At the very instant the wind blade came howling toward him, Kiyohara suddenly shifted his body, using the "Leaf Body Flicker Technique" to evade the strike in a flash.
Just as Shisui prepared to unleash another "Uchiha Style: Gale Sword," Kiyohara brought together the index and middle fingers of his right hand and directly clamped down on Shisui's blade.
Steel Release!
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
In that fleeting instant, Kiyohara's fingers took on a dark, metallic sheen, as if forged from black steel.
Screech—!
A piercing tearing sound rang out.
The wind blade, sharp enough to cleave through massive boulders, had not even had the chance to be fully unleashed before it was forcibly caught between two fingers.
Shisui's eyes widened in disbelief.
What was this?
Catching a blade with bare hands?
The sword was still wrapped in flowing Wind Release chakra, yet Kiyohara had intercepted it directly?
In the next moment, Kiyohara flicked his fingers lightly, causing the wind currents coiled around Shisui's short sword to sway violently from side to side.
Unable to maintain their balance, the currents shattered abruptly.
Shisui instinctively tried to pull his blade back, only to realize it would not budge.
It was as if the sword had been pinned beneath an enormous boulder, utterly immovable.
To continue fighting, he would have to release a ninjutsu at this close distance—or abandon his short sword altogether.
Shisui's throat moved slightly, and in the end, he gave a wry smile.
"I've lost, Kiyohara."
"Your hardening-type ninjutsu… is truly formidable."
His tone was calm and candid.
For Kiyohara to deploy those techniques in a single instant demonstrated impeccable timing and control.
Kiyohara dispersed the chakra from his fingers, and the deep black coloration gradually faded, returning to its original skin tone. He released the blade and shook his head faintly.
"Your strengths lie in Body Flicker and genjutsu," Kiyohara said.
After all, Shisui's true renown came from the title "Shisui of the Body Flicker," not "Shisui the Sword Saint."
His Body Flicker was most lethal when layered together with genjutsu.
Shisui sheathed his sword and walked over, clapping Kiyohara firmly on the shoulder.
'Shisui… lost just like that?'
Itachi had been watching the battle intently the entire time.
He trained with Shisui often and understood clearly just how powerful he was.
'No… Shisui still has many techniques he didn't use.'
Itachi thought to himself.
He was unwilling to accept that Shisui had simply lost so cleanly.
After all, Shisui was the only true friend he had.
As for the others his age, in Itachi's eyes, they were all far too mediocre.
"A win is a win, and a loss is a loss. It seems I must work even harder."
At the viewing area, the three spectators reacted differently.
Rin let out a long breath, patting her chest.
"That scared me… I thought Kiyohara was going to get hurt just now…"
In Kurenai's crimson eyes, a curious light shimmered as she stared at Kiyohara's eyes returning to black. She asked softly,
"By the way… can Kiyohara's hardening technique be applied anywhere on the body?"
Kurenai was genuinely curious.
If that were the case, wouldn't even vital areas be able to harden?
As long as vital points were protected, injuries elsewhere could be healed in time with medical ninjutsu, preventing instant death.
"I'm not sure."
The question fell squarely into Rin's blind spot of knowledge.
She did not know whether Kiyohara could harden every part of his body.
"The eyeballs probably can't. I've never seen a shinobi who could harden their eyes. Even Iwagakure shinobi can't do that."
Kakashi pulled down his forehead protector, covering the left eye that had been open the entire time.
Yes, he had been secretly copying Kiyohara's ninjutsu.
Kakashi noticed that on Kiyohara's hand, it was not only Earth Release chakra flowing—there was another type of chakra mixed in.
But what that chakra was, Kakashi did not know.
He could only speculate that it was some sort of secret technique.
"It consumes too much chakra…"
Kakashi thought of that bitter truth—one that made women weep and men fall silent.
His chakra reserves were limited to begin with, and he also had the Sharingan, a notorious chakra devourer.
If he fought by imitating Kiyohara's style, he might exhaust himself to death halfway through the battle.
"Then… it's Itachi's turn now, right?"
Kiyohara looked toward Itachi.
This was the true highlight of today!
"By the way, have you awakened the Sharingan yet?"
Kiyohara asked.
He remembered that Itachi had only learned the "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique" at the age of six—but here, he had learned it earlier.
"No."
Itachi shook his head.
Even within the Uchiha clan, only a minority successfully awakened the Sharingan.
Hearing this, Kiyohara decided to go all out.
Shisui beckoned to the quietly standing Itachi.
"Itachi, it's your turn. This is only a guidance match, Kiyohara will control his strength."
Four-year-old Itachi stepped into the field. His steps were steady, his small body standing upright, black eyes calmly fixed on Kiyohara.
"Please guide me, Kiyohara-senpai."
He bowed, his etiquette flawless.
Kiyohara nodded.
Truthfully, Itachi was perhaps the most quintessential Uchiha figure.
Outwardly humble to everyone, yet inwardly more arrogant than anyone else.
Because he had participated in the "secret gatherings" beneath the Naka Shrine, he believed the entire Uchiha clan bore guilt.
But participation in those secret meetings required one to be at least a genin—a shinobi.
So many ordinary Uchiha civilians who were not even shinobi were still judged by Itachi as lacking "capacity," and thus were killed.
It was simply… too extreme.
Kiyohara suddenly thought of his own other future self, the "Magnet Release Kiyohara." That version of him had been equally extreme.
Believing the shinobi villages had become overly urbanized, he sought to de-urbanize them.
"Begin," Kiyohara said.
Shisui stood between them as referee.
"Guidance match. Stop at the point of contact. Begin!"
The instant his voice fell, Itachi's hand moved to the pouch at his lower back, where he kept the shuriken and kunai he used while training with Shisui.
For a four-year-old child, his speed was astonishing. Three shuriken flew toward Kiyohara from different angles.
They were not simple straight-line throws—the trajectories were intricate, clearly employing the "Uchiha Style Shurikenjutsu."
Kiyohara did not even move his feet.
He merely tilted his head slightly, shifted his body, and raised a hand. The three shuriken brushed past his clothing and embedded themselves in the wooden post behind him.
Itachi, at this stage, was still too inexperienced.
Seeing his attack so effortlessly avoided, Itachi immediately began forming hand seals, chest swelling as he gathered chakra.
The refined chakra passed through his heart, transforming into Fire Release chakra, traveling up his throat before erupting from his mouth.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A fireball one meter in diameter burst forth, carrying searing heat as it rushed toward Kiyohara.
For a four-year-old to produce such a scale of fireball was enough to astonish the vast majority of shinobi.
Yet Kiyohara merely raised his left hand, spreading his fingers.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm."
A violent gust erupted from his palm, instantly scattering the fireball.
Sparks flew everywhere as heat waves surged, whipping Kiyohara's robes into a fierce flutter.
Itachi frowned slightly.
This guy… is this strong?
He had the distinct feeling that Kiyohara had allowed him to complete his ninjutsu deliberately. With Kiyohara's speed, he could have interrupted the hand seals directly.
Without overthinking, Itachi used the visual interference created by the fireball and rushed to Kiyohara's left side. A kunai appeared in his hand, thrusting straight toward Kiyohara's waist.
This time, Kiyohara moved.
His motion did not appear fast, yet he directly seized Itachi's kunai.
At the same time, his right index finger tapped Itachi's forehead.
"Too straightforward," Kiyohara said.
"Your shuriken skills are good, but your intent is too obvious. After the Great Fireball, you should have used the Body Flicker to widen the distance—not charge in for close combat. Your taijutsu hasn't reached the level where you can maneuver against me at close range."
Itachi stepped back two paces, rubbing his forehead.
A visible bump had already formed where he had been tapped.
Pain!
That was Itachi's first reaction.
It suddenly made him reconsider—perhaps Shisui's defeat was not impossible after all.
At this moment, Kiyohara exerted even greater pressure on him than Shisui ever had.
The ensuing battle became a prolonged torment for Itachi.
He tried every technique he had learned: variable shuriken throws, consecutive Fire Release techniques, feints and thrusts in taijutsu, even tactical deception to create openings.
But no matter what he did, Kiyohara resolved it in the simplest way. Sometimes he merely shifted half a step aside; sometimes he raised a hand to block; sometimes a single glance disrupted Itachi's prepared rhythm.
This was not a battle.
It was one-sided instruction—no, a complete and utter crushing.
Finally, after one close-range thrust was easily parried and his abdomen lightly struck by an elbow, Itachi staggered back, dropping to one knee and gasping for breath.
Sweat soaked his bangs. Dust clung to his small face from evasive maneuvers. His left eye socket was slightly swollen and reddened from the wind of a passing punch.
If that blow had landed squarely, Itachi suspected it would not merely be slightly swollen—it would have risen into a lump like the one on his forehead.
"That's enough," Kiyohara said calmly.
At that moment, the second last will of Uchiha Kiyohara quietly dissipated.
Itachi—defeated.
…
Shisui noticed that Itachi no longer had the stamina to continue fighting and stepped forward to speak.
"After all, he's still just a child."
Kiyohara looked at Itachi, who was kneeling on one knee on the ground.
"But I won."
Kiyohara, who had just thoroughly beaten up a four-year-old, did not feel the slightest bit of impropriety.
In the future, who knew—he might even end up kicking a hundred-year-old elder.
In the original storyline, Uchiha Madara had only been revived through the Impure World Reincarnation Technique at well over a hundred years old.
"I lost."
Itachi lifted his head.
Although he had been beaten by Kiyohara, as Shisui had said, this was guidance.
He still had to bow and give thanks.
Thus, Itachi slowly stood up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and bowed.
"Thank you for your guidance, senpai."
What lingered most in Itachi's heart now was the fact that Kiyohara clearly possessed Uchiha blood, yet had never returned to the Uchiha clan.
From what perspective did he view the clan and the village?
As an outsider Uchiha, what stance and way of thinking did he hold?
These questions circled silently in Itachi's mind, though he did not voice them aloud.
At the same time, in a place visible only to Kiyohara, the spirit of Uchiha Kiyohara slowly emerged from the urn of ashes.
He floated beside Kiyohara, gazing at the bruised and swollen-eyed four-year-old Itachi, a complicated expression on his face.
"Finally… it's done."
The voice of Uchiha Kiyohara sounded in Kiyohara's mind, carrying a sigh of relief.
"Seeing him like this… is truly satisfying."
Kiyohara responded inwardly, "Did you originally want to kill him?"
"I thought about it."
The spirit admitted frankly.
"But… just as I said before."
He paused.
"Killing him would have implicated your future. Konoha would not allow internal strife within the Uchiha, nor would it tolerate a genius who slaughtered his own clan. So at that time, my strongest wish was simply to defeat him. That was how the lingering desire became fixed."
"I see."
So a lingering wish was born from the deepest desire at a particular moment.
Killing Itachi would indeed have been troublesome, Kiyohara thought.
Itachi was no ordinary nobody, he was the son of the Uchiha clan head.
One could even say he was now the young heir of the Uchiha clan.
"It seems… I'm about to dissipate."
The spirit of Uchiha Kiyohara began to emit a soft white glow.
"I hope you do not follow in my footsteps."
As his words fell, the spirit shattered into countless motes of light, like a swarm of fireflies dancing in the air, all of which surged into Kiyohara's body.
Kiyohara felt a tremendous warm current pour down from the crown of his head, instantly flowing through every limb and organ.
First came the explosive surge of spiritual energy. It felt as though a container that could once hold only a single bucket of water had suddenly been expanded to hold far more.
His thinking speed increased. His neural reflexes sharpened. His ability to control chakra improved.
And the most obvious change occurred in his eyes.
Burning.
An unbearable heat welled up from the depths of his eyeballs, as though two flames were igniting within his sockets.
Kiyohara instinctively raised his hand to cover his eyes, his fingers trembling slightly.
He could feel it—his eyes were pulsating,
throbbing rhythmically as ocular power surged rapidly upward.
Crack.
A faint, almost imperceptible sound echoed.
Some kind of shackle had been broken.
It was the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Kiyohara could clearly sense it.
He pretended to rub his eyes. Beneath the cover of his palm, three tomoe rotated within his irises.
Then, under his control, they gradually faded, returning to ordinary black.
The entire process lasted only a few seconds. No one present noticed anything unusual.
Yet the transformation was real.
The ocular power generated by his brain altered the pattern of the Sharingan.
And afterward, that same ocular power began to feed back into Kiyohara's body.
Even in his normal state, he could feel that the world appeared different in his eyes.
Colors were more vivid. Details were sharper.
Kiyohara guessed that it was not merely due to inheriting the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and complete Uchiha bloodline.
After all, his spiritual energy had just been further amplified.
And the source of Yin Release power was precisely the spiritual energy inherent within all humans.
Finally, there were the ninjutsu-related inheritances.
Kiyohara discovered that he had inherited many Fire Release techniques known by Uchiha Kiyohara.
Such as Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson, Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique, and others.
However, he also recognized the limitations of Fire Release.
All of these techniques were only B-rank.
Even techniques like Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation used by Uchiha Madara, and Fire Release: Explosive Flame used by Obito, were only B-rank.
As for higher A-rank or S-rank fire techniques, Kiyohara had never seen any.
The anime or manga had never made it explicit either.
From B-rank onward, increasing Fire Release's power was essentially just stacking scale—expelling more chakra to create larger flames.
Or shaping the flames into forms like dragon heads.
To go further, it was no longer purely Fire Release.
'Come to think of it, techniques like Scorch Release, Blaze Release, and Lava Release—all related to fire—took entirely different paths.'
Kiyohara stroked his chin thoughtfully.
If he were to develop Fire Release further, perhaps he could move toward a microwave-heating concept—raising the temperature of the flames even higher.
After all, microwave heating works by electromagnetic waves converting energy into heat within a medium.
As he pondered, he continued absorbing the legacy of Uchiha Kiyohara.
Uchiha Kiyohara had possessed Lightning, Fire, and Yin chakra natures—all of which were now inherited by Kiyohara.
His talents in these areas had grown significantly.
And his affinity for Lightning Release was quickly becoming his strongest nature.
Of course, Kiyohara also noticed that his chakra reserves had increased.
Another layer of jōnin-level chakra had been added—indeed, because Uchiha Kiyohara had been born into the Uchiha clan, the amount inherited was even greater.
It was almost equivalent to gaining the chakra of two additional jōnin.
This sense of abundant chakra gave Kiyohara a certain reassurance.
No wonder Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had been so obsessed with reclaiming chakra.
Even Kiyohara would feel pained to part with so much of it.
Across from him, Itachi frowned faintly.
For just a brief moment earlier, he had sensed something change about Kiyohara.
But the sensation vanished so quickly that he wondered if it had been mere illusion. Moreover, his face still hurt, and the swelling around his left eye distracted him.
"Are you alright?"
Shisui hurried over and crouched down to examine Itachi's injuries.
"Fists and feet have no eyes. It's inevitable to have some scrapes in a guidance match."
"I'm fine."
Itachi shook his head and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.
"Kiyohara-senpai already held back."
He was telling the truth. If those attacks had truly landed with full force, he might not even be able to stand now.
Kiyohara's control over his strength was terrifyingly precise—every strike reached exactly the threshold of "painful but not seriously injurious."
"That's good."
Shisui exhaled in relief and turned toward Kiyohara.
"Thank you for today. Itachi, we should head back."
He expressed his gratitude for the guidance.
Sparring with someone strong would benefit Itachi's growth greatly.
Itachi nodded, cast one final glance at Kiyohara, and then turned to leave with Shisui.
The two Uchiha figures gradually disappeared into the forest of Training Ground Three.
Kiyohara remained standing in place, quietly sensing the changes within himself.
The enhancement in perception brought by the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was a qualitative leap. He was confident that if he fought Shisui again, even if Shisui went all out—he could seize the upper hand and suppress him.
Of course, that was under the premise that Shisui did not use Kotoamatsukami.
That ability, for now, was somewhat beyond balance.
Thus, Kiyohara maintained a cautious attitude toward Shisui, while also considering how to guard against such genjutsu.
"Kiyohara, are you alright?"
Rin ran over, looking at him with concern.
"I saw you covering your eyes just now…"
"It's nothing. Some sand got in my eyes."
Kiyohara casually fabricated an excuse.
"It's already fine."
Kurenai also approached, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before she suddenly said,
"Kiyohara… you seem a little different."
"Do I?"
His expression did not change.
"I can't quite explain it. Just a feeling."
Kurenai shook her head.
"Maybe I'm imagining things."
"Let's continue training."
Kakashi turned and walked back toward his training area.
"Today's goal isn't finished yet."
The group dispersed once more, each returning to their own practice.
...
On the other side, Shisui and Itachi had already left the Third Training Ground.
The two of them passed through the bustling streets of Konoha, heading toward the Uchiha clan compound.
The area around Itachi's left eye, which had been grazed by the force of Kiyohara's punch, was already visibly swollen, and the spot on his forehead where he had been tapped had risen into a bright red bump. As he walked, he could clearly feel the dull ache of sore muscles spreading through his small body.
"Does it still hurt?"
Shisui turned his head slightly and asked.
"It's fine."
Itachi's voice was calm as always, yet the faint tremor at the end of his words betrayed the fact that he was enduring the pain.
After all, a four-year-old's body was still tender and immature. Even though Kiyohara had deliberately controlled his strength, the blows had still left distinct and undeniable marks.
Shisui stopped walking and took out a small jar of ointment from his shinobi pouch.
"Turn around."
Itachi obediently turned his back. Shisui dipped his fingers into the cool ointment and gently applied it to the swollen area around his eye and the bump on his forehead.
The ointment carried a faint herbal fragrance, and when it touched the skin, it brought a soothing coolness that slowly seeped inward.
"Kiyohara showed mercy," Shisui said while applying the medicine. "These injuries should fade by tomorrow."
"I know."
Itachi closed his eyes, quietly feeling the coolness penetrate his skin.
"He didn't use his full strength."
Opening his eyes again, Itachi looked at Shisui.
"Shisui, how strong do you think Kiyohara senpai really is?"
Shisui fell silent for several seconds.
"Very strong," he finally replied. "When he sparred with me today, he probably wasn't using his full strength either. I could feel it—when he caught my blade at the end, if he had wanted to, he could have snapped it instantly, or counterattacked with just those two fingers."
"Then why…"
"Because it was only a spar."
Shisui patted Itachi's shoulder. "Real combat is different from a friendly match. Kiyohara understands that clearly. What he displayed today was more technique and experience, not the kind of strength meant for a life-and-death struggle."
They continued walking.
The gates of the Uchiha clan compound gradually came into view.
"I'll head back now," Itachi said as he stopped at the entrance.
Their homes were not in the same direction, so they had to part ways here.
"Get some good rest," Shisui said with a smile and a wave. "See you tomorrow."
Itachi nodded and turned toward his own house.
The pain on his face had lessened under the effect of the ointment, but the swelling remained. As he walked, he could still feel the slight heaviness of the bump on his forehead.
When he pushed open the door, his mother, Uchiha Mikoto, was tidying the shoe cabinet at the entrance.
"I'm back," Itachi said softly.
Mikoto looked up, a gentle smile on her face yet the moment she saw his injuries, that smile froze.
"Itachi."
She hurried over and crouched down, carefully examining her son's face.
"What happened to your eye? And that bump on your forehead?"
Her fingers lightly touched the swollen area around his left eye, and Itachi instinctively shrank back.
"I bumped into something."
He averted his gaze.
"What could you possibly bump into that would cause this?" Mikoto's voice was filled with worry. "This is clearly—"
"It was from sparring."
A steady voice came from the living room.
Uchiha Fugaku was seated formally at the tea table, dressed in deep blue clothing with the emblem of the fan-and-flame crest on his back. A teacup before him emitted thin curls of steam, and a document lay spread open on the wooden table.
He raised his head, his dark eyes calmly observing the mother and son at the entrance.
As the clan head of the Uchiha, his information was always astonishingly swift and accurate.
"Father," Itachi greeted.
Fugaku set down his teacup and stood, walking toward them.
His tall figure loomed before the four-year-old boy, forcing him to lower his head slightly to meet his son's gaze.
"You sparred with Kiyohara, didn't you?" he asked, his tone unreadable.
"Yes. Kiyohara-senpai guided me," Itachi answered truthfully. "Shisui was there as well."
Fugaku's brow shifted almost imperceptibly.
"And the result?"
"We lost," Itachi said. "Both of us."
Fugaku turned back to the tea table and resumed his seated position. His expression remained unchanged.
Only after Itachi finished speaking did he place the teacup down again, the porcelain making a soft tapping sound against the wooden surface.
"Losing is normal. Kiyohara is a true genius."
Fugaku had never expected Itachi to defeat Kiyohara. What surprised him was how quickly even Shisui had been defeated.
Fugaku understood well how extraordinary Shisui's talent was. Those eyes of his could see farther than most.
Yet even he had lost to Kiyohara.
That realization stirred something genuine in Fugaku's heart—the desire to bring Kiyohara back into the Uchiha clan.
In the past, he had hesitated out of concern for preserving the purity of the clan's bloodline.
Now, however, Kiyohara was a capable and formidable shinobi. If he were to return to the Uchiha clan, it would be nothing but beneficial for the clan's future strength and influence.
Mikoto could not hold back any longer.
"Itachi is still so young, Fugaku. Don't be too harsh on him…"
"Precisely because he is young, he must be stricter with himself," Fugaku interrupted.
His gaze fell squarely on Itachi.
A shinobi is one who endures.
If Itachi could not even accept this small setback, then could he truly be his son?
Itachi lifted his head and met his father's eyes with steady black pupils.
"I will work harder."
"Working hard is not enough."
Fugaku rose again and walked to the window, turning his back to his wife and child.
"You must become as outstanding as Kiyohara—no, you must surpass him. As my son, that is something you are obligated to accomplish."
Fugaku carried immense expectations for Itachi.
He wanted his son to exceed Kiyohara.
After all, Itachi was his own flesh and blood.
And he himself, during this great war, had been known by the name 'Wicked-Eyed Fugaku.'
Mikoto looked at her husband's back, then at the injuries that had not yet faded from her son's face.
She felt that Fugaku's demands were too severe.
A four-year-old child returned home with wounds on his face, and his father's first reaction was not concern, but discipline and expectations…
Yet she said nothing.
As the son of the clan head, Itachi was destined to bear more pressure than ordinary children.
"Yes, Father," Itachi replied.
…
At four in the afternoon, Kiyohara continued practicing ninjutsu at the training ground until the sun was nearly setting before preparing to leave.
Kurenai had already gone home earlier, as her father, Yūhi Shinku, had called for her.
"Kiyohara, I learned a lot today as well," Rin said with a smile.
She had instructed Kiyohara on many matters. Aside from medical ninjutsu, however, she was inferior to him in almost every other aspect.
Now that Kiyohara had taken Tsunade as his master, even her advantage in medical knowledge was steadily shrinking.
Recently, Rin had also come to realize how limited her techniques were, and she had begun planning to learn more powerful ninjutsu.
Because of the influence of the tailed beast sealed within her, her chakra reserves were, in fact, the largest among them all, far exceeding even Kiyohara's.
Of course, the more one relied on a tailed beast's chakra, the greater the risk of losing control. It depended on whether the jinchūriki could suppress the beast through mental strength or chakra dominance—or reconcile with it.
"You're welcome," Kiyohara replied with a smile.
"But you were worried just now, weren't you?"
Rin's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Because… because your battle with Shisui looked dangerous, especially when he used that wind blade. I was really startled."
"I know my limits," Kiyohara said, then suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, didn't you mention before that you wanted to make more efficient soldier pills? Lady Tsunade taught me some improved methods. If you're interested…"
"Really?" Rin's eyes lit up instantly.
For a medical shinobi, making soldier pills was a fundamental skill. However, the effectiveness and taste varied greatly depending on who made them. As a legendary medical master, Tsunade's improvements surely contained unique insights.
"If you have time now, you can come with me," Kiyohara offered.
Rin glanced at the sky, then at Kakashi—who was also packing up to leave—and nodded.
"Then I'll trouble you, Kiyohara."
After greeting Kakashi, the two left the training ground together and headed toward Tsunade's house.
Kakashi watched their backs and smiled faintly.
That's great, Obito.
Today, once again, he had upheld the promise he made with Obito.
And it seemed that Rin and Kiyohara were getting along quite well too.
…
Before returning, Kiyohara first took Rin to the commercial street of Konoha to buy fresh ingredients and seasonings—materials for making soldier pills, as well as ingredients for dinner.
When they arrived at Tsunade's residence, Shizune was arranging a pile of wooden posts in the courtyard.
These posts were clearly specially made, sturdier than ordinary wood, obviously designed for ninjutsu training.
"Kiyohara, you're back," Shizune said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Seeing Rin with him, she blinked in mild surprise.
Pointing to the posts, she explained, "These were brought out from the Senju clan's warehouse. There are still plenty left—training equipment from the time of the First and Second Hokage."
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow and stepped forward to inspect them.
The material was unusual—not ordinary wood, but a composite mixed with metal.
No wonder they could withstand the impact of high-level ninjutsu.
"Are these for me?" he asked.
"Yes." Shizune nodded.
"Thank you, Shizune," Kiyohara said, genuinely surprised.
"Actually, it was Lady Tsunade," Shizune admitted shyly. "After you left this morning, she woke up once and said that since you always go out to train your ninjutsu, it would be a waste not to use the large courtyard at home. So she told me to move some equipment out."
Kiyohara was momentarily stunned.
Tsunade—that Tsunade who spent her days drinking and gambling, appearing indifferent to everything—had noticed such details?
"The one you should thank is Lady Tsunade," Shizune said with a smile. "She actually cares deeply about her disciples. She's just not good at expressing it."
Kiyohara nodded, warmth rising in his chest.
He lifted the ingredients in his hands.
"I understand. I'll make a few extra dishes tonight."
He decided that this evening, he would prepare an especially generous meal for Tsunade.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
"No, you should rest. Moving those wooden posts must have exhausted you," he said to Shizune, who indeed looked tired and did not refuse.
The three of them entered the house together.
There was still some time before dinner, so Kiyohara planned to first teach Rin how to make improved soldier pills.
(End of Chapter)