“How is it?” Kitazawa looked at Kurenai’s dazed expression, then dispersed the Rasengan and reached out to pinch her soft cheek.

“When did you learn it?” Kurenai snapped out of her stupor and couldn’t help asking.

“Yesterday,” Kitazawa answered after a moment’s thought. He wasn’t lying—it had indeed taken him only two days to master the Rasengan.

“I really can’t stand being surpassed so easily!” Kurenai glared at him after a short silence, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and admiration.

Kitazawa’s gaze fell on her soft lips. Bathed in the gentle morning light, they looked especially pink and inviting.

Leaning in, Kitazawa slowly moved closer.

Kurenai looked at his approaching face—handsome and focused. She didn’t pull away, and a trace of confusion appeared in her eyes.

Kitazawa kissed her and wrapped his arms around her waist. But the moment his hands touched her voluptuous curves, she abruptly pushed him away.

“You’re getting too bold.” Kurenai’s face flushed a deep red.

“It’s about time. I should head to the academy.” Kitazawa cleared his throat and composed himself.

“I’ll keep training the Rasengan.” Kurenai stepped on his foot lightly and said, “No need to walk me out.”

Kitazawa glanced at her fair, tender feet and silently swore to get payback one day. He turned around, changed his shoes at the entrance, and left her house.

—

Konoha Ninja Academy.

Kitazawa opened the office door and found Hinata already waiting, seated obediently on the sofa. Her posture was upright, legs together, hands placed on her knees—standard Hyuga discipline.

Due to her small frame, her snow-white feet didn’t reach the floor, dangling slightly in the air.

“Teacher Kitazawa!” Hinata noticed him and quickly hopped off the sofa, running up to greet him.

“Good morning, Hinata.” Kitazawa gently patted her head. “You seem happy today. Did something good happen?”

“Father was in a great mood yesterday. He praised me and even began teaching me the Gentle Fist and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.” Hinata spoke with a shy but proud smile.

Kitazawa had a sudden thought. Could he teach Hinata the Gentle Fist and Eight Trigrams technique himself?

Technically yes, but realistically… not without risks.

Unless he became strong and renowned enough, passing on the Hyuga clan’s secrets could get him targeted by the Hyuga clan.

Stealing clan jutsu was a serious offense in Konoha.

Still, it was an excuse he might use later if needed.

“Congratulations, Hinata.” Kitazawa smiled warmly. “You’re officially a first-rate genius now.”

“I-I’m not…” Hinata shook her head. “It’s only because of your guidance, Kitazawa-sensei.”

“If you didn’t have talent, my guidance wouldn’t matter.” Kitazawa flicked her forehead gently. “Hinata, you’ve got to be more confident.”

Hinata looked at his smile and felt deeply moved. Aside from Kitazawa, no one else had ever encouraged her like this.

The Hyuga and Uchiha clans were known for their strict, harsh training methods. In truth, raising a child requires both discipline and nurturing.

“What do you think about Neji’s challenge?” Kitazawa sat down, opened a storage scroll, and took out the breakfast he’d bought earlier.

“I… I can’t beat Brother Neji.” Hinata looked down and answered softly.

“You just awakened your Byakugan. Naturally, you’re not at his level yet.” Kitazawa reassured her, “You don’t have to feel discouraged because of that.”

He handed her a rice ball.

“Mm.” Hinata accepted it and asked, “But… can I really catch up to him one day?”

“Under normal circumstances, it’d be difficult,” Kitazawa replied honestly. “But you have one advantage he doesn’t—you’ve got me as your teacher.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kitazawa.” Hinata looked at him again, and her heart filled with newfound confidence.

She hadn’t even questioned how an outsider could teach her clan’s secret techniques.

“Kitazawa-sensei, I’m here!” A cheerful voice rang out.

“Huh? You started breakfast without me?” Ino walked in holding two bento boxes.

She quickly sat next to Hinata and opened one. Because she knew Hinata had a big appetite, she was never worried about having leftovers.

“I thought you were eating at home today.” Kitazawa glanced at her lunch. It was small, delicate, and clearly handmade—by a girl.

“I was going to eat at home, but I wanted to share my good news with you first.” Ino beamed. “I learned the Mind Body Switch Technique!”

“You did?” Kitazawa looked at her with genuine surprise.

“W-Well… I think I learned it?” Ino blinked and smiled awkwardly, caught by his stare.

Kitazawa could already guess what had happened. Barely managing to perform a jutsu, learning it properly, and mastering it were three very different things.

Roughly speaking: entry-level, intermediate, and mastery.

“For someone your age to pick up the Mind Body Switch Technique, you’re already a genius among geniuses.” Kitazawa praised with a smile.

