Thursday, May 1st, noon.

After training all morning, Kitazawa lay sprawled across Konan’s lap, lulled into a light doze by her massage.

He didn’t know how long he had slept before a knock sounded at the door.

Kitazawa opened his eyes reflexively; half of Konan’s face filled his vision. The other half was hidden by her clothes.

“Should I send him away?” Meeting his gaze, Konan spoke first.

“At this hour, it’s probably Iruka.” Kitazawa sat up and shook his head. “If he’s here, it’s for a reason.”

“Then I’ll step out.” Konan picked up her ANBU mask and turned to leave.

But the very next second, Kitazawa caught her wrist.

“Something else on your mind?” She looked at him, puzzled.

Without a word, he leaned in and kissed her.

Konan startled slightly but didn’t say anything. Ever since their first kiss had crossed the line, this had gradually become routine.

At first, she had resisted out of reflex, but habit had softened her; now she allowed him to take what he wanted.

Kitazawa did it deliberately.

Konan wasn’t like Tsunade—this was the fastest way to shorten the distance between them.

“Come back after he leaves.” He brushed her flushed cheek, released her, and walked back to his desk.

By the time he sat down, she had already vanished.

“Enter.” He lifted his gaze toward the door.

“Kitazawa-senpai.” Iruka stepped inside, exam papers in hand. “These are next week’s mid-term papers—please take a look.”

“No problems.” After a quick scan, Kitazawa said, “Print enough copies for the Genius Class.”

“One more thing.”

Iruka retrieved the papers. “Shion has mastered Konoha Style Taijutsu and the Three Body Technique. What should I teach her next?”

“You don’t have to teach Shion anymore—focus on the mid-terms.” Kitazawa waved him off.

“Understood.” Iruka bowed and left.

“Going back to your nap?” Konan reappeared.

“No. Class starts in fifteen minutes. Come here.” Kitazawa glanced at the clock and moved toward the sofa.

Konan walked over.

“Ten-minute power nap.” He pulled her onto his lap and closed his eyes, his cheek resting against her hair.

He wasn’t actually sleeping; his thoughts drifted to the midterms next week.

He’d promised Konan they would look for Oyashiro together.

He didn’t care whether En Oyashiro joined the Akatsuki. Strong as the man was, he was only an elite jōnin—no real threat.

At this stage, only Nagato truly posed a danger to him. Possibly Obito and Black Zetsu as well.

Obito’s threat lay in Kamui’s escape speed, but Kitazawa knew that technique’s weakness.

Obito posed little danger to him—more to the people around him.

Once Kitazawa mastered the Flying Thunder God, Obito would be nothing more than a roadside dog.

Black Zetsu, however, was dangerous because of the unknown. In the original story, it had literally stabbed Ten-Tails jinchūriki Madara through the heart.

Kitazawa couldn’t survive such a sneak attack yet. On the other hand, Black Zetsu likely lacked frontal combat strength.

He returned his thoughts to the present, considering who to bring along.

First choice: Hinata—this would likely turn into a search mission.

He remembered that Chino had trained within En Oyashiro’s residence.

Oyashiro’s methods resembled Orochimaru’s in Otogakure: throw geniuses together and let them fight.

After Chino awakened the Ketsuryūgan, Oyashiro moved her to an arena. That meant she’d either be at his estate or in the arena.

Second thought: Uchiha Sasuke.

The Uchiha and Chinoike clans were “connected.” Connected by blood feud, to be precise.

To avoid unnecessary complications, he dismissed the idea—Konan’s recruitment mission came first.

After some thought, he settled on Haku and Ino.

Ino was chosen on a whim. Haku, on the other hand, had an active system mission; Kitazawa could teach Water Release along the way.

Ten minutes passed.

He patted Konan’s back, and she stood up and stepped away.

“I’m heading out. You don’t need to come with me this afternoon—rest at the ANBU base.” He left the office.

With the lunch break over, the Genius Class resumed training on the field.

“Shion.” Kitazawa found her. “Sealing jutsu today. Start with the Finger Carving Seal.”

He had mapped her development along Karin’s path: sealing first, then medical ninjutsu, and finally taijutsu.

[Current Mission: Teach Shion five sealing jutsu within one year.]

