"I'll heal your wound, Kiyohara."
Rin immediately stepped forward, activating her Mystic Palm Technique to tend to the puncture in Kiyohara's hand.
Her medical ninjutsu was leagues more efficient than his.
Within moments, the injury had mostly closed. Kiyohara couldn't help but be impressed—this was the power of an A-rank medical jutsu.
"Luckily it missed the vitals, but it's still a deep wound. Try not to strain this hand over the next few days," Rin said gently.
"Got it, Rin."
As he looked at her kind, soft expression, Kiyohara couldn't help but sigh.
This kind of gentle woman was the perfect trap for repressed guys like Obito.
A little kindness, a little care—and they'd fall head over heels.
No wonder he couldn't forget her.
The Ghost Girl of Konoha—truly worthy of the title.
With Rin tending to the wounded, Kiyohara quickly got to work.
He began looting the battlefield like a pro, carefully collecting any usable equipment and most importantly, storing the glowing white fragments of Kaguya Masaru's bones in a sealed scroll.
Yūhi Kurenai watched quietly, unsure why Kiyohara was always so desperate for money.
It was starting to seem like a personality trait.
Once done, he counted his haul:
-4 intact Mist shinobi armors
-62 shuriken
-10 kunai
-3 bags of soldier pills
Most of the gear had been damaged beyond repair—this was all that remained salvageable.
A few minutes later, Genma Shiranui and the ninja hounds returned.
"We gave chase for a bit, but they were cautious. Used the coastal terrain to lose us. They fled north," Genma reported, clearly annoyed.
Pakkun added, "The scent trails are a mess. Smells like they had backup too. Mist must have infiltrated more than one route."
Terumī Mei's jutsu had stirred the air so much that tracking was now impossible.
Kakashi's face grew grim. "Let's return to report to Lord Orochimaru."
…
Back at the Uzushio base camp, in the command tent—
Orochimaru listened to Kakashi's concise report, his golden snake-like eyes lingering on Kiyohara for an uncomfortably long time.
His tongue flicked across his lips, betraying his intrigue.
"Fighting two bloodline limit holders alone… killing a Kaguya, forcing Mei to retreat… Kiyohara-kun, you never fail to surprise me."
His raspy voice was tinged with delight.
He sounded like a man savoring a new specimen.
"It seems you've grasped the Leaf Body Flicker quite well."
He then turned to the surrounding jōnin, his tone turning cold:
"The Mist have begun probing our defenses. The real assault won't be far behind. Double the guards at all outposts, increase patrol frequency, especially along the coast. What's coming isn't just an ordinary squad."
Orochimaru suspected that Mist's full-scale invasion could begin within days.
If they lost this position, they'd have to retreat inland, falling back to the Fire Country's secondary defense line.
The room tensed. Everyone understood the weight of his words.
Kiyohara knew this was his moment.
He stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Lord Orochimaru, I want to contribute more to the village. My sensory abilities are decent—I'd like to request permission to operate solo or lead a squad for scouting and disruption missions."
"Oh?"
Orochimaru tilted his head, eyes gleaming with interest.
This boy… wasn't one to volunteer recklessly.
But he quickly understood.
This was ambition.
Kiyohara was asking for more power, more privilege—
Then Kiyohara presented the sealed scroll containing Kaguya Masaru's bones and flesh.
Orochimaru let out a raspy chuckle.
"I do appreciate a proactive shinobi."
After a moment's thought, he pulled a mission scroll from nearby.
It listed a series of reconnaissance operations.
"These are all scouting-level assignments. Low priority, low risk. Pick one."
Kiyohara scanned the list quickly, then zeroed in on a mission:
Reconnoiter the Fire Country coastline, rear of the Uzushio region
Note: Suspected Sand shinobi forward base. Intelligence indicates a potential elite assassination squad stationed there.
Perfect.
The location was isolated.
The goal was clear.
It aligned perfectly with his goal of fulfilling Magnet Kiyohara's Will:
Kill a Sand ANBU.
It also happened to be a necessary mission.
With Mist infiltrating from the coast, they couldn't allow another enemy force to strike from behind.
This was how nations fell: pincered from both sides.
Kiyohara pretended to hesitate, then pointed.
"This one."
Orochimaru gave a raspy laugh. "Very good. You have two days. Time it well. I look forward to your results, Kiyohara-kun."
"Yes, sir."
…
That night, under a hazy moon—
Kiyohara left the command tent, said his goodbyes to Kurenai and the others, and sped northwest.
He needed to complete the Will.
He needed Magnet Release.
Before the real storm began.
Just as he was about to leave the outpost—
A green blur crashed down in front of him with a trail of dust and a blinding grin.
"Isn't this my eternal rival Kiyohara? What a glorious night to rekindle the flames of youth!"
Might Guy struck his classic thumbs-up pose, his teeth gleaming under the moonlight, eyes ablaze with passion.
Kiyohara skidded to a halt.
Oh no. Not him.
"I've got an urgent mission, Guy. Rain check on the race."
Guy's grin faltered into something more serious.
"A secret mission, huh… I understand!"
He nodded solemnly.
"Then let your flames burn bright on the battlefield! Youth must be tempered with patience! You can do it, Kiyohara!"
With that, Guy saluted with his thumb again—then took off, walking away on one finger.
"…Training in the Eight Gates really is brutal."
Watching the green whirlwind vanish, Kiyohara couldn't help but think:
Even if he obtained the Eight Gates, could he ever endure the training like Guy?
Probably not.
Not unless he used drugs. Or tech.
And even then, overusing them would only lead to ruin.
He once heard a juiced-up taijutsu user say:
"You can become strong without drugs… but most strong taijutsu users didn't get there clean."
He pushed on.
The Will had to be completed.
Then, and only then, could he accept the next one.
He still wasn't satisfied with his chakra reserves.
After just a few jutsu, he was already nearly empty.
He needed to stack more futures.
Inherit more strength.
…
Meanwhile—on a remote island far beyond Uzushio—
Seven shadows gathered quietly.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
The storm…
was almost here.