“Your students really are something else.”

After reading the mission report, Tsunade couldn’t help but sigh in amazement.

Even with her decades of experience, seeing a seven-year-old defeat a Jōnin was a first.

And while the report’s explanation made the victory seem reasonable, it was still hard to believe.

“They’re talented, and they put in the work. With the right guidance, this outcome is only natural.”

Kitazawa replied with a faint smile.

“Even so, it sounds absurd when you say it like that.”

Tsunade set the report aside and asked, “Where’s the Sword of the Thunder God?”

“I gave it to Sasuke,” Kitazawa said.

“Sasuke, huh? That works.”

Tsunade nodded. “With that kid’s potential, he won’t waste Second Grandfather’s blade.”

To be fair, the Sword of the Thunder God wasn’t that vital.

Tobirama had rarely relied on it—his fame came from Water Release, the Flying Thunder God, and Edo Tensei.

The blade was a Lightning Release tool, not exactly his specialty.

“Since Aoi has been eliminated, notify Ibiki.”

Tsunade paused thoughtfully.

Aoi had been the one who coaxed Ibiki’s younger brother, Idate, into stealing the sword.

“I already had the Anbu track him down. Idate is currently in the Land of Tea,” Kitazawa said.

“Let Ibiki handle it personally.”

Unlike Aoi, Idate hadn’t betrayed Konoha or joined another village.

He simply quit the shinobi life entirely.

Letting Ibiki meet him wouldn’t just settle old regrets—it would strengthen his loyalty to Konoha and to Tsunade herself.

A small action. A valuable return.

“…Having you around really does make things easier.”

Tsunade smiled lightly.

Kitazawa simply blinked.

In truth, he hadn’t planned that far ahead.

He just remembered that Naruto and Sasuke had met Idate in the Land of Tea in the original timeline.

Tsunade brought it up, so he followed along.

No need to explain that part.

“One more thing—The Hidden Mist delegation should arrive this afternoon.”

Tsunade handed him a document. “This is the reception team list. Add members if needed.”

“No need. This lineup is enough.”

“You’ll have dinner with them tonight. Negotiations begin tomorrow.”

Kitazawa placed the document back on the desk.

“I won’t be attending tomorrow. I still have classes and training.”

“What kind of training?” Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t tell me you’re still chasing Wood Release.”

“I am.”

Kitazawa looked directly at her.

“I’ve discovered something—or rather, I have a theory.”

Tsunade leaned forward.

“What theory?”

“Wood Release comes from combining Earth and Water chakra… but the First Hokage’s Wood Release far exceeded a typical Kekkei Genkai.”

Kitazawa continued, “I suspect he added Yang Release. In other words—his Wood Release was a Kekkei Tōta.”

A Kekkei genkai was two chakra natures.

A Kekkei Tōta—three.

The only known one was Dust Release.

“…That explanation does fit.”

Tsunade frowned slightly.

Which meant it wasn’t surprising that someone like Hiruzen couldn’t replicate Wood Release—

he simply lacked one of the chakra attributes.

“If you’re right, then Wood Release becomes nearly impossible to recreate.”

“Maybe.”

Kitazawa shrugged.

“But there’s no harm in trying.”

In truth, he had already mastered Wood Release long ago—just not the First Hokage’s version.

But with the system, that was only a matter of time.

“…Do as you want,” Tsunade said finally.

“One more matter,” Kitazawa added.

“During negotiations with the Hidden Mist, I’d like to request jurisdiction over a section of sea.”

“The sea?” Tsunade blinked. “What for? Fishing? We’re shinobi; we don’t need to—”

“Not fishing. Resource extraction.”

He explained Shino’s newly mutated Waterborne Kikaichū.

Something that significant couldn’t be hidden from the Hokage.

Better to make her a partner.

“There are insects like that?”

Tsunade’s eyes sparkled. She raised a finger.

“Since I’m the Hokage, I want ten percent of the profits.”

“Ten percent is fine. But I’ll manage the funds.”

Tsunade’s expression instantly darkened.

“Why should my money be managed by you? Who exactly is the teacher here?”

“I just don’t want you to lose it all at the gambling table,” Kitazawa said calmly, meeting her gaze.

“I haven’t even gambled yet! How do you know I’d lose?! I’ll win!”

She stood up, furious—and with the movement, her clothes shifted just slightly.

Kitazawa’s heartbeat skipped.

“What are you staring at? Answer me!”

“…Sorry. Couldn’t help it.”

“You—!”

Tsunade clenched her fists, then eventually exhaled.

“…Fine. Do whatever you want.”

At least he was more generous about money than Shizune.

“Of the remaining ninety percent, I’ll allocate half to Konoha.”

Kitazawa continued calmly.

The key to this plan wasn’t the profits but securing territorial rights to a stretch of sea from the Hidden Mist—or more precisely, from the Land of Water.

