Kiyoshi's sensory perception continued to sharpen at this moment.
With a slight twitch of his nostrils, he could smell the scent of the wood in the hall, the damp stone of the cavern, and even the lingering trails left by the giant snakes crawling outside. Vague outlines deepened within his mind.
With his eyes closed, he smelled the scent of nature. He saw the vision of nature. The surroundings became surreal, flashing with kaleidoscopic scenes. Gradually, the colors merged together—gathering all colors, yet seemingly unrelated to any—a brand-new hue. A color difficult to describe in words.
Kiyoshi knew that was the color of natural energy within Ryuchi Cave!
The eyes he had closed at some point suddenly snapped open. Faint black markings formed eyeshadow around his sockets, and within them, his black pupils had transformed into golden vertical slits.
The silhouettes of the White Snake Sage, Orochimaru, Anko, and the three Hime overlapped and trembled in Kiyoshi's vision, as if seen through a constant afterimage. Time was slowing down. Kiyoshi's senses came to a standstill in this moment.
"Sss... ha."
After taking a breath, white mist involuntarily escaped Kiyoshi's mouth. The surrounding natural energy rapidly gathered on the surface of his body, and a brilliant cyan-green light flared up, as if he were draped in a magnificent, glowing cloak, illuminating the dim hall.
The green radiance cast a layer of emerald over everyone's afterimages. Those streams of green light formed from natural energy condensed into illusory spirit snakes, coiling around Kiyoshi within the flickering, burning cyan-green cloak.
"You have comprehended the Trait: [Natural Grace (Purple)]."
[Trait: Natural Grace (Purple)]
[Requirement: Natural Energy Affinity reaches the minimum standard.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: Your physical body has undergone an unknown change; 'Natural Energy' is stored within your flesh, increasing its accumulation by 100% on its original basis.
You have received the grace of nature; your aura is synchronized with the frequency of the natural world. While standing on the earth, the absorption efficiency of natural energy is increased by 100% on its original basis.
You are able to hear the voices of 'Beasts' and understand their emotions.
The seeds of Wood Style have begun to derive within your body; the maturity time depends on the strength of your vitality.]
[Note: Can be upgraded further.]
As the notification for the new trait finished, Kiyoshi's form stabilized. The afterimages of the people and objects around him became solid, no longer overlapping. Surges of power welled up from the deepest parts of his body.
"No wonder they always looked at me strangely; it must have been because of the natural energy affinity," Kiyoshi realized.
[Flying Bird (Green)] increased natural energy affinity by 20%; combined with [Soaring the Heavens (Blue)] at 40%, he already had a 60% affinity. For people of the ninja world, even a 1% increase in affinity would be an incredible feat, because simply no one could achieve it.
The Jugo clan only attracted natural energy passively in a violent rush—the energy didn't care if the host lived or died. Even Sage of Six Paths Naruto, in the later stages, relied on the Nine-Tails to help gather natural energy to refine into Senjutsu Chakra. Otherwise, he most likely would have died under Sasuke's Indra's Arrow. From beginning to end, natural energy had never treated him with any special favor.
It was the same during the god-tier battles of the Boruto era. The status of natural energy always existed; rather, the Otsutsuki clan planted Divine Trees everywhere precisely because they wanted natural energy, fighting tooth and nail for it.
Now, counting the newly obtained [Natural Grace (Purple)], Kiyoshi had a terrifying 160% additive bonus.
"Is this the power of a Sage?"
Kiyoshi raised his hand, which flickered with cyan-green light. Compared to Kabuto Yakushi's so-called "evolving from a snake to a dragon" to obtain a "Perfect Sage Mode," his form looked more like Mitsuki, the clone Orochimaru raised in Boruto.
Orochimaru had created numerous clones, repeatedly wiping their memories until Mitsuki finally entered Sage Mode. Mitsuki's Sage Mode looked very similar to Kiyoshi's current state.
However, Kiyoshi could feel that this Sage Mode hadn't reached its limit yet. The cyan-green light on his skin was a Sage Cloak formed by natural energy pulling on his own chakra. It was just like a Jinchuriki's Tailed Beast Cloak.
At this stage, Kiyoshi had only mastered the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave. There were still the Sage Modes of the other two Great Holy Lands and the Cursed Seal mode waiting for him to learn.
Kiyoshi was curious—what traits would those grant him, and to what extent would they perfect his Senjutsu? Would his body mutate further in that state? He touched the two horn-like growths on his forehead; they seemed to be in their infancy, waiting to grow. Whether they could be used in combination was still unknown.
That required verification. Even if they couldn't be stacked, Kiyoshi could use the four different cultivation methods to create the optimal version of Senjutsu.
"Hiss, hiss..."
The white snake in his sleeve coiled even tighter, its tongue constantly licking Kiyoshi's skin. The "hissing" sounds that he previously had to guess at were now clear to him. It was saying, "So fragrant."
"The animal communication ability of the Jugo clan," Kiyoshi thought. In the original work, Jugo could understand the language of animals; now, he possessed the same power. It was a decent auxiliary skill.
In the vast ninja world where all things grew, aside from various summoned beasts, there were mostly ordinary creatures. Kiyoshi's ability to gather intelligence in the wild would increase drastically.
"In hundreds of years, you are the first human to master the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave."
The White Snake Sage flicked her tongue. Looking at Kiyoshi's brand-new form, she laughed once more. This was the power Orochimaru had sought in vain; countless skeletons were buried outside this hall because of it. Even in a place like Mount Myoboku, countless people failed their Senjutsu training and turned into toad stone statues.
Her place wasn't one you could just enter and leave as you pleased. If one couldn't carry the natural energy she injected through her fangs, they would turn into a snake—and she would swallow them whole during the process.
"Kiyoshi, you truly have the aptitude..." Orochimaru's eyes glittered. The power of Senjutsu was a technique he had failed to master. The Cursed Seals he developed later could be considered products of mimicking Senjutsu. Which was superior, he didn't even know himself. Perhaps Kiyoshi could give him the answer.
"It is all thanks to Lord Orochimaru's help," Kiyoshi said indifferently. As he spoke, a slender, forked tongue was vaguely visible in his mouth. Besides the Senjutsu of Ryuchi Cave, Orochimaru still had many uses.
Regarding biological research, Orochimaru's value had not been fully squeezed dry. In this field, Orochimaru was far ahead, belonging to the most advanced echelon of the ninja world.
"By the way, can my summoned beast transform into a human like you?" Kiyoshi lifted his sleeve, revealing the white snake.
"This little fellow..." Tagitsuhime had noticed the white snake on Kiyoshi since their first meeting. Compared to beings like them who had lived for centuries, the white snake was indeed too small. It didn't even count as a fraction of their long lives.
"If its aptitude is good, it might succeed after training in Ryuchi Cave for several hundred years. If its aptitude is bad, it will take a thousand. Of course, that's provided it can live that long. Even Garaga isn't certain," Tagitsuhime said plainly. They didn't have the convenience humans did with ninjutsu; their greatest advantage was their incredibly long lifespans. With such an advantage, they would eventually learn all sorts of techniques.
The summoned beast Kiyoshi had contracted wasn't a snake born in Ryuchi Cave, so its lifespan was hard to say. Even in Ryuchi Cave, snakes capable of mastering Senjutsu and refining Senjutsu Chakra were rare.
Deep in the nest of the most violent giant snakes lived a red snake named Garaga; he had allegedly just been betrayed by his contracted ninja and lost an eye, spending his days in a fit of rage below. The surrounding snakes hated his foul temper. If Garaga knew Senjutsu, how could he have ended up like that?
"I see." Hearing this, Kiyoshi abandoned the idea. It took too long.
"White Snake Sage, I wish to ask about the location of the Sages of the other two Great Holy Lands."
Kiyoshi spoke. The White Snake Sage, Katsuyu Sage, and Great Toad Sage were figures of the same era, living since Kaguya's time. They definitely had interactions and knew about each other. Furthermore, besides the mysterious Katsuyu Sage, the White Snake Sage and Great Toad Sage both had the power to foresee the future and see through destiny.
The Great Toad Sage relied on dreams while sleeping, while the White Snake Sage relied on her ears, which could hear many events happening in the ninja world. She could even use an 'Ideogram Wave' to record and play images, making past experiences reappear. They definitely knew each other's locations!
"Haha, greedy boy. That is something you must find for yourself." The White Snake Sage's tail struck the ground, creating a booming sound. Learning one Sage Mode was already the pursuit of a lifetime. This kid actually wanted to learn the others; he was truly greedy. A thousand years ago, the Sage of Six Paths only knew the Sage Mode of those toads from Mount Myoboku.
"Heh heh, Kiyoshi, once you have finished adapting to this new power, let us return," Orochimaru said. The White Snake Sage was no kind soul; her personality was eccentric. Ryuchi Cave was simply a bloody, primitive place where failed travelers were eaten. If they didn't claim to be Sages and teach Senjutsu, they would have long been classified as demons.
"Very well," Kiyoshi nodded. Standing still, he could sense that Orochimaru's body was covered in numerous summoning formulas. After losing his hands, Orochimaru relied on these formulas to release summoning ninjutsu.
The current Orochimaru had even more drawn on him than his future self, and they were hidden very deeply. Normally, even if Kiyoshi spread his Yang Style chakra to enter sensory mode, he wouldn't sense them. This was the most prominent feature of Sage Mode—a massive enhancement in sensory ability.
"Sage Art: Fire Style: Lightning Fire Sword."
Suddenly, crimson flames and black lightning appeared in Kiyoshi's hand. The two intertwined and spiraled, looking like a slender straight blade or a constantly spinning drill.
Red and black clashed relentlessly, the thunder and fire roaring. Kiyoshi had obtained the [Lightning Fire Sword (Blue)] trait long ago, which allowed him to use such chakra coatings. Now, augmented with Senjutsu Chakra, its power was doubled.
"This way, I won't have to rely too much on my ninja blade," Kiyoshi thought. The current power of Sage Art: Fire Style: Lightning Fire Sword was sufficient; it didn't matter if he had a blade or not. With the current strength of his blade, it only served as the icing on the cake.
He no longer needed the chakra metal on it to assist in conducting chakra or to enhance power. One point five meters seemed long, but it was too short in ninja combat. To make the blade keep up with his battles, he would need another technique.
That was Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation! This was a ninjutsu that could breathe life into inanimate, inorganic objects and control them. It wasn't simply using chakra to manipulate matter; under the effect of this technique, inorganic objects moved rapidly.
Theoretically, Kiyoshi could control all sorts of other inorganic matter to merge with his blade, or even give the blade life. Unfortunately, this technique was not a heritage of Ryuchi Cave; it was a Senjutsu independently developed by Kabuto Yakushi and required hand seals.
Given that Kiyoshi had Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode and could compare it to the original work's performance, he would likely have to explore for a while to reverse-engineer it.
Soon, five minutes passed. The spirit snakes on Kiyoshi's body became transparent and illusory, and the cyan-green cloak gradually dissolved into scattered green dots. His physical mutation returned to normal. It was a strange sensation—like an astral projection, shedding a mortal shell to become incredibly light. Now, he was wearing the heavy physical body again, feeling the weight of the world.
"See the guests out." The White Snake Sage transformed back into her human form, the appearance of an old woman. Tagitsuhime nodded and waved her hand. The dim, empty hall gradually became illusory, merging into the mist.
Kiyoshi's group returned to the outside world. Having entered Sage Mode once, Kiyoshi could sense the existence of natural energy. At this moment, the concentration plummeted. They had clearly left the separate dimension of Ryuchi Cave and returned to reality.
"Let's go, Kiyoshi-kun," Orochimaru smiled. Kiyoshi nodded, tucked Anko under his arm, and followed Orochimaru's rapidly departing figure.
"Hey, hey, hey! I can walk by myself!" Anko's shouting faintly carried through the wind.
...
"Lord White Snake Sage, after that fellow withstood the natural energy, the natural energy in the vicinity seems to favor him even more," Tagitsuhime said uncertainly.
"That boy's destiny is very peculiar; even I cannot see through it," the White Snake Sage said meaningfully. Everyone has a fated destiny that no one can escape. Thus, that fellow, the Great Toad Sage, created the so-called "Child of Prophecy," convinced he would change the world.
Yet the Uchiha brat who came today was like a mass of mist, recklessly interfering with these fated destinies. Interesting, truly interesting.
"You three can also walk more in the mortal world in the future." Having said that, the White Snake Sage narrowed her eyes as if falling into a deep slumber.
...
Hidden Grass Village.
"It seems those Leaf ninjas that day were simply passing through." The high-ranking officials of the Hidden Grass Village looked at Muku, whose face was wrapped in bandages. "They entered the Land of Grass directly from the Land of Fire. The ninjas stationed there have identified them—it was Orochimaru of the Sannin leading the team."
"But who was that Uchiha?" Muku asked, raising his primary concern. Ryuzetsu asked from the side.
"Kiyoshi Uchiha, an Uchiha genius who has been active on the battlefield recently." The officials then shared some of Kiyoshi's intelligence. Every nation has intelligence on the geniuses of other nations; it is a necessary measure.
"Kiyoshi... Uchiha." Muku clenched his fists tightly. He could still remember the scene of Kiyoshi stroking Ryuzetsu's white hair and taking advantage of her. He would avenge Ryuzetsu sooner or later!
...
Several days later, Kiyoshi returned to Leaf.
The front lines were still deadlocked. Simply showing signs of gaining the upper hand in the war against the Land of Earth was far from enough; several other Great Nations were watching like tigers.
Once one fell from the position of a Great Nation, even if they could survive the annexation by others, ambitious small nations would reveal their fangs and take a share.
"The Fire Style Jonin trait is almost full." Kiyoshi closed his eyes, feeling the experience transmitted from his puppet clones. With this technique, Kiyoshi had become a multi-tasking operation. While occasionally enduring the pain and exhaustion of the clones, he also gained a new trait.
[Pain Transfer (Green)]: Effect allows the use of chakra to offset a portion of pain. This allowed Kiyoshi to raise his pain threshold while also trying to deploy more puppet clones. At the moment, it was only a green trait; with more triggers, he might obtain a blue or purple one.
It was also on this day that Fugaku recalled all clan members for a secret assembly. Today was not the day for a regular secret assembly, and many clan members speculated if something major was about to happen. Kiyoshi took his seat. His seat had been moved to the very front section, and he specifically sat next to Mikoto.
"Sister Mikoto." Kiyoshi took out a few pieces of candy. Mikoto politely refused, but she couldn't stop Kiyoshi from insisting.
"This is a serious place, don't eat them," Mikoto tucked the candies away, her beautiful eyes fixed on Kiyoshi. She was afraid he already had one in his mouth; if that were the case, he'd have to chew and swallow it quickly.
"Sister Mikoto, don't you find sitting here doing nothing boring?" Kiyoshi turned his head. Mikoto was wearing casual daily clothes today—a black long-sleeved top that vaguely revealed her collarbones and fair skin. The curve of her shoulders was smooth. Though not very old, she had the unique plumpness of a young woman, yet she carried a mature richness.
Despite the richness, her tight trousers formed a protruding curve as she knelt. Her top was long, covering the view from behind. However, from Kiyoshi's perfectly placed position, he could see the trousers in the back. Mikoto's hips... were round, and the part connecting to her thighs didn't have a trace of extra fat.
It simply made it impossible to look away. Sister Mikoto really gets more charming as she grows. This fruit was completely ready to be picked. Kiyoshi could feel his eyeballs throbbing. This pupillary power would not lie to him.
"Hmm? Is there something on my face?" A hint of suspicion flashed in Mikoto's eyes as she touched her beautiful face.
"My gaze is on it."
"Then your gaze is truly deep..." Mikoto couldn't help but laugh softly. Even though Kiyoshi had grown taller and stronger than her, in her heart, she still felt he was that little child who had just moved into the Uchiha clan.
Now, it was like a precocious child saying some nonsense. Mikoto laughed for a bit, then stopped. She noticed that the scent of blood and hostility on Kiyoshi had decreased. He gave off a peaceful feeling—as if facing not a person, but a tranquil mountain after rain, possessing an ethereal aura.
As Kiyoshi and Mikoto whispered quietly, Fugaku finally began the assembly. As the clan leader, he sat alone at the front, facing the clan. Fugaku's face looked a bit thinner, his high cheekbones visible. Likely under constant slander, Fugaku had also experienced the pain Sakumo Hatake once felt.
"The war has reached its current stage, yet there is still no sign of a ceasefire. And now, the Hyuga clan has had an instance of a Byakugan leaking." This heavy news struck the heart of every Uchiha. Kiyoshi's origin could only be said to be a mistake made when the Uchiha left the Land of Lightning in the past.
They didn't know, and the Land of Lightning didn't know either; otherwise, Kiyoshi would have long ago become a member of the Cloud Village. But now, a Byakugan had been stolen while the host was alive. This meant the Uchiha clan could also have their Sharingan stolen at any time, especially with a case like Kakashi's successful transplant.
"Who was it?" Setsuna Uchiha asked darkly.
"A Hidden Mist Jonin named Ao. He stole the Byakugan of a Hyuga main house member, Nobuhiko Hyuga." Fugaku spoke. He had just returned from the front lines and learned quite a bit of intelligence. The Hyuga clan moved south to defend against the Land of Water.
During that time, the Mist forces launched a surprise attack, and many Hyuga members died. Crucially, there were main house Hyuga members among them. Without the protection of the Caged Bird Curse Mark, the Byakugan was taken directly.
"This..." The faces of many Uchiha changed on the spot. Once the floodgates opened, it would only lead to more frantic testing. There might even be cases of betrayal within the village to secretly transplant the Sharingan or Byakugan.
Listening to the clan members' discussion, Kiyoshi was calm. The time had come. After Ginka's fiancé had his Byakugan stolen, he would surely face severe punishment.
"The Hokage has already issued orders; our Uchiha clan must go to support the Hyuga clan." After Fugaku said this, he slowly scanned the clan members. After the initial frenzy, the wave of anti-war sentiment had arrived. Even within the Uchiha clan, there were people who advocated against the war.
"I will go." Kiyoshi stood up and spoke suddenly. He was the first one among all the Uchiha to speak. Countless eyes flashing with red light looked toward Kiyoshi in unison.
***
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