Chapter 543
Tsunade's Daughter
"One month..."
Tsunade straightened up, walked to his side, and naturally sat on his lap.
She was quite heavy, but Kiyoshi caught her steadily.
Do you know what I've been doing this past month?
Her arms encircled Qing Si's neck, her breath sweet as orchids.
"Losing money at the casino?"
Kiyoshi put his arm around her waist, feeling the depth of her heart.
"We lost by a small margin."
Tsunade pursed her lips, but quickly smiled again:
"But I'm mostly researching new techniques. I've made new progress on the cell activation theory you gave me last time."
"Oh?"
Kiyoshi became interested.
Tsunade is not only one of the Legendary Sannin, but also the top medical ninja in the ninja world.
After Kiyoshi taught her some theories about cells and life energy, she was always able to apply them in unexpected ways.
"Okay."
Tsunade extended her right hand, palm facing up.
Chakra began to condense, but it wasn't ordinary green medical chakra; instead, it was a milky-white energy that exuded a faint life force.
The chakra spun in his palm, gradually condensing into a tiny seed.
"This is the 'seed of life'."
"Tsunade said."
"Using your cell sample as a template, combined with my medical ninjutsu and Shikkotsu Forest's sage techniques, I created a transplantable chakra that, once implanted in the human body, can continuously release life energy, enhance bodily functions, accelerate wound healing, and even... extend lifespan."
Kiyoshi's eyes lit up.
Tsunade is something else.
"What about the side effects?"
"Two side effects have been identified so far."
Tsunade puts away the Seed of Life:
"First, the implantee's chakra will gradually become more like your chakra nature. Second, if the implantee is hostile to you, the Seed of Life will backfire."
She paused, looking at Qing Si:
"To put it bluntly, this thing will turn the implantee into your subordinate."
Upon hearing this, Kiyoshi stroked his chin.
"What about the experimental data?"
"It has been tested on some mice."
Tsunade took a scroll out of her bosom.
Kiyoshi took the scroll and quickly scanned it.
While Kiyoshi was watching, Tsunade looked at Kiyoshi again.
What were you busy with last month?
Tsunade's fingers gently traced Kiyoshi's cheek.
"You didn't even come when I was pregnant?"
Kiyoshi's palm covered her lower abdomen.
"The Land of Fire's reforms, the parallel world portal, and the threat of the Otsutsuki clan."
Kiyoshi explained in a low voice, while taking a delicate ring out of the drawer with his other hand.
"But that's not an excuse."
Kiyoshi lifted his gaze from the scroll and landed on Tsunade's face, which held a hint of reproach and barely perceptible grievance.
"It's...Chizuko?"
The Qing official asked.
Tsunade was already pregnant, and Kiyoshi knew about the birth, but he didn't go because he was too busy at the time.
However, he knew what the name was.
"Yes, Uchiha Chizuko."
Tsunade nodded, her golden ponytail swaying gently with the movement. She deliberately turned her head away, not wanting him to see the fleeting tenderness in her eyes.
“You were being dealt with when you were born, right when the Land of Lightning was dealing with border conflicts, and then the Land of Fire was undergoing reforms… Shizune said you went to the hospital twice, but I was awake the whole time.”
Her tone sounded like a statement, but Kiyoshi detected a subtle complaint in it.
He tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace, and gently rubbed his chin against the top of her fragrant hair.
"My fault."
He admitted it readily, without making any further excuses.
Kiyoshi loosened his grip on Tsunade slightly, raised his hand, and chakra glowed at his fingertips.
Chakra flowed and shaped in his palm, gradually solidifying into two objects.
A ring with a delicate pattern on the face and a green jade crystal set in the center, containing Kiyoshi's "Tenshenggan Chakra".
The other item is a necklace with a delicate chain and a smaller, but similarly colored, rhomboid crystal pendant supported by a vine-like metal.
"Here, have the ring."
Kiyoshi took Tsunade's right hand and put the ring on her ring finger; the size was perfect.
"It can continuously nourish your body, steadily enhance your chakra activity, and most importantly, it is connected to me."
No matter where you are, I can sense your general condition, and you can also use it to send me simple messages in case of emergency.
Tsunade stared blankly at the beautiful ring on her finger, feeling a vast amount of chakra gently nourishing her body.
The sentiment behind this made most of the resentment in her heart dissipate instantly.
"This necklace."
Kiyoshi picked up the necklace again and gently placed it in her palm.
"Give it to Chizuko. Have her wear it from a young age. Before she reaches adulthood, it will subtly broaden her meridians, nourish her constitution, and lay the most solid foundation."
Upon reaching adulthood, the guiding power accumulated within the necklace will be released all at once. Her chakra reserves... will be at least several times greater than those of her peers, and her foundation will be exceptionally stable. Consider this my... belated gift to my daughter, and a guarantee for her future.
Tsunade gripped the necklace tightly, and the cool crystal quickly warmed up to her body temperature.
She looked up, her brown-gold eyes reflecting Kiyoshi's face, her previous reproach turning into a complex emotion.
"You always... produce these things that make people unable to get angry."
She gave a soft hum, but couldn't help but smile as she carefully put the necklace away.
"Chizuko... will like it. You really think the name is good?"
"Uchiha Chizuko".
Kiyoshi repeated it and nodded.
“Very good. ‘Chizuru’ symbolizes longevity and good fortune, which aligns with your blessings for her. It also carries the Uchiha surname, so she will grow up healthy and safe.”
Looking at his serious expression, the last bit of barrier in Tsunade's heart melted away.
She leaned forward and gave him a light kiss on the lips, then stood up and took his hand.
“Talking isn’t enough. Now, come with me to see her. You, as a father, can’t possibly have forgotten what your daughter looks like, can you?”
Kiyoshi rose with her help, took her hand in his, and smiled gently:
"it is good."
…………
a few days later.
The knocking on the Hokage's office door came several days later in the afternoon.
"Please come in."
Kiyoshi looked up from a report on the classification of resources in parallel worlds.
The door opened, and a tall, graceful young woman walked in.
Her long brown hair cascaded down her back, some of it gathered into a bun, while the rest fell over her shoulders. Her emerald green eyes were like the finest jade.
She wore a dark robe that accentuated her full heart, slender waist, and long, straight legs, exuding a mature aura.
"The Fourth Hokage."
Mei Terumi bowed slightly in greeting.
She was representing Kirigakure on this mission to Konoha, so she was very proper in her etiquette.
Although she didn't want to address Kiyoshi as "sir" at all.
"Mei Terumi, it's been a long time."
Kiyoshi put down the report, leaned back in his chair, and looked at her with a hint of amusement.
It's been a long time since I last saw her. The girl who was still a bit green and sharp during the Joint Chunin Exams has now fully blossomed into a ripe peach, exuding an irresistible fragrance.
"Or should I call you the Fifth Mizukage?"
Kiyoshi spoke.
"You've grown quite a bit taller in the past few years."
His gaze seemed to be comparing the image above her head with the one he remembered.
Mei Terumi was slightly taken aback, not expecting the opening to be such a personal and teasing remark.
She straightened her back to make herself appear taller and slightly raised her chin.
"That's natural, Hokage-sama. People always grow up."
His tone carried a hint of defiance.
Kiyoshi smiled and pointed to the chair opposite the desk:
"sit."
As instructed, Miyuki sat down with her legs together and slightly crossed, her posture elegant yet subtly wary.
Kiyoshi had caused her a lot of "pain," so Terumi Mei dared not be careless at all.
After exchanging a few words, Kiyoshi finally got to the point:
"I've read the letter. The East China Sea route is safe, and Konoha can send additional patrol fleets to assist. As for the border... are you worried about Akatsuki activities?"
When the conversation turned to serious matters, Mei Terumi's expression turned serious, and her emerald-like eyes sharpened:
"Yes, in the past six months, the Akatsuki organization has become increasingly active in neighboring small countries, especially in coastal areas. There is evidence that they are collecting special materials and even... conducting some kind of large-scale human experiments."
The Hidden Mist Village has conducted numerous raids, but they are elusive and incredibly powerful, especially some of their members who possess extremely formidable abilities. We fear their targets may extend beyond small countries.
She paused, then lowered her voice:
"We suspect that they may eventually target the major powers that possess tailed beasts, putting Kirigakure under immense pressure."
Some ninja villages and countries have already suffered, which is why Mei Terumi came to find Kiyoshi and lowered her stance. Otherwise, Mei Terumi would never have wanted to come to Konoha.
Seeing Kiyoshi's face reminds me of my past worries.
"Akatsuki..."
Kiyoshi stroked his chin, lost in thought.
"A bunch of rats hiding their heads and tails, just using a ridiculous banner. There's no need to worry too much."
Terumi Mei frowned:
"Kiyoshi, their threat is real. Several of our elite squads have already lost contact!"
Mei Terumi no longer calls him Hokage-sama, but directly addresses him by his name, Kiyoshi.
She couldn't understand why Kiyoshi's attitude was so relaxed.
"I know."
Kiyoshi interrupted her.
"So I say, don't worry, because they'll be gone soon."
Mei Terumi was stunned, her blue eyes filled with confusion and doubt.
Kiyoshi didn't explain further, but instead changed the subject, patting his leg:
"Is the chair too hard? Come sit here and we can talk more clearly."
"Varied……?"
Mei Terumi's face flushed red instantly, this time even her ears turned crimson.
She looked at Kiyoshi in disbelief, then at the spot he was gesturing to.
"This...this is improper! I am the Mizukage of Kirigakure, and also the envoy for this occasion!"
"It's just you and me here, there's no one else."
Kiyoshi looked at her.
"Besides, some things have a different effect when said across a table versus when said up close. For the sake of Kirigakure, come sit down."
He emphasized the last few words.
Mei Terumi's chest heaved a few times, her emerald eyes glaring at Seiji, filled with a mixture of shame, indignation, and embarrassment.
For the sake of Wuyin... She repeatedly pondered these four words, recalling Master Yuan's instructions before her departure and the potential crisis facing Wuyin.
Finally, she bit her lower lip, as if she had made up her mind, stood up, walked around the desk, and walked stiffly to Qing Si's side.
Kiyoshi reached out and easily wrapped his arm around her waist, applying slight pressure. Terumi Mei gasped softly, lost her balance, and fell onto his firm lap.
Through the fabric, she could clearly feel the warmth and strength of his body. This position made her whole body stiffen, her heart pound like a drum, her thick eyelashes trembled violently, and she dared not look up into his eyes.
"Relax,"
Kiyoshi's voice was right next to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.
"Didn't you come here to ask for help? The closer you are, the better I can listen to the difficulties of Kirigakure."
Mei Terumi forced herself to calm down, but her body remained tense.
She could feel the warmth of Kiyoshi's hand around her waist, and his other hand seemed to rest naturally on her knee.
This completely controlled and intimate attitude almost evaporated all her diplomatic rhetoric and calm thinking.
"The Akatsuki organization..."
She tried to pick up the subject again, but her voice was softer than usual, with a slight tremor.
"That's not urgent."
Kiyoshi seemed to enjoy her current predicament, his fingers tracing circles on her waist, feeling the tightness of her waist.
"Let's talk about you first. You have two bloodline limits, Lava Release and Boil Release. It's a very rare talent, but have you developed it to its limit? Is it enough to face a truly powerful enemy?"
Mei Terumi was a little confused by his abrupt change of topic and subconsciously answered:
"I...have been cultivating myself..."
"Different methods of cultivation lead to vastly different results."
Kiyoshi released one hand, palm facing upwards, and a drop of blood, crimson with a faint golden glow, slowly seeped out and floated in the air.
The moment the blood droplet appeared, the chakra in the entire office seemed to pause slightly, radiating immense pressure and vitality.
"This is my blood."
Kiyoshi stared at the drop of blood.
"The power it contains far exceeds your imagination. By fusing with it, your two bloodline limits will be fundamentally elevated. Your chakra reserves, physique, recovery ability, and even potential will all leap forward. Kirigakure needs a stronger you, doesn't it?"
Mei Terumi's pupils contracted as she stared intently at the mysterious drop of blood.
As a ninja with keen senses, she had no doubt about the terrifying chakra contained within.
The temptation to become stronger is fatal for her, who bears the future of Kirigakure.
But what's the price? There's no such thing as a free lunch, especially not from this unfathomable man before you.
"What are the conditions?"
She heard her own dry voice ask.
Kiyoshi smiled, gently pushing the drop of blood to her lips, almost whispering:
"Accept it, and then... sometimes like today, come and sit down, for Kirigakure, and for yourself."
Kiyoshi seemed to be talking about something trivial.
Mei Terumi looked at the blood droplets so close to her eyes, then looked up into Kiyoshi's dark eyes.
There was temptation, power, an irresistible force, and something she couldn't understand—perhaps what she could call "interest."
For the sake of Wuyin… she repeated this sentence in her heart. Finally, as if resigned to her fate, or as if seizing an opportunity, she closed her eyes and slightly parted her red lips.
The drop of blood fell into her mouth and dissolved instantly.
An indescribable warm current swept over her entire body!
She could feel the boiling and cheering of the chakra within her body, the meridians expanding, the cells leaping with joy, and the origins of the two bloodline limits seemed to be infused with boundless vitality, beginning to grow spontaneously!
"Um……"
She couldn't help but let out a soft moan, her body leaning softly against Qing Si's chest, her consciousness somewhat hazy, immersed in this sudden sense of transformation.
Kiyoshi held her, feeling the rapidly growing power within her and the faint connection that was gradually forming between them, and the smile on his lips deepened.
The sunlight outside the window cast long shadows of the two embracing each other.
Then, the shadow began to tremble.
Or rather, rhythm.
…………
Meanwhile, in a small village in the Land of Lightning.
The smell of blood permeated the evening air.
The streets were littered with the corpses of villagers, their deaths bizarre. Some looked as if their life force had been drained, while others had their limbs twisted as if forcibly altered by a tremendous force.
A figure draped in a black robe with red clouds, hidden inside an ugly puppet called "Hiruko," was slowly collecting relatively intact corpses with chakra threads, preparing to make new puppet materials.
It was Sasori from the Akatsuki organization.
"The materials are generally of poor quality, but the quantity is acceptable, enough to replenish the low-level puppet army."
Scorpion's voice was devoid of any emotion, revealing only an assessment of the materials.
Just as he was about to collect the last body, a woman's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the village.
"Using human bodies to create puppets—how is that any different from the actions of those demons?"
Scorpion manipulated "Hiruko" to turn around abruptly, the mechanism on the puppet's head clicking and clattering, locking onto the source of the sound.
Not far away, on the ruins, stood a woman.
She looked to be in her early twenties, with black hair, black eyes, and delicate features.
"who are you?"
Scorpion's voice turned cold, and the mechanism on the back of "Hiruko" slowly opened, revealing a dense array of poison needle launchers.
He had no idea when the woman had appeared!
"Haori".
The woman simply gave her name, her gaze sweeping over the corpses scattered on the ground, a hint of heartache flashing in her eyes.
“I was just passing by, but I couldn’t bear to see such evil deeds. You deserve to die.”
Before she finished speaking, she moved.
With just a flicker of his figure, he appeared in front of "Hiruko" as if by teleportation, so fast that even Sasori's puppet eyes could only catch a fleeting afterimage!
She pointed her fingers like a sword, her fingertips swirling with a condensed wind-style chakra, and thrust them straight at the core of "Hiruko," the chest area where Sasori's true form was hidden!
"So fast!"
Scorpion was shocked. Poisoned blades suddenly sprang out from the joints of "Hiruko's" limbs, while poisoned needles poured out from its back, attempting to force the opponent back and cover the attack.
However, as the haori moved through the blades and poison needles, those attacks couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes!
Her fingers pierced through the hard shell of "Hiruko" without any resistance and struck the core node inside.
Click!
With a crisp sound, "Hiruko's" massive body stiffened abruptly, all movements halted, and the poison needle launcher on its back also went silent.
"what?"
The scorpion's true form was terrified inside the puppet.
His prized puppet was nearly paralyzed by a single blow.
This woman's attack method is unheard of!
Without pausing, the haori transformed into a palm and lightly pressed its tip against "Hiruko's" abdomen.
A shockwave, seemingly gentle but containing the power to shatter mountains and split rocks, penetrated his body!
"puff!"
The scorpion's true form, hidden inside the puppet, was struck as if by a heavy hammer, spitting out a mouthful of blood, its internal organs seemingly displaced.
He made a decisive move, abandoning the severely damaged "Hiruko," and his main body shot out from a hidden exit on the puppet's back.
He swiftly opened another scroll in mid-air, summoning three elite puppets of different shapes to protect him, and then flew away into the distance without looking back.
Sasori, who didn't even have time to use "Red Secret Technique: Hundred Machine Manipulation", instinct told him that staying would mean certain death!
Yuri glanced at Scorpion, who had vanished in an instant and turned into a black dot, then looked at the collapsing "Hiruko" and the remaining puppet parts on the ground, and did not give chase.
She slowly retracted her fingers, and the wind-style chakra at her fingertips disappeared.
"This evil puppetry, and the red cloud symbol on the black robe... I seem to have vaguely heard people here mention it, something about the New Dawn Organization?"
Haori frowned in thought, her clear eyes filled with worry.
"Such organizations wreak havoc on the world, and their power seems considerable. Should we... report this matter to the Ancestor?"
She stood amidst the ruins and corpses, the evening breeze ruffling her clothes and long hair.
Upon being resurrected after a thousand years, the first "major event" she witnessed was this tragedy and the mysterious evil organization, which filled Yui, who upheld the teachings of the Ninjutsu sect and was filled with complex emotions.
She looked towards Konoha, where the only familiar being she could turn to for help was Uchiha Kiyoshi, the progenitor of chakra.
However, Kiyoshi gave Haori a mission, and Haori didn't know whether she should go to Konoha to find Kiyoshi.
Perhaps Kiyoshi already knew about the Akatsuki organization? (End of Chapter)