"I know. I'll head back to the Land of Grass with Sensei."
Kiyohara nodded.
The Iwagakure situation would most likely become the signal for Hiruzen Sarutobi to step down.
Because even if Iwagakure truly surrendered, Hiruzen would never demand reparations.
The price he would pay for that would be stepping down and overseeing the selection of the Fourth Hokage.
In theory, as the defeated side, Iwagakure should have had to pay war reparations.
But Hiruzen chose to compromise and signed a peace treaty with them directly.
To take responsibility for the Konoha shinobi who had died in the war, and under pressure from both the Fire Daimyo's court and Konoha's higher-ups, Hiruzen made that choice.
Of course, his stated reason was that he didn't want to sacrifice more of the village's ninja just to gain material benefit.
"Then we leave tomorrow."
Tsunade said.
"All right."
Kiyohara nodded.
After that, he stayed in the tent and kept talking with the shinobi there.
An hour later, he and Tsunade left together.
…
The next day, Kiyohara and Tsunade led their forces out.
After several days, they arrived in the Land of Grass and began patrolling the area, dealing with Iwagakure ninja clans.
At the same time that Iwagakure had started making unusual moves, they had also begun pulling inward.
They only sent out small teams to wear the enemy down, deliberately avoiding large-scale clashes.
And with Kiyohara stationed there, another twenty-something days passed by.
He had no particular complaints. War was war, no matter where it happened.
What Kiyohara actually cared about was the "last letter."
His Sharingan and his bloodline both seemed to have reached the verge of transformation.
They were right on the threshold of qualitative change.
What he lacked now was a trigger.
"Sage Art: Perception."
Kiyohara entered Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode, and his hearing began spreading outward through the surrounding environment.
Like a radar, it kept sweeping the area.
And Kiyohara continuously gathered information from it.
Rolling hills, long rushing streams.
Even the fish and tiny shrimp in the water were all vividly clear in his perception.
He scanned the surrounding area and confirmed there were no Iwagakure troops nearby.
"No anomalies."
He stood up and brushed the grass clippings from his clothes.
The green chakra around his body slowly faded away.
Kiyohara had discovered he could use Mount Myoboku Sage Arts plus the curse mark.
He could also use Ryuchi Cave Sage Arts plus the curse mark.
But trying to use all three at once was still a bit too much.
He had a feeling he might have to learn Shikkotsu Forest Sage Arts before he could solve that.
He was very curious—if he combined the sage arts of all Three Great Sage Regions, then added the curse mark on top, how would that compare to Six Paths Senjutsu?
How much of Six Paths Senjutsu's power could he reach?
"Iwagakure ninja really are slippery."
Kakashi said.
Because of what had happened with Obito, Kakashi had never had a particularly favorable impression of Iwagakure ninja.
In his view, if not for those Iwagakure shinobi back then, Obito would never have died.
"Can't be helped. They don't dare face Konoha head-on right now, so they're probably just waiting for a chance to launch some kind of strike."
Kiyohara shook his head.
It was only natural that Iwagakure's style of fighting was different now than it had been in the earlier stages of the war.
Their numbers were down, and Konoha had already severed one of their key supply lines. They were exhausted.
The only reason they had kept pushing this long was because the Land of Earth's geography wasn't much better than the Land of Wind's.
That was why they had always wanted to bite off a chunk of some other country's resources.
The Second Great Ninja War had broken out because of economic imbalance among the great nations.
The Third Great Ninja War was, honestly, not much different. Tensions between the nations were already high, then the Third Kazekage disappeared, and Kumogakure was promoting military expansion.
So the hardline factions in every village rose to prominence, and war became inevitable.
Kiyohara then had everyone stop and rest for a while.
Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yuhi were talking quietly nearby.
"Rin, your Water Release techniques seemed to improve again last time."
There was a little envy in Kurenai's voice.
"That's because Kiyohara teaches well."
Rin smiled and gathered a stream of water in her palm.
The water slowly changed shape in her hand until it became a one-meter-long blue blade.
The blade was translucent, with faint rippling water patterns visible inside, while the edge glowed with a pale green light—that was the trace of Yang Release chakra mixed into it.
"Water Release: Flowing Water Blade."
This was a variation of the Water Release medical ninjutsu Kiyohara had taught her, combining healing chakra with offensive Water Release so that it could both kill and heal.
"It's beautiful."
Kurenai leaned in to look, but the chill of the water blade made her instinctively pull back her neck a little.
"My genjutsu isn't nearly this pretty."
"Your genjutsu is amazing too."
Rin dismissed the blade and dried her hand.
"Those Iwagakure shinobi last time froze up the moment you spoke."
