Kiyohara asked Steel Release Kiyohara, "Steel Release is essentially a kind of chakra too. Besides just coating the body's surface, can it change shape?"
He wanted to know whether Steel Release Kiyohara had developed it further.
For example—could he make steel spikes burst from the skin? Or detach it to form simple steel cones or needles for shooting? Or combine it with other natures?
"Of course," Steel Release Kiyohara said, pride on his face. "I developed a method to infuse Steel Release hardening into weapons."
He began explaining.
Shinobi call the act of attaching chakra to weapons or other objects chakra flow.
You can attach Fire Release, Lightning Release, Wind Release—
All of it is just chakra nature transformation at its core.
His bloodline limit, Steel Release, was the same in principle.
He could harden certain materials—like picking up a leaf and temporarily increasing its hardness.
It couldn't compare to real steel, but for a quick improvised throwing blade or melee tool, it was usable.
"So that's it…" Kiyohara was a little disappointed. Once the chakra was attached to another object, the effect dropped sharply, and the hardening became weaker than steel.
He felt like if Steel Release Kiyohara ever met Young Kiyohara, they'd get along perfectly.
Young Kiyohara had pursued a lifetime ideal: everything can be a weapon—pick up a twig and you can still fight.
"But you probably can't do it yet," Steel Release Kiyohara added. "Your inheritance isn't complete."
"Probably," Kiyohara nodded.
Either way, all these future selves had their own "specialty," different ways they'd pushed their abilities.
As one saying went: There are no useless bloodline limits or jutsu—only useless shinobi.
Over the next few days, Kiyohara continued consolidating the Lightning Release jutsu he'd just learned.
As for Steel Release training, he did it even more discreetly. Every time, he had Steel Release Kiyohara's spirit keep watch outside.
Meanwhile, the Mist's probing attacks grew more frequent.
Pressure in the outpost increased. Reports of supply lines being harassed cropped up constantly. Patrol squads running into small Mist groups became more common.
One day, Kiyohara saw Tsunade, Shizune, and a batch of medical and logistics personnel withdrawing inland under Anbu escort.
Clearly, headquarters had judged the coastline risk was skyrocketing, and pulling back critical medical assets was the inevitable call.
Inside Orochimaru's tent—
A Root operative stood before him, delivering Danzō's instruction.
"Danzō-sama says to find a way to bring Kiyohara into Root."
"Orochimaru…" Orochimaru's golden slit eyes fixed on the operative.
That old man had noticed Kiyohara after all.
But Orochimaru now had plans of his own.
He needed to cultivate his own inner circle. He couldn't keep relying on Root assets forever.
And Kiyohara wasn't like most shinobi Orochimaru had seen.
He… wasn't a monkey.
"I understand," Orochimaru licked his lips. "Tell Danzō to stop bothering me for now. I'll do the experiments he wants. I'll arrange it."
He dismissed the Root operative.
In the past few days, Orochimaru had occasionally asked subordinates what Kiyohara was doing.
Every report said the same thing: training.
Orochimaru liked that. Only someone who could endure the monotony of training could truly go far.
Still, there was something Orochimaru wanted to confirm.
In the shinobi world, geniuses usually fell into two types:
One—genius by blood.
The other—genius by mind.
Before Kiyohara awakened Magnet Release, Orochimaru had classified him as "human, not monkey."
Now that Magnet Release was involved, he wanted to see whether anything about Kiyohara changed.
As for Root—
Orochimaru had no intention of "feeding" Danzō more talent.
If Orochimaru was going to become Hokage, he needed his own people. Otherwise he'd be nothing but a puppet.
"Kiyohara, why haven't you let me come find you these past few days?"
Kurenai stood in Kiyohara's path on his way back, hands on her hips.
"How's your jutsu training going?"
"It worked," Kiyohara nodded.
He'd been focusing hard on Lightning Release: Furious Thunder Arrow, and he'd finally gotten a solid handle on it.
"Then when are you making time to train with me again?" Kurenai asked curiously.
She'd mastered all the new genjutsu her father, Yūhi Shinku, had recently given her.
"In a few days," Kiyohara said.
A true sigma man had to hold the line when temptation appeared.
Training with Kurenai was pleasant to look at, and it helped him exchange genjutsu ideas—
But Kiyohara had pushed it down his priority list.
Right now, training genjutsu wasn't high yield.
Maxing out Steel Release proficiency was the correct move.
The coastline outpost felt heavier every day. Kiyohara would believe it if someone told him Kiri would launch a night raid tonight.
With things like this, he couldn't sleep even if he wanted to.
Steel Release Kiyohara had died because his chakra ran out—he couldn't maintain Steel Release.
So Kiyohara wanted to raise his capacity as much as possible… then find an Iwa Steel Release user.
In canon, after Hiruko defected, he captured an Iwa Steel Release user to steal that bloodline limit.
"Fine," Kurenai could only nod.
"Has Asuma been bugging you lately?" Kiyohara asked casually.
"He has," Kurenai shrugged. "But I don't think he'll be around the east coast much longer. They're pulling him back inland soon—probably today or tomorrow."
"The Hokage's order?"
"I heard it came from medical logistics."
"Ah," Kiyohara understood immediately.
That meant Asuma's well-connected mother had pulled strings.
Now that everyone knew fighting was coming and the odds were bad, withdrawals were starting to reduce casualties.
"We should all be extra careful lately," Kiyohara said, tossing Kurenai a scroll.
She opened it—Kiyohara's notes.
They were basic genjutsu, but the angles and approaches were oddly fresh.
Warmth flickered in Kurenai's chest. Kiyohara had been hard to spot lately, but he still did decent things.
"There are some other nature notes in there too," Kiyohara added.
Honestly, for someone without a bloodline boost, going all-in on genjutsu was low return.
Most people spent a lifetime and still couldn't match the passive advantage of an Uchiha flipping on the Sharingan.
And genjutsu had a big weakness in group fights: allies could break it for each other—unless you controlled everyone at once.
"Learning more jutsu is never bad," Kiyohara said.
Kurenai was an old classmate—close enough that he almost knew her inside out. He didn't want her getting caught by something sudden.
Battlefields changed in an instant. Anything could happen.
And the stronger Kiyohara became, the stronger his butterfly effect became.
Ao was already dead by his hand, for example—so in the future, Mei would have a much harder time discovering the genjutsu on Yagura.
"That'll change everything," he thought.
Kurenai clutched the scroll, feeling the warmth spread.
Off in the distance, Asuma watched.
Kisama…
So being handsome and knowing genjutsu really did make you king.
He'd learn more too—then one day he'd shock everyone in secret.
"Let's go, Asuma," said his teammate, Inuzuka Shu. A small black dog perched on his head.
Inuzuka clan shinobi all bonded with dogs. Their secret techniques relied on human–dog teamwork—they were the undisputed masters of "training dogs."
"I know," Asuma said. "I'll say goodbye to Kurenai first."
Shu followed Asuma's gaze and immediately got it.
Kiyohara was handsome. Kurenai was beautiful.
Honestly… Shu thought those two looked more "right" together than Kurenai and Asuma did.
"Asuma," Shu patted his shoulder, "your path can't end here."
He was basically saying: simping usually ends with nothing.
"?" Asuma shot him a confused look, feeling like his teammate's eyes were… weird.
Kiyohara returned to his tent. Just as he was about to strip and wash up, a pale young man was staring at him.
Kiyohara's scalp tightened.
Orochimaru.
Kiyohara stared at Orochimaru, startled that he'd appeared without a sound.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kiyohara said.
"Ohoho… don't be nervous, Kiyohara-kun." Orochimaru smiled. "I simply have a few questions for you."
With geniuses, Orochimaru always had more patience.
"Kiyohara-kun, based on my information, your control and application of Wind, Earth, and Lightning nature transformations is already extremely proficient. Yet jōnin are only required to master two."
The implication was obvious: Kiyohara already had the potential to apply for the jōnin qualification exam.
Rank was only a matter of time.
Orochimaru stepped closer, his eyes sweeping over Kiyohara's well-trained physique, the muscle lines defined.
Kiyohara quickly tugged his shirt back into place.
"What does Orochimaru-sama want to ask?"
"You understand chakra nature transformation so deeply—Wind, Earth, Lightning… and now Magnet Release," Orochimaru said softly. "But what I'm curious about is this: what is it that drives you to drill so obsessively for power?"
Kiyohara fell silent for a moment.
It was a question he'd asked himself too.
"At first, it was to survive," Kiyohara said evenly.
"On the battlefield, power is your stake in staying alive. But later…"
He paused, choosing his words.
"Later, I started wondering why chakra splits into Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, Earth—so different. How can they combine into bloodline limits? The principles behind that… I feel like exploring the process itself might bring you closer to a kind of truth."
He polished it, just a bit.
Talk to humans like a human. Talk to monsters like a monster.
Orochimaru liked this style, so Kiyohara spoke in this style.
If Hiruzen had asked, Kiyohara would've instantly answered: for the Will of Fire, for the village, for protecting everyone.
"Truth…" Orochimaru's smile widened.
"Maybe it's just pointless daydreaming," Kiyohara shook his head. "But I feel like, if we've been given something as unbelievable as chakra, we shouldn't be satisfied with only using it to kill—or to be killed. It should reveal more. That's why I train across different natures."
The tent went quiet for a few seconds.
Then Orochimaru chuckled.
"Ohohoho… fascinating. Kiyohara-kun, you're unlike most shinobi. They chase power for missions, for the village, for hatred, or for protection… but what you chase is the truth itself. Just like me."