A few days later.
At the main gate of Konoha.
Kiyohara stood at the entrance with an elite squad assembled behind him.
In the middle of the formation, the Fourth Raikage A, Killer B, and Yugito Nii were being escorted inside a prison carriage.
All three of them wore special restraint suits covered from top to bottom with intricate sealing formulas. The countless fuinjutsu inscriptions acted like invisible chains, locking every trace of chakra firmly inside their bodies.
At that moment, Tsunade walked over to Kiyohara's side.
Her exquisitely beautiful face still carried a trace of laziness, making it obvious that she had not fully woken up yet.
"You're only bringing this many people?"
She glanced over the squad behind him and frowned slightly.
Her gaze lingered on the ANBU shinobi for a moment before returning to Kiyohara.
"Even if Kumo agreed to the conditions, there's no guarantee they won't go back on their word. Shouldn't we send another squad along just in case?"
"No need."
Kiyohara shook his head.
"As long as I'm there, it's enough."
The reason he had brought these ANBU members was mainly because he intended to station them permanently at the military base that would soon be established inside the Land of Lightning.
They would become the backbone of that new base.
As for the routine work around the perimeter, the Kumogakure shinobi could handle those miscellaneous duties themselves.
"I suppose that's true."
Tsunade nodded.
During the Nine Tails disaster, Kiyohara had completely suppressed the rampaging Nine Tails with Wood Release alone, leaving the beast utterly incapable of resisting.
With power like that, he truly did not require a large escort.
The two of them boarded one of the carriages while the escorting force followed behind.
Teleporting so many people at once would require an enormous amount of chakra. The stronger the target's chakra, the more difficult it became to transport them.
Furthermore, Kiyohara had never left any Flying Thunder God kunai within the Land of Lightning.
Because of that, they had chosen to travel by carriage this time.
There were two carriages in total.
One carried Samui and the other Kumogakure prisoners.
The other was reserved for Kiyohara and Tsunade.
The ANBU members handled both the escort and the security of the convoy.
"We've got another long journey ahead of us."
Tsunade stretched lazily.
As she raised her arms above her head, her generous chest trembled noticeably with the movement.
"If we run into somewhere interesting along the way, we can always stop and rest for a while before continuing."
Kiyohara spoke casually.
He was in no hurry to reach Kumogakure.
"Really?"
Tsunade looked at him with brightened eyes.
She had recently heard that several towns within the Land of Fire had introduced new gambling machines, and she had been wanting to see them for herself.
"Of course."
Kiyohara nodded.
He then took out a scroll containing Wood Release techniques and began studying it once more.
Reading while chatting with Tsunade was hardly difficult for someone with his level of mental control.
Hashirama had created an enormous number of Wood Release techniques throughout his lifetime.
Every one of them would eventually become nourishment for Kiyohara's own mastery.
…
Inside the other carriage.
Samui wore heavy shackles around her wrists.
The dull gray metal cuffs were engraved with dense fuinjutsu formulas that tightly bound her chakra.
Compared to the other prisoners, her treatment was considerably better.
At the very least, she was not wrapped inside one of those restrictive sealing suits that turned a person into what looked like a tightly wrapped dumpling.
Yugito sat beside her.
The sealing suit around Yugito's body was even tighter than everyone else's, pressing deeply against her skin and leaving faint reddish marks along her arms.
"Samui..."
Yugito barely moved her lips.
Her voice was so quiet it was almost nothing more than the vibration of air.
"Kiyohara... didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"
Samui's eyelashes trembled faintly.
She lowered her head and stared silently at the shackles around her wrists.
"No."
She answered softly.
Yugito asked nothing further.
Yet something about Samui's answer felt... wrong.
She could not explain exactly what felt strange.
But she noticed something hidden beneath Samui's collar.
Just below her collarbone.
A black marking.
Only a tiny edge of it could be seen, like the end of some mysterious pattern.
Did Samui already have a tattoo before?
Yugito frowned slightly.
Shinobi with tattoos were nothing unusual.
Samui's younger brother Atsui had one.
Killer B had tattoos.
The Fourth Raikage also had tattoos.
So seeing one by itself was not particularly suspicious.
Walking at the very front of the group was the Fourth Raikage.
The restraint suit stretched tightly across his broad body.
Although months of imprisonment had noticeably reduced his muscular build, his enormous frame remained impossible to hide.
His expression was dark.
His brows were tightly knitted together while his lips remained firmly shut.
Ever since the day Kiyohara had captured him, he had spoken very little.
It was not because he did not want to speak.
Rather, he no longer knew what words he could possibly say.
He was the Raikage.
The strongest shinobi in Kumogakure.
The man who was supposed to protect his village.
And yet he had become a prisoner.
His own village now had to surrender territory and pay reparations just to bring him home.
That humiliation hurt far more deeply than any wound he had ever suffered.
Killer B walked beside him.
Unlike his brother, he very much wanted to talk.
After being imprisoned for so long, finally seeing sunlight, mountains, and rivers again put him in an unusually good mood.
He constantly tapped against his thigh, keeping a rhythm.
If the restraint suit had not sealed away his chakra, he probably would have already started rapping.
"Oh yeah! Your man is finally heading home!"
"The sky above Kumogakure! Blue clouds all around!"
"Shut up."
The Fourth Raikage interrupted him without even turning his head.
"Yes, Brother."
Killer B obediently closed his mouth.
...
Several more days passed.
Toward evening, the convoy stopped outside a small town.
The town was not very large.
One main street stretched from north to south with rows of modest buildings lining both sides.
Kiyohara ordered the ANBU to establish camp in a nearby forest outside the town.
The ANBU immediately dispersed.
Some climbed into the trees to establish lookout positions.
Others erected sensory barriers around the campsite.
The Fourth Raikage, Killer B, and Yugito were placed inside a temporary barrier erected specifically for them.
Three ANBU shinobi guarded them in a triangular formation, preventing any possibility of escape or secret movements.
As for bathroom breaks, Kiyohara did not deliberately make things difficult for Samui and Yugito.
Most of the ANBU assigned to this mission were female shinobi.
Whenever they needed to leave, female ANBU would escort them.
However, something as luxurious as taking a bath would simply have to wait.
Yugito leaned against a large tree.
Her legs were stretched out in front of her while her back rested against the rough bark.
Her eyes drifted across the camp.
They settled on Kiyohara.
He was standing on the opposite side of the camp, talking quietly with Tsunade.
Tsunade wore a cheerful smile.
Her lips moved animatedly as though she were telling an amusing story.
Kiyohara tilted his head slightly while listening.
A faint smile also rested on his own face.
Yugito clenched her teeth.
Lowering her head, she looked down at the restraint suit wrapped tightly around her body.
She had been trapped inside this miserable thing for months.
"That bastard..."
She muttered quietly, barely containing the anger in her voice.
"He looks like he's out sightseeing."
"Watch your mouth."
The female ANBU standing nearby spoke coldly.
She wore a white cat mask that concealed her entire face, making her emotionless voice seem even colder.
"Enough, Yugito."
The Fourth Raikage's deep voice sounded from nearby.
Yugito's lips moved slightly before she finally swallowed the rest of her words.
She lowered her head and stared silently at her knees.
The Raikage shifted his gaze away from Yugito and looked toward the opposite side of the camp.
Kiyohara stood there with his back facing them.
Beside him stood Tsunade.
The setting sun bathed his white Hokage robe in a warm golden glow.
Hidden inside the restraint suit, the Fourth Raikage slowly clenched his fists.
A faint cracking sound echoed from his knuckles.
Night gradually descended.
A bonfire was lit at the center of the campsite.
Its orange flames danced continuously, casting flickering shadows across everyone's faces.
Sparks occasionally burst upward, tracing brief streaks of light through the dark sky before disappearing.
Tsunade sat beside Kiyohara.
Her long legs were elegantly crossed as she held a bottle of sake in one hand.
Tilting her head back, she took a long drink.
Her throat moved gently as she swallowed, and a single drop of liquor escaped from the corner of her lips, slowly sliding downward.