Kurenai pressed her lips together, then smiled.
She had gained a lot of insight into sound-based genjutsu lately.
Then she secretly glanced in Kiyohara's direction.
He was standing by the stream, a few strands of his black hair blowing in the wind and revealing the smooth line of the back of his neck.
Underneath the black ninja clothes, she could faintly make out the outline of the chainmail beneath.
Her heartbeat skipped.
"Let's move up ahead. No one's here."
After they had rested for a while, Kiyohara spoke.
The others all acknowledged him.
So the group continued north.
Their mission was to find Iwagakure's scattered squads and eliminate them.
Kiyohara had sent other teams to different areas as well.
His deployment formed a net, with small squads sweeping outward in a carpet search for Iwagakure shinobi.
"There's someone."
After they had advanced more than ten kilometers and Kiyohara had been about ready to turn back, he suddenly spoke.
In his perception, someone had appeared.
The moment he said that, Rin, Kurenai, and Kakashi all shifted into combat posture.
Water gathered in Rin's palm and formed a blade again.
Kurenai took a breath, Yin Release chakra pooling in her throat.
"Let's go. If we wait, they'll just slip away again."
Kiyohara said.
Then he quickened his pace, and the others followed.
…
Not long after, they found the Iwagakure squad.
The one leading them had a fierce-looking face.
The moment they saw Kiyohara and the others, their pupils shrank.
"Konoha's—"
Before the sentence could finish, Kurenai moved.
Her lips parted, and a string of extremely soft syllables left her mouth.
The sound was not loud, but its penetrating power was extreme. It went straight into the ears of the five Iwagakure shinobi.
Punches were easy enough to dodge.
Sound, on the other hand, was much harder to avoid.
Even if you covered your ears with both hands, some of it would still get through.
Genjutsu: Sound Bind.
All five froze at once.
Their eyes began to lose focus, and the expressions on their faces stiffened as though they had become stone statues.
Rin had already rushed forward.
Her speed was astonishing. That was the result of the training Kiyohara had put her through recently.
The blue water blade left an afterimage through the air.
The edge cut across the throat of the first Iwagakure shinobi, and even before the blood could spray out, the flowing water inside the blade sealed the cut.
Only after the blade passed did blood begin seeping from the slit.
Thud.
The body collapsed.
Rin spun and slashed horizontally, sending the second Iwagakure ninja's head flying.
The remaining enemies were dealt with by Kakashi.
A flash of white light ran along his short blade as he pierced through the last of them.
Thud.
The White Fang's swordsmanship, strengthened by the chakra enhancement from the White Snake power and the amplification of the Sharingan, had truly come back to life in Kakashi's hands.
"Good."
Kiyohara walked over to Rin and patted her on the shoulder.
"Your movements are much cleaner now."
Rin's face flushed faintly.
"Th-that's only because Kiyohara-kun taught me well…"
"And you too, Kurenai."
Kiyohara turned to Kurenai.
"That Sound Bind is a lot more stable than last time. The duration's longer too."
Kurenai pursed her lips into a smile, her eyes curving like crescents.
"But one of them escaped."
Kiyohara said.
He looked toward the depths of the bushes to the left.
The branches there were still trembling slightly, and one chakra signature was rapidly retreating.
"Kakashi."
Kiyohara called.
Kakashi nodded.
The moment chakra flowed into the short blade, it vibrated slightly, and a pale purple current of electricity ran along its edge.
Lightning Release: Purple Electricity.
Kakashi vanished.
A moment later, a muffled grunt came from the bushes, followed by the sound of a body falling.
Kakashi returned dragging an Iwagakure chunin behind him.
The man's legs had been struck by Purple Electricity and were blackened, completely preventing him from moving.
Kakashi threw the captive down and stepped back.
"Brought him back."
Seeing that, Kiyohara walked over and crouched in front of the prisoner.
There was no need for him to personally handle disposable enemies like these.
But when it came to interrogation, that was still his strongest area.
After all, his genjutsu ability was the strongest among them.
Kiyohara reached out and forced the man's tightly shut eyelids open.
The crimson Sharingan flared.
The three tomoe turned slowly.
Genjutsu: Sharingan.
The captive's eyes instantly lost focus. The pain and panic on his face froze, then drained away into blank emptiness.
"What are you doing near the Land of Grass?"
"…Reinforcements."
The captive's voice was empty.
"Lord Kitsuchi… ordered us… to reinforce the front."
"What mission?"
"…Surround… Konoha patrol squads… capture them alive…"
Kiyohara's brow tightened slightly.
"Capture them alive?"
"Lord Kitsuchi… wants to interrogate them… for intelligence…"
"What's the exact plan?"
"Three days from now… main force… will close in from the east, west, and north…"
Kiyohara asked a few more questions, and once he confirmed there was no other useful information, he let go.
The captive's eyes went blank again, and he lost consciousness completely.
Kiyohara stood and looked toward Kakashi.
"Finish him."
"Yeah."
Kakashi drew Yamaru. A flash of the blade—
and the body dropped.
"Kitsuchi is taking prisoners alive."
Kiyohara looked toward the direction of the camp in the distance.
"What is he after?"
Kiyohara rubbed his chin.
Kitsuchi was the Tsuchikage's son, and in terms of status, he was actually even higher than Asuma Sarutobi.
Unlike Asuma, who had rank and family background but had not yet truly matured, Kitsuchi was already a veteran shinobi, famous for years.
According to the Jin no Sho, his ninjutsu could split the earth and shake mountains, while the rocks around his fist let him blast away anything standing in his path with a single punch.
As the commander of ten thousand shinobi, he inspired his compatriots, displayed his own strength before the whole world, and became famous across the shinobi world because of it.
Even so, Kiyohara didn't think Kitsuchi would be stronger than him.
…
Inside the Konoha camp's main tent.
After hearing Kiyohara's report, Tsunade's brows drew together tightly.
"Capturing them alive…"
She stood and walked over to the map, staring at the marked enemy and ally positions.
"Iwagakure has indeed been shrinking its defensive lines lately, but now Kitsuchi suddenly reinforces and starts taking live prisoners…"
She paused.
"He's probably trying to gather intelligence and determine what kind of real strength we've got here."
"If he confirms that our main forces are all present, then he probably won't act rashly."
"But if he starts to think our side is weak…"
She left the sentence unfinished.
But everyone in the tent understood.
Iwagakure would bet everything and launch a full assault.
"I'll take a team and scout further."
Kiyohara said.
"The Hyuga reinforcements should arrive tomorrow, right?"
"Roughly."
Tsunade nodded.
With more Hyuga shinobi on hand, reconnaissance would become far easier.
…
The next day.
The Hyuga clan's reinforcements arrived at the front.
Kiyohara immediately selected a few Hyuga shinobi to accompany him.
He looked them over and noticed that one of them was actually an old classmate of his—Natsu Hyuga.
The future maid of Hanabi Hyuga.
For a branch family member, that was actually considered a pretty decent position.
Hanabi was the second daughter, and compared to the "useless" elder daughter Hinata, Hanabi clearly received more attention.
"K-Kiyohara-kun…"
Natsu looked at him.
Several years had passed since their Academy days, and yet Kiyohara had now become such a powerful shinobi, both in terms of status and strength.
It still left Natsu feeling a little unreal.
"Natsu, long time no see."
Kiyohara greeted her.
Then he looked at the other Hyuga present.
Among them were branch family members and main family members.
To Kiyohara, the difference hardly mattered.
What he wanted was to widen the search radius.
"All right, let's move out."
Kiyohara said.
Besides the additional Hyuga shinobi, he also brought Rin and the others.
This time, Kiyohara chose the eastern line.
According to the captive's information, Kitsuchi's main force was gathered in a hilly area roughly one hundred li east of the camp.
The Hyuga clan's shinobi searched from the ground.
Kiyohara, meanwhile, flew up into the sky.
The wind was fierce at that height, snapping his clothes around him.
Looking down, he searched for the location of Iwagakure's position.
After a while, Kiyohara frowned. He had found what looked like a barrier.
Then he descended.
"Did you find something, Kiyohara?"
Rin asked.
"Yes. But I need the Byakugan."
Kiyohara said.
Then he turned to Natsu and the other Hyuga shinobi and explained the situation.
"I'll try, Kiyohara-kun."
Natsu said.
The veins around her eyes bulged slightly.
Byakugan.
Its penetrating sight pierced through the barrier.
"There are about two hundred Iwagakure shinobi inside."
Natsu made a rough estimate.
"That many, huh."
Kiyohara lifted a brow.
That was a big fish.
And just then, the ground moved.
Boom, boom, boom.
The hill beneath their feet shook violently, and two enormous earth walls rose from the ground like giant hands closing in to crush them from both sides.
Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique.
Kiyohara recognized it immediately.
This was one of Iwagakure's signature jutsu—creating two huge hemispherical masses of earth to crush the target between them and immobilize them.
Used on a human, it would crush them into paste.
Used on a tailed beast, it could suppress its movements.
It was one of the highest-tier restraint techniques.
The walls were moving astonishingly fast. In the blink of an eye, they were almost upon them.
A Hyuga shinobi immediately used Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, blasting away part of one wall with a shockwave.
"This technique covers a huge area."
