Chapter 177: Chapter 177

“Kakashi!”

Gai’s eyes lit up as he saw Kakashi calmly grilling meat. With all the enthusiasm of a man discovering a new battlefield, he declared, “We can have a barbecue showdown!”

“No.”

Kakashi didn’t even blink, his refusal immediate.

“Then let’s switch it up!” Gai beamed, undeterred. “In the name of youth, let’s see who can eat more!”

Kakashi’s silence was deafening.

“Kitazawa,” Kakashi finally muttered, turning the attention away.

Kitazawa cleared his throat. “Have you heard about the Student Council Selection Combat test?”

“Student Council? What’s that?” Gai asked, instantly hooked.

Kitazawa gave a quick explanation.

“A pity it didn’t exist back when I was in school! I would’ve founded the Youth Club without hesitation!” Gai declared with exaggerated regret.

“Good thing it didn’t,” Kakashi cut in flatly.

“Even so, Naruto and Lee will have the chance! And if they join, I’ll be right there with them!” Gai grinned proudly.

Kakashi, of course, had no words for that.

Lee was expected—but Naruto was different. He was Minato-sensei’s son. And if the Hokage had his way, Kakashi would soon be Naruto’s squad leader. Just the thought made his temples throb.

“The selection test is scheduled for the fifteenth,” Kitazawa added lightly. “You should come watch.”

“No problem!” Gai agreed instantly. Both Lee and Naruto were his students in spirit—how could he not cheer them on?

Kakashi hesitated, frown tugging at his masked face. He wanted to see Naruto too… his teacher’s son, and his likely future student. But as an Anbu, free time was a luxury.

“If there’s no mission, I’ll come,” Kakashi finally conceded.

“Relax,” Kitazawa said with a smile. “The Hokage will be attending, so just come with him as a bodyguard.”

That actually earned a flicker of relief from Kakashi.

“Haha, Kakashi!” Gai laughed heartily. “When you see my students, you’ll be amazed by their flames of youth!”

“If nothing changes, Naruto will be my student,” Kakashi replied evenly.

“Eh?” Gai blinked in shock. “You’re becoming a squad leader too?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Of course not!” Gai’s grin widened. “That’s excellent! Leading a squad is exactly what you need!”

To Gai, Anbu work was a cage that kept Kakashi locked in the shadows. Becoming a sensei meant a step back toward the light.

Kakashi tilted his head. “I thought you’d object to Naruto being with me.”

“You’re my eternal rival,” Gai said seriously, teeth flashing. “If I can’t trust you, who else could I trust? Just guide Naruto on the Path of Youth properly!”

He knew how things worked. Squad leaders were assigned by the Hokage, and if Kakashi said it so calmly, then it was already decided by Hiruzen himself. Sure, it was a shame Naruto wouldn’t be his student—but Kakashi wasn’t a bad option either. Besides, he could still train Naruto outside the team.

…Yet somehow, Kakashi suddenly didn’t feel quite so eager to take Naruto on.

“Kakashi,” Kitazawa broke in, “when exactly are you leaving the Anbu to become a squad leader?”

Kakashi paused. “Hokage-sama hasn’t given me a date. My guess is March, during Academy graduation.”

Kitazawa thought about the current sixth-year class… and winced. Best not to talk about that batch. No wonder Kakashi waited until Naruto’s generation—his standards were too high.

Kitazawa then recalled Hiruzen’s words: if he didn’t lead Kabuto, Kakashi would take over. That had been a smart move.

“Kakashi,” Kitazawa said with a sly smile, “if you’re still undecided, why not come to my class and teach for a while?”

Kakashi blinked, genuinely surprised. No Anbu had ever retired straight into teaching Academy first-years.

“That’s a fine idea!” Gai cut in immediately. “Think of it as a fountain of youthful energy!”

Kakashi only shook his head. “We’ll see.”

“Alright then, let’s eat.” Kitazawa began serving the meat. Gai dug in happily, Kakashi grilled his own in silence, and Kabuto busied himself with his share. Kitazawa, ever the responsible captain, passed food to Izumi and Torune before settling down.

After the meal, they all went their separate ways.

Friday finally arrived.

Kitazawa had enjoyed yet another sleepless night. Ever since he and Kurenai crossed that unspoken boundary in their relationship, he rarely went home anymore—every evening was consumed in fierce, exhausting battles.

After breakfast, he made his way to the academy. Today marked the last day of the semester. The theoretical portion of the final exam would take place on Sunday, while the practical exam—the Student Council Selection test—was scheduled for Monday. Saturday, thankfully, was a rest day to let the students recover.

“Kitazawa-sensei!”

Ino skipped up to him with a radiant smile, her face glowing like a blooming flower.

“I’ve already mastered the Mind Transmission Jutsu!” she announced proudly.

Her excitement was well-earned. In Yamanaka clan history, few had managed to learn two of their secret techniques at her age.

“Congratulations,” Kitazawa said warmly, giving her a light pat on the head.

Compared to prodigies like Sasuke or Naruto, Ino’s pace might seem slower—but that was hardly her fault. Her natural talent was strong; it was simply that her clan’s techniques demanded far more precision and time.

“You can start practicing Yin Release chakra nature transformation, like Shikamaru,” Kitazawa advised. “Once that stabilizes, continue honing your clan’s secret arts.”

This, he knew, was the best arrangement for her—after all, she was destined to fight alongside Shikamaru and Chōji in the future.

“Kitazawa-sensei…” Ino hesitated, her voice softening. “Can I also learn some offensive ninjutsu?”

Both of her clan’s techniques were control-based. Every time she watched Hinata or Yakumo unleash devastating attacks, envy stirred in her chest.

Kitazawa paused.

Then, as if on cue, glowing lines of text appeared before his eyes:

A true genius doesn’t just master ninjutsu—they create it.

Current Mission: Help Ino Yamanaka develop a C-rank offensive ninjutsu.

Reward: Barrier: Four-Corner Sealing Array.

Accept?

Kitazawa blinked in surprise. Another student had triggered a mission, just like Kiba before. Without hesitation, he accepted. Between his mastery of both Yin and Yang Release, and his knowledge from his previous life’s games, crafting a C-rank ninjutsu for Ino would be manageable.

And the reward wasn’t bad either. Barriers counted as sealing techniques, though usually requiring multiple users. The Four-Corner Sealing Array, for example, needed four shinobi and was powerful enough to restrain tailed beasts. In the original timeline, Ino herself had used it under Shizune’s guidance against the Three-Tails.

Regaining his composure, Kitazawa told her, “When winter break comes, I’ll teach you an offensive ninjutsu.”

“Really?!” Ino’s face lit up. “By the next monthly exam, I’ll definitely crush Sakura!”

Kitazawa chuckled. ’So that’s your goal, huh?’

Ever since Sakura started training in medical ninjutsu, her chakra control had skyrocketed—making her clone techniques and Konoha-style taijutsu sharper. Against Sakura, Ino’s control-based style left her at a disadvantage. Their matches tended to end 40-60, with Sakura having the edge.

“Go train,” he said, flicking her forehead lightly. “Focus on Yin Release chakra nature transformation today.”

“Yes, sensei!” she replied brightly before heading off.

Kitazawa then turned to Karin, handing her a practice exam. “Since the written test is on Sunday, try this paper. It’s not the real one, but the questions are close enough.”

“Got it,” Karin nodded, taking it seriously.

Leaving her to work, Kitazawa crossed over to Hinata, who was immersed in her Gentle Fist training. She could now chain together fourteen palms toward the full Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms—closing in on sixteen. Neji, though equally talented, trailed slightly behind, simply because he had started later.

Kitazawa watched silently, mind wandering. Neither Hinata nor Neji had triggered new missions lately. He still thought of perfecting Hinata’s Byakugan—if her dōjutsu’s purity reached 100%, perhaps it could rival Kaguya Ōtsutsuki’s. But Hinata lacked ambition. She was too content, too gentle. Neji, with his arrogance, might be easier to push.

“K-Kitazawa-sensei…” Hinata finally faltered under his gaze, cheeks reddening. “D-Did I do something wrong?”

“There are some issues,” he replied evenly, snapping back to focus and pointing out two small mistakes.

Hinata let out a breath of relief. ’So he didn’t notice the birthday gift I’m preparing…’

“Keep training,” he encouraged, patting her head.

“Yes.” She resumed her drills, palms flowing gracefully.

Kitazawa left a Shadow Clone to oversee her and made his way to the artificial lake, where Kiba and his clone were practicing the two-headed Hellhound.

“Kitazawa-sensei!” Kiba shouted proudly as his massive beast charged. Its swipe carried enough wind to whistle.

Kitazawa met the blow head-on, fist slamming into its paw. The impact was impressive. The beast’s claws followed up, but he deftly parried with a kunai.

“Good hardness,” Kitazawa noted, nodding.

“Don’t underestimate us!” Kiba barked, sending the Hellhound lunging again, jaws wide.

Kitazawa smirked. The memory of a weapon from his past life flickered across his mind. Then he simply slapped down with sheer force.

Super Strength.

The Hellhound reeled as if struck by lightning, its body crashing into the dirt with a heavy thud. Yet it rose again, tougher than it looked.

“Not bad. Your defense is coming along,” Kitazawa acknowledged.

“Again!” Kiba roared, charging once more.

Time bled away, and dusk eventually fell. Kitazawa gathered everyone at the training field—Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, and the rest.

“Prepare well for the final exam,” he told them with a small smile. “There will be many important spectators.”

“Will Hokage-sama be there too?” Kiba asked eagerly.

“Yes,” Kitazawa nodded. “Along with clan leaders and several famous jōnin.”

Gasps rippled through the group. For most of them, this would be their first time performing in front of such a prestigious audience.

Sasuke froze for a moment—his father, Fugaku, would be there. A spark of determination flared in his chest. He would prove himself. He would shine. The only regret was his Sharingan still hadn’t advanced to two tomoe. Yakumo remained a dangerous rival.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Kitazawa dismissed them gently. “See you all on Saturday.”

“Goodbye, Kitazawa-sensei!” they chorused, excitement buzzing in the air as they left.

All except Hinata. She was stopped by Tenten.

“Hinata, the ninja blade you ordered from my dad is ready. Want to see it?”

Hinata’s eyes lit up. She nodded. Together, they hurried to Tenten’s family’s shop.

“Dad! I’m home!” Tenten called as they entered. “Hinata’s here too!”

A middle-aged man emerged carrying a blade.

“Thank you,” Hinata said softly, accepting it. Her arms sank slightly under the weight, though her shinobi strength allowed her to hold it with ease.

“I added chakra metal, just like you requested. It’s especially suited for wind release,” the man explained.

Hinata examined it carefully, satisfied. “How much?”

“Ten million ryō,” he replied, raising a finger. “Discounted, thanks to Tenten.”

It was a fair price—chakra metal was priceless to most.

Hinata nodded, returning the weapon. “I’ll bring the money next week to pick it up.”

Though she lived comfortably, her allowance fell just short.

That night, she approached her father.

“You need eight million ryō?” Hiashi asked, startled.

“Mm,” Hinata answered softly. “It’s… for Kitazawa-sensei’s birthday present.”

“???” Hiashi blinked, utterly baffled. ’What kind of birthday gift costs eight million ryō?! And why give it to an outsider instead of me?!’

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