"This place is boring."
She lowered the bottle and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"There's not even a gambling hall."
"The next town should have one."
Kiyohara answered calmly.
Tsunade's eyes immediately lit up.
"How far away?"
"About half a day's travel."
"Then let's leave early tomorrow."
Her voice was filled with unmistakable excitement as she raised the bottle and took another drink.
The following day.
The convoy arrived at the town Tsunade had been talking about.
It was noticeably larger than the previous one.
Several shops lined the main street.
At the corner stood a gambling hall with a large red signboard bearing bold black characters.
The moment Tsunade spotted the sign, her pace quickened almost involuntarily.
Kiyohara instructed the ANBU to establish camp outside the town while guarding the Fourth Raikage, Killer B, and Yugito.
Samui was also left behind in the camp.
The shackles around her wrists remained firmly locked.
"Wait here."
"I have a few matters to take care of."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The ANBU responded in unison.
Kiyohara turned around.
Together with Tsunade, he walked into the town side by side.
…
Inside the town.
Tsunade remained inside the gambling hall for the entire afternoon.
Kiyohara watched as the pile of chips in front of her repeatedly grew into a mountain before collapsing away again.
Then they accumulated once more.
Only to disappear again shortly afterward.
Her expressions shifted dramatically with every victory and defeat.
Whenever she won, she beamed with excitement.
Whenever she lost, she gnashed her teeth in frustration.
There was not the slightest trace of the calm composure expected from an experienced shinobi.
Only when evening was approaching did Tsunade finally stand up from the gambling table after an entire day's worth of losses.
She stretched lazily.
The movement pulled tight against her light green robe, outlining the mature and voluptuous curves of her body.
"Let's go."
"Time to eat."
"Alright."
Kiyohara stood up as well.
In contrast to Tsunade, he had actually won a considerable amount.
Not only had he made money himself, he had even earned back everything Tsunade had lost.
With the Yamanaka Clan's mind reading techniques at his disposal, defeating ordinary gamblers was almost laughably easy.
His mastery of Yin Release was exceptionally profound.
Unless his opponents were shinobi, ordinary people would never even realize that their thoughts had already been read.
The two of them entered a small izakaya.
The owner was an elderly man with graying hair.
As soon as he saw the pair enter, he immediately came forward with an enthusiastic smile to greet them.
Tsunade ordered an entire table full of dishes.
Then she added two bottles of sake as well.
Poured Kiyohara a cup, then filled one for herself before raising it with a smile.
"Cheers."
Kiyohara picked up his cup and lightly clinked it against hers.
The sake was smooth as it entered his mouth, carrying a gentle sweetness accompanied by the subtle fragrance of rice.
Tsunade tilted her head back and finished the cup in one gulp before immediately pouring herself another.
An hour later, more than half of the dishes on the table had been eaten, and four bottles of sake had already been emptied.
A distinct blush colored Tsunade's cheeks.
A hazy layer of moisture covered her amber-brown eyes, while her lips looked even more vibrant than usual, as red and glossy as ripe cherries.
"You little brat..."
Resting her chin in one hand, Tsunade tilted her head as she looked at Kiyohara.
"How can your alcohol tolerance be this ridiculous?"
Kiyohara smiled.
"I was born with a strong constitution."
"Oh, stop it."
She snorted.
"Did you secretly release your Yin Seal to sober yourself up?"
"I didn't."
Kiyohara shook his head.
He was telling the truth.
With his current physique, his body metabolized alcohol at a speed far beyond that of an ordinary person.
The moment the liquor entered his stomach, it would be broken down almost immediately and converted into energy, which was then stored throughout the cells of his body.
Unless he deliberately suppressed his own metabolism, getting drunk was practically impossible.
Tsunade stared at him for a long while, as though trying to determine whether he was lying.
Eventually, she gave up.
She simply picked up the sake bottle and poured herself another cup.
"That's not fair."
She muttered before draining it in one swallow.
As she lowered the cup, her body swayed slightly.
Kiyohara reached out and steadied her by the shoulder.
Tsunade's body was pleasantly warm.
