Chapter 103: Chapter 103

Kitazawa let out a long yawn.

After spending the night with Tsunade, it was well past midnight by the time he got home. Since becoming a ninja, this was the first time he’d stayed up so late.

In his previous life, he used to pull all-nighters regularly—thanks to the endless rabbit hole of phones and computers. Just scrolling through videos could devour an entire day. But in the shinobi world, entertainment was limited, and with missions piling up, sleep became a necessity, not a luxury.

Still, tonight hadn’t been without its rewards.

Yakumo’s fourth ninjutsu—Memory Sealing Technique—was finally complete.

Tomorrow, he and Tsunade would head to the Hokage’s office. With Hiruzen himself evaluating the results, Kitazawa expected to be well compensated. Besides ryo, he was likely to earn a B-rank ninjutsu as well.

He already knew what he wanted—a Wind Release jutsu.

So far, his Genjutsu training came from Kurenai, Fire Release from Sasuke, and Medical Ninjutsu from Tsunade. But Wind and Water Release remained gaps in his arsenal. Unfortunately, the system hadn’t granted him either recently.

Techniques like the Gentle Fist or Shadow Imitation were still out of reach for now—no “whitewashing” those.

After a quick shower, Kitazawa collapsed onto his bed. The moment he closed his eyes, three lines of text materialized in his vision.

He glanced at them instinctively—then abruptly sat up.

Current Mission: Gain Tsunade’s Initial Approval

Mission Reward: Mystic Palm Jutsu

Mission Complete. Reward Issued.

Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.

Wait, I completed it? Just like that?

He hadn’t even realized it was active. Could it really have been that easy? Sharing drinks and a late-night heart-to-heart with Tsunade?

That probably helped… but he had a hunch there was more to it. Perhaps it was the talent he’d shown in medical ninjutsu over the past few days.

’Whatever the case—I’ll take it.’

The reward was no joke.

Chakra Scalpel—an A-rank Medical Ninjutsu.

Kitazawa formed a seal, focusing his chakra. In a breath, pale green energy condensed around his right hand, stretching into a blade-like form.

Despite the name, Chakra Scalpel wasn’t used like a regular blade. It didn’t cut skin—it sliced through muscle fibers, tendons, or even nerves. Internally. Invisibly.

For treatment, it could remove necrotic tissue or stop internal bleeding with precision.

For combat? It was deadly—crippling the opponent without a scratch.

He grinned in satisfaction.

’If all missions were this simple, I wouldn’t mind drinking with Tsunade every night.’

With that, he finally drifted off to sleep.

The next day—Thursday

Kitazawa woke up promptly at 7:30 AM, stretching lazily before getting dressed. After a quick wash, he made his way toward the Ninja Academy.

Halfway there, he spotted four familiar figures on the street.

Might Gai. Uzumaki Naruto. Rock Lee. And Uchiha Sasuke.

He paused to observe.

Three of them—dressed in matching green jumpsuits—radiated unrelenting energy, periodically shouting about youth and spirit.

The fourth… not so much.

Sasuke was pale, his teeth clenched, clearly struggling to keep up.

Kitazawa smirked.

“Sasuke?” Naruto turned his head, grinning. “Still got enough stamina?”

“Worry about yourself!” Sasuke snapped between labored breaths.

“We’re almost there!” Naruto flashed a thumbs-up. “Sasuke, youth is calling your name!”

“If you say one more word—I swear I’ll outrun you,” Sasuke growled.

“I’ll say two!” Naruto said brightly. “Sas—”

“Shut up!”

Sasuke glared at him, face full of irritation.

Naruto scratched his head, genuinely confused.

Sasuke ignored him. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly pushed himself harder, tapping into reserves of strength he didn’t know he had.

Gai-sensei’s ridiculous training must’ve been rubbing off.

“That’s the spirit, Sasuke!” Naruto shouted, suddenly speeding up too. “Youth Charge!”

“No—!”

Sasuke’s eyes widened in disbelief as the blonde rocketed past him, crossing the finish line first.

By the time Sasuke stumbled across, he collapsed, soaked in sweat and gasping for air.

An hour of nonstop running—was this training or torture?

He glanced at the three in green, watching them laugh and cheer like this was a warm-up. He resisted the urge to curse out loud.

Now he finally understood why Naruto was catching up to him in Taijutsu and stamina.

With this kind of psychotic training—and his ridiculous vitality—Naruto should be winning.

Sasuke sighed. Taijutsu wasn’t his path. It was good for conditioning at best.

His real edge would always be ninjutsu.

Kitazawa observed from afar, amused, then turned and continued his walk toward the Academy.

“Kitazawa-sensei!”

The moment the door creaked open, Hinata’s eyes lit up. She sprang off the sofa and hurried to greet Kitazawa, her small feet pattering against the floor.

“Good morning, Hinata,” Kitazawa greeted with a warm smile, gently ruffling her hair.

Hinata squinted in delight, leaning into his touch like a content little cat.

“Come eat,” he said, placing the breakfast he’d bought onto the coffee table, item by item.

“Kitazawa-sensei,” Hinata said happily as she sat down, “Father praised me again yesterday.”

“Oh? What for?” Kitazawa asked casually, handing her a rice ball.

“He said my Sixty-Four Palms has improved really quickly,” Hinata replied, taking a small bite. A proud smile formed on her lips. “I can already perform the first four palms in a row!”

“That’s impressive,” Kitazawa said, watching her beam with pride. It was hard to believe this cheerful little girl was once so timid and shy.

The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms wasn’t made up of sixty-four unique moves. It was a single, continuous technique aimed at sealing sixty-four of the opponent’s chakra points in one seamless assault. It demanded speed, precision, and fluidity. A single palm on its own meant little.

Hinata being able to link four strikes in succession might seem minor, but for a six-year-old, it was a noteworthy milestone. No wonder Hiashi was pleased.

“There’s one more thing!” Hinata added excitedly, kicking her legs as she sat. “Hanabi called me ’big sister’ for the first time today!”

“Then you’ll have to step up and act like one,” Kitazawa said with a chuckle.

He remembered how, in the original timeline, Hinata and Hanabi shared a strong sibling bond.

“I will!” Hinata nodded earnestly.

“Do you have any plans for summer vacation?” Kitazawa asked suddenly, remembering the upcoming break next month.

“Not yet,” Hinata said, tilting her head.

“Then how about joining my special summer training?”

“Yes!” she responded immediately, eyes sparkling.

“Alright then,” Kitazawa said, amused by her eagerness. “I’ll tell you more after finals.”

“Okay!” Hinata replied, visibly thrilled.

After breakfast, Kitazawa headed to the First-Year Class A classroom to begin his lessons. Hinata, on the other hand, went straight to the training grounds to practice her Gentle Fist. Alongside her were Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, and Sasuke.

—

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village—

Tsunade slowly opened her eyes and sat up, pressing a hand to her forehead. A faint wince crossed her face.

She had definitely overdone it with the sake last night.

Thankfully, she had the Strength of a Hundred Seal. As an S-rank medical sealing jutsu, it didn’t just preserve youth—it maintained peak physical condition. Within seconds, its chakra spread through her body, quickly flushing away the lingering effects of the alcohol.

Feeling her strength return, Tsunade glanced around and frowned.

“Wait… how did I get home last night?”

She rubbed her temples, fragments of memory piecing themselves together—drinks with Kitazawa, sharing her story about Nawaki, and finally, Kitazawa walking her back.

She blinked in disbelief.

“I really talked about Nawaki…? What was I thinking…”

Running a hand through her golden hair, Tsunade sighed.

“This is why I shouldn’t drink too much.”

Still, what was done was done. She wasn’t one to dwell on things. Her easygoing nature let the regret roll off her shoulders. But even so, something about Kitazawa lingered in her mind.

They hadn’t done anything, yet she couldn’t deny there was a subtle shift between them.

“That kid… he’s not bad.”

Getting out of bed, Tsunade changed into her usual attire and stepped into the hallway.

“Lady Tsunade, you’re up?” Shizune looked up at the sound of footsteps.

“Mm,” Tsunade replied with a nod, plopping herself down onto the sofa. “What time is it?”

“Ten o’clock,” Shizune said.

“That late already?” Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve got some nerve asking that,” Shizune scolded. “You didn’t come home until nearly midnight!”

Having spent so much time together, Shizune wasn’t afraid to chide her now and then.

“I’m starving. Go make me some ramen,” Tsunade said, waving her hand lazily. “After I eat, I’m going to find Kitazawa.”

“Kitazawa? What for?” Shizune perked up, her curiosity piqued.

“To collect our reward from Hiruzen, of course,” Tsunade said matter-of-factly, giving Shizune a sideways glance. “What’s with that look?”

“Nothing,” Shizune muttered, a bit disappointed at the lack of juicy gossip. “I’ll go make the ramen.”

Still, something told her there had to be more to it—drinking together, walking her home, all the shoulder support and subtle glances… But unfortunately, neither of them was talking.

After breakfast, Tsunade made her way to the Ninja Academy.

She headed straight for Kitazawa’s office. She’d been there once before, so she knew exactly where to go.

When she arrived, she reached for the doorknob—locked.

In class? she guessed.

Heading to Class 1-A, she peeked in and saw Iruka mid-lecture. Not wanting to interrupt, she turned and went to the teachers’ office instead.

The moment she pushed open the door, every teacher inside turned toward her instinctively.

“I’m Tsunade. Where’s Kitazawa?” she asked bluntly.

A hush immediately fell over the entire room.

——————

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