Black hair. Thin body.
He looked almost malnourished.
He didn't resemble the rumors about Hidden Cloud ninjas at all…
Shizune thought silently to herself.
From what she knew, the ninjas of the Hidden Cloud Village were usually extremely muscular. Their arms were often thicker than other people's thighs.
And they even had those signature sausage-like lips.
Would he grow up looking like that too?
Shizune secretly observed him.
But Kiyoshi's lips looked perfectly normal—if anything, slightly thin.
"Flashlight."
Tsunade spoke.
"Ah—yes!"
Shizune hurriedly snapped out of her thoughts and pulled a tool from her ninja pouch, handing it over to Tsunade.
When she looked up again, she noticed the Uchiha boy she had been secretly observing was smiling at her.
Shizune's heart skipped a beat.
She quickly lowered her head.
He had clearly noticed her staring, and she realized how impolite it was.
"You're quite the smiling Uchiha. That's rare."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
Perhaps it was because he had grown up outside the village.
He was completely different from the arrogant Uchihas inside Konoha.
Honestly, if this incident hadn't caused such a commotion—and if the old man hadn't forced her to come—
There was no way she would've stepped foot here.
Especially now that she suffered from hemophobia.
"Because Lady Tsunade, your eyes are very beautiful. They look as though they contain stars."
Kiyoshi spoke calmly.
"Oh?"
Tsunade slowly clenched her fist.
If this Uchiha brat couldn't explain himself properly…
She would definitely punch him hard enough to teach him not to joke around with everyone.
"When you examined me earlier, Lady Tsunade, I could see responsibility in your eyes. Even though you hold such a high position, you still personally examined someone as ordinary as me."
Kiyoshi paused slightly before continuing.
"I've read many storybooks before. Lady Tsunade must be like the legendary doctors from those tales—traveling everywhere to heal the sick and save lives."
"Tsunade is one of the Legendary Sannin and Konoha's greatest medical ninja. Of course she's an amazing doctor."
Mikoto, who had been standing nearby, suddenly laughed softly.
She felt that Kiyoshi genuinely possessed the innocence of a young child.
Meanwhile, Tsunade slowly relaxed her clenched fist.
So he was praising her medical ninjutsu.
This brat really knew how to talk.
"If I could learn medical ninjutsu too, then I could help others as well. I truly hope I can become someone like Lady Tsunade someday."
Kiyoshi said sincerely.
"Medical ninjas require Yang Release chakra. Without it, you can't become one."
After saying that, Tsunade stood up.
She informed Mikoto that she would later look through some records to better understand Kiyoshi's condition.
Then she would send another excellent medical ninja—Yakushi Nono—to examine him.
Shizune immediately followed Tsunade outside.
"Kiyoshi, get some rest for now. Later, we'll arrange your enrollment into the Ninja Academy."
Not long afterward, Mikoto also left.
The lively room instantly became quiet again, leaving only Kiyoshi behind.
"Well… I'm not Uzumaki Naruto after all."
Kiyoshi shook his head slightly.
Naruto was someone who could even persuade Tsunade—who had abandoned the village for years—to return and become Hokage.
So Tsunade's rejection had been entirely expected.
If she had truly shown interest, she would've taken the opportunity to check his chakra nature as well.
With Tsunade's skill, discovering the result would've been effortless.
Unfortunately, she didn't bother.
After all…
He was still an Uchiha.
In life, nine out of ten things never go exactly as one wishes.
Kiyoshi wasn't discouraged.
Instead, his thoughts drifted toward Yakushi Nono.
Tsunade had said she would come next time.
If he handled things correctly, he could use this opportunity to build a connection with her and learn medical ninjutsu.
The Uchiha clan rarely produced high-level medical ninjas.
Because once an Uchiha graduated from the academy, they were usually assigned directly to the Konoha Military Police Force.
At most, they only learned basic medical ninjutsu at the academy.
During peace, they acted as security forces.
During war, they became frontline fighters.
Very few Uchihas bothered to pursue deeper medical studies.
In fact, Uchiha Madara's medical abilities might've actually been among the best in the clan.
After all, he could perform eye transplant surgery anytime and anywhere.
The reason Kiyoshi cared so much about medical ninjutsu was simple.
The Naruto world was practically a world of glass cannons.
Even Sasuke's Six-Tomoe Rinnegan could be stabbed blind by an ordinary kunai.
If someone had been able to perform emergency treatment, perhaps it could've been saved.
In the brutal wars waiting in the future, who could guarantee they would never lose an arm or leg?
Hashirama Cell prosthetics weren't something ordinary people could casually obtain.
Besides, Kiyoshi had already spent most of his savings paying ninjas to help determine his chakra nature.
The result was:
He possessed Yang Release.
Not everyone possessed Yang Release.
For example, Sasuke's databook didn't list Yang, while Naruto's didn't list Yin.
Although chakra nature transformation could eventually be learned through training, it required enormous amounts of time.
Usually measured in years.
But people born with Yang Release could naturally master related techniques much more easily.
Thinking this over, Kiyoshi stood up from the tatami.
Before he realized it, he had already walked to the window.
He casually pushed it open.
Drizzling rain fell softly upon the trees in the courtyard, leaves rustling quietly.
A bleak autumn wind blew toward him.
Rainy days always made people feel cold.
Kiyoshi suddenly smiled.
"It's nothing more than a little wind and frost."
As for how to attract Yakushi Nono's attention…
He already had a plan.
Yakushi Nono would later become the director of an orphanage.
For those children, she was even willing to return to Root—the organization she had once escaped from.
In this vast world, people possessed all kinds of desires.
Some spent their entire lives chasing power.
Others treated power like trash and only pursued immortality.
As for Yakushi Nono…
Her greatest weakness was children.
The next day.
Ninja Academy.
"This is our new classmate, Uchiha Kiyoshi."
The Chunin instructor asked Kiyoshi to write his name on the blackboard.
Kiyoshi picked up a piece of white chalk and wrote his name.
Looking down toward the class, he noticed many familiar faces.
Obito.
Kakashi.
Rin.
Genma Shiranui…
"Your handwriting is beautiful."
Rin Nohara praised him.
"Hey, Rin. I heard that guy came from the Land of Lightning."
Obito whispered beside her.
People from the Land of Lightning were all brutes.
Rin, don't be fooled by appearances, he thought.
"Please take care of me."
Kiyoshi smiled warmly.
Following the instructor's arrangement, he sat beside the window in the back row.
"Alright everyone, let's begin class."
The instructor coughed lightly and began teaching.
Recently, the Uchiha clan's reputation inside the village hadn't been very good.
But teachers actually liked having Uchiha students.
The reason was simple.
They were easy to teach.
Normally, new students underwent an entrance test—basic genjutsu and ninjutsu.
But in reality, it was merely a simple evaluation of chakra quantity and control.
As long as they met the standard, they passed.
Kiyoshi had transferred midway through the term.
But as an Uchiha, keeping up wasn't difficult at all.
After all, ninja clans usually educated their children privately long before entering the academy.
Soon, break time arrived.
"I heard you came from the Land of Lightning, Kiyoshi?"
Rin approached his desk curiously.
"That's right."
"Can you keep up with the lessons here? You joined midway, didn't you?"
Rin asked.
Before graduating and receiving a ninja forehead protector, academy students weren't allowed to leave the village.
Even actual ninjas required special permits to enter or exit.
"About that…"
Kiyoshi closed his book and picked up another one.
Then he slightly raised his eyes.
"Rin Nohara… could you teach me Konoha's ninjutsu?"