On the Training Ground of the Ninja Academy.

Sasuke and Naruto stood side by side. The rest of the Genius Class gathered around, watching them.

“Sasuke, let’s go!” Naruto thrust out his hand and shouted, “Yang Release: Rasengan!”

Yang Release Chakra surged, forming a blue Rasengan in his palm.

“—” Sasuke’s mouth twitched.

He’d told Naruto countless times not to shout the name, but it never worked.

Yin Release: Rasengan!

Sasuke spread his fingers; Yin Release Chakra whirled and compressed until a green Rasengan appeared in his hand.

“In the name of youth, this time it’ll work!” Naruto declared passionately, “Yin-Yang Rasengan!”

Sasuke raised his hand, expressionless.

The Yin Release: Rasengan and the Yang Release: Rasengan met above their heads and began to fuse.

“Not good!” Naruto suddenly noticed the two Chakra streams racing wildly like a flowing river.

“Move!” Sasuke’s pupils shrank, and he shouted.

Both jerked their hands back, and Body-Flickered left and right.

Boom!

The Yin and Yang Rasengan exploded mid-air. A storm of Chakra blasted outward.

“Scary power,” Kiba remarked.

“Woof woof!” At his feet, a small white dog barked in agreement.

“What’s Akamaru saying?” Choji asked between crunches of chips.

“He says it was seriously frightening,” Kiba translated.

“If it’s this strong when it fails, imagine when it succeeds,” Tenten said in awe.

“Too bad I can’t use Yang Release: Rasengan.” Sakura sniffed. “Otherwise, with Sasuke-kun and my perfect teamwork, we’d have mastered it ages ago!”

“As if it’s that easy,” Ino shot back. “This is an S-rank composite Ninjutsu!”

“You two are so close; maybe you’ll get the chance someday.” Yakumo smiled gently.

“Impossible!” Ino and Sakura answered in unison.

Though one excelled at Yin and the other at Yang, in theory, they could learn it.

“Good thing they won’t be on the same team for the Team Battles,” Kiba said with relief. “If they paired up, who could stop that Yin-Yang Rasengan?”

“Don’t jinx us like that,” Shikamaru muttered.

Kimimaro sighed inwardly. Sasuke and Naruto were improving too fast; he couldn’t keep up.

In fact, they weren’t the only ones—Yakumo and Neji were also stronger than him.

He wondered if he’d even qualify as provisional captain in the next Team Battle.

Neji remained calm. Since learning the World-Extinction Arrow, his outlook had shifted.

Though Kitazawa forbade its use, it had still skyrocketed his strength.

“All right, back to training.” Kitazawa clapped. “Shion, you stay.”

“Yes, Kitazawa-sensei.” The Genius Class answered and dispersed to practice.

“Kitazawa-sensei.” Shion stepped forward. “You needed me?”

“Your Fire Sealing Method is quite proficient, so today I’ll teach a new Sealing Technique.”

Kitazawa smiled. “It’s called the Four Limbs Weighting Seal.”

This would be her fifth sealing jutsu; once mastered, her system mission would be complete.

“Watch me first.” He formed hand seals.

Shion felt her limbs crushed by a mountain—utterly immobile. The weight slammed her toward the ground.

Kitazawa released the seal and helped her up.

“Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei.” Shion exhaled.

Losing control of her limbs had been miserable, but now she understood the technique without further explanation.

He lectured for another half-hour. Once she grasped the basics, he left a Shadow Clone to continue while he departed.

Noon arrived.

Kitazawa ended his Flying Thunder God practice.

After a few steps, he stopped.

“Kitazawa-sama.” Itachi appeared.

“That was fast.” Kitazawa was surprised; he’d expected Utakata to take much longer.

“Good luck,” Itachi replied. “I ran into Hidden Mist Anbu and learned Utakata’s location.”

“I see.” Kitazawa nodded.

In the original story, Naruto’s group met Hotaru after stumbling onto a fight between Mist Anbu and Utakata.

“Kitazawa-sama, here are Shiranami’s data and Utakata’s position.” Itachi offered a scroll.

“Thanks.” Kitazawa took it. “Any clash with the Mist Anbu?”

“None. I simply used my Mangekyo Sharingan to control one of them,” Itachi paused. “And misdirected them so they missed Utakata.”

