Since there was still time, Kitazawa didn’t wake Kurenai. He lowered his head, leaned close to her neck, felt her smooth cheek, and closed his eyes.

Half an hour later, Kurenai’s long eyelashes trembled slightly. Her consciousness awoke, and the first thing she felt was the soreness in her body.

Kurenai opened her eyes and saw Kitazawa’s profile. A hint of tenderness flashed in her eyes, and she slowly leaned in, kissing his face with her soft lips.

“Are you awake?” Kitazawa felt the warmth on his face.

“Mm,” Kurenai responded.

“Do you want to take a shower?” Kitazawa reached out, stroked her head, and asked.

“I feel sticky all over, so yes, I need to shower.” Kurenai sat up and said, “But I want to go by myself.”

“What’s wrong?” Kitazawa understood immediately and said with a smile, “You don’t need to be afraid, I definitely won’t lay a hand on you.”

“I’m not afraid!” Kurenai glared at him and said, “And what you’re saying has absolutely no credibility!”

“Kabuto and I agreed to meet at nine.” Kitazawa pinched her thigh. “Showering and eating, half an hour is already pushing it. Where would I have time to do anything else?”

“I’ll believe you this once.” Kurenai rolled her eyes, then directly stretched out her hands and said with a smile, “Carry me to the shower.”

Kitazawa subconsciously widened his eyes. The scene before him, burdened with such a task, was truly too impactful.

“Are you doing this on purpose?” Kitazawa’s mouth twitched as he said, “It wouldn’t hurt to make Kabuto and the others wait an extra hour.”

“You’ve already promised them, you can’t go back on your word!” Kurenai panicked and quickly said.

“You’re really bad at this but addicted to it.” Kitazawa shook his head, got out of bed, and picked her up.

“What do you mean?” Kurenai’s face flushed slightly, denying it, and instead nudged him with her long leg.

Kitazawa subconsciously glanced at the swaying long leg and jade foot.

After they had showered and eaten breakfast, the two headed towards the main gate of Konoha Village.

“Kitazawa-sensei.” Kabuto glanced at Kurenai, then walked up to Kitazawa. Aburame Torune and Uchiha Izumi also greeted him.

“Mm.” Kitazawa nodded, then introduced, “This is Yuhi Kurenai. She’s coming with us on the mission. You can just call her—senior.”

“Kurenai-senpai.” The three immediately said in unison upon hearing this.

“Kitazawa often talks about you all, saying you’re geniuses among geniuses with limitless potential,” Kurenai said with a sweet smile.

Kabuto was pensive. Kurenai and Kitazawa’s relationship seemed quite unusual; perhaps they were a couple. After all, under normal circumstances, missions outside the village were carried out in four-person teams.

“Let’s go register.” Kitazawa approached Kotetsu Hagane and presented the Hokage’s order.

“An A-rank mission?” Kotetsu Hagane glanced at it and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Your team’s progress is really fast.”

Kabuto, Torune, and Uchiha Izumi becoming Chunin and being able to take on an A-rank mission in less than a month was truly beyond his expectations.

Although their strength was among the best of their peers, they were still Chunin. Generally speaking, it would take several years of adaptation and training before they could even consider A-rank missions.

“Indeed.” Izumo Kamizuki agreed.

He and Kotetsu Hagane were the chief examiners for the last Chunin Exams, and they had personally witnessed Kabuto and the others pass the Chunin Exams.

Kitazawa smiled, not mentioning that their actual mission was S-rank. As for this A-rank mission, it was to throw people off.

Its content was also fabricated by Hiruzen Sarutobi, instructing Kitazawa’s team to deliver a letter to a secret Konoha base on the border of the Land of Fire.

And the Land of Fire’s capital city just happened to be on their route to it.

“Kitazawa-senpai, I wish you a smooth mission.” Kotetsu Hagane said with a smile after completing the registration.

“Go quickly and return soon.” Izumo Kamizuki waved his hand and said.

“Thank you.” After Kitazawa finished speaking, he turned to Kurenai, Kabuto, and the others, saying, “Let’s go!”

The five of them started running, quickly disappearing into the Death Forest.