“But… I’m really not that talented,” Ino, who’d been bold earlier, now blushed slightly. After all, her progress was thanks to Kitazawa’s guidance.

“Keep working hard. Master the jutsu as soon as possible.” Kitazawa gently patted her head.

“Of course!” Ino smiled brightly. “I’ll be counting on you, Kitazawa-sensei!”

[Current Task: Help Yamanaka Ino master the Mind Body Switch Technique.

Reward: Mind Body Switch Technique.]

[Accept?]

Kitazawa looked at the prompt and raised an eyebrow. Was the system pushing him to learn the secret techniques of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?

Thinking it over, it made perfect sense.

His system was called the Strongest Hokage Training System.

If he were to become the strongest Hokage, learning all types of ninjutsu—including clan secrets—was only natural.

And the secret techniques of these three clans were extremely practical.

Shadow Imitation controlled movement via shadows. Mind Body Switch allowed mental entry into another person’s body for control.

“After the first class, we’ll begin your training.”

Kitazawa said with a smile.

—

After finishing breakfast, the three of them headed to the first-grade Class A classroom.

The moment Kitazawa walked through the door, he saw Sakura standing in front of Sasuke, chattering nonstop.

Though Sasuke wore his usual cold expression, Kitazawa could tell he was likely growing irritated. In contrast, Naruto looked extremely cheerful.

He was energetically talking to Kiba, Choji, and the others about a ten-kilogram fish he had supposedly caught over the weekend.

Kitazawa vaguely recalled that in the original timeline, Naruto often fished in the wild—and even shared some of it with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

“Teacher Kitazawa!” The next second, the classroom buzzed with excitement. All the students greeted him enthusiastically, admiration shining in their eyes.

There’s a saying: people can’t be taught by words alone, but experiences can leave lasting lessons.

After overcoming the gap of a full year and defeating the second-grade Class A, Kitazawa’s standing in their hearts had soared.

“You all did great in the friendly match last Friday,” Kitazawa said as he walked to the podium, pulling out a summoning storage scroll with a smile. “I prepared some snacks for everyone—one pack each.”

“Teacher Kitazawa is the best!”

“Thank you, Teacher!”

The classroom erupted into cheers, and their respect for him deepened even more.

“Come up in order and get your share,” Kitazawa called out with a warm smile.

Ten minutes later, everyone had received their snacks.

“Alright, save your snacks for later. Let’s begin class.”

Kitazawa picked up a piece of chalk and turned to the board.

Perhaps because of the snacks—or maybe because of their recent victory—the students were unusually focused today.

All except Shikamaru. As always, he sat lazily in his seat, half-asleep. Though his eyes were technically open, they were glazed over, his mind clearly elsewhere.

“Class dismissed.” When the bell rang, Kitazawa paused and said, “Shikamaru, come see me in my office.”

“Huh?” Shikamaru blinked and snapped out of his daze.

“You’re doomed. Teacher Kitazawa caught you slacking!” Kiba grinned, clearly enjoying the moment.

“Teacher Kitazawa isn’t like that.” Ino shook her head. “He probably just wants to talk.”

“Good luck.” Choji patted Shikamaru on the shoulder.

“Ugh, such a drag…” Shikamaru groaned and reluctantly headed for the office.

The door was ajar, so he simply walked in.

“Teacher Kitazawa,” Shikamaru said quickly, “I already know everything in the textbook, so it’s not really slacking.”

“In that case, how about I teach you something new?” Kitazawa, knowing Shikamaru misunderstood, decided to roll with it.

“You’re too busy for that, Teacher. You don’t need to waste your time on me,” Shikamaru instinctively deflected, sensing trouble.

“Your parents asked me to be your tutor.” Kitazawa added, “Including your mother.”

That made Shikamaru freeze. He might not fear much—but his mother was another story entirely.

“Huh?” Shikamaru was stunned.

“Huh what?” Kitazawa stood up. “Let’s go. We’re heading to the training ground.”

“…” Shikamaru opened his mouth but didn’t speak.

It felt like the lazy dog had finally been leashed—and his carefree days were over.

—

At the academy’s training ground, several students were already present.

Besides Ino and Hinata, Sasuke and Sakura were also there. Yakumo was currently focused on her bloodline limit and developing new ninjutsu, so she rarely came to school anymore.

As for Naruto, he needed to attend regular classes to maintain his academic standing.

“Sakura.” Kitazawa took out a scroll and handed it to her. “This contains some basic medical ninjutsu texts. Start by memorizing them.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kitazawa!” Sakura beamed as she opened the scroll—only for her expression to freeze. A literal mountain of books unfurled before her.

“This much?!” Ino gasped. After glancing over the scroll, she realized they weren’t even medical ninjutsu techniques—just foundational medical texts.

—

—

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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep