“Kakashi!” Might Guy looked at Kakashi, who was grilling meat, and suddenly said excitedly, “We can have a barbecue showdown!”

“I refuse,” Kakashi said without hesitation.

“Then let’s try something different!”

Might Guy wasn’t discouraged at all. A big smile spread across his face as he said, “In the name of youth, let’s see who can eat more!”

Kakashi simply shut his mouth, not bothering to respond.

Kitazawa cleared his throat and asked, “Do you know about the Student Council Selection Exam?”

“Student Council? What’s that?” Might Guy’s attention was immediately diverted, and he asked curiously.

“It’s like this.” Kitazawa briefly explained what the Student Council was.

“It’s a shame there wasn’t a Student Council when I was in school. Otherwise, I would definitely have started a Youth Club!” Might Guy said with great regret.

“Good thing there wasn’t,” Kakashi said abruptly.

“Even though I didn’t get a chance to start a Youth Club, Naruto and Rock Lee do!” Might Guy said excitedly. “I’ll participate then too!”

“…” Kakashi was speechless.

Rock Lee was one thing, but Uzumaki Naruto was the son of his teacher, Minato Namikaze. And according to Hiruzen Sarutobi’s intention, he would become Naruto’s squad leader.

Thinking of this, Kakashi felt a headache coming on.

“The Student Council Selection Exam is scheduled for the fifteenth,” Kitazawa invited. “If you’re free, you can come to the Academy to watch.”

“No problem!” Might Guy immediately agreed.

Naruto and Rock Lee were both his students, so he naturally wanted to see their performance.

Kakashi frowned slightly, a look of hesitation on his face. He also wanted to join the fun and see Naruto.

After all, he was his teacher’s son and his future student. However, as an Anbu Ninja, he didn’t have that much free time.

“If the Anbu doesn’t have anything, I’ll come,” Kakashi thought for a moment and said.

“Don’t worry, the Anbu definitely won’t have anything, because Hokage-sama will also be there,” Kitazawa said with a smile. “You can come with Hokage-sama then.”

Kakashi couldn’t help but feel a little pleased at the news.

“Haha, Kakashi, when you see my students, their performance definitely won’t disappoint you!” Might Guy saw this and said very happily.

“If nothing unexpected happens, Naruto will be my student,” Kakashi said in a calm tone.

“Huh?” Might Guy’s eyes widened subconsciously, and he asked in surprise, “You’re going to be a Team leader too?”

“Can’t I?” Kakashi countered.

“Of course you can!” Might Guy smiled and said. “Being a Team leader is a good thing!”

In his opinion, while the Anbu was good, it was a special organization that only did missions all day, which wasn’t conducive to Kakashi getting out of his shadow.

And his choice to become a squad leader showed that his heart had begun to soften, and he might be able to get rid of his reclusive state.

“I thought you were reluctant to let Naruto be my student,” Kakashi was stunned for a moment and said.

“You are my lifelong rival. If I don’t trust you, who else can I trust?” Might Guy showed his sparkling teeth and said, “Just let you fully experience Naruto’s Path of Youth!”

He still understood the rules of Konoha Village. After graduating from the Ninja Academy, students would be assigned squad leaders by the Hokage.

Since Kakashi said so, it must have been Hiruzen Sarutobi’s intention.

Although it was a pity, Might Guy felt that Naruto becoming Kakashi’s student was also very good, and there was no problem.

Besides, he wasn’t unable to teach Naruto anymore.

Kakashi suddenly didn’t want to be Naruto’s Team leader that much anymore.

“Kakashi, when do you plan to leave the Anbu to become a squad leader?” Kitazawa asked curiously.

In the original work, it only said that Kakashi had led several teams before Team 7. But the specific number of teams was not explicitly stated.

Kitazawa estimated at least two or three years. In other words, Kakashi’s departure from the Anbu was probably within these two years.

“I don’t know, Hokage-sama didn’t say,” Kakashi paused and said. “I’m guessing it’s March next year.”

The graduation season for the Ninja Academy was in March.

Next March will be the graduation of the sixth-year students. Kitazawa recalled the current sixth-year students at the Ninja Academy.

How to put it? Better not to say.

Going back two more grades, it was pretty much the same.

No wonder in the original work, Kakashi waited until Naruto and his peers before becoming a formal squad leader.

After all, his standards were too high.

Kitazawa also remembered Hiruzen Sarutobi’s suggestion from before. If he didn’t become Yakushi Kabuto’s squad leader, Kakashi would take over.

This decision was indeed a good one.

“Kakashi.” Kitazawa’s mind stirred, and he said with a smile, “If you haven’t found a student you like, why not come to our class as a teacher?”

He was a very busy man now. He had to learn Water Release Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, teach Kurenai Sealing Technique, and also teach Hinata and Sasuke.

In addition to that, daily classes were indispensable, and he couldn’t rest on weekends, as he had to lead teams on missions.

Although Iruka helped, his strength was only that of a Chunin after all.

If Kakashi were willing to become a teacher in First Year Class A, then many things could be done by him.

“Me?” Kakashi showed a surprised expression. He really hadn’t expected Kitazawa to make such a suggestion.

Throughout Konoha Village, there had never been a precedent for an Anbu Ninja retiring to become a teacher at the Ninja Academy.

“I think that’s a good idea.”

Might Guy immediately responded with his usual enthusiasm, “It’s an opportunity to experience youthful vitality and embrace the flames of youth!”

“We’ll see then,” Kakashi replied with a slight shake of his head.

“Let’s eat barbecue,” Kitazawa suggested.

He divided the grilled beef among Might Guy. Kakashi grilled his own, and so did Yakushi Kabuto. Yet, Kitazawa still fulfilled his responsibility as captain, ensuring Uchiha Izumi and Aburame Taken also received their share.

After the barbecue, they exchanged farewells and went their separate ways.

Time quickly advanced to Friday.

Kitazawa had endured another night of hard work. Ever since he and Kurenai had taken their relationship a step further, he had simply stopped going home, spending every night in intense battles of passion.

After breakfast, Kitazawa made his way to the Ninja Academy. Today marked the final day of the semester.

The theoretical portion of the final exam was scheduled for Sunday, while the practical exam—Student Council Selection Exam—would take place on Monday. Saturday was reserved as a rest day for students to recover and prepare.

“Teacher Kitazawa!” Ino came skipping toward him with a radiant smile blooming across her face.

“I’ve already learned the Mind Clone Switch Technique!” she announced cheerfully.

In the history of the Yamanaka Clan, very few members had ever managed to learn two secret techniques at her age.

“Congratulations,” Kitazawa said with a small smile, gently patting her head.

Compared to Sasuke and Naruto, Ino’s progress might seem slow. But she couldn’t be blamed. Her talent was actually quite impressive, and the difficulty of her clan’s secret techniques made slower progress understandable.

“You can now begin practicing Yin Release Chakra Nature Transformation, just like Shikamaru,” Kitazawa advised after a moment’s thought. “Then you can continue advancing in your clan’s techniques.”

This was the most suitable path for her, especially since she was destined to debut as part of a team with Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji.

“Teacher Kitazawa,” Ino asked hesitantly, “can I learn some offensive Ninjutsu too?”

Her secret techniques were all control-based. Whenever she watched Hinata or Kurama Yakumo unleash destructive power, she couldn’t help but feel envious.

Kitazawa paused briefly, recalling the offensive Ninjutsu Ino had used in the original work. There were indeed a few instances where she utilized flowers as kunai.

[As a genius, one should not only be able to use Ninjutsu but also create Ninjutsu.]

[Current Mission: Help Ino Yamanaka research a C-rank offensive Ninjutsu.]

[Mission Reward: Barrier: Four-Corner Sealing Barrier.]

[Accept?]

Kitazawa blinked, momentarily stunned. Ino had triggered a mission similar to Kiba Inuzuka’s?

Without hesitation, he accepted.

With proficiency in both Yang and Yin Release Chakra Nature Transformation, assisting Ino in creating a C-rank offensive Ninjutsu wouldn’t be difficult. He could even reference certain techniques from the official games of his previous life.

As for the mission reward, it wasn’t bad at all.

Barriers were technically a form of Sealing Technique, though they often required multiple users. Four-Corner Sealing Barrier, for instance, required four shinobi to cast together, effectively restraining and sealing the target.

Kitazawa remembered that Ino had used this exact technique in the original work, having been taught by Shizune to seal the resurrected Three-Tails Isobu. No wonder this was the chosen reward.

“When winter break comes, I’ll teach you an offensive Ninjutsu,” Kitazawa promised, regaining his composure.

“That’s great!” Ino exclaimed excitedly. “By the next monthly exam, I’ll definitely defeat Sakura once and for all!”

Kitazawa chuckled softly. So that’s your goal?

Ever since Sakura began studying Medical Ninjutsu, her chakra control had improved significantly. Enhanced chakra control bolstered both her Clone Technique and Konoha-style Taijutsu, giving her a clear advantage.

Meanwhile, Ino’s control-based techniques made direct hits difficult to land. At best, the outcome of their duel was four to six, leaning toward Ino’s loss.

“Go train,” Kitazawa said, flicking her forehead gently. “Today, focus on Yin Release Chakra Nature Transformation training.”

“Yes, Kitazawa-sensei,” Ino replied with a bright smile before turning to resume practice.

“Karin.” Kitazawa approached another student, pulling out a test paper. “You’ll work on this today.”

Since the theoretical exam was scheduled for Sunday, he had prepared several practice papers. Naturally, he didn’t give Karin the original one—that would be blatant cheating. Instead, he created a version with similar questions to ensure it was still a fair challenge.

“Okay, Kitazawa-sensei,” Karin said, accepting the paper.

“Tell me once you’re done,” Kitazawa instructed, then turned his attention elsewhere.

He walked over to Hinata, who was practicing Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. She could now unleash fourteen strikes in succession—moving closer to the goal of sixteen.

In comparison, Neji was two palms behind. Not due to inferior talent, but simply because he had begun his special training later.

Kitazawa observed Hinata quietly, deep in thought. She hadn’t triggered a new mission in some time—and neither had Neji.

He still wanted to improve the purity of the Byakugan. Perhaps, once it reached 100%, she could awaken a form similar to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya’s Byakugan.

But how to trigger that progress? Hinata was content and lacked strong desires, whereas Neji possessed the ambition and pride of a genius, making him easier to motivate.

“K-Kitazawa-sensei,” Hinata finally stammered nervously under his gaze, “I-is something wrong with me?”

“There are some issues,” Kitazawa replied, regaining his focus and calmly pointing out her two recent mistakes.

Hinata, hearing this, actually breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that her preparations for Kitazawa’s birthday gift had been exposed.

“Continue training,” Kitazawa said, gently patting her head.

“Mm.” Hinata Hyuga once again performed Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

Kitazawa observed for a while, then left a Shadow Clone at the training ground and headed to the Artificial Lake himself.

Currently, only Kiba and his Shadow Clone were practicing Hellhound at the Artificial Lake.

Shino Aburame had completed the Tree Climbing Training and should have been doing Water Walking Training, but he had taken leave for the past two days.

The reason for his leave was to go back and familiarize himself with Exploding Insects and attempt to tame them.

If Shino Aburame could use Exploding Insects freely, his strength would improve by leaps and bounds.

However, Exploding Insects were too dangerous, and Kitazawa would not allow him to use them at the Ninja Academy.

Aburame Torune had also originally intended to try taming Exploding Insects, but unfortunately, his body was too toxic for the Exploding Insects to survive.

“Kiba, while you have time, let’s do some practical combat special training,” Kitazawa called out to Kiba, who was not far away.

Kiba heard this and, with his Shadow Clone, controlled the two-headed dog to charge forward.

The two-headed dog’s fighting style was simple—it raised its front paws and swiped. Because of its large size, this palm strike carried a whistling wind.

Kitazawa clenched his fist and struck his palm directly.

A powerful force came through, making him raise an eyebrow involuntarily. This strength was indeed not weak among his peers.

But the two-headed dog’s attack wasn’t over; it clenched its paw. Its sharp claws then grabbed at Kitazawa’s fist.

Kitazawa took out a kunai with his left hand and pulled his right hand back.

Clang! The kunai blocked the two-headed dog’s claws.

“The hardness is also good,” Kitazawa nodded slightly.

“Haha, Kitazawa-sensei, watch out!” Kiba, seeing this, reminded him proudly, then opened his large mouth and bit at Kitazawa.

He stood still and directly slapped it with a powerful open hand.

Chakra Enhanced Strength!

Kiba Inuzuka felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His head snapped back, and his huge body flew up.

The two-headed dog crashed to the ground, kicking up countless dust. It shook its body and got back on its feet.

“The defense is decent,” Kitazawa commented, seeing this.

Although he had held back, the force was still considerable. The fact that the two-headed dog could withstand it showed its tough hide.

“Again!” Kiba launched another attack.

—

Time slowly passed, and soon it was dusk.

Kitazawa called all the students to the training ground. This included Sasuke, Hinata, and Kiba.

“I won’t say much. Everyone, prepare well for the final exam,” Kitazawa said with a slight smile. “There will be many spectators then.”

“Will Hokage-sama also come?” Kiba asked, raising his hand.

“Yes,” Kitazawa paused, then said, “Not only Hokage-sama, but also the leaders of the major Ninja Clans and some well-known Jonin will be there.”

The students from both classes immediately let out gasps of surprise. Many of them were seeing such a grand occasion for the first time.

Sasuke was momentarily stunned. He really didn’t know that Fugaku Uchiha would be coming.

But he quickly felt an unprecedented excitement. He wanted to shine brightly in the Student Council selection Exam and make Fugaku praise him profusely.

The only regret was that he still hadn’t activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

Sasuke was now worried about not being able to defeat Yakumo.

“Alright, everyone, head back,” Kitazawa stopped their cheers and said with a smile. “See you on Saturday.”

“Goodbye, Kitazawa-sensei!”

Everyone left the Ninja Academy in an excited mood, but Hinata did not—because Tenten stopped her.

“Hinata, the Ninja Blade you asked my dad to forge is finished. Do you want to go see it?” Tenten asked.

Hinata’s eyes lit up slightly, and she nodded. The two quickly arrived at Tenten’s family’s Ninja tool shop.

“Dad, I’m home!” Tenten called out as she walked into the shop. “Hinata is here too!”

“Coming!” A moment later, a young man came out holding a Ninja Blade.

“Thank you.” Hinata took the Ninja Blade and immediately felt her hands sink.

Fortunately, as a Ninja, her strength far exceeded that of an ordinary little girl.

“As per your request, I added some Chakra metal inside, which is very suitable for Wind Release Ninjas,” the young man introduced.

“How much?” Hinata asked, very satisfied after examining it.

“It costs ten million ryo,” the young man said, holding up one finger. “This is already a discounted price, considering Tenten’s connection.”

He indeed wasn’t ripping off Hinata. Any Ninja tool with Chakra metal added becomes astronomically expensive.

Ten million ryo was already a very good deal.

“Thank you.” Hinata returned the Ninja Blade to him and said, “I’ll bring the money next week to pick up the blade.”

She didn’t really have a concept of money. Although ten million ryo was a lot, her usual allowance was also quite generous.

However, after calculating, she was still a bit short.

Hinata returned home and found Hiashi.

“You need eight million ryo?” Hiashi asked, somewhat surprised.

“Mm,” Hinata nodded and said, “To buy Kitazawa-sensei a birthday present.”

“???” Hiashi was full of questions.

What kind of birthday present costs eight million ryo? And such an expensive birthday present—you’re not giving it to me, but to an outsider?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep