Chapter 23: Chapter 23

“Your idea is quite promising.”

Hiruzen fell silent for a few moments, stroking his beard as he pondered. “Although it’s a difficult path, the possibilities are enormous.”

The concept of a Psychological Medical Ninja was uncharted territory.

The biggest challenge was the complete absence of any existing psychological ninjutsu. Yakumo Kurama would have to pioneer new techniques herself.

Building an entire system of jutsu from scratch wasn’t something an ordinary shinobi could achieve.

But if Yakumo succeeded—even if she only managed to cure Tsunade’s hemophobia—it would be worth it a hundred times over, never mind the potential to help the Uchiha Clan.

“Go ahead and pursue it. If you run into any obstacles, I’ll help clear the way.”

Hiruzen’s voice held quiet authority.

“Thank you, Hokage-sama.”

Kitazawa bowed deeply, his tone sincere.

Even though this didn’t come with an official promotion, Hiruzen’s support elevated Kitazawa’s standing considerably.

And more importantly, it gave him a layer of protection—so he wouldn’t end up getting ambushed in an alley and whisked away by Root operatives.

“Developing a Psychological Medical Ninja will involve a great deal of Yin Release knowledge,” Hiruzen continued after a moment’s thought. “I’ll have Haru escort you to the archives. From now on, you’ll have unrestricted access to any scrolls or books related to Yin Release.”

Kitazawa’s eyes widened, a spark of excitement flashing across his face.

That was an unexpected but very welcome bonus.

“Keep all of this to yourself,” Hiruzen added in a lower voice. “The fewer people who know, the better.”

He wasn’t worried about ordinary gossip. His concern was far more specific: Danzo Shimura and Root.

If Danzo caught wind of Yakumo Kurama’s unique potential, he would certainly try to intervene—and that was a situation Hiruzen was determined to avoid.

Besides, Kitazawa’s ties to Naruto already put him in a precarious spotlight. The last thing anyone wanted was a repeat of the “I’m Hokage, you’re my subordinate” scenario.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Kitazawa inclined his head.

Soon after, a masked ANBU operative approached. Haru wore a frog-pattern mask, his presence silent and intimidating.

ANBU—short for Assassination Tactical Special Forces—were the Hokage’s elite, handling covert missions ranging from espionage to assassination.

Under Haru’s lead, Kitazawa entered the Hokage’s archives.

As he scanned the shelves, he couldn’t help but think, Just as I suspected.

Scroll after scroll documented genjutsu techniques.

Now, any genjutsu that Kitazawa gained from his system would have a plausible origin, sparing him unnecessary suspicion.

The only downside was that the collection contained only common genjutsu techniques.

Rare, specialized jutsu—like the Bringer-of-Darkness jutsu created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—were conspicuously absent.

Of course, that made perfect sense.

The Bringer-of-Darkness could shroud an enemy in utter blackness, countering the Sharingan’s visual prowess perfectly. Such knowledge wasn’t meant for just anyone to learn.

Kitazawa spent two full days buried in the archives.

Thanks to the system—and admittedly, his own lack of innate talent for genjutsu—he didn’t actually attempt to learn any techniques directly.

Instead, he immersed himself in studying Yin Release, mapping out potential ways to train Yakumo Kurama.

By the time Monday arrived, Kitazawa was back at the Ninja Academy, feeling renewed purpose.

“Kitazawa-senpai!”

A familiar voice called out.

Kitazawa turned to see Iruka Umino hurrying toward him.

“Kitazawa-senpai.”

Iruka came to a stop, a hint of anxiety on his face. “Murakumo, the head of the Kurama Clan, is waiting for you in your office.”

“He’s here already?” Kitazawa chuckled. “Thanks for letting me know, Iruka.”

Iruka hesitated, glancing left and right as though checking for eavesdroppers.

“You…” Iruka began, lowering his voice.

Though the Kurama Clan had faded somewhat from its former glory, it was still a respected ninja clan. And Murakumo, as a Jonin, was a prominent figure in the village.

The fact that someone like him was seeking out Kitazawa specifically piqued Iruka’s curiosity to no end.

“It’s a secret,” Kitazawa said with a mischievous grin.

Iruka stared at him, his imagination clearly running wild with possibilities.

