Chapter 16: Elder Seiji
"Kiyoshi, my name is Kiyoshi Otsutsuki," Kiyoshi replied, the Chakra in his body, which had just subconsciously started to accelerate, gradually calmed down.
Although he was born into the Kaguya clan, Kiyoshi had not interacted with other Kaguya clan members besides his parents since he was a child. Moreover, his family had been exiled and was not recognized by the Kaguya clan. Therefore, Kiyoshi had no sense of belonging to the Kaguya at all. On the contrary, because he was not recognized by the Kaguya clan, he had never even thought about inheriting the Kaguya surname.
With the Otsutsuki bloodline flowing in his veins, coupled with Isshiki Otsutsuki's gift, and Kiyoshi's ultimate goal of becoming a complete Otsutsuki, Kiyoshi was more willing to inherit the surname of his ancestors, Hamura Otsutsuki and the source of his bloodline, Kaguya Otsutsuki.
"Then that's right. It seems Elder Seiji should know you. Come with me, Elder Seiji wants to see you!" After confirming that Kiyoshi was indeed the person Elder Seiji wanted to see, Bi extended an invitation.
Somewhat confused following Bi towards Elder Seiji's house, he kept guessing Elder Seiji's purpose in his heart.
In fact, Elder Seiji's purpose was merely to take care of the descendant of an old friend he had a good relationship with back then, and by the way, to assess Kiyoshi's potential and current strength. If his talent was good, he could add another combat force to the village.
However, Genji had only told Kiyoshi about some of his own experiences and had given a relatively rough introduction to the Hidden Mist Village. Moreover, Kiyoshi had almost no understanding of the Hidden Mist Village in his previous life's memories. The only two impressions he had were a green-clad Konoha Genin who defeated the Hidden Mist's signature unit, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī, who completely matched Kiyoshi's aesthetic preferences.
The Genji's original plan was to wait until Kiyoshi's strength had improved to the point where he could defeat a Jōnin before taking him back to the Hidden Mist Village, away from the Kaguya clan's surveillance. Who knew that Isshiki's sudden arrival would disrupt his plan, and Genji would burn himself out in the process of protecting Kiyoshi.
So Kiyoshi was unaware of the connection between his family and Elder Seiji.
Soon, Kiyoshi followed Bi to Elder Seiji's house and saw Elder Seiji sitting comfortably half-reclined in a chair in the courtyard.
"Elder Seiji-sama, may I ask why you wanted to see me? I don't think we know each other," Kiyoshi said. At this time, Kiyoshi did not know Elder Seiji's name or specific identity, but he still maintained the proper respect for this old man who had gained the high esteem of the villagers.
"Child, come here, closer," Elder Seiji sighed and propped himself up to sit.
"Didn't that little fellow Genji even tell you this? Is he doing well now?" Elder Seiji, who was in his sixties, had basically watched Genji grow up, and his memory of Genji was still stuck in his twenties, so it was normal for him to call him a little fellow. Moreover, the southern borderlands of the Land of Water were long beyond the sphere of influence of the Hidden Mist, and Elder Seiji had gradually stopped paying attention to many affairs of the Hidden Mist Village over the years, so he was unaware of Genji's recent situation.
When Kiyoshi heard Elder Seiji mention his father's name in a nostalgic tone, his heart couldn't help but tremble. At the same time, he recalled the bits and pieces of his time with his father, and his eyes welled up, his face showing sadness.
"Father has returned to the Pure Land," Kiyoshi said in a low voice.
"Is that so?" Elder Seiji's words were filled with melancholy. The next generation he had been so optimistic about had passed away so young. Elder Seiji, knowing that Genji had been injured, only thought that Genji had passed away due to his injuries, so he didn't ask any further questions.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. This old man is Seiji, an elder of the Hidden Mist Village. Your father, Genji Kaguya, once served under me, and he was the successor to the title of Kage that I was most optimistic about back then."
"Your grandfather, Kaguya Suijin, was a good friend of mine, and your mother, Yukiko Kaguya, was also someone I watched grow up."
"Elder Seiji-sama!" Hearing Elder Seiji's introduction, Kiyoshi suddenly understood. Kiyoshi, who had no relatives to rely on, felt a sense of closeness towards this old man who had a close relationship with his family.
"Don't be so restrained. This old man watched your father grow up step by step. Back then, I was the one who recommended him to join the Second Mizukage Shadow Guard, not to mention your mother and grandfather's side," Elder Seiji said with a smile, explaining.
"This old man is nearly 60 years old and can be considered an old man in the ninja world. I know that you have no relatives left in this world. This old man has no children and has dedicated his entire life to the village. If you don't mind, you can call me Grandpa." Although he hadn't tested Kiyoshi's talent yet, looking at Kiyoshi's sad face, Elder Seiji, who was childless and nearing sixty, still showed his kindness to Kiyoshi.
"Grandpa Seiji!" Facing the kind-faced and amiable Elder Seiji, Kiyoshi, who had no relatives in his previous life and whose relatives in this life had also passed away, felt no resistance in the depths of his heart and called out naturally.
"Good child! Your name is Kiyoshi Kaguya, right? From now on, treat this place as your home. Oshu, go and tidy up a room for little Kiyoshi," Elder Seiji said to another guard beside him.
"No, Grandpa Seiji, my surname is not Kaguya. There is no Kiyoshi in the Kaguya clan now, and even my father and mother were not recognized by the clan," Kiyoshi said calmly, but his words were filled with hatred.
"My name is Kiyoshi Otsutsuki," Kiyoshi continued, calming himself down.
"Otsutsuki?" Elder Seiji was somewhat confuse. He did not know this surname and had never heard of it in the ninja world. He only thought that this was a surname Kiyoshi had given himself because he was unwilling to return to the Kaguya clan.
Kiyoshi did not explain. The truth about the Otsutsuki clan was too terrifying for the current ninja world. It was best not to reveal it before he had grown up.
"Alright." Elder Seiji, who had finished his own mental deduction, nodded, considering it settled. "Then from now on, little Kiyoshi will live in the Hidden Mist Village under the name of Otsutsuki."
"Oshu, take little Kiyoshi to his room to rest. It's getting late, we'll talk about other things tomorrow," Elder Seiji instructed Oshu, who had just returned.
"Oh right, release your Transformation Technique! You can rest assured completely here with this old man!" Elder Seiji, having confirmed Kiyoshi's identity, saw that he didn't have the iconic horns on his forehead and knew that he had used the Transformation Technique.
"Young Master Kiyoshi, this way please!" Oshu led Kiyoshi to the room prepared for him. "Then, Young Master Kiyoshi, I will take my leave first. You can call me anytime if you need anything."
Arriving in the room, Kiyoshi's heart was still slightly agitated. He had only come out to get some fresh air and relax because his various plans had not progressed and he felt frustrated. He hadn't expected to gain a grandfather who was once his father's superior. Kiyoshi felt that today's experience was a bit magical. But he didn't reject having another elder. He had been an orphan in his previous life, and in this life, he had lost his mother at a young age and his father as a child. Kiyoshi still had a certain expectation for family affection in his heart.
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The next morning, Kiyoshi got up early and officially began his life residing in the Hidden Mist Village.
After having breakfast with Elder Seiji, Elder Seiji took Kiyoshi and two guards to the backyard. As the elder with arguably the highest status in the Hidden Mist, Elder Seiji's residence had a very large area, and the backyard was also specially built for his subordinate guards to practice their training.
"Little Kiyoshi, you are 9 years old now, right? This old man can sense that you have quite a bit of Chakra in your body, but I don't know how strong you are now?" Elder Seiji asked.
"I should manage be able to fight against a Jōnin," Kiyoshi said modestly. For this grandfather he had only known for a day but who was extremely kind to him, Kiyoshi was unwilling and didn't need to hide his abilities.
Hearing Kiyoshi's answer, Elder Seiji's expression froze, and then a look of shock appeared on his old face.
"A 9-year-old Jōnin? Even if you can barely match a Jōnin, that's still Jōnin-level strength," Elder Seiji secretly marveled at Kiyoshi's talent.
However, Elder Seiji also thought that Kiyoshi had grown up in a remote area since childhood and might not have an accurate understanding of the Jōnin level.
As an elder, he didn't want to show any doubt about Kiyoshi's strength, so he had no choice but to let Bi, the guard behind him, test Kiyoshi's strength.
"Young Master Kiyoshi, please forgive me!" Bi came in front of Kiyoshi and formed the opposing seal.