Sensing Minato's return, Kiyosuke opened his eyes, his golden vertical pupils looking towards Minato.
Minato looked around and asked, "Kiyosuke, is this the Sage Jutsu from Ryūchi Cave?"
"Yes, it's an illusion - type Sage Jutsu. I'm still practicing it. Since it's not very threatening, I started practicing it directly in your backyard, Minato - sensei," Kiyosuke said softly.
"It's okay, but this illusion seems to need some refinement," Minato said. Although it was quite realistic, it still needed improvement in details. After all, the surface of a tree shouldn't be this smooth!
Kiyosuke waved his hand, and the forest turned back into Minato's backyard. He exited Sage Mode and said, "Since you're back, Minato, I'll go back now. There's nothing for me to do here."
"Stay for dinner. I'll cook this time."
"No, I'd better not. I have something to deal with at home. I'll come back tomorrow morning."
Now that Minato was back, there was no need for him to stay. Minato was extremely fast and didn't need his presence.
"All right."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Kiyosuke to stay, Minato sent him to the door, and Rin followed suit.
The two chatted and then parted ways at the crossroads.
Kiyosuke didn't go home but headed to one of Orochimaru's research bases.
He saw Orochimaru dissecting a corpse and said, "Sensei, you've been elusive lately. It's really hard to find you."
Orochimaru carefully dissected and studied the corpse with a scalpel. "What do you want to see me for? Weren't you training in Ryūchi Cave recently? What's wrong? Did you hit a bottleneck?"
"Sort of. But I can figure it out myself. Sensei, as I remember, human experiments are strictly prohibited in the village, right?" Kiyosuke looked at the corpse and said.
"Kiyosuke - kun, you don't seem like someone who follows the rules," Orochimaru said, with a rare, ambiguous smile.
"Rules are meant to be broken, but sometimes it's not bad to follow them. Sensei, if you keep doing this, once the village finds out, there will be no turning back. Danzo is not a good person," Kiyosuke advised as a disciple.
"I know exactly what kind of person Danzo is better than you do. If things get exposed, he will not hesitate to cut off all ties with me and may even send people to hunt me down. But for the pursuit of truth, these are nothing, Kiyosuke - kun," Orochimaru's eyes showed a fanatical look, making him no different from a madman.
Ah, this person is beyond saving!
Orochimaru was a fanatical seeker of the Dao. He pursued truth, blindly believed in ninjutsu and power, and the original essence of life. To achieve his personal goals, he could abandon and sacrifice the lives of others, even his subordinates.
His thoughts leaned towards the negative and were self - centered. Because he was afraid of his companions getting hurt, he didn't believe in their strength. After witnessing the deaths of Tsunade's younger brother and lover and the disrespect for life during the war, he gradually drifted into darkness, and his behavior became more and more terrifying.
Many people dared not get close to him because of his cruel and cold personality. He was also a combination of rationality and sensibility. But he was a good teacher. Kiyosuke's achievements today, apart from having some "cheats," were also due to the solid foundation Orochimaru had laid for him.
Otherwise, Kiyosuke might still be an ordinary Jonin - level ninja.
"Collaborating with someone like Danzo will eventually end badly, Orochimaru - sensei. I don't want to be in a situation where I'm chasing you all over the world with a bounty poster one day," Kiyosuke shook his head.
Orochimaru laughed instead. He pointed at Kiyosuke's chest and said, "Kiyosuke - kun, you won't. Your biggest problem is that you, like Jiraiya, value emotions, and even more so. At least he wouldn't risk his life for a Kirigakure ninja. You won't kill me because I'm your teacher."
Ah, I've been seen through!
"Tch!"
"If that day comes, would you be willing to leave the village with me and pursue a more powerful future?" Orochimaru stretched out his hand, just like he did to Kiyosuke back then.
This time, Kiyosuke just looked at him and said, "Sensei, I won't leave Konoha. I'm not cut out for a life of constant traveling."
He didn't want to leave Konoha. After living there for more than ten years, he had developed feelings for the place.
Moreover, following Orochimaru, who knew if he would wake up on an operating table one night.
"I see. Suit yourself. Take good care of Anko. All right, go back. Come less often in the future, preferably not at all," Orochimaru turned around and picked up the scalpel again.
"Then I'll go home. Sensei, don't stay up too late. Get some rest," Kiyosuke walked out and closed the door of the laboratory.
The laboratory was extremely quiet, only the sound of Orochimaru's breathing and the tearing sound of the scalpel cutting through muscles remained...
Back home, Kiyosuke took a bath and then soaked in the hot spring, thinking about Orochimaru's matter.
Did those words just now mean that he wanted to distance himself from me to avoid implicating me in the future?
But it's not that easy to break off a master - disciple relationship. After all... they were master and disciple!
He knew all the things Orochimaru would do in the future, but it had nothing to do with him now. For the pursuit of truth, Orochimaru would never stop. He would keep moving forward, discarding his physical body again and again, taking on new bodies, and living on until he glimpsed the door of truth.
Pursuing... immortality!
Living too long wasn't necessarily a good thing. As time passed, people's emotions would become more and more frail,until they were indifferent and cold as ice. Kiyosuke didn't want such a future. Otherwise, he would have clung to Orochimaru's coattails.
He was a person who had cheated death. There was no need to pursue too much.
Having died once, he had seen through many things.
"After all, I'm too soft - hearted," he climbed out of the hot spring, dried the water droplets on his body, and returned to his room to start gathering chakra.
He gathered chakra until midnight and then went to bed.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, he sat under the shade of a tree in Minato's backyard, closing his eyes to rest.
The dull bodyguard life had begun.
When Kushina went out, he had to follow. When she was at home, he would guard on the roof or other places in the backyard, regardless of the weather.
Being a bodyguard was really not an easy job, especially for such a long - term protection.
Kushina's belly was getting bigger and bigger, which meant that the day Naruto was born was approaching.
During this time, the Twelve Guardians of Konoha were born one after another, and a new generation in Konoha was emerging.
Not long ago, Sasuke was born. After having a younger brother, Itachi completely became a "brother - loving" person.
Kiyosuke was even invited by Fugaku Uchiha to a meal, which made him give a gift money.
He was in a bad mood and suddenly wanted to beat Sasuke up...