A new day began.

Kitazawa slowly woke from his sleep. He sat up and let out a long yawn.

Last night, he had spent hours discussing a new type of ninjutsu with Tsunade and Kurenai, but despite all their brainstorming, they hadn’t reached any solid conclusion.

The issue was clear: after creating three jutsu that could perform basic psychological diagnosis, they had now reached the stage of developing techniques that could actually treat mental illnesses.

Such jutsu, however, weren’t something even Tsunade could conceptualize in just two or three hours.

If it were up to Kitazawa alone, he would have chosen to focus on helping Yakumo further develop her Kekkei Genkai.

But from Konoha’s standpoint, the psychological medical ninja system wasn’t meant for just one person. Both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade were aiming to create general-use psychological healing techniques.

Like the previously developed Art of Speech, Truth-Telling Jutsu, and Genjutsu: Magical Heart Technique.

In other words, this fourth jutsu they were trying to create ideally needed to replicate the effect of Yakumo’s Kekkei Genkai.

That was obviously extremely difficult. Fortunately, they still had plenty of time and could proceed on both fronts—

On one hand, improving Yakumo’s power, and on the other, developing a similar jutsu that could be widely applied. Just then, a knock came at the door.

Kitazawa raised an eyebrow and quickly changed his clothes.

“Good morning, Kitazawa.” Kurenai stood at the door in the same red dress she’d worn the night before, her delicate face full of warmth and cheer.

“You’re here early. Have you eaten?” Kitazawa stepped aside to let her in, asking casually.

“Not yet.” Kurenai stepped inside and began removing her shoes at the entryway.

Kitazawa’s eyes happened to fall on her feet. Only then did he notice that, unlike last night, she wasn’t barefoot today—she had put on black stockings.

Bathed in the morning sunlight, the sleek black fabric clung to her fair skin, outlining the smooth, elegant curve of her legs.

“What are you staring at?” Kurenai walked past him slowly.

“Why the black stockings today?” Kitazawa asked knowingly, smiling.

“What I wear is my choice.”Kurenai gave a soft hum and replied, “I’m hungry. I want your ramen.”

“I’ll cook it right away.” Kitazawa walked a few steps before turning back and adding, “By the way, those black stockings really suit you. You look stunning.”

Kurenai was momentarily surprised, then laughed.

Women dress up for the ones they like. She had worn the black stockings precisely for Kitazawa. Now that he had noticed and praised her, it felt like a moment of mutual understanding.

“This guy’s preferences clearly aren’t as proper as he acts.” Kurenai shook her head lightly with amusement.

But she was no shy teenage girl—she didn’t mind such things at all.

“Come eat.” A few minutes later, Kitazawa brought out two bowls of ramen.

“When does your Special Jonin assessment begin?” Kurenai lowered her head slightly and took a sip of broth. Her soft red lips glistened with a hint of oil.

“Eight in the morning, at the Anbu training grounds,” Kitazawa replied.

“As expected… it really is a personal test arranged by the Hokage. That kind of privilege is granted to only a rare few,” Kurenai said with a note of admiration in her voice when she heard the word Anbu.

Normally, Special Jonin assessments weren’t held at the Anbu training ground. The only explanation was that Sarutobi Hiruzen had authorized it himself.

“I’m just lucky to have the position of a teacher, and more importantly, it’s because the Hokage cares deeply about Naruto,” Kitazawa explained truthfully.

Kurenai, who had lived through the Nine-Tails attack, was one of the few who knew the truth about Naruto’s identity.

“That’s not a fair way to put it,” she said, shaking her head. “The Hokage has always been fair. If you didn’t have the ability, he wouldn’t have supported you either.”

“It’s just a pity that genjutsu isn’t part of the Special Jonin assessment criteria. Otherwise, you would’ve already qualified.”

Kitazawa paused for a moment and added with a smile, “But there’s no need to rush. With your strength, you’ll definitely become a Jonin sooner or later.”

“I’ll take that as a blessing,” Kurenai laughed. “Alright, let’s stop flattering each other. Once we finish the ramen, we’ll head to the Anbu base.”

“That wasn’t flattery. I meant every word,” Kitazawa said earnestly.

“Then tell me—will you become a Jonin first, or will I?” Kurenai asked with a playful blink.

“Does it matter who gets there first?” Kitazawa quickly sidestepped the deadly question.

Kurenai gave him a look. That answer clearly didn’t satisfy her, but she didn’t press further.

In truth, she already had a guess in her heart. Based on what Kitazawa had shown so far, his strength was at least on par with hers—and most importantly, he had never once gone all out.

But soon, she’d witness his true capability.

The Special Jonin assessment was simple. First, it evaluated specialized skills, such as education, research, espionage, tracking, strength, or interrogation.

Kitazawa had been an outstanding teacher for three consecutive years, and his excellence in education was widely recognized.

Second, it tested combat capability. A Special Jonin’s strength lay between that of a Chunin and a full Jonin. Only elite-level Chunin could qualify.

The first part of the assessment involved reviewing one’s track record. The second part was a direct match against a current Special Jonin.

After breakfast, Kitazawa and Kurenai arrived at the Anbu headquarters. On the training field, two masked Anbu members were already waiting.

One of them was someone Kitazawa knew—Anbu Ninja Haru.

“Kitazawa,” Haru began bluntly. “This is your examiner, Hayate Gekko. All you need to do is spar with him.”

“Kitaza— cough, cough!” Hayate started to speak, but was overtaken by a violent cough, clutching his chest.

Kurenai frowned slightly. Is this really an Anbu ninja?

He looked like he might collapse at any moment.

Kitazawa, however, remained calm. He remembered Hayate Gekko from the original series—he had played a decent role as a proctor during the Chunin Exams.

Unfortunately, his fate wasn’t ideal. After all, when Shippuden said goodbye to a ‘Gekko,’ it was him they meant. Besides that, he had a beautiful girlfriend: Uzuki Yugao.

Kitazawa recalled his strengths. There was no doubt he was a legitimate Special Jonin, far superior to average Chunin.

He was skilled in Konoha-style swordsmanship, and his signature technique—Crescent Moon Dance—was an impressive A-rank secret sword art.

Even Jonin had difficulty mastering A-rank techniques.

He also mastered a rare and difficult Transparent Escape jutsu, which allowed him to turn invisible. That ability alone made him ideal for reconnaissance and was one of the key reasons for his Special Jonin title.

“Please.” Kitazawa didn’t waste time. He walked directly to the center of the field.

Hayate noticed Kitazawa’s confidence and raised an eyebrow, unconcerned. He had never heard of this man before.

Generally, strong Chunin in Konoha had some reputation. Kurenai, for example, was famous for her genjutsu. But who was Kitazawa? Where had he come from?

And the Hokage had even organized a private test for him? Unbelievable.

Hayate narrowed his eyes. With a flicker of movement, he used a Body Flicker Technique and charged straight toward Kitazawa.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep