“Konan.”

Kitazawa slid the scroll away and said, “After school, have Itachi come to my office.”

“The ANBU Base office?” Konan confirmed with a nod.

Kitazawa currently held three official positions—Hokage’s secretary, ANBU commander, and Ninja Academy vice principal—and thus three offices scattered across Konoha.

“Mm.”

He waved her off and returned to the training grounds, slipping seamlessly back into teaching Haku Ice Release while refining his own Yang Release Chakra Mode.

The day passed quickly.

When school ended, the Genius Class finally dispersed, and Kitazawa made his way to the ANBU Base.

He pushed the door open.

Itachi was already inside, seated quietly on the sofa—Konan nowhere in sight, though Kitazawa knew she lingered somewhere in the shadows, as always.

“Lord Kitazawa.”

Itachi rose immediately, posture perfectly polite.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Itachi.”

Kitazawa sat down opposite him. “I read the scroll you sent this morning—very thorough work.”

“It was my duty,” Itachi replied calmly.

Kitazawa leaned back. “I have another task for you. And honestly, you’re the only one I trust to handle it.”

“I will not disappoint your expectations.”

Itachi’s voice was sincere.

“It’s about Yomi.”

Kitazawa produced the Medical Forbidden Technique: Body Regeneration scroll and outlined his plan.

He needed someone with Mangekyō-level capability—someone who could deceive, negotiate, retreat, or, if necessary, force the situation into submission.

Itachi fit all those criteria effortlessly.

“I understand.”

Itachi accepted the scroll without hesitation.

He had already guessed Kitazawa intended to maneuver Yomi into releasing Moryo—something that, under normal logic, made little sense. Moryo had devastated the Land of Demons and neighboring nations in the past.

But Itachi trusted Kitazawa’s judgment.

If Kitazawa wanted Moryo released, there was a reason—one that ultimately wouldn’t harm Konoha.

“Keep me updated on everything,” Kitazawa said.

“Yes, Lord Kitazawa.”

Itachi bowed slightly, then silently departed.

A mission prompt echoed in Kitazawa’s mind:

[Current Mission: Agitate the Ninja World—successfully assist Yomi in releasing Moryo.]

[Reward: Wood Release—Violent Tree Spear]

He remembered—Violent Tree Spear was the single Wood Release technique Danzo ever used in the original timeline.

Was the system teasing him with some joke?

Regardless, free Wood Release was free Wood Release.

The technique was both offensive and defensive—manifesting a giant wooden arm capable of tanking blows or skewering enemies with terrifying force.

When the door clicked shut, Konan emerged from the shadows.

Kitazawa blinked out of his thoughts and patted the sofa beside him.

Konan walked over quietly and sat next to him.

“How are things in the Land of Rain lately?”

He leaned slightly against her shoulder; a faint, clean scent drifted from her clothes.

“Smoothly.”

Konan didn’t mind the proximity as she began updating him.

In just two months, the Akatsuki had established two transportation routes for their rainwater operation:

• Aerial delivery, using summoned creatures.

• An underground pipeline, handled by Biwa Jūzō and other Water Release specialists.

Water carried through pipes usually required complex engineering to overcome terrain differences, but with Chakra, those obstacles meant little.

Filtering was also easy—Water Release made extracting clean drinking water straightforward.

“I have a suggestion,” Kitazawa said once she finished. “Create a brand for the water.”

“Water… can have a brand?” Konan blinked.

She understood the concept thanks to Kitazawa—the success of Konoha’s Ocean Heart Jewelry store was proof of what a brand could accomplish.

“Of course.”

Kitazawa grinned. “Konoha sells soda, doesn’t it?”

“You mean… sell soda to the Land of Wind?” Konan asked.

“No. Just sell drinking water.”

Konan frowned slightly—genuinely puzzled.

“Will people really buy… water?”

“They will,” Kitazawa said easily. “As long as you package it right. Don’t say it’s rainwater. Call it mountain spring water—mineral-rich, refreshing, revitalizing.”

Konan lowered her head in thought.

“And there’s another angle,” Kitazawa added, gently removing her ANBU mask.

Konan’s amber eyes lifted toward him. “What angle?”

“The Land of Wind is mostly desert. Every day, people die of dehydration.”

He leaned back casually. “Set up aerial supply shops. Have your summoned creatures fly over the desert on schedule.”

Konan’s eyes brightened.

Desperate travelers would pay anything—everything—to survive.

And for Akatsuki, the cost was almost zero.