Kitazawa simply waved and headed off toward his office, leaving Iruka puzzling over the mystery.

“Kitazawa-sensei!”

As soon as Yakumo Kurama spotted him, she sprang to her feet, her eyes bright with delight.

“Good morning, Yakumo.”

Kitazawa returned her greeting with a warm smile.

“Kitazawa-san, I’m entrusting Yakumo to you,” said Murakumo, his tone firm. “If you run into any issues, come straight to me. The Kurama Clan still holds some sway in Konoha.”

“Understood.”

Kitazawa gave a respectful nod.

Once Murakumo departed, Yakumo visibly relaxed. She glanced around the room with curiosity, her energy bubbling beneath the surface.

But soon, her focus snapped back to Kitazawa.

She leaned forward, balancing on her tiptoes to peer at his desk.

“I’m writing up your training plan,” Kitazawa explained, glancing over to find her staring with a serious expression.

“Physical training?”

Yakumo blinked in surprise as she scanned the papers.

From what he’d said last Saturday, she’d thought he’d skip the physical part entirely and focus only on mental training.

“The body is your foundation,” Kitazawa told her patiently. “Even the strongest mind needs a healthy body to support it.”

Unless someone reached the level of the Sage of Six Paths, it was impossible to abandon the physical body altogether.

And in the ninja world, bloodlines determined a great deal—including how far one’s talent could reach.

Yakumo Kurama’s current stamina simply wasn’t enough.

“Mm.”

Yakumo nodded solemnly.

She wasn’t opposed to physical training. In fact, she’d tried it plenty of times back at Satomi Hills Villa. But overtraining had often left her body too frail to handle the strain.

Kitazawa’s plan, however, was far more balanced, with moderate sessions focused on steady, sustainable improvement.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

“I’ll get it!”

Yakumo scurried across the room and opened the door, revealing a delicate-looking girl with pale lavender eyes standing outside.

“Wh… who are you?”

Hyuga Hinata asked shyly, her voice barely above a whisper as she took in the unfamiliar face.

“I’m Yakumo Kurama,” Yakumo replied brightly. “I’m transferring into Class 1-A.”

Hinata tilted her head, confusion written all over her gentle features.

A transfer student… just one week after school started? What was going on?

“Hinata,” Kitazawa called gently, stepping over to them. He slipped a folded note into her hand and said, “I’m going to show Yakumo around the school.”

Before Hinata could reply, he and Yakumo were already heading out the door.

Hinata stood frozen, staring after them, then slowly unfolded the small note in her hand.

The first line read: You can enjoy breakfast here in peace.

Hinata’s chest warmed instantly.

She realized that Kitazawa had whisked Yakumo away to spare her any awkwardness—and to help keep her secret about sneaking extra food.

But at the same time, Hinata felt an emptiness settle over her. Eating alone felt… lonely.

Then she read the second line: After breakfast, skip class and come back in the afternoon.

Hinata’s eyes widened, her heart pounding.

’Skip class? Me? Alone?’

’No way… Kitazawa-sensei, I can’t…’

She stood in the middle of the room, trembling with internal conflict, her small face flushed with distress.

Meanwhile, the school bell rang.

Kitazawa and Yakumo entered the classroom together.

Kitazawa’s eyes drifted toward Hinata’s empty seat, and he gave a small, satisfied nod.

His goal in making her skip class was simple—to help her slowly build courage.

Of course, skipping school was hardly an ideal method, and he already had other plans in mind to nurture Hinata’s confidence.

“This is Yakumo Kurama,” Kitazawa announced to the class. “She’ll be your new classmate.”

“Is she from the Kurama Clan—the ones good at genjutsu?”

Ino Yamanaka leaned forward, studying Yakumo with sharp curiosity.

“As long as she doesn’t try to steal Sasuke-kun from me…”

Sakura crossed her arms, suspicion written all over her face. Yakumo was pretty enough to make her feel instantly threatened.

Shikamaru rubbed his chin, his eyes half-lidded with thought.

He vaguely remembered his father, Nara Shikaku, mentioning that Yakumo Kurama was often sickly.

’Is this another one of Kitazawa-sensei’s projects?’

But after a moment’s pondering, Shikamaru let out a quiet sigh.

’What a drag.’

And with that, he abandoned the idea entirely, choosing the path of least resistance—as usual.

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