The grown-up Koyuki of the future was quite similar to Kurenai. Both belonged to the mature, elegant type of woman, though Koyuki possessed a colder and more distant temperament.
In the original story, after escaping from the Land of Snow, she could only live under a false identity, surviving as an actress. In the end, she became one of the most famous actresses in the Land of Fire.
Even Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had gone to watch her movies.
"Still young?"
Kurenai raised an eyebrow.
"I think you've been treating her pretty well. Not exactly how you'd treat a child."
Kiyohara turned his head toward her.
"Are you jealous?"
"W-Who's jealous?!"
Kurenai immediately turned her face away and quickened her pace.
Seeing her reaction, Kiyohara could not help smiling slightly.
Outside the city.
Kiyohara once again took out the mass of white clay.
As chakra flowed into it, the clay rapidly expanded and transformed.
A short while later, the enormous white dragon appeared once more in the open field.
The clay house on the dragon's back had been expanded by Kiyohara.
"Let's go."
Kiyohara was the first to jump onto the dragon's back.
Kurenai followed immediately after him, then Shizune, and finally Tsunade.
The giant dragon slowly rose into the sky and flew toward Konoha.
Below them, the royal palace of the Land of Snow became smaller and smaller until it eventually vanished beneath the clouds.
Inside the cabin, Kurenai sat by the window, quietly watching the pure white world outside gradually fade into the distance.
Several days later...
Kiyohara's group returned to Konoha and headed to the Hokage Tower to report the completion of their mission.
"With Kiyohara's jutsu around, even missions feel like sightseeing trips now."
Kurenai sighed with emotion.
In the past, a mission involving such a long journey would have required exhausting travel on foot.
Sometimes, after walking too much, blisters would even form on her feet.
But now, none of those problems needed to be considered.
"It really is convenient."
Shizune nodded in complete agreement.
During the years she had wandered the shinobi world alongside Tsunade, the only transportation they had relied on was their own legs.
The shinobi world did have horse-drawn carriages and some modern transportation methods, but any money Tsunade managed to save usually ended up being spent on alcohol or gambling.
"Jutsu can changes lives."
Kiyohara commented.
Soon, they arrived at a crossroads and prepared to separate, since Kurenai's route diverged from theirs here.
Kiyohara leaned close to Kurenai's ear and whispered, "Wait for me tonight."
Then he followed Tsunade and the others away.
"What were you secretly saying to Kurenai?"
Tsunade asked curiously.
She felt that her disciple was truly skilled when it came to charming young women.
"I told her we should discuss some Yin-Yang Release techniques later."
Kiyohara replied.
After all, Yin-Yang Release was the legendary technique said to possess the power to create life itself.
Of course, Kiyohara also knew a downgraded version of it.
In fact, every living creature naturally possessed that ability.
"It's pretty easy to learn."
Tsunade nodded.
She completely failed to catch the hidden meaning in his words.
...
That night.
At the Yuhi residence.
The entrance door opened.
Kurenai was sitting absentmindedly in the living room.
When she heard the sound of knocking, she hurried over to open the door.
However, when the door swung open, she discovered that the visitor was not Kiyohara.
Instead, it was her father, Yuhi Shinku.
He was still wearing his travel-worn shinobi vest, and exhaustion was clearly written across his face.
"Father?"
"Why did you come back early?"
"The mission went smoothly, so I returned ahead of schedule."
Shinku removed his vest and hung it on the coat rack by the entrance.
He walked into the living room, sat down beside the low table, and let out a long sigh.
"The trip to the Land of Grass this time was really exhausting."
Kurenai poured him a cup of hot tea and sat opposite him.
Shinku accepted the tea and took a sip before his gaze settled on his daughter.
"Kurenai... you seem especially happy today."
Kurenai froze.
"D-Do I?"
"You do."
Shinku nodded.
"There's been a smile on your face the entire time. You've been trying to hide it, but you can't fool me."
A faint blush appeared on Kurenai's cheeks.
"It's n-nothing. I just got back from the Land of Snow. I'm a little tired, but the scenery there was beautiful..."
Shinku looked at her and slightly raised an eyebrow.
Something about his daughter's behavior felt strange.
Still, he was far too tired to think deeply about it.
After finishing his tea, he stood up.
"I'm going to rest. You should sleep early too."
"Okay."
Kurenai nodded.
Watching her father enter the bathroom, she sat back down beside the low table and picked up her now-cold cup of tea.
A small feeling of disappointment surfaced in her heart.
With her father home, Kiyohara would not be able to come tonight.
She pressed her lips together, suppressing that disappointment before getting up to clean the teacups.
Night deepened.
Kurenai lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
The room was silent except for the occasional chirping of insects outside the window.
She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.
Kiyohara's face once again appeared in her mind.
"Idiot..."
she muttered softly.
The moment the words left her lips, she suddenly saw Kiyohara standing inside her room.
Startled, she immediately pointed toward the neighboring room.
"F-Father is right next door..."
"I know."
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
Nothing could escape his perception.
The next instant, the scenery around them began to distort.
Kurenai only felt her vision blur.
When her sight cleared, she found herself lying in a completely different room.
Familiar furniture.
Familiar bedding.
A familiar scent.
Kiyohara's room.
"T-This is..."
Before she could finish speaking, Kiyohara pulled her into the blankets.
"W-What are you doing..."
Kurenai's voice trembled.
Kiyohara did not answer.
Time quietly passed.
Eventually, the moon outside the window gradually sank toward the horizon.
Kurenai lay in Kiyohara's embrace, breathing heavily.
Her forehead was damp with sweat, and several strands of long hair clung to her cheeks.
Fine beads of perspiration covered her fair skin, glimmering faintly beneath the moonlight.
The rise and fall of her chest gradually calmed, though a rosy flush still lingered on her cheeks and neck.
"I can't anymore..."
Her voice was hoarse with exhaustion.
"Alright."
Kiyohara nodded and finally let her rest.
Under his guidance, Kurenai and Kiyohara spent time discussing and exchanging knowledge related to Yin-Yang Release techniques.
With his current physical condition, Kiyohara's body had become astonishingly powerful.
That led him to consider whether Kurenai should spend more time training in taijutsu as well.
Otherwise...
Would she really be able to keep up?
'Maybe I should teach Kurenai some Gentle Fist.'
Kiyohara pondered silently.
The Gentle Fist style actually contained many exercises that improved flexibility.
It strengthened the body while also expanding one's range of movement.
Not bad.
Very good, in fact.
Kiyohara decided that in a few days he would teach Kurenai the fundamentals of Gentle Fist.
Not for combat purposes.
Simply for health and physical conditioning.
Several days passed.
Training Ground Three.
After finishing Kurenai's lesson, Kiyohara stood in a clearing among the trees, practicing the Uchiha Flame Formation.
A crimson barrier rose from the ground and enveloped him.
Flames flowed across the surface of the barrier, and the surrounding air warped slightly from the intense heat.
"Kiyohara."
A voice sounded from the forest.
Kiyohara turned around.
Uchiha Shisui emerged from the trees.
Today he was wearing a green shinobi flak jacket, with a sword strapped across his back.
"Shisui?"
Kiyohara dispersed the barrier and walked toward him.
"What brings you here today?"
Shisui stopped in front of him and looked up.
Kiyohara was over half a head taller than him, forcing Shisui to slightly tilt his head upward to meet his gaze.
"Kiyohara."
Shisui spoke.
"There's something I've wanted to ask you for a long time."
"What is it?"
Shisui fell silent for a moment.
Then he finally asked:
"Have you awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
After hesitating for a moment, Shisui finally asked.
Kiyohara's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"No."
Kiyohara answered calmly.
He was actually only a small step away from awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan. If he experienced a sufficiently intense emotional stimulus, especially something painful, he could probably awaken it immediately.
However, Kiyohara had no desire to obtain it through suffering.
He would rather wait until his ocular power naturally accumulated to the required level and awaken it through pure progression.
After all, his situation was unique.
His spiritual energy could continue increasing indefinitely.
Shisui stared at him, seemingly trying to determine whether he was telling the truth.
After a long silence, he let out a sigh.
"Ever since the beginning, I've never beaten you even once."
"Later, I trained desperately. I mastered Body Flicker and learned all kinds of fire jutsu."
"But every time I see you, I feel like you've become even stronger."
Shisui looked directly at Kiyohara.
"Kiyohara, are you really sure you haven't awakened the Mangekyo?"
He asked again.
In Shisui's mind, the only explanation for Kiyohara's terrifying growth in strength was that he had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"No."
Kiyohara answered honestly.
No meant no.
"I've just been a little more diligent in training than most people."
Kiyohara stroked his chin.
"I see..."
Shisui could only nod.
At the same time, he secretly wondered how terrifying Kiyohara would become if he truly awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Could it be that you've awakened yours?"
Kiyohara asked in return.
"I have."
Shisui nodded.
So far, Kiyohara was the only person he had told.
In Shisui's eyes, Kiyohara was stronger than himself, so there was no reason to conceal it.
Kiyohara deliberately acted surprised.
"You actually awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Shisui waved his hand.
"The Mangekyo Sharingan is actually a double-edged sword. The burden it places on the body is extremely heavy."
He paused before continuing.
"The reason I came to find you today is because I want to spar with you. I want to see how large the gap between us still is."
Hearing that, Kiyohara did not refuse.
He also wanted to witness the power of Shisui's Mangekyo for himself.
"Alright."
The two men took their positions in the clearing, standing fifty meters apart.
"Begin."
The moment those words fell, Shisui drew his sword.
His eyes had already turned scarlet.
Three tomoe slowly revolved within his pupils.
Then his figure vanished from where he stood.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of Kiyohara.
Uchiha Style Kenjutsu!
Kiyohara sidestepped the attack.
At the same time, his left fist shot toward Shisui's waist.
Shisui's body flickered.
His figure split into three afterimages that scattered apart.
Phantom Body Flicker Technique!
The three afterimages changed direction in midair and charged simultaneously from three different angles.
Kiyohara closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his own Sharingan had activated.
Without hesitation, he raised his arm and punched toward the figure on his right.
Bang!
Shisui was blasted backward.
He quickly created a shadow clone that caught him, preventing him from crashing into the tree trunk behind him.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
After stabilizing himself, Shisui formed hand seals.
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Kiyohara responded with the same technique.
His fireball was significantly larger.
The overwhelming flames pushed Shisui's attack back and swallowed it entirely.
'So this is the difference in chakra reserves...'
Shisui thought to himself.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his head.
"Kiyohara, I'm going to get serious now."
As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes changed.
The three tomoe slowly rotated.
They drew closer together and merged into a strange pattern.
Mangekyo Sharingan!
Empowered by the Mangekyo, Shisui's ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu all received tremendous enhancement.
Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!
He slashed three times in succession.
Three blazing flame blades tore through the air.
Kiyohara's arm instantly turned pitch-black.
With a few simple strikes, he shattered all three flaming attacks.
The next moment, Shisui unleashed a genjutsu.
Mangekyo Sharingan Genjutsu!
Invisible Yin Release chakra invaded Kiyohara's body.
However, Kiyohara's enormous spiritual energy already contained an immense quantity of Yin Release chakra.
At the same time, it granted him extraordinary resistance to Yin Release techniques.
As a result, the moment Shisui's genjutsu entered his body, it vanished like a stone sinking into the ocean.
It could not affect him in the slightest.
Shisui's eyes narrowed.
A Three Tomoe Sharingan could resist a Mangekyo genjutsu?
Before he could think further, Kiyohara had already begun forming hand seals.
"Water Release: Twin Dragon Storm Kill!"
After leaving the Land of Snow, the original ice-and-snow blizzard had transformed into a massive twin-water tornado.
Two roaring dragon-shaped whirlwinds surged toward Shisui.
Shisui's heart tightened.
A green skeletal ribcage suddenly appeared around him.
The ribs rapidly expanded.
Soon, they transformed into a gigantic upper-body skeleton.
Susanoo!
"Kiyohara, be careful! This is my Susanoo!"
He threw a punch.
The enormous green arm descended with terrifying momentum.
The air exploded wherever it passed.
Kiyohara raised his head.
Looking at the gigantic green skeleton before him, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Susanoo..."
He gazed at this power known as the "Third Power" and wanted to test just how durable it truly was.
Slowly, he raised his right fist.
Chakra Enhanced Strength!
Then he punched forward.
Fist met fist.
BOOM!!
A devastating shockwave erupted from the point of impact.
The ground cracked apart.
Rocks flew through the air.
Trees were uprooted by the roots.
Shisui's face was filled with disbelief.
He watched as a crack appeared on the fist of his Susanoo.
Then the crack rapidly spread.
From the fist to the arm.
From the arm to the shoulder.
From the shoulder to the chest.
Crack!
The skeletal structure exploded apart.
Shisui staggered backward.
Raising his head, he stared at Kiyohara.
Kiyohara remained standing exactly where he was.
Slowly, he withdrew his fist.
"This is Susanoo?"
Kiyohara spoke.
Then he paused for a moment before adding:
"Not bad."
Shisui opened his mouth.
He wanted to say something.
Yet no words came out.
A single punch had shattered Susanoo.
And that only counted as "not bad"?
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
Shisui could clearly feel that his Susanoo still had room to evolve.
Its defensive power would continue increasing.
But as it grew stronger, the burden placed upon his body would become even greater.
Under normal circumstances, he would never use Susanoo unless absolutely necessary.
"Kiyohara, I concede."
Shisui knew that without using Kotoamatsukami, he had no chance of defeating someone like Kiyohara, who possessed multiple Bloodline Limits, overwhelming chakra reserves, and a ninjutsu system far beyond ordinary shinobi.
So he chose to surrender.
At that moment, every cell in his body ached.
The chakra that sustained Susanoo had been drawn directly from throughout his entire body.
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
He could already see Shisui's problem.
Using Susanoo through the Mangekyo Sharingan placed an enormous burden on the body.
It required constant practice and adaptation.
Moreover, only the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan allowed unrestricted use of Susanoo.
Otherwise, every use brought the user one step closer to blindness.
"You don't use your Susanoo very often, do you?"
Shisui nodded.
"That's right. My proficiency isn't very high yet. I can only maintain the first form."
Kiyohara walked over and extended a hand.
Shisui grabbed it and stood up.
"Kiyohara... are you really sure you don't have the Mangekyo?"
Kiyohara looked at him.
"No."
Shisui fell silent for a moment.
"Then why is your ocular power so strong?"
"Strong ocular power doesn't necessarily mean you've awakened the Mangekyo."
Kiyohara replied.
"A Three Tomoe Sharingan can also become very powerful."
Shisui froze.
He remembered Kiyohara's eyes.
The ocular power within them was far beyond that of an ordinary Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Could it really be...
Just a Three Tomoe Sharingan?
But how could a Three Tomoe Sharingan possibly reach such a level?
"What is your Mangekyo ability?"
Kiyohara asked directly.
It was an extremely private question.
However, Kiyohara wanted to see how much trust Shisui placed in him.
"Kotoamatsukami."
Shisui did not conceal it.
He answered immediately.
"My eye technique, Kotoamatsukami, allows me to manipulate another person's thoughts and actions without them realizing it."
Shisui began explaining.
"Normally, Sharingan genjutsu requires some degree of eye contact before chakra can be injected into the target."
"But the Mangekyo Sharingan can bypass that process. As long as I look at the target's eyes, even if our gazes don't fully meet, I can still inject chakra into them."
"In other words, when the enemy falls under the genjutsu, they won't even know anything has happened."
"More or less."
Shisui nodded.
"However, this technique places an enormous burden on my eyes. I can't use it casually."
He looked toward Kiyohara.
Shisui had a feeling that if he used Kotoamatsukami now, he probably would not be able to use it again for more than ten years.
"I see. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You shouldn't reveal it carelessly either."
Kiyohara replied.
It seemed his image in Shisui's mind was quite good.
Otherwise, Shisui would never have revealed the existence of Kotoamatsukami.
As Kiyohara and Shisui were heading back together, a message suddenly arrived from the Hokage Tower.
The shinobi who delivered the message informed Kiyohara that Kumogakure had begun making suspicious movements.
Konoha needed to dispatch a group of shinobi immediately.
"Understood."
Kiyohara nodded.
Then he and Shisui immediately headed toward the Hokage Tower together.
(End of Chapter)