"That's fine too," Kakashi said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
The spar had been light—just a touch-test. Their stamina was more than enough to refine plenty of chakra and still go out on patrol without issue.
Soon, the group headed out again.
Uzushio's old territory was vast. Fixed guard posts alone couldn't cover it.
In reality, most of it was still blind spots.
Even the Byakugan couldn't fully see an entire country.
Once, Uzushio had been glorious—until the day someone brought war to its doorstep and wiped out both village and nation.
Now, the Uzumaki were scattered in pockets across the world.
Did Konoha fail to reach Uzushio in time… or choose not to? Kiyohara wondered, rubbing his chin.
The original story barely brushed past that part.
He'd never lived through that war himself, either—his understanding was incomplete.
But one thing was clear: Uzushio had been an ally. Konoha's flak vests even bore the Uzumaki crest in solidarity.
And yet… for a whole country, it was strange.
Konoha only took in one refugee—Uzumaki Kushina—and the Uzumaki sealing system.
Nagato's family, meanwhile, had grown up in the chaos of the Rain, never once seeking Konoha out.
"What are you thinking?" Kurenai asked, seeing him drift.
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head.
The point was: there were lots of blind spots, and regular patrols were essential.
"Pakkun, Bull, Urushi… I'm counting on you," Kakashi said.
He bit his thumb, formed seals, and slapped his hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke later, eight ninja dogs in little flak vests appeared before them, each a different breed.
At their head was a small pug in a hat—Pakkun—who yawned and said lazily:
"Kakashi, what's the job this time? This ruin smells terrible."
"Patrol. Look for anything suspicious—focus on the shoreline," Kakashi answered.
Watching the pack of ninja dogs, Kiyohara felt something stir.
Summons could be a huge asset—recon, support, or direct combat.
One hallmark of the Sannin was that each had a powerful summoning beast.
Kiyohara couldn't help wondering if he should consider signing a contract too.
"Summons, huh?" Magnet Kiyohara's spirit hovered nearby, arms crossed, watching the dogs.
"In my future, I didn't pick small ones like these. I found a giant pangolin in the mountains. Its armored plates greatly amplified the range of my magnetic control and sensory field. Perfect synergy," he said.
A summon that boosted Magnet Release?
Kiyohara thought of Gengetsu Hōzuki's giant clam—the Second Mizukage's summoning.
It projected hallucinatory mirages over a wide area, working seamlessly with his Steaming Danger Tyranny.
The right summon could massively raise a ninja's ceiling.
"Is that so? I think a flying summon would be good," Kiyohara said in his mind.
"Big advantages in recon, mobility, and air-to-ground strikes."
He thought of Sasuke's future Team Taka and the obvious utility of that giant hawk.
"Magnet Release can float you too, but it burns a lot of chakra," Magnet Kiyohara said, waving it off.
He'd killed plenty of clueless shinobi using that trick.
"I see…"
As they patrolled alongside Kakashi and the others, Kiyohara mulled over what he'd said.
It sounded like that version of him had developed a flying technique from Magnet Release.
Flight was rare in the shinobi world—but not unheard of.
Konan's Paper Angel form, Ōnoki's Super Light-Weight Rock, Sai's ink beasts…
Flight would absolutely boost his mobility.
But… that would have to wait until he fulfilled Magnet Kiyohara's wishes.
Right now, he didn't exactly have a ready-made Suna Anbu lying around to kill.
"Woof!"
The ninken spread out, keen noses and ears scanning for anything odd.
Kakashi, Kiyohara, Kurenai, Genma, and Rin advanced in a fan-shaped formation, eyes sharp on the ruins and shoreline.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Kakashi glanced at Rin, then at Kiyohara.
"I heard from some of the senpais… Tsunade-sama might be coming to support the rear lines soon," he said.
"Tsunade-sama?" Kurenai gasped.
"You mean Tsunade-hime, one of the Sannin? I thought she'd… stopped fighting on the front for a long time now," she added.
Her hemophobia was a closely kept secret; almost no one knew.
Everyone just knew she'd withdrawn from front-line combat.
Rin's eyes went wide too. As a medic, she deeply admired the legendary "Healing Princess."
Kiyohara touched his chin thoughtfully.
Tsunade, coming here?
He immediately thought of Uzushio's history.
During the Second Great Ninja War, her close friend Dan Katō had died near this land.
To her, this place was a graveyard of memories.
Is she coming to visit the dead—or for Konoha? he wondered.
Konoha's low on manpower. They're mobilizing even a hemophobic Tsunade… but she probably won't be going to the front lines. More likely she'll be at a rear base, running med logistics or offering strategic guidance, he reasoned.
Even without fighting on the front, Tsunade's medical skill and combat experience would be invaluable.
Konoha was in a life-or-death crisis. Every bit of strength mattered.
No matter what, for Tsunade, Konoha was still home—and her grandfather's legacy.
"It's only a possibility. Nothing's certain yet," Kakashi said.
If she did come, once they were relieved from Uzushio, they might see her at the rear.
That would be a huge opportunity for both Rin and Kiyohara, who were dabbling in medical arts.
"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up, Kakashi," Kiyohara said.
He understood Kakashi was thinking of him and Rin.
The only ones here who'd even started med training were the two of them.
"If Tsunade does come… that'd be one hell of a chance to learn," Kiyohara thought.
Unlike most medics, Tsunade's weakness was obvious.
Gambling.
The group continued their patrol in silence, broken only by the crashing waves and the ninken's occasional bark.
...
In a tent at a Suna outpost—
"Pakura, I have a mission for you," said Rasa, his back turned to the woman who'd just entered.
She wore a sleeveless top, smooth pale back exposed.
"What mission?" Pakura asked.
"In Uzushio," Rasa replied, slowly turning.
"Konoha and Kiri are facing off near the Uzushio front. When the moment is right—if you see either side falling into clear disadvantage—you will quietly tip the scales for the other… or create some trouble.
"In short: keep the battle locked in stalemate, and prolong their mutual attrition."
~~~
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