The instant the ball of light merged into his body, Kiyohara's entire body trembled slightly.
The first thing he felt was the transformation of his physical body.
A warm current of energy surged from every limb and every bone, flowing through him like a mighty river.
Everywhere it passed, his muscles became denser and more compact, while his bones grew tougher and more resilient.
Even the chakra pathway system responsible for transporting chakra throughout his body became broader and stronger.
This meant that whenever Kiyohara used taijutsu or chakra-enhanced techniques, he would be able to pour significantly more chakra into them than before.
He could clearly sense that the energy contained within his body was skyrocketing.
"So this... is the Uzumaki Clan's..."
The increase felt even more exaggerated than when he had inherited the bloodline of the Yotsuki Clan.
After all, the Uzumaki Clan had always been famous for possessing overwhelming life force.
A pure-blooded Uzumaki like Kushina had been able to survive for quite some time even after the complete Nine Tails had been extracted from her. She had still managed to assist Minato by using the Adamantine Sealing Chains to suppress the complete Nine Tails.
Naruto, on the other hand, although he possessed the characteristics of the Uzumaki Clan, only inherited half of the Uzumaki bloodline because the other half came from Minato.
As a result, after merely half of Kurama was extracted from him, he immediately fell into a dying state.
If Sakura had not performed emergency treatment, Minato had not restored the Nine Tails to him, and the Sage of Six Paths had not later bestowed his power upon him, Naruto would most likely have died right there.
'Still... Naruto is special because he's Asura's reincarnation.'
Kiyohara thought to himself.
That was why Naruto couldn't really be judged by the standards of an ordinary Uzumaki.
At the very least, the amount of chakra he possessed was astonishing.
And now, at least in theory, Kiyohara himself had inherited a portion of Asura's chakra.
He quietly examined the changes taking place within every cell of his body.
Soon afterward, he sensed an unfamiliar chakra emerging deep within him.
It was completely different from ordinary chakra.
It felt far gentler.
Yet at the same time, it contained an unimaginable vitality.
Kiyohara carefully attempted to guide this chakra.
The moment it flowed out through the palm of his hand, the surrounding environment underwent a subtle transformation.
Right beneath his feet, a tiny emerald-green sprout pushed through the earth.
The seedling grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.
It extended branches.
Leaves unfolded.
Its stem stretched upward.
Within only a few breaths, it had grown into a patch of lush grass.
Kiyohara lowered his head and stared at his own hand.
A faint green glow still flickered across his palm.
"Wood Release...?"
There was a trace of uncertainty in his voice.
In the anime, Asura had also possessed the power of Wood Release.
Even Naruto had once used Sage Art: Gate of the Great God inside his spiritual world to suppress the Nine Tails, causing Kurama to exclaim in shock,
"So it's the Sage of Six Paths' technique..."
Now, the strange chakra that had appeared inside his body was unmistakably Asura's power.
That power intertwined with his own chakra.
It felt both familiar and foreign.
He tried to manipulate it again.
Only to discover that it wasn't completely under his control.
Occasionally, it would respond to his commands.
But most of the time, it remained quietly dormant deep within his body.
Kiyohara frowned slightly.
"It seems I'll need some time to adapt."
He thought silently.
This power was simply too vast.
And far too unique.
Completely mastering it would likely require a considerable period of adjustment.
Or perhaps...
He would have to inherit Asura's complete chakra.
Fortunately, Kiyohara wasn't in any hurry.
The war had already ended.
There was still some time before the Otsutsuki invasion.
At present, he had plenty of time.
Unless Otsutsuki Isshiki, who had been hiding in the shadows of the shinobi world all this time, began moving again.
That would truly become a massive threat to him.
After all, Isshiki had been capable of shattering Sasuke's Complete Body Susanoo with a single kick.
And that was while Sasuke still possessed his Six Tomoe Rinnegan.
Just based on physical strength alone, Kiyohara couldn't help wondering whether Isshiki might actually be capable of matching the Eighth Gate Might Guy in direct combat.
Even Naruto, after permanently burning away all of Kurama's chakra in a single instant to activate Baryon Mode, had only been able to temporarily suppress Isshiki in taijutsu.
He hadn't even managed to inflict truly devastating injuries.
"Wait..."
"Could this create some kind of bug?"
An idea suddenly flashed through Kiyohara's mind.
The Asura chakra he had inherited came from another time.
But in the current shinobi world...
There should only exist a single Asura.
So how exactly should the Asura chakra inside his own body be interpreted?
As he pondered this question, a sudden sharp pain interrupted his thoughts.
He instinctively covered his eyes.
He could clearly feel something changing inside his eyeballs.
After the stabbing pain subsided, warmth seemed to spread throughout his eyes, almost as though warm blood were flowing across them.
The sensation became pleasantly soothing.
He reached up and touched the corners of his eyes.
Looking down at his palm afterward, there wasn't a single trace of blood.
Yet the warmth continued rising from deep within his eyes, flowing gently like spring water.
It nourished his optic nerves.
It nourished every tiny blood vessel.
He could clearly sense that something was taking shape inside his eye sockets.
It became increasingly distinct.
Increasingly complete.
Like an egg on the verge of hatching.
At this rate...
Kiyohara slowly closed his eyes, quietly sensing the rhythmic warmth.
'Tomorrow night...'
'It should finally be finished.'
A thought surfaced in his heart.
There was an overwhelming chance...
That this was the Mangekyo Sharingan.
By borrowing the power of Asura's chakra, he had directly broken through the final barrier.
Even though he had never experienced the agony of losing a loved one, nor suffered any earth-shattering emotional trauma, he had still reached this point.
Normally, every single person who awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan had undergone immense psychological shock.
There were no exceptions.
Even Sarada, Sasuke's daughter, had paid a tremendous emotional price before awakening hers.
From her perspective, she never knew that Naruto had merely been sealed away.
All she knew was that the person she admired most and regarded as her role model had been officially declared dead.
Meanwhile, her most important companion, Boruto, had become Otsutsuki Boruto.
He had become a traitor to Konoha.
Every shinobi across the entire shinobi world was hunting him.
Betrayal.
A shattered worldview.
Helplessness.
Despair.
The danger threatening her loved ones.
The death of her idol.
Under the combined weight of all these overwhelming negative emotions, Sarada naturally experienced an explosive emotional upheaval, finally awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"So..."
"A painless awakening?"
Kiyohara stroked his chin thoughtfully.
If he truly awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan...
Then it would be time to think about his next objective.
That would be finding a way to preserve his eyesight and prevent himself from eventually going blind.
After all, blindness was the curse carried by every Mangekyo Sharingan.
Only the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan could completely break that curse.
Once it evolved into the Eternal Mangekyo, he would be free to use its ocular powers without any concern for losing his vision.
"It looks like you're really about to awaken it."
Uzumaki Kiyohara noticed the changes happening to him.
He realized that Kiyohara had unconsciously activated his Sharingan.
Those crimson eyes had become even deeper and brighter than before.
"Looks that way."
Kiyohara nodded as he gazed toward the shimmering sea in the distance.
He couldn't help feeling curious.
Just what kind of Mangekyo abilities...
...would his own eyes possess?
...
The next day.
Nine o'clock in the morning.
Conference Room, Hokage Tower.
By the time Kiyohara pushed open the conference room door, the room was already packed.
Both sides of the long conference table were filled with Konoha's jonin.
Most of them were representatives from the village's great clans.
A smaller number were civilian jonin who had risen to their positions purely through their own abilities.
Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga Clan, sat beside one of the windows with his arms folded, quietly resting with his eyes closed.
Across from him sat Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha Clan.
Beside him were several trusted clan members, including Uchiha Yashiro.
In one corner sat Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi, quietly discussing something among themselves.
Nearby were Aburame Shibi, Inuzuka Tsume, representatives from the other major clans, as well as civilian jonin who lacked clan backgrounds but had earned their ranks through sheer strength.
A rough count placed the attendance at well over fifty people.
The moment Kiyohara entered the room...
The atmosphere subtly shifted.
"Kiyohara has arrived."
"Commander."
"Lord Kiyohara."
Dozens of eyes turned toward him simultaneously.
Kiyohara's expression remained calm.
He simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Then he walked toward his assigned seat.
Along the way, many of those who had been seated stood up to greet him.
"Kiyohara, come sit over here."
Shikaku stood and pointed toward the empty seat beside him.
Kiyohara nodded politely.
But he continued walking.
Instead, he stopped beside Tsunade and took the vacant seat next to her.
Today, Tsunade wore her signature green haori over a gray sleeveless shirt.
She sat with one leg crossed over the other, her fair foot gently swinging back and forth.
"You're here?"
She turned her head to glance at him.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara nodded.
Unexpectedly, Tsunade leaned closer.
Her nose twitched lightly as she sniffed the air.
"Why do you..."
"...smell like leaves?"
Kiyohara froze for a brief moment.
The smell of leaves?
Was it left over from last night's experiment with Wood Release?
"I was probably at the training grounds for too long."
His face remained perfectly composed as he answered.
Tsunade looked at him suspiciously.
But she didn't continue questioning him.
More and more people entered the conference room.
At exactly nine o'clock, the doors opened once again.
Hiruzen walked inside.
He was dressed in his iconic Hokage robes, carrying his ceremonial hat in one hand.
Behind him followed Homura Mitokado...
Koharu Utatane...
And...
Shimura Danzo.
