"Ah, then is Kiyoshi free in a few days?"
Kurenai refused to give up, determined to invite Kiyoshi out. This fellow Kiyoshi, aside from going on missions, spent almost all his time at home. She usually had to use the excuse of "tutoring" just to see him; otherwise, he was as rare as a lunar eclipse. As for going out to eat, that was even more of a rarity.
"...Not... not Yakiniku. Let's go to a sushi shop. I know one that is very good."
Kiyoshi had originally intended to refuse, but on second thought, visiting a sushi shop wasn't a bad idea. The Land of Lightning would likely be even more desperate to take him back now. In a few days, news of his genius performance would surely reach the Hidden Cloud Village. As a perfect fusion of the Yotsuki and Uchiha bloodlines, Kiyoshi's status would be even higher than that of a pure-blooded Uchiha. To the Land of Lightning, a Bloodline that fits their style is the only one worth having.
...
Sushi Shop.
"Word came down from the top. War is about to break out."
Samoto sighed, handing a slip of paper to the others. Before the prospect of war was imminent, Samoto had actually looked forward to it, thinking the Cloud could use the chaos to forcibly take back Kiyoshi Yotsuki. But as time passed, this boy's genius had become so overwhelming that the higher-ups were now considering the protection of a precious asset. They were unwilling to risk losing Kiyoshi; they needed him alive. Thus, they began to put the squeeze on Samoto.
Currently, Samoto felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. If this mission failed, there would be severe punishments. Ansu Yukinari glanced at the paper, his expression shifting slightly. Samui, curious, took the note and read it. The Hidden Cloud Village was urging them to complete the mission quickly, or it would be viewed as passive negligence.
But such things weren't entirely up to them. Kiyoshi Yotsuki was as slippery as an old fox; since coming to the Uchiha, he had treated the clan like his own home. What were they supposed to do?
"It's up to you, Samui. Kiyoshi reserved a few seats here. You'll be the one to host him."
Samoto looked at Samui with high hopes. He had realized why Kiyoshi was interested in Samui while keeping the other Cloud ninjas at a distance. Kiyoshi had lost his parents at a young age and lacked affection; it was only natural he liked "big" things. Who didn't? Therefore, Samui held a massive advantage. As long as she could trick Kiyoshi into returning, the mission would be considered a success.
"Hmph, my sister is the strongest spy!"
Atsui, who had grown quite a bit taller, shouted with pride. The others couldn't do it, but his sister could—wasn't that the best proof of her superior ability?
"I... I understand."
Samui lowered her gaze. She was a calm person. In fact, she understood the gravity of this situation far better than the others.
...
A few days later.
A gloomy atmosphere began to shroud the Hidden Leaf. The smell of disinfectant at the Hidden Leaf Hospital grew stronger. The increasing number of injured patients made even the simple-minded Might Duy feel that something was wrong. After picking up some medicine for bruises and strains, he solemnly told his son, Might Guy, to be careful in all things. If war truly broke out, he had to prioritize his safety. Guy nodded vigorously, telling his father to stay safe as well. This father and son were just a microcosm of the entire hospital. Similar scenes were playing out elsewhere, just with different actors.
Kiyoshi looked at the crowd, his heart feeling no ripple of emotion. The brutality of this war would far exceed the expectations of the Five Great Nations; the Leaf would lose more than half of its ninjas. Even minor named characters would die in droves, let alone the nameless masses of ordinary ninjas.
Soon, Kiyoshi returned home.
[Trait: Shrine Maiden of Rebirth (Orange)]
[Requirement: You meet the minimum requirements for a Shrine Maiden of the Land of Demons; preliminarily master the Shrine Maiden Sealing Jutsu.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: You have a unique understanding of sealing arts. Different from traditional sealing jutsu, your sealing techniques possess a 'Demon-Slaying' effect. The Demon-Slaying potency inherent in your chakra is increased by 40% on the original basis.]
[Note: Can be upgraded further.]
On his second day back in the Leaf, Kiyoshi had unlocked this Trait. His chakra, originally the standard blue, now held a hint of pinkish-purple.
Every person's chakra has a color. Most ordinary ninjas have blue chakra, while some possess unique hues. Naruto's is actually gold—the blue chakra in the anime was a coloring error by the production team. It was later corrected to gold in The Last: Naruto the Movie, and Naruto's standard Wind Style: Rasenshuriken is also gold.
The Uchiha, upon activating the Susanoo, undergo a color change without exception: Madara's deep blue, Sasuke's light purple, Shisui's green, Obito's azure, and Itachi's orange. The external manifestation of the Susanoo is essentially the color of one's chakra, as the Susanoo is a massive amount of chakra solidified into a physical form. Once Kiyoshi awakens his Mangekyo, his chakra color will likely change further.
'In that case, does my chakra's suppression against Tailed Beasts also increase by 40%?'
Kiyoshi mused. He needed to find time to test this function. If it truly worked that way, he could hold his own even against an enemy Jinchuriki during the coming war. One shouldn't underestimate the Tailed Beasts; the destructive power of the Nine-Tails nearly destroyed the Leaf. A three-tomoe Sharingan is often insufficient to face a Tailed Beast head-on.
Even Obito, with Hashirama's cells and an ocular power equivalent to the Eternal Mangekyo, found it difficult to control Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki. If it were truly that easy, there would be no need for the Akatsuki; he could just use Kamui to ambush Jinchuriki and control them with ocular power to speed-run the Eye of the Moon Plan.
As for the seal on his heart, Obito had plenty of ways to remove it—like intentionally letting Kakashi pierce his chest. And that was a rushed measure during war; with more Hashirama cells to boost recovery, the success rate would be even higher.
"Time to head to the sushi shop."
Kiyoshi glanced at the sky outside, stood up, and walked toward the sushi shop.
...
Evening, Sushi Shop.
Perhaps due to the looming shadow of war, the customer traffic at the sushi shop was half of what it usually was.
"Is the seat I reserved still available?"
Samui, who was cleaning up, looked up, her expression stiffening slightly. Last time, Kiyoshi had been touching and staring indiscriminately; she had spent an entire hour in the bath afterward, her skin turning pale from the soaking. She knew what she had to do, but as a calm person, she still couldn't maintain her composure completely. In over these years of her life, only this bastard Kiyoshi dared to treat her like that.
"What? Is it gone?" Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow.
"It's here. It's still available."
Samui took a deep breath, only hoping Kiyoshi wouldn't make any more inexplicable demands. At the same time, she pondered how to find an opening to convince Kiyoshi to return to the Land of Lightning. Samui led the way, taking Kiyoshi to a private, empty room—the spot he had reserved.
***
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