Naruto: Uchiha is not Raikage!

"of course."

Qingsi nodded.

He had been waiting for Orochimaru's research results, and now that the Cursed Seal had made progress, how could he not go and take a look?

The two left the bustling streets and gradually arrived at the outskirts of Konoha Village.

Qing Si had an epiphany.

Orochimaru still wants to compete for the Hokage position, and Danzo Shimura doesn't want him to be exposed, so he conducts some sensitive experiments outside the village.

"Lord Orochimaru, you've arrived."

When Kiyoshi arrived at Orochimaru's base, a group of people dressed as villagers came over.

The leader had chakra fluctuations emanating from him, clearly indicating he was a ninja.

Orochimaru nodded slightly and waved them away to do their own thing.

“They are from the Ibrahim tribe, and can now be considered my subordinates.”

Orochimaru explained the situation of these people to Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi pretended to be surprised, as if he were learning about it for the first time.

But my heart remained calm and undisturbed.

The Ibri clan is also a ninja clan with a bloodline limit. They possess a special ability: they can "turn their bodies into smoke," which could perhaps be called "smoke" release.

However, this ability is extremely unstable. Even the members of the Ibri clan themselves could not control this power, which led to the deaths of many clan members. It was only later, with Orochimaru's help, that the ability became stable and their lifespan was extended.

"Lord Orochimaru is truly kind-hearted, helping them cure their illnesses."

Qingsi said calmly.

Orochimaru chuckled upon hearing this.

"Everything comes at a price, and they paid a price too."

Orochimaru did not elaborate on the specific cost.

Kiyoshi knew that it referred to human experimentation and backup blood packs.

In the Kakashi Anbu arc, all of these people were drained of their blood and died by Orochimaru, with only one person named Ibri Yukimi surviving.

This girl can be said to be Yamato's first love, and even Yamato's other name, "Tenzo," is derived from her.

Ultimately, Tenzo became Yamato's code name during his time in the Dark Side, while Ko was merely his code name during his time in the Root.

"Orochimaru-sensei, is Kiyoshi also going to have a cursed seal implanted?"

Mitarashi Azuko asked.

She treasures the curse seal very much. Since Kiyoshi already has "immortal arts," she has to get a counterpart.

Otherwise, I'll always be overshadowed by Kiyoshi!

"That depends on Si's own wishes."

Orochimaru glanced at Kiyoshi with his golden vertical pupils.

Ultimately, "cursed seals" are an imitation of "divine arts".

He summoned Kiyoshi today with the intention of having Kiyoshi comment on the curse seal.

Orochimaru walked ahead, leading Mitarashi Anko and Kiyoshi into the laboratory further inside.

Inside were various culture vessels, with different kinds of meat chunks soaking in a green solution.

The group continued walking, passing the laboratory and arriving at a prison.

Several people stood at the top, below which were layers of dark cages.

Inside, a group of monsters were imprisoned, each with varying degrees of deformity, much like the ninjas of the Land of Demons who had used the "Power of the Demons".

"This is what happens after failure."

Qing Si's expression remained as still as a mountain.

"That's right, every technique carries risks."

Orochimaru acknowledged this.

The violent natural energy is not something everyone can withstand, and the cursed seal has already lowered that threshold considerably.

"Oh, it can turn out like this?"

Mitarashi Anko's face turned deathly pale; she hadn't known there would be such consequences.

"What, you regret it?"

Orochimaru looked at Mitarashi Anko.

Mitarashi Anko clenched her fists.

She did feel some regret.

I thought it would be over after one injection, but if I fail, I'll turn into a monster. What's the difference between that and being dead?
"Lord Orochimaru, this technique is indeed not perfect yet. Why don't you give me the experimental data and raw materials first, so I can take a look?"

Three tomoe appeared in Kiyoshi's eyes as he clearly looked down at the monsters below.

He said the situation was too complicated for Orochimaru to handle.

Having mastered the "Sage Techniques" of Ryuchi Cave, his research on cursed seals is definitely superior to that of Orochimaru, an amateur.

Ultimately, Orochimaru is... a loser.

Kabuto Yakushi, who mastered "Sage Mode," dared to say outright that he surpassed Orochimaru and transformed from a snake into a dragon.

"What Kiyoshi-kun said might actually be able to be figured out."

A small snake crawled over from the corner of the wall, and Orochimaru took a vial of reagent from its mouth and wiped it clean.

"I think there will be progress soon."

Kiyoshi accepted the cursed seal reagent from Orochimaru.

The process of obtaining the cursed seal was simpler than he had expected.

With this, Kiyoshi's ability to store natural energy within his body can be greatly enhanced.

For example, Sasuke can activate the Cursed Seal almost instantly when he wants to use its power.

That's because natural energy is usually stored in the user's body, and can be used directly when needed.

The traditional "immortal mode" requires a process of accumulating external natural energy.

"I look forward to good news from Kiyoshi-kun."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.

He wanted to use this incident to test Kiyoshi's abilities.

The development of the cursed seal has now reached the limit he can achieve.

He was curious to see how much further Kiyoshi could improve upon his work.
If Kiyoshi's final improvement is not as good as his own, then it can only mean that Kiyoshi is just a lucky little devil who received natural energy from the White Snake Sage.

…………

After leaving Orochimaru's place, Kiyoshi went to Tsunade's house again.

Tsunade handed him the "Yin Seal".

Perhaps it was because "Yin Seal" was a medical sealing technique with an S-rank rating, and due to the accumulation of previous entries, he actually displayed two Jonin entries at once.

One is [Medical Shadow (Gold)], and the other is [Sealed Shadow (Gold)].

Once you've fully mastered it, the progress bar should be full.

It is estimated that these two terms correspond to the "Kage" level of ability, which is above Jonin.

"I only have the 'Flying Thunder God Technique' for space-time ninjutsu. Besides the 'Eight Gates Formation,' I haven't accumulated enough other taijutsu techniques either. This should be the key reason why I haven't been able to unlock the gold attribute."

Kiyoshi secretly said.

"Flying Thunder God Technique" - you can try learning more summoning techniques to see if you can trigger the corresponding golden attribute.

"It's been quite some time since the battle at Kannabi Bridge. We can go and see how Kakashi has perfected 'Chidori,' or rather, 'Raikiri.'"

Kiyoshi stroked his chin.

Right now, there is one more S-rank lightning ninjutsu that I can learn, and that is "Chidori".

He never went to Kakashi to learn this technique.

That's because this technique hadn't truly reached the S-rank level before. Besides requiring the Sharingan's dynamic vision for assistance, it also had some other minor flaws.

"Never mind, let's go find Lin first."

Kiyoshi glanced at the sky; the afternoon sun was blazing. He slowly walked toward Nohara Rin's house.

Today is Rin Nohara's day off; she'll just stay home.

dong dong.

Kiyoshi knocked gently on the door.

He rarely visits others; rather, others visit him.

Kiyoshi didn't have to wait long before he heard footsteps approaching.

Click.

What came into view was Nohara Rin's face, still damp from her bath, as she dried her wet short hair with a handkerchief.

"Qing...Qingji?"

Nohara Rin was stunned for a moment.

This must be the first time Kiyoshi has visited her home this late.

Is anyone home?

Qingsi asked.

"No, they've all gone out to buy goods, they shouldn't be back for a few days."

"Nohara Rin said."

She came from an ordinary family; her parents were small business owners.

After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized something.

Oh my god.

That's practically an invitation.

"Oh, is that alright? May I bother you for a moment?"

"It's not an intrusion at all, please come in."

Rin Nohara hurriedly pulled the door open wider, revealing the entryway where shoes were kept and the somewhat cramped living room.

"The house is a bit small."

Nohara Rin put down the handkerchief, took a deep breath, and went to the kitchen to pour Kiyoshi a cup of tea.

"It's out of the way."

Qingsi shook his head.

Land is incredibly valuable in Konoha, and Rin Nohara's parents were able to own their own home thanks to the advantage of being locals.

In recent years, wars have been incessant, and the ninja world has been in turmoil.

And in the entire Land of Fire, there is no place safer than Konoha.

Those wealthy merchants and officials who value their lives often purchase properties in Konoha, making land in Konoha very expensive.

Of course, the major ninja clans were unaffected, as they had already designated vast areas for their clansmen to live in.

The Uchiha and Hyuga are prime examples.

Even without the Nine-Tails' attack, the Uchiha clan still resides in the economic center of the village.

"Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Seemingly not expecting Kiyoshi to come, Nohara Rin was only wearing a white nurse's uniform.

Kneeling, she appeared even more innocent, with slender calves and a waist so delicate it could be encircled by a single hand.

It must be said that since Nohara Rin became a real woman, she has developed rapidly in all aspects, shedding her girlish immaturity and gaining the charm of a mature woman.

Kiyoshi's eyes burned with a new intensity.

It's really great.

Rin Nohara started from the bottom and naturally had a nurse's uniform from Konoha Hospital.

It's normal for her to have a few sets at home, and she's thrifty enough not to throw them away.

"Help me analyze the data for this thing. You just need to figure out what materials were used."

Kiyoshi took out a reagent containing the power of the curse seal.

This is only a small portion that Orochimaru gave him; Kiyoshi plans to give the rest to his puppet clone for research.

Rin Nohara has now grown into a medical ninja with considerable strength. Giving her the equipment would allow for a two-pronged approach, accelerating the process.

"it is good."

Nohara Rin took it.

Noticing Kiyoshi's gaze, Nohara Rin lowered her head slightly, her earlobes and the back of her neck flushed with shyness.

The only scent in the room was the fragrance of her after her bath.

And Kiyoshi... the scent of a man.

Rin Nohara's heart suddenly stirred.

To conceal her agitation, Nohara Rin lowered her eyes and poured herself a cup of tea.

Hold the teacup with both hands and sip it slowly.

Her beautiful lips exuded the fragrance of tea, and her white teeth appeared even whiter after being moistened by the tea.

Despite her seemingly calm demeanor, Nohara Rin's slightly trembling, thick, curved eyelashes betrayed a hint of her passionate emotions.

It is said that eating the marrow means knowing the taste.

Even before this, her body had been constantly adapting to Kiyoshi's chakra.

After arriving at Kannabi Bridge, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that her meridian system was branded with the marks of Akira, an unforgettable influence ingrained in her very being.

But... later came an endless calm.

Her life returned to normal once again.

It seems like everything can go back to the way it was, but some things, once changed, are forever changed.

Even the peaceful days of the past have become boring for Nohara Rin.

"Lin, what are you... expecting?"

Suddenly, Kiyoshi spoke.

Nohara Rin pursed her lips and remained silent.

"Your chakra is out of control."

Kiyoshi looked at Nohara Rin with great interest.

In her perception mode, Nohara Rin's chakra was like a flickering flame, extremely unstable.

"me……"

Nohara Rin didn't know how to explain.

I was so ashamed I almost cried.

Seeing Nohara Rin's pitiful appearance, Kiyoshi couldn't help but laugh.

The fruit he planted grew into what he had envisioned.

By now, Rin Nohara has probably forgotten about the dead Obito.

Even Kiyoshi, who was once Kakashi, noticed that Rin Nohara was deliberately avoiding him.

Despite his hard work, Kiyoshi finally reaped the rewards he desired.

"Lin, are you hungry?"

Qingsi asked.

Nohara Rin is a girl with a small appetite.

She doesn't have the contrasting gluttonous attribute of Hinata Hyuga.

"A little." Nohara Rin nodded slightly.

If Kiyoshi hadn't come, she would have cooked herself some simple noodles.

Thinking of this, Nohara Rin mustered her courage and said:
"I have some leftover char siu, tonkotsu broth, and thick noodles at home. Would you like me to make you some noodles?"

Nohara Rin knew that Kiyoshi often ate at a ramen shop called Ichiraku Ramen, so she bought some noodles and kept them at home.

Over time, I developed a habit of liking to eat noodles.

"No, no, no, Lin, you haven't tried my cooking yet, have you?"

Qingsi smiled slightly.

Besides the "Master Chef (Blue)" entry, he also has some green and white entries related to cooking.

The various bonuses total 40%, plus the 40% from the Chef God affix, for a total of 80%.

These are all keywords that were triggered by his constant cooking.

