Short on Money, Keeping Kurenai Company

After Kiyoshi went out, he took out the swordsmanship scroll and skimmed through it.

It was called "Cloud-Style Swordsmanship: Flying Bird."

The principle was simple: use Lightning Release to stimulate the cells, temporarily boosting speed and winning through sheer quickness.

"I need to get a sword."

Kiyoshi put away the scroll and thought to himself.

He was not yet an official ninja, so he had no way to take missions and earn payment.

At most, he could secretly get a few scrolls from Kumogakure to improve his own strength.

As for ninja tools and money, those were out of the question.

Anything beyond Kiyoshi's means would immediately draw the attention of people with ulterior motives, making them wonder where he had gotten it.

Ninjas had to pay for their own ninja tools.

Nara Shikamaru had described even a few Exploding Tags and smoke bombs as "valuable."

Ninjas had to risk their lives to make money, and they still had to pay for supplies during missions themselves.

Only relatively low-cost ninja tools like kunai and Shuriken were the mainstays of a ninja's everyday consumables.

Even the great Uchiha Clan would not provide everything.

In "Itachi's True Story," Shisui Uchiha's father lost a leg during a mission, and young Shisui had to go out and earn money to support the family. That showed just how great a ninja's expenses were.

Not to mention Kiyoshi now.

The monthly living allowance from the Uchiha Clan could only cover Kiyoshi's most basic needs.

Saving a little for snacks was fine, but it was nowhere near enough to buy an expensive ninja tool like a sword.

"If it comes to it, I'll just make do with a wooden sword."

Kiyoshi thought to himself.

Before graduating from the Ninja Academy, a wooden sword would be enough to get by.

Once he became a genin, he could start taking missions and buy a real iron sword.

"Kiyoshi!"

Just as Kiyoshi was worrying about money, someone called out to him from afar.

When Kiyoshi turned around, he saw Kurenai Yuhi.

"Do you need something?"

Kiyoshi asked flatly.

He preferred mature women.

Kurenai Yuhi was too young.

"Last time... didn't you say that when you had time, you'd practice Illusion Techniques with me?"

Kurenai Yuhi stared at Kiyoshi with her red eyes, her rosy lips slightly parted.

Kiyoshi thought back and remembered that they had indeed discussed it.

But lately, in order to obtain the Strong Physique trait as soon as possible, he had been training in "Lightning Release: Iron Skin" and had completely forgotten this unimportant matter.

"Eh, did you forget, Kiyoshi?"

Kurenai Yuhi lightly furrowed her little brows.

She had taken this matter very seriously and reviewed a lot of material.

"...All right."

Kiyoshi nodded.

It was a good chance to test his own Illusion Technique abilities.

At the Ninja Academy, he had never had a chance to use Sharingan genjutsu. The teachers only taught basic Illusion Techniques and some general knowledge about them.

Kiyoshi agreed to Kurenai Yuhi's request and followed her to a less crowded training ground.

"Isn't that Kiyoshi Uchiha?"

After helping an old lady for ages, Obito wiped the sweat from his forehead and caught sight of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.

There was no mistaking him.

That dark blue Uchiha robe, and that height slightly taller than his own.

Obito could no longer forget Kiyoshi's back.

Whenever he saw Kiyoshi Uchiha discussing ninjutsu theories with Rin Nohara, he could not get a word in.

You only regretted lacking knowledge when it was needed. Obito could only hang his head and listen from behind as they talked.

He did not understand.

How could someone have both a strong body and excellent theoretical knowledge?

Was he really from the Land of Lightning?

Obito was starting to suspect the intelligence was false.

Ever since Kiyoshi Uchiha had come to the academy, his strength had improved by leaps and bounds.

To Obito, who had always been at the bottom of the Ninja Academy, Kiyoshi Uchiha seemed more like a genuine Uchiha.

Because most Uchiha Clan ninjas were... elites.

"When did he get to know Kurenai Yuhi?"

Obito thought about it, unable to figure out how Kiyoshi had gotten involved with the eldest daughter of the Yuhi Clan.

"Obito, thank you so much."

The old lady's trembling voice rang out.

"Ah, it's nothing."

Obito grinned and waved his hand, saying it was no big deal.

He loved the feeling of being acknowledged and praised.

"Still helping old ladies?"

Asuma Sarutobi stood with his hands in his pockets, dressed in a brown jacket and chewing on the exposed end of a candy stick.

If he did not have something in his mouth, Asuma Sarutobi always felt uncomfortable.

"By the way, have you seen Kurenai?"

Without waiting for Obito's answer, Asuma Sarutobi added another question.

"She went into the woods with Kiyoshi."

Obito pointed in a direction. Training Ground Three was over there.

"With Kiyoshi?"

Asuma Sarutobi raised his voice.

That was not right.

How did Kiyoshi know Kurenai?

"They're over there, anyway."

Obito hurriedly finished speaking, then helped the old lady leave.

What he despised most were spoiled young masters like Asuma Sarutobi.

Always hovering around Kurenai Yuhi.

Just a pathetic simp.

Asuma Sarutobi immediately ran in the direction Obito had pointed.

After arriving in a secluded forest, Kurenai Yuhi turned to look at Kiyoshi.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Kiyoshi nodded.

"Good."

Kurenai Yuhi formed hand seals, then pulled three Shuriken from the Ninja Tools Pouch at her waist.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Shuriken shot toward Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi's black pupils darted a few times. Then he took out a kunai and knocked the Shuriken away.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The three Shuriken fell to the ground, embedding themselves in the dirt.

This was only the opening.

Since they were exchanging Illusion Techniques, it would not be limited to this.

The next moment, Kurenai Yuhi swung her kunai and rushed at Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi blocked it with his own kunai, and the black blades locked in front of them.

He's so strong...

Kurenai Yuhi thought to herself.

Kiyoshi must have trained in taijutsu in private. The force of it made her wrist ache.

I need to use that technique...

While their kunai remained locked, a clone suddenly emerged from behind Kurenai Yuhi.

The clone looked exactly like Kurenai Yuhi, except pink cherry blossoms shimmered around its body.

Illusion Technique: Descent Clone!

Kurenai Yuhi's clone swung its kunai toward Kiyoshi's body!

"This technique..."

Kiyoshi recognized the Illusion Technique Kurenai Yuhi had used.

It was an inherited Illusion Technique of the Yuhi Clan, one that specialized in catching opponents off guard and shifting unpredictably.

It was a move that appeared in "Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm."

It could create an ordinary clone and combine it with an Illusion Technique for an attack.

The ordinary Clone Technique could refine Chakra to create an illusion identical to the user, but it was only a phantom.

Its only function was to interfere with the enemy's judgment, but Illusion Technique: Descent Clone added Illusion Technique attacks atop the Clone Technique.

It could make the target feel real pain.

Why isn't he dodging?

Kurenai Yuhi was puzzled.

She had already launched her attack, yet Kiyoshi stood there as if he were stupid. His kunai was still blocking Kurenai Yuhi's kunai.

He made no other move.

In that brief instant, Kurenai Yuhi grew more and more confused.

Just as the pink clone's kunai was about to stab Kiyoshi, Kurenai Yuhi immediately prepared to dispel the Illusion Technique.

"This Illusion Technique is pretty good, but its level doesn't seem very high."

Warm breath brushed against the back of her neck.

Kurenai Yuhi's pupils contracted. It was Kiyoshi!

Kiyoshi was behind her!

There will be another chapter at nine. From now on, updates will consistently be at nine. This chapter was posted at three because yesterday's chapter was posted at the wrong time. By four, it would have been over twenty-four hours without an update, so to refresh the timing and avoid breaking the update streak, I posted one now. The second chapter will be posted at nine. After this correction, updates tomorrow, the day after, and so on will all be at nine in the morning.