Kiyohara slowly raised his right hand, his palm facing the incoming repulsive force.
The Mangekyo Sharingan within his eyes spun at incredible speed.
"Ame-no-Minakanushi!"
An invisible repulsive force burst forth from his own palm.
The two invisible powers collided head on in midair!
BOOM!
It was as though two unseen forces had violently slammed into one another.
Konan could not actually see the energy itself, but she could clearly see the surrounding dust being swept up by the collision.
From a distance, it looked as though two masses of mist were struggling against each other.
The entire clearing trembled at that very moment.
A powerful shockwave quickly spread in every direction. Trees standing too close were uprooted instantly, shattered rocks were hurled into the sky, and cracks spread across the ground from the point of impact like an enormous spiderweb.
Yet Kiyohara remained completely motionless.
He stood firmly where he was without taking even half a step backward.
Meanwhile, the terrifying repulsive force simply dissipated before him as though it had never existed.
The Deva Path Pain narrowed his eyes slightly.
"...Interesting."
Behind the scenes, Nagato, who was controlling the Deva Path, could not hide the uncertainty growing within his heart.
What was happening?
Kiyohara could actually neutralize Shinra Tensei?
Wasn't that supposed to be an ability exclusive to the Rinnegan?
This was the first time Nagato had ever seen someone capable of using a technique so similar to his own.
Thinking of this, he began extracting even more chakra from every cell in his body.
Sharp pain gradually spread throughout him.
Nagato frowned.
As expected, he had pushed himself far too much recently.
Besides unifying the Land of Rain, he had also been contacting members of the Akatsuki, traveling through other countries to recruit capable individuals.
That very issue had caused a major disagreement between him and Yahiko.
Once enough chakra had been gathered, Nagato further increased the output of Shinra Tensei.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An even more overwhelming wave of repulsive force erupted from his palm.
This time, its power increased several times over.
It resembled an enormous invisible war hammer smashing mercilessly toward Kiyohara.
Kiyohara remained standing exactly where he was.
This time, he did not activate Ame-no-Minakanushi again.
He had only wanted to test the results of one dojutsu against another. Until the limitations of his Mangekyo Sharingan were completely resolved, he had no intention of using it repeatedly.
"Uchiha Flame Formation!"
Kiyohara raised his right hand and pressed it against the ground.
BOOM!
A crimson stream of chakra flames surged from his fingertips and rapidly spread across the earth.
In the blink of an eye, it traced an enormous circular pattern.
A blazing crimson barrier rose from the ground.
The barrier formed a massive cylinder composed entirely of roaring flames.
It stretched dozens of meters into the sky, completely enclosing Kiyohara within it.
Flames flowed continuously across its surface, while the surrounding air visibly distorted under the intense heat.
The repulsive force of Shinra Tensei slammed into the wall of fire.
BOOOM!
The entire barrier shook violently.
Flames scattered in every direction, and countless cracks spread across its surface like shattered glass on the verge of collapsing.
The moment those cracks appeared, Kiyohara poured another surge of chakra into the barrier.
The fractures immediately began healing.
The flames gathered together once more.
Within only a few breaths, the barrier had completely restored itself.
It stood there unwaveringly, blocking the terrifying repulsive force that was powerful enough to flatten everything before it.
The Deva Path Pain narrowed his eyes again.
The power of Shinra Tensei increased once more.
The flaming barrier shook even more violently, and cracks spread across its surface at an even faster rate.
But Kiyohara's chakra continued flowing into it without interruption.
The speed at which the cracks healed actually matched the speed at which they formed.
The two powers reached a complete stalemate.
Flames and repulsive force collided fiercely above the clearing, producing ring after ring of visible shockwaves that rippled through the air.
Nagato suddenly clasped his hands together before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"Nagato, that's enough!"
Seeing this, Konan immediately tried to stop him.
"Your body..."
Nagato ignored her.
The Deva Path continued moving under his control while his real body gasped heavily for breath.
Sweat poured from him like rain.
Even so, he refused to stop.
He wanted to know.
He desperately wanted to know exactly how powerful Kiyohara had become.
Then Nagato spat out another mouthful of blood.
"Cough!"
A cloud of blood burst into the air, staining the armrests of his wheelchair bright red.
The interruption in his chakra flow caused the Deva Path to freeze instantly.
The invisible repulsive force filling the air disappeared without a trace.
"Nagato!"
Konan appeared beside him in an instant.
"Stop fighting."
She pleaded softly.
Nagato wiped away the blood staining his body.
His gaze remained fixed on Kiyohara in the distance.
With a casual wave of his hand, Kiyohara dismissed the crimson flame barrier.
The rotating Mangekyo Sharingan gradually reverted into the familiar three tomoe before finally returning to ordinary black eyes.
"Let's end things here... for today."
Nagato had the Animal Path Pain cancel the Summoning Technique.
The Hellhound that had been battling Katsuyu instantly dissolved into a cloud of white smoke.
"The summoning has been released?"
The serpent princess Tagorihime also returned to her human form.
Looking into the distance, she saw that both Kiyohara and the various Pains had stopped fighting.
Seeing that the battle was over, she immediately headed toward Kiyohara.
A short while later, her graceful figure arrived at his side once more.
"Thank you for your hard work, Tagorihime."
Kiyohara smiled.
She glanced at him indifferently.
"It was nothing. I haven't stretched my body like this in quite a long time."
"Just don't use me as your hired muscle next time."
She shook her head lightly.
"The White Snake Sage wants to know when you'll be visiting Ryuchi Cave."
She spoke with a faint smile on her crimson lips.
"I'll make time to go."
Kiyohara explained that he had simply been too busy lately.
After receiving his answer, Tagorihime did not stay any longer.
She bid Kiyohara farewell before dissolving into white smoke and returning to Ryuchi Cave.
"Then Konan will leave with me for now."
Kiyohara looked toward Nagato.
Nagato nodded, reminding Konan to stay safe.
Several days later.
Near Kikyo Mountain in the Land of Fire.
Kiyohara stopped walking and looked toward a building hidden deep within the forest.
An orphanage.
Guren stood quietly beside him, tilting her head as she stared curiously at the unfamiliar building.
"Lord Kiyohara..."
she asked softly.
"Where... is this?"
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at her.
"An orphanage."
He answered calmly.
"Am I going to live here from now on?"
Guren asked with confusion.
After thinking carefully, she realized she really was an orphan.
"No. You're returning to Konoha. I simply have some business to take care of here."
Kiyohara explained.
At Guren's current age, she was already old enough to enroll in the Shinobi Academy.
The reason he had come here first was because he wanted to meet Yakushi Nono.
Kiyohara reached out and gently rubbed her little head.
"Let's go."
The group headed toward the orphanage together.
Konan curiously observed everything around her.
As soon as they reached the entrance, a thin young figure rushed out from inside the courtyard.
"Lord Kiyohara!"
After seeing him, Kabuto hurried over to greet him.
He was still wearing his familiar round glasses, and a cheerful smile rested on his face.
Stopping before Kiyohara, Kabuto respectfully bowed.
"Lord Kiyohara, you've arrived!"
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
"How have things been recently?"
"Very well!"
Kabuto nodded enthusiastically.
"The Director has taught me many things, and I've also been researching a few things on my own..."
As he spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted behind Kiyohara.
It landed on the little girl holding Rin's hand.
Blue hair.
A thin face.
Within those hollow eyes lingered a trace of caution.
Kabuto blinked.
"She is..."
"Guren."
Kiyohara answered simply.
Kabuto nodded before giving Guren a warm, friendly smile.
"Hello. My name is Yakushi Kabuto."
Guren merely stared at him in silence.
Her eyes remained filled with vigilance.
Kabuto's smile stiffened slightly.
He did not understand why, but the instant he saw this girl, an indescribable feeling of discomfort welled up inside him.
It was as though the two of them were destined to clash from the moment they met.
Shaking his head, he quickly forced the strange feeling out of his mind.
"The Director is inside."
He stepped aside.
"I'll take everyone in."
Kiyohara nodded and walked into the courtyard.
He had naturally noticed the atmosphere between Guren and Kabuto.
Even in the anime, the two had personalities that simply could not get along. Without Orochimaru keeping them in check, they probably would have started fighting long ago.
But with Kiyohara present, nothing would happen.
Inside the orphanage, children were happily playing throughout the courtyard.
The moment they saw Kiyohara enter, they immediately stopped what they were doing and enthusiastically waved toward him.
"Lord Kiyohara!"
"Kiyohara-sama is here!"
"Hello, Kiyohara-sama!"
Kiyohara gave them a slight nod in return.
Soon afterward, the children's attention shifted toward Guren and Konan standing behind him.
Feeling so many curious gazes gathering on her, Guren instinctively shrank behind Rin.
Rin gently tightened her grip on Guren's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't be afraid."
"They're all very friendly."
Guren nodded quietly, but she still did not step out from behind Rin.
At that moment, a graceful figure slowly walked out from inside the building.
Yakushi Nono.
She was wearing her familiar heavy black nun's habit.
"Kiyohara-kun."
She walked over to Kiyohara, her gaze naturally falling upon Guren and Konan standing behind him.
"And these are...?"
Nono was not particularly interested in the adult Konan. Instead, her attention was immediately drawn to Guren, who appeared to be around the same age as Kabuto.
"Her name is Guren."
Kiyohara replied.
Nono crouched down until she was at eye level with the little girl.
"Hello, Guren."
Her voice was as gentle as ever.
"My name is Yakushi Nono. I'm the director of this orphanage. From now on, you can call me Director Nono."
Guren silently looked at her without saying a word.
However, the vigilance within her eyes gradually lessened.
Nono did not mind the silence at all. She simply smiled before standing back up and looking toward Kiyohara.
Kiyohara then briefly explained Guren's background to her.
Only then did Nono fully understand the situation.
Actually, children like Guren were not uncommon.
Many of the children in the orphanage had been adopted under similar circumstances.
Kabuto himself was one such example.
The village where he had originally lived had been destroyed, and he had lost all of his memories.
It was because of that that Nono had given him the name Yakushi Kabuto.
Kiyohara reached into his clothes and took out a sealed scroll before handing it to Nono.
"This is the research funding for the coming period."
Nono accepted the scroll and opened it.
Inside were thick stacks of banknotes neatly packed together.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"This... this is so much?"
"Use it for now."
Kiyohara answered calmly.
"If it isn't enough, come find me."
Nono looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something.
But in the end, she merely nodded.
"I understand."
Night soon fell.
Inside one of the orphanage's rooms, Guren sat alone on the edge of her bed.
She had already taken a bath and changed into a clean set of pajamas.
Her damp blue hair rested over her shoulders, leaving faint wet marks upon her collar.
Her small face was filled with a dazed expression.
Everything that had happened recently felt like nothing more than a dream.
A clean house.
A soft bed.
Steaming hot meals.
People who smiled warmly at her.
She lowered her head and stared at her own hands.
They were no longer filthy.
No longer covered with cuts and wounds.
Instead, they were fair and clean.
She slowly clenched her fists.
At that moment, the door opened.
Kiyohara walked inside.
Guren immediately raised her head to look at him.
"Lord Kiyohara..."
He walked over and sat beside her on the edge of the bed.
"Do you know how to extract chakra?"
Guren froze for a moment before shaking her head.
"No."
Kiyohara nodded.
"I'll teach you."
He pointed toward his own chest.
"The largest chakra pathway system is centered around the heart. In the future, whenever you practice elemental release techniques, your chakra will need to pass through here before it can be transformed."
After saying that, Kiyohara patiently began teaching Guren the method of extracting chakra.
He gently extended one finger and touched her abdomen.
"This is the easiest place to begin sensing and extracting chakra."
Kiyohara explained.
Guren seemed to understand a little.
Then he continued.
"Close your eyes and feel it."
Guren obediently closed her eyes.
She could clearly feel the warmth of Kiyohara's fingertip through the thin fabric of her pajamas.
It formed a warm point against her abdomen.
Gradually...
That warmth became hotter.
Then something suddenly surged out from that very spot.
It was a kind of power she had never experienced before.
It flowed through invisible pathways inside her body, traveling throughout every part of her limbs and organs.
Guren slowly opened her eyes.
Almost instinctively, she raised one hand.
A pink crystal slowly began taking shape within her palm.
The crystal was perfectly transparent, sparkling with tiny rays of light across its surface.
Its sharp edges were exquisitely defined, resembling a blooming crystal flower.
Crystal Release.
Guren stared blankly at the beautiful flower.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
She could not believe she had created something like this herself.
"This is..."
"Crystal Release."
Kiyohara's voice came from beside her.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Even he had not expected Guren to unconsciously activate Crystal Release the very first time she successfully extracted chakra.
From that alone, it was obvious that Guren possessed extraordinary talent for Crystal Release.
That immediately reminded Kiyohara of another child living in the Land of Water.
Haku.
He could not help wondering whether he should recruit Haku someday as well.
After all, Haku was a true genius of Ice Release.
Following Zabuza around as a wandering shinobi was honestly a waste of such talent.
"What is Crystal Release?"
Guren looked down at the pink crystal flower before turning toward Kiyohara.
"It's your Kekkei Genkai."
Guren looked up at him.
"Kekkei Genkai..."
The term itself sounded unfamiliar to her.
Seeing her confusion, Kiyohara patiently explained.
"A Kekkei Genkai is an extremely rare power. Only a small number of shinobi possess one."
He reached out, took the crystal flower from her hand, and examined it beneath the room's lamp.
The light passed through the transparent crystal, casting colorful reflections upon the surrounding walls.
"Train hard."
"It will become your greatest weapon."
Kiyohara genuinely believed Crystal Release was one of the more powerful Kekkei Genkai.
It was created through the combination of Water Release chakra and Wind Release chakra.
Its wielder possessed the terrifying ability to instantly crystallize any enemy or object they touched.
