He took out a sealing scroll from the ninja pouch beside him, spread it open, and undid the sealing formula on it.
With a soft poof, a thick stack of bills appeared on the coffee table.
"There's still plenty more in the scroll. Teacher can use this for now."
The moment Tsunade saw the money, she instantly became a little more energetic.
She reached out, picked up a bundle of bills, and weighed it in her hand.
"Now that's more like it."
She nodded in satisfaction, placed the money back on the coffee table, and lay back down on the sofa.
The snowy mountains shifted slightly outward with the motion.
Tsunade turned her face and looked at Kiyohara.
"By the way, did you find out who that mysterious person was on the night of the Nine-Tails incident?"
Kiyohara's hand was still resting on her waist, rubbing the delicate skin along her side.
"It should be someone from Akatsuki."
Tsunade immediately frowned.
She propped herself up again, this time with a little force, which made those full curves tighten slightly.
"Akatsuki? Hasn't Akatsuki's relationship with Konoha always been pretty good?"
Her tone carried confusion.
"I remember that after you took office, Konoha even commissioned Akatsuki for several confidential missions. Their leader, the one named Nagato, didn't he reach some cooperation agreements with you?"
Then Tsunade mentioned Konan, saying Konan was also in Konoha.
Kiyohara shook his head.
"Akatsuki is not a monolith."
"Nagato may be the leader on the surface, but there are others around him. That masked man and Nagato have disagreements."
Tsunade grabbed Kiyohara's hand, which was misbehaving on her lower abdomen, and pressed it against her soft flesh so he could not move.
"Then what do we do? An enemy who can control the Nine-Tails, plus so many White Zetsu… If Akatsuki really intends to make a move against Konoha, we can't just sit and wait."
"I'll deal with it later."
Kiyohara said casually.
In Kiyohara's eyes, Obito was currently just a minor nuisance.
He merely wanted people like them to remain outside and attract attention.
Right now, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was still hiding somewhere in the shadows of the shinobi world, conducting vessel experiments.
Kiyohara estimated that once he fully became an Ōtsutsuki, he might be able to place his own Karma on others too.
He just felt it would be difficult to find a vessel suitable for him.
Kiyohara also did not plan to rely on such a method for reincarnation.
He was very satisfied with his own body and had no desire to seize another.
Even if he became an Ōtsutsuki, he still had bloodlines from the sacred lands inside him, as well as senjutsu. His lifespan would far exceed that of ordinary Ōtsutsuki.
Controlling the Ten-Tails could also extend life, equivalent to being "immortal and indestructible," only sealable.
"After I finish handling one matter, I'll slowly deal with Akatsuki."
"What matter?"
"Hōzuki Castle."
Tsunade's expression changed from confusion to surprise.
"Hōzuki Castle? What are you going to that place for?"
Tsunade remembered that Hōzuki Castle was Kusagakure's territory, an international prison used to hold serious criminals from various countries.
Kiyohara moved his hand away from her lower abdomen and reached toward the teapot on the coffee table, pouring himself a cup of cold tea.
He took a sip before slowly speaking.
"Kusagakure has been sacrificing Konoha ninja."
Tsunade abruptly sat upright.
"What?!"
Her face filled with anger.
"There's something hidden beneath Hōzuki Castle."
Kiyohara continued.
This was an extremely secret piece of information.
By the time Konoha discovered it, it would be more than ten years later.
"Kusagakure currently possesses the Box of Ultimate Bliss. It is said to be a product from the era of the Sage of Six Paths and possesses the power to grant any wish. Kusagakure has been feeding it with the lives of prisoners, trying to awaken the power inside the box."
Tsunade's expression darkened.
"Using prisoners' lives?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
He began explaining to Tsunade.
On the surface, Hōzuki Castle was an international prison that accepted serious criminals sent by various nations. But in reality, after those prisoners were sent in, many of them never came out again.
Kusagakure claimed to the outside world that they had escaped or died of illness, but the truth was that they had been used as sacrifices for the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"And among them, there are quite a few Konoha ninja."
Kiyohara said.
Prisoners who could be locked in an international prison were basically reaping what they had sown.
For example, some abused their ninja skills to rob, murder, and burn ordinary people's homes.
"They'll be a threat to Konoha, won't they?"
Tsunade said.
The prisoners were one issue. Once Kusagakure gained control of such power, they would surely no longer be content to remain in a tiny land and would want to expand outward.
Konoha bordered the Land of Grass, so it would inevitably be affected.
"The Uzumaki Karin incident was their doing too, and now they're using Konoha ninja as sacrifices…"
Kiyohara reached out, covered the back of her hand, and patted it lightly.
"That's why I said I'll deal with it."
Tsunade raised her head and looked at Kiyohara.
"What do you plan to do?"
"First, take the Box of Ultimate Bliss. If that thing truly has the power to grant wishes as the legends say, then leaving it in Kusagakure's hands is too dangerous."
"I'm also very interested in the box itself."
Tsunade stared at him for a while, then snorted.
"You just want to go play with it yourself, don't you?"
Kiyohara did not deny it.
Tsunade sighed and lay back on the sofa.
"Fine, go then. With your strength, a single Kusagakure won't be able to make any waves anyway."
Her tone carried an almost natural trust.
Kiyohara turned sideways, and his other hand began climbing the snowy mountain.
Tsunade's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed.
"I'm out of strength."
Tsunade protested.
…
A few more days passed.
Nohara Rin's mental space.
The Three-Tails Isobu's massive body stood on the shallow water. Its three tails swayed slowly behind it, stirring fine ripples one after another.
Then the water surface began to ripple.
A figure suddenly appeared and landed on the water.
The Three-Tails opened its eye. That huge single eye appeared from the gap in its shell, its murky yellow pupil looking at Kiyohara.
"Human, you're here again."
The Three-Tails said.
It was growing more and more wary of Kiyohara.
"I have you to thank, Three-Tails."
He raised his right hand and slowly spread his five fingers.
A thread of water flowed from his palm and wrapped around his wrist.
The Three-Tails' pupil shrank.
It could feel that the chakra nature in that water was exactly the same as its own chakra.
Over the years, Kiyohara had entered Rin's mental space every once in a while, or had her partially transform into a tailed beast, then taken a small piece of flesh from him.
Each time, it was only the size of a fingernail. That amount of flesh did not even count as a surface injury and could recover in the blink of an eye.
With his massive body, even one of his eyes was larger than half a person.
But this human had swallowed those scattered pieces of flesh, adapted bit by bit, and mastered his chakra.
This was something even the Sage of Six Paths could not do.
The Sage of Six Paths had created the nine tailed beasts, splitting the Ten-Tails' chakra into nine portions and giving them each their own will and form.
But even the Sage of Six Paths had to use sealing methods to seal tailed beasts inside jinchūriki in order to let humans use tailed beast chakra.
The Sage of Six Paths' eventual death was caused by extracting the Ten-Tails from his own body, leaving him too weak. After lying bedridden for several months, he died.
But Kiyohara had skipped that entire process.
He was not a jinchūriki. There was no seal inside him, no tailed beast residing in his body.
He had merely eaten the opponent's flesh and, like digesting food, turned the Three-Tails' chakra into part of himself.
"Next, I'll use only your chakra to fight you."
Kiyohara's voice interrupted the Three-Tails' thoughts.
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
As soon as the words fell, Kiyohara's chest rose slightly.
He opened his mouth, and a huge water ball surged out from it.
Water Release: Gunshot!
The Three-Tails' single eye widened sharply.
It did not hesitate and also opened its huge mouth, spitting out a water ball of the same size.
The two Gunshots collided violently at the center of the water surface, exploding into spray that filled the air.
Water droplets poured down and struck the surface, raising fine ripples.
"Faster than mine…"
The Three-Tails frowned.
Although Kiyohara was using its chakra nature, and the chakra output was almost the same, the power was greater than its own.
The only explanation was that Kiyohara's understanding of Water Release was stronger than his.
The next moment, the Three-Tails tucked in its limbs, wrapping its massive, thick shell around its whole body, curling into a gigantic ball.
It rapidly rolled toward Kiyohara.
Shadow Stroking!
That huge fleshy sphere rolled with unstoppable momentum, crushing everything in its path.
Kiyohara stood where he was. He raised his right hand, and a layer of faint-red chakra appeared over his palm.
That chakra quickly condensed into red coral-like crystals, covering his entire hand.
He met the rolling massive ball head-on and struck out with one palm.
Coral Palm!
The instant palm and shell collided, there was a dull, heavy boom.
The impact wave lifted a circular ring of huge waves from the water surface, spreading in every direction.
The Three-Tails' enormous body was actually sent flying by that palm. It rolled across the water more than a dozen times before barely stabilizing itself.
And the surface of its shell was changing.
A layer of faint-red coral crystals began growing from the cracks in its shell, spreading like vines. In the blink of an eye, they covered almost half its back.
Those coral crystals continued extending outward, firmly fixing it in place so that even its curled body could not unfold.
"My ability…"
The Three-Tails' voice was full of disbelief.
This was its ability. The Three-Tails could also freely control coral.
It quickly dissolved the coral growing from its body and regained mobility.
"You've mastered all my abilities?"
The Three-Tails was shocked and suspicious.
It stomped its feet, and waves appeared in the surrounding water.
Water Release: Isobu Great Waterfall!
Centered around the Three-Tails, a circular wave rose from nowhere.
It swept out in every direction, raising giant waves wherever it passed.
Seeing this, Kiyohara also used the same wave.
Water Release: Isobu Great Waterfall!
The two Isobu Great Waterfalls crashed violently into each other, but Kiyohara's wave was clearly more ferocious.
The Three-Tails' wave was swallowed the instant they collided.
Its body was struck head-on by that giant wave, and cracks appeared across its shell.
"What a huge wave."
Nohara Rin, who had been standing in the corner of the mental space the whole time, quickly formed seals.
Water Release: Still Water Mirror.
An oval mirror of water appeared before Rin, blocking the aftermath of the giant wave for her.
"So amazing…"
Her voice was full of wonder.
"He really mastered the Three-Tails' chakra."
Rin had personally watched Kiyohara reach this point little by little.
This growth speed, this adaptability, had completely surpassed her understanding of ninja.
She had no idea that the shinobi world still had such an ability to devour chakra.
When the giant wave calmed, the Three-Tails had already been knocked into a corner and lay sprawled on the ground.
Ssssss…
White steam continued rising, restoring the Three-Tails' body.
It raised its head, that single eye looking at Kiyohara.
"How did you do it?"
The Three-Tails' voice was hoarse.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand, and the water rings around him slowly dispersed.
He lowered his head and met the Three-Tails' gaze across the water.
"Maybe because I'm a genius."
The Three-Tails was silent for a long time.
Because it knew that this was not something "genius" could explain.
Was the Sage of Six Paths a genius? Was Indra a genius?
Was Asura a genius? They were all geniuses, the very top geniuses in the shinobi world's thousand-year history.
But they could not do this.
The only explanation was that Kiyohara's bloodline had undergone some kind of mutation.
Just as Asura and Senju Hashirama could awaken Wood Release, while the Sage of Six Paths could not use Wood Release.
Bloodlines, through generations of descendants, could undergo unpredictable mutations and give birth to entirely new possibilities.
The Three-Tails suddenly remembered a rumor it had heard a long time ago. It was about Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning, and about Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
It was said that those two men had once been swallowed by the Nine-Tails, but they had not died. Instead, they had gnawed on its flesh from inside its belly and ultimately gained the Nine-Tails' chakra.
They had not become jinchūriki either, yet they could use the Nine-Tails' power.
Just like Kiyohara.
"I'll come find you again next time."
Kiyohara left the mental space.
Rin also returned to reality. She sat at the edge of the bed, her brown hair falling over her shoulders, a few strands resting in front of her chest.
Kiyohara's brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something.
Through continuously devouring the Three-Tails' flesh, he had now completely confirmed his guess.
His own constitution truly possessed the ability to synthesize Three-Tails chakra.
Kiyohara could refine Three-Tails chakra at any time and use that power himself.
Kiyohara had also asked Red-Horn Kiyohara about this matter.
But Red-Horn Kiyohara was also confused.
Although he had devoured the Nine-Tails' flesh and obtained its chakra, even Red-Horn Kiyohara could not use the Nine-Tails' chakra completely as he pleased. His chakra volume could not reach the Nine-Tails' level.
But Red-Horn Kiyohara discovered that the additional chakra Kiyohara had gained was close to an entire Three-Tails.
In other words, every one of his cells had greater potential.
Even if an enemy used some method to extract the tailed beast chakra from his body, he could refine it again at any time.
Like bone marrow producing blood, endless and unceasing.
'It should be my other bloodlines taking effect.'
Kiyohara shook his head.
At this point, even Kiyohara did not know whether some mutation had occurred because he had too many bloodlines.
"The other tailed beasts might be handled the same way."
Kiyohara muttered quietly.
One-Tail, Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, Eight-Tails, Nine-Tails.
If he could devour a portion of each one's flesh and master the chakra of all tailed beasts, then…
But the problem was that even if he mastered the full chakra of all nine tailed beasts, he would still need a vessel to trigger a qualitative change.
A vessel similar to the Gedo Statue.
The Gedo Statue was the Ten-Tails' body, possessing unimaginably powerful vitality.
Even after the nine tailed beasts were extracted, that dried-up flesh still contained so-called Demonic Statue chakra, and could even allow Uchiha Madara to extend his lifespan.
Kiyohara had been continuously experimenting with how to substitute this.
The artificial tailed beast experiment was also progressing smoothly.
Kiyohara could already initially insert a portion of Mōryō's chakra into a vessel.
He just had not yet experimented with larger quantities of chakra.
The more enormous the chakra volume, the higher the requirements for the vessel material.
"At the very least, I can learn from Sasuke."
Kiyohara thought about it and felt there was no need to worry too much.
During the battle at the Final Valley, Sasuke used Susanoo as a vessel, injecting the chakra of all nine tailed beasts into it and creating Indra's Susanoo.
The strength of that Susanoo was not inferior to Naruto's three-headed, six-armed Nine-Tails form created from the earth's natural energy plus small amounts of the nine tailed beasts' chakra.
The matter of the vessel could be handled slowly.
Right now, collecting tailed beast chakra was the proper path.
"What's wrong?"
A soft hand touched his brow.
Kiyohara came back to himself.
Rin had one hand pressed between his brows, slowly rubbing away the furrow there.
"Nothing."
Kiyohara shook his head, and his brows gradually relaxed under her fingertips.
"By the way, the Eight Gates you taught me…"
Rin suddenly spoke.
"I can open the Fourth Gate now."
Kiyohara raised a brow slightly and looked at her, somewhat surprised.
The Eight Gates were the pinnacle of taijutsu and placed extremely high demands on the body.
Even a taijutsu genius like Might Guy had trained dozens of times harder than ordinary people before he could open the body's limiters gate by gate.
Rin came from a medical ninja background, and her taijutsu foundation was not especially solid. Reaching the Fourth Gate was indeed beyond his expectations.
But on second thought, it was normal.
Rin had the Three-Tails inside her, and a tailed beast's recovery ability far surpassed ordinary people's.
No matter how hard she trained, no matter how much she damaged herself, the Three-Tails' chakra could repair her damaged muscles and chakra pathways in a short time.
"Try it."
Kiyohara reached out, wrapped an arm around Rin's waist, and pulled her into his arms.
Rin's body stiffened slightly, and her legs instinctively pressed together.
"Why do I feel like you're thinking about those things every day…"
Her voice was low, carrying reproach.
"Too much energy, I guess."
Kiyohara said frankly.
This was probably the biggest downside of having too much vitality.
His powerful life force led to excessive energy, and excessive energy needed release.
And these were among the best ways to release it.
He had Rin train in the Eight Gates, naturally not so she could fight desperately on the battlefield.
Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit… with every gate opened, the density and tightness of her muscles would rise by another level.
Rin understood what he meant.
"I knew you didn't have good intentions…"
Kiyohara smiled and did not refute it.
His hand slid down along her waistline, his palm pressing against the firm curve at the side of her hips.
"Then let me check the effects of the Fourth Gate."
Rin's body trembled lightly.
…
The next day.
When Kiyohara left Rin's residence, dawn had only just broken.
After returning to the Hokage building, Kiyohara summoned Konan.
"Send this month's medicine to Nagato."
Kiyohara took a sealing scroll from the drawer and handed it to Konan.
Sealed inside the scroll were three test tubes, each filled with pale-green liquid.
For Nagato, Kiyohara had always followed a gradual, steady approach.
He did not directly cure Nagato's illness completely. Instead, he gave him medicine once a month to stabilize his condition.
Although the current Nagato was already no different from a normal ninja, his hidden injuries and chakra pathway problems still existed. He needed regular medication to maintain his condition.
This gave Kiyohara a reason to keep Konan.
As long as Nagato still needed his medicine, Konan would continue staying by his side.
Konan accepted the scroll, her blue eyes lingering on Kiyohara's face for a moment.
"Where are you going?"
Konan's voice was cool.
Given Kiyohara's habits, if he were not going far away, he would not hand her this month's medicine early.
"Hōzuki Castle."
Kiyohara said.
"There's something there I need to handle. After you deliver the medicine, come back and accompany me on the trip."
Konan's brows furrowed slightly.
A prison used to hold serious criminals from various nations.
That kind of place had almost nothing to do with Konoha. Since Kiyohara suddenly wanted to go there, there had to be a special reason.
"Understood."
Konan put the scroll into her clothes, turned, and disappeared from the office.
Kiyohara watched her leave, then walked out of the Hokage building and headed toward the Third Training Ground.
…
The Third Training Ground.
Several children were training in the open area.
Uchiha Itachi stood beneath a tree, holding a practice kunai and repeating the most basic thrusting motion again and again.
Uchiha Izumi crouched on the grass beside him, resting her chin in both hands. Her peach-blossom eyes were half-lidded, looking like she had not fully woken up.
Guren and Kurama Yakumo were on the other side of the training ground, sparring.
Guren's Crystal Release had begun to take shape. Pink crystals condensed in her palm into various shapes: shuriken, kunai, short blades.
Kurama Yakumo was also working hard to use taijutsu to keep up with Guren.
Her talent in genjutsu was very strong and did not require much worry.
That was why Yakumo trained taijutsu the most.
Shion sat alone on a rock at the edge of the training ground. A sealing technique scroll was spread across her knees, and she was reading intently.
In the shade at the edge of the training ground, Kushina held a small swaddle and sat side by side with Mikoto on a spread picnic cloth.
The little Naruto in her arms was wrapped in a pale-yellow swaddle, showing only a small face.
The little one was awake, his tiny fist raised beside his ear, waving it from time to time.
Mikoto sat beside her, also holding a small swaddle.
Sasuke was much quieter than Naruto. His eyes were closed, his breathing steady, his little mouth slightly open, occasionally smacking twice.
After Uchiha Itachi finished training, he walked to his mother's side and lowered his head to look at his younger brother in the swaddle.
For some reason, Uchiha Itachi had a special feeling toward Sasuke.
If it was for his younger brother, he could do anything.
Uchiha Izumi also came over and crouched beside Mikoto, curiously looking at Sasuke's little face.
"Itachi, your little brother is so small."
She reached out a finger and carefully poked Sasuke's cheek.
Sasuke's brows furrowed, and his little mouth drooped slightly.
"Mm."
Uchiha Itachi nodded.
He also felt Sasuke was very small right now.
What Itachi was thinking was that he hoped Sasuke would grow up quickly, so they could train together in the future.
Kushina turned her head, looked at little Sasuke in Mikoto's arms, then lowered her head and looked at Naruto in her own arms.
The corner of her mouth curved into a teasing smile.
"Mikoto, if Naruto were a girl, I'd want to arrange a child betrothal with you."
Mikoto covered her mouth and laughed.
"True. Unfortunately, they're both boys."
Kushina sighed, her tone full of regret.
She lowered her head and looked at Naruto, poking his little cheek with one finger.
"You little brat, why weren't you a girl?"
Naruto became annoyed from being poked. He swung his little fist and accurately hit Kushina on the nose. The force was not strong, but the aim was precise.
"Ow!"
Kushina covered her nose and widened her eyes at the little guy in her arms.
Naruto had no idea what he had done and continued waving his small fists, making babbling sounds.
Mikoto could not help laughing again.
"This child will definitely be mischievous in the future."
Just then, a figure walked out from the forest.
Shion was the first to notice and hurriedly stood, respectfully calling out.
"Teacher."
The other children also stopped training and gathered toward Kiyohara.
"Hokage-sama."
"Kiyohara-sensei!"
Kiyohara nodded slightly, sweeping his gaze over the children.
"How are you adapting to the cursed seals?"
He asked.
Shion was the first to answer.
"I'm adapting very well. My chakra refinement speed is much faster than before, and the stability of my sealing techniques has also improved."
As she spoke, she raised her right hand, and a layer of pale-green chakra appeared in her palm.
It was clearly a D-rank medical ninjutsu.
Guren, unwilling to fall behind, clasped her hands together and condensed a short pink Crystal Release sword in her palm.
"Me too. When I use the cursed seal, my Crystal Release becomes sturdier than before!"
Guren stabbed the short sword into the ground.
The blade sank into the soil and looked very sharp, though fine cracks appeared along the sword.
"It's still not stable enough."
Kiyohara commented.
Seeing Guren look a little downcast, Kiyohara added another sentence.
"There has been progress."
Kiyohara still praised her.
Guren's expression instantly cleared from cloudy to bright.
Kiyohara turned his gaze to Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Izumi.
"What about you?"
"The adaptation to the cursed seal is smooth. The increase in Yang-nature chakra has improved my recovery speed quite a bit."
Uchiha Izumi directly rolled up her sleeve, revealing her fair arm.
"Teacher, look! The wounds on my arm are all healed!"
There were indeed no scars on her arm. The skin was smooth and delicate.
Kiyohara nodded. It seemed their adaptation to the cursed seals was good.
Then Kiyohara stated the true purpose of his visit today.
"I came this time because I plan to take a few children with me on a mission."
The moment he finished speaking, all the children raised their heads.
"I'll go! I'll go!"
Guren was the first to volunteer.
Kurama Yakumo did not speak, but a trace of anticipation also appeared in her eyes.
Mikoto looked at the children scrambling to go and said,
"Kiyohara really is popular."
Kushina also smiled. While gently patting Naruto, who had started waving his fists again, she sighed.
"Kiyohara was popular before too. I remember when he was still at the Ninja Academy, quite a few girls secretly looked at him."
Kushina secretly glanced at Kiyohara.
Kiyohara did not pick up that topic.
He was considering whom to take.
"Izumi, Shion, Itachi. You three will come with me."
Uchiha Izumi instantly cheered.
"Why not me…"
Guren's voice was full of grievance.
Although Kurama Yakumo said nothing, she also lowered her head.
Kiyohara walked in front of Guren and Yakumo, crouched down, and looked into their eyes.
"I have seen all your hard work."
His voice was not loud, but it was very serious.
"After I return from this mission, it will happen to be close to both of your birthdays. I will give each of you a gift."
Kiyohara said.
He planned to give Guren a hilt made of chakra metal.
That way, Guren could transmit Crystal Release chakra through it and condense any weapon shape she wanted.
"Really?!"
"Really."
Kiyohara nodded.
Guren instantly threw her disappointment at not being able to go to the back of her mind and rushed up to hug Kiyohara's arm.
Hearing that she would also get a gift, Kurama Yakumo was also very happy.
As for her gift, Kiyohara planned to give her a high-quality drawing board and brushes.
…
By the time Uchiha Itachi returned home, the sky had already darkened.
Uchiha Fugaku sat before the low table in the living room, holding a cup of tea while reading a document.
Hearing movement at the entrance, he raised his head.
"You're back."
"Father."
Uchiha Itachi changed shoes at the entrance, entered the living room, and sat properly across from Fugaku.
Uchiha Fugaku set down the teacup and looked at him.
"I heard from Mikoto that Kiyohara selected you to go with him on a confidential mission?"
"Yes."
Uchiha Itachi nodded.
Fugaku picked up the teacup and took a sip.
His expression remained serious, but the curve of his mouth was a little more relaxed than usual.
"Very good."
He set down the teacup.
"Kiyohara is a Hokage from the Uchiha clan, and one of the strongest people in the shinobi world. Being chosen by him means your talent has been recognized."
Uchiha Fugaku paused, his gaze falling on Itachi.
"Itachi, your talent is rare even in the history of the Uchiha clan. I believe that one day, you will surpass me."
Uchiha Itachi lowered his head.
"Father praises me too much."
Fugaku shook his head.
"It is not excessive praise."
His gaze shifted to the cradle in the corner of the living room.
Sasuke lay inside, his small hand raised beside his ear, sleeping soundly.
"When Sasuke grows up, I hope he can also have talent like yours."
Uchiha Itachi followed his father's gaze.
Sasuke in the cradle turned over and continued sleeping.
"He will."
Uchiha Itachi nodded.
He had a feeling.
His younger brother would definitely become very powerful in the future.
…
One week later.
Konoha's main gate.
A huge airship was parked outside.
The airship was entirely silver-white, with a row of propulsion devices on each side of the hull. The propeller at the tail slowly turned.
Uchiha Izumi raised her head, eyes wide and mouth forming a round "O."
"So big…"
She had never seen anything this large.
Uchiha Itachi stood beside her. Although his expression remained calm, a trace of surprise flashed through his dark eyes too.
"This was transported from the Land of Snow, right?"
Uchiha Itachi said, his tone carrying uncertainty.
Kiyohara stood in front of the two. Hearing Itachi's words, he turned his head slightly.
"No. It was jointly built with the Land of Snow."
Kiyohara said.
This was also one of the cooperations he had launched with the Land of Snow. Although the core technology had indeed received help from the Land of Snow, the manufacturing and assembly were completed in Konoha.
Starting with imitation, Kiyohara was confident that they would eventually surpass the Land of Snow's original version.
Click.
The airship's cabin door opened, and a figure walked out.
Kakuyoku Fubuki. Today, she wore white chakra armor, her pink hair tied into a high ponytail.
She walked up to Kiyohara, knelt on one knee, and lowered her head.
"Hokage-sama."
Kiyohara nodded.
During his last visit to the Land of Snow, he had spared Kakuyoku Fubuki's life.
Nadare Rōga and Fuyukuma Mizore had both died. Only she survived.
During the final reckoning by the daimyo of the Land of Snow, Kakuyoku Fubuki chose to surrender and pushed responsibility onto Nadare Rōga.
In the end, because Yukigakure had far too few ninja, she was not executed. Kakuyoku Fubuki continued working for the Land of Snow as atonement.
"Everyone is here."
Kiyohara turned and looked at the three children behind him.
Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Izumi, and Shion.
All three had changed into ninja outfits suitable for movement. Ninja pouches were tied at their waists, and their faces carried nervousness.
"Board the airship. I'll tell you the details of this mission on the way."
The interior of the airship was even more spacious than it looked from outside.
Kakuyoku Fubuki entered the cockpit and gripped the control lever with both hands.
The airship's propulsion devices hummed, and the massive hull slowly rose into the air.
Uchiha Izumi pressed herself against the porthole, her face almost touching the glass.
She looked at Konoha village below, growing smaller and smaller, and let out gasp after gasp of amazement.
"We're flying! We're really flying!"
Shion sat beside her. Although she did not press herself against the window like Izumi, she could not help turning her head to look at the clouds outside.
"Kiyohara-sensei, what is the target of this mission?"
Uchiha Itachi was more concerned about the mission.
"Beneath Hōzuki Castle, something is hidden."
He raised his hand and drew a square outline in the air with his fingertip.
"The mission is to obtain the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Legend says it is a treasure left behind from the era of the Sage of Six Paths and possesses the power to grant any wish."
The three children fell silent at the same time.
"Grant any wish…?"
Uchiha Itachi had never realized such power existed in the world.
"That's what the legend says."
Kiyohara nodded.
Judging from the original story, it did indeed have such power.
However, that power came with a price.
For example, Hōzuki Castle's lord, Mui, had indeed had his wish granted and seen his dead son again.
However, his son had completely turned into a monster.
This time, Kiyohara also wanted to obtain the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Now that he was a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths and could freely control the Six Paths Ninja Tools,
would that include the Box of Ultimate Bliss too?