Chapter 221: Chapter 221- Fugaku

Stepping out of the ANBU headquarters, the oppressive air finally lifted, and the village light spilled over them once more.

“What do you think of all this?” Tsunade inhaled deeply, letting out a long breath. “The air outside feels much fresher.”

“Hokage-sama handled it fairly,” Kitazawa answered.

“And?” Tsunade shot him a sidelong glance, her tone sharp. “Don’t sugarcoat things in front of me.”

Kitazawa hesitated, then lowered his voice. “With Danzo’s ambition for the Hokage’s seat, you’ve become the person he most wants to eliminate. This isn’t the end—it’s only the beginning.”

“You’re right.” Tsunade’s hands clenched into fists, her jaw tight. “I’ll need to overcome my hemophobia as soon as possible.”

Kitazawa arched a brow. The shift in her resolve was undeniable. She might have wanted to stay out of politics, but Danzo had already dragged her into the struggle. Whether she ran or resisted, he wouldn’t stop. Not after she had shattered his plans again and again.

“As long as I remain in Konoha, he won’t dare to touch me,” Tsunade said abruptly, then glanced at him. “It’s you who needs to be careful when you go outside.”

“I understand.” Kitazawa sighed inwardly. Root might have been dissolved, but like a centipede, Danzo’s influence wouldn’t vanish so easily. The man still had cards to play. Still, Kitazawa’s current strength was no small matter; he could handle Root shinobi, and even if Danzo himself struck, retreat was always an option.

“You inform me when you leave the village from now on.” Tsunade was silent for a moment before adding, “If you’re free this afternoon, bring Yakumo over. I want her treatment again.”

“I’ll fetch her right away.” Kitazawa nodded without hesitation. The sooner Tsunade conquered her phobia, the stronger her position would be. Even if she refused the title, someone would make her Hokage.

By afternoon, Kitazawa and Yakumo Kurama were working on Tsunade’s hemophobia once more. At the same time, word of Root’s disbandment swept through Konoha like wildfire, stirring both the high command and the great clans.

In the Uchiha compound, a rare sound rang out—Uchiha Fugaku’s hearty laughter.

It was as if fortune itself had descended upon him. Root, the thorn that had plagued the Uchiha for years, had been dismantled without the clan lifting a single finger.

“Clan Head.” Yashiro Uchiha coughed lightly, trying to rein in his leader’s mirth. “What should we do now?”

“Nothing.” Fugaku’s smile faded into calm composure.

To him, the situation was clear. Tsunade had already become the village’s true center of gravity. Danzo and Root had long been despised, and now, with Root gone, countless shinobi and clans silently owed Tsunade a debt of gratitude. Combined with her lineage and reputation, Hiruzen himself could easily be pushed aside.

If the Uchiha attempted rebellion now, they would be facing a united Konoha—and their chances of success would be near zero.

Fugaku’s eyes dimmed as he thought back. The year Shisui was alive had been their best chance. But his death had cut that path short, ending the rebellion before it could ever begin.

Hyuga Compound

It was Saturday, and in the courtyard, Hinata and Neji sparred.

Not far away, Hiashi observed them, satisfaction flickering in his eyes. Both were progressing quickly—soon they would master the Thirty-Two Palms.

If one divided the Sixty-Four Palms in half, the Thirty-Two Palms marked the first stage. Though incomplete, it was already a formidable technique in battle. Up until now, Hinata and Neji’s practice of the Sixty-Four Palms had been in fragments, their movements still unrefined.

Just then, a young ninja rushed into the courtyard.

Hiashi’s gaze immediately shifted.

It was Hyuga Kamon, a rising talent among the younger clan members—already a Jōnin.

“Kamon, what is it?” Hiashi asked, his tone calm but sharp.

“Clan Leader,” Kamon said gravely, “Hokage-sama has just issued a notice—Root has been disbanded.”

“What?” Hiashi’s expression tightened. Impossible. With Hiruzen’s ties to Danzō, such a thing should never have happened.

“It’s true,” Kamon pressed, taking a steadying breath. “I saw the announcement posted by Anbu myself.”

“Did you learn the reason?” Hiashi’s voice dropped, more solemn now. The fall of Root was no small matter—it could shake the entire village, perhaps even affect the Hyuga clan’s position.

“It was Lady Tsunade,” Kamon explained. “The notice said she uncovered Root’s unauthorized experiments.”

“Just that?” Hiashi muttered, stunned. “What kind of experiments?”

“The announcement didn’t specify.”

Hiashi paced slowly, brows furrowed. One violation couldn’t possibly warrant Root’s eradication—not unless Tsunade herself had pressed the issue and left Hiruzen with no choice.

“It seems Tsunade’s rise as the next Hokage is all but decided,” Hiashi murmured, his gaze drifting to Hinata.

Fortunately, the Hyuga had forged ties with Kitazawa early. The ten-million ryō Chakra Blade might not have elevated their clan’s prestige, but it guaranteed stability—and for a lineage that had endured a thousand years, maintaining the status quo was already a victory.

“I understand. You may go.” Hiashi waved Kamon away.

Root’s disbandment meant Hiruzen had thrown his weight behind Tsunade. For the Hyuga, the path forward was simple—support her when the time came.

And not only the Hyuga: the Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and other great clans were reaching the same conclusion. If they hadn’t aligned themselves early, they would at least add their voices to her cause now.

A new Hokage meant a reshaping of Konoha’s power. Those who seized the opportunity could turn loyalty into profit.

Uchiha Compund – Night

The atmosphere at the Uchiha household was different that evening—not tense, but unsettled. Fugaku paced restlessly, sitting and rising in turn.

“Father, what’s wrong?” Sasuke finally asked, unable to hold back.

“Nothing.” Fugaku shook his head, though his eyes betrayed him. He was waiting for Itachi, hoping to hear the details from someone inside Root itself.

“Really?” Sasuke pressed, suspicious.

“You,” Mikoto chided gently, pulling Sasuke closer. She patted his head with a smile. “If your father says it’s nothing, then it’s nothing.”

Sasuke relaxed at once, soothed by her familiar warmth.

“Has Kitazawa taught you any new jutsu lately?” Fugaku asked suddenly.

“No,” Sasuke answered. “I’ve been training with Maruboshi Kosuke-sensei and Kakashi-sensei these days.”

“…I see.” Fugaku frowned. He had hoped to slip Kitazawa one or two techniques through Sasuke, but with no new teachings exchanged, the opportunity was gone.

Just then, the front door creaked open.

“Brother!” Sasuke darted away from Mikoto, racing to the entrance.

A weary Itachi managed a faint smile at the sight of him.

As an Anbu, his day had been consumed with dismantling Root—shutting down experiments, cataloging data, securing stores of weapons. Root had accumulated too much over the years; the cleanup alone would take weeks.

Still, Itachi didn’t complain. For him, it was necessary work.

The only bitter note was that Danzō had moved too quickly, spiriting away key materials before they arrived. There wasn’t a single document left concerning the Uchiha clan.

Stepping into the living room, Itachi met the eyes of Fugaku and Mikoto. Their expressions said enough—they were waiting for answers. He didn’t need to be told why.

After all, he had been there.

“Sasuke.”

Uchiha Mikoto rose gracefully, her tone soft but insistent. “Come with me. There’s something I’d like to discuss in private.”

“Huh?” Sasuke blinked in surprise.

“Go on, Sasuke,” Itachi urged, releasing his brother’s hand.

Once Mikoto and Sasuke had left, Itachi began explaining the chain of events behind Root’s sudden disbandment.

“So it all ties back to the First Hokage’s cells?” Fugaku’s eyes narrowed with dawning realization. “No wonder the punishment was so severe.”

He didn’t need details of the Wood Release experiments—just the act of harvesting Senju Hashirama’s corpse was sacrilege enough. And to be exposed by Tsunade, Hashirama’s own granddaughter, made it unforgivable.

“But in truth, it’s because of Lady Tsunade,” Itachi said evenly. “Had anyone else uncovered it, Hokage-sama would never have gone so far as to dissolve Root.”

“Agreed.” Fugaku inclined his head. Tsunade’s weight in the village was unquestionable. Even Hiruzen, her teacher, couldn’t simply dismiss her by invoking seniority. The Senju name carried too much power—echoes of two Hokage still lingered in Konoha’s foundation.

