Although Kitazawa wanted to help Yakushi Nono, the kind-hearted female ninja, he understood his limits. At his current level, he definitely couldn’t do it.

Tsunade, however, could—but that depended on whether he could find the right opportunity to speak with her.

Nono’s value wasn’t low; if Tsunade could save her, she would gain a powerful ally once she became Hokage.

Of course, at this time, Tsunade was still very reluctant to accept the Hokage position. Kitazawa hoped she would take it. That way, he would have a strong backer and be safer in Konoha.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was good to him, his connection to Danzo Shimura was even deeper. If Danzo ever decided to kill him, nothing would happen.

“Tsunade is better.”

Kitazawa didn’t return to the Ninja School. He already knew the results of Second-Year Class A. As for First-Year Class A, he would find out as soon as he released his Shadow Clone.

“I’m back.” Kitazawa opened the door and stepped inside.

“There’s lemonade in the fridge,” Kurenai turned her head and said.

“Lady Tsunade and Senior Sister Shizune aren’t back yet?” Kitazawa opened the fridge, pulled out the lemonade, and took a sip. The cold drink instantly refreshed him.

“No.” Kurenai was sitting on the sofa watching TV.

“Why are you copying Lady Tsunade?” Kitazawa glanced at her legs propped up on the coffee table. “Aren’t you cold?”

“It’s summer,” Kurenai said casually. “How could it be cold?”

But in the next second, she gasped. Kitazawa walked over and grabbed her feet—his hands ice-cold from the lemonade.

“What are you doing?!” Kurenai twisted and kicked.

“Helping you cool down,” Kitazawa replied with a straight face, completely serious.

“Let go!” Kurenai could feel the chill from his hands enveloping her feet. But after a few seconds, the cold faded, and warmth returned—after all, it was summer.

Kitazawa smirked and lightly scratched the soles of her feet.

Kurenai’s body tensed. Her insteps arched like bows, and her delicate toes curled in reaction. She shot him a fierce glare and quickly pulled back her legs.

Wary of another sneak attack, she hugged her knees and sat cautiously on the sofa.

“I saw it!” Kitazawa suddenly said, his eyes flashing mischievously.

“You’re not allowed to look!” Kurenai’s face turned crimson. She dropped her legs and tugged down her skirt, trying to cover her thighs.

“I was lying. I didn’t see anything.” Kitazawa said seriously.

“Really?” Kurenai looked up at him, her ruby-like eyes staring suspiciously.

“Yes.” He nodded solemnly.

Kurenai exhaled softly in relief.

Kitazawa smiled and sat beside her. He formed hand seals and released the Shadow Clone Technique.

With a surge of chakra, the clone’s memories returned. In his mind, the theoretical results of First-Year Class A appeared clearly.

Kitazawa couldn’t help but smile—first place was Shikamaru.

Pressure truly creates motivation, especially when applied to a lazy genius. Of course, that only works when the lazy one is as gifted as Shikamaru.

He earned the top spot purely through overwhelming intellect. Shikamaru never took class seriously, but not because he wasn’t paying attention—he had already fully grasped the entire textbook.

The rest of the rankings were similar to the last monthly exam: Second place went to Haruno Sakura, third to Uchiha Sasuke, and fourth to Hyuga Hinata.

Naruto was twelfth, once again ranking below Inuzuka Kiba.

But in actual combat, Naruto would probably surpass him.

“Kitazawa.” Kurenai suddenly asked out of nowhere, “What color did you see?”

“White,” Kitazawa replied immediately. Only after blurting it out did he realize his mistake.

“Wait—I can explain!” he said quickly, meeting Kurenai’s deadly glare.

“Pervert! Go to hell!” Kurenai sprang up and pounced.

Kitazawa tried to back away instinctively, but it was too late. A soft, warm body fell into his arms, knocking him onto the sofa. Kurenai was on top of him.

Their eyes met. She instantly realized the awkwardness of their position. Her cheeks flushed, and her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

Just then, the sound of the door opening echoed.

Kurenai hurriedly got up and sat upright, avoiding Kitazawa’s gaze as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Maybe I came at the wrong time.” Tsunade stepped into the room, scanning the scene.

“Not at all,” Kitazawa replied calmly. “You arrived at just the right time—I just got back too.”

“Then let’s get started on the new ninjutsu.” Tsunade sat down, stretched, and asked, “Where did we leave off yesterday?”

The new ninjutsu was a difficult one—its concept was based on replicating Kurama Yakumo’s genjutsu bloodline ability, and progress had been slow.

Kitazawa didn’t join the discussion. He stood up and went upstairs. He didn’t know much about genjutsu. The only technique he’d used was Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.

The night passed quickly.

After Tsunade and Shizune left, Kitazawa and Kurenai, as usual, escorted Kurama Yakumo home.

“Kurenai.” Kitazawa reached out and gently took her hand. “What are your plans for summer vacation?”

“In the past, I’d take on missions. But not anymore.” Kurenai shook her head.

The main reason she used to accept missions was to earn money. Now, she could earn income by developing Yakumo’s new ninjutsu—a far safer option.

Unless assigned by the higher-ups in Konoha, she had no interest in taking on active missions anymore.

“Then can you teach me genjutsu?” Kitazawa asked directly.

“Can you handle it?” Kurenai blinked in surprise.

She knew Kitazawa had talent—after all, he’d used Tree Binding Death before. But studying both genjutsu and medical ninjutsu at the same time? Just thinking about it gave her a headache.

“I’ll learn what I can,” Kitazawa said casually. “It’s not like I have anything else to do during summer.”

“Alright then.” Kurenai nodded and agreed.

—

The next day arrived.

Kitazawa met Iruka at the school gate.

“Kitazawa-senpai,” Iruka greeted him with a smile, “I wonder how our students performed in their first practical exam?”

Past exams had only involved basic taijutsu—they weren’t true combat tests.

“They won’t disappoint us,” Kitazawa said. “Don’t forget the friendly match we held before.”

“True.” Iruka nodded in agreement. “I feel like Yakumo and Sasuke have already surpassed me.”

He was a Chunin—an average one at that, with no bloodline limit.

“Genius always brings a sense of despair,” Kitazawa echoed with a faint smile.

“You’re too modest, Kitazawa-senpai. You’re already a Special Jonin.” Iruka thought of the time when Mizuki had hired two Chunin. It had been a three-on-one fight—yet they were all defeated by Kitazawa alone.

“Speaking of which, Iruka, you’re here early today,” Kitazawa commented casually.

“Tsubaki reminded me,” Iruka scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

Kitazawa was about to speak when his gaze suddenly sharpened. He saw Uzumaki Naruto—but he wasn’t the main issue; the real problem was Hiruzen Sarutobi standing beside him.

Kitazawa immediately sensed trouble. To complete this mission, he had to fight the student who had placed first in the practical exam.

But thinking it through, even if Hiruzen hadn’t shown up in person, he would still be watching everything through his crystal ball. The result would be the same.

“Is that… Hokage-sama?” Iruka noticed Kitazawa’s expression, subconsciously turned to look, and exclaimed in surprise.

“Let’s go over.” Kitazawa nodded slightly.

“Kitazawa-sensei!” Naruto spotted him and immediately jumped up, waving with excitement.

“Hokage-sama,” Kitazawa and Iruka called out in unison.

“No need for formalities,” Hiruzen Sarutobi replied with a chuckle. “I happened to have some free time today, so I came to take a look.”

Yeah, right. You sly old fox. You’re clearly here because of Uzumaki Naruto.

Kitazawa didn’t need to think too hard. Hiruzen’s sudden appearance had everything to do with Naruto.

“The students of First Year Class A will definitely be thrilled to see you later, Hokage-sama,” Kitazawa said with a light smile. “Their performance will be even better today.”

“Their good performance has nothing to do with me,” Hiruzen said, looking at them with a gentle expression. “It’s because they have excellent teachers.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Hokage-sama!” Iruka immediately stood at attention, visibly excited. He wasn’t like Kitazawa, who had more chances to interact with the Hokage and receive praise.

“Wow!”

“Hokage-sama!”

“Grandpa Third!”

As time passed, the students of First Year Class A began arriving at the training ground. The moment they saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, they excitedly swarmed around him.

“Good morning, children.” Hiruzen patted shoulders and ruffled heads, a wide smile on his face.

“Hokage-sama is truly approachable,” Iruka said with emotion.

Kitazawa nodded slightly. Among all the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s public image and connection to the Will of Fire were second to none. He had spent years cultivating both.

At nine o’clock sharp, the final practical exam of the first semester officially began.

“There are only two rules for this exam,” Kitazawa began. “First, this is mainly a sparring match—no serious injuries allowed. Second, opponents will be decided by lottery.”

Most of the students were six or seven years old. It would be difficult for them to fight through a full tournament bracket, especially with limited chakra.

Besides, this was an exam, not a competition. It wasn’t about victory, but about performance.

Kitazawa and Iruka would grade students based on that and then rank them. Naturally, one round wasn’t enough—they would hold three rounds total. Only students with qualifying scores would move on.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood nearby, stroking his beard, quite pleased. He had been impressed by the earlier friendly match between First Year Class A and Second Year Class A.

Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Hinata, and Kurama Yakumo had all performed well.

He was curious how much they had grown since then. The only pity was that Yakumo wasn’t participating in this final exam. But that didn’t matter.

Hiruzen’s focus today was primarily on Naruto and the heirs of the major ninja clans. They were the future of Konoha.

“Come up one by one to draw lots.” Kitazawa unsealed a summoning scroll and pulled out a lottery box.

“I’m number one!” Naruto looked at his paper and asked eagerly, “Who’s with me?”

Inuzuka Kiba double-checked his slip. The number hadn’t changed—it was still one.

Damn it! How am I supposed to beat Naruto now?

“It’s me,” Kiba sighed.

“Kiba?” Naruto’s eyes lit up. “I’ve wanted to fight you for a long time.”

“Kiba, good luck!” Shikamaru chuckled.

“Show that same fire you have when you’re arguing with Naruto!” Ino chimed in, cheering him on.

“The students who drew number one, please come forward.” Kitazawa interrupted them.

“Naruto!” Kiba stepped onto the training field, his tone serious. “It won’t be that easy to beat me!”

“I’ll give it my all!” Naruto gave a thumbs-up. “That’s the only way to live out your youth!”

Do you have to take it that seriously? Kiba took a deep breath, his expression growing solemn.

Four Legs Technique!

Without hesitation, he activated the Inuzuka clan’s secret ninjutsu. His body dropped to all fours, and a visible chakra burst from him.

The next moment, he charged Naruto like a wild beast. As he closed in, he leapt, claws extended in a sweeping strike. The air whistled from the force of his speed.

“Konoha Whirlwind!” Naruto calmly launched a kick.

Kiba’s speed was decent—but nowhere near Kitazawa’s. Naruto had been training under that kind of pressure daily, so Kiba’s movements seemed slow in comparison.

Bang! Kiba was kicked backward, tumbling across the ground.

But he had managed to scratch Naruto’s pant leg, leaving behind a few claw marks—though they hadn’t broken through Naruto’s chakra defense.

Kiba gritted his teeth and struggled to get up. Before he could stabilize himself, he saw a flash of green light.

Naruto appeared before him in an instant—like he had teleported.

“Konoha Great Whirlwind!” Naruto’s voice echoed in his ears just as a powerful kick landed.

Kiba’s body went numb as he was sent flying again, rolling across the dirt.

Sasuke’s pupils contracted sharply. When had Naruto’s speed increased so much?

Compared to their last friendly match with the Second-Year class, his speed had at least doubled. Was this the result of Might Guy’s brutal training?

Sasuke frowned. This was going to be troublesome.

“Well done.” Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.

The Inuzuka clan’s Four Legs Technique was meant to enhance speed and attack—but even that couldn’t compare to Naruto’s regular movement now.

Could it be that Konoha was about to produce a second Yellow Flash?

If Naruto weren’t so young, Hiruzen would be tempted to teach him the Flying Thunder God Technique.

“This score is really hard to give,” Iruka scratched his head and finally gave a ninety.

Under normal circumstances, he would’ve given full marks. Naruto’s speed was already close to Chunin level. In a classroom of academy students, there was a full-tier gap.

But this was just the first round—there were still two more.

“Kiba, just do your best.”

“Losing to Naruto isn’t shameful.”

“You’re already strong—it was just bad luck.”

As Kiba returned to the group, he was immediately surrounded by consolations. He twitched the corner of his mouth. So, all of you just assumed I’d lose from the start, huh?

—

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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep