The third week of November, Monday.

Konoha Village was unusually lively because Lady Tsunade had forcibly entered the Root base, leading Danzo to disband the non-compliant Root members.

However, this incident was only known to a select few—the major Ninja Clans and the high-ranking officials of Konoha.

For ordinary villagers and most Ninja, it was just another peaceful day in the village.

Kitazawa woke up early as usual. After washing up, he headed to the Ninja Academy.

“Kitazawa-sensei, good morning.” Hinata stood gracefully at the office door, greeting him.

“Good morning.” Kitazawa patted her head with a smile.

To him, Hinata felt almost like a lucky charm—waiting faithfully for him at the office door every morning.

“Come eat.” Kitazawa glanced around.

Today, besides Hinata, Ino, and the others hadn’t come to freeload on breakfast.

“Mm.” Hinata nodded.

Her heart leapt with joy as her steps quickened. She walked to the coffee table and sat on the sofa, her small feet dangling slightly, unable to reach the floor.

“Kitazawa-sensei.” Hinata suddenly remembered something. “Yesterday, Father told me that if you have time, you can come to my house for dinner.”

Kitazawa paused slightly while taking out breakfast.

An invitation to dinner, just like that? Yesterday?

Kitazawa thought for a moment and quickly guessed the reason.

Most likely, it had to do with Tsunade’s bold move into the Root base. In the eyes of the major Ninja Clans, he was now considered one of Tsunade’s trusted aides, which naturally elevated his status.

Kitazawa couldn’t help but sigh—Tsunade still carried immense prestige within Konoha.

He hadn’t even officially become her student yet, but he was already being treated like a rising high-ranking official. Still, Tsunade was probably in a difficult position right now.

Due to her personality, she acted boldly and openly. This act of storming Root was, to many, a clear signal—a declaration.

Even if Tsunade didn’t want to be Hokage, others would still find a way to push her into the position.

It truly reminded Kitazawa of a saying from his previous life: “You’ve really put me in a difficult position!”

He thought it through carefully. This time, his gains from the Root incident were even greater than Tsunade’s.

Not only had he obtained the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, but Tsunade had also promised to teach him the Chakra Enhanced Strength.

Indirectly, his status had risen; the Aburame Clan owed him gratitude, and other major Ninja Clans were now openly or secretly trying to befriend him.

Since even the Hyuga Clan was extending invitations, the others were bound to follow.

“Alright.” Kitazawa finally agreed.

Hinata smiled brightly, clearly happy. After all, Kitazawa rarely visited her home for dinner.

After breakfast, the two headed to the training ground.

As soon as Kitazawa arrived, he saw a familiar scene.

Yakushi Kabuto was telling a story. Gathered around him were Sasuke, Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Shino Aburame, and Torune Aburame.

Only Kiba and Neji were absent—the former at the Artificial Lake, the latter practicing Gentle Fist.

“No sooner said than done, Kitazawa-sensei easily took down the Root Ninja who ambushed him with a Wind Style Jutsu—” Kabuto was narrating vividly until he spotted Kitazawa and immediately stopped.

“What next?” Naruto, not noticing Kitazawa’s arrival, leaned forward eagerly.

“That’s all for now. We’ll continue next time.” Kabuto coughed lightly and called out, “Kitazawa-sensei, good morning.”

Only then did the others turn to notice him.

“Everyone, go train,” Kitazawa instructed. “This afternoon is your practical combat class.”

Today, he planned to start implementing his new plan—taking turns having the students spar against Sasuke.

“Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!” The group quickly dispersed, leaving only Kabuto, Shino, and Torune.

“Torune, why are you at school today?” Kitazawa asked.

“My dad is busy, and Torune isn’t used to being home alone, so I brought him here,” Shino explained.

“That works.” Kitazawa nodded before asking Kabuto, “Have you two met?”

“We’ve already gotten to know each other,” Kabuto replied with a gentle smile.

Coming from Root, he had the habits of an excellent spy. Even after leaving, those habits remained. When he first saw the unfamiliar Torune, his instincts had kicked in, prompting him to initiate conversation.

“He’ll be teaming up with you for the Chunin Exams,” Kitazawa added.

Kabuto’s face showed surprise. Torune hadn’t mentioned this during their earlier conversation.

From Kabuto’s perspective, Torune seemed far too young. Did he really have Chunin-level strength?

“He, like you, was once a member of Root,” Kitazawa clarified.

“I see.” Kabuto immediately felt reassured.

To be chosen by Danzo and accepted into Root required exceptional talent. Having once been a Root operative himself, Kabuto knew that well—Root never recruited the weak. Only geniuses.

“You were in Root, too?” Torune asked, sensing a strange familiarity.

“Mm.” Kabuto nodded softly. “If it weren’t for Lady Tsunade and Kitazawa-sensei, I would have had no way to leave Root.”

“Ah? Me too,” Torune admitted, surprised.

“So Lady Tsunade’s forced entry into Root was to save you?” Kabuto asked, realization dawning.

Their destinies were unexpectedly similar—and now they were teammates. Fate, perhaps.

Wait. Kabuto suddenly froze.

Could it be… the true reason behind all this… was him?

He suggested that the Chunin Exams required two teammates. Then Kitazawa set his sights on Torune Aburame, and together with Lady Tsunade, they forcibly entered the Root base.

If that were truly the case, Kitazawa’s influence had already exceeded his imagination.

“How do you know so clearly?” Kitazawa asked curiously.

“Yesterday, the director and I saw those injured Root Ninja at Konoha Hospital, so I learned a bit.” Yakushi Kabuto snapped out of it and replied.

“No wonder.” Kitazawa had forgotten that he would go to Konoha Hospital to help on weekends.

Although he was currently learning Wind Release, Medical Ninjutsu was extremely useful, and he couldn’t just give it up. Coupled with his sufficient talent, he pursued both simultaneously.

On the contrary, Kitazawa had been going to the hospital less frequently recently.

Firstly, because he had mostly learned Medical Ninjutsu. Secondly, because he needed to practice Water Release Ninjutsu. Thirdly, because high-difficulty surgeries were rare and could only be encountered by chance.

“Kabuto, go practice Wind Release,” Kitazawa instructed.

“Yes, Kitazawa-sensei.”

Yakushi Kabuto glanced at Torune and then went to practice his Wind Release: Vacuum Blade not far away.

“Torune, what kind of training did you undergo in Root?” Kitazawa thought for a moment and said.

“There was a lot,” Torune Aburame recalled and recounted it.

After listening, Kitazawa had only one feeling: deranged.

Root’s training principle was to train to death if you didn’t die, and if you died, it was your bad luck.

And it wasn’t just ordinary training; there was also practical combat training, and it was a battle to the death, where only one person could survive.

Torune Aburame’s survival, besides good luck, was due to his extremely abnormal nano-sized poisonous insects.

The poison of his insects was probably among the most potent in the Ninja World; his opponents would die on the spot if they came into contact with his poison.

Because of this, Torune usually wore a full-body protective suit to avoid harming his teammates.

Kitazawa suddenly thought of Hanzō, the leader of Amegakure.

He and Torune were similar, both having potent poisons hidden within their bodies.

“Given your age, undergoing these trainings is already excessive.” Kitazawa pondered for a moment and said, “For this period, you and Shino will practice tree climbing and water walking to increase your Chakra control.”

Torune actually no longer needed special training. After all, Root’s training was much more brutal than Kitazawa’s special training.

But on another note, the effects would also be much better.

No training meant death, forcing these geniuses to push their potential and grow stronger quickly.

So Kitazawa arranged tree climbing and water walking for Torune Aburame to allow his body to recover.

“Yes, Kitazawa-sensei.” Torune Aburame had no objections.

He was accustomed to obeying orders in Root and hadn’t changed yet.

“You two, start climbing the trees,” Kitazawa said after explaining the key points of tree climbing for ten minutes.

“Kitazawa-sensei,” Shino turned his head and said, “My dad asked me to tell you that the Aburame Clan has already sent people to find the location of the Nokizaru Group.”

“Mm.” Kitazawa nodded and said, “I know. Just notify me once you find the location.”

Although the Aburame Clan was not a top Ninja clan in Konoha Village, compared to the Nokizaru Group, they were already a major force.

Furthermore, the Nokizaru Group was easy to find; like the Akatsuki Organization, they were an organization that accepted employment.

They could be easily found in the underground black market, but finding their headquarters was not easy.

Since they were going to snatch the Exploding Insect, they definitely had to nip the problem in the bud and annihilate them in one fell swoop.

Kitazawa had no psychological burden about this.

The Nokizaru Group was, in essence, a group of heinous assassin organizations.

Kitazawa formed hand seals and created a Shadow Clone. This Shadow Clone would be responsible for Sasuke’s leaf training and answering questions encountered by others.

His main body, however, went to the Artificial Lake.

Kiba was practicing the Shadow Clone Technique.

Kitazawa stood in place, observed for a while, then nodded.

He had already made a preliminary entry, and after two more days of practice, he would be able to use it in actual combat.

However, his Chakra was ultimately too weak to use frequently.

If he wasn’t researching new secret Ninjutsu, Kitazawa wouldn’t have taught him the Shadow Clone Technique. After all, it was prone to accidents.

Kitazawa turned and came to the lakeshore. He was preparing to practice his second Water Release.

He had almost mastered the Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu, and its effect in actual combat yesterday was also good.

For his second Water Release, he chose Water Release: Water Wall.

Because when protecting Tsunade yesterday, he discovered a problem. It was very inconvenient not to have defensive Ninjutsu.

Time passed slowly, and soon it was afternoon.

Kitazawa was not in a hurry to find Tsunade to learn the Chakra Enhanced Strength. Because during the day, Tsunade and Shizune would be at the casino.

If he disturbed her gambling mood, the consequences could be very serious.

The fourth class in the afternoon was the usual actual combat class.

Since Kitazawa had already given notice in the morning, Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji, among others, were all present.

“Before class, I have something to say,” Kitazawa said in a deep voice.

“Hokage-sama asked me to relay to you that last Friday’s Will of Fire Club event was very successful, and he is very satisfied.”

The students from both classes immediately cheered upon hearing this.

To be praised by the Hokage, they would surely receive exclamations and envy when they told others.

Although the Hokage praised the entire Will of Fire Club, it didn’t matter; they were all members of the Will of Fire Club, so the effect was the same.

In short, they had something to brag about.

“Before, I said that our Student Council was just a trial, and after this event, Hokage-sama has officially approved the establishment of our Student Council,” Kitazawa immediately announced a second piece of good news.

“That’s great!” Naruto was the most excited.

Because he felt everyone’s recognition during last Friday’s event, he didn’t want the Student Council to disband.

Now that it was finally confirmed, this meant he could organize events for another five years until he graduated.

Everyone else was also very happy.

Not only were there prizes for the events, but they also got a day off. Compared to boring studies, they preferred to participate in events.

“Once the Student Council is officially established, members for the Student Council must be selected.” Kitazawa raised his hand, quieted them down, and said.

“How will they be selected?” Naruto quickly asked, “Is it actual combat?”

“That’s right.” Kitazawa paused and added, “It’s a school-wide selection of actual combat.”

“What?” Naruto’s eyes widened, and he excitedly asked, “Then won’t the final winner be the number one in the entire school?”

Sasuke’s heart trembled upon hearing this, and he subconsciously clenched his fists.

His brother Uchiha had once been the number one in the entire school, undefeated across all grades. And now, he also had such an opportunity.

But—it was difficult.

Sasuke felt the pressure. He wasn’t even the number one in his class, so how could he compete for the number one in the entire school?

However, he wasn’t without hope.

As long as he could activate his Two-Tomoe Sharingan before the Student Council selection’s actual combat, he would be fine.

“You can think of it that way.” Kitazawa couldn’t help but smile and said.

“In the name of youth, I must become the number one in the entire school this time!” Naruto said very excitedly.

“Although you’re very strong, there are fifth and sixth-grade students participating in this selection.” Kiba couldn’t stand his arrogance and poured cold water on him, saying, “They’ve studied for four or five more years than you, and their strength is unfathomable.”

“What does that matter?” Naruto said indifferently, “No matter who the opponent is, just defeat them!”

“Hmph, you just wait, don’t lose to me then!” Kiba thought of the new secret Ninjutsu Kitazawa had told him about and couldn’t help but say.

“I won’t hold back!” Naruto said with a full smile.

“When did Kiba become so confident?” Shikamaru asked, puzzled.

He didn’t understand how Kiba, who was ranked seventh, dared to make such a threat to Naruto, who was ranked first.

“Perhaps it’s related to Kitazawa-sensei’s new special training.” Ino mused, “Kiba has been undergoing solo special training at the Artificial Lake recently.”

“No matter how amazing Kitazawa-sensei is, he can’t make Kiba defeat Naruto, can he?” Choji Akimichi asked uncertainly.

“Although Naruto is very strong, Kitazawa-sensei is not bad either.” Shino Aburame adjusted his glasses and said.

“When did you become so trusting of Kitazawa-sensei?” Sakura asked, puzzled.

“I have always trusted Kitazawa-sensei.” Shino Aburame said seriously.

Shikamaru subconsciously glanced at him. He had indeed learned some of the truth.

Because yesterday, he saw a young Ninja from the Nara Clan at home whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

He had joined the Root before and then went silent, but he unexpectedly returned to the Nara Clan.

Shikamaru, out of curiosity, asked his father, Shikaku Nara, and learned about Tsunade’s forceful entry into the Root base.

Although Tsunade’s goal was Torune Aburame, her standardization of the Root’s recruitment process benefited all major Ninja clans.

From then on, the Root no longer dared to arbitrarily snatch their clan’s geniuses. At least, that was the case on the surface.

And besides Tsunade, Kitazawa was also involved in yesterday’s events. Kabuto, who told the story in the morning, also confirmed this.

This was undoubtedly the reason for Shino Aburame’s change in attitude today.

In fact, yesterday, his father, Shikaku Nara, had also specifically instructed him to always listen to Kitazawa at school.

“Quiet.” Kitazawa once again stopped their discussion and said, “The Student Council’s selection actual combat will replace this semester’s actual combat exam.”

“What?” The students from both classes were once again surprised.

However, this time there wasn’t as much surprise. After all, they were both actual combat, and given the tight schedule, combining them was also very reasonable.

“To help you adapt to the actual selection combat in advance, and also to increase your strength and combat experience.”

Kitazawa said with a smile, “I plan to conduct three actual combat tests per week between your two classes.”

“That’s good!” Naruto immediately expressed his support.

Influenced by Might Guy, his mind was full of youth and fighting, and the actual combat tests were exactly to his liking.

“Troublesome things have finally arrived, huh.” Shikamaru sighed, saying.

He wanted to escape, but he couldn’t.

“What a pity.” Kiba’s face showed an expression of regret.

He hadn’t fully mastered the Shadow Clone Technique yet, and his new secret Ninjutsu hadn’t materialized, so he couldn’t make a splash this Monday.

Facing Sasuke and Naruto, he could still only stand there and take a beating. But he already had hope.

Full of hope and waiting, he would eventually have his chance to turn things around.

“Actual combat tests?” Sasuke’s eyes showed a flicker of emotion.

Without the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, he probably still couldn’t beat Yakumo. But against Naruto, he could try using genjutsu.

He was still puzzled by how Naruto instantly dispelled his genjutsu last time.

Neji looked at Sasuke.

Kitazawa said the actual combat tests would be held between the two classes. In other words, he would have a chance to become an opponent of Sasuke.

He had now mastered the first ten palms of the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, and it was a good opportunity to test its power.

As for Yakumo Kurama and Hinata, they were relatively unconcerned, so they didn’t have much of a reaction.

“The actual combat tests are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” Kitazawa said loudly, “Today marks the first actual combat test of the week, and the method will be random drawing.”

After he finished speaking, he took out a lottery box. The reason for using this method was to facilitate his manipulation.

—

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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)

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