Over the next few days, Rin Nohara threw herself into training with near-manic intensity.
Before dawn each morning, she was already up, practicing chakra control.
From the basics like tree climbing and water walking, to finer techniques like Water Release: Water Prison and Water Release: Water Whip, she drilled them over and over again.
Even after her shift in the medical tent ended and everyone else went off to rest, she was still out on the open ground at the edge of camp, practicing Chakra Scalpel again and again.
As the sun set, Kiyohara finished his own training and headed back to camp to start making dinner.
As he passed the training grounds, he spotted Rin.
She was kneeling on one knee, her right arm held out flat, a thin scalpel-shaped blade of chakra formed above her upturned palm.
Sweat had soaked through her nurse uniform, the pale fabric clinging to her back and tracing the line of her spine.
Her dark red thigh-highs were caked with dust, and there was even a small tear near the top of one stocking.
But she didn't seem to notice.
Kiyohara watched her quietly for a moment before walking over.
"Sometimes you need to know when to work and when to rest," he said.
He rubbed his chin, wondering if he might be putting too much pressure on the people around him.
From everyone else's point of view, after all, he was about as absurd as Minato Namikaze.
He had risen to fame at terrifying speed, making a name for himself in war almost overnight.
"I have tailed beast chakra, so I can keep training for a long time," Rin explained.
With only her own chakra, she wouldn't have been able to keep going this long.
But as a jinchuriki, her greatest advantage was having tailed beast–level chakra reserves.
That amount of chakra ranked near the top across the entire ninja world.
Of course, how well someone could bring out the full potential of that power depended on their own skill.
If someone like Madara Uchiha had access to Kaguya Otsutsuki's stats, for example, the results would probably have been far more terrifying.
"But your mind still gets tired," Kiyohara said.
Even he himself didn't train nonstop every waking moment.
On the contrary, sometimes he deliberately gave himself days off.
"Come eat first, Rin."
Kiyohara took her by the hand and led her back toward the tents.
Rin froze for a second, then could only follow him along.
The tent they went to was Kiyohara's own. It had a simple little kitchen attached.
He had set up an extra tent next to his own specifically to use as a kitchen.
"Overdrawing your chakra can damage your meridian system. In serious cases, it can even affect your future training," Kiyohara said.
"I understand."
Warmth spread through Rin's chest, and she nodded softly.
"There's still some water in my tent. Go wash up a little. I'll make dinner."
Kiyohara turned and left, leaving Rin standing there alone.
The moment she saw him disappear between the tents, she looked down at her dusty thigh-highs and sweat-soaked nurse uniform. Her cheeks warmed, and she quickly hurried off to clean herself up.
Twenty minutes later, the scent of flour drifted out from Kiyohara's tent.
Rin had changed into a clean set of casual clothes—a simple white short-sleeved shirt and dark blue shorts. Her hair was still a little damp.
When she stepped inside, Kiyohara was kneading dough.
"Is there anything I can do?" Rin asked.
"There are vegetables over there. Wash them."
Kiyohara didn't even look up.
"The meat's underneath. Take it out and slice it thin."
"Okay."
The two of them got to work in the cramped little tent.
Rin was very practiced when it came to washing vegetables. Sometimes she even helped Kiyohara cook over at Tsunade's place.
"Kiyohara-kun, you're really good at cooking," Rin couldn't help saying.
Even Kakashi couldn't compare to him.
As far as she remembered, the only thing Kakashi really made well was grilled fish.
"It's just an interest," Kiyohara said evenly.
He cooked very fast, faster than most people, really.
And it wasn't like he cooked every day.
After a pause, he added, "Besides, Sensei's really picky. She can't stand ordinary camp food."
Rin thought of the way Tsunade always narrowed her eyes in satisfaction whenever she ate Kiyohara's cooking, and couldn't help smiling.
"Tsunade-sama really does love your food."
Kiyohara didn't answer. He had already started rolling out the dough.
In his hands, the dough was flattened, stretched, and gradually turned into thin, even sheets.
Then he cut them into noodles of identical thickness, moving so fast it was almost impossible to see clearly.
Staring at the neat rows of noodles, Rin suddenly thought of something.
"This… isn't this Uncle Teuchi's ramen method?"
Kiyohara paused and glanced sideways at her.
"You could tell?"
"It really is?"
Rin's eyes widened.
"But isn't Teuchi-san's technique supposed to be really hard to learn?"
A thought crossed her mind.
"Did you learn it with the Sharingan, Kiyohara-kun?"
"More or less."
Kiyohara nodded.
"The Sharingan really is amazing…"
There was obvious envy in Rin's voice.
Still, she felt Kiyohara himself was the more incredible one.
The Sharingan was just a weapon. How far it could be used depended on the person wielding it.
There were plenty of Uchiha with Sharingan. So why hadn't a second genius like Kiyohara appeared among them?
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
You're right.
But that was the Sharingan for you.
Once awakened, it massively improved dynamic vision, let you see through ninjutsu, and copy taijutsu and ninjutsu.
With those eyes, the user could fight with elegance on the battlefield, becoming a rose amid war.
It also let them use flashy, stylish techniques like the Uchiha shurikenjutsu style, and greatly boosted genjutsu ability.
Every Uchiha shinobi was basically an all-rounder in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
And it came with a built-in high-attractiveness buff.
Then after three tomoe, the Mangekyo let you show up to battle in giant armored form.
As bloodline limits went, it was about as versatile as it got.
'That said… it feels like my own eye power is getting close to a thin membrane too.'
Kiyohara thought to himself.
As his spiritual energy and physical strength kept increasing, he could feel his eye power growing stronger and stronger.
Vaguely, it felt like it was pressing up against some kind of membrane.
If he pushed just a little harder and broke through the bottleneck of the three-tomoe Sharingan, he would reach a whole new level.
The two of them kept working.
Cold water went into the pot, the flame stayed low, and soon a rich aroma filled the tent.
"Smells so good…"
Rin sniffed the air despite herself.
Kiyohara scooped up a little broth with a spoon, tasted it, then added a bit more salt and soy sauce.
After that he started boiling the noodles, blanching the vegetables, and pan-frying the meat.
By the time everything was done and portioned into five large bowls, Rin finally noticed something.
"So much? Is someone else coming too?"
"Sensei, Shizune, Kurenai, and you."
Kiyohara answered as he arranged the bowls.
"Kakashi has patrol duty tonight. He won't make it."
"Help me carry them over."
He handed two bowls to Rin.
"Careful, they're hot."
"Okay!"
The two of them carried the noodles over to Tsunade's tent, where Shizune and Kurenai were already waiting.
Tsunade was frowning over a battle report, but the moment she saw Rin and Kiyohara walk in carrying steaming bowls of noodles, her eyes lit up.
"Finally! I was starving to death!"
She grabbed a bowl immediately and inhaled the aroma deeply.
"Mm. Yep. This is the taste."
As far as Tsunade was concerned, Kiyohara's cooking had become ridiculously good. The real deal.
Sometimes she even wondered if he was secretly putting something addictive in it.
Shizune smiled helplessly and said to Kiyohara, "Tsunade-sama has been grumbling all day that camp food is awful, and that only your cooking actually tastes good."
Kurenai accepted her bowl and softly murmured a thank-you. Her gaze lingered on Kiyohara's face for a second before quickly shifting away.
Rin noticed that detail and paused slightly, but said nothing.
The four of them sat around the low table and started eating.
Tsunade ate the fastest. Before long, her bowl was empty.
She set it down and let out a long breath.
"I'm alive again… Kiyohara, just how did you develop these skills? This is even better than Ichiraku Ramen."
Kiyohara was still eating at an unhurried pace.
"Probably the broth base. Teuchi-san's is richer and heavier. Mine's a little cleaner."
"It's good, that's all that matters."
Tsunade wiped her mouth and picked up the battle report again, only for her brow to furrow once more.
"Sensei, is something going on?" Kiyohara asked.
"Kirigakure's movements have been a little strange lately."
Tsunade pointed to several marked spots on the map.
"The recon team says their troop deployments in these areas have clearly decreased, but they're not actually retreating. It feels more like… they're regrouping."
"Are they preparing a large-scale offensive?" Shizune asked worriedly.
"Doesn't look like it."
Tsunade shook her head.
"A full offensive requires stable supply lines, but Kiyohara and the others have sabotaged their supply lines several times recently. They shouldn't be in a position for an all-out attack."
She paused, then looked at Kiyohara.
"By the way, you said you were working on something new. How's that going?"
Kiyohara set down his chopsticks and thought for a moment.
"There's been some progress with combining Lightning and Water Release, but I'm still a long way from true Storm Release. I've also been experimenting with an Earth Release bloodline limit, but the chakra control it needs is too precise. I'm still in the trial-and-error stage."
That was a lie.
Kiyohara had already obtained both bloodline limits.
He was just putting on the appearance of someone diligently researching them.
Tsunade raised a brow.
"Brat, don't aim too high. Bloodline limits aren't that easy to develop. Focus on mastering what you already have first. You'd be better off perfecting the techniques the old man gave you."
"I've already mastered the Five Release Great Combo Technique," Kiyohara said.
"Using all five chakra natures at once isn't a problem."
He just didn't use that technique much in practice.
It was a large-scale area attack. Most of the time, Kiyohara preferred single-target offensive techniques.
After all, the Kirigakure shinobi all fought like guerrillas—strike once and retreat. They never stayed to challenge him head-on.
"Seriously?"
Tsunade turned her face fully toward him.
"I can demonstrate it."
"Forget it, forget it."
Tsunade waved a hand.
She believed him, of course. It just still felt absurdly fast.
Kiyohara wasn't learning just one technique. He was improving across multiple fields all at once.
She truly had no idea what kind of brain the kid had.
"Same thing as always. Build a solid foundation. Don't try to swallow more than you can chew."
After a moment, Tsunade still gave him the warning.
"I understand."
Kiyohara took another bite of noodles.
Kurenai listened quietly to the conversation, her gaze drifting back to Kiyohara's face.
She remembered that kiss in the sky that night, and heat crept into her cheeks. She lowered her head quickly and focused on her food.
Rin, meanwhile, tightened her grip on her chopsticks.
Kiyohara-kun is already researching new bloodline limits again…
The gap between them really was getting bigger and bigger.
No. She had to work even harder.
…
Three mornings later, an urgent report reached Tsunade.
The ninja carrying it was covered in wounds and practically rolled off the back of his summoned beast.
Shizune and Rin rushed over to treat him, while Tsunade had already unrolled the bloodstained scroll.
After one glance, her face darkened.
"Sensei?"
Kiyohara stepped into the tent from outside. The moment he saw her expression, he had a bad feeling.
"Kirigakure made their move."
Tsunade handed him the scroll, her voice low.
"But not against us. They struck the area along the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Earth. According to the report, the Hoki Clan living there was attacked as well."
"The Hoki Clan…"
Kiyohara repeated quietly.
That clan, in truth, had originally defected from Konoha to Sunagakure.
Because they specialized in medical ninjutsu and intelligence work, Sunagakure had accepted them to a degree.
Of course, as a price for defecting from another village, Sunagakure never fully trusted them and kept them outside the real center of its politics.
That was why, in Gaara Hiden, when Gaara had reached marrying age without having an heir, Sunagakure's higher-ups pressured him into an arranged meeting.
The prospective bride had been a princess of the Hoki Clan.
Because of those political circumstances, the clan's influence through marriage wouldn't become too strong. Compared to other ninja clans, they were a very safe match politically, and it would also have helped the Hoki Clan truly integrate.
In the end, though, that plan went nowhere. Gaara got handed a polite rejection.
Later, he adopted Shinki, who possessed the Magnet Release bloodline limit, as his son instead.
Kiyohara looked down at the scroll Tsunade had handed him and quickly read through it.
The intelligence showed that one day earlier, Kirigakure's main force had suddenly landed at multiple points along the Land of Rivers coast, then pushed inland with astonishing speed.
The Sunagakure defensive lines along the way had collapsed almost immediately. Their vanguard had already advanced fifty li into the Land of Wind.
"What about the other Sunagakure shinobi besides the Hoki Clan?" Kiyohara asked.
"Heavy losses."
Tsunade pointed at the casualty figures on the scroll.
"The coastal defense force was crushed. Several points along the landward defense line have already been broken. Rasa personally led a blocking force, but it had limited effect. Kirigakure has deployed far more jonin than expected this time, and…"
She paused, her tone growing even heavier.
"The Third Mizukage is leading the assault in person."
"The Third Mizukage…"
Shizune, who was also in the tent, looked stunned by that.
The Kage of a village had gone to the front lines personally?
"The Third Mizukage is very old now. Older than the Hokage-sama," Kiyohara said, noticing her reaction.
After the Five Great Nations were first established, the first Five Kage Summit had been held to discuss the tailed beast allocation problem.
At that time, the current Third Mizukage had served as the First Mizukage's bodyguard.
The fact that he was still alive at all was practically a miracle.
Everyone else from that era was dead. He alone had outlasted them.
Even Madara Uchiha could only stay alive by using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as life support.
"Even though he's old and his strength has probably declined, he still can't be underestimated," Tsunade said.
The Third Mizukage's information had been deliberately suppressed. Very few shinobi knew exactly what techniques he used.
More importantly, his presence meant that Kirigakure had gone all in this time. It looked like they meant to tear open a path straight through the Land of Wind.
"Sunagakure has officially requested reinforcements from Konoha."
Tsunade continued.
"The old man sent orders. We're to immediately pull troops and support Sunagakure's line from the flank."
She looked at Kiyohara.
"What do you think?"
Kiyohara thought for a moment, his finger sliding across the map.
"Kirigakure chose to break into the Land of Wind through the Land of Rivers because they want to bypass our coastal defense system. If they manage to establish a foothold in the Land of Wind, they'll be able to threaten the western side of the Land of Fire from inland. At that point, we'll really be stuck fighting on two fronts."
"So we have to reinforce them."
Tsunade nodded.
"The question is how many troops to send, and how."
She stood and moved to the center of the tent.
"Gather all the jonin. Emergency meeting. Kiyohara, you're coming too."
"Yes."
Ten minutes later, more than thirty jonin who were currently in camp and not out on missions had gathered in the main command tent. Tsunade stood before the map and quickly laid out the situation.
"Kirigakure's objective is obvious. They want to exploit Sunagakure's weakness and punch straight into the heart of the Land of Wind. If they succeed, they'll be able to use the Land of Wind's resources as a foothold and threaten the Land of Fire long-term."
"So we must stop them."
"But Tsunade-sama, what about our own line?" one Hyuga jonin asked anxiously.
"If we pull too many troops, and Kirigakure launches a sea assault, we'll be in serious trouble."
"Which is why we're not all going," Tsunade said.
"I've decided that Kiyohara will lead five hundred men and move quickly through the inland river routes to strike Kirigakure's forces from the flank. Meanwhile, one jonin from the Nara clan will lead two hundred men and remain on the coastal line as a reserve force, ready to support any front as needed."
The few remaining shinobi would continue defending the current camp.
She turned to Kiyohara.
"Any objections?"
Kiyohara shook his head.
"No."
"Good."
Tsunade looked to the others.
"Start preparations immediately. We move out in two hours. Understood?"
"Understood!"
The jonin answered in unison, then immediately dispersed to prepare.
Kiyohara stayed behind. His gaze remained on the marked Kirigakure advance routes, his brows faintly drawn together.
"Sensei, this operation from Kirigakure came too suddenly. I can't help feeling…"
He chose his words carefully.
"That it's going too smoothly."
Tsunade turned her head toward him.
"You think it might be a trap?"
"Even if Sunagakure is weak, they shouldn't have had this many defensive lines broken in just two days."
Kiyohara said.
"Unless… Kirigakure has intelligence we don't know about, or something's gone wrong inside Sunagakure itself."
Tsunade was silent for a moment.
"Your concern makes sense. But no matter what, we can't sit by and let Kirigakure break into the Land of Wind. If that happens, the whole western front collapses."
She patted Kiyohara on the shoulder.
"I'm leaving the coastal side to you. Remember this: if you can't hold it, withdraw. Preserving strength comes first."
"I understand."
Two hours later, at the eastern gate of the camp—
The Konoha forces had already assembled and were fully prepared to move out.
At Tsunade's order, the column poured out of camp and quickly vanished into the forest.
Kiyohara was among them.
As he moved, he thought about the rumors that the Third Mizukage might possess Blood Release.
As for whether that was true, Kiyohara himself didn't know.
The original story had never explained it, and the Third Mizukage almost never fought openly. He was an extremely mysterious figure.
~~~
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