Obito ended the Tsukuyomi and returned to their own world.
"Damn you, Kiyosuke! I hope you die a miserable death!"
The moment they appeared, Obito started cursing furiously.
Kiyosuke only sneered.
"Heh. If you've got the guts, come and get me. Let's see if you can actually take me down."
Still wearing that mocking grin, Obito activated Kamui and warped himself away. Whether Black Zetsu was still watching or not, they had to keep up the act.
The sky above was bright. Kiyosuke scratched his head. Time seemed to flow differently between the two worlds—he had no idea how much time had passed here.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
Naruto took off his Hokage ceremonial robe, neatly folded it, and stored it away.
After checking the time in Konoha, Kiyosuke realized that while three or four days had passed in that other world, only two days had gone by here.
Naruto's sudden disappearance—and "Kiyosuke's" strange behavior—had thrown Konoha into chaos. Everyone had been worried sick, afraid something terrible had happened. Fortunately, everything was fine now.
Kiyosuke also inquired about his own situation. Just as he had suspected, his counterpart in this world had shown up and caused quite a stir, but things had since calmed down. After reporting the situation, he went home.
Stretching and yawning, he left the Hokage building in long strides.
"So tired… time for some sleep."
Back home, he took a shower, then collapsed onto his bed.
He hadn't slept at all the previous night, and exhaustion hit him like a wall.
He slept like the dead until the middle of the night.
When he finally woke, squinting his eyes against the dim light, he sighed softly.
"Shinichi and Yuka… I really wish I could be by their side."
But he couldn't. He wasn't part of that world.
Feeling a quiet loneliness settle in, he got up, washed his face, and headed to the Konoha training grounds to exercise.
He couldn't afford to let his body get dull.
But the moment he saw two familiar figures with thick eyebrows, he abandoned the idea.
Even though this Guy and Lee were the same as the ones he knew, there was no way he wanted to train with that duo. Not because he looked down on them, but because their training methods were just… insane. He'd rather die than go through that again!
Shaking his head, Kiyosuke left and found a quiet spot to sit down and meditate, breathing slowly and steadily.
As the first ray of morning sunlight touched his body, he slowly opened his eyes. For a brief instant, golden light flashed in them.
Exhaling a long, turbid breath, he murmured,
"This kind of training really is the best… I feel completely refreshed and full of energy."
Using Sage Mode training techniques truly felt amazing. His chakra refinement rate was much faster this way—it was something he could definitely make a habit of.
Now, it was time to move on to the next step: launching an attack on the Akatsuki.
With that thought, he rose and walked back toward the Hokage building.
When he explained his plan to Tsunade, who had just started her morning work, she fell silent.
A plan like that, this early in the morning—it was a bit too much for her to process.
"This plan might work… but the risk is enormous."
"I know," Kiyosuke replied. "But sometimes, you just have to take the gamble."
"Then who are you planning to bring along?"
"Me, Naruto, Jiraiya-sama, Sasuke, Shisui, and those two undercover agents. Maybe we can even convince Kisame to join us."
When you thought about it, Akatsuki didn't have many real fighters left. Aside from Konan, Pain, and Deidara, there wasn't much manpower. The rest—like Zetsu—weren't even proper combatants.
In other words, out of those few remaining, three were spies. The Akatsuki's situation was pretty tragic.
"Why Naruto and Sasuke? With their current strength, they're not ready for something like this," Tsunade objected. "It's too dangerous for them to join such a mission."
"No, they're exactly who I need."
He needed to buff Sasuke up with the Mangekyō Sharingan, and that meant taking him along. As for Nagato, neither he nor Jiraiya could persuade him. That was a job for Naruto's infamous 'Talk no Jutsu.'
Poor guy...
Tsunade thought for a moment, then said, "Let me think it over. Wait a bit."
She had to consider the consequences. The Akatsuki was still a major threat to the entire ninja world—and to Konoha in particular, especially with Naruto being the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
As long as the Akatsuki existed, Naruto's safety was never guaranteed.
If they could eliminate the Akatsuki, it would not only benefit Konoha but also allow them to recover the tailed beasts the organization had collected. They could redistribute them properly afterward.
After a long pause, she nodded.
"All right. Go—but be careful."
"Understood."
Kiyosuke gave a small nod, turned, and left.
Tsunade sat back in her chair, lost in thought.
"Lady Tsunade, isn't this a bit too risky?" Shizune asked.
Even though Kiyosuke had already killed several Akatsuki members, the remaining ones were still incredibly strong—elite among elites. And one of them possessed the Rinnegan, no less.
"They'll be fine," Tsunade said. "Kiyosuke doesn't act without confidence. He probably wanted to make a move back when he was in Amegakure, but something must have stopped him. Now… we'll just leave the future to them. It's the young generation's world now."
"You're not that old yourself, you know."
"Of course not!"
...
After leaving the Hokage's office, Kiyosuke's first stop was to find Shisui, who was currently working in the ANBU.
"Kiyosuke-sama, what brings you here?"
Removing his mask, Shisui smiled. ANBU work was grimy, but he didn't mind—it allowed him to protect his clan, and that was more than enough.
"I came to give you a mission. You're coming with me. Tsunade-sama has already approved it."
"All right. What kind of mission?"
"We're bringing Itachi back. His mission has dragged on long enough."
At that, Shisui's eyes lit up.
"Itachi's mission is finally ending? That's great news!"
"There's one more thing…"
Kiyosuke leaned in and whispered a few words into Shisui's ear.
When Shisui heard it, his expression turned uneasy.
"Isn't that… a bit much?"
"It's fine. A necessary sacrifice."
Kiyosuke straightened his face and said righteously, "Everything I do is for Konoha."
"I understand. I'll go ahead and get ready."
"Mm."
Shisui flickered away in a flash, while Kiyosuke headed toward the bathhouse. He didn't even need to think about it—Jiraiya was definitely there.
Tsunade might try to keep him from going, but there was no way she could restrain that man.
Sigh. "The road ahead sure is long…"
Shaking his head, Kiyosuke found him easily—Jiraiya, the legendary toad sage himself, crouched by the women's bath, peeking through a hole in the fence.
Despite his large frame, his behavior made him look downright sleazy.
"Jiraiya-sama."
"Shh! Don't bother me, I'm busy."
He waved him off impatiently, eyes glued to his "research."
Kiyosuke's mouth twitched.
This man was beyond saving.
Damn it!
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