Kirigakure, in a quiet corner.
Uchiha Izumi stood with her back against a stone wall, playing with a kunai in her hand, spinning it like a pen.
"Why isn't Kiyohara-sensei back yet?"
Izumi muttered under her breath.
"What's the point of a mission if Kiyohara-sensei isn't here?
"Don't be impatient. Kiyohara-sensei will definitely be back soon."
Uchiha Itachi shook his head.
He had already sensed the commotion up ahead, as well as the ninja constantly rushing in that direction.
Just now, only Kiyohara had gone ahead, while the rest of them had stayed here.
After a burst of chakra erupted, the battle seemed to have ended very quickly.
So Itachi judged that Kiyohara would be returning soon.
He believed that with Kiyohara's strength, he could handle those things easily.
So far, in Uchiha Itachi's limited life, he had never seen a second ninja stronger than Kiyohara.
He even felt that Kiyohara might be standing at the very peak of the ninja world.
There was no doubt about that strength.
"Yeah, Kiyohara-sensei will definitely be back soon."
Guren nodded in agreement.
Her thoughts were similar to Itachi's. Guren also believed Kiyohara was omnipotent.
Even if tomorrow she became Kiyohara's vessel and had her body taken over by him, Guren would not even frown.
Instead, she would see it as the highest honor.
With her way of thinking, she would only feel that it was proof Kiyohara cared about her.
Why choose her and not someone else?
It had to be because Kiyohara-sensei valued her!
"Probably."
Kurama Yakumo spoke.
Her physique was the weakest, and her reactions were slower than Izumi's and the others'. She could not sense much chakra.
At that moment, the kunai spinning in Uchiha Izumi's hand suddenly stopped.
"Teacher is back."
Before her voice had even faded, she was already standing up.
Ahead of them, a slender figure appeared.
Kiyohara walked out of the mist, the hem of his robe stained with a little dust.
"Kiyohara-sensei!"
Uchiha Izumi was the first to rush over. Her peach-blossom eyes swept over Kiyohara's body, and only after confirming he was uninjured did she let out a breath of relief and lift her face to ask:
"Is it done?"
"It's done."
Kiyohara spoke.
Guren put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin.
"I knew it! How could those Kirigakure guys possibly stop Teacher? Did Teacher beat them all down by himself?"
A tiny pink crystal flower formed from Crystal Release at her fingertip, and she proudly tossed it up and down.
Kurama Yakumo was not as openly expressive as Guren and was much more reserved.
She asked softly:
"As long as Teacher is okay."
Uchiha Itachi noticed that although there was some dust on Kiyohara's robe, his breathing was steady, and his chakra fluctuations remained unfathomably deep.
That meant the battle just now had not even counted as a real battle for his teacher.
This judgment filled Itachi with both awe and an even stronger desire.
When would he be able to reach that level too?
Or rather, was such an existence something he could never reach even in a lifetime?
Uchiha Itachi, who had always been called a genius, knew that Kiyohara was the true answer of the ninja world—the very peak of talent.
Haku still stood in the corner, a hint of curiosity appearing in his dim eyes.
He did not quite understand what had happened, but he could feel that after this person called Kiyohara returned, all the children's expressions became relaxed.
Was this what it felt like to be "protected"?
Haku was not sure. He only felt that something in his chest, something that had always been wound tight, seemed to loosen a little.
Kiyohara swept his gaze over his students and briefly explained what had just happened.
Before long, another figure walked over from behind.
A deep-blue robe wrapped around her tall, graceful figure. Her reddish-brown hair fell over her shoulders, and as she walked, a few strands were lifted by the wind.
Mei Terumī's face no longer carried the heaviness she had shown in the ruins of the Mizukage building. After the tension that had been weighing on her for so long eased, her features relaxed, making her already bright and beautiful face even more radiant.
Uchiha Izumi's gaze landed on Mei, and the joy in her peach-blossom eyes visibly faded.
Looking at this alluring older woman, Izumi suddenly felt an unpleasant sensation.
