Kiyohara and Tsunade's hands remained locked together just like that, each trying to overpower the other in a contest of raw strength.
To be honest, Kiyohara truly felt that Tsunade's hands deserved the name "Steel Hands."
The strength in her grip was genuinely terrifying.
The two of them stayed deadlocked for roughly five seconds.
A trace of surprise flashed through Tsunade's eyes, only to be quickly replaced by even stronger interest.
"Interesting…"
Tsunade muttered softly, no longer holding back as chakra instantly erupted through the meridian pathways in her right arm.
Chakra Enhanced Strength activated!
Kiyohara immediately felt the force in her palm skyrocket. Losing focus for just a moment, his arm was forced backward at a clearly visible angle.
"Sensei, doesn't this count as cheating?"
Kiyohara stabilized himself at the last second while rapidly mobilizing chakra within his body.
At the same time, he used his Sharingan to observe the flow of chakra inside Tsunade's arm.
In theory, the Sharingan should also be capable of copying "Chakra Enhanced Strength."
But Kiyohara found that he could not replicate it.
Or rather, he could clearly see how the chakra flowed, yet still could not imitate it.
Obviously, this technique required prerequisite training.
"Stop trying to copy it. If it were that simple, your clan would've learned my technique long ago."
Tsunade grinned smugly.
"Chakra Enhanced Strength" belonged to the category of taijutsu, but more importantly, learning it required medicinal baths.
The medicinal baths gradually allowed the body to adapt and undergo changes.
Only then could one properly use "Chakra Enhanced Strength."
"I see."
A layer of pale blue lightning arcs suddenly appeared around Kiyohara's arm, sending a tingling numbness through Tsunade's hand.
She could not help letting out a soft hum.
Kiyohara looked at her strangely.
Tsunade's brows twitched slightly.
This damned brat!
Yet the strength in her hand increased once again.
She could feel that under the enhancement of the lightning chakra, the resistance coming from Kiyohara's arm suddenly surged dramatically.
Their arms trembled violently above the stone surface, sometimes shifting left, sometimes right, as the contest entered an even fiercer stalemate.
Fine cracks even began spreading across the stone from the force they were exerting.
And this was with both of them consciously restraining themselves.
Otherwise, the stone would have already ended up like the wooden table from earlier and shattered instantly.
Rin unconsciously clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest as she watched.
Kurenai also stepped closer, her eyes completely fixed on the match without blinking.
Several more seconds passed.
Kiyohara noticed veins beginning to bulge faintly on Tsunade's forehead.
Truthfully, he himself was not much better off.
Right now, he was only using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to locally enhance the strength of his arm.
He had not yet used the power of the Cursed Seal to greatly amplify himself.
At that moment, Tsunade's wrist suddenly trembled ever so slightly.
Using an extremely clever application of force, she instantly altered the direction of her strength, changing it from pure downward pressure into a rotational levering force.
The power Kiyohara used to resist was immediately redirected, causing his center of gravity to destabilize slightly.
"Heh!"
Seizing the opportunity, Tsunade unleashed her strength in one explosive burst.
Smack!
Kiyohara's hand was firmly slammed onto the cold stone surface.
The outcome had been decided.
Tsunade released his hand and shook her wrist. Even though she had won, the look she gave Kiyohara was filled with amazement and undisguised admiration.
"You brat, what kind of body did you grow up with?"
That final twist and rotational trick she used could already be considered an unconventional method. Otherwise, Kiyohara really might have resisted her for even longer.
Kiyohara also rotated his slightly numb wrist before smiling faintly.
"You're still stronger, Sensei. That last move… was that a technique from Chakra Enhanced Strength?"
This was not even Kiyohara's full physical power.
Otherwise, he could have further stacked Magnet Release: Magnetic Field Rotation on top of it and borrowed the power of magnetic fields.
But if he did that, Tsunade might actually lose.
And that would be like playing tennis with your boss.
How could you possibly beat your boss until they were gasping for breath?
You had to cater to their preferences.
Even if you could not win, you had to make it feel as though the leader had won openly and fairly.
Tsunade was not Kiyohara's superior, but the same principle still applied to her.
Kiyohara could clearly see the corners of Tsunade's brows lifting slightly.
Obviously, very few people could match her in a contest of strength to this extent.
And in the end, she had still won.
"Your reactions aren't bad, brat."
Tsunade admitted it generously as she walked over to a wooden bucket nearby and scooped up water to wash her hands.
"Raw strength alone isn't enough. The instantaneous burst of chakra, the pathways through the chakra system, the coordination with muscle exertion, and even the clever application of force that decides victory at the end… those are the true essence of Chakra Enhanced Strength. It's not as simple as merely pouring chakra into your body."
After drying her hands, she turned around.
With her back facing Rin and the others and her eyes fixed on Kiyohara, the teasing expression on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by seriousness.
"Do you want to learn it?"
Kiyohara froze.
Tsunade stepped closer until she was nearly beside his ear. Lowering her voice so only the two of them could hear, she whispered:
"I'll teach you Chakra Enhanced Strength, but how much you can master depends on your own talent and practice."
Her breath carried a faint scent of alcohol mixed with medicinal herbs as it brushed against Kiyohara's ear.
After speaking, she stepped back half a pace. Her voice returned to normal as she addressed both the still slightly stunned Kiyohara and the eagerly watching Rin and Shizune nearby.
"Of course, not today. Come tomorrow."
Tsunade said casually.
Then she looked toward Kurenai and Rin, who had been spectating the entire time.
"Have you all finished your training?"
Everyone hurried back to their own positions.
Tsunade gave Kiyohara a meaningful glance, clearly telling him not to forget, before turning around and continuing to guide Rin's training.
Kiyohara nodded repeatedly.
The next day, Kiyohara went to find Tsunade.
The two of them headed toward a quiet open area on the eastern side of the camp.
A large portion of the area had already been thoroughly devastated by Kiyohara's previous training.
Tsunade glanced around and realized that this brat genuinely trained hard.
Then she began explaining the techniques behind Chakra Enhanced Strength.
"Watch carefully."
Tsunade raised her right hand and slowly clenched her fingers into a fist.
"The core of Chakra Enhanced Strength mainly lies in two aspects: chakra concentration and application techniques. The most basic principle is extracting chakra instantaneously, then concentrating it into a single point. That point can be your fist, your fingertips, even your shoulders or knees. Then, at the exact moment you make contact with the target, you release it explosively through proper technique."
As she spoke, Tsunade swung her fist toward the ground.
BOOM!
The instant her fist touched the earth, chakra exploded outward.
Centered around her fist, the ground violently collapsed by half a meter, forming a bowl-shaped crater with remarkably smooth edges.
Cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, extending more than ten meters away.
Kiyohara had already activated his Sharingan.
His three tomoe Sharingan carefully observed the chakra flow inside Tsunade's arm.
He could clearly see how chakra gathered from the entire meridian system toward her fist, and how it exploded outward afterward.
"Understand the principle now?"
Tsunade retracted her fist and brushed the dirt off her hands.
"The instantaneous concentration and explosion of chakra combined with the timing of muscular exertion."
Kiyohara nodded.
This was the same thing Tsunade had mentioned yesterday.
"There are two major difficulties."
Tsunade raised two fingers.
"First, chakra control. You have to compress a massive amount of chakra within an extremely short amount of time. The level of control required is practically monstrous. Second, the body's endurance."
She pointed toward her own arm.
"The explosive power released in an instant works both ways. Your body must be tough enough to withstand the recoil. Otherwise…"
Tsunade paused, her tone becoming serious.
"Before your enemy collapses, your own bones will shatter first."
Kiyohara showed understanding.
This was a double-edged sword.
If the body could not endure the strain, then before the attack even reached the enemy, the first victim would be the user themselves.
Soon after, Kiyohara also began trying to gather chakra.
Under Tsunade's guidance, he recalled the flow of chakra while throwing a punch downward.
Boom!
His fist smashed into the ground, sending dust flying everywhere.
A deep fist imprint appeared in the earth, while cracks spread outward for five or six meters.
The power was only about half of Tsunade's demonstration, and shattered stones flew in every direction.
But this was still only his first attempt.
A look of astonishment flashed through Tsunade's eyes.
"You brat… your chakra reserves are seriously terrifying."
She crouched beside the crater and touched the cracks along its edge.
"Your control is still rough, and the timing of the chakra burst came slightly late. But for a first attempt to achieve this level already exceeds expectations."
She stood back up and patted Kiyohara on the shoulder, rare praise appearing in her tone.
"If you really manage to fully master Chakra Enhanced Strength, then with that absurd chakra of yours and your monstrous physical condition…"
"Tch, just thinking about it is terrifying."
Kiyohara flexed his slightly numb fist.
The techniques behind "Chakra Enhanced Strength" were truly inhuman.
One had to know that his current physical body was already considered extremely strong.
Yet merely attempting a single punch had still left his hand tingling with numbness.
If someone else tried learning it, would their bones not crack apart?
The recoil from that strike just now had indeed been astonishing. If his body had not recently been strengthened further by the Night Moon bloodline, his entire arm would probably have remained sore and limp for half the day.
"However, practicing only this isn't enough for Chakra Enhanced Strength."
Sure enough, Tsunade immediately changed the subject.
"Starting today, every three days you'll soak your entire body in medicinal baths. I'll have Shizune prepare the herbs. The purpose is to nourish the chakra system and strengthen your muscles and bones so your body can gradually adapt to this explosive combat style."
A knowing smile appeared on her face.
"After all, this is basically my trump card taijutsu. Full service included. Guaranteed teaching until mastery."
The entire afternoon that followed was spent with Kiyohara repeatedly practicing under Tsunade's guidance.
Tsunade's teaching style was exactly like her personality.
Simple and efficient.
By sunset, Kiyohara had already grasped the fundamentals of Chakra Enhanced Strength.
What remained was repeated application, followed by continuously adapting his body to the technique.
Of course, that step also required the assistance of medicinal baths.
Several days later, Konoha.
Kiyohara returned to Konoha.
As he walked through the familiar streets, the sweet aroma of grilled dango drifted through the air.
This trip back was mainly to hand over several frontline supply reports and collect a batch of encrypted communication scrolls. Early tomorrow morning, he would return to the Land of Rivers camp.
Kiyohara glanced around the village and noticed that the oppressive atmosphere had eased somewhat compared to before.
"What are you looking at?"
Rin asked curiously.
This time, Kiyohara had also brought Rin back with him.
Including Might Guy and Kakashi.
The reason for bringing Guy back was to continue handling certain ANBU transfer procedures.
Moreover, Guy was a taijutsu specialist, meaning his body directly came into contact with enemies during missions.
As a result, his clothes were extremely easy to damage.
So he also needed to collect a new ANBU uniform.
"Nothing."
Kiyohara withdrew his gaze.
Then he said, "Everyone should go rest first. We won't leave for the Land of Rivers until tomorrow afternoon."
"Then I'll continue burning my youth!"
Guy was the first to respond.
"Come on! Time for a long overdue run through the village!"
Guy instantly dashed away and began running.
Kakashi, meanwhile, spoke calmly.
"I'll head back first, Kiyohara."
Kakashi planned to review the kenjutsu techniques his father had left behind.
That way, future cooperation with Yamamaru would go much more smoothly.
Very quickly, only Rin remained beside Kiyohara.
"You're not going home?"
Kiyohara asked.
"My father probably hasn't returned yet."
Rin shook her head.
"Want to buy some dango?"
She had suddenly spotted a nearby stand selling three colored dango.
So Kiyohara accompanied Rin to eat some dango before finally leaving.
Along the way, he also ran into Uchiha Inabi.
Inabi asked him about Uchiha Tekka's condition.
Kiyohara replied that Tekka was still on the Kumogakure frontlines and appeared to be doing fine.
Meanwhile.
At Mikoto's house.
"Itachi, dinner's ready."
Mikoto called out Itachi's name.
Itachi entered from the courtyard.
Mikoto placed the dishes onto the table. Tonight was yet another evening where Fugaku was not home.
So the meal itself was rather simple.
The gifts, however, had required much more thought and effort.
"I'm coming, Mother."
Itachi replied.
Soon, Itachi noticed there were two additional items on the table.
One was a bundle, the other a food box.
Curiously, he asked Mikoto what was inside them.
"They're gifts for Kiyohara."
Mikoto answered.
Earlier today, while returning from buying groceries, she had happened to overhear Inabi mentioning that Kiyohara had returned.
Previously, Fugaku had told her to bring Itachi to interact more with Kiyohara.
According to rumors, Kiyohara's reputation on the battlefield was growing larger and larger. There were even faint signs that he might become a rising superstar shinobi like Minato.
So after finishing the cooking, Mikoto hurriedly prepared the gifts.
She intended to bring Itachi along for a visit.
"Itachi, even between teacher and student, people need to maintain close interactions."
Mikoto spoke seriously.
Because she had realized that although this child appeared humble on the surface, deep down he actually possessed a certain arrogance.
Toward many of the clan's children, Itachi's attitude was essentially one of disdain.
Probably only a super genius like Kiyohara could completely suppress him.
"I understand."
Itachi nodded.
Evening.
Training Ground Three.
Deep within the forest, heavy booming sounds echoed repeatedly.
Kiyohara was shirtless, sweat rolling along the lines of his muscles and glimmering beneath the setting sun.
He continuously practiced the force application of Chakra Enhanced Strength. Every punch slammed into a specially reinforced wooden post, causing it to tremble violently while leaving behind deep fist marks on its surface.
After nourishment from medicinal baths and days of intense training, his mastery over the instantaneous concentration and explosive release of chakra had become increasingly refined.
Even the numbness caused by recoil was gradually fading.
At that moment, faint footsteps sounded from the edge of the training field.
Kiyohara withdrew his fist and turned his head.
Uchiha Mikoto stood beneath the trees while holding Itachi's hand.
She carried an exquisite food box in one hand, a gentle smile resting on her face.
Meanwhile, Itachi held a long object wrapped in purple silk cloth. His dark eyes stared curiously at Kiyohara and at Kiyohara's sturdy body covered in a thin sheen of sweat.
Mikoto's gaze subconsciously landed on Kiyohara.
Broad shoulders.
Firm chest and abdominal muscles clearly defined.
Sweat droplets slid down his abs and disappeared beneath his waistband.
That physique was completely different from the Uchiha clan members she normally saw.
After all, physique training genuinely depended on talent.
Even taking enhancement medicine had varying results between individuals.
Some people only needed a tiny amount of medicine to achieve effects others could never reach even after consuming an entire barrel.
Her cheeks warmed slightly.
She hurriedly shifted her gaze away, but inwardly she could not help thinking that Kiyohara's body was perhaps far too well built.
"Mother?"
Itachi looked up in confusion after noticing Mikoto suddenly stop walking.
"Ah, it's nothing."
Mikoto regained her composure and covered it up with a smile before continuing forward with Itachi.
"Kiyohara-kun, sorry for disturbing your training."
Mikoto approached, her voice soft and gentle.
"Lady Mikoto. Itachi."
Kiyohara casually grabbed a towel hanging from a nearby branch and wiped away his sweat.
"I heard you returned to the village. I happened to bake some snacks, so I thought I'd bring some over for you."
Mikoto handed over the food box before lightly patting Itachi's back.
"I also have something to give Sensei."
Itachi stepped forward while holding out the purple wrapped object with both hands.
"Sensei, Father asked me to pass this to you. He said it's… a token of thanks."
Kiyohara accepted it.
It felt rather heavy in his hands, and its shape resembled a senbon needle launcher.
Judging from the design, it likely contained mechanisms that allowed it to split into numerous needles.
He did not open it immediately, only shaking his head.
"Lady Mikoto, you're really being too polite. I honestly haven't taught Itachi much. Most of the time, he's been training himself."
"Kiyohara-kun, you're far too modest."
Mikoto bowed slightly.
"Itachi said the advice you gave him benefited him tremendously. As his mother, I'm truly grateful to you."
Her gaze fell upon her son before shifting back toward Kiyohara.
"I wonder if Kiyohara-kun has time to guide him today?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
His own training had just ended anyway, so teaching for a while would not hurt.
After conversing a bit longer, Mikoto expressed her intention to leave.
"I already arranged to meet Kushina. Kiyohara-kun, I'll leave Itachi in your care."
Mikoto spoke softly as she handed over the exquisite food box.
"No problem, Lady Mikoto."
Kiyohara replied.
Mikoto truly possessed extremely high emotional intelligence.
Kiyohara remembered that the Databook had explicitly stated that Mikoto was a retired jonin.
Based on some information he had personally gathered, it matched perfectly.
Therefore, Mikoto had almost certainly awakened her Sharingan.
And most likely, it was even a three tomoe Sharingan.
That genuinely surprised Kiyohara.
After all, an Uchiha with such a good temperament was truly one of a kind.
Perhaps only the former Uchiha Kagami had been similar.
After Mikoto left, Kiyohara opened the food box.
The contents were incredibly lavish.
Even Itachi looked slightly surprised.
His own dinner tonight had been extremely simple, yet the food prepared for Kiyohara was this abundant.
"Itachi, your mother's cooking skills are really excellent."
Kiyohara commented after picking up a piece of meat.
"Thank you."
Although Itachi knew Kiyohara was praising his mother, for some reason it still felt a little strange.
Afterward, Itachi asked Kiyohara about matters from the battlefield.
Kiyohara selectively shared several stories.
"So two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were really killed by Sensei?"
Itachi asked.
"That's right."
Kiyohara nodded.
He and Might Duy had practically wiped out the entire first generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen together.
Might Duy killed four of them.
Kiyohara killed three.
Now, Kirigakure only had the second generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen remaining.
(End of Chapter)