Even through her clothes, he could feel the heat radiating from her skin.
"So... can we go soak in the hot springs now, Sensei?"
Kiyohara blinked with an innocent smile.
This was the part of the day he had actually been looking forward to.
"Alright."
Her cheeks flushed bright red, Tsunade's words had begun to slur slightly.
She suddenly realized she had drunk a little too much and quietly used part of her chakra to dispel some of the alcohol from her system.
"Let's go."
She waved her hand casually.
After placing enough money on the table to cover the meal, Kiyohara slipped an arm around her waist.
Her body stiffened ever so slightly.
But she did not avoid him.
The next moment, both of them disappeared from the izakaya.
"Where did they go?"
The owner had just finished tending to another customer when he returned to find the two guests who had been drinking all evening had vanished without a trace.
For a brief moment, he thought they had skipped out on the bill.
Only after noticing the payment neatly left on the table did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
…
The hot spring inn.
It was a traditional ryokan built halfway up a mountain.
Kiyohara had already rented out the entire establishment.
The owner, a middle-aged woman, accepted the payment before leading all of her employees away, handing the keys over to Kiyohara as she departed.
Now, the entire inn belonged solely to Kiyohara and Tsunade.
Kiyohara entered the outdoor hot spring first.
The bath was spacious, its edges lined with smooth rounded stones.
Steam rose continuously from the surface of the water.
Leaning comfortably against the edge of the pool, he rested both arms on the polished stone rim.
While Tsunade went to change, Kiyohara slowly raised one hand.
Crack.
Numerous wooden spikes suddenly sprouted from his forearm.
Wood Release: Cutting Technique.
During the past several days, Kiyohara had mastered several additional Wood Release techniques.
This was one of them.
"The power isn't bad."
He evaluated it silently.
The chakra consumption was relatively low, yet its lethality was considerable.
Once the wooden spikes pierced an opponent's body, the user could form another hand seal and cause the spikes to branch outward from inside the target, tearing through them from within.
It was an exceptionally brutal technique.
In the anime, Neji had ultimately died after being struck by this very technique.
Had it merely been an ordinary stab wound, emergency medical treatment would likely have been enough to keep him alive.
"Wind Release..."
The chakra flowing through Kiyohara's hand shifted instantly.
A sudden burst of wind scattered the wooden spikes, carrying them away before they could fall back into the pool.
"You're still practicing Wood Release?"
Tsunade walked to the edge of the spring and stopped.
She genuinely admired Kiyohara's discipline.
Even after becoming this powerful, he had never stopped improving himself.
"I practice whenever I have free time."
Kiyohara turned toward her.
Wrapped in a white bath towel, Tsunade stood quietly beneath the moonlight.
The thin fabric barely concealed her body from her chest down to her thighs.
Her long blonde hair had already been let down, cascading naturally over her shoulders, with several strands resting softly against the edge of the towel.
Moonlight bathed her graceful figure.
Her shoulders were smooth and fair.
Her collarbones were elegant and beautifully defined.
The towel stretched taut across her figure, outlining the mature curves beneath it.
She had always possessed extraordinary beauty.
Now, with only a single towel outlining her physique, every proportion of her figure became even more striking.
Everything that should have been graceful was graceful.
Everything that should have been full retained its rich femininity.
Her waist remained slender, and her abdomen was perfectly flat without the slightest excess.
Being watched so openly made Tsunade feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Pretending to remain perfectly composed, she slowly stepped into the hot spring.
The warm water gradually rose to her waist.
Only then did she quietly let out a relieved breath.
Unfortunately...
The moment the towel floated on the water, buoyancy immediately lifted the fabric.
In an instant, it could no longer stay properly in place.
Much of her fair skin became exposed to Kiyohara's gaze.
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
With Tsunade's considerably more generous figure, the laws of physics were naturally no less effective.
Tsunade quickly pressed the towel back down with one hand before shooting him a mildly embarrassed glare.
"What are you staring at?"
"Haven't you seen enough?"
"I haven't."
Kiyohara answered honestly with a relaxed smile before extending a hand toward her.
"Why don't you come over here, Sensei?"
Tsunade hesitated briefly.
Then she allowed the current of the spring to carry her closer until she arrived beside him.
"Can you make the water a little hotter?"
"Sure."
Kiyohara nodded.
He raised his right hand.
A faint orange glow appeared within his palm.
Fire Release chakra flowed from his hand into the spring.
Under his precise control, the temperature of the water slowly began to rise.
Tsunade closed her eyes and released a comfortable sigh.
"This temperature feels perfect."
She nodded with satisfaction.
"So, Sensei..."
Kiyohara looked toward her with his dark eyes.
"What about the promise you made earlier?"
"You think I don't know exactly what you're after, you little brat?"
Tsunade replied with a knowing smile.
She simply stood up.
The white towel slipped gently from her shoulders.
Kiyohara's gaze remained fixed on her.
Through the drifting steam, her graceful silhouette appeared and disappeared like a work of art hidden behind a veil.
He made no effort to avert his eyes.
Instead, he observed her openly and calmly.
Kiyohara had never considered appreciating beauty to be something shameful.
Likewise, Tsunade did not retreat beneath his gaze.
Instead, she lifted her chin proudly and met his eyes directly.
"Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"
A charming smile curved across her lips.
She wrapped one arm lightly around his neck and leaned close enough for her warm breath to brush against his ear.
"What is it? Have you become speechless?"
Only then did Kiyohara recover from his brief distraction.
Looking down at Tsunade as she smiled up at him with gentle, affectionate eyes, he could no longer resist.
He lowered his head and kissed her.
Her lips still carried the mellow fragrance of sake.
They were unbelievably soft.
Rather than avoiding him, she wrapped her arms around him and quietly returned the kiss.
Over these past days, the feelings she held for this young man had already crossed the line separating teacher and student.
She had simply refused to admit it to herself.
Slowly, she lifted one hand.
Her arm emerged from the warm water, trailing shimmering droplets behind it.
Her fingers slipped gently into Kiyohara's black hair before resting lightly against the back of his head.
"You're still just like a child."
Her voice was quiet.
Without realizing it herself, it carried a tenderness she had long tried to suppress.
Kiyohara said nothing.
The hot spring rippled gently around them.
The surface of the water spread outward in overlapping circles.
The next instant, Kiyohara lifted Tsunade into his arms.
Water splashed in every direction.
Her body suddenly left the comforting warmth of the spring.
The cool night breeze brushed across her damp skin, sending a faint shiver through her body.
Instinctively, she wrapped both arms around his neck while holding herself close to him.
Carrying her effortlessly, Kiyohara stepped out of the bath.
Despite holding her, every step remained perfectly steady.
As he crossed the smooth stone pathway, a trail of wet footprints stretched out behind them.
The paper sliding door to the bedroom stood partially open.
Using his shoulder, he gently pushed it wider before walking inside.
Tatami mats covered the floor.
The bedding had already been prepared.
Tsunade settled onto the futon.
As Kiyohara leaned over her, she suddenly reached out and gave him a playful shove.
With a swift movement, she reversed their positions and pinned him beneath her.
"Hmph, you little brat."
Her fingertips traced lightly across his chest as a smug smile appeared on her face.
"Don't think you've already gained the upper hand."
"Tonight..."
"Your sensei is going to remind you what a teacher's authority really means."
Deep down, she had always been a proud and strong-willed woman.
Even when facing Kiyohara, she refused to remain passive forever.
After all, she had lived decades longer than him.
There was no way she intended to let someone so much younger completely dominate her.
Lying beneath her, Kiyohara smiled as his hand rested lightly against her waist.
"Alright."
"Then let me see just how impressive my teacher's authority really is."
Tsunade bit her lower lip.
A faint shimmer gathered in the corners of her eyes.
The next moment, the violet diamond-shaped seal upon her forehead began to glow.
Dark markings rapidly spread across her body in intricate patterns.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal: Release!
"So you're using your strongest technique right from the beginning?"
Kiyohara chuckled.
Tsunade gave a proud snort without losing her confidence.
"When you're facing someone fragile..."
"Of course you use your ultimate move."
Kiyohara laughed softly.
In the next instant, he rolled over and reclaimed the initiative.
"We'll see who's really the fragile one, Sensei."
The night stretched on.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal continuously restored Tsunade's stamina, allowing her to maintain her energy far beyond what should have been possible.
A watery haze gradually filled her eyes.
Her focus slowly became unfixed, as though every remaining defense had melted away.
"Sensei."
"Hm?"
"..."
"Are you still alright?"
Before Tsunade could answer, Kiyohara smiled.
"I suppose it's my turn to use the Strength of a Hundred Seal as well."
A startled cry escaped Tsunade's lips.
Outside, the moon quietly disappeared behind a bank of dark clouds.
…
Back at the campsite.
The bonfire had burned down into a pile of glowing embers.
The ANBU shinobi assigned to the night watch sat beside the fire with kunai in hand, their eyes scanning the surrounding darkness from behind their masks.
Samui remained awake.
She sat upon a large stone at the edge of the camp, leaning against the trunk of a thick tree.
Her gaze remained fixed in the direction of the town.
Meanwhile, Yugito leaned silently against the wall of the prison carriage.
The frustration burning inside her heart only continued to grow stronger.
"That bastard Kiyohara actually left us here while he went off to enjoy himself?"
Yugito gritted her teeth as she muttered the words under her breath.
"What else did you expect?"
Killer B answered matter-of-factly.
"Kiyohara is the Hokage of Konoha, and we're prisoners. Were you expecting him to treat us like honored guests?"
"So that's it?"
Yugito replied unwillingly.
"We're just supposed to sit here and watch him throw his weight around?"
"What else can you do?"
Killer B opened his eyes and looked at her.
"The only thing we can do now is endure. Once we're back in Kumo, then we can think about everything else."
Listening to the conversation, Samui remained silent.
"Samui."
Yugito lowered her voice until only the two of them could hear.
Samui turned toward her.
"Should we use this opportunity to escape?"
Yugito's lips barely moved as she whispered the question.
Without changing her expression, Samui gently shook her head.
Yugito frowned.
Her lips parted as though she wanted to argue, but after hesitating for a moment, she simply remained silent.
In Yugito's eyes, Samui had already submitted completely to Kiyohara's oppression.
It was as though she no longer possessed even the will to resist.
Samui quietly looked away.
She understood exactly what Yugito was thinking.
As the Two Tails' jinchuriki, Yugito's status within Kumo had always been second only to the Raikage himself.
She had always been proud.
Never once had Yugito imagined returning to the village as a prisoner.
That humiliation was harder to endure than any physical injury.
But...
Escape was impossible.
Samui understood that far better than anyone.
Even if they somehow managed to break free from the ANBU guarding them, Kiyohara would discover them almost immediately.
After all...
Kiyohara possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The marks left behind by Flying Thunder God could be placed without anyone ever noticing.
No one knew whether Kiyohara had already left one somewhere nearby.
…
A new day arrived.
When Tsunade opened her eyes, the very first thing she felt was soreness.
Not in a single muscle.
But throughout her entire body.
From her shoulders to her waist.
From her thighs all the way down to her calves.
Every muscle protested simultaneously.
It felt as though someone had taken her body apart piece by piece before putting it back together again without tightening all the screws.
Keeping her eyes closed, she remained motionless.
Slowly...
Fragments of the previous night's memories resurfaced.
Remembering how tightly she had clung to Kiyohara like an octopus caused warmth to spread rapidly across her cheeks.
Instinctively, she tried to roll over.
The aching in her waist immediately convinced her to abandon the idea.
Only then did she notice a hand resting gently against the small of her back.
Tsunade's eyelashes trembled.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Kiyohara's sleeping profile entered her view.
For a brief moment, an irresistible impulse arose within her.
She wanted to reach out and touch his face.
To confirm that everything that had happened last night had truly been real and not merely a dream.
Her hand slowly rose.
Just as her fingertips were about to brush against his cheek...
Kiyohara opened his eyes.
Looking at the hand suspended in midair, the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.
"You're awake?"
Tsunade immediately withdrew her hand before quickly turning her face away.
"Yeah."
Kiyohara removed his arm from around her waist and pushed himself upright.
The blanket slipped from his shoulders, revealing a lean yet powerfully built upper body.
Morning sunlight poured through the window, illuminating every defined muscle across his chest and abdomen.
Tsunade stared at him openly.
After the initial embarrassment had faded, she had simply decided to stop pretending.
"I'll use some medical ninjutsu to help you recover."
Kiyohara spoke casually.
Tsunade possessed a complete Strength of a Hundred Seal.
Her recovery ability was astonishing.
Because of that, Kiyohara had been considerably less restrained than he normally would have been.
Soft green chakra gathered in his hand before flowing gently into Tsunade's body.
"Feeling better?"
Tsunade slowly rolled her shoulders.
Most of the soreness disappeared almost instantly.
The little that remained was rapidly fading away.
"Mm..."
She paused briefly.
"When did you become so considerate, you little brat?"
"I've always been considerate toward my sensei."
Kiyohara answered with complete seriousness.
Tsunade snorted.
Yet the corners of her lips rose unconsciously.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand before lifting the blanket and getting dressed.
Tsunade's eyes instinctively followed his back.
His posture was perfectly straight.
The muscles across his back were clearly defined.
His skin was smooth.
Not a single scar could be found anywhere.
That struck her as odd.
She clearly remembered Kiyohara being injured during the Third Great Shinobi War.
Those wounds had healed long ago, but they should have left scars behind.
Yet now...
There was nothing.
After dressing himself, Kiyohara turned around.
Tsunade still lay beneath the blanket, which she had pulled up to her chest.
Her long golden hair spread messily across the pillow, several loose strands framing her flushed face.
The faint redness lingering on her cheeks had not yet disappeared.
Within her amber-colored eyes, Kiyohara's reflection quietly remained.
"Are we continuing the journey today?"
Tsunade asked.
Kiyohara thought for a moment.
"We'll leave tomorrow."
"Won't that delay anything?"
Although Tsunade genuinely hoped she could spend another day with him, having finally experienced what it felt like to be in love after remaining single for so many years, she naturally found herself reluctant to part.
Still, she understood that Kiyohara's trip to Kumo concerned the relationship between two great shinobi villages.
"It won't."
Kiyohara shook his head.
Leaving Kumogakure waiting for another day made little difference.
After all...
They no longer possessed any leverage capable of opposing him.
Tsunade nodded softly before sitting upright.
"What are you planning to do?"
"Get my revenge."
A bright smile spread across her face.
The previous night...
She had lost thoroughly.
Today...
She intended to restore the dignity of a teacher.
…
Another day passed.
The convoy resumed its journey.
Tsunade walked beside Kiyohara.
Her entire appearance seemed to radiate an indescribable vitality.
It was not something cosmetics could produce.
Rather, it was a healthy glow that seemed to emerge naturally from beneath her skin.
She resembled a flower that had been thoroughly nourished by fresh rain.
Every petal appeared vibrant and fully bloomed.
Occasionally, Samui's gaze drifted toward Tsunade before quietly looking away again.
She noticed the subtle changes.
As another woman, she recognized them almost immediately.
Without realizing it, her fingers lightly brushed the area beneath her collarbone.
Hidden beneath her clothing, the curse mark emitted a faint warmth.
The convoy continued northward along the main road.
Gradually, the fertile plains of the Land of Fire disappeared behind them.
In their place rose the rugged terrain unique to the Land of Lightning.
Towering mountains.
Exposed cliffs.
Sparse vegetation scattered across rocky slopes.
...
The Land of Lightning.
Kumogakure was built deep within a vast mountain range.
Most of the village occupied a massive valley nestled between several towering peaks.
Steep cliffs surrounded it from every direction, forming an almost perfect natural defensive barrier.
Most of the buildings were constructed from stone.
Their rough, imposing style contrasted sharply with the wooden architecture of Konoha.
By the time Kiyohara's group arrived at Kumogakure's main gate, a welcoming delegation was already waiting.
Dodai stood at the very front.
Several senior officials of Kumogakure stood beside him.
Behind them waited two orderly ranks of shinobi.
Dodai's gaze immediately settled upon the towering figure in the center of the procession.
The Fourth Raikage still wore the restraint suit covered in fuinjutsu formulas.
His face was dark with humiliation.
Beside him, Killer B and Yugito remained similarly restrained.
Dodai's lips moved slightly.
In the end, however, he merely bowed respectfully.
"Hokage-sama."
Kiyohara nodded in acknowledgment.
"Dodai."
"It's been a long time."
The two had met before during the Third Shinobi War.
After a brief exchange of greetings, the Kumogakure representatives escorted Kiyohara's party into the village.
Kiyohara personally removed the restraint suits from Samui and the other three prisoners.
They now wore only simple shinobi clothing.
Since they were being returned to their own village, there was naturally no reason for them to remain dressed in Konoha prison uniforms.
"Dodai."
The Fourth Raikage clenched and unclenched his hand before looking toward the older man.
"You've worked hard."
Dodai had once served under his father.
For many years, he had remained one of the Raikage's most trusted supporters.
"As long as Raikage-sama has returned safely."
Dodai smiled.
"Nothing else matters."
…
That evening.
Kumogakure arranged accommodations for Kiyohara's delegation.
Their residence was located on the eastern side of the village, separated from the ordinary residential district.
Standing beside the window, Kiyohara quietly overlooked Kumo's nighttime scenery.
Tsunade walked over and stopped beside him.
"We'll begin discussing the specific arrangements tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Kiyohara nodded.
"The location."
"The size."
"The number of troops stationed there."
"Things like that."
"Do you think Kumogakure might..."
"They won't."
Kiyohara interrupted before she could finish.
"They don't have a choice."
Tsunade remained silent for a while before quietly nodding.
It was true.
In the face of overwhelming power, every negotiation technique became meaningless.
Kiyohara turned slightly and leaned close to her ear.
"I'll come over a little later tonight."
A faint blush immediately spread across Tsunade's ears.
She turned her head toward him.
A teasing smile danced within her amber eyes.
"What?"
"Already running out of energy?"
Kiyohara said nothing.
Instead, he lightly patted her hip through the thin fabric of her clothes.
Even through the cloth, he could clearly feel her soft, curvy figure.
"Sensei."
"You know better than anyone whether I can keep going."
"I'll be over soon to teach you everything I've got."
Tsunade shot him an exasperated glare.
Yet there wasn't the slightest trace of anger in her expression.
If anything, her eyes had become even more alluring.
Now that she had fully embraced her feelings, every gesture she made carried the graceful charm of a mature woman.
She possessed both elegance and refinement while still retaining the youthful firmness and vitality of her figure.
It was an irresistibly captivating combination.
Unlike Rin or Kurenai, she no longer became shy so easily.
Instead, she met everything with her usual confidence and composure.
"Then don't keep me waiting."
"I'll be waiting for you."
Turning around, Tsunade left the room.
Kiyohara took a slow breath, suppressing the warmth rising within him.
He had never been a stingy man.
The immense vitality contained within his cells allowed him to recover extraordinarily quickly, and every morning and evening he devoted considerable care and attention to Tsunade.
If he did not genuinely have something important to attend to today, he would have gone to see her immediately.
"I wonder..."
"What kind of new future will appear today?"
With that thought, Kiyohara returned to the room assigned to him.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a square patch of silver light across the floor.
He sat down before the low table.
Moments later...
A familiar mechanical female voice echoed through the room.
[Please retrieve your alternate future self's last will and urn. Make sure to properly take care of their remains.]
Already thoroughly familiar with the process, Kiyohara closed his eyes.
His consciousness slowly descended into the depths of his spiritual world.
The space had expanded considerably once again.
As his consciousness approached...
The lid of one of the urns began to loosen.
Click.
The lid slowly slid open.
A figure gradually rose from within the urn.
(End of Chapter)