"Living is to witness more of the world's wonders and grasp more of its truths."
Orochimaru repeated Kiyohara's words, golden slit pupils fixed on him.
He hadn't expected that answer.
Not his Sarutobi-sensei—revered as the "Professor"—nor Tsunade, who sat atop the medical world, had ever spoken on that level.
They were all trapped in their own mundane desires.
Gambling, power…
Even Jiraiya, who'd mastered Sage Mode, was little more than a lecher at heart.
To Orochimaru, they were all rusted windmills, no longer moved by any wind.
"That's right. So if you want to grasp truth, you need to live long enough. The sages of the three great holy lands have lived for thousands of years—if humans could live that long, they'd probably understand far more of the truth," Kiyohara said.
In the shinobi world, there were legitimate ways to extend one's life.
Besides becoming a Ten-Tails jinchūriki and turning into an Ōtsutsuki, there was Sage Arts.
Or rather, only Sage Arts counted as the "orthodox" power of this world.
The Great Toad Sage had survived for thousands of years through senjutsu alone; even his attendants Fukasaku and Shima were both over eight hundred years old.
But the locations of the three great holy lands were nebulous. At best, civilians knew them as legends.
"Truth… and immortality…"
Orochimaru repeated, very softly.
Hearing those two words together, something deep inside him seemed to click.
His eyes sharpened, suddenly blazing with almost tangible intensity.
His golden pupils narrowed, then flared wide with a hunger he didn't bother hiding.
He leaned forward, as if trying to peel Kiyohara open with his gaze.
"Heh-heh-heh…"
Orochimaru chuckled low in his throat—a sound full of the joy of finding a kindred soul.
"What a… delightful answer, Kiyohara-kun. I didn't expect your thinking to have already reached such a level."
He looked at Kiyohara like he was seeing a younger version of himself—a rare moment of recognition.
Like finding an actual human among a troop of monkeys.
"You flatter me, Orochimaru-sama," Kiyohara said.
Compared to someone like seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi, who was already thinking in "Hokage-level" abstractions, he was still miles behind.
And Itachi's "solution," with all that genius, had been to murder his entire clan so the village wouldn't get hurt.
"Kiyohara-kun, you're about to head to the very front against Kiri. Take this as a gift."
A scroll slid from Orochimaru's sleeve.
He scribbled something on it, then handed it over.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."
Kiyohara unrolled it and saw the name of a jutsu: Leaf Body Flicker Technique.
A stronger, specialized variant of basic Shunshin—faster dodging, and leaves generated mid-movement to distract enemy sight.
In the original, Konoha jōnin Hayama Shirakumo used this very technique in battle against Iwa shinobi.
He really doesn't want me dying out there, Kiyohara thought.
It was pure survival tech—a dedicated escape button.
Just then, the tent flap lifted without a sound and a Root ninja wearing a bird mask stepped in, ignoring Kiyohara and whispering something straight to Orochimaru.
Taking the hint, Kiyohara requested to leave.
"Go, Kiyohara-kun. Prepare well. Uzushio won't be peaceful," Orochimaru said with a wave, golden eyes glinting with anticipation.
He really had taken an interest in raising a close subordinate.
His teacher, Sarutobi, was getting old. Danzō had already told him he'd support his climb.
So in Orochimaru's mind, the Fourth Hokage would almost certainly be him.
And a Hokage needed their own faction.
He wanted to see whether this seedling could survive the battlefield and show real potential.
Kiyohara's civilian background was, in this instance, a plus. Clean, flexible, easy to shape.
As for his "ceiling" potentially being limited?
Orochimaru had plenty of methods to "modify" that.
The Cursed Seal… would be one such power.
He didn't have it fully perfected yet. Everything still needed refining.
After Kiyohara left, irritation flickered in his eyes as he turned to the Root operative.
"Tell Danzō the experiments will be handled soon. He can… be patient," Orochimaru said.
The Root ninja nodded and vanished.
...
Kiyohara stepped out of the tent.
Outside, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Rin immediately converged on him.
"What did Orochimaru-sama want with you?" Kurenai couldn't help asking, crimson eyes full of curiosity.
"Nothing much. Just some encouragement—and he gave me this," Kiyohara replied, lifting the Leaf Body Flicker scroll, selectively revealing information.
Kakashi's eye flickered with understanding when he saw the title.
Genma slung an arm over Kiyohara's shoulders and lowered his voice:
"Damn, you've got a Sannin giving you special lessons now. Don't forget your brother when you're big-time, yeah?"
Rin let out a breath of relief, her tone soft.
"As long as you're okay. Let's go get ready—we head out tomorrow."
...
The next day—
A squad was moving toward the eastern coastline.
It was hard work moving under load, but Kiyohara didn't waste a second.
He trained even on the march—studying the Leaf Body Flicker scroll as they went, or, in quieter moments, practicing it.
Sometimes he'd ask Rin for tips on fine chakra control from a medic's perspective, which helped both with learning new jutsu and in refining Leaf-Style: Willow.
His ability to slip into training focus anywhere, anytime impressed Rin.
After a week of travel, the salty sea air grew stronger.
Finally, the squad left land entirely, running in formation atop the water.
Before long, they stopped before a desolate, ruined landscape.
The old Uzushio.
Broken stone crests of the Uzumaki clan lay half-buried in sand. Huge stone structures were reduced to foundations and scattered walls, with weeds and moss stubbornly clinging to the cracks.
Their mission: rebuild Konoha's defensive line here, watching for the Land of Water across the vast sea.
Beyond the water… lay only the enemy.
Kiyohara stood on a high broken wall, looking out over the ocean, feeling his steadily growing chakra and his increasing familiarity with new techniques.
There was little fear in him.
Over the next week, things stayed peaceful.
The defensive line took shape.
And while Kiyohara trained as usual, the voice of the Willbook finally echoed in his mind again.
[Please receive your last will and urn. Lay the relics to rest properly.]
"Will it be a bloodline this time?"
He couldn't help getting excited.
It felt a bit like scratching open a lottery ticket.
~~~
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