[Reward: Five Elements Seal.]

[Accept?]

A pleasant surprise.

Learning five sealing techniques in a year would be difficult—unless the student was Shion.

Learning sealing techniques from a young age, she would learn quickly.

The Finger Carving Seal was low-difficulty; half a month should be enough. With his guidance, teaching five within a year was achievable.

The system didn’t specify rank—low-level seals counted. The Five Elements Seal, an A-rank technique, could disrupt existing seals.

Orochimaru had once used it to tamper with Minato’s Four Symbols Seal on Naruto.

Kitazawa rubbed his chin.

He had already learned most of the Uzumaki sealing library. What he wanted most was the Adamantine Sealing Chains.

That technique seemed closer to an Uzumaki bloodline ability. Karin had unleashed it instinctively in a moment of panic, without any formal training.

“I wonder what trigger the system wants for that chain mission.”

A non-Uzumaki would definitely need the system’s help.

He left a Shadow Clone to guide Shion and moved on.

“Kitazawa-sensei.” Haku approached.

“What is it?”

“I’ve mastered Water Release: Water Bullet Technique.”

Kitazawa nodded—Haku’s Water Release talent was truly rare. Four more Water Release techniques, and the system mission would be complete.

“Then today, Water Release: Water Formation Wall.” He formed another Shadow Clone.

—

A week passed in a blur.

Thursday arrived once again.

The midterms began. Theory on Thursday, combat on Friday.

Kitazawa skipped the academy and trained in the Wood Release: Hobi Technique in the Forest of Death.

That afternoon, Konan appeared with the theory score sheet.

He skimmed it—there was little change. Iruka’s questions were of the same difficulty every term, so rankings were mostly fixed.

Occasionally, someone slipped due to personal reasons.

“The Akatsuki haven’t rushed you?” He glanced at her.

She should have retrieved Oyashiro two weeks ago.

“No. Our leader doesn’t worry about small matters.”

To Nagato, Akatsuki’s true value lay in the Phantom Dragons Sealing Technique for extracting Tailed Beasts—and he trusted Konan completely.

“Half a month is long enough. We leave tomorrow.” He folded the score sheet.

“All right.” Konan paused, then asked, “Anything else?”

Kitazawa shook his head.

Seeing that, Konan put on her ANBU mask and turned to leave.

—

The next day, Friday, at nine in the morning.

“———Team Six will be led by me; the members are Hinata, Ino, and Haku.”

Kitazawa said with a smile, “The assignments are finished; go find your respective squad leaders.”

“Kitazawa-sensei!” Ino rushed straight up to him, wrapped both arms around his arm, and spoke excitedly.

Hinata instinctively bit her lip. She wasn’t as bold as Ino and ended up being one step slower.

“Does going out on a mission really make you this happy?” Kitazawa glanced at Ino and asked calmly.

“I’m happy because I get to go on a mission with Kitazawa-sensei!” Ino replied, beaming from ear to ear.

“Then I’m truly honored.” Kitazawa gently pulled his arm free and said, “No time to waste—let’s head out immediately.”

“Kitazawa-sensei.” Hinata moved to his left and asked softly, “What’s the mission this time?”

“We’re going to the Land of Lightning to find a merchant named Oyashiro.” Kitazawa patted her head as he spoke.

Hinata immediately revealed a faint, relieved smile.

The Land of Lightning lay northeast of the Land of Fire, separated by the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of the Moon.

At a normal ninja’s pace, it would take roughly two to three days to reach.

More precisely, two days to enter the Land of Lightning, and three days to reach Kumogakure itself.

Night fell.

Kitazawa’s group left the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Rice Fields.

This time, he didn’t build a wooden house in the wilderness; instead, they stayed overnight in Otogakure.

After Orochimaru’s departure, the one currently in charge of Otogakure was Guren.

She received Kitazawa’s team and took the opportunity to ask about Orochimaru’s current situation.

One had to admit, Orochimaru possessed genuine charisma. Even after being captured, Guren remained completely loyal to him.

After dinner, Kitazawa returned to the room that had been arranged for him.

The door closed, and Konan appeared silently before him.

Kitazawa reached out and handed her a bento.

“Thanks.” Konan didn’t open it right away; instead, she produced a scroll.

“What’s this?” Kitazawa took the scroll and asked.

“Information on En Oyashiro.”

Konan sat across from him, picked up her chopsticks, and began eating.

Kitazawa unrolled the scroll and read through it carefully. Oyashiro had spent an enormous sum building a massive manor, turning it into his personal domain.

The manor was located in the northern part of the Land of Lightning.

From Otogakure, they could reach it by tomorrow night.

After finishing the file, Kitazawa noticed that it didn’t mention Oyashiro possessing the Ketsuryūgan, nor that he was a member of the Chinoike Clan.

He guessed that since Oyashiro hadn’t acted openly in years, even White Zetsu couldn’t accurately gauge his true strength.

Kitazawa shook his head slightly. If Konan had gone alone, she really might have suffered a setback.

Although the Ketsuryūgan couldn’t compare to the Mangekyō Sharingan, it was by no means inferior to the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

“Any problems?” Konan continued eating, but her attention never left Kitazawa.

“Not detailed enough.” Kitazawa replied casually, “But it’s no big deal. With us around, he won’t be able to escape.”

“Mm.” Konan nodded, hesitation once again flashing across her expression.

“With our relationship, you’re still this polite?” Kitazawa looked at her and said calmly, “If you want to do something, just do it.”

“This time, we’re recruiting in the name of the Akatsuki Organization.”

Meeting his gaze, Konan quickly looked away and whispered, “I hope you’ll change into Akatsuki clothing.”

“Sure.” Kitazawa smiled lightly. “That’s a small matter.”

“Thank you.” As she spoke, Konan produced another scroll.

It was a summoning storage scroll. She opened it and took out a black cloak embroidered with red cloud patterns.

“Never thought I’d wear Akatsuki attire one day.” Kitazawa stood up and put on the black cloak.

He glanced left and right; the fit was surprisingly perfect.

“How did you know my size?” Kitazawa asked curiously.

“By observing you in daily life.” Konan looked at him, her gaze momentarily unfocused.

If only Kitazawa were truly a member of Akatsuki, then she wouldn’t have to worry so much.

“Is that so?” Kitazawa sat back down and said casually, “If Oyashiro joins Akatsuki, give me this cloak as a gift.”

“If you want it, you can take it directly.” Konan turned her face away. “No conditions required.”

“Thanks.” In his previous life, Kitazawa had already liked this black cloak.

Now that he finally had the chance to obtain it, there was no way he would pass it up.

“I’m done eating. Rest well.” Konan stood up and said.

“Your room is on the left.” Kitazawa teased, “You could stay and sleep here—this bed is big enough.”

Konan froze, instinctively considered it for a second, then shook her head.

The night passed without another word.

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Kitazawa’s group continued their journey.

Around five or six in the afternoon, they finally arrived at their destination—Oyashiro’s residence.

“What a huge house!” Ino looked up at the mansion and exclaimed, “It feels even bigger than the Hokage Building!”

“When it comes to making money, merchants are far better at it than ninja,” Kitazawa commented casually.

“Kitazawa-sensei, we’ve found En Oyashiro. What do we do next?” Ino asked, feeling confused.

Kitazawa directly activated his Byakugan and swept the entire estate. Inside, many children were training, but none matched Chino’s characteristics.

Chino’s hair leaned toward a golden hue.

“Follow me.” Kitazawa expanded the Byakugan’s range and soon located an arena within the estate.

Under his lead, the four of them entered the arena.

“Welcome.” A young woman greeted them with a smile and said, “Guest, this is our arena’s match schedule.”

Kitazawa accepted it casually.

“Guest, you can purchase tickets for any match that interests you.”

The young woman paused, then suggested, “I recommend buying a ticket for the Typhoon Battle—Fūshin. You won’t regret it.”

Kitazawa immediately recalled Fūshin’s file. He was the arena’s ace, possessing the Bloodline Limit known as Typhoon Release.

Typhoon Release resembled an enhanced form of Wind Release and was staggeringly powerful.

In the original story, after being defeated by Chino, Fūshin became her subordinate.

The two later founded an organization known as the Lightning Group, roaming around and performing good deeds—somewhat reminiscent of the early Akatsuki.

“I’m not here to watch.” Kitazawa shook his head and said, “I’m here to challenge.”

“Challenge?” The young woman was startled and asked, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Kitazawa pointed at Hinata and the others and said, “These three will register.”

“Sir, please don’t joke.” The young woman refused and said, “They’re just kids. If their strength is lacking and the fight isn’t exciting, we’ll lose money.”

“Just register them.” Too lazy to argue, Kitazawa activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and spoke calmly.

“Understood.” The woman froze for a moment, then immediately nodded.

Kitazawa secretly praised how convenient the Sharingan was.

“Kitazawa-sensei,” Ino asked curiously, “Is our mission to conquer the arena?”

“Besides Fūshin, the arena has another ace named Chino.” Kitazawa smiled faintly and said, “Your task is to find her. But if you lose along the way, you won’t get to meet her.”

“A mere arena? No problem at all!” Ino declared confidently.

Under normal circumstances, jōnin would not appear in arenas like this.

Jōnin had plenty of channels and strength to earn money; there was no need for them to entertain crowds.

“I’ll leave a Shadow Clone to protect you.” Kitazawa patted her head and said, “If any of you lose, your homework will be doubled when we get back.”

“Huh?” Ino was instantly dumbfounded.

Kitazawa formed hand seals and created a Shadow Clone.

According to the original story, the two strongest fighters in this arena were Fūshin and Chino.

Their strength wasn’t weak—when pushed, they could even threaten a jōnin. For Ino and the others, this was a decent training opportunity.

Kitazawa’s real task, of course, was to disguise himself as a member of the Akatsuki and recruit Oyashiro together with Konan.

After leaving the arena, Konan appeared before him.

She had already changed into the Akatsuki’s black cloak embroidered with red clouds and no longer wore her ANBU mask.

“This outfit suits you better.” Kitazawa studied her face and nodded in approval.

Then he took out a black cloak with red cloud patterns and draped it over himself.

“Your forehead protector.” Konan reminded him, softly.

Kitazawa put away the Konoha ninja forehead protector. He didn’t bother using the Transformation Technique—there was no need.

Oyashiro had never seen him before, so his true identity was already concealed.

Once Oyashiro joined the Akatsuki, meeting him would become even rarer. Of course, if he stayed in the organization long enough, they would eventually meet.

But by then, the situation would be entirely different.

The two of them arrived in front of Oyashiro’s residence. Kitazawa flicked his wrist, and the gate swung open.

“Who are you people?” Oyashiro’s guards immediately surrounded them.

Byakugan · Pressure!

Kitazawa narrowed his eyes.

Invisible pressure surged outward, and the guards collapsed where they stood.

Konan glanced at him, surprise flashing through her eyes. What kind of Yin Release Secret Technique was that?

She sensed Yin Chakra eerily similar to ocular power. Yet his eyes looked completely normal, so she assumed it was a Yin Release technique.

Even if she realized it was the Byakugan, it wouldn’t matter. Konan had no intention of reporting Kitazawa to Tsunade.

She wasn’t a Konoha ninja anyway. And such a claim was far too outrageous—Tsunade would probably lock her up for slander.

A sharp whistle cut through the air. A figure appeared before them.

Mid-thirties, wearing glasses—En Oyashiro.

He swept his gaze over the fallen guards, alarm flashing in his eyes. None of them were jōnin, but all possessed chūnin-level strength.

Taking down so many in an instant was beyond the capability of most jōnin.

“I don’t recall ever meeting you, and we should have no grudge,” Oyashiro spoke gravely. “Why attack my guards?”

“Have you heard of the Akatsuki?” Konan spoke calmly. “We’re from the Akatsuki. We want you to join us.”

“Never heard of them.” Oyashiro shook his head. “I won’t join.”

After the Chinoike Clan was wiped out, he had abandoned the ninja path and lived as a wealthy civilian.

The Akatsuki clearly sounded like a ninja organization. He already had power, wealth, and comfort—why trade that for uncertainty?

“We defeat you, you join.” Konan continued. “Or you defeat us, and we leave.”

Kitazawa couldn’t help but smile. Normally, anyone recruited in this manner would harbor resentment.

But Nagato, who called himself a god, didn’t care about such feelings. Even if someone endured patiently for revenge, it meant nothing to him.

Strength ruled the ninja world; with enough power, other people’s opinions were irrelevant.

“Hmph, your Akatsuki has quite the method!” Oyashiro snorted. “Fine—then I’ll defeat you!”

He tossed his glasses aside and activated the Ketsuryūgan. Similar to the Sharingan: black pupils, blood-red sclera, both eyes glowing crimson.

Invisible ocular power spread outward; blood seeped from the corners of his eyes.

Overusing the Sharingan caused bleeding. The Ketsuryūgan, however, bled whenever its power was released.

Ketsuryūgan · Genjutsu!

Konan froze in place. This was the value of intelligence.

She hadn’t anticipated the Ketsuryūgan—something similar to the Sharingan—and was caught by the illusion.

Startled, she immediately tried to dispel it.

Kitazawa was faster. He tapped Konan, sent chakra into her body to break the genjutsu, and stepped in front of her.

“You’re unaffected?” Oyashiro stared at him in disbelief.

No one had ever ignored his Ketsuryūgan.

“What eyes are those?” Konan asked instinctively.

“Ketsuryūgan,” Kitazawa answered casually.

“You know it? Who are you?” Oyashiro’s heart pounded violently, his brows knitting together.

“After the fight,” Kitazawa smiled. “Join us, and I’ll tell you.”

“Defeat you, and I’ll still get the answer!” Oyashiro’s expression darkened as he formed hand seals.

Ketsuryūgan · Blood Dragon Ascension!

A thick metallic stench filled the air. Blood appeared from nowhere, gathering and forming five massive dragons of crimson liquid.

Each dragon was ten meters long, opening cavernous maws as they lunged toward Kitazawa and Konan.

Konan raised her hands. Countless sheets of paper transformed into shuriken and other ninja tools, shooting forward.

They struck the blood dragons but caused no damage; all blocked midair.

Konan’s gaze sharpened—this was troublesome.

Paper whirled, forming wings on her back. She prepared to take to the sky and gain the advantage.

But in the next instant, she hesitated.

Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon!

Kitazawa bit his thumb and slammed his palm against the ground.

Boom!

A massive gate descended, crushing one of the blood dragons beneath it. The dragon roared, struggling violently as the gate shook.

Another boom! A second gate fell.

Terrifying weight pressed down, forcing the dragon into the ground.

In the next instant, the third gate descended.

All five blood dragons were pinned in place, completely unable to move.

Triple Rashomon was normally used as a defensive barrier. But the gates were extremely heavy—dropping them turned them into devastating weapons.

“Impossible!” Oyashiro’s eyes widened in disbelief.

His supposedly unstoppable Blood Dragon Technique had been neutralized so easily?

Kitazawa understood immediately. Oyashiro was only at the elite jōnin level.

He had never encountered a true powerhouse, so he believed himself to be at the pinnacle of the ninja world.

In reality, he wasn’t.

“Anything else?” Kitazawa asked calmly.

“Damn it!” Feeling humiliated, Oyashiro erupted in fury.

Water Release: Rain Hail!

Huge droplets condensed around him. With a sweep of his arm, they shot toward Kitazawa and Konan.

Konan leapt upward, taking to the air.

Kitazawa flickered aside.

The droplets slammed into the ground, soaking the earth.

“This is the true Blood Dragon Ascension!” Oyashiro shouted as he pressed his Ketsuryūgan further.

Blood poured into the wet ground, merging with the rainwater and forming five even larger dragons.

Crash!

His residence could no longer withstand the damage and collapsed completely. Ignoring it, Oyashiro sent the blood dragons charging straight toward Kitazawa.

Konan swept her arms outward.

Countless sheets of paper drifted down from the sky; the moment they touched the dragons, they detonated.

Explosions rang out as flames roared, fire spreading like a raging tide.

Paper manipulation alone was not particularly powerful, but when combined with explosive tags, Konan possessed the combat strength of an elite jōnin.

In the original story, she had once used 600 billion explosive tags, nearly killing Uchiha Obito.

Oyashiro’s pupils trembled violently. He had thought Kitazawa was the greater threat, yet Konan was equally formidable.

With so many explosive tags, half of one blood dragon’s body was blown away.

“Tch!” Oyashiro poured every ounce of ocular power he had into the remaining dragons.

One dragon flipped mid-air, accelerating as it charged straight toward Kitazawa.

Kitazawa stood calmly in place, considering which jutsu to use. He soon settled on an Ice Release technique he had envisioned earlier.

The blood dragon, wreathed in flames, reached him. The scorching heat caused the surrounding temperature to spike sharply.

Konan, still in mid-air, tensed and instinctively dove toward Kitazawa.

Ice Release: Ice Age!

A terrifying chill burst outward from Kitazawa, freezing everything it touched. The ground, the flames, the blood dragons—all were instantly locked in ice.

Konan halted mid-flight and exhaled in relief. She knew he was powerful, yet a surge of worry had still overtaken her just moments before.

Oyashiro had been fully focused on maintaining the blood dragons. In the blink of an eye, he found himself frozen from the waist down.

Kitazawa spared his life, encasing only his legs in ice.

“Last chance—will you join the Akatsuki?” Kitazawa raised his hand slightly as the ice continued creeping upward.

One more second, and Oyashiro would be completely frozen.

“I’ll join!” Oyashiro hurriedly complied.

Join—or die. He wasn’t afraid of death, but he didn’t want to die. After all, he still had a daughter.

“Welcome to the Akatsuki Organization.” Kitazawa smiled as he spoke.

He snapped his fingers, and the ice binding Oyashiro shattered and dispersed.

“…” Oyashiro opened his mouth to speak, then stopped.

You call this recruitment? He had already decided—join first, then find a way to escape later.

Akatsuki? Expecting him to risk his life for such an organization was nothing but a pipe dream!

Konan descended from the sky and landed nearby. Glancing at Kitazawa, she couldn’t help thinking that he was born for the Akatsuki.

His recruitment methods were exactly the same as hers.

Turning her attention back to the frozen remnants of the Blood Dragon, another thought surfaced.

When had Kitazawa become so proficient with Ice Release?

Even though she shadowed him daily, Konan kept discovering powerful techniques she had never seen before.

If this continued, she feared that even Nagato might one day be surpassed.

No—that was impossible. She quickly dismissed the thought.

Nagato possessed the Rinnegan of the legendary Sage of Six Paths. No matter how strong Kitazawa became, defeating Nagato was impossible.

“This is your ring.” Konan stepped in front of Oyashiro and said, “The character engraved on it is your codename within the Akatsuki.”

Kitazawa glanced over. The ring bore the character “Vermilion.” In the original story, this ring belonged to Uchiha Itachi.

“What do I have to do?” Oyashiro asked as he accepted the ring.

“Your specific tasks will be explained once we return to Amegakure.” Konan shook her head lightly.

“Amegakure?” Startled, Oyashiro blurted out, “You work for Hanzō?”

“You’ll understand when we arrive,” Konan replied coldly.

Seeing her attitude, Oyashiro asked no further questions.

“Do you have a daughter named Chino?” Kitazawa asked after their discussion ended.

“You—no!” Oyashiro denied instinctively.

“Relax. Serve the Akatsuki well, and she will remain safe.” Kitazawa said with a faint smile.

“Bastard!” Oyashiro roared, unable to contain his rage. “If anything happens to her, I’ll kill you!”

“I’ll be waiting,” Kitazawa replied indifferently.

To support Konan, he had deliberately left Chino behind so she could later join the Genius Class.

A strange feeling stirred within Konan. She hadn’t expected Kitazawa to go this far for her, threatening Oyashiro like a villain.

Given his status, it was completely unnecessary.

A trace of guilt surfaced in her heart. She hadn’t told him the whole truth about the Akatsuki.

In reality, the Akatsuki didn’t need Oyashiro’s loyalty at all.

“You still have time—go settle your affairs.” Kitazawa paused and added, “Don’t try to look for Chino. Any consequences will be yours to bear.”

Oyashiro clenched his fists tightly, then turned and walked dejectedly back into the house.

Since they were leaving for Amegakure, he needed to assign a trusted subordinate to manage his estate.

Although Kitazawa forbade him from seeking out Chino personally, his subordinates could still gather information.

