Chương 70: Chapter 70: Keiko’s Hope

The night had fallen.

Under the moonlight, the ruins looked desolate. In the midst of the ruins, a small wooden cabin stood out, seeming slightly eerie.

In the clearing before the cabin, a campfire burned fiercely.

Over it hung a golden-brown wolf, skinned and gutted, roasting to perfection.

Golden droplets of oil occasionally dripped from the meat, creating a "sizzle" as they hit the flames, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.

Nearby, Karin sat timidly, her gaze fixed on the roasting meat, unable to stop herself from swallowing in anticipation.

Her stomach grumbled in response, her face turning red with embarrassment as she quickly averted her gaze.

"Hungry, aren't you, Karin?" Kiyoshi tore off a piece of cooked wolf meat.

With a lotus leaf conjured in his palm, he wrapped the meat carefully before holding it out to her with a warm smile.

"Here, eat up! Careful, it's hot."

Inside the cabin, Tsunade and Shizune were tending to a weakened Keiko, thoroughly examining and treating her fragile body.

As such, the dinner preparations fell entirely on Kiyoshi's shoulders.

"Huh? This…" Karin was stunned, unsure of how to react.

She hadn't expected him to offer her the first piece, and she stared in amazement at the gentle expression on Kiyoshi's face.

He held no arrogance, no condescension—just pure warmth. His not-so-tall figure seemed to glow, striking something deep within her.

"Thank you," Karin's nose stung, and her eyes welled up with tears beneath her glasses.

From as long as she could remember, no stranger had ever treated her with such kindness.

Even back in Kusagakure, people only saw her and her mother as outsiders, treating them with disdain and constant scorn.

"You're such a good person." she managed, biting into the savory meat, which tasted richer and more delicious than anything she'd ever had.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"There, there… don't cry," Kiyoshi gently patted her head, offering a comforting smile. Yet, deep down, he felt a pang of sympathy.

This world was indeed a harsh one. Some saw Konoha Village as a place of corruption, but for many, it was an unattainable paradise, a land where people could live with peace and stability.

"Kiyoshi, could you help prepare some porridge?" Shizune called from the cabin, instructing, "Keiko's body is too weak right now; she needs something light and easy to digest."

"Leave it to me." Kiyoshi replied with a smile.

Then he turned to Karin, whose face was still streaked with tears as she glanced worriedly toward the cabin.

"Don't worry," he reassured her gently, "Tsunade-sensei is one of the best medical ninjas in the world. Your mom will be fine."

"Thank you," Karin bit her lip, her hands clutching the roasted meat tightly as she nodded, trying hard to keep her tears in check. Yet, they fell stubbornly down her cheeks.

No one had ever treated her and her mother with such kindness.

In Kusagakure, they claimed to offer them shelter, but her mother always returned home utterly exhausted, her body covered in bite marks, unable to rest even for a day.

All they ever received were a few loaves of bread, sometimes even spoiled.

As Karin watched curiously, Kiyoshi took out a scroll and unrolled it, revealing intricate symbols and markings.

With a hand sign, a puff of smoke appeared, and to her amazement, rice, a pot, and seasonings materialized before her eyes.

"Wow…" she whispered, astonished, but still too shy to speak up.

"This is a storage scroll," Kiyoshi explained with a smile when he noticed her curiosity. "It lets you store items inside."

Then, he held his fingers together and summoned a steady stream of water from his fingertips, filling the pot with it.

After washing the rice and adding water, Kiyoshi pressed his right hand to the ground, and a low rumble shook the earth as small walls of earth rose around his hand, creating a makeshift stove to hold the pot.

He transferred some of the burning logs from the campfire, setting them beneath the pot to cook the porridge for Keiko.

His movements were efficient and precise, leaving Karin wide-eyed and speechless, her small mouth slightly open in awe.

"Is that…ninjutsu?" she asked, full of admiration as she looked up at Kiyoshi, who was only a few years older than her yet seemed so skillful.

"And…this cabin, did you make it appear too? You're amazing."

"It's nothing special…" Kiyoshi chuckled, gently patting her head. "I'm Ishikawa Kiyoshi. You can just call me Kiyoshi-nii."

"Kiyoshi-nii," she repeated softly, relaxing a little, her shyness melting away.

"Want to learn it? I can teach you," he offered, seeing her curiosity.

Karin's eyes lit up, but she still hesitated. "Really…? Can I?"

"Once you've eaten, I'll teach you how to control your chakra," he promised with a smile, checking the porridge's progress before tearing off another piece of wolf meat for himself.

In the shinobi world, everyone possessed chakra within them, though most didn't know how to harness it.

This was especially true for the Uzumaki clan, who were born with naturally potent chakra.

Even Keiko, who had never trained in ninjutsu and wasn't even a genin, had enough natural chakra to heal others.

'This girl's potential far surpasses Shizune's…' Kiyoshi mused as he finished the meat, contemplating quietly. 'She could very well be the perfect heir to pass on Tsunade's skills.'

Initially, he had intended for Danzo to take this mother-daughter pair to Konoha Village.

But since Tsunade had snatched them first, convincing Tsunade to take Karin on as her disciple didn't seem like a bad idea.

After all, Karin possessed a rare ability among the Uzumaki clan, making her an invaluable potential healer with excellent chakra control.

Kiyoshi was confident in his ability to master Tsunade's medical skills, but his ambitions extended beyond medicine alone.

Medical ninjutsu was just Root he needed to develop other secret techniques and forbidden jutsu.

In truth, Kiyoshi had a pragmatic outlook, seeing medicine as a means to an end rather than a calling.

He wasn't exactly compassionate. Once he achieved mastery, he had no intention of spending his days in hospital operating rooms treating the wounded and sick.

Compared to himself, Karin was better suited to inherit Tsunade's legacy as a healer—a true medical prodigy.

---------------

Guys do leave some power stones and reviews.

🤞patreon.com/plotplanner🤞

If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.

bình luận bình luận của 16

Bình chọn

Chương 71: Chapter 71: Five Elements

The next morning.

At dawn, Kiyoshi was already up, finishing his physical training and covered in sweat.

Under the surprised gazes of Keiko and Karin, he created five Wood Clones.

"Wood Clone Jutsu."

He tossed a ninjutsu scroll to each clone, assigning each to practice a different chakra nature transformation.

"Wind Release: Wind Cutter."

"Lightning Release: False Darkness."

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall."

...

Soon, the air was filled with roaring explosions.

Colorful, flashy ninjutsu painted the sky, vibrant and attention-grabbing. The ruins, already a dilapidated wreck, were getting bombarded and blown apart.

"Amazing…"

Karin was in awe.

"Kiyoshi, your chakra levels are getting more and more unbelievable." Shizune, watching from the side, was impressed.

"I thought you were just working on chakra nature transformation, but you're already training ninjutsu."

"I've already perfected all five chakra nature transformations: wind, lightning, fire, water, and earth. Further training won't add much."

Kiyoshi shrugged. "If I want to improve, I'll need to practice real ninjutsu or train my skills in the midst of intense combat."

He turned to Tsunade with a smile. "Then, Tsunade-nee, shall we start my medical ninjutsu training?"

"Mm." Tsunade nodded.

By now, she was used to Kiyoshi's startling talent.

This child defied all logic, an absolute prodigy. She was certain that even legends like the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara at his age couldn't possibly match such power.

If they were alive, Kiyoshi could have easily overpowered them.

Seeing Karin's eyes filled with admiration, Kiyoshi turned to Shizune and said, "Shizune-senpai, if you have time, could you teach Karin the basic Jutsus?"

"Her talent is great. Just yesterday, I taught her how to control and use chakra, and she picked it up quickly."

There was no denying it.

Karin was indeed a natural talent.

Under Kiyoshi's guidance yesterday, she quickly succeeded in controlling chakra after several attempts.

Though she'd just turned seven, as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, she possessed chakra far beyond an average person.

If she worked hard, it was by no means too late to start.

"Oh? Really?" Shizune looked at Karin in surprise and then smiled, nodding. "Leave it to me."

"Really? That's wonderful… Thank you so much."

Karin was overjoyed.

After seeing those dazzling ninjutsu, how could she not want to learn?

Keiko, who still looked slightly pale but was much improved thanks to Tsunade's healing, felt genuinely happy for her daughter.

In the chaotic shinobi world, only by gaining strength can one live securely.

Before, Karin never had the chance.

Now that someone was willing to teach her, she was thrilled and wouldn't object.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall "

Before long—

A huge rumble echoed from outside.

"Boom…"

The entire ruin shook violently.

The ground split open, a massive crack running down its center. On the other side, the ground rapidly rose, forming a towering wall over a hundred meters long.

An awe-inspiring sight.

"Water Release: Waterfall Basin Jutsu."

Almost at the same time, another of Kiyoshi's Wood Clones completed the hand seals.

"Splash…" An enormous stream of water gushed forth.

It cascaded down from above, transforming into a massive waterfall.

An impressive sight to behold.

The area beneath the waterfall quickly formed into a large basin, rapidly filling up with water to become a great pond.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu."

The clone practicing Fire Release made quick, intricate hand signs.

His mouth filled with intense chakra.

Then he exhaled forcefully.

"Whoosh…"

A blazing fire shot out.

The flames formed the head of a huge dragon, tinting the sky red.

Scorching waves of heat radiated out, pounding against everything in their path.

"Roar…" The fire dragon roared, slamming into the pond below.

"Boom, boom…"

A fierce wave of heat exploded outward.

The large pond was battered beyond recognition.

The waterfall above nearly broke off, its waters evaporating instantly in the intense heat.

The ground scorched, blackened, and cracked…

This breathtaking display left not only Keiko and Karin speechless but even Shizune, who knew Kiyoshi's strength well, was visibly stunned.

"Tsk tsk, brat, you're progressing way too quickly…"

Inside the wooden house, Tsunade was instructing Kiyoshi on medical techniques.

She watched the scene through the window, chuckling in awe. "Your control over the Five Elements is becoming more solid."

"At this rate, you'll probably surpass even the Third Hokage's mastery of the Five Elements in no time."

"Really?"

Kiyoshi's expression was calm, though his tone was playful. "I'm quite interested in surpassing the so-called 'strongest' Hokage."

"You brat…" Tsunade couldn't help but laugh.

Though, to be fair, she shared a bit of exasperation regarding Hiruzen's audacity. He even labeled himself as the 'God of Shinobi' in textbooks.

The thought alone was laughable.

"Though I wonder if you'll ever master the sage arts of Shikkotsu Forest."

It wasn't that Tsunade doubted Kiyoshi's potential.

But the sage techniques of Shikkotsu Forest were notoriously demanding.

Only those with the serene, conflict-free disposition of her grandmother had any real chance at mastery.

"Sage Jutsu?" Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Tsunade-nee, I remember the Wood Release scrolls left by the First Hokage contain forbidden sage-level Jutsus. Was his sage mode from Shikkotsu Forest?"

He was genuinely curious about the First Hokage, whose powerful Wood Release and immense chakra enabled what seemed like limitless sage mode.

"No, he didn't sign a contract with Shikkotsu Forest. The contract with Shikkotsu Forest was my grandmother Mito's…"

Tsunade shook her head. "My grandfather's sage jutsus were his own modified versions, based on the sage arts of Shikkotsu Forest and Mount Myoboku."

She patted Kiyoshi's head, her eyes filled with hope. Smiling, she said, "If it's you, maybe one day you'll manage it too."

Kiyoshi smiled without a word.

Sage Jutsus? He'd mastered them long ago.

---------------

Guys do leave some power stones and reviews.

🤞patreon.com/plotplanner🤞

If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.

bình luận bình luận của 13

Bình chọn