Chapter 138: Chapter 138

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When Kitazawa arrived at the Ninja Academy’s training ground, he stumbled upon an unusual

sight.

Kabuto, Naruto, Shikamaru, Ino, and Hinata were all huddled together, chatting like old friends.

Well… more accurately, Kabuto was speaking smoothly and eloquently, while the others listened as if he were telling the greatest tale ever told.

’They warmed up to him this fast?’ Kitazawa thought, surprised.

If Sakura ’and ’Kiba weren’t training over at the artificial lake, they’d probably be caught in the same net.

“Kitazawa-sensei.”

Kabuto spotted him first, stopping mid-sentence to offer a polite greeting.

“Naruto, why aren’t you training?” Kitazawa asked as he walked over.

Normally, Naruto would bolt to practice his Rasengan the moment he set foot in the Academy.

“Ah—right! I’m going now, sensei.” Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly, then turned to Kabuto. “Kabuto-senpai, I’ll come hear the rest of your stories later.”

“No problem,” Kabuto replied with his usual easy smile.

“What story?” Kitazawa asked, narrowing his eyes.

“The one where the great Kitazawa-sensei bravely took down the evil Iwagakure jōnin!” Naruto’s eyes lit up with admiration. “I wonder when I’ll be strong enough to be a real ninja…”

Kitazawa’s mouth twitched. Of course—another heroic tale about him.

“Kitazawa-sensei is amazing! He took out two Iwa jōnin like it was nothing!” Ino chimed in, her voice full of admiration.

“Mhm.” Hinata nodded shyly, her cheeks tinged pink as her mind replayed the battle in vivid detail.

“Alright, enough chatter—go train,” Kitazawa waved them off.

Once the others dispersed, Kabuto offered a quick apology. “Sorry, Kitazawa-sensei, I told them about that fight without asking you first.”

“It’s fine,” Kitazawa said with a shrug. “Just keep the mission details to yourself.”

Not that it really mattered—those kids weren’t exactly ordinary.

“I understand,” Kabuto replied. His past in Root meant he knew all about keeping high-level missions under wraps.

“Ever trained in Wind Release before?” Kitazawa asked, switching gears.

“No. I’ve only learned medical ninjutsu, the Three Basic Jutsu, and some taijutsu.”

“Then we’ll start with Wind Release chakra nature transformation. Spend a week on it, then we’ll move on to basic Wind Release techniques.”

Kabuto nodded. “I’ll follow your lead.”

“Wind is about cutting,” Kitazawa explained, picking up a leaf. “Channel your chakra until you can slice it clean in two.”

Kabuto studied the demonstration, then took his own leaf and began. Kitazawa watched for a moment, impressed—Kabuto was picking it up faster than Sasuke had with Fire Release, though age and experience made the comparison unfair.

After all, Kabuto was already a skilled medical ninja.

Leaving him to practice, Kitazawa walked over to Hinata.

“Kitazawa-sensei,” she asked softly, “is Kabuto-senpai going to train with us now?”

“Mhm.” He patted her head. “What do you think of him?”

“He… knows everything,” she said after a pause.

“Knows what?” Kitazawa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Our jutsu, our rankings… and he’s really nice. He kept praising us.”

Kitazawa smirked. No wonder Kabuto had won them over so quickly—kids loved two things: praise and stories.

’As expected of a future main villain,’ he thought. ’He even did his homework.’

“Alright, back to training. Master the first twelve palms of the Gentle Fist as soon as possible.”

Hinata nodded, taking her stance.

By noon, Kitazawa called it. “Morning training’s over—lunchtime.”

Shikamaru collapsed to the ground. “Finally…”

He’d been juggling shadow control and fending off Ino’s ambushes, leaving him drained.

“No pain, no gain,” Ino quipped, barely winded.

“Whoever said that must be a masochist,” Shikamaru muttered.

“Kitazawa-sensei said it,” Ino replied innocently.

“…Makes sense,” Shikamaru quickly corrected, glancing at Kitazawa to make sure he hadn’t been overheard.

Naruto arrived in a green jumpsuit just in time to see Ino laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Ino said quickly, sparing Shikamaru from Kitazawa’s wrath. “We were just wondering why Sasuke didn’t come by this morning.”

Naruto’s eyes went wide. “So no Mikoto-san bento today?!”

“Probably not,” Shikamaru sighed.

But then—”Wait, isn’t that Sasuke?”

Naruto lit up instantly, sprinting toward his rival. Sasuke, still traumatized from that eating contest, instinctively wanted to run the other way.

After a quick exchange, Naruto snatched the lunchbox without even asking about Sasuke’s training. Sasuke pouted—if Naruto didn’t ask, he wasn’t about to brag unprompted.

That’s when Sakura’s voice rang out, and Kitazawa ushered everyone to sit for lunch. Kabuto slid right up to Sasuke, showering him with flattery so smooth even the Uchiha prodigy couldn’t help but find him agreeable.

Sakura, on the other hand, was already on high alert.

Once they’d settled, Sasuke finally brought up his “special training.” Kitazawa caught the hint and set the afternoon’s plan—practical combat for everyone.

When asked who he was challenging, Sasuke answered without hesitation.

“Neji. This time, I will beat him.”

“I believe in you, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura declared, fists clenched with unwavering resolve.

Sasuke resisted the sudden urge to clamp a hand over her mouth.

“Why aren’t you challenging me?” Naruto leaned forward eagerly. “Let’s duel and put our youth on the line!”

“Didn’t you say we’d fight during the monthly exam?” Sasuke shot back, eyebrow raised.

“That’s true,” Naruto admitted, a sly grin tugging at his lips as he thought about his not-quite-ready Rasengan. “I’ll give you a surprise then!”

Sasuke wasn’t impressed.

What surprise could Naruto possibly have?

To him, the Sharingan was the natural predator of taijutsu. His plan was straightforward:

Defeat Hyuga Neji, then Hinata, then Naruto in the monthly exam—and announce his triumphant return in style.

First place belonged to the Uchiha.

After lunch, the class rested half an hour before training resumed.

“Sasuke” Kitazawa called, “you have special training this afternoon.”

“Special training?” Sasuke asked, pausing on his way to the Artificial Lake to work on Fire Release chakra nature transformation.

“Practical combat,” Kitazawa replied with a faint smile.

It was the same trick he’d used before: Hinata and Naruto had both gone through his “special training” before their matches. Now it was Sasuke’s turn.

Sasuke accepted without hesitation. Fire Release could wait—defeating Neji couldn’t.

“How much do you know about the Byakugan?” Kitazawa asked once they reached a clear training field.

“It can see chakra flow and pinpoint the tenketsu,” Sasuke answered after a moment’s thought.

“Right. And every ninjutsu has its own chakra flow,” Kitazawa nodded. “You’ve never used genjutsu in battle, so Neji won’t be expecting it. With the Byakugan, your genjutsu will work best the first time—it’s all about surprise.”

Sasuke’s eyes lit up slightly.

If his genjutsu failed once, it would only get harder the next time. But if it landed, the fight would be over before Neji could break free. That was the true edge of the Sharingan.

“Since you get it, let’s start,” Kitazawa said with a calm smile. “I’ll only use taijutsu.”

“Taijutsu, huh?” Sasuke smirked. “Fine by me.”

“Be careful,” Kitazawa warned—then blurred forward, fist swinging.

So fast!

Sasuke’s Sharingan snapped open just in time. He kicked out, clashing with Kitazawa’s punch. The impact numbed his leg and sent him sliding back.

Kitazawa’s next strike came instantly. Sasuke barely managed to block, using the recoil to gain space.

Hands flashing through seals, he cast his genjutsu.

Kitazawa recognized the signs at once—but didn’t resist. A haze crossed his eyes as crows exploded into the air, filling the sky.

Genjutsu: Bubble.

The crows dove toward him—only to shift into real shuriken at the last moment. The illusion masked the kill shot. Anyone fooled would pay dearly.

A shadow clone dispelled the genjutsu, confirming Sasuke’s technique was dangerous enough to fell Neji in one shot.

Kitazawa vanished from sight.

Not good!

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!” Sasuke roared, hurling a massive sphere of flame—missing completely.

“Leaf Great Whirlwind!” Kitazawa’s kick slammed into him from the left.

“Again!” Sasuke gasped, forcing himself up. Like Naruto, he refused to admit defeat.

“Alright,” Kitazawa said with an amused smile.

Two hours later, Sasuke lay sprawled in the dirt, chest heaving like a fish out of water. He hadn’t landed a single solid hit.

“Two hours until your next class—rest up,” Kitazawa advised. In truth, he’d mixed Gentle Fist into his taijutsu, but Sasuke never suspected it.

“O… okay…” Sasuke wheezed.

Kitazawa crouched beside him, green chakra washing over Sasuke’s battered body. The fatigue faded instantly.

“Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!” Sasuke said, more alert now.

“Keep it up.”

“I’ll definitely defeat Neji!”

“Mm.” Kitazawa’s eyes narrowed slightly—already turning his thoughts toward Neji instead.

When class time came, the students were already heading to the training field.

“Kitazawa-sensei,” Neji approached. “I’d like to speak with you.”

“Go on.”

“I wanted to join your special training, but the clan head has decided to personally instruct me in Gentle Fist,” Neji admitted after a pause.

Kitazawa raised a brow.

So, Hiashi had beaten him to it. Not surprising—but it changed the game.

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