Just then, there was a hurried knock on the door.
"Kiyoshi-kun, are you home?"
Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow. The familiar voice instantly told him who the visitor was.
He got up and walked to the yard gate. When he opened it, he saw Rin Nohara's tired, slightly flushed face, still slightly out of breath.
"Rin Nohara-kun, are you looking for me this late?" Kiyoshi's voice was calm. His gaze swept over her rosy cheeks, which seemed to glow slightly red under the residual light of the setting sun.
Rin Nohara lowered her head slightly, clearly out of breath from running.
"I thought it over carefully, and I still wanted to ask Kiyoshi-kun for advice..."
Before she finished, Rin Nohara caught her breath and looked up at Kiyoshi.
By chance, she spotted Kurenai Yūhi behind Kiyoshi!
"Kurenai, why are you here?" Rin Nohara asked with surprise.
She had thought their relationship was limited to chatting during school hours. She never expected Kurenai to have already entered Kiyoshi's home without her knowing.
If she hadn't come to find Kiyoshi today about Kakashi, she might never have known about this.
To reach Kiyoshi's house, one had to enter the Uchiha compound, cross the dividing wall and gate, and there was always a faint feeling of being scrutinized.
Especially since the Uchiha were an arrogant clan and members of the village's Police Force, Rin Nohara barely dared to lift her head. She only found Kiyoshi's house after steeling her nerves and asking an elderly couple selling pancakes nearby.
Kurenai Yūhi also looked at Rin Nohara with surprise.
What was Rin Nohara doing looking for Kiyoshi at this hour?
"I'm here to exchange notes on Genjutsu with Kiyoshi! What are you doing here?" Kurenai Yūhi became inexplicably vigilant.
She hoped Rin Nohara wasn't also seeking tutoring from Kiyoshi.
Rin Nohara lowered her head, feeling uncomfortable, seemingly unwilling to reveal too much information. She only gave a vague answer.
"I... I have something to discuss." Her tone was ambiguous, she didn't want to disclose too much.
"Kurenai Yūhi-san, it's getting late. You should head back now, or your family will worry." Kiyoshi suddenly interjected.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Thinking of her father, Kurenai Yūhi quickly nodded.
Since her mother passed away, her father had been very strict with her, insisting she come home early.
If she didn't go back soon, her father might come out looking for her.
Kurenai Yūhi looked back at Rin Nohara and Kiyoshi, then walked away.
"What exactly is it about?" Kurenai Yūhi frowned.
Rin Nohara clearly had something she wanted to talk to Kiyoshi about, but if it was just something to discuss, why did she have to hide it from her and not tell her directly?
Kurenai Yūhi couldn't figure it out and could only push the thought aside.
After Kurenai Yūhi left.
Kiyoshi leaned against the doorframe, looking at Rin Nohara, waiting for her to speak.
"Kakashi has been keeping his father's matter in his heart. I'm worried he might do something foolish... Besides swordsmanship, is there any other way to help him cheer up?"
Kiyoshi's lips curved slightly, as if he had already guessed she would ask this.
"In that case, Kakashi's focus now should be on Lightning Release Ninjutsu. I can tell he wants to develop a Lightning Release technique."
"Lightning Release?" Rin Nohara was startled.
She thought Kakashi had mentioned it a few times.
In terms of Ninjutsu, she was indeed somewhat better than in swordsmanship.
Although her foundation in Ninjutsu was better than in swordsmanship, she had no experience with a Ninjutsu like Lightning Release, which involves chakra nature transformation.
She couldn't help but frown.
"I... I haven't learned Lightning Release either."
Kiyoshi smiled faintly and said:
"I know, Rin Nohara-kun. You don't need to worry that the time is too short for you to learn it."
"Lightning Release Ninjutsu doesn't require deep mastery. As long as you can grasp the basics, you can create a common topic with Kakashi and have more contact. Isn't that enough?"
Rin Nohara's eyes lit up at the thought.
Kiyoshi made sense.
Kakashi was relatively isolated and didn't have many friends.
So, if he wanted to develop Lightning Release Ninjutsu, he would likely be researching it alone. If she stepped in now, it would definitely give them more things to talk about.
"Alright, then I'll have to trouble Kiyoshi-kun."
Kiyoshi reached out his hand, smiled slightly, and whispered:
"Then I shall begin explaining to Rin Nohara-kun how to transform unaligned chakra nature into 'Lightning.'"
Kiyoshi invited Rin Nohara into the inner room.
By now, the night sky was gradually eclipsing the sunset glow. A gentle evening breeze blew, bringing a chill.
The courtyard was so quiet that one could almost hear the wind rustling through the treetops.
After brewing a cup of tea, Kiyoshi began his explanation for Rin Nohara.
Both [Lightning Release: Lightning Finger] and [Lightning Release: Iron Armor] contained the fundamental instruction for this, which Kiyoshi could directly use.
[Lightning Release: Flashbang] was the same.
Because this was the most basic transformation.
To use the Five Elements Release Ninjutsu, one must subject their chakra to "Nature Transformation."
This means transforming the chakra into one of the five basic attributes.
For example, the Chidori requires transforming chakra into "Lightning," while the Rasengan is merely "Shape Transformation," containing only unaligned, compressed, high-density swirling chakra.
Rin Nohara listened to Kiyoshi for a while, seeming half-understanding.
She felt like she had gained something, yet also understood nothing at all.
Kiyoshi had anticipated Rin Nohara's reaction.
He hadn't expected Rin Nohara to understand.
If she truly understood, how could he proceed with the next step of his plan?
Rin Nohara simply did not possess the "Lightning Nature"!
According to the official data book, Rin Nohara only possessed the "Water," "Fire," and "Yang" chakra natures for Nature Transformation.
If she lacked a certain chakra nature, although she could still perform the release technique, its power would be greatly diminished.
Furthermore, it would be extremely difficult to understand these techniques, requiring a vast amount of time to comprehend. Otherwise, she could only act as an auxiliary conduit, helping others release the same Ninjutsu.
For example, when tens of thousands of Allied Shinobi Forces jointly released the simplest Earth Release Ninjutsu, although they managed to release it, the colossal amount of chakra could only barely fend off a single Tailed Beast Ball from the Ten-Tails.
"Can't you understand?" Kiyoshi asked.
Rin Nohara nodded, looking disappointed.
"It's alright. Stretch out your hand. I have another method." Kiyoshi gestured for Rin Nohara to extend her hand.
Rin Nohara complied.
Kiyoshi grasped Rin Nohara's hand. He found it very small and soft, and her skin smooth.
Rin Nohara also felt a large, substantial hand gripping hers.
This was the first time she had held a male peer's hand.
Rin Nohara's earlobes turned slightly red, and at this close distance, she could feel Kiyoshi's breath.
She quickly shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate.
"Next, I will let you feel the process of generating Lightning Release chakra." Kiyoshi spoke solemnly, though he was spouting nonsense.
The process of transforming unaligned chakra into aligned chakra is theoretically achievable.
However, it requires extremely high skill, similar to how Naruto shared the Nine-Tails' chakra with others, allowing them to use and feel the Nine-Tails' chakra without side effects.
***
Wish You Happy New Year guys
Let's hope we all have better lives in 2026
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