Even Kakashi was startled.
His hands moved into seals, preparing Purple Electricity.
"I'll handle it, Kakashi."
Kiyohara said.
All of this happened in only a moment.
Dark green chakra wrapped around Kiyohara's body like a coat.
His pupils instantly changed into golden vertical slits, green markings spreading around his eyes, while behind him a phantom serpent coiled into shape.
The serpent circled his body, its scales distinct, flicking a matching dark green tongue.
On his forehead, a single horn was faintly visible.
Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode.
"What is that…"
Natsu blinked in surprise at the sudden transformation.
This wasn't the black transformation from the rumors she had heard about Kiyohara.
Was this some new power he had mastered?
Natsu couldn't help feeling curious.
"Sage Art…"
Kiyohara raised his right hand.
The phantom serpent behind him raised its head and opened its mouth in unison.
"Lightning Release: Great Snake Lightning."
Blue lightning gathered in Kiyohara's hand.
Crackle!
In midair, it condensed into two giant serpents.
The lightning snakes shot toward the two enormous earthen masses, each dozens of meters high, pressing in from both sides.
Boom!
The lightning serpents collided with the earth masses.
The earth spheres immediately began cracking and were shattered in a single blow.
Hidden farther back, Kitsuchi had not expected his jutsu to be broken so easily.
This was a technique personally taught to him by his father, the Third Tsuchikage, and honed over more than ten years. Even tailed beasts could be restrained by it for a short time.
He had seen countless enemies despair under it.
But that Konoha shinobi…
only used one strike.
A single blue serpent-shaped bolt of lightning tore the mountains of earth to pieces.
Kitsuchi swallowed.
He stared at that figure in the distance, shrouded in dark green chakra.
What kind of jutsu was that?
Sage arts?
He had never seen anything like it.
Was this another one of those strange powers, like Kiyohara's bizarre curse mark—something the shinobi world had never seen before?
No. Now wasn't the time to think about that.
Kitsuchi took a deep breath, chakra already beginning to gather in his right hand.
No matter how strong that young Konoha shinobi was, he would—
The thought didn't even finish.
A figure appeared right in front of him.
Kitsuchi hadn't even seen how he had arrived.
One instant he had been hundreds of meters away, the next he was already face-to-face with him.
Too fast.
But Kitsuchi's body reacted before his mind did.
His right arm had already swung.
Earth Release: Fist Rock.
A stone-like texture spread from shoulder to fist, hardening the entire arm and multiplying its weight several times over as he struck with force enough to shatter boulders.
Then he saw Kiyohara raise his left hand.
That hand was pale and elegant, with distinct joints—
and it caught the punch dead on.
Boom!
A shockwave burst outward from the two of them, cracking and sinking the ground, sending rubble flying.
Kitsuchi's eyes widened.
His Fist Rock had been caught… with one hand?
And that hand hadn't even trembled.
Kiyohara's left hand closed around his fist.
Crack.
That was the sound of stone breaking.
Kitsuchi's pupils contracted to pinpoints.
Then he saw Kiyohara's right hand tighten into a fist, the arm's muscles pulling smooth lines beneath the chainmail before that fist came crashing toward him.
It was so fast Kitsuchi couldn't dodge. He barely managed to raise his left arm to block.
Bang!
A dull heavy impact.
That strength—
That strength wasn't human.
Kitsuchi's left arm bent backward at an unnatural angle. The bone in his forearm dislocated at the elbow, white bone punching through flesh as blood sprayed out.
He didn't even have time to feel pain.
Because the very next second, a hand had already closed around his throat.
Five fingers tightened.
His breath was cut off instantly. His face flushed dark red, veins bulging across his forehead.
He opened his mouth, trying to say something, trying to struggle—
but discovered that his chakra flow had already been completely halted.
Then he saw those crimson eyes.
The three tomoe spun in his vision, faster and faster, deeper and deeper, as though pulling his soul down into a bottomless abyss.
Genjutsu: Sharingan.
Kitsuchi's eyes began to lose focus.
The pain, the unwillingness, all the emotion drained away until only blank emptiness remained.
Kiyohara released him.
"The Tsuchikage's son is a little weak."
Kiyohara thought to himself.
The Tsuchikage's son?
In the end, nothing but dogs and chickens.
Kiyohara genuinely felt he hadn't been worth the trouble.
Kitsuchi was Onoki's son, and also the future father of the famous "Leg Kage," Kurotsuchi.
Kiyohara had no idea whether Kurotsuchi had even been born yet.
"Dust Release, though… that part is nice."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Too bad neither Kitsuchi nor Kurotsuchi had inherited Onoki's Dust Release.
~~~
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