Once the crystal shattered, whatever was sealed inside would shatter along with it.
Unfortunately, Crystal Release also had a very obvious weakness.
It struggled greatly against sound-based attacks.
If Guren were ever forced to fight someone like Kurenai, who also had considerable understanding of techniques involving sound and sensory manipulation, the battle would become extremely difficult for her.
"Can... can I become stronger?"
She looked at Kiyohara with hope in her eyes.
"Strong enough..."
"So that no one can ever bully me again?"
Kiyohara lowered his head and met her gaze.
"Of course you can."
He smiled gently.
After all, shinobi who specialized in sound-based attacks were extremely rare.
As long as nothing unexpected happened, Guren's future would at the very least reach the level of a Jonin.
"Get some rest."
Kiyohara stood up and walked toward the door.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll personally teach you how to train."
Guren nodded enthusiastically.
"Okay!"
Kiyohara pushed open the door and walked out.
The room was once again left with only Guren inside.
She lowered her head and stared at her own palm.
She could still vaguely feel the touch of the crystal flower that had rested there moments ago.
She slowly clenched her fist.
"Crystal Release..."
"I'll... become stronger."
After walking only a few steps down the hallway, Kiyohara encountered Nono.
She was standing quietly around the corner, as though she had been waiting for him.
"Kiyohara-kun."
She spoke softly.
"That child..."
"...is very special."
Kiyohara nodded.
"She possesses the Crystal Release bloodline limit."
Nono's eyes widened slightly.
"Crystal Release?"
"That's right."
Kiyohara looked at her.
"How has the experiment been progressing recently?"
He was referring to the research project that he had entrusted to both Kabuto and Nono.
"The experiment has been progressing very smoothly."
"We've successfully cloned another batch of Samehada, and then..."
Nono carefully reported the latest developments.
After listening for a while, Kiyohara realized the progress had exceeded even his own expectations.
Later that night.
On the roof of the orphanage.
After their discussion had ended, Kiyohara climbed onto the rooftop.
A cool night breeze drifted across the mountains, carrying the refreshing scent unique to the wilderness.
He stood quietly beneath the night sky.
The matter occupying his thoughts was how to obtain the History of Warring States Seals.
That book contained an enormous number of fuinjutsu techniques.
Naturally, Konoha would never hand it over so easily.
Unless...
He became the Hokage.
Or at least someone who stood just below the Hokage while holding immense political authority.
"Hmm..."
"The final selection should be happening soon."
Kiyohara silently calculated.
The Hokage candidates had already been decided.
The person who would truly inherit the title of Hokage would likely be chosen within the next few days.
Personally, Kiyohara believed his chances of winning were quite high.
In his eyes, only one person truly qualified as competition.
Namikaze Minato.
As for Orochimaru...
He was little more than someone accompanying the race.
Kiyohara simply did not believe the Third Hokage was completely unaware of everything Orochimaru and Danzo had been doing behind the scenes.
Hiruzen even knew at least part of Yamato's existence.
How could someone like him possibly be ignorant of Orochimaru's and Danzo's secret activities?
What Hiruzen had failed to realize was that Orochimaru's experiments had gone far beyond anything he had imagined.
Human experimentation had become an everyday occurrence for him.
While Kiyohara remained lost in thought, faint footsteps sounded behind him.
He turned around.
It was Rin.
She walked over and stopped beside him.
Like him, she lifted her head and quietly gazed at the bright full moon hanging in the sky.
"Kiyohara-kun."
She spoke softly.
"Hm?"
"Tell me..."
"...what do you think is on the moon?"
Kiyohara turned his head and looked at her.
The moonlight illuminated her delicate features.
Within her warm brown eyes was reflected the bright full moon itself.
"Do you want to know?"
Kiyohara asked.
"I wonder whether the moon is really like the stories from mythology."
Rin said curiously.
"If we get the chance, I'll take you there."
Kiyohara shook his head slightly.
Even now, there still existed a passage connecting the Earth and the moon.
Anyone who traveled through that route could instantly cross more than three hundred thousand kilometers and arrive upon the moon.
That was one of the contingencies left behind by Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
After all, even the members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan living on the moon could not casually traverse such an unimaginable distance using only ninjutsu or taijutsu.
"Hamura Ōtsutsuki's chakra..."
Kiyohara gently touched one of his eyes.
If he reached the moon and obtained Hamura's chakra...
There was a good chance he could finally begin nurturing the Tenseigan.
Of course, accomplishing that would be extraordinarily difficult.
"Take me there?"
Rin smiled helplessly, believing Kiyohara was simply telling a fanciful story.
After all...
How could anyone possibly travel to the moon?
(End of Chapter)