Chapter 178: Chapter 178

Saturday

After breakfast, Kitazawa stepped into the First-Year Class A classroom.

Unlike the practical exams, no extra spectators had gathered—after all, theoretical exams were dull, nothing worth watching.

“The rules are the same as the last monthly exam, so I won’t repeat them,” Kitazawa announced as he handed out the test papers. “Begin writing once the bell rings.”

When the last sheet was distributed, he returned to the podium. Moments later, the bell chimed, and the scratching of pens filled the room.

Kitazawa’s eyes drifted to Karin. She sat composed, brimming with confidence. He’d given her a practice test on Friday—she scored a solid ninety-two. If today went smoothly, she could land in the top ten.

Folding his hands, Kitazawa leaned back in thought. He didn’t have to take the test himself—no missions required it. Instead, his mind wandered toward the upcoming winter break.

The break would begin after the Student Council selection’s exam. Shorter than summer but still about a month long—enough time to make plans.

First on his list: teach Karin sealing techniques. Of course, outwardly, he wasn’t supposed to know sealing arts. His solution was simple—lean on Tsunade. Under the pretense of teaching Karin, he could request her instruction, legitimizing his own knowledge in the process.

Second: guide Kurenai in sealing techniques.

Third: train Sasuke in Lightning Release.

The snag? He didn’t officially know Lightning Release yet. Fortunately, completing the Student Council President mission would reward him with Lightning Release affinity and mastery of chakra nature transformation. From there, learning under Kakashi—the most renowned Lightning Release Jonin in Konoha—would be ideal. If Kakashi refused, he’d just need a clever excuse.

Much, of course, hinged on Sasuke’s performance in the practical exam. Ideally, it would trigger a related mission.

Fourth on the list: take Kabuto, Torune, and Izumi out on missions—hoping to spark new system quests. After all, the “ninety D-rank missions” task hinted there were more like it waiting.

Fifth: cure Tsunade’s crippling hemophobia. Once done, another mission would open—the one to reveal the truth about the Nine-Tails to Naruto.

Sixth: help Ino Yamanaka develop a new ninjutsu.

The thought spurred him to pull out pen and paper. A jutsu from an old game came to mind: Ninja Art: Hundred Flowers Chaos. A wave of blossoms obscured the enemy’s vision, followed by razor-sharp flower shuriken striking from concealment. Deadly, but ordinary flowers alone might not fool a trained shinobi.

So—why not blend in genjutsu?

Kurenai had recently taught him Genjutsu: Three-Petal Cherry Blossom, a technique that conjured drifting petals to mislead foes before the ambush. If Ino could weave similar illusions into the flower storm, it would be devastating. And yes, she could. The Yamanaka clan’s mind techniques were Yin Release, the same foundation as genjutsu—just expressed differently. Traditionally, they never bothered with genjutsu, their signature techniques already offering superior control. Combined with the Ino–Shika–Cho formation, there was little need.

Still, hybrid techniques weren’t unheard of. Konoha Style Kenjutsu, for instance, included Konoha Style: Willow

, a blend of swordplay and genjutsu created by the so-called “eternal genin,” Maruboshi Kosuke. Despite the rank he chose to bear, Kosuke had Jonin-level skill, trained under the Second Hokage himself. Haunted by a tragic mistake in youth, he swore to remain a genin forever.

Time slipped by. At eleven, the bell signaled the exam’s end.

“Head home and rest up for tomorrow’s practical exam,” Kitazawa said, clapping his hands. “The rankings will also be announced then.”

Students filed out with farewells. Hinata didn’t linger—he’d already told her to have lunch at home today.

Carrying the stack of papers back to his office, Kitazawa began with Karin’s.

“Excellent. Ninety-five.”

He nodded, satisfied. His mission was secure.

With a quick sequence of hand signs, nine shadow clones appeared.

“Each of you take three or four papers,” he ordered.

With ten graders at work, the twenty-nine exams were finished in less than half an hour.

The results were in.

—First: Sakura Haruno, perfect score.

—Second and third unchanged: Sasuke and Hinata.

—Fourth: Kurama Yakumo, a surprise.

Her progress astonished him. Once denied entry to the Academy, Yakumo had poured herself into study after Tsunade’s treatment. Partly diligence, partly necessity—her rare bloodline limit made real combat growth a steep climb. Kitazawa mused that genjutsu lessons from him were unnecessary; her innate illusions surpassed most shinobi’s. What she truly needed was Taijutsu, once her body recovered—both for health and for defense if her genjutsu failed.

Scrolling down the list, his eyes landed on Karin: seventh place.

A familiar blur swept his vision, and the system text appeared:

“Mission complete: Help transfer student Karin achieve a top-ten ranking.

Reward: Four Limbs Heavy Seal.”

Practical, he thought. More useful than Fire Sealing Method, which demanded scrolls and was only situationally relevant—mostly for oddities like Amaterasu.

He skimmed further. Naruto sat at thirteenth, Kiba at eleventh. The Inuzuka boy had clearly worked harder since their talk, but the sheer number of prodigies in Class A made breaking top ten difficult. Still, he’d no doubt be smug about outscoring Naruto.

And, as always, the gatekeeper of tenth place was Shikamaru—deliberately balancing his score on the razor’s edge. What amused Kitazawa most was that Shikamaru seemed to have accounted for Karin’s sudden rise, no doubt deducing it from the extra tutoring he’d seen. That boy’s intellect was simply too sharp.

Satisfied, Kitazawa turned his attention back to his notes—Ino’s new ninjutsu still waiting to take form.

The afternoon sun drifted lazily across the sky as Yamada submitted the results of the Second Year Class A theoretical exam.

Kitazawa skimmed the rankings. As expected, there was hardly any change from the previous month’s results. Neji still reigned at the top, followed closely by Tenten in second place.

And at the very bottom—no surprises there—was Rock Lee. Dead last.

Apart from his overwhelming skill in taijutsu, Lee was hopeless in every other field. Still, Kitazawa couldn’t help but consider it impressive. In the shinobi world, raw strength outweighed academics by a landslide. Many didn’t possess Lee’s natural taijutsu talent.

By the time the sun set, Kitazawa had returned to Kurenai’s home.

As usual, he sparred with Tsunade, testing his monstrous strength for a grueling four hours. Truthfully, Kitazawa could’ve gone on longer. His stamina and recovery had skyrocketed since awakening forty percent of the Senju Clan bloodline.

He hadn’t exhausted himself completely—deliberately so. After all, he still had someone else to face that night.

Later, after his bath, Kitazawa stepped into Kurenai’s room.

“Tomorrow’s the Student Council selection, isn’t it?” Kurenai asked from the bedside, clad in a silk nightgown.

“Will you be attending?”

Kitazawa smiled and moved closer. “I’ll arrange a good seat for you.”

“I’ve got nothing better to do, so I’ll come watch,” she replied with a small nod. Having recently mastered the Fire Sealing Method, she was in a rare lull. Kitazawa planned to teach her the Four Limbs Heavy Seal during the winter break.

“Good.” Kitazawa’s gaze lingered on her graceful figure, and Kurenai immediately rolled her eyes.

She didn’t need to guess what was running through his head.

Turning away, she leaned forward onto the bed, her silk gown pulling taut against her curves. Kitazawa swallowed hard, eyes widening. Boldness suited her—something he himself had coaxed out of her.

When the gown slid from her shoulders, pale skin shimmered in the lamplight. Kurenai’s breath hitched, her lips trembling. By the time her flushed face pressed into the sheets, her body was already trembling, voice slipping into incoherent murmurs.

By dawn, Kitazawa awoke refreshed. A chaotic night had done nothing to wear him down. Such was the power of the Senju Clan’s bloodline—even without the legendary vitality of Hashirama himself, it felt like a rebirth.

Beside him, Kurenai clung tightly, her legs entwined with his as though he were her lifeline. Strands of black hair clung to her damp skin, her pale face still tired from the night before.

Kitazawa laid a hand on her forehead, letting green chakra flow gently into her body.

Kurenai stirred, warmth spreading through her. When she glimpsed the glow of medical chakra, understanding flickered in her tired eyes.

“…Thank you.”

“The word ’thanks’ doesn’t suit us,” Kitazawa replied, brushing her hair back. “Come on—we’ve got to head to the Academy soon.”

She remembered her promise from yesterday and sat up, the sheets falling to reveal her full breasts with taut red plum blossoms. Kitazawa stared openly until she shot him a look, though without real annoyance. They’d long since passed the stage of modesty.

When she walked naked to the wardrobe, Kitazawa couldn’t tear his eyes away. “What are you staring at now?” she asked, slipping into her familiar red-sleeved outfit.

“You,” he said simply, smiling. “Who told you to be this beautiful?”

“You’re hopeless.” She smirked and went to prepare breakfast. Though not married, she’d already begun to play the role of a devoted wife.

Half an hour later, after a quick breakfast of ramen, they headed to the academy. The Student Council selection was set to begin at nine, and by eight the grounds were already overflowing with spectators.

“I’ve never seen the Academy this crowded,” Kurenai murmured in awe.

“Hokage-sama draws quite the crowd,” Kitazawa chuckled.

“Will Lady Tsunade and Shizune be here too?” she asked, scanning the area.

“I invited them,” Kitazawa replied, “but who knows if they’ll actually come.”

He led her toward the newly set-up seating area when an enthusiastic voice rang out.

“Kitazawa!”

Might Gai came bounding forward, Kakashi at his side.

“Kakashi?” Kurenai blinked in surprise. For him to attend something like this was completely unexpected.

“He’s here for Naruto,” Kitazawa said lightly.

Before long, greetings were exchanged with Izumo and Kotetsu, who had also come despite their duties. The Academy was buzzing with anticipation—more crowded, Kotetsu remarked, than even the recent Chūnin Exams.

Not long after, the Uchiha family entered.

Mikoto glanced at Sasuke with concern. “With so many people watching, are you nervous?”

“Not at all.” Sasuke clenched his fists, eyes burning with determination. The bigger the audience, the greater his triumph would be.

“You must perform well,” Fugaku said firmly. “Do not disgrace the Uchiha.”

“I understand. I’ll definitely become Student Council President!” Sasuke declared confidently.

“Confidence is good,” Mikoto said gently, brushing his hair back, “but make sure you don’t injure yourself.”

“As shinobi, injuries are trivial,” Fugaku remarked dismissively.

Itachi, however, disagreed. “In battles between students, restraint is more important than victory.”

——————————–

AN: Check out my P@treon For +40 extra Chapters.

Thank You For your Support!!

[email protected]/noviceauthor777

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep