"Lady Tsunade, forgive my bluntness," Kiyohara said, keeping his tone perfectly respectful but firm. "The Mist vanguard has just been repelled, but their main forces are entirely intact. Their perimeter will be airtight. Sneaking into a heavily fortified enemy staging ground to find a specific tombstone is not a patrol; it is a suicide mission."
Tsunade didn't look offended. In fact, she looked slightly relieved that he wasn't a blind fanatic.
"I know the risks," Tsunade shook her head. "I am not asking you to go today. The Mist's supply lines are stretched thin across the ocean. They will attempt to push into the Land of Fire to sustain their war effort. They won't occupy the Whirlpool ruins forever."
"Then... Lady Tsunade, why me?" Kiyohara asked, genuinely puzzled. Konoha had thousands of ninja.
"Your speed," Tsunade replied casually. "Orochimaru mentioned you possess a unique Magnet Release application that rivals the top Body Flicker specialists."
Tsunade had originally intended to ask Minato Namikaze for this favor. Given her ties to Kushina, Minato would have agreed. However, the Yellow Flash was currently bogged down on the northern front, holding the line against Kumogakure.
When she arrived at the camp today, Orochimaru had specifically highlighted Kiyohara's absurd evasion and movement speed.
"I see," Kiyohara nodded. High-speed specialists were rare. It was a niche field, similar to Sealing Masters or Medical Ninja.
"I will do my absolute best to fulfill this request, Lady Tsunade," Kiyohara bowed slightly. "However, during the war, my mission schedule is quite packed. Finding the time to break enemy lines might be... difficult."
The subtext was loud and clear: I want to be paid.
Kiyohara spoke tactfully. He didn't demand money outright, framing it as an issue of military logistics.
Tsunade caught the drift instantly. She spread her hands in amusement.
Behind her, Shizune stepped forward, pulling two scrolls from her pack.
"Through my channels, I heard you have an interest in Medical Ninjutsu," Tsunade said. "Last time, I traded you the Hemostasis and Antidote techniques. Those are basic field applications. Going further depends entirely on your genetic aptitude."
To practice advanced Medical Ninjutsu, a ninja must possess a high-tier Yang Release (vitality) affinity. Without it, forcing medical chakra will simply damage the patient's cells.
"I don't know if your Yang Release meets the standard, but I will give you these as an advance payment. Consider it a gamble on your potential. There will be more when you bring me news of Dan's grave."
Kiyohara took the scrolls from Shizune. He unrolled them slightly, his heart leaping.
They were two solid C-Rank Medical Ninjutsu.
The first was the Pain Suppression Technique, which temporarily blocked localized pain receptors.
The second was the Cellular Regeneration Technique, designed to force rapid cell division to knit deep muscle tissue and repair minor organ defects.
"Lady Tsunade," Kiyohara bowed deeply, securing the scrolls in his vest. "As soon as the Kirigakure forces abandon the island, I will personally verify Senior Kato Dan's resting place."
"Very good," Tsunade nodded in satisfaction. She wasn't in a rush. She expected the Mist to launch a massive mainland invasion within the next two months. She just wanted the commitment.
She waved her hand dismissively. Noticing that her face was still pale from the lingering nausea of the battlefield, Kiyohara tactfully excused himself and exited the tent.
The cool night breeze brushed against Kiyohara's mask, clearing the heavy scent of medicinal herbs from his lungs.
He gripped the two scrolls through his vest. This meeting had yielded far more than he expected. He had secured a massive advance payment for a mission he couldn't even execute yet.
But more importantly, he had established a direct connection with Tsunade.
'To survive in the Ninja World, unless you are a god like Madara or Hashirama, you need political backing,' Kiyohara calculated as he walked through the camp.
As he continued to inherit future legacies, his Kekkei Genkai arsenal would inevitably expand. Eventually, people would start asking dangerous questions. He needed a powerful umbrella to shield him from Danzo's Root.
'If I become a disciple of either Tsunade or Orochimaru, even Danzo would have to think twice before kidnapping me,' Kiyohara thought.
He weighed his options.
'But becoming Orochimaru's direct disciple... that's risky. He might literally covet my body. In a few years, he's going to turn into Orochihime—Auntie Snake—when he starts his body-snatching experiments. I'd rather not wake up on an operating table.'
He shook his head, banishing the morbid thought. 'Focus on the present. Tsunade is the safer bet.'
He scanned the crowded camp and spotted Kurenai and Genma waiting for him near a supply depot. As he walked toward them, he felt a deep, resonant hum in his chakra coils.
The Radical Spirit's legacy had fully integrated. The monumental spike in his chakra capacity and the flawless mastery of Magnet Release were completely his now.
A thrill of anticipation shot through him. He had completed the dying wish.
'I can't wait for next month's letter,' Kiyohara thought eagerly. 'What kind of monstrous bloodline will I unbox next?'
Deep in the Land of Wind.
Riding the momentum of the Body Flicker, Pakura had pushed her surviving squad to their absolute physical limits. They broke through Konoha's pursuit net, finally crossing into a relatively safe desert canyon controlled by Sunagakure.
Inside a concealed sandstone cave, Pakura collapsed against the cold, rocky wall. Her breathing was ragged.
The trench carved into her right arm by the supersonic iron coin throbbed with excruciating pain. The edges of the wound were seared and heavily bruised from the kinetic shock.
There were no Medical Ninja left in her squad. Maki, her beloved disciple, was kneeling beside her, frantically applying rudimentary bandages and antiseptic.
'That Konoha brat...' A flash of profound solemnity crossed Pakura's orange eyes.
That black, high-speed projectile. The crackling blue electrical arcs. The frictionless acceleration. Why did it feel so intimately familiar to her?
'The night was too dark, and the projectile was too fast. I couldn't see the weapon clearly,' Pakura grimaced as Maki tightened a bandage.
"Teacher Pakura," Maki whispered, her hands trembling slightly. "There's... there's something in the wound."
Maki used a pair of tweezers to extract a tiny, microscopic speck of black residue from the burned flesh. It was barely the size of a grain of sand.
Hearing this, Pakura leaned forward. She squinted in the dim light of the cave, observing the black powder. She instantly recognized the mineral composition.
"This is... Iron Sand?" Pakura breathed, her eyes widening in absolute shock.
A horrifying, world-shaking thought suddenly clicked into place in her mind.
'A localized magnetic field. Friction-generated electricity. Iron Sand projectiles...'
Pakura looked out into the dark desert, a chill running down her spine.
'It can't be... did that Konoha brat just shoot me with the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release?!'
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