For a fleeting moment, Fugaku sighed inwardly. When would the Uchiha clan produce a Hokage of their own?

Still, hope flickered. If Sasuke worked hard enough, he might one day grasp that mantle.

“Kitazawa played a crucial role in this affair,” Fugaku remarked after a pause. “And since he’s Sasuke’s sensei, drawing closer to him won’t be difficult.”

Tsunade herself was complicated—approachable yet distant, like a fortress with a single open gate. But Kitazawa… he was a door they could knock on.

“You mean…?” Itachi’s brow lifted.

“Didn’t Sasuke already pass him one of our clan’s jutsu?” Fugaku reminded. “We can always offer more.”

For the Uchiha, whose Sharingan could replicate most ninjutsu, such gifts cost them little.

“Mm.” Itachi nodded. He respected Kitazawa.

First, because the man truly nurtured Sasuke, helping his strength surge far beyond expectations. Second, because Kitazawa was Tsunade’s student, and as vice-principal of the Academy, already stood among Konoha’s upper echelon.

Few high-ranking officials were on good terms with the Uchiha. Kitazawa, at the very least, treated them without prejudice.

And once Tsunade took the Hokage’s seat, Kitazawa himself would be considered a future candidate. Between the two of them, barring disaster, the clan’s stability could be safeguarded for decades.

Root’s disbandment didn’t slow Kitazawa in the slightest. He continued training with Kurenai, guiding her through the two new jutsu.

Both techniques shared the same core—petal illusions to disorient the enemy before striking. The difference lay only in the angle: the former struck from all sides, the latter from above.

Monday Morning

The Genius Class began their theory lessons. Kitazawa wasn’t needed at the Academy, but he had his own lesson scheduled—teaching Kurenai the foundations of the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

Behind his house, in a quiet clearing, Kitazawa explained patiently:

“The Strength of a Hundred Seal is, in essence, a technique for releasing stored chakra. By concentrating power in one area of the body, you can unleash tremendous force—that’s the secret behind Super Strength.”

Kurenai was a promising candidate. Her chakra control was already excellent—she was a genjutsu specialist, after all. Still, superhuman strength demanded an even higher level of precision. Kitazawa wasn’t sure she could master it, but there was no harm in trying.

“Every part of the body can channel force, but most commonly the hands and feet,” he said, raising a fist. “We’ll start with the hands. I call this the Cherry Blossom Impact.”

The name came from Sakura in the original timeline. Tsunade’s hand strikes had never been given a title, though her crushing kick had become infamous as the Heavenly Foot of Pain.

“Mm.” Kurenai nodded earnestly.

“The beauty of Super Strength,” Kitazawa continued, “is that it needs no hand seals, yet its destructive power is immense.”

He drove his fist into the ground. The earth shuddered, a crater two to three meters wide bursting open. And that was him holding back—had he used full power, the destruction would’ve been far worse.

Kurenai, though she’d seen demonstrations before, still couldn’t hide her excitement.

If she mastered this, her strength would soar beyond recognition. When genjutsu failed her, she would still have fists and feet strong enough to shatter her enemies.

“The only drawback is that it eats up a lot of chakra,” Kitazawa remarked with a casual wave of his hand.

“Then it’s best reserved as a trump card,” Kurenai mused aloud after a brief pause. In her heart, though, she knew she would always lean toward her Genjutsu in real combat.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

Kitazawa stepped forward and lightly took her wrist. Given Kurenai’s natural talent, he had no intention of teaching her the same way Tsunade had taught him. Instead, he chose a method tailored just for her—micro-level training. He would force her to memorize the minute ebb and flow of chakra itself.

And with the Byakugan, Kitazawa could guide her precisely.

In fact, he had already studied her body in detail with his Byakugan the night before, while she slept soundly, so he knew exactly what he was working with.

Time slipped away.

Even with this half-cheating method, the art of Super Strength proved monstrously difficult. By the end of the day, Kurenai hadn’t taken a single step forward. Still, that was hardly surprising. Even Shizune, with years under Tsunade, had never managed to master Super Strength.

Tuesday.

After breakfast, Kitazawa made his way to the Academy.

“Kitazawa-sensei!”

Ino came sprinting at him the moment he arrived, hugging his leg before he could say a word. She blinked up at him with big, sparkling eyes.

Hinata had wanted to greet him first, but Ino had beaten her to it, leaving her to stand quietly on the side.

“It’s only been three days,” Kitazawa teased, tapping Ino lightly on the forehead. “Why are you so impatient?”

“I just want to learn something new already!” she blurted, cheeks puffed in eagerness.

“Later,” Kitazawa promised with a small smile.

In the past three days, in between guiding Kurenai, he’d carefully considered what technique to pass on to Ino. He had settled on a Ninjutsu borrowed from a game.

“Kitazawa-sensei!” Naruto, Kiba, and the others waved.

“Good, you’re here. Follow me.”

He led his three groups to their usual training ground. Most of the drills ran as usual, though Kitazawa pulled aside Ino and Naruto for special instruction.

“Kitazawa-sensei!” Ino skipped happily to him.

“I’ll start with you. This Ninjutsu is called Flower Bomb: Scatter.”

He vaulted into the air, scattering a storm of petals with a flick of his hands. Chakra sharpened each petal’s edge until they cut into the ground like blades.

“Ever heard of explosive tags?” Kitazawa asked as he landed, a grin tugging at his lips.

“Of course,” Ino answered quickly.

Explosive tags—Fire Release sealed into paper—were both devastating and convenient, requiring neither seals nor chakra. But they were costly, far out of reach for most shinobi. For Ino, a Yamanaka clan heiress, access was no issue.

“You could have someone craft petal-shaped explosive tags and mix them into your flower shuriken,” Kitazawa suggested. “But never use them here at the Academy.”

Ino’s eyes lit up. With hidden explosives, the technique’s destructive power would skyrocket, and the element of surprise would make it even deadlier.

“Practice on your own. If you get stuck, come find me.” Kitazawa ruffled her hair before turning to Naruto.

“Kitazawa-sensei, what about me? What’s my new jutsu?” Naruto asked eagerly.

“Not this time.” Kitazawa shook his head. “For now, you’ll be doing special combat training—no, more like special thinking training.”

In the original history, Naruto had been infamous as the most unpredictable ninja. But after so much structured teaching, that side of him hadn’t surfaced yet. Kitazawa intended to draw it out.

“As for new techniques, I’ll teach you Wind Release: Rasengan later,” he added.

Naruto’s eyes widened, but Kitazawa cut him off by summoning a Shadow Clone.

“You’ll train with my clone—combat drills in the morning, wind chakra nature transformation in the afternoon.”

Naruto scratched his head, visibly disappointed, but nodded without complaint.

Leaving his clone to supervise, Kitazawa headed to the Artificial Lake. He wanted to refine his A-rank Great Waterfall Jutsu. Training over water cut chakra expenditure significantly.

Nearby, Kiba drilled his Two-Headed Hellhound, still clumsy with it. Sasuke practiced Leaf-style kenjutsu. Sakura worked on Water Release: Water Formation Wall.

After greeting Kosuke, Kitazawa began his own training. Yet as he molded chakra, his mind drifted back to the system’s mission: to create a new S-rank Ninjutsu. His backup plan had always been Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, but it was forbidden, and very few in Konoha could ever hope to master it. Perhaps there was another path.

The morning slipped by, his proficiency improving little by little.

“Kitazawa.”

Kosuke approached, walking unevenly on his prosthetic leg.

Kitazawa froze mid-thought. Inspiration struck like lightning.

Limb regeneration.

The shinobi world had countless medical techniques, yet not one that could restore lost limbs.

He remembered a forbidden jutsu—Body Regeneration—which could reassemble a torn body back into one piece, but only when used on oneself. What if it were modified?

If he could scale it back—focus only on regenerating limbs—its side effects would lessen. And if he could make it usable on others…

Such a technique would immortalize his name, not only in Konoha, but across the entire shinobi world. In an age of constant battles, where losing a limb was almost routine, the impact would be nothing short of revolutionary.

Kitazawa’s eyes gleamed. This was worth pursuing.

——————

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