Later, the Yotsuki clan accepted the idea proposed by the First Raikage, A, giving him control of the land around the Cloud–Lightning Gorge. Kumogakure was established there.
To survive for generations in such brutal terrain—cloud-wrapped cliffs, endless storms, and unforgiving mountains—while maintaining a long-standing family name, the Yotsuki clan had to possess an extraordinary physical constitution.
And the body itself was an external manifestation of Yang Release.
Uchiha Kiyoshi suspected that his natural Yang chakra attribute likely came from the Yotsuki blood in him.
The stronger one's physical talent, the more vitality the body held—and naturally, the faster one recovered.
Though even so, it was unlikely to match the overwhelming life force of the Senju or Uzumaki clans.
After a while, seeing no suspicious gazes coming his way, Kiyoshi stretched lazily and pretended to head to the bathroom.
Inside, he closed the door.
Kiyoshi pulled out the slip of paper.
It was a simple, ordinary note—no more than the size of two fingernails.
On its front, written in tiny black characters, was a message:
"Yotsuki Kiyoshi, no matter the circumstances, you are one of us in Kumogakure.Kumogakure will always keep its doors open for you."
Kiyoshi's eyebrow twitched upward.
The writing used common script, rather than the encrypted ciphers customarily employed by shinobi.He didn't yet understand complex codes—he hadn't even finished the Academy curriculum.
Kumogakure had probably anticipated that and kept it simple.
He flipped the paper over.
A string of directions.An address.A completely ordinary shop.
"A safehouse location for Kumogakure's spies…"
Kiyoshi tore the slip into pieces and scattered them into the toilet.
Touched by water, the ink began to dissolve, fading until it disappeared entirely.
Expressionless, he pressed the flush lever.The swirling water carried the fragments away into the pipes.
It seemed Kumogakure deeply regretted letting an Uchiha slip through their fingers.
But now that he was already in Konoha, they could only resort to these subtle methods.
Present-day Konoha was nothing like the weakened Konoha that Kumogakure would one day dare to pressure into handing over the Hyūga clan's heiress—that future Konoha had been hollowed out by tragedy.
Back then, the White Fang had already committed suicide years prior, the Fourth Hokage had died, the Legendary Sannin had left the village, and Konoha had barely begun recovering from the Nine-Tails Attack.
Meanwhile, Kumogakure was thriving—strong enough to coerce.
They forced Konoha's hand until the Hyūga clan had to offer up its head.If not for Hizashi volunteering to die in place of Hiashi, the Hyūga clan head himself would have been taken away.
The address on the note, then, represented Kumogakure's "sincerity."
Kiyoshi could report the spy safehouse at any time and earn a reward from Konoha.
Or he could take the opposite path—using it as a channel to negotiate benefits from Kumogakure… or even return to them.
But returning would be a last resort.Kiyoshi would never choose that unless he had no other option.
If he went to Kumogakure, he'd be the only remaining specimen of his kind.He would lose his freedom, live under constant surveillance.
And he didn't for a moment believe they wouldn't subject him to "research."
Not dissection—no, they wouldn't waste him.
More likely, they'd take occasional samples of his blood and cells, then wait for him to recover… and repeat the cycle.
And they would treat him as breeding stock.
In a few short years, they would extract everything they wanted from his body.
Kiyoshi was interested in women—yes.
But he had no interest in being treated like livestock.
Kumogakure would never allow him to grow stronger.They would never take the risk of letting him gain independence or a power that might slip out of their control.
He would become nothing but a breeding machine—the clan's "seed."Meanwhile, they would raise his children, shape their minds, and mold them into tools for Kumogakure.
In Konoha, even with the looming threat of the Uchiha Massacre, Kiyoshi still had the chance to learn ninjutsu and grow stronger.
Everything in this world already had a price hidden in the dark.
To obtain something, one must be willing to pay its cost.
Life was a series of choices.
Both Konoha and Kumogakure had their advantages and dangers.But given his current situation, staying in Konoha was safer—and gave him more time to grow.
"Kiyoshi, are you home?"
Just as he was wondering how to squeeze some benefits out of Kumogakure, a familiar voice called from outside.
Mikoto.
Kiyoshi immediately understood—Root had begun its background checks.
He put down the history book he'd been memorizing and washed his face in the kitchen, making himself look neat and presentable.
He exhaled a breath toward the mirror to check for odor, then slipped on his wooden clogs and went to open the door.
The Uchiha compound had its own district within Konoha—only Uchiha lived there.
Kiyoshi had been assigned an old, somewhat run-down house.Its only advantage was that it was spacious.
"Mikoto-sama,"Kiyoshi greeted respectfully, as if a little intimidated by her.
Mikoto was a jōnin, and he was just an Academy student.
Even after living two lives, Kiyoshi could not behave with an unnatural level of maturity for his age.
Sometimes, showing weakness was the best disguise.
"Kiyoshi, no need to be so polite with me,"Mikoto smiled gently.
Did she really look that frightening?Kiyoshi's timid posture made her wonder.
Kiyoshi lowered his head, dark hair hiding his expression so she couldn't read him clearly.
"I told you last time—just call me Onee-san."
"…All right. Mikoto-nee."Kiyoshi said softly.
Mikoto nodded, then gestured toward the woman behind her—dressed like a medical-nin.
Her figure was… generously proportioned, completely at odds with the somber, compassionate expression on her face.Her curves could only be described as borderline indecent—
"This is Yakushi Nonō, captain of the Medical Corps."
"Hello. I'm Yakushi Nonō,"she said with a warm smile.
"I'm here to examine your eyes."
"Thank you, Lady Nonō."
Kiyoshi led them inside.
Soon, Mikoto and Nonō sat before a low table on the tatami floor.
Kiyoshi stepped into the kitchen, standing on a small stool as he rummaged for a bag of cheap tea, boiled water, and prepared two cups.
Yakushi Nonō watched the thin, small-bodied boy busily moving about.A hint of pity rose in her heart.
Perhaps it was the countless "self-erasure" drills she had undergone in Root—Or the blood on her hands…Or the endless darkness hidden beneath Konoha's shining surface.
But in recent years, she had developed a fondness for children—Unspoiled, like uncut gems of all colors.
"Please enjoy the tea,"Kiyoshi said, setting down the cups.
"Thank you,"Mikoto replied, taking polite sips of the cheap brew.
Nonō lifted her own cup and glanced at Kiyoshi.
Pity was pity—but duty was duty.
Behind her round frames, her green eyes studied every minute change in Kiyoshi's expression as she began asking questions—most of them seemingly unrelated to medical diagnosis.
Kiyoshi answered each one.
Nonō was probing him subtly, testing whether he was a spy—even employing specialized ninja techniques to increase psychological pressure.
Mikoto sat quietly beside them, eyes lowered toward the reflection of the ceiling in her tea.
The ceiling was made of old wooden planks, slightly decayed.A moth fluttered near the fluorescent lamp.
Just as Mikoto drifted in thought, a black spider crept forward and sank its fangs into the moth.
She blinked, focusing, realizing too late that the moth was surrounded by delicate, nearly invisible webs.
"So slow…"Mikoto muttered under her breath.
Looking back, she saw Yakushi Nonō had finished questioning Kiyoshi and was now examining his eyes with several medical tools.