"Are all the people of the Land of Lightning this talented?"
Kurenai Yuhi declined Asuma Sarutobi's candy, afraid of gaining weight from too much sugar.
Asuma Sarutobi was practically her childhood friend.
She and Asuma had known each other before they even started school.
"Someone in my family has fought against the Cloud Village ninjas, that's what they said."
Asuma Sarutobi pictured some dark-skinned, burly men in his mind.
They looked nothing like the skinny Kiyoshi.
"But Kiyoshi's skin isn't exactly dark, is it?"
Asuma Sarutobi said.
He'd heard from the old man that while most people in the Cloud Village were black, there were also some with very fair skin.
Of course, the common characteristic was that they were all strong.
He wondered how they trained.
"Who knows?"
Kurenai Yuhi shook her head.
She wasn't particularly interested in Kiyoshi's taijutsu skills.
What she really wanted to know was Kiyoshi's talent in genjutsu.
Kurenai had always heard her father say that the Uchiha clan's genjutsu was incredibly powerful, and every person who awakened the Sharingan was a genjutsu master.
Kurenai didn't agree with this.
In her mind, her father, whose genjutsu was unparalleled, had achieved this through a lifetime of hard work.
How could just anyone with a Sharingan surpass him?
Among his classmates, only Kiyoshi had awakened the Sharingan.
It was said that even Tsunade had gone to investigate.
Kiyoshi felt a gaze and looked over.
It was Kurenai.
Why was he looking at him?
After thinking for a moment, Kiyoshi ignored it, occasionally responding to the conversations around him, and focused on the panel in front of him.
[Entry: Long-distance runner (white).]
[Requirement: Run 5 kilometers.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: Your lower limb strength has been improved, making you more adaptable to long-distance travel. Your leg strength has increased by 5% from its original level.]
[Note: Further advancement is possible.]
"I've gained a new attribute in just over a class period."
Kiyoshi closed the panel. His lower limbs felt like they were being infused with heat, permeating every cell, and he could feel his muscles becoming more solid.
He should receive some bonuses when using kicking techniques or similar taijutsu.
"I wonder if training methods like rock climbing or throwing ninja tools will trigger the corresponding attributes."
Kiyoshi pondered to himself.
"Kiyoshi, are you contemplating the meaning of youth?"
Might Guy asked, as if he'd found a kindred spirit.
"..."
Kiyoshi didn't speak.
Ten minutes later, after the students, including Umino, had rested enough, the results were announced.
"Might Guy first, Kakashi second..."
He began reading the list, and Kiyoshi ultimately ranked sixth.
Kiyoshi's expression didn't change.
He had only been training for a short time, and to jump to sixth place was enough to demonstrate his physical talent.
Everyone else undergoes physical training every semester, yet he surpassed them.
No wonder Yakushi Nonou said he was suited to be a taijutsu ninja.
"Alright everyone, remember to prepare for the sparring session a week from now. Here's the list."
Umino read out the list for the next week.
Because of the transfer student Kiyoshi, everyone originally had a sparring partner, and the class size was an even number, but now there was one extra.
Umino thought for a moment, then saw Obito walking over to talk to Rin, and said,
"Obito, you and Kiyoshi are tentatively sparring together next week. The list changes every week."
Obito was taken aback.
Wasn't this giving him a chance to show off?
He could defeat Kiyoshi in front of Rin in a cool way, letting her know that this guy was just lucky last time.
"Understood, Umino-sensei!"
Obito shouted.
"Hmm."
Umino-sensei nodded.
Obito's grades weren't great, but his attitude towards learning was positive. Coincidentally, Obito's taijutsu grades were among the lowest, which would allow Kiyoshi, who had transferred in, to adapt better.
"Alright, dismissed."
Umino-sensei announced the end of class.
And so, today's lessons came to a close.
After school, Kiyoshi went to see Nohara Rin again, asking her to teach him more about chakra control.
This time, Kakashi and Obito were both there.
Kiyoshi trained diligently as he had yesterday.
Today's lesson was still tree climbing, but he chose a taller tree.
This required much more rigorous control of chakra over a long period.
As the twilight light shone through the forest, Kiyoshi was the first to leave.
"Kiyoshi-kun, so early today?"
"I've been in Konoha for a month now, and I wanted to go out and try some good food."
"I see."
Nohara Rin nodded.
Some small vendors' goods were indeed quite good. She knew a little girl named Mitarashi Anko who often went to a shop for red bean soup and liked to eat it with dumplings.
After Kiyoshi left, he didn't go home immediately but wandered the streets of Konoha.
Finally, he casually entered an ordinary shop, a "sushi restaurant."
He had barely entered and hadn't even spoken when a shop assistant approached him.
"Are you here to try our newly developed dish, squid sushi?"
The female shop assistant had short blonde hair, and her apron almost couldn't cover her ample bosom, revealing a gray top underneath.
Samui!
Kiyoshi had a deep impression of this woman.
She was one of the few women in the original work who could rival Tsunade.
Simply put, she was large.
After a moment, Kiyoshi withdrew his gaze, looking at her pretty face, and frowned slightly.
Samui looked like she was already a teenager; this didn't match the timeline in the original work at all.
Had his arrival caused some kind of butterfly effect?
"I've come for the squid sushi,"
Kiyoshi continued, following Samui's lead.
Samui was from Kumogakure, and her presence here must have been at the behest of the Kumogakure leadership.
Her approaching him likely meant she recognized his face.
"You are the first guest to try this new dish. Please follow me."
Samui led Kiyoshi deeper into the room. "This is a newly developed dish; it requires the freshest squid, a step specified by the guest."
Soon, they arrived at a room filled with glass fish tanks.
The tanks contained many fish, and bubbles floated on the surface of the filters.
Samui didn't stop, but instead placed her hand on the wall.
Black sealing jutsu patterns flashed, and a gap opened in the wall.
A deep passage appeared before Kiyoshi.
At the very back, a man with dreadlocks turned around, looking rather conspicuous.
"Yotsuki Kiyoshi, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Samui."
"Yotsuki is a bygone surname. I am Uchiha,"
Kiyoshi said calmly.
Zamodo's hairstyle is quite normal in Konoha. During the first part of the story, when Iruka was giving an outdoor lesson to Konohamaru and other students, Hiruzen Sarutobi came to inspect and explained the Will of Fire to the students.
Among those children were kids with dreadlocks.
Clearly, it's quite common.
(End of Chapter)