“Well done.” Kitazawa raised a brow. “Leaving it to you really saves me trouble.”

Running into the Mist Anbu had been pure chance, but Itachi had read his mind and made the perfect choice—an ideal tool.

“Get some rest.”

Once Itachi left, Kitazawa unrolled the scroll.

The top half held Shiranami’s profile: once a Tsuchigumo Clan prodigy, he coveted the clan’s kinjutsu and killed his father to obtain it.

Afterward, he left the clan and founded a group called Magaki Group.

But it paled beside the Akatsuki Organization; aside from Shiranami himself, the rest were small fry, little better than bandits.

Besides his background, the file noted his mastery of Earth Release.

The bottom half was a map marking Utakata’s location.

Kitazawa pocketed the scroll and headed for the Hokage Building.

On the way, he stopped at a nearby izakaya and bought a boxed lunch.

“Tsunade-sensei.” He opened the door to the Hokage Office.

“I smell something familiar.” Tsunade sniffed, eyes lighting up. “You got the tender chicken?”

“You’re not an Inuzuka—how’s your nose that sharp?” Kitazawa set the lunch on the low table.

“The stronger you get, the sharper your senses. I’m a Medical Ninja.” Tsunade licked her lips. “At this range, not smelling it would be the real problem.”

“Fair point.” He handed her chopsticks.

“Great flavor—shame there’s no sake.” She popped a piece of chicken into her mouth, savoring it.

“How’s work lately?” Kitazawa picked up his chopsticks.

“How do you think?” Tsunade rolled her eyes. “Don’t talk business while I’m enjoying myself.”

“The Genius Class mid-term is almost here.” He smiled. “I’ve got a mission—want to come along?”

“What mission?” Tsunade blinked. “Unless it’s major, Shizune won’t let me leave the village.”

“This one she definitely won’t stop you,” Kitazawa said confidently.

“Oh?” Tsunade perked up.

As Hokage, she rarely left Konoha. Only for something critical—like war.

But the only current conflicts were small skirmishes between Hidden Rain and Hidden Sand.

A mission tied to the Fire Daimyo could also qualify. Last time she’d left was with Kitazawa to the Capital of the Land of Fire.

These days, however, both the Land of Fire and Konoha were calm; no need to meet the daimyo.

“Utakata.” Kitazawa reminded her.

“Who?” Tsunade hesitated.

“The Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata.” He smiled. “ANBU found his trail.”

Tsunade’s chopsticks froze midair. She instinctively furrowed her brows, falling into thought.

If Konoha Village and the Hidden Mist Village were at war, she wouldn’t hesitate to order Kitazawa to capture Utakata.

But unfortunately, they weren’t. Not only were they not at war—they were allies.

“Under normal circumstances, we should inform the Hidden Mist Village,” Kitazawa said casually.

“What are you thinking?” Tsunade instantly sensed there was more behind his words.

“Even though Hidden Mist is our ally, we shouldn’t let them off easy,” Kitazawa replied unhurriedly. “We’ll trade Utakata back to them.”

“You mean capturing him alive?” Tsunade considered it. “That could work.”

“Since you agree, Hokage-sama, we’ll set off tomorrow.” Kitazawa wasn’t surprised.

As Hokage, Tsunade would always choose what benefited Konoha the most.

Alliances were nothing more than pieces of paper—among the Five Great Villages, true allies didn’t exist.

“You’re really cut out to be Hokage.” Tsunade curled her lips in satisfaction.

“I’ll take that as praise, not you calling me shameless,” Kitazawa joked.

“Of course it’s praise.” Tsunade smiled again. “Utakata is the Six-Tails Jinchuriki—we’ll need a good price.”

“You set the terms of the trade,” Kitazawa paused. “But there’s one piece of intel we must obtain.”

“What intel?” Tsunade asked curiously.

“Do you know why Utakata defected?” Without drawing it out, Kitazawa explained the entire story.

“There’s really a method like that?” After hearing it, Tsunade couldn’t hide her shock.

“According to ANBU’s investigation, it exists,” Kitazawa said honestly. “But whether it can actually keep a Jinchuriki alive is unclear.”

“No matter how effective it is, we need that method,” Tsunade sighed softly. “If we’d known sooner, maybe Kushina wouldn’t have died.”

Uzumaki Kushina had perished because the Nine-Tails was extracted from her.

“We can’t change the past, but we can plan for the future,” Kitazawa said. “If this method works, it gives our future Jinchuriki an extra safety net.”

“Mm.” Tsunade nodded.

“After lunch, I’ll go find Shizune-senpai.” Kitazawa chuckled. “Since we’re dealing with the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, a few extra days of delay are perfectly normal.”

Tsunade’s eyes lit up. She immediately caught his meaning and gave him an approving look.

“This time, I’m going to play in the casino for several days!” Tsunade clenched her fist in resolve.

“Outside casinos aren’t as fun as Konoha Casino,” Kitazawa said evenly.

“That’s easy.” Tsunade shrugged. “We’ll just sneak back into Konoha later.”

“Sounds interesting.” Kitazawa couldn’t help laughing.

“What’s interesting about that?” Tsunade glanced at him, not understanding at first.

“The Hokage sneaking back into her own village—how is that not funny?” Kitazawa shot back.

Tsunade was speechless. Put that way, it was absurd.

Before becoming Hokage, she could return openly. Now she’d have to sneak back—what was the point of being Hokage?

No, the real problem was Shizune. Tsunade shook her head.

She hadn’t noticed before, but ever since Shizune became the Hokage’s secretary, she’d turned serious and overly responsible.

“I’ll go find Shizune-senpai.” After lunch, Kitazawa headed to the Hokage Secretariat.

He pushed open the door and saw Shizune sorting documents. Her hands moved like lightning, efficiently categorizing everything.

“Kitazawa?” Shizune looked up, surprised.

“Shizune-senpai,” Kitazawa got straight to the point. “I’m here to request leave for Tsunade-sensei.”

“Why is it always you asking for leave?” Shizune’s mouth twitched.

“Coincidence—pure coincidence,” Kitazawa coughed lightly. “ANBU located Hidden Mist’s Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata.”

“You and Lady Tsunade plan to capture him?” Shizune’s gaze sharpened, her tone turning grave.

If they were only going to inform Hidden Mist, leave wouldn’t be necessary.

And since Utakata was a missing-nin from Hidden Mist, Konoha had every right to apprehend him.

“Mm.” Kitazawa nodded.

“All right.” After a brief pause, Shizune said, “Stay safe and come back soon.”

“Don’t worry.” Kitazawa waved it off. “One Six-Tails is no match for Tsunade-sensei and me.”

“That’s true.” Shizune felt reassured.

After all, Kitazawa and Tsunade had once defeated Yagura Karatachi, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki and Fourth Mizukage.

And now, they were even stronger.

“Shizune-senpai, you can start drafting trade terms with Hidden Mist,” Kitazawa reminded her. “Once we’re back, we’ll send word.”

“Understood.” Shizune brightened. A Six-Tails would bring Konoha a substantial profit.

“Then I won’t disturb your work. See you next time.”

—

Afterward, Kitazawa returned to the Hokage Office.

It was lunch break; Tsunade was already lying on the sofa.

She showed no trace of Hokage decorum—one leg slanted, her foot dangling and gently swaying.

“All settled?” Tsunade asked lazily when she heard footsteps.

“Shizune-senpai agreed.” Kitazawa walked up to her.

From head to toe, he could see her disheveled clothes and mature, alluring figure.

“That’s good. Just call me tomorrow,” Tsunade exhaled in relief.

“Okay.” Kitazawa nodded.

“Why are you still staring?” Tsunade opened her eyes and asked.

“Can’t I look?” Kitazawa replied seriously.

“How am I supposed to nap if you’re standing there?” Tsunade rolled her eyes.

“We can sleep together.” Kitazawa blinked.

Tsunade clenched her fist without saying a word—the meaning was obvious.

“Tsunade-sensei, I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow.” Seeing her reaction, Kitazawa immediately changed his tune.

Tsunade snorted softly and closed her eyes again.

The door shut.

—

Kitazawa left the Hokage Office.

He glanced at the sky and headed toward the ANBU Base.

There was still time before afternoon classes—he planned to take a nap.

“Kitazawa.” Konan removed her ANBU mask and stood up.

Kitazawa stepped forward, reached out, and pinched her cheek. Then he sat down on the sofa and patted his thigh.

Konan walked over, sat on his lap with her legs together, and leaned against him.

“I’m going to take a nap,” Kitazawa said, holding her soft body.

“Mmm.” Konan nodded and said, “I’ll wake you up then.”

Kitazawa closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

Konan gazed at his face, her eyes lingering as she gradually became absorbed in his features.

The afternoon arrived.

Kitazawa woke up, and the first thing he saw was Konan’s cool yet beautiful face.

He slowly leaned closer, her skin becoming even clearer within his vision.

Konan bit her lip, her red lips parting slightly, revealing a fleeting glimpse of her pink tongue.

Kitazawa immediately accepted the silent invitation, leaning in and sealing her lips with a kiss.

He only released her when a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Kitazawa gave her bottom a light pat. Konan gasped, stood up, and slipped out of his embrace.

“You don’t need to come with me this afternoon.” Kitazawa patted her head and turned to leave.

Upon arriving at the Ninja Academy, he found Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others and discussed advancing the practical exam.

Since there were precedents for moving exams forward, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others raised no objections and agreed.

“Before class this afternoon, I have an announcement,” Kitazawa said calmly. “The practical portion of the midterm exam will be moved up to tomorrow.”

He paused briefly, then continued. “Now I’ll announce the group assignments.”

“Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed excitedly after Kitazawa finished speaking. “We’re in the same team again! This is youth!”

“This has nothing to do with youth.” Sasuke’s lips twitched as he replied.

“Why can’t it be me?” Sakura asked resentfully.

Ino hesitated. She also wanted to be on Kitazawa’s team, but unfortunately, that wish hadn’t come true.

Still, the chances of being assigned to Kitazawa’s team twice in a row were slim. She could only wait for another opportunity.

Hinata felt the same way—slightly disappointed, but not overly so.

“It seems this mission will be easy,” Karin said with a smile.

With Sasuke and Naruto as teammates, she felt she wouldn’t even need to do much.

“Not necessarily,” Shikamaru cautioned. “With those two around, the mission will definitely be difficult. We need to be mentally prepared.”

“Everyone, remember to be on time tomorrow morning at nine,” Kitazawa clapped his hands. “Training begins now.”

The afternoon passed quickly.

After school, Kitazawa and Kurenai left the Ninja Academy together.

“Why did you suddenly move the practical exam forward?” Kurenai asked curiously. “Did you receive another urgent mission?”

“Yes,” Kitazawa replied. “To capture the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata.”

“A Jinchuriki?” Kurenai’s eyes widened. “Then why are you bringing Sasuke and the others?”

“They have another mission,” Kitazawa smiled. “Although they’re geniuses among geniuses, I can’t possibly send them to deal with a Jinchuriki.”

“That’s true.” Kurenai paused, then asked, “Are you confident? Should we send a few more people?”

“What kind of question is that?” Kitazawa raised his hand and lightly patted her buttocks. “Why are you questioning my strength?”

“I’m worried about you, and you’re blaming me?” Kurenai bumped her hip against his thigh in retaliation.

“Don’t worry. Tsunade-sensei will go with me.” Kitazawa stopped and said, “To make it up to you, I’ll carry you back.”

“There are too many people on the way,” Kurenai said, tempted but still refusing.

“I can avoid them,” Kitazawa chuckled.

“…Alright.” Kurenai immediately moved behind him.

She leapt up, her long legs wrapping around his waist as she pressed her entire body against his back.

Kitazawa felt only a soft, warm touch. He steadied himself, reached back, and supported Kurenai’s hips as he carried her forward.

“It feels so good not to walk,” Kurenai said with a smile, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“Really?” Kitazawa blinked. “So you don’t want to walk tonight either?”

“What do you mean?” Kurenai paused, then asked, “Where are we going tonight?”

“Nowhere,” Kitazawa replied after a brief pause. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Nonsense,” Kurenai said, closing her eyes.

Before long, they arrived home.

Kitazawa opened the door and stepped inside.

“Put me down,” Kurenai said, patting his shoulder.

Kitazawa squatted and released her.

She landed lightly on her feet and was about to walk into the living room when her hand was suddenly grabbed.

She turned back, confusion written all over her face. Kitazawa darted forward, appearing before her, and scooped her up in one swift motion.

“What are you—” Kurenai began, only to be cut off.

Her clothes slipped to the floor as she let out a muffled groan, clinging to Kitazawa like an octopus.

Her long, pale legs stretched out, toes curling and relaxing unconsciously.