Since they were within the Land of Fire, they didn’t encounter any ignorant bandits or rogue ninja along the way, and everything went smoothly.

“Finally here. I’ve been running for most of the day without eating; my stomach is protesting.” Kurenai stopped, her body relaxed, and she said.

“You should learn from my three students; they haven’t complained once the whole way.” Kitazawa looked at the capital city of the Land of Fire before him and said with a smile.

Kurenai immediately raised her arm and elbowed him.

Seeing this, Kabuto adjusted his glasses. He was now even more certain of Kurenai and Kitazawa’s relationship. At the same time, he mentally labeled Kurenai as someone not to be provoked.

“Let’s go, we’ll eat first.” Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, “Then we’ll find a place to stay for the night and do the mission tomorrow.”

The five of them entered the capital city of the Land of Fire.

“Have any of you been here before?” Kitazawa looked around and asked casually.

“Yes.” Uchiha Izumi explained, “When I was in my previous ninja team, I helped the Daimyo’s wife take care of her cat.”

“This is my first time here.” Aburame Torune replied.

“I’ve been here twice.” Kabuto observed the surrounding environment and slowly said, “It was for Root missions.”

“This inn will do.” Kitazawa walked into an inn and booked four rooms.

This way, not only did Kabuto guess his and Kurenai’s relationship, but even Aburame Torune and Uchiha Izumi had noticed. But Kitazawa and Kurenai didn’t mind them knowing.

After booking their rooms, the five ordered a table of food.

“Do you know about the Guardian Ninja?” Kitazawa picked up his chopsticks and asked.

“They are the twelve ninja who protect the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.” Kabuto immediately replied.

“Our mission this time is related to the Guardian Ninja.”

Now that they had arrived in the capital city of the Land of Fire, Kitazawa no longer kept it a secret and began to explain the true mission content.

Uchiha Izumi’s small face was full of shock. She hadn’t expected this mission to involve twelve Special Jonin and Jonin.

One must know that when she was in her previous ninja team, the highest-ranked mission she had done was only B-rank, and it was rare to even encounter a Special Jonin. One could only say it was indeed an S-rank mission.

Every S-rank mission for a ninja could be described as a matter of life and death.

Kabuto fell into contemplation. This mission sounded difficult at first, but in reality, there was a lot of room for maneuver, much like his previous predictions.

After all, they weren’t asking their team to go up against twelve Special Jonin and Jonin. A large portion of them were their allies.

Torune was accustomed to following orders. Although somewhat surprised, he simply abandoned thinking and focused solely on eating ravenously.

“We will go to see Asuma tomorrow,” Kitazawa said with a smile. “But before that, I’m giving you a mission: to gather information on the Guardian Ninja.”

“Alright.” Kabuto adjusted his glasses and nodded.

Uchiha Izumi hesitated to speak. Asking three Chunin to gather information on Special Jonin and Jonin? She didn’t think it was very possible.

However, she still chose to trust Kabuto. After all, since forming the team, Kabuto had been incredibly reliable—or rather, unbelievably experienced.

Many times, Uchiha Izumi suspected he was an old ninja in his seventies or eighties underneath his skin.

Kurenai subconsciously looked at Kitazawa. She shared Uchiha Izumi’s doubts, feeling that this mission was too difficult for them. But she didn’t say much.

After dinner, Kabuto, Aburame Torune, and Uchiha Izumi left the inn.

“Kabuto.” Uchiha Izumi couldn’t help but ask, “How are we going to gather information? The Guardian Ninja are all much stronger than us.”

“You have the Sharingan, and Torune has his insects. Gathering information isn’t difficult,” Kabuto said clearly. “What we need to do is find key figures.”

“Key figures?” Uchiha Izumi understood. They weren’t going to directly investigate the Guardian Ninja.

“Mm.” Kabuto thought for a moment and said, “The Guardian Ninja are an organization, so the Land of Fire must have relevant officials in charge. We’ll start with them.”

Even so, the difficulty was still considerable. After all, they would have to infiltrate the royal palace.

Kitazawa and Kurenai arrived at the room the inn had prepared for them. The room was just passable; it had a bed, table, and chairs.

“You trust your three students that much?” Kurenai stretched, sat on the edge of the bed, and swung her fair, tender feet back and forth.

“I trust Kabuto.” Kitazawa smiled and said, “The things he’s been through are even more brutal than ours.”

“Root?” Kurenai said thoughtfully. “I’ve heard many rumors about Root.”

“Root is even more terrifying than the rumors say.” Kitazawa sat down next to her.

“I don’t understand why Hokage-sama would allow Root to exist.” Kurenai tilted her head to look at him. Her black hair brushed over her shoulder, suspended in the air.

“Who knows?” Kitazawa pinched her cheek and said, “Don’t worry, once Lady Tsunade becomes Hokage, Root will definitely cease to exist.”

“That’s true.” Kurenai couldn’t help but smile. “With her personality, she definitely wouldn’t tolerate Root.”

“She’s ruined Root’s plans several times already.” Kitazawa stretched and asked, “There’s still time left. What are you planning to do next?”

“We have a mission tomorrow, so you’re not allowed to mess around tonight!” Kurenai quickly said upon hearing this.

“I didn’t say I was going to mess around.” Kitazawa blinked. “I was going to ask if you wanted to practice the Sealing Technique? You really are—”

“Shut up!” Kurenai’s face flushed crimson as she covered his mouth.

She never used to think about such things before. But after spending so much time with Kitazawa, she found herself somewhat addicted.

“I’m going to practice!” Kurenai released him, went to the table, and began practicing Sealing Jutsu: Four Limbs Weighting Seal.

Kitazawa didn’t practice the Finger Carving Seal. Instead, he took out the Disorderly Dance Technique scroll given to him by Tsunade.

Sealing Techniques couldn’t temporarily increase his combat power, but Disorderly Dance Technique could.

That evening, Kabuto, Torune, and Uchiha Izumi successfully returned to the inn.

“Kitazawa-sensei.” Kabuto took out a scroll and said, “This is the intel we gathered.”

Kitazawa opened the scroll and began to read. He had to admit, Kabuto’s ability was indeed outstanding.

The scroll detailed the Guardian Ninja’s information and current situation. Although it wasn’t as detailed as Hiruzen Sarutobi had described, considering their age and strength, it was already quite perfect.

“You all did well.” Kitazawa handed the scroll to a curious Kurenai.

After reading it, Kurenai couldn’t help but show a shocked expression. Because if it were her, she would have found it very difficult to accomplish.

“Thanks to Izumi and Torune.” Kabuto smiled gently and said, “Their abilities played a big role.”

“Yes, you all worked hard. Go back to your rooms and rest,” Kitazawa reminded them. “This mission will inevitably involve a big battle, so make sure you’re well-rested.”

“Yes, Kitazawa-sensei.” Kabuto and the other two returned to their respective rooms.

The night passed without incident.

After breakfast, Kitazawa took Kurenai and the others to the palace. As Konoha Village ninja, they easily reached the palace where the Guardian Ninja resided.

“Please wait a moment, I will go inform Asuma-sama.” The guard leading them turned and walked into the palace.

A moment later, a young man with a Konoha forehead protector and a full beard walked out.

Despite being the same age as Kitazawa, he looked very mature, appearing to be in his thirties.

Sarutobi Asuma didn’t know who the visiting Konoha Village ninja were, but as soon as he saw Kurenai, his eyes widened.

After a moment of being stunned, he quickly sped up and ran to her.

“Kurenai, why are you here?” Asuma looked surprised and instinctively reached out his hand.

“I came with Kitazawa.” Kurenai took half a step back and said seriously.

“Kitazawa?” Asuma looked at Kitazawa upon hearing this.

After two seconds of thought, he finally remembered who he was—an unremarkable Ninja Academy teacher.

“Kurenai, are you a squad leader now?” Asuma’s gaze swept over Kabuto and the other two.

“No,” Kurenai explained. “The three of them are Kitazawa’s students.”

Asuma immediately snorted. A Ninja Academy teacher running around as a squad leader? But he quickly dismissed the question.

“Kurenai, did you specially come to see me?” Sarutobi Asuma asked with a smile.

“No.” Kurenai shook her head and replied, “Kitazawa and I are on an outdoor mission, and we happened to pass through the Land of Fire’s capital.”

“You’re on a mission with him?”

Sarutobi Asuma immediately became alert. In his eyes, although Kitazawa wasn’t strong, he was handsome and very popular with female classmates when he was at the Ninja Academy.

“Yes,” Kurenai paused and said. “It was Hokage-sama’s arrangement.”

That old man!

Sarutobi Asuma immediately felt dissatisfied upon hearing this. He knew he liked Kurenai, yet his father still made her and Kitazawa go on a mission together. Was this what a father should do?

“Since you’re here, then stay for a day.” Asuma thought of the complex situation of the Guardian Ninja and quickly changed his words.

“Let’s go inside and talk,” Kitazawa said with a smile.

“My apologies, I was too excited to see you and forgot to invite you in.” Asuma raised his hand and said, “Please.”

The group entered the palace. Five people of various appearances sat on the seats on either side of the palace.

“Let me introduce you.” Asuma proactively walked up to a monk and said, “This is Chiriku, the head priest of the Fire Temple.”

Kitazawa instinctively sized him up. Chiriku’s bounty in the black market was thirty million ryō, only slightly lower than Sarutobi Asuma’s.

“These four are collectively known as the Lightning Release Four, namely Kitako, Nanma, Seito, and Tobu,” Sarutobi Asuma continued.

“Asuma, you entertain our guests first. We’ll talk later.” Chiriku and the others greeted Kitazawa and Kurenai before turning and leaving the palace.

“Is something wrong?” Kitazawa asked, watching their retreating figures.

“Why do you ask that?” Sarutobi Asuma was stunned and couldn’t help but be puzzled.

“Their expressions all looked very solemn,” Kitazawa analyzed. “There aren’t many things in the Land of Fire’s capital that could trouble you, Guardian Ninja.”

“Something has indeed happened,” Asuma admitted upon hearing this. “But it’s an internal matter of the Guardian Ninja. It has nothing to do with you, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

In his impression, Kitazawa was an ordinary Chunin. Kurenai’s genjutsu was very good, but at most, it was at the level of a Special Jonin. Having them get involved would be too dangerous.

“Are you worried that we’re not strong enough?” Kurenai smiled and said, “Kitazawa now has the strength of a Jonin.”

“A Jonin?” Sarutobi Asuma’s eyes widened, and he instinctively asked, “How is that possible?”

The ninja world was very cruel. Whether one could become a Jonin could already be seen during the Ninja Academy stage. No matter how much of a late bloomer one was, they should have made a name for themselves two or three years after graduation.

But Kitazawa’s performance was very average, whether at the Ninja Academy or during the two years he was a Genin after graduation.

After becoming a Chunin, he even gave up on himself and went to teach at the Ninja Academy.

“You’re in the Land of Fire’s capital, so you might not be clear about the situation in Konoha Village. Kitazawa is currently studying with Lady Tsunade,” Kurenai continued. “Many people in Konoha Village already consider him Lady Tsunade’s student.”

…? Sarutobi Asuma suddenly felt a sense of being cut off from the world.

He had only been away from Konoha Village for a year, yet things had changed so much. The last time he returned to the village for New Year’s, Kitazawa was still unknown.

Could it be that he had rapidly advanced from Chunin to Jonin within a year? And also become a student of Tsunade, one of Konoha’s Sannin?

Asuma found this unbelievable as he thought about it. The main reason was that Kitazawa had previously performed too ordinarily. The contrast was too strong, making him unable to believe it.

Asuma’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

Why was Kurenai doing all the talking? Something was wrong!

“We are classmates, and we are both Konoha Village ninja. So if you encounter a problem, we naturally cannot stand idly by.” Kitazawa saw that Kurenai had said enough, so he spoke. “Just tell us if you need our help.”

Asuma fell silent. If Kitazawa truly had the strength of a Jonin, plus Kurenai, a Special Jonin, they could easily suppress Kazuma and his group.

“Words alone are not enough.” Asuma glanced at Kurenai and said, “How about this—let’s have a spar.”

Kurenai’s attitude gave him a sense of crisis. He wanted to prove to Kurenai that his strength far surpassed Kitazawa’s.

—

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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep