Naruto: Wood-Wood Fruit

Extra Chapter~

Morning.

The skies were clear, and the sun was shining brightly.

Kiyoshi and Karin had been waiting for some time in the dining area.

Kiyoshi couldn't help but smile secretly, noticing how Tsunade entered with her usual calm demeanor, acting as if nothing happened, while Shizune, who refused to meet his eyes, was clearly trying to maintain her composure.

Tsunade, his teacher, was certainly more composed.

Last night, who knows what kind of dream she was having—calling out his name, "Kiyoshi, Kiyoshi".

She almost did something unthinkable.

Now, she was acting like nothing had happened.

In contrast, Shizune, who looked guilty and uneasy, was much more transparent.

"Shizune-nee, are you okay?"

Karin adjusted her glasses, observing Shizune, who seemed somewhat off.

After undergoing the eye-correction procedure Kiyoshi and Tsunade had developed, she no longer needed to wear glasses. 

But out of habit, she still wore a pair of clear lenses every day.

Nestled lazily in Karin's arms, Tonton, her pet pig, gave a soft grunt, as if echoing Karin's concern.

"No, nothing's wrong."

Shizune, with faint dark circles under her eyes, clearly hadn't slept well. She glanced nervously at Kiyoshi.

Seeing his calm expression and realizing he wasn't looking her way, she relaxed slightly, though a tinge of disappointment lingered.

Had he now found her embarrassing?

"Is that so?" Karin tilted her head, but as a young girl, she didn't press further and went back to playing with Tonton.

"You." 

Tsunade's eyes narrowed briefly as she took her seat next to Kiyoshi.

She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but even with her eyes closed, she could tell that Shizune's unusual behavior was likely connected to Kiyoshi.

"Come on, let's eat."

Tsunade sighed inwardly, trying to ease the tension around her disciple. 

She felt helpless—it seemed this pesky student of hers had completely stolen her heart, and she suspected Shizune wouldn't be far behind.

The one who constantly vowed to build a grand harem was indeed putting his "dream" into practice.

"Come on, Shizune-senpai. Let's sit down and have breakfast." Kiyoshi said with a friendly smile. 

"Once we finish, we'll start today's training."

Tsunade, Shizune, and Karin had all recently gained new powers from the artificial Devil Fruits, so they weren't in a rush to leave the Land of Hot Water. 

They wanted to stay a little longer to master their abilities.

Besides, they had heard that in about two weeks, the country's annual summer festival would take place, with a grand fireworks display. 

Both Shizune and Karin were eager to enjoy the festivities.

"Hmm."

Seeing Kiyoshi's usual gentle look, Shizune felt her cheeks flush slightly, and the nervousness in her heart eased.

In his gaze, she sensed neither ridicule nor disdain.

Thank goodness, he was really considerate and understanding.

"What's the summer festival in the Land of Hot Water like?" Karin asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I can't wait."

She could already imagine walking the bustling streets in the beautiful yukata that Kiyoshi gifted her, watching the fireworks with Tsunade and Shizune.

"It's still a while away." Kiyoshi gently tapped Karin on the head.

Though he, too, looked forward to seeing Tsunade and Shizune dressed in yukata on the streets.

"You're so annoying, Kiyoshi." Karin pouted.

But before she could start her usual fiery outburst, Kiyoshi stuffed a small steamed bun into her mouth, grinning.

"Here, today's breakfast is on me—eat all you want."

---

A Week Later.

In the distant Land of Fire, Konohagakure.

Inside the Hokage's office on the highest floor of the building, Hiruzen listened gravely to a report.

"Hokage-sama, last night, a village near the border of the Land of Fire was completely destroyed. When our team arrived, they found several Konoha shinobi corpses." 

Yamato, wearing his Anbu mask, reported in a solemn tone, "Among the dead was a special Jonin and three Chunin—all of them appeared to have died in utter terror."

"Do we know what happened?" Hiruzen's expression turned serious. In times of peace, the death of a special Jonin and three Chunin was no minor incident.

"Initial examinations suggest the injuries were caused by Lightning Release. The enemy was clearly powerful and highly skilled in lightning techniques," Yamato continued. 

"The Intelligence Division is conducting further examinations."

"Did we find anything useful at the scene?"

"Nothing conclusive yet… but we'll investigate thoroughly."

"Good." Hiruzen nodded, but before long, Kakashi, the Anbu captain, entered, kneeling before the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, according to Yamanaka Inoichi from the Intelligence Division, who extracted memories from the deceased, and based on the wounds, we've identified the attacker."

"It was a rogue ninja from Kirigakure—the wielder of the Thunder Blade, Kiba, Raiga Kurosuki."

"Raiga Kurosuki, the rogue ninja from Kirigakure?" 

Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had no idea why Raiga would suddenly act so recklessly.

Unbeknownst to him, Raiga's wrath stemmed from a near-death encounter orchestrated by Danzo's "Root", which had killed his partner Ranmaru and even took the body away.

"Regardless of his motives for entering the Land of Fire, he has trespassed on our territory, slaughtering civilians and our ninjas. We cannot let this go unanswered."

Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke and made his decision. "Kakashi, you will lead the team—"

"Wait." 

Hiruzen paused as a thought struck him. His gaze sharpened slightly. "Instead, summon Kurenai Yuhi."

"Kurenai?" Kakashi was surprised, a hint of concern in his voice. 

"Hokage-sama, Kurenai is a newly promoted Jonin, and she lacks the experience to face an opponent like Raiga from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Kurenai's close bond with Kiyoshi was well-known in Konoha, making Kakashi wonder if Hiruzen's choice was meant to test Kiyoshi.

"No, Kakashi, I'm not targeting her, nor do I intend for her to act alone. She will lead the team."

Tapping his pipe thoughtfully, Hiruzen chuckled. "I simply want to gauge her strength."

"I'm curious to see how far Kiyoshi has developed her abilities."

Hearing this, Kakashi's eyes widened. 

He recalled the recent disturbances in the Forest of Death and Anbu reports indicating that Kurenai had learned Kiyoshi's unique jutsu that could activate chakra for direct flight.

"Understood." 

Kakashi lowered his head in apology. "My apologies, Hokage-sama."

"No, your concern for Konoha's shinobis only reassures me as Hokage." Hiruzen waved dismissively. "You may go."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

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