"The Sannin" (Please Recommend)

Uchiha Kiyoshi walked along Konoha's streets, taking in the village's prosperity.

The leaves on the trees lining both sides of the street had begun to fall. Late autumn had arrived. Though Konoha had no snow, it still experienced the usual four seasons. Winter temperatures did not drop below freezing, but they still fell under ten degrees Celsius—a cold that was not quite too cold.

Uchiha Kiyoshi had no intention of wasting too much time on the road. Today was the day he planned to truly begin cultivating the Body Nourishment Technique, and he could not wait to get home and try it out.

Developing the Body Nourishment Technique had cost Uchiha Kiyoshi no small amount of effort.

Though it had only been a little over five months since Uchiha Kiyoshi began refining Chakra, he had spent far more time preparing for this Secret Jutsu than that. During the four years before he turned six, he had been constantly thinking about it. He had never truly come into contact with Chakra then, so it could only remain theoretical. But over those four years, Uchiha Kiyoshi had devised countless possible approaches. That was why he had been able to develop the Body Nourishment Technique in merely a few months.

Having poured so much effort into it, Uchiha Kiyoshi was naturally brimming with anticipation.

Forget extending his lifespan. If he solved the problem of Chakra wearing down his body, then the peak period of his life as a ninja could be extended by at least ten or twenty years, right? Even if his development remained slow and he failed to reach Super Kage-level or even the Six Paths Level before the plot began, his body would at least still be at its peak by then. He would still be able to improve, and following the plot to reap some benefits would be absolutely fantastic, wouldn't it?

Still, Uchiha Kiyoshi had confidence in himself. There were still thirty years before the plot began. If he failed to accomplish anything in all that time, would he not be disgracing all transmigrators?

As Uchiha Kiyoshi walked, he gradually stopped paying attention to the scenery around him and began thinking about what he should do next.

Should I start trying Medical Ninjutsu? And I need to refine the Substitution Technique. I should start preparing for that now.

Just as Uchiha Kiyoshi lowered his head to organize his plans, a familiar voice came from beside him.

"Eh, Kiyoshi! Why are you here? Did you just get out of school?"

Not far ahead of Uchiha Kiyoshi, Nawaki was approaching with three ninjas around eighteen years old.

Nawaki wore a surprised expression as he looked at the schoolbag on Uchiha Kiyoshi's back.

"Ah, Nawaki. Yes, I just got out of school. Are you all going somewhere?"

Uchiha Kiyoshi raised his head and answered Nawaki's earlier question. At the same time, he sized up the three ninjas beside Nawaki.

A tall, white-haired "uncle," a black-haired ninja with a deathly pale face and vertical pupils that gave off an eerie air, and a female ninja with long blond hair tied in a ponytail who exuded a capable aura. Mm, flat as a board.

So, these must be the future Sannin.

As Uchiha Kiyoshi thought this, he looked at Nawaki and waited for him to make the introductions.

The straightforward Tsunade frowned upon seeing the clan crest on Uchiha Kiyoshi's clothes. But recalling Nawaki's attitude, she recognized the identity of the little brat before her.

That was right, a little brat. No matter how mature his mind was, Uchiha Kiyoshi was still only six years old.

"This must be your deskmate, Uchiha Kiyoshi, Nawaki?"

Tsunade asked Nawaki, though her tone was highly certain.

Nawaki truly was thick-skinned. Only now did he remember to introduce both sides.

"Ah, right, right. This is the deskmate I told you about, Uchiha Kiyoshi. He's a training maniac. Every day, he's either training or reading. I have no idea what's so interesting about that. But he really knows a lot. No matter what I ask him, he always seems able to answer straight away without even thinking."

Hearing Nawaki's assessment, Uchiha Kiyoshi's mouth twitched slightly. What did he mean, "seems"? Be confident and remove that word. I really can answer your questions without thinking, okay?

Tsunade, standing beside Nawaki, seemed to know what sort of questions he might ask. She also pieced together the specifics and sighed inwardly. My foolish little brother. With the kinds of questions you ask, he really did answer without even thinking.

And no wonder Nawaki seemed to have improved a little recently. So this deskmate had been "tutoring" him. Tsunade no longer felt so hostile toward Uchiha Kiyoshi. At the very least, she would not treat him maliciously simply because he was an Uchiha. After all, he was her younger brother's friend, and from the looks of it, he had helped Nawaki quite a bit. More importantly, she had learned about Uchiha Kiyoshi's personality from her teacher. At least he was not the kind of person she disliked.

Nawaki did not care about his sister's inner thoughts and continued the introductions.

"Kiyoshi, this is my sister, Tsunade. Don't let how young she looks fool you—she's a bona fide Jonin. And this white-haired guy who looks really sleazy is Jiraiya. Don't be fooled by how much he looks like an uncle; he's actually only eighteen. And this is Orochimaru. Jiraiya and Orochimaru are Jonin too, and both of them are disciples of the Third Hokage along with my sister."

Nawaki's introductions of the three made his attitude clear. He was naturally not polite toward Jiraiya. With his sister as his backing, he was not afraid that Jiraiya would do anything to him. But he was not nearly as casual with Orochimaru, nor did he dare casually badmouth him.

Hearing Nawaki's introduction, Jiraiya nearly exploded. What did he mean by sleazy? Explain yourself! But after glancing at Tsunade beside him, Jiraiya did not dare teach Nawaki a lesson directly.

At the same time, the Sannin were observing Uchiha Kiyoshi's reaction, and they had to admit that they were quite satisfied.

Uchiha Kiyoshi neither groveled nor acted arrogantly as he respectfully greeted the three seniors.

Nawaki spoke again. "Kiyoshi, you just got out of school, so you haven't eaten yet, right? Perfect timing. We're going to have yakiniku together. Why don't you come with us?"

Before Uchiha Kiyoshi could refuse, Orochimaru beside him extended an invitation as well.

"That's right. As Nawaki's friend, Kiyoshi-kun may join us. Besides, I am rather interested in Kiyoshi-kun."

As he spoke, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth.

Tsunade and Jiraiya were used to it and did not react much. But Nawaki and Uchiha Kiyoshi both shuddered. Uchiha Kiyoshi, in particular, felt as though he had been targeted by a venomous snake.

Since Orochimaru had spoken, Uchiha Kiyoshi did not dare refuse and agreed.

Tsunade and Jiraiya found Orochimaru's behavior somewhat strange. They knew their companion had extremely high standards when judging people. It was their first time seeing him directly invite someone like this.

Orochimaru offered no explanation. Back in the Hokage's office, he had heard about Uchiha Kiyoshi's circumstances and had become interested in his personality. He had wondered then whether they might share some common topics. Since they had met this time, he naturally intended to observe him closely.

The group of four headed toward the yakiniku restaurant.

Along the way, Tsunade kept asking Uchiha Kiyoshi various questions.

From Uchiha Kiyoshi's answers, Tsunade and the other two were assessing his situation.

Orochimaru occasionally chatted with Uchiha Kiyoshi as well.

It had to be said that many of Uchiha Kiyoshi's ideas intrigued Orochimaru, as did his way of thinking and his logic.

Uchiha Kiyoshi did not know what had caught Orochimaru's attention, but there was no way for him to change now. Otherwise, it would seem too deliberate and easily arouse Orochimaru's suspicions.

Besides, drawing Orochimaru's attention was not without its benefits. First of all, with Orochimaru's name behind him, Uchiha Kiyoshi would not have to worry as much about being deliberately targeted.

Whether it was Konoha's upper ranks or the Uchiha Clan, neither side held much hostility toward Orochimaru. If Uchiha Kiyoshi was labeled as part of Orochimaru's faction, it could save him a great deal of trouble.

Besides, had Nawaki not been Orochimaru's disciple in the original work? What a coincidence. Did that mean he would very likely end up on Orochimaru's team alongside Nawaki in the future?

As Uchiha Kiyoshi answered their questions, he continued thinking, judging the deeper meaning behind each one.

Tsunade's gaze toward Orochimaru also became somewhat meaningful. Though she did not know what had attracted Orochimaru to this kid, Orochimaru's attitude already said enough. When Uchiha Kiyoshi graduated, their teacher would probably consider assigning him to Orochimaru's care.

That would be perfect. Nawaki could be entrusted to this guy as well. Though Orochimaru himself was somewhat creepy, he was still reliable.

The four chatted about different topics along the way, getting to know one another. After about twenty minutes of walking, they finally reached the yakiniku restaurant.

Whether because of their clan's Secret Jutsu or their own preferences, the Akimichi Clan all dreamed of opening their own yakiniku restaurant. Some even loved letting more people taste the yakiniku they made.

Thus, most of Konoha's yakiniku restaurants were run by the Akimichi Clan. Not only was the Akimichi Clan's yakiniku exceptionally delicious, but it was also very reasonably priced.

But no matter how reasonable the price was, it was still yakiniku. It was always more expensive than the cost of the ingredients.

The meat served at yakiniku restaurants came from game specially hunted in the wild, not domesticated pork.

Because they lived in the wild, the meat of those animals was especially flavorful, drawing many customers to the yakiniku restaurants.

But the prices were also high. Spending several thousand ryo on one meal was normal, and if one ate better and filled up properly, spending tens of thousands of ryo was also possible.

With only eight thousand ryo a month, Uchiha Kiyoshi had never come here for a meal before. But since he had been invited this time, he intended to eat his fill. Thanks to the special preparation methods, this meat was beneficial to the body.

Uchiha Kiyoshi ate quite a lot during the meal, even more than an average adult, leaving the people beside him dumbfounded.

Ignoring everyone's astonished stares, Uchiha Kiyoshi patted his stomach and leaned back in his seat in satisfaction. This meal had been absolutely wonderful.

Unfortunately, he had not yet learned the Body Nourishment Technique. Otherwise, he could refine Chakra while eating, then use the Body Nourishment Technique to nourish his body with the Physical Energy extracted from the food.

Still, one should not be too greedy. After a meal like this, the effects of today's Body Nourishment Technique should at least be quite good.

The Body Nourishment Technique could restore Chakra back into Physical Energy and use it to nourish the body. Physical Energy was extracted by the body's cells from food. Since not much was consumed and Spiritual Energy could be used repeatedly, theoretically, so long as there was enough Physical Energy, the Body Nourishment Technique could operate continuously.

That was why Uchiha Kiyoshi sighed. If he could keep eating highly nutritious yakiniku, he would be able to continuously use the Body Nourishment Technique to nourish his body.

But Uchiha Kiyoshi also knew that such a good thing would most likely be impossible. Leaving aside whether eating so much would make the Sannin suspicious, there was probably a limit to how much his body could be nourished at once.

Jiraiya paid in the end, which surprised Uchiha Kiyoshi somewhat. He had not expected Jiraiya to already show the potential of a wealthy man.

After thanking them, Uchiha Kiyoshi parted ways with the group and returned home.

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