"So… strong."

Ginka's eyes sparkled with various emotions, as if she had grasped hope.

Kiyoshi was strong and powerful, and he could fly.

Such a Ninjutsu would likely consume a terrifying amount of Chakra, which indirectly meant Kiyoshi's endurance and stamina was… astonishing.

If it was Kiyoshi, saving Nobuhiko's life and rescuing him wouldn't be impossible, right?

Ginka stood rooted to the spot, her mind continuously pondering.

"What?"

Natsu didn't hear Ginka's murmur clearly.

"Nothing." Ginka shook her head, her expression indifferent.

This was not something Natsu, a servant, should know.

"What is that?"

"So bright!"

"Uchiha? A Ninjutsu I've never seen before."

The people around them chattered, looking at Kiyoshi with curiosity and awe.

They had seen Ninjutsu that could imbue a certain Chakra nature onto the body, but Kiyoshi's was clearly different.

Whose Chakra imbuement could cause physical changes to the body?

Golden vertical slit pupils, raised keratinized flesh buds, and those faint scale patterns.

All of it gave off… a snake-like feeling.

"Sage Mode."

Fugaku watched Kiyoshi dispel his Chakra, and gradually returning to his original appearance. A realization dawned in his mind.

Besides Jiraiya possessing Sage Mode, there were actually rumors circulating about other Sage Modes.

When Madara gained the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and even used the Nine-Tails as a summon, the First Hokage Hashirama relied on Sage Mode to contend with him.

The struggle between Madara and Hashirama had only been a few decades ago, and many records were preserved in the clan's archives.

It was just that normally, everyone lived life on the edge, always striving to get stronger, so few had the time to read or research historical books.

If it weren't for the Ninja Code of Conduct, Fugaku estimated that many ninjas would live in a drunken stupor, enjoying the present.

"Young and accomplished." Hiashi arrived with his clansmen.

If Kiyoshi hadn't attacked so quickly and disrupted the Kiri Ninja's formation, it might not have ended so easily.

"Fugaku, your Uchiha Clan is full of talent." Hiashi exclaimed.

"Not at all, your noble clan is the same." Fugaku's square face broke into a smile.

No matter what, Kiyoshi becoming so powerful was a good thing for the Uchiha.

In this war, strong Ninja were precisely what is needed.

If Konoha falls, the Uchiha will face being adrift in the Ninja World.

The Land of Whirlpool, founded by the Uzumaki Clan, was the best example.

Once so powerful, its Sealing Techniques reaching the pinnacle of the entire Ninja World, yet it ended up with its country destroyed and clan annihilated.

Other Ninja villages only wanted the Uchiha bloodline, not these old survivors.

After all, how could their loyalty, having obeyed the Will of Fire their entire lives, compare to that of the new generation, who had been brainwashed from childhood?

"We'll rest for now."

Fugaku and Hiashi chatted for a while, then issued orders.

The people began to carry in the wounded, clear the battlefield, and re-establish the Warning Line.

Kiyoshi was also surrounded for a time, receiving congratulations from many.

Novel things always easily arouse people's curiosity.

Kiyoshi dealt with them for a while, then squeezed out of the crowd and walked towards his tent.

It was time to harvest the puppet clones.

Kiyoshi would regularly harvest and dispel his puppet clones every other day, gaining various experiences from them.

"Kiyoshi, what was that move of yours?" Kiyoshi hadn't gone far when Asuma ran over.

"Want to learn it?" Kiyoshi turned his head.

Asuma scratched his ear, truly curious about what Ninjutsu Kiyoshi had performed, it was too impressive.

"It must be very difficult, Asuma."

Kurenai walked gracefully towards them.

She was also very curious. But she feared that asking would be presumptuous and ruin her image in Kiyoshi's mind, so she held back from asking him.

"It is quite difficult. If you fail to learn it, you'll turn into a snake and then be eaten." Kiyoshi said calmly.

Orochimaru couldn't learn Ryuchi Cave's Senjutsu, and Kabuto cobbled things together, modifying his body countless times, just to endure Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode.

Mitsuki, trained by Orochimaru, was similar. He was a genetically edited clone from the start, and even then, it took many experiments to achieve one success.

Finally, Mitsuki was placed beside Boruto, forming the new generation's three-person team.

"Turn into a snake?"

Asuma's heart sank upon hearing that.

The risk was simply too high, no different from practicing forbidden Ninjutsu.

"Kiyoshi, no lingering side effects, right?" Kurenai asked worriedly.

She gently squeezed Kiyoshi's strong arm with her hand, finding that his skin was still normal, without snake-like scales.

"Jiraiya-sama, one of the Sannin, also uses it. You can think of it as the power of a Sage."

Kiyoshi's lips curved slightly upwards.

Worried sick just because of a casual remark from him?

The Kurenai nurturing plan was maturing more and more.

Kiyoshi could tell that he held a significant place in Kurenai's heart.

Kurenai and Asuma, who would become lovers in the original story, were far from having such a good relationship as depicted in the plot.

Asuma's one-sided pursuit seemed to have never received a response from Kurenai.

Thinking of this, Kiyoshi's ocular power increased slightly.

Hmm, what you, Asuma, cannot obtain, I can have within reach.

The three chatted for a while, and dusk fell.

Naturally, they couldn't be idle here. Soon, Kurenai and Asuma left first, busy with their respective missions.

Perhaps because he was new, or perhaps because of his dazzling performance, Kiyoshi remained in his tent, yet no missions were assigned to him.

Kiyoshi was happy to be idle and began training in his tent.

Bang!

The puppet clones were summoned by Kiyoshi, then dissolved into smoke.

"The progress bar for the Fire Release Jonin trait is at 95%."

Kiyoshi closed his eyes, feeling the experience gained after the puppet clones were dispelled.

Directly dispelling puppet clones would result in a significant Chakra loss due to distance.

The greater the distance, the greater the loss.

Therefore, unless it was an emergency, Kiyoshi would summon the puppet clones first, then dispel them.

It was the same last time in Ryuchi Cave, but Kiyoshi's summoning action was very quick and simple.

Keep in mind, he also had a Summoning trait, and because the white snake had entered its growth period, it had also been promoted to Chunin.

The Chakra consumption required for summoning had been greatly reduced, and the summoning steps simplified. As long as there was a cloth with the summoning Ninjutsu inscribed on it, he could immediately perform a summon.