Shizune let out a helpless sigh at the side, clearly accustomed to this situation, while Kurenai blinked and looked toward Kiyohara, as if waiting for his decision.
Kiyohara thought for a moment, then nodded slightly and agreed, saying that it was fine, but they could not stay too long. He knew very well that if Tsunade was allowed to indulge herself freely, there was no telling how late she would keep playing before returning.
Ever since he had grown more familiar with her, Kiyohara had come to a very clear conclusion: Tsunade was someone who was not particularly skilled at gambling, yet her enthusiasm for it was astonishingly high.
"How long?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, clearly unwilling to accept a vague answer.
"One hour. A little gambling is fine for relaxation, but too much harms both body and mind," Kiyohara replied calmly.
"No," Tsunade immediately shook her head in refusal. One hour? If those gamblers heard that, they might think she had actually quit gambling. At the very least, she needed a few more hours.
After a quick mental calculation, she compromised slightly and said, "Three hours. If it is three hours, then by the time we get home it will be just right. We can eat, wash up, and rest."
Kiyohara did not entirely agree. "Alright, but I will leave after one hour. Sensei can stay longer if she wants."
He truly did not have as much free time as Tsunade. He still had training to do, and there were jutsus he had yet to practice. Tsunade clicked her tongue and flicked his forehead again, clearly dissatisfied with his insistence. Fortunately, Kiyohara had already used Earth Release: Earth Spear in advance, hardening his body to avoid the pain.
"You brat, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Tsunade complained.
"Lady Tsunade, Kiyohara-kun's suggestion makes sense. You really should not gamble for too long," Shizune said earnestly, raising both hands in agreement with Kiyohara's proposal.
"No. You have to stay with me for at least two hours," Tsunade insisted, raising two fingers as she spoke. She had taken Kiyohara to the casino before, and although he had once been a complete novice, his skills had improved rapidly. After all, he did not possess her outrageous bad luck. Sometimes, when Kiyohara placed a bet and she followed him, she could even win a little. Although overall she still lost more than she won, for Tsunade, even a small win during the process was enough to make her happy.
"That is still too long," Kiyohara said, shaking his head again. He still had to train, and he had not yet practiced the Water Release techniques he had obtained from Asuma after their wager.
Tsunade frowned slightly. If Kiyohara did not go with her, she might not even manage to win a little. After hesitating for a moment, she finally made another concession. "One and a half hours. That is my limit. And do not forget, I am your teacher. You should listen to me."
She stepped closer, her brownish golden eyes fixed on him. At that distance, Kiyohara could not help but feel that Tsunade was practically overwhelming him with her presence. The bright expanse before him was difficult to ignore. In the end, he nodded. "Alright, one and a half hours, Sensei."
That amount of time would not delay his schedule too much. Tsunade immediately revealed a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with herself. In her mind, this only proved that children were easy to handle, and after all, she was the teacher.
"Well then, I will head back first. Kiyohara, Lady Tsunade, Shizune," Kurenai said, waving her hand.
Although she was quite concerned about whether Kiyohara had joined the Anbu, and had wanted to ask several times, she ultimately chose to respect his privacy and the confidentiality of such matters. Besides, since Kiyohara was heading to the casino with Tsunade and their paths were not the same, she decided to return home early.
Kiyohara nodded in acknowledgment, and Kurenai left.
After returning home, Kurenai immediately began training once more. Kiyohara had already surpassed her by far. Magnet Release, Sharingan, Earth Release, medical ninjutsu, and he had even defeated a powerful opponent like En Oyashiro.
Meanwhile, what about her? Her genjutsu was indeed good, but in front of truly strong opponents, the lack of a bloodline limit became a glaring weakness.
In the backyard of the Yuhi residence, Kurenai formed hand seals, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust of wind burst from her mouth, striking the target ahead and causing it to sway violently, yet it still fell short of the effect she desired. Kiyohara had once told her that the essence of Wind Release lay in sharpness, that it should cut like a blade and persist like a raging gale.
"Again," she muttered, continuing her practice. Sweat soaked through her shinobi vest, and her chakra gradually diminished as she repeated the technique over and over.
Meanwhile, Yuhi Shinku returned home and noticed his daughter's shoes at the entrance. He called out a few times but received no response. Soon, he discovered her in the backyard, training. What surprised him was that she was not practicing genjutsu, but Wind Release. Her hand seals were precise, and her chakra control was remarkably accurate. This level of proficiency was not something that could be achieved in a short time without excellent guidance.
Shinku's sharp eyes quickly discerned this. Yet he had never taught her Wind Release, nor had he arranged for her to study under a Wind Release specialist. Could it be Kiyohara? The thought naturally arose in his mind.
If war could bring forth many rising talents, then the previous generation had undoubtedly been represented by geniuses like Minato. As for this generation, Kiyohara seemed to be one of its leading figures.
Not only was he extraordinarily talented himself, but he was also capable of guiding others so effectively. With both the Sharingan and Magnet Release, and even a high level of medical ninjutsu, his abilities were astonishing.
"A hero truly emerges in youth," Shinku murmured to himself. A genius like that would inevitably make a name for himself in the shinobi world. As a father, Shinku both hoped that his daughter could keep up with such a companion and worried that she might eventually be left far behind.
When Kurenai finally finished her training, she noticed that her father had been watching her all along.
"Father," she said, feeling a little uneasy, worried that he might criticize her for not focusing on genjutsu.
"You are training Wind Release?" Shinku asked, even though the answer was obvious.
Kurenai's heart skipped a beat. As expected, he noticed. "Yes. Kiyohara said it would give me more options in combat and prevent me from being too passive," she explained quickly.
Shinku fell silent for a moment before nodding. "He is right."
As a genjutsu specialist, he understood both the strengths and limitations of that path. Seeing his daughter explore a different direction based on his foundation actually made him feel quite relieved. And this change had been brought about by Kiyohara.
"Kurenai," Shinku said after a moment of thought, his thin, serious face looking directly at her. "That child Kiyohara, what do you think of him?"
Kurenai was momentarily stunned. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she replied, "Kiyohara is very strong, and also very gentle. He is a reliable companion, and he is willing to spend time guiding my training."
"Only that?" Shinku asked, noticing her evasive gaze and already understanding the answer in his heart.
"O-of course," Kurenai quickly replied, her voice betraying a hint of fluster.
Kurenai spoke in a slightly stammering voice, clearly flustered by her father's question.
"Father, do not think nonsense."
Yuhi Shinku smiled faintly and did not press further. Matters between young people were best left for them to handle on their own. He only gave a simple reminder, saying that Kiyohara was indeed an excellent young man, but she had to remember that the path of a shinobi ultimately had to be walked by oneself, and she should not rely too much on others.
"I understand," Kurenai replied, lifting her head.
"That is why I am working so hard at training. I do not want to become a burden to anyone."
Shinku nodded in satisfaction. His daughter had grown up and now possessed her own persistence and goals, and that was more important than anything else.
After that, Shinku said nothing more and simply told Kurenai to prepare for dinner. He had bought some ready made food outside, and after a bit of simple preparation, it would be ready to eat. Ever since Kurenai's mother had passed away, it had been Shinku alone who raised her. In the world of shinobis, death was an ordinary thing. A considerable number of shinobis were orphans, their parents having died early on the battlefield.
After finishing her training, Kurenai chose to take a bath first.
The sound of water flowed continuously as it poured down from the showerhead, sliding along the slender curves of her body. Without any particular reason, her thoughts drifted.
What was Kiyohara doing right now?
At the same time, on the other side of Konoha, when Kiyohara and Tsunade stepped out of the casino, the sky had already turned completely dark.
The expression on Tsunade's face was difficult to describe, somewhere between satisfaction and reluctance.
"Damn it, my luck was terrible today," Tsunade complained.
"If you had not helped me win a few rounds, I would probably have lost everything again."
Kiyohara shook his head slightly and replied, "Sensei, casinos are places where nine out of ten people lose."
"I know!" Tsunade shot him a glare.
"But I am one of the legendary Sannin. How could I keep losing all the time!"
Kiyohara wisely chose not to respond.
After an hour and a half of gambling, Tsunade had still lost overall, though she had lost less than usual. To her, that probably counted as a kind of victory.
The two of them walked home, and before long they arrived at the entrance.
"We are back!" Tsunade pushed open the courtyard gate and called out loudly.
Shizune hurried out from inside. "Lady Tsunade, Kiyohara-kun, welcome back. The drinks are already prepared."
"I will drink in a bit," Tsunade said, her eyes lighting up as she quickly walked inside.
Kiyohara paused at the entrance to change his shoes. At that moment, Tsunade, who was walking ahead of him, bent down to remove hers as well. She was wearing black shinobi pants made of a form fitting, elastic material that clung tightly to the contours of her legs.
As she bent forward, the fabric stretched, outlining the smooth lines from her waist to her thighs and down to her calves. The motion caused her hips to lift naturally, the curve accentuated beneath the dark cloth.
Kiyohara quickly averted his gaze. Although Tsunade was his teacher, he had to admit that this legendary Sannin possessed a figure that would draw the attention of any normal man.
"Hm?" Tsunade seemed to notice his glance and looked back at him, but said nothing, continuing to remove her shoes. She kicked off her shinobi sandals and stepped barefoot onto the wooden floor, producing a soft tapping sound. Her feet were well shaped, her toes neatly aligned, though the color of her nail polish had faded somewhat.
"Ah, I should redo my nail polish," Tsunade muttered, then suddenly thought of something and turned to Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara, go to my room and bring me the red bottle of nail polish from the dressing table."
Kiyohara was momentarily stunned. "Now?"
"Yes, now."
Tsunade had already walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa, stretching her body lazily. She had spent her entire life fighting. Was she not allowed to enjoy herself a little? As for disciples, they were meant to listen to their teacher.
With that thought in mind, Kiyohara went upstairs. It was his first time entering Tsunade's bedroom.
It was tidier than he had expected, and there were many books inside. Some were related to medical knowledge, while others were about gambling, titles like Winning Methods of the Gambling World, Quitting Gambling Is Quitting Life, and If You Do Not Gamble You Will Only Live a Relatively Failed Life.
After searching for a while, he found the red bottle of nail polish among the various containers on the dressing table and brought it downstairs.
"Here, Sensei," he said, handing it over.
Tsunade took it but made no move to apply it herself. Instead, she looked at him.
"You apply it for me."
Kiyohara wondered if he had misheard.
"I said, you apply the nail polish for me," Tsunade repeated, crossing her legs and extending her left foot toward him.
Kiyohara looked at the foot in front of him and found himself at a loss for words. Tsunade's feet were well maintained, her skin fair, her ankles slender, with faint bluish veins visible beneath the surface.
"Sensei, this does not seem very appropriate," he tried to refuse.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What, unwilling? Fine then. I was thinking that if you performed well, I might consider teaching you the technique Body Pathway Derangement."
Kiyohara's eyes lit up instantly.
Body Pathway Derangement was an A rank medical ninjutsu developed by Tsunade. It converted chakra into electrical signals to disrupt the opponent's nervous system, rendering them unable to control their body.
Without hesitation, Kiyohara chose to follow his heart. Forget applying nail polish, even if he had to apply it for Shizune as well, he would not mind. Tsunade did like to order people around, but when it came to valuable techniques, she never held back. A teacher like this made him wish he could have several more just like her.
He sat down on a small stool in front of Tsunade and opened the bottle. A faint fragrance drifted out. He gently held her ankle, feeling the warmth and smoothness of her skin. He could sense the slight tension in her foot muscles at first, but they soon relaxed.
Kiyohara began applying the polish. The brush moved steadily across the surface of her nails, the color even, the edges neat, without any overflow. After finishing her left foot, he looked up.
Tsunade naturally switched to the other foot, letting him continue.
"Sensei, it is done," he said after finishing.
Tsunade lifted her foot and examined it carefully under the light. The red polish gleamed, the color rich and uniform, the edges clean and precise, almost flawless.
"Not bad," she said with satisfaction.
"It seems letting you do it was the right choice. You did it even better than I would."
Kiyohara stood up and stretched his slightly stiff shoulders. "Then, Sensei, about Body Pathway Derangement…"
"Why the hurry?" Tsunade leaned back against the sofa, a sly smile appearing on her face.
"You think you can learn an A rank technique just by applying some nail polish? It is not that easy."
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow. "Sensei, did you not just say…"
"I said I would consider it," Tsunade interrupted, raising a finger and waving it lightly.
"I never said I would definitely teach you. However…"
She deliberately dragged out the word, enjoying the mix of anticipation and helplessness on Kiyohara's face, clearly in a good mood.
"Since you are so filial, I do not mind teaching you, but there is a condition."
Another condition. Kiyohara already had a bad feeling about this.
"For the next few days, you have to accompany me to the casino," Tsunade said with a smile.
"That way, the teaching effect will be better."
Kiyohara was left speechless. This was clearly a blatant mix of coercion and exploitation. Tsunade was not truly focused on teaching him the technique. She simply wanted a fixed gambling companion.
This troublesome woman was playing with his expectations.
"Sensei, this is…" he tried to protest.
"What, unwilling?" Tsunade crossed her arms.
"Then forget it. There are plenty of people who want to learn my techniques."
Looking at Tsunade's expression, which clearly said she had him completely figured out, Kiyohara finally let out a sigh. "I understand. I will accompany you."
"That is more like it," Tsunade said happily, patting his shoulder.
"Do not worry, your teacher will not treat you unfairly. Come, let us begin the first lesson now."
As she spoke, Tsunade straightened up, her expression turning serious.
"The essence of Body Pathway Derangement is to convert chakra into a subtle electrical current that invades the opponent's body and interferes with the transmission of their nerve signals. This requires extremely precise chakra control, as well as a deep understanding of the human nervous system…"
Kiyohara listened attentively, his focus unwavering.
Being able to learn a medical ninjutsu of this level, even if it required paying some price, was absolutely worth it.
Over the next hour, Tsunade carefully and thoroughly explained the principles behind the technique known as "Body Pathway Derangement," including the hand seals, the pathways through which chakra must flow, and all the critical details that required attention.
Kiyohara listened while taking notes, occasionally raising questions whenever something was unclear.
"Your foundation in medical ninjutsu is very solid, and your chakra control is excellent. Learning this jutsu should not be difficult for you," Tsunade concluded at last.
"But remember, you must be extremely cautious when using it."
"Yes, I understand," Kiyohara nodded seriously.
"Alright, that's enough for today." Tsunade stretched lazily.
"Starting tomorrow, meet me at the entrance of the casino at three in the afternoon. Do not be late."
"Yes," Kiyohara replied.
"Oh right, Kiyohara," Tsunade suddenly added as if remembering something.
"You told the old man today that you want to join the Anbu?"
Kiyohara nodded. "Yes. I believe the experience in the Anbu will help me grow faster."
Tsunade frowned slightly. "That place can indeed temper people, but it is also very dangerous. Be careful."
"I will, Sensei."
"And one more thing." Tsunade fixed her gaze on him.
"Even though you are my student, once you join the Anbu, there will be many things you cannot tell me in detail. You need to understand that rule."
"I understand."
Tsunade looked at him for a while before finally letting out a sigh. "Remember, no matter what happens, your life comes first. I do not want the student I finally took in to disappear just like that."
As she looked at Kiyohara, she could not help but think of Nawaki.
Back then, Nawaki had been just like Kiyohara, young and full of ambition.
Yet he had met an untimely accident and died abruptly when no one expected it.
Because of that, Tsunade had a deep understanding of how fragile life could be.
Kiyohara felt warmth in his heart. "Thank you for your concern, Sensei."
The next day, Kiyohara planned to go out and purchase some daily necessities.
Normally, this would have been Shizune's responsibility, but she had gone to the Konoha Hospital.
Thus, the task temporarily fell to Kiyohara.
He walked through the streets of Konoha, buying everything he needed and sealing it all into storage scrolls.
The sealing scrolls he had taken from En Oyashiro were small in size yet had a large capacity.
It made Kiyohara sigh inwardly that being rich really did make life easier.
It was just a pity that, as a weapons merchant, En Oyashiro had not stored more weapons inside.
Kiyohara guessed that most of them were probably kept at "Onigashiro."
Still, he was not in a hurry. Without guidance, it was nearly impossible for outsiders to locate that isolated island overseas.
Not long after finishing his purchases, Kiyohara encountered some unexpected people at a street corner.
It was Kakashi and Rin.
"Kakashi, you are back?" Kiyohara asked in surprise.
Kakashi and Rin were equally surprised to see him.
"Yes, we received orders from the village, so we returned first," Kakashi nodded.
"I see." Kiyohara had already guessed most of the reason for their sudden return.
He suspected it was to reinforce the sealing technique within Rin.
It was a necessary precaution.
After all, she was the jinchuriki of the Three-Tails, Isobu.
"Kiyohara-kun, good morning. We were just about to go find Kushina-senpai," Rin said, waving enthusiastically.
It had been a while since she last saw Kiyohara, and now that she did, she wanted him to come along.
"Would you like to join us?" Rin invited.
She wanted to spend more time walking together with him.
"Sure," Kiyohara thought for a moment and then nodded.
Kushina's impression of him was probably quite good by now.
He also wanted to take the opportunity to see where she lived and to get some exposure to fuinjutsu.
From what he knew, Kushina still lived in the same house that Uzumaki Mito had once lived in.
It was not because the house was particularly luxurious.
In fact, although it was spacious, its decoration was rather simple.
The real reason Kushina lived there was because the floor itself contained sealing techniques.
Those were sealing arrays left behind by the Uzumaki clan, which could resonate with the barrier set up within the village, forming a double-layered barrier.
With this arrangement, the stability of the Nine-Tails was greatly increased.
Because of that, whenever Kushina attempted to leave the barrier, members of the Anbu would step in to stop her.
There had even been an incident where, after she left, the Nine-Tails lost control not long after, leading to a rampage. It was ultimately suppressed by Minato using an improved Four Symbols Seal.
"We are here," Kiyohara said.
They had arrived at Kushina's doorstep.
Kakashi stepped forward and knocked.
After a moment, the door opened.
The one who answered was Uzumaki Kyoko.
She had changed into casual clothes in Konoha style, her long red hair tied into a simple ponytail. Her complexion looked much better than the day before, and there was now a lively glint in her eyes.
"Kiyohara?" Kyoko smiled when she saw him.
"Please come in. Kushina is preparing breakfast."
A lively voice came from the direction of the kitchen.
Kushina, her red hair tied back and wearing an apron, peeked out while holding a spatula.
When she saw Kiyohara, her eyes lit up.
"So many people have come. Perfect timing. I am making breakfast. Join us!"
"Sorry to trouble you, Kushina-senpai," Kiyohara said.
"Not at all. The more the merrier," Kushina waved her hand cheerfully before disappearing back into the kitchen.
"Kyoko, help me entertain the guests. Breakfast will be ready soon!"
"Alright."
Kyoko responded and invited everyone to sit in the living room before going to prepare tea.
After spending an entire night talking heart to heart with Kushina, her relationship with her had grown much closer.
Meanwhile, Kiyohara could clearly sense that the house was filled with numerous sealing jutsus.
If he activated his Sharingan, he would probably be able to see the flow of chakra everywhere.
As expected of a place once inhabited by Uzumaki Mito and Kushina, the layers of sealing protection were intricate and overlapping.
"The tea is ready."
Kyoko returned with a tray and poured a cup for each of them.
"Thank you," Kiyohara accepted the cup, feeling the warmth seep through the porcelain into his palm.
"Thank you," Rin said as well, curiously observing Kyoko. She did not quite understand why Kushina had suddenly started living with another person.
Kakashi glanced at his tea, quickly lowered his black mask, drank it in one motion, and pulled the mask back up again.
Kyoko barely had time to blink before the tea in front of Kakashi was already gone.
Yet she had not seen his face at all.
She could not help but find it rather astonishing.
"Miss Kyoko, are you getting used to living here?" Kiyohara asked.
"Yes." Kyoko nodded, a sincere smile appearing on her face.
"Kushina treats me very well. This place feels very much like home."
As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the portrait of Uzumaki Mito on the wall.
That woman, who shared the same red hair as her, exuded gentleness and kindness even in a mere painting.
"That is good," Kiyohara smiled.
For Kakashi and Rin, this was their first time meeting Kyoko, so they still felt somewhat unfamiliar, especially after learning that she was from the Uzumaki clan.
"Oh right, Rin, when you have time, could you teach Kyoko?" Kushina's voice came from the kitchen again as she poked her head out slightly.
"Tsunade has been quite busy lately, and I am worried she may not have time."
"No problem," Rin nodded.
"But speaking of medical ninjutsu, Kiyohara-kun should be even better, right? After all, he is Lady Tsunade's student."
Everyone's gaze turned toward Kiyohara.
He set down his teacup and spoke calmly. "I have indeed learned some things from my teacher, but Rin's medical ninjutsu is also excellent. We can help Miss Kyoko together."
"Kiyohara, you are too modest," Kushina waved her hand dismissively.
"I have heard that you saved quite a few people on the battlefield using medical ninjutsu. Tsunade has also praised you to me."
As she spoke, she looked him over again, a trace of admiration flashing in her eyes.
"Come to think of it, Kiyohara, I feel like you do not really have any weaknesses. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, medical skills, you know a bit of everything. Now you can even defeat someone as strong as En Oyashiro on your own. That is impressive."
Kiyohara shook his head. "You are overpraising me, Kushina-senpai. I still have many shortcomings. For example…"
He paused briefly before continuing, "I am not very proficient in sealing techniques."
Sure enough, Kushina's eyes lit up.
"Kiyohara, are you interested in sealing techniques?"
"Yes." Kiyohara nodded seriously.
This was one of the reasons he had come here.
He wanted to see if Kushina would be willing to teach him some sealing techniques.
After all, favors were most effective when used sooner rather than later.
He had also considered asking Minato for guidance.
However, Minato was already extremely busy and had no time at all.
At present, Kushina was undoubtedly the best choice in Konoha.
"Sealing techniques are useful in many situations, especially when dealing with special enemies. But I have not had much exposure to them. I only know some of the basics," Kiyohara continued.
Kushina rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment, then broke into a bright smile.
"In that case, I can teach you."
"Really?" Kiyohara showed a perfectly appropriate look of pleasant surprise on his face.
(End of Chapter)