Kitazawa didn’t stop them.

Searching the Land of Rain would be utterly futile. After all, Chino would be in Konoha Village.

“Thank you,” Konan said sincerely.

Without Kitazawa today, she would likely have been injured. She had not anticipated the true capabilities of the Ketsuryūgan.

“It’s nothing.” Kitazawa pinched her cheek lightly.

“What exactly is the Ketsuryūgan?” Konan asked with curiosity.

“A Bloodline Limit similar to the Sharingan.” Kitazawa then explained the historical connection between the Chinoike Clan and the Uchiha Clan.

“No wonder you knew so much about him.” Konan assumed that Kitazawa had learned of Oyashiro and the Chinoike Clan through the Uchiha.

In a sense, everything worked out. Oyashiro’s strength exceeded her expectations, greatly boosting the Akatsuki’s power.

She had initially aimed to recruit an ordinary elite jōnin, yet instead gained a Bloodline Limit wielder.

[Current Mission: Defeat En Oyashiro.]

[Reward: Ketsuryūgan, mergeable into Sharingan.]

[Host has completed the mission; issuing reward.]

Standing still, Kitazawa felt a change ripple through his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

The most noticeable effect was a one-third increase in ocular power. It was a significant boost.

For dōjutsu, strength was directly tied to ocular power.

His Sharingan now stood at a half-step into Mangekyō, stronger than any ordinary Three-Tomoe, yet still below a true Mangekyō.

In addition to enhanced power, he gained a new ability: blood manipulation. But it came with two conditions.

First, the target must be caught in the Ketsuryūgan’s genjutsu.

Second, the target must be wounded by its blood-based Secret Techniques.

Once chakra contact occurred, the victim would fall into genjutsu and have their blood controlled.

This was the Ketsuryūgan’s true killing technique.

Oyashiro had not used it because Kitazawa had neither fallen into genjutsu nor been injured.

Konan had been affected, but the illusion was broken instantly. Had she hesitated even slightly, her blood would have exploded.

Kitazawa’s gaze shifted toward the remnants of Oyashiro’s Blood Dragon Ascension. The blood dragons were formed entirely from blood, and water amplified their power.

“Konan, wait a moment.” Kitazawa entered the house and found Oyashiro.

“You need—” Before Oyashiro could finish, Kitazawa’s Three-Tomoe Sharingan took control.

Although Oyashiro possessed the Ketsuryūgan, his ocular power was far weaker.

Kitazawa quickly extracted the complete method for performing Blood Dragon Ascension.

“What did you do to me?” En Oyashiro asked in shock once he recovered.

He couldn’t understand how a ninja without the Sharingan or Ketsuryūgan could cast such overwhelming genjutsu.

“Nothing much,” Kitazawa replied casually. “You have half an hour—finish what you need to do.”

He turned and left the house.

Oyashiro looked aggrieved, yet utterly powerless.

Kitazawa returned to Konan’s side. Although he had acted like a villain, Oyashiro was far worse.

A man who annihilated his own clan and abandoned his daughter. He claimed to care about Chino, yet she didn’t even know her father existed.

With his objective achieved, Kitazawa left the remaining matters to Konan.

They didn’t wait long before Oyashiro reappeared.

“Let’s head to the Land of Rain first.” Kitazawa made the decision.

Sending Konan alone with Oyashiro to Amegakure would be too risky.

The arena could be handled by his Shadow Clone. That would be enough to persuade Chino to join the Genius Class.

There wasn’t much to worry about; in the original story, she had escaped on her own.

As long as he, Hinata, and the others treated her kindly, she would most likely accept.

“Thank you.” Konan hesitated briefly, then understood his intentions.

Looking at Kitazawa, she felt deeply moved.

“Let’s go.” Kitazawa planned to escort her only to the border of the Land of Rain—not into Amegakure itself.

He would not set foot in that Rain. The moment he touched the rain, Nagato would sense him.

But once Konan crossed the border, she would be safe from any surprise attack.

Only then would Oyashiro truly understand the Akatsuki’s recruitment method.

With an invincible Nagato and White Zetsu everywhere, joining meant you could never leave unless you possessed escape skills on Orochimaru’s level.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep