After leaving, Kiyoshi took out the swordsmanship scroll and looked at it.
It was named [Hidden Cloud Style Swordsmanship: Flying Bird].
The principle used was very simple: using Lightning Release to activate cells, allowing for a temporary increase in speed to achieve victory through quickness.
"I need to prepare a sword." Kiyoshi put away the scroll, thinking to himself.
He was not yet a formal ninja and did not have the ability to take missions and earn payment.
At best, he could secretly acquire scrolls from the Hidden Cloud to enhance his strength.
Ninja tools and money were out of the question.
Anything beyond Kiyoshi's means would immediately attract the attention of observant people, who would wonder where Kiyoshi got the items.
Ninja tools had to be paid for out of pocket.
Shikamaru Nara, when using a few explosive tags and smoke bombs, referred to them as "precious."
Ninjas risk their lives to earn money, yet they have to pay for supplies used during missions themselves.
Only relatively low-cost ninja tools like kunai and shuriken were the mainstream everyday consumables for ninjas.
Even a major clan like the Uchiha would not provide everything.
In Itachi Shinden, Shisui Uchiha's father lost a leg on a mission, and the young Shisui had to go out and earn money to support the family, showing how large the expenses for a ninja were.
Even more so for the current Kiyoshi.
The monthly allowance provided by the Uchiha clan only covered Kiyoshi's most basic living expenses.
Saving a little money for snacks was fine, but it was nowhere near enough to buy expensive ninja tools like a sword.
"If I can't afford it, I'll just buy a wooden sword to make do," Kiyoshi thought.
A wooden sword would be sufficient until he graduated from the Ninja Academy anyway.
Once he became a Genin, he could start taking missions and buy a real steel sword.
"Kiyoshi-kun!"
Just as Kiyoshi was worrying about money, a voice called out to him from a distance.
Kiyoshi turned around and saw Kurenai Yūhi.
"Is something the matter?" Kiyoshi asked plainly.
His preference was for mature women.
Kurenai was too young.
"Last time... didn't we say we would exchange ideas about Genjutsu when we had time?" Kurenai's red eyes fixed on Kiyoshi, her plump little mouth slightly open.
Kiyoshi recalled that this was indeed true.
However, during this time, to quickly acquire the [Sturdy Physique] Trait, he had been constantly practicing [Lightning Release: Iron Armor] and had completely forgotten about this unimportant matter.
"Eh, did Kiyoshi-kun forget?" Kurenai gently furrowed her small brow.
She had taken this matter seriously and reviewed a lot of reference materials.
"... Fine." Kiyoshi nodded.
It was a good chance to test his Genjutsu ability.
At the Ninja Academy, he hadn't had the opportunity to use his Sharingan Genjutsu, the teachers only taught very basic Genjutsu and general knowledge about illusions.
Kiyoshi agreed to Kurenai's request and followed her to a sparsely populated training ground.
"Isn't that Kiyoshi Uchiha?"
Obito, who had been helping grandmothers for a long time, wiped the sweat from his forehead and caught a familiar figure in his peripheral vision.
There was no mistake.
That deep blue Uchiha robe, and the height that was slightly taller than his own.
Obito could no longer forget Kiyoshi's back.
Every time he saw Kiyoshi Uchiha discussing ninjutsu insights with Rin Nohara, he couldn't contribute to the conversation.
One regrets not having learned when the time comes to use it.
Obito could only silently watch them converse from the back.
He didn't understand.
How could one person be physically fit and also possess good theoretical knowledge?
Was this person truly from the Land of Lightning?
Obito was starting to doubt the intelligence report.
Since Kiyoshi Uchiha arrived at the Academy, his strength had been advancing by leaps and bounds.
Compared to Obito, who was perpetually at the bottom of the class at the Ninja Academy, Kiyoshi Uchiha seemed more like a genuine Uchiha.
Because the vast majority of ninjas in the Uchiha clan were... elites.
"Since when did he get to know Kurenai Yūhi?" Obito thought for a moment, unable to figure out how Kiyoshi had gotten involved with the eldest daughter of the Yūhi clan.
"Obito, thank you so much." The old grandmother's shaky voice rang out.
"Oh, it was nothing." Obito waved his hand cheerfully, indicating it was a small matter.
He really enjoyed the feeling of being acknowledged and praised.
"Still helping grandmothers?"
Asuma Sarutobi walked up, hands in his pockets, wearing a brown jacket, a lollipop stick hanging out of his mouth.
If he wasn't chewing on something, Asuma Sarutobi always felt something was missing.
"By the way, have you seen Kurenai?"
Asuma Sarutobi asked before Obito could answer.
"She went to the small forest with Kiyoshi." Obito pointed in a direction, it was the Third Training Ground.
"With Kiyoshi?" Asuma Sarutobi raised his voice.
That wasn't right.
How could Kiyoshi know Kurenai?
"She's over there, anyway."
Obito finished quickly and left, helping the grandmother.
He utterly despised the spoiled princeling Asuma Sarutobi.
Always circling around Kurenai Yūhi.
Just a simple puppy, he thought.
Asuma Sarutobi immediately ran in the direction Obito pointed.
***
Upon arriving at a secluded patch of woods, Kurenai Yūhi turned to Kiyoshi.
"Are you ready?"
"I am ready." Kiyoshi nodded.
"Good."
Kurenai Yūhi formed a set of hand signs, then pulled three shuriken from the ninja pouch behind her waist.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
The shuriken sped toward Kiyoshi.
Kiyoshi's black pupils quickly rotated a few times. Then, he drew a kunai and deflected the shuriken.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
The three shuriken fell to the ground, sticking into the dirt.
This was merely the opening act.
Since this was an exchange of Genjutsu, it wouldn't be limited to just this.
The next moment, Kurenai Yūhi brandished her kunai and lunged toward Kiyoshi.
Kiyoshi parried with his kunai, the black blades locked in a standoff between the two.
"His strength is huge..." Kurenai Yūhi thought.
Kiyoshi must have secretly practiced Taijutsu. The force of the impact made her wrist ache slightly.
She had to release that technique now...
Taking advantage of the kunai standoff, a clone suddenly emerged from behind Kurenai Yūhi.
The clone looked identical to Kurenai Yūhi, but its body glowed with pink cherry blossoms.
Genjutsu: False Darkness Clone!
Kurenai Yūhi's clone swung its kunai, stabbing toward Kiyoshi!
"Is this the technique..." Kiyoshi recognized the Genjutsu Kurenai Yūhi was using.
This was a hereditary Genjutsu of the Yūhi clan, focused on surprise attacks and varied movements.
It was a technique that appeared in the Naruto Ultimate Storm series.
It allows the creation of a regular clone combined with Genjutsu for attack.
A regular Clone Technique creates an identical illusion of the user by refining chakra, but it's merely a phantom.
Its only purpose is to confuse the enemy's judgment. However, the Genjutsu: False Darkness Clone adds the function of a Genjutsu attack on top of the Clone Technique.
It allows the affected person to feel real pain.
"Why isn't he dodging?" Kurenai Yūhi wondered inwardly.
She had already launched her attack, but Kiyoshi seemed paralyzed, frozen in place, his kunai still blocking Kurenai Yūhi's.
He hadn't taken any other action.
In a flash, Kurenai Yūhi grew increasingly confused.
Just as the pink clone's kunai was about to pierce Kiyoshi, Kurenai Yūhi immediately prepared to dispel the Genjutsu.
"This Genjutsu is good, but its rank doesn't seem very high."
Warm breath brushed against the back of her neck.
Kurenai Yūhi's pupils constricted—it was Kiyoshi!
Kiyoshi was behind her!
***
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