It was part of the concessions granted after Konoha’s victory, so he and the Aburame Clan couldn’t simply keep everything for themselves.

Of course, giving it to Konoha was effectively the same as giving it to Tsunade and Kitazawa—

since, in theory, the two of them would be managing Konoha for decades to come.

“This is going to be a lot of money,” Tsunade murmured thoughtfully.

“I think we should put someone trustworthy in charge of finances.”

Konoha did have a financial department, but it mainly handled mission payments and state subsidies—not large-scale revenue operations.

“I agree,” Kitazawa nodded.

“With future projects like this, we’ll need someone reliable.”

“How about Rina?” Tsunade suggested after a moment.

“Rina-san is loyal, certainly,” Kitazawa replied, “but she lacks strength and influence.”

Rina, rescued from Kusagakure, depended entirely on Tsunade and Kitazawa.

Her daughter, Karin, was also Kitazawa’s student. Betrayal simply wasn’t an option.

“The finance department doesn’t require battlefield strength,” Tsunade waved her hand casually.

“If anyone has a problem, they can come talk to me.

Besides—she’s an Uzumaki. Konoha still owes the Uzumaki Clan.”

“As expected of Tsunade-sensei.”

Kitazawa smiled.

“Then I’ll head to the Aburame Clan to discuss the formation of the seabed exploration team.”

“The sooner the better,” Tsunade urged, unable to hide her excitement.

For the first time, she saw a path where the Hokage could earn money legitimately.

Maybe—just maybe—she could finally pay off her debts someday.

After leaving the Hokage’s office, Kitazawa made his way to the Aburame compound.

He was greeted warmly along the way.

Before he even reached the clan leader’s residence, Shibi Aburame came out to meet him.

“Kitazawa.”

“Clan Head Shibi,” Kitazawa nodded. “You’ve heard about Shino’s newly mutated water insects?”

“We have already begun cultivating them.”

Shibi’s tone contained barely restrained excitement.

“Thanks to you, our clan has gained a powerful new form of Kikaichū.”

“Saving the pleasantries—we have work to discuss.”

Kitazawa laid out the plan and Tsunade’s orders.

When Shibi heard that the seabed was rich in resources, his eyes widened.

At first, the idea of exploring the ocean floor seemed absurd for shinobi—but profit changed everything.

Clans needed money to grow.

Ninja power required funding.

This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

“No problem!” Shibi declared, voice steady despite the thrill in his chest.

“We can assemble the team within the week!”

“The main issue is protecting the Water Insects from deep-sea pressure,” Kitazawa reminded.

“You’ll need to shield them with chakra until we can breed hardier variants.”

Shibi nodded immediately.

“We can cultivate a large number within half a month.”

“Good. The negotiations with Hidden Mist should conclude around the same time.”

Kitazawa added, “The exploration team will report directly to the Hokage.”

Meaning—no clan, elder, or department could stick their hands into this project.

Once arrangements were complete, Kitazawa returned to the Anbu base.

“Kitazawa, I need to return to the Akatsuki for a short while.”

Konan appeared before him.

“I’ll approve two days’ leave,” Kitazawa replied without hesitation.

She was going to retrieve medicine for Nagato—and the puppets she had promised.

He watched her departure silently.

“Kitazawa-sensei.”

Kabuto entered and handed over a scroll. “These are our completed missions.”

“Good work.”

Kitazawa reviewed the records.

Their missions were intense—C-rank at minimum, with B- and A-rank frequent.

With Itachi leading, they had completed a significant number of high-level operations.

“Have you and Izumi mastered the combination jutsu?”

“We’ve achieved initial success,” Kabuto said modestly.

“Then it’s time I teach you a new technique.”

Kitazawa’s gaze sharpened.

The Rasengan.

Quick release. No hand seals. Lethal impact.

A true trump card.

“Call Izumi and Torune. We’ll meet at the training grounds.”

Soon, the three arrived.

“I’ll be teaching you a technique called Rasengan.”

“Fourth Hokage-sama’s Rasengan?” Kabuto’s eyes widened.

“Yes.”

Kitazawa explained the first stage: mastering chakra rotation and shape transformation.

He demonstrated using a water balloon.

“Practice. If you have questions, ask me.”

Then, he moved to an open space and resumed his own training: the Five Release Great Combination Ball.

The first step—master all five releases—was already within his grasp.

The second—combining all five simultaneously—was where he’d consult Hiruzen.

By late afternoon, Kitazawa headed to the village gates.

Shikaku and the reception squad were already there.

Moments later, Mei Terumī and more than thirty Mist shinobi approached—an impressive delegation.

This negotiation meant everything to the Hidden Mist.

“Mizukage-sama, welcome to Konoha.”

Kitazawa stepped forward and extended his hand.

“Kitazawa-sama,” Mei smiled warmly.

“It’s only been half a month, and your name has grown even louder.”

She was referring to his newly-created Limb Regeneration Technique—now the talk of the shinobi world.

“Please,” Kitazawa raised his hand with a gentle smile, “You’ve all traveled far. Rest for the night. We’ll begin negotiations tomorrow morning.”

“Kitazawa-sama, I have a somewhat presumptuous request.”

Walking beside him, Mei’s tone was calm, but her eyes were serious. “Could limb regeneration be included as part of the negotiation terms?”

Many Mist shinobi had returned from the war with missing limbs—losses that weighed heavily on her as Mizukage.

“Naturally,” Kitazawa replied, still smiling. He had expected this. Healing was possible—so long as the Hidden Mist was willing to pay what it cost to perform.

“Thank you,” Mei said quietly. She knew very well nothing came without a price. That was why she chose to ask openly.

Once accommodations were arranged, Kitazawa shared a meal with the delegation, then took his leave.

“I thought Tsunade herself would welcome us,” Ao muttered.

“It’s fine,” Mei replied coolly. “We are, after all, the defeated side.”

Ao lowered his voice. “Mizukage-sama… Why didn’t you bring up Haku?”

Kitazawa taking Haku from the Land of Water had long been confirmed—Haku’s Ice Release had already drawn attention across the village.

“Haku was never truly ours,” Mei said softly. “And right now, Kitazawa represents Konoha. We cannot afford to provoke him.”

Ao fell silent, understanding.

When Kitazawa returned home, evening had already set in. As he opened the door—

“Welcome back.”

Kurenai’s voice drifted to him. She was already in a nightgown, hair still damp from a bath. Her bare feet touched the floor lightly as she approached.

“I heard the Mist delegation arrived?” she asked.

Kitazawa nodded. “I had dinner with them.”

“And?” Her smile carried unspoken meaning.

“Do they dare make things difficult for me?” Kitazawa chuckled, drawing her into his arms.

Kurenai laughed softly, looping her arms around his neck. The nightgown shifted as she lifted her legs, pale skin catching the warm lamplight.

Kitazawa’s hand brushed along her thigh. She exhaled—half protest, half something else.

“You were supposed to carry me to the living room,” she murmured, lightly biting his shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow. “Somehow, I doubt that’s what you meant.”

Her blush said she couldn’t argue.

Steam soon filled the bathroom, glass fogging over. Their silhouettes blended into mist and warmth, soft whispers lost beneath running water.

When morning came, Kurenai slept soundly—likely exhausted from “cleaning the bathroom” far longer than necessary. Kitazawa quietly prepared her breakfast and left without waking her.

Negotiations officially began, but Kitazawa didn’t attend. Debate, argument, and posturing—that was Shikaku’s specialty. He instead focused on guiding the Genius Class students and refining the Five Release Great Combination Ball. Four Shadow Clones helped, though the accumulated exhaustion hit all at once. Thankfully, with the Senju bloodline at full strength, he could endure it.

He also continued instructing the medical-nin at Konoha Hospital.

Two days passed.

At the Anbu base, Konan returned. She handed Kitazawa two storage scrolls. Unfurling the first filled the air with potent herbal fragrance—medicinal supplies, gathered at great effort and cost by the Hidden Rain.

The second scroll revealed a humanoid puppet—and its weapon systems. Sasori’s work. Flexible, deadly, and ready for future customization.

“We’ll begin refining the medicine tomorrow,” Kitazawa said.

Konan nodded, vanishing into the shadows to continue her silent guard.

On Friday, Kitazawa ran into Shikaku and asked how negotiations were progressing.

Exactly as expected—no progress. Days of arguing. Two negotiation tables broken by Mei’s temper. Still, she did not cross the line. And Shikaku remained immovable. In the end, time was on Konoha’s side.

“You’ve worked hard. Let me know if anything changes,” Kitazawa said.

“It’s my job,” Shikaku replied simply.

At the Hokage Office, Tsunade greeted him.

“I’ve mastered the limb regeneration procedure,” she announced. “I’ve adjusted the surgery schedule. I’ll split the workload with you.”

Kitazawa nodded. “Have the hospital notify me when it’s time.”

Tsunade leaned back in her chair. “What about the underwater exploration unit you organized?”

“Seventeen members. Shibi Aburame is captain. We’re waiting on the Mist Village to designate the sector.”

“Then let’s hope it pays off,” Tsunade said with a grin.

Just then—four lines of text appeared before Kitazawa’s eyes.

[Mission Complete]

[New Ninjutsu Created: Limb Regeneration]

[Evaluation: Highest]

[Reward: 10% Ōtsutsuki Bloodline]

Kitazawa froze.

Ōtsutsuki blood—the origin of all shinobi lineage. Uchiha, Senju, Hyuga—all traceable back to it.

His chakra surged—doubling in an instant.

The Tenseigan… was no longer far out of reach.

——————

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