After rummaging around for a while, Kiyohara gathered five shuriken, two kunai, a map, and a compass.
"It's encrypted."
He studied the symbols and markings scattered across the map.
This was one of the basic skills every ninja had to learn.
If information were written plainly, it would be far too easy for the enemy to capture the map and use it against them.
"Encrypted?"
Minato touched his chin. "Kurenai, you know genjutsu. Interrogate him."
It was a shame there were no Yamanaka clan ninja with them. Their mind techniques were the most reliable for extracting intelligence. Genjutsu worked too, though.
Among the group, only Kurenai specialized in genjutsu, and genjutsu users were particularly good at interrogations.
"Alright, I will give it a try," Kurenai said with a nod.
She formed a sequence of hand seals and cast genjutsu on the captured Iwagakure ninja.
As the genjutsu took hold, the man's resistance weakened and bits of intelligence slipped out.
They were only one squad among many.
To defend the vital Kannabi Bridge, Iwagakure had established numerous hidden outposts.
Each one could monitor another, forming a wide warning network. If the bridge came under threat, reinforcements would rush in immediately.
"No wonder that after Kakashi transplanted the Sharingan and dealt with the first wave, the rest of the Iwagakure troops swarmed in," Kiyohara thought.
Kakashi had eventually collapsed from overwhelming chakra strain. Only Minato's timely arrival had saved Kakashi and Rin.
The reason Minato was able to reach them so quickly was simple: Kakashi carried a specially marked kunai.
With the Flying Thunder God seal on it, Minato could teleport to him instantly.
It also meant Minato had been aware of Kakashi's location from beginning to end.
"Speaking of which, today is Kakashi's first mission as a full jonin. This is my gift to you," Minato said.
He removed the pack from his back, reached inside, and produced a three-pronged kunai engraved with the words "Sword of Shinobi's Love".
"It feels a little heavy and the balance is a bit strange, but once you get used to it, it becomes very convenient.
You can bring this one for the mission."
Minato hooked his index finger through the ring below the handle and demonstrated its grip before handing it over.
"Here it comes," Kiyohara thought.
He had been expecting this moment, and now the scene played out almost exactly as in the original story.
"I'm giving you this, Kakashi."
Rin smiled and held out a special medical kit she had prepared herself. Every item inside had been improved for practical use.
"Thank you," Kakashi said. Then he glanced at Obito and extended a hand toward him.
The meaning was obvious: he was waiting for Obito's gift.
"Wha... what are you holding your hand out for? I do not have anything I want to give you," Obito muttered.
Kakashi waved him off.
"Forget it. Knowing you, it would probably be useless anyway. Carrying something pointless would only be a burden."
Obito burst into noisy protest, declaring that he was an Uchiha and would definitely surpass Kakashi in the future.
Kiyohara rubbed his chin.
Unfortunately, Kakashi would never have a chance to return any of these gifts. Both Obito and Rin would remain forever at the chunin level.
Come to think of it, once they returned, he should get promoted to chunin too. Maybe he should collect a few gifts as well.
"By the way, when you became a chunin, did anyone give you gifts?" Kiyohara asked the rogue ninja version of himself.
"I did not bother with that. Improving strength is what truly matters," the older Kiyohara replied.
He cared only about power. Otherwise he would never have followed Orochimaru into defection.
"Alright, that is enough arguing. We are about to enter the Land of Grass," Minato said.
Beyond the grasslands rose a mushroom forest filled with massive ancient trees.
The mushrooms grew along their trunks, each one as large as a house.
"Let us rest here for a while. I will stay with you tonight, but I need to leave tomorrow," Minato said.
The situation at the front lines was not looking good. He had to return as soon as possible.
"Yes," everyone answered.
After finding a new hidden spot to stop and regroup, Kiyohara began practicing Detoxification Jutsu and Hemostasis Jutsu.
Hemostasis Jutsu was simple, basically advanced suturing. You used thread to close an external wound, then controlled your chakra to reinforce the area so it would not tear open during movement.
Detoxification Jutsu was harder since it required separating toxins from the bloodstream.
To train, you usually used two liquids with different densities poured into a cup.
Kiyohara used coffee and milk.
He had brought only small amounts for convenience. After mixing the liquids, he began using chakra to manipulate them.
The mixture spun rapidly, giving off a strange feeling similar to plasmolysis.
Rogue Kiyohara stood behind him, observing.
Both techniques had come from Tsunade, a real bargain.
"Wait, Kiyohara, you can use medical ninjutsu too?" Rin asked as she turned her head.
"Yeah, I just started learning," he said.
She had practiced these techniques many times herself.
"Kiyohara, if you adjust your chakra flow like this, you will be faster," Rin said. She walked over and gave him a few pointers.
Kiyohara listened closely and frequently adjusted his technique according to her tips.
After taking the forbidden drug, his chakra reserves had doubled, so he had plenty to use for training.
"If only I could get a few more types of forbidden drugs," he thought.
Stacking the same one repeatedly was impossible, but combining multiple kinds could raise his chakra to the level of a Kage or at least an elite jonin.
According to rogue Kiyohara, there were several more types that unleashed the body's full potential with relatively low side effects.
Sasuke had probably used the same combination.
The only problem was that rogue Kiyohara didn't know the formulas either. He had never been part of Orochimaru's inner circle.
The thought reminded Kiyohara of the bodybuilding world from his previous life, which often made headlines for tragic reasons.
This was the ninja equivalent of a supercharged, "take every enhancement imaginable" program.
If you wanted a physique, or power, like that, you needed drugs.
The ninja world followed the same principle.
The most extreme example was Yakushi Kabuto, who pumped himself full of forbidden compounds, injected Orochimaru's cells on top, and eventually mastered Orochimaru's entire power set.
It was absolute overkill.