“You—you bastard!” Kurenai’s face flushed crimson as she took a sharp breath and shouted.

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to walk tonight?” Kitazawa retorted, baring his teeth.

“I—when did I say that?” Kurenai demanded, suppressing her discomfort.

“You must’ve forgotten. That’s fine—I’ll help you remember.” Kitazawa’s hands tightened around her slender waist.

Kurenai trembled with anger at his shamelessness. She glared at him, but soon her words dissolved into incoherent agreement with her earlier statement.

The lively night finally came to an end.

—

A new day arrived—morning.

Kitazawa opened his eyes. In his arms, Kurenai lay exhausted, eyes closed, rosy lips slightly parted.

He could feel her steady breathing and the gentle rise and fall of her body.

Leaning close to her neck, Kitazawa inhaled, a faint fragrance filling his senses.

He reached out and placed his hand on her forehead. Soft green chakra flowed from his palm.

Moments later, Kurenai’s body relaxed further, a comfortable expression appearing on her face.

Kitazawa fell into thought.

Once he was strong enough, could he help Kurenai learn the Yin Seal? The benefits were numerous.

He couldn’t bear the thought of watching her grow old.

If only he could directly instill ninjutsu into her the way the system did, then she wouldn’t need to learn anymore.

Perhaps one day, it might truly be possible.

Kitazawa shook his head, casting aside those chaotic thoughts.

“Good morning.” Kurenai woke up.

She sat up, stretched, and felt completely refreshed.

Kitazawa admired her fair and beautiful figure. If not for today’s mission, he swore he wouldn’t let her walk at all.

“It’s already eight o’clock—get up!” Kurenai glanced at the wall clock, her expression changing as she hurriedly dressed.

“There’s still an hour. We have time,” Kitazawa said as he got out of bed. “I’ll make breakfast.”

After eating, thanks to ninja efficiency, it was exactly ten minutes before nine. Kurenai shot Kitazawa a glare and went to gather her students.

“Kitazawa-sensei!” Naruto called out enthusiastically.

“Follow me.” Kitazawa nodded and led them toward the Hokage Building.

“Kitazawa-sensei,” Naruto looked around in confusion and asked, “Are we going the wrong way?”

“No,” Kitazawa replied calmly. “There’s one more person joining us on this mission.”

“Who is it?” Naruto asked curiously.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Kitazawa said with a faint smile.

They quickly arrived at the Hokage Building. Before they even entered, Tsunade appeared in front of them.

“Grandma Tsunade?” Naruto paused for a moment, then instinctively corrected himself, “Hokage-sama!”

“Hokage-sama!” Sasuke and Karin called out in unison.

“During missions, you must use your official title!” Tsunade glared at Naruto and emphasized.

“Grandma Tsunade, are you coming with us on this mission?” Naruto asked as he stepped forward.

“Yes, it’s me.” Tsunade’s lips twitched at his insistence on the old title, but she didn’t bother correcting him further.

Sasuke and Karin were immediately taken aback.

“Grandma Tsunade is coming too! Then this mission is definitely S-rank!” Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

Tsunade turned her gaze to Kitazawa. She didn’t understand why Sasuke and the others were also being brought along.

“Your mission is different from ours,” Kitazawa shook his head and said. “Simply put, this is two missions.”

“Two missions?” Tsunade raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

“This is their mission. You’d just be wasting your time,” Kitazawa replied.

“Kitazawa-sensei, what’s our mission?” Karin asked.

“Do you know the Tsuchigumo Clan?” Kitazawa asked.

“No.” Sasuke and the others shook their heads.

Tsunade paused, memories of the Tsuchigumo Clan surfacing.

“The Tsuchigumo Clan are allies of Konoha. Recently, a rogue ninja named Shiranami appeared among them,” Kitazawa said casually. “Your mission is to eliminate him and his organization.”

“Is he strong?” Naruto asked eagerly.

“A competent Earth Release jōnin,” Kitazawa said after a moment’s thought.

“Excellent!” Naruto gave a thumbs-up. “Kitazawa-sensei, you can leave it to us!”

“Let’s not delay. Move out,” Kitazawa said, then added, “You and Sasuke are responsible for perimeter security.”

“Got it, Kitazawa-sensei.” Naruto turned toward Sasuke. “Sasuke, let’s—”

“No interest.” Sasuke cut him off and walked ahead.

“Wait for me!” Naruto hurried after him.

“Was it someone from the Tsuchigumo Clan who contacted you?” Tsunade asked casually as they walked.

“No,” Kitazawa replied. “I noticed Utakata was near the Tsuchigumo Clan, so I looked into it.”

“I thought this was a request from the Tsuchigumo Clan,” Tsunade said. “How are things with them now?”

“It’s bad. Including Shiranami, only a handful of clan members remain,” Kitazawa said with a shake of his head.

“It’s really come to that?” Tsunade was visibly surprised.

She hadn’t expected the Tsuchigumo Clan to fall so far. After all, they had been a well-known clan during the Third Shinobi World War.

“I think we should invite the Tsuchigumo Clan to relocate to Konoha,” Kitazawa suggested.

“Would they agree?” Tsunade asked thoughtfully.

Given their current state, it would be extremely difficult for the Tsuchigumo Clan to protect their forbidden technique, Fury.

If Fury fell into the wrong hands, it would pose a serious threat to Konoha.

Having them live in Konoha would undoubtedly be safer. And after enough time, they would naturally become part of the village.

“Fury is the key,” Kitazawa said, familiar with the original story and aware of how much the Tsuchigumo Clan valued it.

Moreover, Hotaru’s desire to take Utakata as her teacher showed that the clan was already aware of its impending extinction.

“Then let’s try,” Tsunade nodded. “I’ll personally extend the invitation.”

“With Tsunade-sensei involved, there won’t be any problems,” Kitazawa chuckled. “And we even brought a gift.”

Tsunade paused, then immediately understood. The gift Kitazawa meant was Shiranami.

The Tsuchigumo Clan resided not far from the Land of Fire, within the Land of Rivers.

Shiranami had been living as a bandit on a mountain there, making his living by robbery.

Fortunately, the group reached the Land of Rivers by evening.

“Wood Release really is convenient,” Tsunade said with a smile, looking at the wooden house that had sprung up.

“Tsunade-sensei, choose a room,” Kitazawa blinked and added, “If you don’t mind, you can share one with me.”

Tsunade stepped on his foot and walked inside. The refusal was crystal clear.

Kitazawa chuckled, not surprised in the least.

After dinner, Sasuke and Naruto practiced their combination technique—the Yin–Yang Rasengan.

Karin took out a fish and began practicing the Mystical Palm Technique.

“Karin seems even more talented than Shizune,” Tsunade remarked after watching for a while from the balcony.

“She’s an Uzumaki, so she has abundant chakra. That gives her an advantage in medical ninjutsu,” Kitazawa said thoughtfully.

“Mm.” Tsunade withdrew her gaze, sat down, and asked, “How’s your Flying Thunder God Technique coming along?”

“I should be able to master it before the New Year,” Kitazawa replied after brief consideration.

“Very good.” Tsunade smiled in satisfaction. “Once you master Flying Thunder God, Konoha’s overall strength will rise again.”

The Flying Thunder God Technique isn’t merely a jutsu—it carries immense strategic value.

Konoha’s victory in the Third Shinobi World War was, without exaggeration, largely due to the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Minato, without any Bloodline Limit, was able to shake the entire battlefield through the Flying Thunder God Technique alone.

So what about Kitazawa, who also possesses Wood Release?

Tsunade even found herself looking forward to the next Shinobi World War. But she quickly pushed that thought away—no war was always the best outcome.

“Unfortunately, your Sage Mode still hasn’t made progress.” Tsunade felt a hint of regret.

Wood Release combined with Flying Thunder God was already terrifying, but it still couldn’t compare to Wood Release, Sage Mode, and Flying Thunder God together.

Senju Hashirama paired with Senju Tobirama—that was true invincibility.

“Take it slow. I’ll master it someday.” Kitazawa said casually.

Tsunade was momentarily stunned. She didn’t understand where his confidence came from.

Judging from the current situation, he seemed to lack talent in Sage Mode, which explained the absence of progress.

Fortunately, Katsuyu had a gentle temperament and didn’t mind the wasted time.

“Tsunade-sensei, if I master the Flying Thunder God Technique, what will my reward be?” Kitazawa asked with a smile.

Tsunade instinctively frowned. With Kitazawa’s strength and status, what reward could he still possibly need?

In another year or two, even the position of Hokage would belong to him.

Suddenly, Tsunade thought of something and lowered her gaze. She was well aware of Kitazawa’s feelings toward her.

Tsunade bit her lip as emotions surged within her. After hesitating for a long time, she finally made up her mind.

After all, she and Kitazawa had already reached this point.

“If you master the Flying Thunder God Technique before the New Year, I’ll give you a special reward,” Tsunade said slowly.

The moment she spoke, her heart trembled, a sensation like electricity spreading throughout her body.

[Current Mission: Accept the special reward from Tsunade.]

[Mission Reward: Unknown.]

[Accept?]

Kitazawa couldn’t help but be stunned. This could trigger a system mission?

What exactly was this “special reward”? And the mission reward was unknown—how unusual.

“I’m looking forward to this special reward.” Kitazawa recovered and replied.

In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through his mind, yet he still couldn’t figure out what it might be.

“There’s still time. I’ll train the Flying Thunder God Technique for a while longer.”

Since he couldn’t figure it out, Kitazawa stopped thinking about it and said, “Lady Tsunade, if you’re tired, you should rest early.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Tsunade waved her hand dismissively.

Once Kitazawa immersed himself in training, Tsunade propped her chin on her hand and stared at him absentmindedly.

The night gradually deepened.

By nine in the evening, Kitazawa stopped his practice and told Sasuke and the others to rest.

“Good night.” Tsunade stood on her toes, kissed him lightly, then turned and walked into her room.

—

The next morning.

Kitazawa woke up on schedule.

After changing clothes, he stepped out of his room and found Sasuke, Naruto, and Karin already waiting in the living room.

He glanced around, then walked toward Tsunade’s room.

Raising his hand, he knocked on the door.

“Why are you all up so early?” The door opened, and Tsunade leaned against the doorframe, yawning as she spoke.

“You’re the one who got up too late.” Kitazawa shook his head.

Tsunade immediately shot him a glare.

Seeing her expression, Kitazawa smiled. “Breakfast will be ready soon.”

He turned and headed into the kitchen.

An hour later, the five of them set out once more. After entering the Land of Rivers, they were already not far from the Tsuchigumo Clan.

“Let’s find Utakata first.” After a moment’s thought, Kitazawa spoke.

The Tsuchigumo Clan wouldn’t go anywhere, but Utakata was another matter. If he moved, tracking him down again would waste a great deal of time.

“Who’s Utakata?” Naruto asked curiously.

“He’s a Jinchuriki from Hidden Mist Village,” Kitazawa answered.

Naruto and the others immediately showed expressions of surprise.

Their understanding of Jinchuriki came from Yagura, who had been defeated by Kitazawa and Tsunade.

That incident had spread widely throughout Konoha, and because Kitazawa was involved, they were all familiar with it.

Naturally, Naruto understood even more clearly than Sasuke and Karin. After all, the strongest Tailed Beast—Kurama—resided within him.

“Utakata is very strong. You don’t have to interfere.” Kitazawa paused briefly, then added, “But if Hidden Mist Anbu appear, you can block them.”

“No problem!” Naruto agreed without hesitation.

Sasuke nodded as well. He was eager to test himself against the Hidden Mist Anbu.

Karin had no particular thoughts on the matter.

“Wait here for a moment.” After walking a short distance, Kitazawa immediately activated his Byakugan.

In the next instant, he located Utakata. There was no helping it—within his Byakugan vision, that vast, boundless chakra shone like the sun.

“His position hasn’t changed. Let’s go straight there.” Kitazawa reappeared in front of Tsunade and the others.

“Perfect. I can finally test my Yang Release Chakra Mode.” Tsunade curled her lips into a smile and clenched her fist.

She had already mastered Yang Release Chakra Mode but had never had a chance to use it.

First, she was the Hokage and rarely left the village. Second, there were very few people capable of forcing her to use it.

And coincidentally, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki Utakata met that requirement.

Under Kitazawa’s lead, the group quickly reached their destination.

Likely wary of Hidden Mist Anbu detection, Utakata hadn’t gone near nearby towns and instead chose to live in a valley.

“You all stay here and watch.” Kitazawa reminded them, then walked into the valley together with Tsunade.

They made no effort to conceal themselves. After only a few steps, a figure immediately emerged from a tent.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep