What kind of jutsu is this?
Samui was utterly bewildered. She focused her attention, observing the teapot and cups with intensity. Only then did she realize they were enveloped in a layer of nearly invisible, swirling currents of air.
It was [Wind] style chakra!
Samui's heart skipped a beat. Previous intelligence only mentioned Kiyoshi's talent in [Lightning], [Fire], and [Genjutsu]. Seeing him today, his aptitude for [Wind] style was equally monstrous.
What kind of freak could cultivate so many different nature transformations to such a high degree? Simply using Wind style to delicately lift a teapot, cups, and tea bricks was enough to show that Kiyoshi's chakra control was extraordinary.
While waves of shock crashed through her mind, Samui's face remained impassive.
"Please, have some tea."
Kiyoshi poured a cup and pushed it toward her.
"Thank you."
Samui accepted it. Emotional management was a basic skill for every spy; if one's thoughts were written on their face, they would be easily seen through and lose the upper hand.
Kiyoshi watched as Samui sat with her back perfectly straight, making her chest look like heavy, hanging fruit. Knowing his display of power had hit its mark, he suddenly spoke:
"I wonder, Miss Samui, what business brings you to see me?"
"We belong to the same village; it's only natural for us to visit one another," Samui squeezed out a smile. The effort behind the smile was palpable, yet it lacked the hollowness of a fake one.
"Is that so?"
Kiyoshi tapped the table, saying nothing more, waiting for Samui to take the initiative. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy with silence.
After a long while, Samui finally broached a topic, asking about Kiyoshi's experiences on the battlefield. Kiyoshi replied with a few casual remarks, his attitude clearly perfunctory. After a moment of confusion, Samui quickly caught on. It was because of Kiyoshi's completely unshielded gaze.
He clearly wanted...
Samui took a deep breath. 'Is it really worth going this far for the village?' she asked herself. The face of her younger brother, Atsui, flashed through her mind. At that moment, the scales tipped.
"Kiyoshi-kun... if there is anything you need, you can tell me."
Kiyoshi looked her up and down once without a word. He simply finished his tea and set the cup down. A crisp *clink* echoed as the bottom of the cup met the table.
Samui bit her lip slightly. She leaned her straight upper body forward, picked up the kettle, and attentively poured Kiyoshi another cup of hot tea. The fragrance of the tea filled the air as wisps of steam rose like mist. Through this white heat, Kiyoshi gazed at the hazy heart of the person before him.
"Not bad. You filled it to the brim."
Kiyoshi picked up the cup again and drank it straight down. With his current physique, enduring this bit of heat was trivial.
"I'm glad Kiyoshi-kun is satisfied."
Samui, who had been leaning forward, slowly leaned back into a proper kneeling posture. However, she bit her lip even harder, her long, curled eyelashes trembling slightly. She felt as though she were becoming lowly. Or perhaps... shameless.
Fortunately, hard work does not betray those who give their all. Seeing Samui's "sincerity," the atmosphere became much warmer. The white snake flicked its tongue, watching the two converse at the low table—one leisurely, the other with her head bowed and face flushed crimson.
The snake didn't understand the conversation between its master and the blonde woman; following its instincts, it crawled into Kiyoshi's sleeve and closed its eyes.
Kiyoshi used his other hand to stroke the smooth scales of the white snake.
"I've nearly mastered the jutsu you taught me before. The war has slowed down recently, but it's clear it will continue for a long time without an end in sight."
Kiyoshi spoke while looking at Samui. He had already mastered the C-rank Lightning Style jutsu [Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop] she had given him. Samui had a premonition of what Kiyoshi was after. It was nothing more than jutsu.
"[Lightning Style Chakra Mode]," Kiyoshi stated.
Even though she had expected Kiyoshi to demand something significant, her heart still raced at the sheer audacity of his greed. That was the signature technique of the Third Raikage! Although it was classified as a B-rank Lightning Style jutsu, strictly speaking, it belonged in the category of Nintaijutsu and provided an immense boost to the physical body.
However, such a technique not only required massive chakra reserves, but the interior of the body would also be filled with [Lightning] chakra during use. This meant the brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys had to withstand surging electric currents. Therefore, even within the Cloud Village, ninjas who could use [Lightning Style Chakra Mode] were extremely rare.
"You won't be able to learn it," Samui shook her head. Though listed as B-rank, the actual conditions were so harsh they rivaled A-rank or higher. In other words, it required a special constitution.
Just as the Akimichi clan converts fat into chakra, the Aburame clan hosts insects without rejection, and the Kaguya clan manipulates bones, practicing this jutsu required a body with high electrical resistance.
"No, that's not right..." Samui quickly negated her own thought. Kiyoshi didn't just have Uchiha blood—he also had the blood of the Yotsuki clan!
"How will we know if we don't try?" Kiyoshi looked at her meaningfully.
After a short pause, he revealed a few secrets from the war. These were things Cloud spies had a very hard time accessing. For instance, the fact that the Uchiha Clan Leader, Fugaku Uchiha, was currently being kept under guard by Hidden leaf and that internal conflict was likely.
He also hinted at certain secret techniques that possessed immense destructive power. Any one of these pieces of intel was highly valuable to the Cloud.
Samui listened intently, terrified of missing even a single word. But just as she reached the peak of her focus, Kiyoshi stopped.
"So, what do you think?" Kiyoshi said leisurely.
If this had been before his battle with Yugito, Samui and the Cloud high-ups behind her would never have agreed. There was a risk of Kiyoshi's strength escaping their control.
But now that it was known the Sharingan was effective at suppressing Tailed Beasts, the Cloud—whose sealing technology lagged behind—would inevitably raise Kiyoshi's value. Killer Bee himself had said the Cloud's [Iron Armor Seal] wasn't as good as Leaf's [Four Symbols Seal].
Samui's expression wavered; she was clearly hesitating.
"I've shown my sincerity. If this isn't enough, please see yourself out." Kiyoshi continued to stroke the white snake in his sleeve. The greater his value, the more he could demand.
A B-rank jutsu was within the acceptable range. Ultimately, the strength of such techniques depended on the user. A weak person, even if they succeeded in the training, might not even have enough chakra to shroud their entire body in lightning.
"...I need to go back. I don't have that jutsu on me," Samui shook her head.
"I see." Kiyoshi indicated there was no rush; bringing it over once she had it was fine. "Come here."
Kiyoshi beckoned. Samui stood up and sat beside him.
"I've had some minor insights lately; come and corroborate them with me."
Without further ado, the silhouette of the summoned [One-Horned Behemoth] appeared in the living room. Under the sunlight, the beast's shadow loomed over a large section of the tatami mats.