Naruto: Wood-Wood Fruit

"Kiyoshi—"

Due to the previous events, the ninja academy had ended classes early, so there were no lessons today.

Returning to the weapons shop just now, Tenten looked at the figure before her, filled with unspeakable joy. 

"When did you come back?"

"I just got back recently." Kiyoshi replied with a smile.

Looking at the boy before her, Tenten's eyes were filled with excitement, and she smiled. "If Ino knew you were back, she'd be thrilled."

"I've already seen Ino," Kiyoshi chuckled. "She was quite bold—she clung to me and even skipped class."

"Oh, talking behind my back, Kiyoshi-nii." 

At that moment, Ino rushed in, pouting angrily.

"Ino, you're here." Tenten greeted her cheerfully.

Over the past two years, even though Tenten and Ino hadn't seen each other daily, they'd regularly met on weekends to train together whenever they had the chance. 

They'd often reminisce about Kiyoshi, thinking back on the carefree days when they were all together, making them inseparable friends.

"Look here."

Ino opened her right hand, revealing a small green paper crane sitting in her palm. She looked curiously at Kiyoshi and asked, "Kiyoshi-nii, was this your jutsu?"

Earlier, just as she was about to head home with her father, this strange green paper crane had flown toward her and landed right in her palm. 

And from it, she'd heard Kiyoshi's voice, asking her to come meet at the weapons shop.

"Yeah, I folded it from the leaves. It's a jutsu I can use to send messages," Kiyoshi replied with a smile.

"Wow!" Ino admired the delicate green crane, recalling the incredible scene from earlier. Her eyes shone with awe as she looked at Kiyoshi.

"Kiyoshi-nii, you're amazing."

"What's going on, Ino?" Tenten asked, looking puzzled.

"It's like this."

Seeing that Kiyoshi didn't stop her, Ino's cheeks flushed with excitement as she eagerly recounted the events of the morning to her best friend.

"What?" Tenten's eyes widened in shock.

She looked at Kiyoshi in disbelief, her mouth agape. "Kiyoshi, you're the one who damaged the Hokage Rock?"

She never would've imagined that Kiyoshi was responsible for destroying the Hokage Rock.

And the tremors they felt earlier? Those had been caused by Kiyoshi's confrontation with the Anbu at the Third Training Ground. It was simply unbelievable.

"Shh, don't be so loud." Ino quickly covered Tenten's mouth.

After all, the Third Hokage had issued a strict order. Shikaku had even been prepared to remind Inoichi to seal her memory of the event. 

It was only because Kiyoshi had stopped them through the paper crane that they abandoned the idea.

However, before leaving, Inoichi had specifically warned her not to tell anyone. Little did he know that Ino would immediately forget her father's warning.

"So, that's how it was."

After a long pause, Tenten finally processed the shocking information and looked at Kiyoshi in admiration. "Kiyoshi, you're incredible."

Not only did he possess the Wood Release of the First Hokage, but he could also effortlessly summon a vast forest that covered the entire Training Ground, easily overwhelming the Anbu squad. It was beyond imagination.

"It's nothing."

Kiyoshi didn't seem overly pleased with himself. Glancing at the time, he smiled. "It's almost noon. How about we go get some barbecue?"

He genuinely missed the taste of Konoha's barbecue. 

Even though he had tasted various barbecues and other delicacies while traveling with Tsunade, nothing quite compared to the authentic flavor of the Akimichi clan's barbecue.

"Yes!" 

The girls' eyes lit up as they eagerly nodded. Rarely having the chance to dine with Kiyoshi, they naturally wouldn't say no.

Giggling, the two girls linked arms with him, one on each side, as they walked toward the barbecue restaurant together, drawing attention from everyone who saw them.

Two years had passed, yet their longing for Kiyoshi hadn't faded in the slightest. 

Even Tenten, who was usually more reserved, let go of her shyness and, like Ino, held onto Kiyoshi's arm. At first, her cheeks turned slightly pink, but she soon relaxed.

Kiyoshi was more than happy to oblige.

As he led the girls out, he glanced subtly toward a few inconspicuous corners but paid them no further attention.

"They're pretty quick to react."

…

In less than half an hour, they were seated inside the Akimichi barbecue restaurant. 

Kiyoshi stared at the large plate piled high with grilled meat in front of him, unable to help but twitch his mouth in amusement. 

Tenten and Ino seemed almost in competition with each other, continuously placing cooked meat on his plate, barely taking any for themselves, which left him both amused and helpless.

"You two..."

He placed some of the meat back on their plates, tapping both of their heads lightly. "You should eat more, you're still growing."

"Mhm..."

The girls exchanged a glance, their cheeks blushing. Then, with delighted smiles, they savored the meat he'd placed back on their plates, eating slowly.

"Kiyoshi-nii, are you planning to leave again soon?" Ino asked, gazing at Kiyoshi with big, hopeful eyes. Next to her, Tenten looked at him just as expectantly, hardly blinking.

"I'll probably stay for about ten days," Kiyoshi replied with a smile. "It's still a bit too early for me to settle back in the village."

"Oh!" 

Although a bit disappointed, the girls couldn't help but feel happy to hear he'd be staying for a little while.

"By the way, Ino, how is your clan's secret technique training coming along?" Kiyoshi asked, patting Ino's head with a smile.

"Of course." Ino patted her chest proudly. 

"With your training methods and insights, I've been working hard on my chakra control every day and have now mastered most of our family's secret techniques."

"Mm, as expected, Ino you're a genius." Kiyoshi praised, making her beam with happiness, eyes crinkling in delight.

He then turned to Tenten. "What about you, Tenten?"

"I can now control both Kiyoshi No. 1 and the flying puppet Mahoroba smoothly." 

Tenten replied with confidence. "Although it might take more practice before I can use them in actual combat."

Not wanting to let Kiyoshi down, she had devoted herself to training without ever slacking off in the past two years. She could now skillfully operate both puppets.

"Kiyoshi-nii, Tenten's known as a prodigy puppeteer at the academy." Ino added with a laugh. 

"Even the teachers are impressed."

"Oh, I'm not that great. It's only because of Kiyoshi's help." Tenten's cheeks flushed bright red.

Was she really a genius? At best, she felt she was simply diligent. The real genius was Kiyoshi, who mastered puppet techniques and construction without even needing a teacher.

"Don't sell yourself short and just believe in yourself. Someday, you'll become a renowned puppeteer in the shinobi world." Kiyoshi patted her head and encouraged her with a smile.

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