On his way back from the Sand Village trip, Kiyoshi also unlocked a new entry: "Konoha's Little Master (Purple)".

We're just a little bit more progress away from fully unlocking it.

"Don't you have a maid at home?"

Nohara Rin was referring to Guren.

"You'll know after you try it."

Kiyoshi slowly got up.

With an 80% bonus, those foods are quite delicious.

"You stay here and don't move. I'll cook you some noodles now."

Qingsi said.

Nohara Rin, who had just taken a bath, still had water stains on her skin, which looked even more supple than usual.

As Kiyoshi performed hand seals, he took out the pot and ladle used to assist in cooking.

Perhaps because Nohara Rin was born into a small, ordinary family and had never seen the Uchiha-style large ladle, she remained stunned until the ladle passed over her head.

Seeing Nohara Rin pursing her lips, Kiyoshi's smile widened, and he said:
"Come on, I need your help, Lin."

Umm~!

…………

Somewhere a few kilometers away.

Kakashi held a bouquet of flowers, looking sadly at the memorial stone in front of him.

That is Obito's memorial stone.

“Obito, people say that after the Kannabi Bridge, two heroes with Sharingan emerged, one is you, and the other is me.”

Kakashi's tone was mocking.

hero?

Can someone like him be considered a hero?

He's someone who caused the death of his companion and someone who stood by and watched his companion die.

He's a complete scumbag.

A wave of self-blame surged through Kakashi's heart.

"Father, I understand you more and more now."

Kakashi sighed.

He thought of his father, Sakumo Hatake, who committed suicide.

Every night, he would dream that Obito's right cheek was being pressed under a boulder.

That feeling of self-blame almost suffocated him.

He even bought a book called "How a Ninja Should Die" to read.

"Alright Obito, that's all for today. Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've seen Rin. Let's go see her."

Kakashi bent down and placed a bouquet of flowers in front of Obito's memorial stone, as was his habit.

He then carried another bouquet of flowers toward Nohara Rin's house.

Kakashi also figured things out during this time.

Nohara Rin was always lonely at Konoha Hospital, so sometimes he would go to see her to help her relieve her boredom.

It was the only thing he could do.

Even Obito in the Pure Land would praise him if he knew.

…………

Dusk fell upon the earth.

The shops along the street gradually lit up with neon lights in an effort to make their signs more visible to a wider audience.

Snapped!
A piece of glass vibrated, and a handprint appeared above it.

After the first handprint, an even larger handprint covered it.

After an unknown amount of time, the handprint suddenly disappeared.

Without the warmth of the palm, the handprint slowly faded away.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Kakashi squeezed through the crowd and finally arrived at Nohara Rin's house.

He was holding a bouquet of flowers, his favorite pink lilies.

"Kakashi, have you rekindled your youth?"

Might Guy was astonished to see Kakashi holding a bouquet of flowers.

You should know that this is not the direction of the memorial monument.

Since it's not a gift to the dead, the flowers could only be for the living, and most likely a woman.

A short-haired figure suddenly appeared in my mind.

Nohara Lin!
"Kai, don't misunderstand anything."

Kakashi was exasperated when he saw Might Guy, hoping he wouldn't do anything strange that would attract attention.

This might lead to gossip about Lin.

Kakashi would never allow such a thing to happen.

Might Guy patted Kakashi on the shoulder, gave him a thumbs up, revealing his gleaming white teeth, and said with a smile:
"Alright, those who know, know. It's the unspoken understanding between men. Kakashi, I support you."

Matt Kai left quickly.

Kakashi is in much better shape today than yesterday, which is something to celebrate.

Run a hundred laps around this street!

Kakashi watched Might Guy's retreating figure, remaining silent, and continued walking with the flowers in his hand.

Not long after, he finally arrived at Nohara Rin's house.

dong dong.

Kakashi knocks on the door.

He waited for a while, but no one opened the door.

Patient Kakashi knocked on the door again.

dong dong...

He knocked several times, but no one answered the door.

"Lin is not home."

Kakashi smiled wryly; it seemed he had made a wasted trip.

He shook his head and walked outside.

Tick.

A single drop of water appeared on the dry ground.

The next two drops, then three drops...

Kakashi looked up; the sky had already darkened.

However, it was vaguely visible that a dark cloud was covering the area.

"It's raining?"

Kakashi thought to himself.

His gaze then slid down and he noticed a dark shadow behind the window.

"Lin!"

Kakashi tentatively called out.

The dark figure seemed to freeze. A moment later, the window was pushed open, revealing Nohara Rin's face.

"Is there something you need, Kakashi?"

Rin Nohara's eyes widened, not understanding when Kakashi had arrived downstairs.

"I'm here to deliver flowers. I just knocked on the door, but why didn't anyone answer?"

Kakashi was puzzled.

Since Lin is home, why doesn't she open the door?

"Kakashi... I... I'm cleaning."

Nohara Rin's tone was weary; she had to rest after saying just a few words.

Seeing this, Kakashi guessed that Nohara Rin was doing a thorough cleaning.

He thought for a moment and came to the answer.

With the New Year just around the corner, it's normal to clean the house, as it's a way to bring good luck.

Cleaning before the New Year is said to sweep away all bad luck and misfortune, welcoming good fortune in the coming year.

"Then I'll throw the flowers up."

Kakashi aimed carefully and threw the object forward.

The pink lily was cast through the window crack at a perfect, elegant angle and landed in Nohara Rin's hand.

Kakashi nodded secretly.

Indeed, his "shuriken handling technique" has not declined.

Throwing pink lilies like shuriken doesn't make much difference in accuracy.

"Th...thank you, Kakashi."

Nohara Rin spoke sincerely, and suddenly felt a warm current rising from her body, which deeply moved her.

Goodbye, Lin.

Kakashi waved.

He also plans to go home and do a thorough cleaning.

"okay."

Nohara Lin nodded.

Just as she was about to wave goodbye, a voice whispered in her ear:

"Since Kakashi is already here, let him come up and sit down."

"……it is good."

Hearing Seiji's voice, Nohara Rin felt a tremor in her heart and could only follow along.

"Wait, Kakashi, you should come up here!"

Rin Nohara called out to Kakashi, who had turned and walked a few steps away.

When Kakashi heard Nohara Rin's plea to stay, he turned around, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

"Then I'll wait for you to open the door."

Kakashi said.

So he waited at the door.

One minute...two minutes...

Ten minutes later, Nohara Rin finally opened the door with a click.

"Please come in."

Nohara Rin's voice was much softer and more charming than usual.

He was covered in fragrant sweat, and his face was rosy.

Kakashi felt that the voice sounded a little better, but he didn't know why.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw a towel for drying hair on the coffee table, and he understood why he had waited another ten minutes. It turned out that Lin was taking a shower.

"Pink lilies need to be placed in a sunny place, such as on a balcony."

Kakashi offered his advice.

"it is good."

Nohara Lin nodded.

"Oh, right, Lin, I have another bottle here. You can use it to put flowers."

Kakashi searched his person and found a ceramic bottle.

He originally intended to use it as a decoration, but now he feels there's a better place for it.

"Thank you, Kakashi."

Rin Nohara wiped the sweat from her brow, took Kakashi's bottle, and headed towards the second-floor balcony.

Kakashi followed.

If Lin does something wrong, he will give her guidance.

"Yo, Kakashi, long time no see."

Just as Kakashi went up to the second floor, he saw an unexpected figure.

"Kiyoshi? What are you doing at Rin's house?"

Kakashi was puzzled.

"Let's discuss some experimental matters, and I'll also cook some noodles for her."

Qingsi smiled slightly.

"Is that ramen below?"

"It's thick noodles; that's all the ingredients we have in the kitchen."

Seiji explained.

And only coarse noodles are big enough and chewy enough.

"That's it."

Kakashi nodded, understanding to some extent.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the flowers he had just given them.

It was placed in a small water bottle, which was filled with water.

There were also some traces of dried water on the windows and walls behind.

Kakashi understood; the water that had just dripped down below must have been from here.

Rin Nohara used this water to wash her mop, but accidentally spilled it.

"Kakashi, you probably don't mind if I fill the flowers you sent with water first, right?" (End of Chapter)