Kiyohara didn't linger. He turned and made his way back to the temporary tent assigned to him at the base, ready to fully immerse himself in studying his newly acquired Lightning Release technique.
—
A few days later, following reassignment orders, Kiyohara's squad withdrew from the front line near the Land of Earth and redeployed to the southeastern coastline of the Land of Fire.
The air was tenser here.
Some shinobi had already returned from skirmishes wrapped in white bandages, their expressions dark and heavy.
Those who remained were fully armed—some with ninja swords strapped to their backs, others lugging oversized Fūma shuriken or accompanied by their summoned beasts. No one dared to relax.
All signs pointed to one truth: war was drawing near.
It wasn't just veteran shinobi. Even freshly graduated Genin, shorter than Kiyohara by a head, were hauling supplies and helping build fortifications.
Normally, fresh Genin would be assigned to logistics.
Only seasoned "old foxes" ended up pushed to the front lines—Kiyohara had been one of them.
"I wonder when Kirigakure will launch their invasion…" Rin sighed.
Everyone knew the enemy was just across the sea—waiting. The attack could come at any moment.
And when it did, all they could do was resist.
If this position fell, the war would spill inland. That would mark the bloodiest phase of the conflict.
"Who knows," Kiyohara replied, shaking his head.
One thing he was sure of—if the story followed canon, this front would fall.
That's when Uchiha Fugaku brought a three- or four-year-old Itachi to the battlefield…
Inland.
That marked the beginning of Itachi's psychological collapse.
After all, this wasn't the Warring States era anymore. Fugaku was desperate for his son to rise quickly—and the pressure he placed on Itachi was abnormal, to say the least.
A twisted father raised a twisted son.
Perhaps the only reason Sasuke turned out "relatively normal" was that he took after Mikoto more.
"Let's go check in," Kiyohara said.
The sounds of war preparation filled the air—footsteps, whispered conversations, weapons being maintained—blended with the salty tang of the sea.
The climax of the war… was fast approaching.
Once this line broke, Madara would likely make his move.
And then all the major villages—except the already-flagging Iwagakure—would begin tearing into the Land of Fire.
Sunagakure. Kirigakure. Kumogakure.
All would descend like wolves.
"Move out," Kakashi said sternly.
These newly graduated Genin… they were still just children.
But this was war.
Kiyohara weaved through the crowd and completed the squad's check-in. Afterward, he bid farewell to Kakashi and Rin, deciding to use his rest period to master Lightning Release: Rage Thunder Arrows as quickly as possible.
—
With Jonin-level strength and layers of enhanced talents, Kiyohara estimated he wouldn't need more than a few days to fully grasp the jutsu.
The real bottleneck for any shinobi was always their physical limit.
If he had Naruto's durability and chakra reserves, he could just spam a few thousand shadow clones and brute-force everything.
But thanks to the inheritances from his future selves, his body had begun breaking through those old barriers.
Over the next few days, Kiyohara trained in seclusion, even asking Kurenai not to visit for now so he could focus.
"Lightning Release—!"
With his hands forming seals, chakra surged along the pathways described in the scroll, pooling into his right palm.
Crackling blue lightning gathered, sharpening into arrow-like bolts.
He thrust his hand forward, releasing the bolts.
Zzzing!
They screeched through the air and struck a boulder ten meters away.
Boom!
The rock exploded in several places, charred craters forming on the surface—but the lightning arrows fizzled out halfway through.
Still not enough piercing power.
"The chakra needs to condense faster. The shape transformation's too loose. And the edge sharpness—still lacking…"
Kiyohara wiped the sweat from his brow, panting slightly.
He could feel it: as his mental energy increased, his chakra control had become significantly more refined.
He had a revelation—chakra control was the key to fast jutsu training.
And chakra control itself was tied to how well one could focus.
One or two more tries… I'll have it.
All he needed was to successfully cast it once. That was all the Steel Release Kiyohara's wish required—just learning the B-rank Lightning Release jutsu.
—
He trained all afternoon in the forest.
Now and then, the Steel Release Kiyohara would float out from within, nodding in approval as he watched.
Kiyohara had both talent and drive.
It wouldn't be long before he became a true standout in the Third Great Ninja War.
—
At dusk, as the forest bathed in dim golden light…
"Lightning Release: Rage Thunder Arrows!"
Crack!
With a sharp movement, Kiyohara fired multiple concentrated bolts of blue lightning from his palm.
Fzzzzzh!
The worn, pitted boulder in the distance now had several clean, deep holes in its surface. Stray lightning danced around the edges with a soft crackle.
He'd done it.
Kiyohara smiled.
With the combined talent of Rogue Kiyohara and his own, plus several times the mental energy of other shinobi, he had mastered an elite Jonin jutsu in just a few days.
"You progressed faster than I expected," said the Steel Kiyohara, his ghostly form emerging with a glow.
The spirit floated toward him—and the moment it touched his brow, it silently merged into him.
Boom—
Kiyohara trembled—not from pain, but from an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.
Like dry earth soaking in sweet spring rain—his thoughts grew sharper.
Mental energy rising—
At the same time, he felt his Earth and Yang chakra natures suddenly elevate.
Old Earth and medical jutsu that once felt complicated were now as clear as solved puzzles.
And that wasn't all.
A warm flood surged through his limbs and torso—his flesh being nourished by something powerful.
Another boost in Yang nature, Kiyohara noted.
He'd inherited a similar increase from the Youth Kiyohara, so this was familiar territory.
But this time… something was different.
The Yang chakra seemed to evolve—and his body changed with it.
His mental energy had always outpaced his body. Though they could combine into chakra, much of his potential remained untapped.
Now, Yang's vitality poured into every cell—his muscles tightened and became elastic, his blood surged with vigor.
His physical energy skyrocketed, beginning to match his mental reserves.
The two blended perfectly—like water and milk.
And his chakra?
Exploded.
At least three times what Kakashi had.
"…Three units of chakra?"
Kiyohara was stunned.
He had jumped from 2.2 cards to 3 full units in one go.
And that's not even the full fusion yet… how much higher will it go?
When he completed the second wish and merged fully, his chakra pool would grow again.
Both mental and physical energies would rise.
I wonder… who has more chakra—Uzumaki or Senju?
He rubbed his chin in thought.
If I could inherit one of those two bloodlines…
In canon, there was always debate about Naruto's real chakra levels.
The anime claimed:
With Kurama sealed = 4x Kakashi
Without suppressing = 100x Kakashi
The manga suggested 96x was Kurama's chakra alone.
But clearly, Naruto's base chakra wasn't just "4 units."
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to do ridiculous things like Naruto Uzumaki Two Thousand Combo—requiring 1000 clones each punching twice.
And those clones used his own blue chakra, not Kurama's.
Plus, Kurama's chakra alone wouldn't explain how Naruto supported the entire ninja alliance or spammed Tailed Beast Bombs.
Still, Kiyohara knew:
Normal Uzumaki clan members weren't that monstrous.
Naruto had too many advantages—Sage of Six Paths reincarnation, Asura's chakra, Minato's seal, and passive Kurama leaks into his own chakra.
No average Uzumaki could compare.
How much was pure Naruto's chakra, stripped of all that?
Hard to say.
But if it were really just "four units"… it wouldn't be considered bottomless.
Still a long road ahead… I need more chakra.
Right now, 1 units = 4 Chidoris.
3 units = 12.
Compared to Naruto, who could clone thousands of times and give each clone a Rasengan…
Kiyohara was still far behind.
"You've already surpassed what I had in life," Steel Kiyohara remarked knowingly.
There were only a few ways to increase chakra in the ninja world:
-Drugs
-Body modifications
-Sealing a Tailed Beast
-Edo Tensei (infinite chakra hack)
"I know."
Kiyohara nodded.
He clenched his fists, taking in the surge of new power.
This was a good start.
Among his peers, few could defeat him now.
As his chakra levels began to stabilize, he shifted attention to the new jutsu in his mind—techniques granted by Steel Kiyohara.
-Earth Release: Earth Spear – hardens body parts with Earth chakra, a basic Steel Release substitute
-Earth Release: Rock Pillar Rod – medium-range blunt force strike using a hardened pillar
-Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall – the classic defensive jutsu
Exhale—
He released a long breath, scanned his surroundings, then moved deeper into the forest.
He needed privacy to test something.
—
He extended his hand.
Two chakra types—Earth and Yang—flowed together into a new nature.
Steel Release.
A rocky gray-brown layer formed on his fingertip… then darkened into a metallic sheen, gleaming like forged steel.
"This is the fusion of Earth and Yang—Steel Release?"
It was cold and hard to the touch—but surprisingly not heavy.
He couldn't help but think of Haki from that other world. The visual resemblance was uncanny.
Shing!
He drew his ninja blade—and without hesitation, swung it down onto his own index finger.
CLANG!
Even though he held back, just in case…
The metallic skin gave off a sharp ring. The blade didn't leave a mark.
Only a solid vibration—not pain—echoed in his hand.
Effective… now for coverage range.
He spread the Steel chakra.
His entire right hand, wrist, and forearm turned that deep steel-gray color.
He swung it.
The air whistled with weight.
He tried his chest, back, legs…
Eventually, he even tested some very private parts.
Steel skin everywhere.
Except—
When he tried his eyes, a sharp sting and resistance halted him.
His eyeballs instinctively rejected the Steel chakra.
"…No coating for eyes then."
He quickly dispersed most of the armor, keeping just his right arm as a test.
Then he approached a nearby boulder.
No jutsu. No enhancements.
Just a steel-clad fist.
BOOM!
The rock dented.
Not cracked—but a solid impression.
Without this armor, my arm would've been pulp.
"Excellent defense. High resistance to physical damage. Should have unique interactions with lightning too, since it's conductive…"
He began experimenting—partial hardening on a single finger, nose, neck, elbow…
Especially on vital points.
This Steel Release… could become his new life-saving trump card.