At that moment—
A hurried knock suddenly sounded from outside the door.
"Kiyoshi, are you home?"
Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow slightly.
That familiar voice…
He immediately knew who it was.
He walked toward the courtyard gate and opened it.
Standing there was Rin Nohara.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her breathing uneven, and a trace of fatigue lingered on her face—as if she had rushed all the way here.
"Rin Nohara… coming to see me this late?"
Kiyoshi's voice remained calm as his gaze briefly swept across her flushed face, which seemed even more radiant under the glow of the setting sun.
Rin lowered her head slightly, still catching her breath.
"I thought about it carefully… and I still wanted to ask you for advice…"
Before she could finish, she paused to take another breath and lifted her eyes.
Then—
She froze.
Kurenai… was standing right behind Kiyoshi.
"R-Red? What are you doing here?"
Rin's tone was filled with surprise.
She had always thought their relationship was limited to casual conversations at school.
But now—
Kurenai was already inside his house.
If she hadn't come today because of Kakashi…
She might never have known.
After all, to reach Kiyoshi's home, one had to enter the Uchiha compound, pass through guarded walls and gates, and endure that subtle feeling of being watched.
Rin had even asked an elderly couple selling pancakes nearby before finally finding the place.
Kurenai, on the other hand, looked just as surprised.
What was Rin doing here at this hour?
"I came to practice genjutsu with Kiyoshi. What about you?"
Kurenai's tone carried a hint of alertness.
Could it be…
That Rin also wanted private lessons?
Rin lowered her head, clearly uncomfortable revealing too much.
"I… just have something to discuss."
Her answer was vague.
"Kurenai, it's getting late. You should head home. Your father might start worrying."
Kiyoshi suddenly spoke.
"…Ah, right."
At the mention of her father, Kurenai quickly nodded.
Ever since her mother passed away,
Her father had been strict about her returning home early.
If she stayed out any longer—
He might come looking for her himself.
Kurenai glanced once more at Rin and Kiyoshi before turning away and leaving.
"What could it be…?"
As she walked, Kurenai frowned slightly.
Rin clearly had something important to say.
But if it was just a normal matter—
Why hide it from her?
Unable to figure it out, she could only push the thought aside.
After Kurenai left—
Kiyoshi leaned casually against the doorframe, looking at Rin, waiting for her to speak.
Rin hesitated for a moment before finally opening her mouth.
"Kakashi has been carrying his father's death in his heart… I'm worried he might do something reckless."
"Other than swordsmanship… is there any way to help him recover?"
A faint smile appeared on Kiyoshi's lips, as if he had already expected this question.
"Right now, Kakashi's focus should be on Lightning Release."
"I can tell… he's trying to develop his own jutsu."
"Lightning Release?"
Rin was slightly taken aback.
Now that she thought about it—
Kakashi had mentioned it a few times before.
Between ninjutsu and swordsmanship,
She was definitely more familiar with ninjutsu.
But Lightning Release…
Involved changes in chakra nature.
Something she had never truly learned.
"I… I've never studied Lightning Release."
She frowned slightly.
Kiyoshi smiled calmly.
"I know."
"You don't need to worry about mastering it completely."
"As long as you grasp the basics, you'll be able to share a common topic with Kakashi."
"That alone is enough."
Rin's eyes lit up instantly.
He was right.
Kakashi was distant, with very few friends.
If she could join him while he was researching Lightning Release—
They would naturally have more opportunities to interact.
"…Alright. Then I'll leave it to you, Kiyoshi."
Kiyoshi extended his hand slightly and said with a faint smile,
"Then let me teach you how to transform chakra into Lightning nature."
He invited Rin inside.
Night had already begun to replace the last traces of sunset.
A cool breeze passed through the courtyard,
And the surroundings grew quiet.
After pouring her a cup of tea,
Kiyoshi began explaining.
From techniques like Lightning Release: Lightning Finger to Lightning Release: Iron Body,
All of them shared the same foundational principle.
Even Lightning Release: Fierce Flash was no exception.
At the core of everything—
Was transformation.
To use elemental ninjutsu,
One had to change chakra into a specific nature.
For example—
The Chidori required chakra to become Lightning.
While the Rasengan…
Was merely shape transformation—
A dense, rotating sphere of neutral chakra.
After listening for a while,
Rin felt confused.
It was as if she understood something—
Yet understood nothing at all.
Kiyoshi noticed everything.
He hadn't expected her to understand from the start.
After all—
If she truly understood,
How could he proceed to the next step?
The truth was—
Rin didn't possess Lightning nature.
According to the records,
Her chakra affinities were Water, Fire, and Yang.
Without Lightning affinity,
Even if she managed to use such techniques—
Their power would be greatly reduced.
And understanding them would require far more time.
"Can't follow?"
Kiyoshi asked calmly.
Rin nodded, her expression slightly downcast.
"Don't worry."
"Give me your hand. I'll use another method."
Rin hesitated for a moment—
Then slowly extended her hand.
Kiyoshi took it gently.
Her hand was small.
Soft.
Smooth to the touch.
Rin, on the other hand, felt the warmth of his larger hand.
It was the first time…
She had held the hand of a boy her age.
A faint blush appeared on her ears.
At such a close distance,
She could even feel his breath.
Quickly, she shook her head, forcing herself to focus.
"I'll let you experience the process of Lightning chakra formation."
Kiyoshi said seriously.
Even though—
Part of it was merely theory.
Transforming neutral chakra into an elemental one was possible—
But it required extremely high-level control.
Like when Naruto shared the Nine-Tails' chakra with others,
Allowing them to experience and use it without harm.
And for Rin…
This lesson would become something far more complicated than she expected.
— End of Chapter —