This woman…
For some reason, Uchiha Izumi did not want Mei to get too close to her.
Her peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly.
Instinctively, she moved half a step closer to Kiyohara, almost pressing against his sleeve. Then she lifted her small face and looked at Mei with her dark eyes, her gaze carrying a bit of girlish scrutiny.
Kiyohara noticed Uchiha Izumi's movement and only felt that this student of his had a rather strong possessive streak.
After all, the Uchiha clan was famous for producing men and women who loved too deeply.
Their overly intense love was too easy to lose control, turning extreme and obsessive.
Kiyohara planned to correct Uchiha Izumi more carefully in the future.
Otherwise, wouldn't "student rebelling against master" become the tradition of his lineage?
"Kiyohara."
Mei walked up to Kiyohara and nodded slightly.
Her voice was lighter than before, and there was even a smile at the corners of her lips.
"Thank you for what happened today. The accommodations have already been arranged. They're at the guesthouse in the eastern district. The environment is quiet, and no one will disturb you."
She paused. Her emerald-green eyes looked toward Kiyohara, and her tone became a little more sincere.
"Also… I'd like to invite you to dinner tonight, to discuss what comes next."
Uchiha Izumi's brows immediately furrowed.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
For example, "Teacher is busy," or "We just arrived in the Land of Water and need to rest."
In short, any excuse that could pull Kiyohara away from this woman. But before she could say anything, Kiyohara's hand pressed down on the top of her head.
"Izumi."
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at her, his tone calm.
"You all go to the guesthouse and rest first. I'll return later."
Uchiha Izumi lifted her head and met Kiyohara's dark eyes. All the excuses in her stomach rolled around in her throat, but in the end, only a muffled "Yes" came out.
She took a step back and watched Kiyohara and Mei walk away side by side, their backs gradually blurring in the sea mist.
After Mei left, a Kaguya clan ninja came over.
"I will guide you all over."
Kaguya Hyaku spoke.
"Alright."
Uchiha Itachi nodded.
He was the oldest here and also the calmest.
Soon, the group followed Kaguya Hyaku and left.
A trace of unwillingness appeared in Uchiha Izumi's peach-blossom eyes. She bent down to pick up the kunai she had dropped earlier, spun it hard in her hand twice, and muttered gloomily:
"That woman… is so annoying."
For once, Guren did not argue with her. Instead, she crossed her arms and snorted, showing that they were united against a common enemy.
Uchiha Itachi silently glanced at Izumi, thinking that ever since she saw Mei, her emotions had fluctuated very noticeably.
But he said nothing. He simply put away his scroll and turned toward the guesthouse.
Kirigakure's seaside street, at a restaurant named "Shioji."
The wooden building extended out from the cliffside, hanging above the sea.
The private room's window was open. Outside was the ocean, and the sound of waves striking the cliff came from below.
A dark-blue tablecloth covered the table, with a candlestick set on top.
Kiyohara stood by the window, his back facing Mei as he looked out at the shimmering sea.
"Here, there's no need to hide my face, is there?"
Kiyohara raised his hand. After a ripple of transformation, his plain false face began to shift, revealing his true features.
His black hair fell over his shoulders, and his features were handsome.
He turned around, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Seeing Kiyohara turn back into the face she was most familiar with, Mei surprisingly did not show resentment.
After all, Kirigakure's greatest crisis had been resolved, and the heavy stone in her heart had finally loosened.
Without Kiyohara, it likely would not have gone so smoothly.
She lowered her eyes, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured him a cup of tea.
The emerald-green tea flowed into the cup, steam rising in wisps and hiding the expression on her face.
"You can state your demands."
Mei began to grow tense.
Only if the next matter could be settled cleanly would she truly be free of worries.
Kiyohara did not beat around the bush. He lifted the teacup, took a sip, and spoke at an unhurried pace.
"First, the Land of Water will supply Konoha with a fixed amount of chakra ore each year. I'll have someone send over the specific list of mines later. The main ones are the North Mountain Mining District and the two veins in Kirigakure Gorge."
Mei's brows drew together slightly.
The ore from the North Mountain Mining District was stable in both quality and output, though it was not top-tier.
Kirigakure Gorge, however, was one of the few places in the Land of Water that produced chakra-conductive ore.
Together, those two mines accounted for nearly thirty percent of the Land of Water's annual chakra ore production. Kiyohara had clearly done his homework before coming.
"Second."
Kiyohara put down the teacup.
"I need Kirigakure's secret technique scrolls. For example, the Hōzuki clan's, the Kaguya clan's—in short, the more, the better."
Mei's emerald-green eyes widened.
This man was just like those bandits from Kumogakure—fond of collecting techniques by any means necessary!
"You… Kiyohara, do you know those are Kirigakure's core secret techniques? Even I don't have the authority to just hand them over to an outside village!"
"That's your problem, Mei Terumī."
Kiyohara shook his head.
He was not going to worry about that for her. Otherwise, what had he come here to trade for?
Mei had asked him to act. This was the price she needed to pay.
"Third."
Kiyohara continued, indicating that the matter was not over yet.
"Kirigakure and Konoha will sign a long-term strategic cooperation agreement. The exact terms can be discussed later, but the core content is that Kirigakure must maintain the same position as Konoha in military operations and intelligence exchange. Major decisions must be reported to Konoha in advance."
"You…"
Mei took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling heavily.
She had known Kiyohara would make bold demands, but she had not expected this lion's mouth to open this wide.
"Kiyohara."
She bit her red lower lip. There was a hint of pleading in her emerald eyes.
"These demands are too much. I can't collect too many secret techniques. At most, I can give you peripheral ones. That way, I can still explain it to the village elders. And can the other conditions be softened a little?"
Kiyohara shook his head.
"Mei, you were the one who came to me. Karatachi Yagura has been manipulating Kirigakure for years, bleeding the village's resources into the Akatsuki. Kirigakure is already riddled with holes.
"If I hadn't acted, you'd still be locked in a war of attrition against Karatachi Yagura right now. And once reinforcements from Kirigakure's higher-ups arrived, your coup would have failed."
He picked up the teacup and took another sip.
"I saved your life, saved the lives of your companions, and cleared Kirigakure's greatest hidden danger. That favor is worth this price."
Mei knew Kiyohara was right.
Without Kiyohara, with only her and Hōzuki Mangetsu's strength, the best they could have achieved was mutual destruction with Karatachi Yagura. Once the Elder had reacted and mobilized the Anbu, none of them would have escaped.
But she represented Kirigakure.
Silence was tonight's Kirigakure.
In the end, Mei slowly spoke.
"The mining rights can be given to you for two mines, but thirty percent of the North Mountain Mining District must remain with Kirigakure. Officially, it must be jointly developed by Kirigakure and Konoha."
Kiyohara thought for a moment and nodded.
"Acceptable."
"As for matters that concern the village's foundation, I have to fight for them. These are the greatest concessions I can make. If you think it isn't enough…"
She took a deep breath and looked straight into Kiyohara's eyes.
"Then I can only accept that."
Kiyohara looked at her as if she had steeled herself, and felt a bit of appreciation.
If it were someone else, after being rejected by him twice in a row, they would have already lost heart.
But Mei, even knowing she was at a disadvantage, was still fighting for the village's interests. That resilience was somewhat similar to Tsunade's.
"Alright."
Kiyohara placed the cup back on the table.
"We'll do it your way."
Mei froze for a moment. She had thought Kiyohara would pressure her for a few more rounds. She had not expected him to agree so readily.
She only felt that this man's thoughts were impossible for her to guess.
Unfortunately, Kiyohara's next words made her tense up again.
"Now that the serious matters are settled, let's discuss the additional transaction. Your subordinates were disrespectful to me earlier. We haven't settled that matter yet."
Mei's hand paused as she was drinking tea. Her emerald eyes looked at him over the rim of the cup, and vigilance returned to her gaze.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing much."
Kiyohara leaned back in his chair.
"Spend a day showing me around Kirigakure."
"…What?"
Mei thought she had misheard.
"There's a place near Kirigakure that seems interesting. As the host, accompany me for a day. Consider it fulfilling your duty as a host."
Mei opened her mouth, wanting to say: Since when did the Fourth Hokage have so much free time? But when the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back down.
Compared to the other demands Kiyohara might have made, spending a day showing him around was truly minor.
After some hesitation appeared on her face, she squeezed out one sentence:
"Fine. I agree."
Kiyohara smiled in satisfaction.
He took a folded set of clothes from a sealing scroll, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward her.
It was a blue qipao.
The style was not revealing. The standing collar covered the neck, the skirt reached the calves, and the side slit only rose slightly above the knee.
Compared to the high-slit style Tsunade wore only at home, this one was much more conservative.
It was somewhat similar to Haruno Sakura's qipao.
Mei lowered her head and looked at the qipao. Her face instantly flushed.
"I… I don't know how to wear this."
Mei raised her head.
"Try it."
"No, I really…"
Mei's voice carried a trace of flustered anger.
"Kiyohara, why are you so wicked…"
"Mei."
Kiyohara interrupted her.
"My patience is limited. You agreed to my transaction, so fulfill it to the end."
Hearing this, Mei knew Kiyohara would not negotiate with her.
She sighed as if resigned to her fate and picked up the blue qipao from the table.
"Fine. I'll wear it."
She stood up, her reddish-brown hair sliding down from her shoulders and covering half of her flushed cheek.
"I'll go home and change."
Kiyohara also stood up.
"Perfect. I wanted to see your home."
Mei's body visibly stiffened.
She opened her mouth as if wanting to refuse, but in the end only lowered her eyes and muttered:
"…Suit yourself."
The two walked out of "Shioji." By then, much of the fog had dispersed.
Mei walked ahead, faster than usual, because she did not want to run into anyone she knew.
Besides, after what had just happened with Karatachi Yagura and the Elder, Kirigakure's patrols were very strict right now.
Later, she still had to attend a meeting.
So Mei led Kiyohara along the side roads.
They avoided the main street, passed through a narrow alley, turned several corners, and deliberately avoided the patrol routes of the ninja.
Kiyohara walked behind her, watching Mei act so furtively and feeling that the contrast was rather amusing.
After a while, Mei arrived at her front door.
She quickly took a key from her sleeve, opened the door, slipped inside first, then poked her head out and mouthed to Kiyohara: "Hurry inside."
Click.
The door closed behind Kiyohara.
At that very moment, two figures wearing Kirigakure ninja uniforms came around the street corner.
One had a square face and a black mole between his brows. He carried a freshly bought jug of wine in one hand. This was Kirigakure's special jōnin, Ishiyama Shi.
The other was tall and thin, with a faint smile always hanging at the corner of his mouth. He was Ishiyama Shi's old partner, Umino Isui.
"Eh? Wasn't that Mei-sama?"
Ishiyama Shi rubbed his eyes and looked toward the wooden building whose door had just closed not far away.
"Why did she bring a man home?"
Umino Isui tossed a peanut into his mouth and snorted.
"You brat, did you stay up reading Icha Icha Paradise again last night?"
"When has Mei-sama ever brought a man home? The ninja chasing her could line up from the Mizukage building all the way to the docks. Have you ever seen her give any of them a proper look?"
Ishiyama Shi grew anxious, his square face turning red.
"I read serious literature! I've never even flipped through books like Icha Icha Paradise. My friend likes that stuff, that's all."
"Yes, yes, your friend flipped through it."
Umino Isui patted his shoulder, his tone even more teasing.
"But there are no outsiders here. Just admit it."
"I said it was my friend, so it was my friend."
Ishiyama Shi would never admit to something like that.
"Come to think of it, that man's back looked a little familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere…"
Umino Isui stroked his chin, then suddenly slapped his thigh.
"I remember. I saw him once during the Ninja World War. Wasn't he Konoha's Hokage?"
He spoke uncertainly.
Ishiyama Shi only felt he was talking nonsense.
"What nonsense. Why would the Hokage suddenly come here?"
"You definitely saw wrong. Besides, when have you ever seen Mei-sama walking that close to a man?"
"Alright, alright. Let's go back and drink."
The two Kirigakure ninja soon left with their arms over each other's shoulders.
…
Mei's home was different from what Kiyohara had imagined.
Her public image was that of Kirigakure's genius ninja. Every movement had a mature, alluring charm, and she handled things smoothly and flawlessly.
Kiyohara had thought her residence would be simple and cold, with a few ninja tools hanging on the wall and scrolls piled on the table.
But the living room before him was nothing like that.
A white vase on the tea table held several unknown wildflowers, still dotted with water. They had probably been changed today.
Several handmade cushions were scattered across the sofa. One had a crooked little frog embroidered on it.
A row of succulent plants sat on the windowsill, and on the bookshelf in the corner were many delicate little dolls.
His gaze was suddenly drawn to a doll in the corner. It was a palm-sized cloth doll. Its craftsmanship was not particularly refined, and the stitches were a little crooked, but it was obvious that whoever made it had put great effort into it.
The kimono on the doll was sewn from floral scraps, and there was even a tiny cherry blossom pinned to its hair.
He bent down, picked up the doll, turned it over, and said to Mei:
"You like this?"
Mei had just closed the door and turned around. The moment her gaze touched the doll in Kiyohara's hand, her entire face flushed crimson.
She snatched the doll from his hand and hid it behind her back.
Mei had never imagined that one day she would expose this side of herself in front of Kiyohara.
"You're not allowed to look at these things without permission. You… you sit here first. I'm going to change."
Kiyohara looked at her reaction and found it amusing.
Mei quickly walked up the stairs.
Her footsteps sounded hurriedly on the wooden staircase for a while, then came the sound of a cabinet opening and closing upstairs, followed by a series of rustling noises that invited the imagination.
Kiyohara sat down on the sofa and waited.
About ten minutes later, footsteps sounded on the stairs again.
Mei walked out from the stair landing.
The blue qipao wrapped around her body, its fitted waistline making her already excellent proportions even more distinct.
The side slit only revealed a small stretch of fair leg, while the qipao was stretched full around her hips, pulling the fabric into several shallow creases.
Kiyohara leaned back against the sofa and looked over the figure that the dress made even more curvy.
"It fits well."
Kiyohara said.
Mei felt all the blood in her body rush to her face under his gaze.
"Did you already measure my size when you brought this here?"
"No."
Kiyohara shook his head.
It was just that Mei's figure was too impressive, and the dress happened to fill out perfectly.
The qipao's standing collar wrapped her long neck tightly, but the more thoroughly it covered, the more it made one curious about the parts hidden beneath.
"It suits you. You should try this style more often."
Mei bit her lower lip.
She did not know what to say.
Say thank you?
He had forced her to wear it in the first place.
Say it looked bad?
But when she secretly looked in the mirror upstairs just now, she had indeed been surprised by her own reflection.
"Take me out for a walk."
Kiyohara said.
"Wearing this?"
Mei asked doubtfully.
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
The outfit was not revealing. Mei simply was not used to this style. She was not a woman especially skilled at dressing herself up.
Her allure was mostly natural beauty.
Looking at Mei's conflicted expression as she went out, Kiyohara smiled.
Mei, this task was custom-made by me.
The two pushed open the door and walked outside.
Mei followed behind Kiyohara, every step making her feel uncomfortable all over.
"By the way, you can tell me about your experience with Lava Release and Boil Release."
Kiyohara said casually.
From now on, Kirigakure would also continuously provide him resources.
Kiyohara's next plan was to keep adapting to the chakra of the tailed beasts while developing more kekkei genkai.
As for the two last wishes from the Jōgan Kiyohara, both still needed time.
One was reviving Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. The other was evolving the Tenseigan.
Kiyohara felt that the latter would probably arrive sooner.