Bringing up the rear were several middle-aged men dressed in formal government robes.
They were officials from the Land of Fire.
Representatives sent by the Daimyo's government to supervise this Hokage election.
Hiruzen walked to the head seat.
However, instead of sitting down, he remained standing.
His gaze slowly swept across everyone present.
The conference room immediately fell silent.
"Today's meeting..."
"There is only one matter to discuss."
Hiruzen spoke slowly.
"The election of the Fourth Hokage."
Everyone present felt their hearts stir.
The position of Hokage, without question, stood at the very peak of power in Konoha.
Of course, ever since Hiruzen's administration, the authority of the Hokage was no longer as centralized as it had been under the First Hokage or the Second Hokage. Instead, governance had evolved into a system of shared power.
The Hokage's authority was balanced by the Hokage Advisors as well as officials from the Land of Fire.
This arrangement existed to prevent the Hokage from becoming an absolute dictator.
Even so, among all individuals in the village, the Hokage still possessed the greatest authority.
"According to the rules that have been followed since Konoha was founded," Hiruzen said as his gaze swept across everyone in the room, "the village leadership will first nominate the Hokage candidates, after which all the jonin will cast their votes to elect the next Hokage."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Now then..."
"The nomination process begins."
The atmosphere inside the conference room immediately became tense.
Danzo sat toward the back, his lone eye slowly sweeping over everyone present.
His gaze lingered on Kiyohara for a moment before moving away.
It shifted to Minato.
Finally, it settled on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru leaned casually against the back of his chair, a faint smile resting upon his pale face.
His golden slit pupils were only half open, making him appear completely unconcerned with everything happening around him.
But Danzo knew better.
Orochimaru cared.
In fact...
He cared more than anyone else.
After all, Orochimaru needed money.
His research required enormous funding.
The most effective way to obtain that funding was naturally to become Hokage.
"Orochimaru."
Danzo lowered his voice as he spoke to the man sitting beside him.
"When the nominations are announced, you'll be one of the strongest candidates."
Orochimaru turned his head toward him.
"Danzo. You seem awfully confident."
"It's not confidence."
Danzo slowly shook his head.
"It's simply the truth."
His expression remained full of certainty.
"You're one of the Legendary Sannin."
"You're Hiruzen's disciple."
"Your military achievements are extraordinary."
"Your prestige is among the highest in the village."
"You don't lose to anyone."
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"You're right."
"But..."
"Kiyohara doesn't seem inferior either."
Danzo's brows immediately furrowed.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Nothing."
Orochimaru withdrew his gaze.
"I merely feel that this election..."
"...may not be as simple as either of us expects."
Danzo fell silent.
His lone eye drifted back toward Kiyohara.
The young man sat quietly in his seat with a calm expression, as though the discussion had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Not a trace of emotion could be read from that handsome face.
Danzo unconsciously clenched his fist.
His knuckles gradually turned white.
Orochimaru noticed the subtle change in his mood and let out a quiet chuckle.
"There's no need to worry, Danzo."
His voice was so soft that only the two of them could hear it.
"No matter what..."
"I'm still Hiruzen-sensei's disciple."
"There will definitely be a place for me among the candidates."
Danzo stared at him.
This fellow...
...was deliberately playing with him.
Danzo had confidently declared that Orochimaru had nothing to worry about.
Yet Orochimaru had immediately remarked that this election wouldn't be so straightforward.
When Danzo showed concern, Orochimaru simply replied that he would at least have a place among the nominees.
"Hmph."
Danzo let out a cold snort.
Even if Orochimaru really became Hokage...
Danzo still possessed enough incriminating evidence against him.
If necessary, he could expose everything.
The resulting outrage would be more than enough to have Orochimaru impeached and removed from office.
The conversation between Danzo and Orochimaru had been quiet enough that it did not interrupt the meeting.
At that moment, Homura stood up and walked to the front.
He cleared his throat before slowly unrolling the scroll in his hands.
"Now..."
"I will announce the list of Hokage candidates."
The entire conference room held its breath.
Homura's eyes swept across the scroll before he slowly read the first name.
"Namikaze Minato."
Minato immediately stood.
He nodded politely toward everyone present.
Although Hiruzen had already informed him beforehand that he would be nominated, hearing his own name officially announced still filled him with excitement.
It truly felt as though the dream he had pursued for so many years was finally within reach.
Hiruzen was the first to applaud.
Soon afterward, every shinobi in the room began clapping as well.
The conference room was instantly filled with applause.
"As expected..."
Shikaku looked toward Minato.
"There was never much suspense about him."
Choza nodded in agreement.
Everyone had witnessed Minato's accomplishments firsthand.
There was nothing to debate.
If anything...
The truly unbelievable outcome would have been Minato somehow failing to become a candidate.
"Let's see who comes next."
Inoichi said curiously.
After the applause gradually died down, Homura continued reading.
"The second candidate..."
Every shinobi instinctively perked up their ears.
"Orochimaru."
The moment Homura finished speaking, applause erupted once more.
Orochimaru slowly rose to his feet.
"Heh..."
"So it's me..."
His golden slit pupils swept calmly across everyone in the room before finally settling upon Hiruzen.
Hiruzen met his gaze and gave a slight nod.
Orochimaru smiled faintly before sitting back down.
"If Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade had wanted to become Hokage..."
"They probably could have become candidates as well."
Inuzuka Hana whispered softly.
"That's true."
The elder beside her, Inuzuka Gaku, nodded.
"They're both members of the Legendary Sannin."
"They already earned tremendous prestige during the previous Great Shinobi War."
Since this was such an important occasion, neither of them had brought their shinobi hounds into the conference room.
Only a few members of the Inuzuka Clan accompanied them.
"Kid."
"Are you nervous?"
While the meeting continued, Tsunade looked toward Kiyohara with an amused smile.
She blinked playfully as her eyes carefully observed every subtle change in his expression.
"Not at all."
Kiyohara shook his head.
What was there to be nervous about?
He already knew the inside story.
Why would he feel anxious?
"Really?"
Tsunade deliberately leaned much closer.
Her mature, voluptuous figure nearly pressed against him.
Even so...
Kiyohara's expression remained completely unchanged.
Tsunade immediately found it rather boring.
No wonder she always lost to Kiyohara whenever they played Old Maid.
His control over his facial expressions was simply too incredible.
Thinking that, she straightened herself and turned her attention back toward the meeting.
Only after Tsunade looked away did Kiyohara glance at her.
Then...
He casually reached over and lightly patted her thigh.
The moment his palm landed, the soft flesh beneath the fabric visibly quivered.
He could clearly feel how soft and incredibly elastic it was.
Even though Tsunade rarely fought personally these days, she still maintained her physique exceptionally well.
Tsunade immediately turned back and shot him a glare.
Only then did Kiyohara calmly say,
"The next candidate..."
"...should be me."
Hearing those words, Tsunade temporarily forgot about him taking advantage of the opportunity to pat her thigh.
"Really?"
Suspicion filled her expression.
"If not the next one..."
"Then the one after that."
Kiyohara replied calmly.
Seeing how confident he looked, Tsunade couldn't help believing him a little.
Meanwhile, the meeting continued uninterrupted.
"The third candidate."
Homura looked down at the name written on the scroll.
"Kiyohara."
The instant that name was announced...
A wave of quiet discussion spread throughout the conference room.
Although everyone had already guessed that this would happen...
Actually hearing Kiyohara's name spoken aloud still caused many hearts to skip a beat.
Kiyohara.
An Uchiha.
The very first member of the Uchiha Clan in Konoha's history to be nominated as a Hokage candidate.
What did that signify?
Did it mean that the village leadership had finally begun accepting the Uchiha?
Did it mean that the Uchiha Clan had finally gained the opportunity to reach for the highest seat in the village?
Countless eyes immediately focused on Kiyohara.
He calmly stood.
"Thank you all for your confidence in me."
His tone remained composed.
After speaking those simple words, he quietly sat back down.
Tsunade turned toward him, the corners of her lips curling upward.
"Not bad."
She whispered softly.
Just like that, she decided to forgive him for patting her thigh moments earlier.
Kiyohara smiled slightly.
"Well..."
"I'm your disciple."
"Of course I'd have to perform well."
Hearing that, Tsunade couldn't help grinning proudly.
"Hehe."
The discussions throughout the conference room continued unabated.
Yet inside Fugaku's eyes...
There was a trace of disappointment that he simply couldn't hide.
At that moment, Uchiha Yashiro suddenly stood up.
Obvious anger covered his face.
"I object!"
His loud voice echoed throughout the conference room.
Everyone immediately turned to look at him.
Homura frowned slightly.
"What objection do you have?"
Yashiro pointed directly toward Fugaku.
"Why isn't Lord Fugaku on the candidate list?"
"He's the head of the Uchiha Clan."
"His military accomplishments are outstanding."
"His reputation is extremely high."
"On what grounds is he not qualified to become a candidate?"
The atmosphere inside the conference room immediately became delicate.
Some people exchanged glances.
Others quietly whispered among themselves.
Homura looked directly at Yashiro before speaking in an unhurried tone.
"The list of candidates was determined by the village leadership after comprehensively evaluating each person's military achievements, reputation, and overall strength."
"The Uchiha Clan..."
"...already has one representative."
Homura looked straight at Uchiha Yashiro.
"Since Konoha was founded..."
"No shinobi clan has ever produced two Hokage candidates in the same election."
(End of Chapter)