Kurenai Yūhi froze for a moment.
She looked at the branch, so thin it looked like it would snap with a single bend, then looked back at Kiyohara's expression.
"…You're serious?"
"Of course."
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
He walked to the riverbank, holding the cherry blossom branch in his right hand while forming a one-handed seal with his left.
Once all the chakra he had refined had been converted into Water Release chakra, Kiyohara extended the cherry blossom branch toward the river's surface.
Kurenai's eyes widened.
The instant that thin branch touched the water, the entire river… moved!
As if drawn by some unseen force, a section of the river rose straight up from the surface.
That stretch of water, completely wrapped in chakra, slowly lifted from the riverbed and hovered in midair.
Like a transparent giant fish hooked out of the water.
Under the setting sun, the current refracted into countless flecks of golden light, glittering and rippling.
Inside the river, the fish that had been lazily swimming about kept moving as usual.
Then, the moment they reached the edge, they froze in confusion, flicked their tails, and started dropping one after another onto the damp sand and stones of the exposed riverbed.
Crucian carp, carp, and several palm-sized grass carp flopped wildly on the riverbed.
The water farther away was still flowing, but this section Kiyohara had cut off looked as though time itself had been frozen.
Kurenai stood there with her mouth slightly open, unable to speak for a long while.
She looked at that suspended slice of river, at the fish dropping from it onto the riverbed, and at Kiyohara's profile as he held the cherry blossom branch.
"This… this is…"
Kurenai paused.
"A Water Release jutsu?"
She could hardly believe it. Kiyohara's mastery of Water Release had actually reached this level.
Even among Mist ninja, Kurenai had never seen many with such precise chakra control.
Most Water Release users shaped the jutsu and then released it immediately.
To maintain it the way Kiyohara was doing required a perfectly steady output of chakra the entire time.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara responded, then gave his wrist a slight flick.
The suspended section of river, hanging from the cherry blossom branch, swayed lightly with his movement, like a real fish struggling on a line.
Another twenty or so fish fell out of the water, thumping onto the riverbed.
Then Kiyohara turned his wrist, used Wind Release to sweep all the fish from the riverbed onto the shore, and let that section of river fall back into place.
Boom!
The water rejoined the rest of the current, sending out rings of ripples before quickly settling back into calm.
As if nothing had happened at all.
On the riverbed, thirty or forty fish flopped between the rocks, splashing tiny droplets of water.
Kurenai stared blankly at the scene.
"…How did you do that?"
Kiyohara put away the cherry blossom branch.
"I used Water Release chakra to control the current and temporarily lift it away from the riverbed. Once the fish lost the water, they naturally fell out."
He paused.
"The principle is simple."
Kurenai glared at him.
Simple?
What part of that was simple?
She was a ninja too. She could use Water Release too.
But asking her to "fish up" an entire section of river and precisely wrap the current in chakra so it wouldn't scatter apart…
She wouldn't even dare try.
"You're talking nonsense again."
She puffed out her cheeks.
"There are plenty of hardworking people out there, and none of them are as ridiculously strong as you."
Kiyohara just smiled and said nothing.
He crouched down and started picking up fish.
Kurenai crouched down to help.
"This one's huge."
Kurenai picked up a fat carp, and its tail smacked her across the face with a loud slap, splashing water all over her.
She didn't get annoyed. She simply laughed and tossed the fish into the bucket Kiyohara had taken out of a sealing scroll.
Kiyohara glanced at her.
In the sunset, her profile looked especially gentle. A few damp strands of hair clung to her cheek.
A droplet of water trembled on her eyelashes as she blinked, then slid down.
"My teacher's cooking tonight."
Kiyohara withdrew his gaze.
"You should come too."
Kurenai's hands paused.
"Lady Tsunade is cooking?"
There was a trace of uncertainty in her voice.
"…Will it taste good?"
"Hard to say."
Kiyohara stood up and shook the water from his hands.
"But the thought counts."
Kurenai thought about it, then nodded.
"Then I'll definitely come."
She paused, then added,
"I can help too. Chop vegetables and stuff."
"Alright."
Kiyohara picked up the wooden bucket full of fish and turned to head back.
Kurenai picked up her own bucket and followed at his side.
The two of them walked back along the path by the river, one after the other.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground.
Kurenai looked at the tall figure in front of her, and her steps suddenly slowed.
She remembered what had just happened.
"Kiyohara."
She called out suddenly.
"Hm?"
"That jutsu of yours… what's it called?"
Kiyohara thought for a moment.
"I haven't named it yet."
"Then…"
Kurenai pressed her lips together.
"How about 'Water Release: Cherry Blossom Fishing Jutsu'?"
Kiyohara turned back.
Under the setting sun, Kurenai's face was slightly flushed, and her eyes shone brightly as she looked at him.
"You fished it up with a cherry blossom branch, so it should be called that."
Kiyohara looked at her for two seconds, then smiled.
"Alright. Then that's what we'll call it."
He said it casually.
Whether this jutsu had a name or not didn't really matter.
He had only done it on a whim, just to test the limits of his Water Release mastery.
And from the looks of it, his Water Release was indeed excellent.
Actually, if Kiyohara wanted to, he could have simply used Storm Release to form a net and precisely scoop all the fish out of the river.
At the Konoha camp, the bonfire was lit.
Tsunade had tied on a makeshift apron and was holding a kitchen knife.
On the cutting board lay a carp Kiyohara had already cleaned.
All the blood had been drained. It was just a properly bled fish now.
Tsunade had hemophobia, but she was actually fine when it came to chunks of meat.
After all, everyday rice balls sometimes contained raw salmon or other uncooked fillings.
And after spending this period trying to overcome her hemophobia, she no longer had much of a mental reaction to seeing cleaned fish.
A cold flash of steel.
The fish was sliced into thin fillets with perfect precision. Every piece was identical in thickness and size, with edges so smooth it looked like they had been measured with a ruler.
"What incredible knife work!"
Kurenai exclaimed from the side.
The corners of Tsunade's lips lifted slightly. Her blade never stopped, and in the blink of an eye, the entire fish had been cut into translucent slices and arranged neatly on a plate.
"Of course."
She proudly twirled the kitchen knife.
"I'm a medical ninja, after all. Knife skills are the most basic thing there is."
Standing to the side, Kiyohara watched Tsunade work, and his brows relaxed slightly.
Looks like Tsunade's hemophobia had eased a little?
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
Still, he didn't dare let Tsunade handle a live fish directly.
If the sight of fish blood triggered her again, this tent might not survive it.
Next came the heat.
Tsunade heated the oil in the wok, then slid the fish slices into it.
Sizzle.
Steam and smoke rose.
Her wrist moved lightly, the spatula flashing as the fish slices jumped in the pan, each one heating evenly.
A moment later, a plate of stir-fried fish slices was done.
Golden in color and rich with aroma.
Kurenai leaned closer and took a sniff.
"It smells so good…"
Tsunade handed the plate to her.
"Try it."
Kurenai picked up a slice with her chopsticks, blew on it, and put it into her mouth.
After chewing twice, her eyes lit up.
"It's delicious!"
The smile on Tsunade's face deepened.
She turned to Kiyohara and lifted her chin.
"Well?"
Kiyohara picked up a slice and tasted it.
The fish was tender, the seasoning was balanced, and the cooking time was just right.
"Not bad."
He nodded.
"You really have improved, Sensei."
Tsunade snorted, but the smile at the corner of her lips was impossible to suppress.
"Of course. If I get serious, what can't I do?"
She turned and continued cooking.
Frying, stir-frying, steaming, braising—dish after dish took shape in her hands.
Steamed fish, braised fish chunks, fish head tofu soup, pan-fried fish fillets…
Worth mentioning was that every single one of these was something Kiyohara had cooked before.
While she worked, Kiyohara occasionally guided Tsunade through the recipes.
A lot of dishes from Kiyohara's previous life had already been recreated during their daily life together, and Tsunade and the others had loved them.
In no time, seven or eight dishes were spread across the rough wooden board.
Rin Nohara came over carrying bowls and chopsticks, and when she saw the table full of fish, she couldn't help but smile.
"Lady Tsunade is amazing today."
"Of course I am."
Tsunade wiped the sweat from her forehead and placed the final dish on the table.
"Alright, time to eat!"
The group sat around the bonfire.
The steaming food reflected the dancing firelight.
Kiyohara picked up a slice of fish and put it in his mouth.
The meat was tender, the sauce rich and flavorful.
Then he looked across the fire.
Tsunade was eating big mouthfuls of fish, a bit of sauce at the corner of her lips without noticing.
Rin sat beside her, eating in small bites, occasionally glancing up at Kiyohara before quickly lowering her eyes again.
Kurenai sat next to Kiyohara, adding food to his bowl from time to time.
"Eat more. You worked hard."
"Thanks."
Kakashi sat at the outer edge, quietly eating fish. Every now and then he looked up at the bonfire, no one knew what he was thinking.
Might Guy was there too.
He held a bowl bigger than his face and shoveled food into his mouth with such force it looked like he was fighting the meal.
"Delicious!"
He swallowed a mouthful of rice and gave a thumbs-up.
"Lady Tsunade's cooking is still a little behind Kiyohara's, but it's already really close!"
Tsunade raised a brow.
"What do you mean, 'still a little behind'?"
"It means just that—a little behind."
Might Guy grinned.
"Kiyohara's cooking is soul-level. Lady Tsunade's cooking is hot-blooded-level. Different."
Tsunade burst out laughing.
"You'd better hurry up and eat, or your teacher's punch is going to be more than you can handle."
Kiyohara reminded him.
Might Guy's eyes instantly widened.
He suddenly realized that Tsunade was only especially nice to Kiyohara.
If she really got mad, he'd probably lose a few ribs.
Realizing he had just taken a stroll past death's door, Might Guy hurriedly lowered his head and resumed shoveling rice into his mouth.
The bonfire crackled.
Heat and fragrance rose into the night sky.
Far away, inside the Iwagakure camp, Roshi received an order.
He looked at the directive stamped with the Tsuchikage's seal and remained silent for a long time.
"Save Kitsuchi…"
he repeated in a low voice.
The Four-Tails sneered from inside him.
"Save that brat? Onoki sure is willing to pay a steep price for this."
Roshi ignored it.
Although Roshi got along fairly well with the Four-Tails, he himself was stubborn by nature—arguably even more stubborn than Onoki—so there was always some friction between them.
He put away the mission scroll and stood up.
"No matter what, Kitsuchi is the Tsuchikage's son, and he's a kid I watched grow up."
That was all Roshi said.
The bonfire gradually died down.
Kakashi and Might Guy went to deal with the garbage, running off into the distance to dump it.
Tsunade went straight back to her tent to sleep, and Rin went to wash the dishes.
Shizune hadn't joined this gathering at all. She wasn't here.
Seeing that only she and Kiyohara were left, Kurenai pressed her lips together and stepped in front of him.
"Kiyohara."
"Hm?"
"Tomorrow… are you going fishing again?"
Kiyohara thought for a moment.
"That depends on the mission."
"Oh…"
Kurenai lowered her eyes, looking a little disappointed.
But soon she looked up again and smiled.
"Then if you do go, remember to call me."
"Alright."
Kiyohara nodded.
"But aren't you worried about gaining weight?"
he asked.
"No way. I work out every day."
Kurenai answered seriously.
She had seen more than a few female ninja who had been beautiful in their youth, but after reaching middle age and neglecting their upkeep, ended up putting on weight.
And back when they used to eat tricolor dango, Kiyohara had once teased her about turning into "Kurenai Sweet Potato."
"That's true. You can tell. Your figure is great."
Kiyohara nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Kurenai really did have a great figure.
And over the past few years, she had matured more and more, growing closer to the alluring older-sister type Kiyohara remembered.
The places that should curve did, and the places that should be full definitely were—nothing half-hearted about it.
"You jerk!"
Kurenai's face flushed red. She instantly realized exactly what Kiyohara had been looking at.
"I agreed with you having a great figure. How does that make me a jerk?"
Kiyohara smiled faintly and immediately pulled Kurenai into his arms.
Kurenai was tugged into his embrace.
She had just opened her mouth to say something when he kissed her, cutting her off.
Her body gradually went soft, and she could barely stay on her feet.
Seeing that, Kiyohara thoughtfully supported her.
"Mmm…"
After a long while, their lips finally parted.
Even though it wasn't the first time, Kurenai still blushed bright red.
"You… what if someone sees us?"
Kurenai lightly punched his chest with her small fist.
"So what if they do?"
Kiyohara said.
Everyone else was within his sensory range. If anyone came close, he would know immediately.
"I'm heading back first."
Kiyohara took a step back.
He still had training to do tonight.
Watching Kiyohara's figure gradually disappear into the distance, Kurenai unconsciously reached up and touched her lips again.
"Kurenai, what are you doing?"
Rin, who had just finished washing the dishes, looked at the dazed Kurenai and asked.
"Eh?"
Kurenai jumped in surprise. When she turned around, she realized it was Rin.
"Rin… did you just… see anything?"
"Weren't you just standing here by yourself the whole time?"
Rin asked in confusion.
"That's good."
Kurenai let out a sigh of relief.
It would have been really embarrassing if someone had seen that.
Rin gave Kurenai a strange look, not understanding why her face was so red.
Was the night wind too cold?
Unable to make sense of it, Rin didn't think about it any further. She lifted her head and could still see Kiyohara's figure walking farther and farther away.
What she was really thinking about was whether she should squeeze out some time to ask Kiyohara to teach her cooking.
That way, she'd have even more reasons to stay by his side.
"Rin?"
After blushing to herself for a while, Kurenai noticed that Rin was staring off somewhere.
Kurenai followed her gaze, but all she saw was darkness and tents.
"It's nothing."
Rin waved her hand.
"We should head back too."
"Alright."
Kurenai nodded.
The two women headed back together.
A few days passed like that, and soon it became the day the "Willbook" arrived.
Kiyohara was training in the forest.
"Sage Art: Earth Release: Fist Rock."
In an instant, his right arm was covered in a rocky sheen. The lines of his muscles became even more defined after hardening, and fine stone patterns appeared across his skin.
This was a jutsu he had copied from an Iwagakure ninja a few days ago.
The one Kitsuchi had used.
Kiyohara actually already knew this jutsu. He had once gotten it from Steel Release Kiyohara.
It was just his first time using it with sage chakra. After all, infusing sage chakra into an existing jutsu still required some practice.
Kiyohara raised his right arm and felt its heavy weight. The principle behind this technique was to pour Earth Release chakra into the arm, temporarily hardening the muscles and skin to grant defensive power and destructive force comparable to stone.
It was different from "Earth Release: Earth Spear."
Earth Spear enhanced the hardness of the entire body, covering everything like a suit of armor.
Fist Rock, on the other hand, was more focused, condensing all the chakra into a single arm in exchange for greater explosive force.
Each had its own strengths and weaknesses.
Kiyohara lowered his hand, dispersed the chakra, and his arm returned to normal.
Then he formed a few more seals.
These were all Earth Release jutsu he had copied from Iwagakure ninja during this period, and some of them even Steel Release Kiyohara didn't know.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Lance."
The ground trembled.
A massive stone spear appeared behind Kiyohara. With a wave of his hand, it shot into the mountain wall ahead, burying itself deep inside.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide."
The ground beneath his feet began to shake.
Centered on Kiyohara, all the land within a ten-meter radius seemed to be sliced apart by invisible blades. Whole slabs of earth surged, rose, and sank, forming a network of crisscrossing trenches.
The stone pillars were shredded by the churning ground. Broken rocks rolled into the cracks, only to be buried again by the overturned soil.
Kiyohara stood in the middle of the constantly changing terrain, both feet firmly planted on the only level foothold, his body not moving in the slightest.
A moment later, the shaking stopped.
He looked around at the landscape he had completely reshaped and gave a slight nod.
Iwagakure's Earth Release really did have its own strengths.
Their jutsu placed more emphasis on large-scale terrain alteration, pursuing battlefield control.
Konoha's Earth Release, meanwhile, leaned more toward defense and single-target attacks. The styles were different.
Kiyohara was just about to continue practicing the next jutsu when a mechanical female voice rang out in his mind.
[Please collect your will and urn, and properly lay the remains to rest.]
Kiyohara froze.
He stood in the middle of the devastated forest, still holding his hand seal, surrounded by the broken terrain he had torn apart.
But none of that mattered anymore.
It had arrived.
A new "Willbook"!
Kiyohara took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into his mind.
There, several urns floated in the air.
The Kumogakure urn marked with a lightning symbol, the Ryuchi Cave urn marked with a snake symbol, and…
A new one.
Green, with metal trim along the edges, and engraved on it was a symbol he knew all too well.
It was the emblem of Konohagakure.
Kiyohara's consciousness stared at this new urn.
Konoha's future?
He reached out and touched the lid with his fingertips.
A cold sensation traveled up his finger.
Click.
The lid slid open with a crisp sound.
Then, a hand reached out through the gap.
That hand was very white.
White as if it had never seen sunlight, with faint bluish veins visible beneath the skin. The fingers were long and slender, the joints clearly defined.
It was a hand made for weaving hand seals.
That hand gripped the edge of the lid and gently pushed.
The lid opened completely.
A figure slowly rose out of the urn.
Kiyohara looked at that figure, and his pupils shrank slightly.
A loose white robe.
Long black hair cascading down to the waist, draping over the shoulders and back.
But what drew Kiyohara's attention most were those white eyes!
In Konoha, aside from cataracts, what other eyes were white?
The answer was obvious.
The Byakugan!
The Hyuga clan's kekkei genkai!
~~~
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