Summoning beasts could be called forth by Nagato’s Animal Path at any time.

It was nearly perfect.

“Packaging rainwater for sale to the nobles of the Land of Wind will earn you a decent sum,” Kitazawa concluded, “but selling directly to the people—especially in the desert—will bring in far more. And once you establish your own brand, you won’t be at the mercy of anyone’s pricing.”

Konan nodded thoughtfully.

“Then I’ll request leave tomorrow and return to the Akatsuki to start preparations.”

“Go and come back quickly.”

Kitazawa handed her ANBU mask back, rose, and stretched lazily.

“I’m heading home. See you soon.”

Konan watched him disappear through the door, her fingers brushing the cool surface of the mask.

Why does he know so much?

Once again, she felt that peculiar spark—Kitazawa always brought something new, something unexpected.

She had never met anyone quite like him.

Holidays always slipped by in an instant.

Before long, May arrived, and the Genius Class began a new term.

Kitazawa didn’t bother overseeing enrollment this time.

He saw these kids every single day—there was no grand reunion excitement for him.

The students themselves only cared about one thing: the “graduation” of Inuzuka Hana and a few others.

Though even that wasn’t a big deal—they still trained with the Genius Class regularly.

Hokage Office – Monday, First Day of the Semester

Kitazawa knocked.

“Come in,” Tsunade’s voice responded.

He stepped inside. Only Tsunade was present; Shizune, now buried under Hokage Secretary duties, hardly left her desk lately.

“Oh, it’s you.”

Tsunade stretched lazily, then asked, “What is it?”

“I’ve mastered Yang Release Chakra Mode.”

Tsunade immediately sat upright.

“How effective is it?”

“Just as we discussed. Once activated, my Chakra nearly doubles.”

His current Chakra reserves now exceeded the three-tails’—monstrous by any standard.

“You already had absurd amounts of Chakra,” Tsunade said with a wry smile. “Now only a handful in the entire ninja world can surpass you. Should I retire now?”

“Tsunade-sensei, please don’t joke about that.”

Kitazawa shook his head.

Not when he hadn’t even officially become the Hokage’s man yet.

“Can’t I even tease a little?” Tsunade sighed dramatically.

In truth, she could retire whenever she wanted—no one could stop her.

But with her recent ascension, stepping down so soon might destabilize Konoha and stir suspicion among other villages.

Worse, the clans that had gained influence under her reign would fiercely object.

“Tsunade-sensei.”

Kitazawa took out a scroll.

“This contains the technique for Yang Release Chakra Mode.”

She unrolled it immediately, scanning the contents.

“When do you have time to learn it?” Kitazawa asked.

“This afternoon,” Tsunade replied. “I’ll try to finish my paperwork by noon.”

Kitazawa smiled.

“With your talent, you won’t take long to master it.”

“That phrasing makes it sound like you’re my teacher.”

Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

“You can call me sensei if you like. I don’t mind,” Kitazawa offered shamelessly.

“Do you want me to throw you out that window?”

Her fist tightened with alarming promise.

Kitazawa straightened instantly.

“I was joking. I have the utmost respect for you, Tsunade-sensei.”

“…”

Memories of their last deep kiss flashed across her mind, and she quickly shut that thought down before it derailed her entirely.

“We’ll start training tomorrow,” Tsunade said briskly, rolling up the scroll. “I’ll review everything today.”

“I’ll come in the afternoon then.”

He bowed and left for the ANBU Base.

“Konan,” Kitazawa asked as he entered, “any updates from Itachi?”

“Yes.”

Konan produced a scroll.

“Here is the latest intelligence.”

“Read it to me,” Kitazawa said, stretching out on the sofa and casually resting his head on her lap.

Konan didn’t react to the touch—she simply opened the scroll and began reading.

As always, Itachi’s report was meticulous.

He detailed Yomi’s progress with Dark Medical Ninjutsu experiments.

There were… interesting ideas, but nothing Kitazawa could actually use.

The key information was this:

After acquiring the Body Regeneration Forbidden Technique, Yomi had finally made a breakthrough.

He was nearing success—but even he didn’t seem certain of the exact timeline.

Kitazawa closed his eyes thoughtfully.

Good. Everything was moving in the direction he needed.

In the original timeline, Yomi’s strength was nothing special—barely on par with an average jōnin.

For someone of his caliber, fully mastering theBody Regeneration would have been nearly impossible.

Fortunately for him, he wasn’t trying to learn the technique, merely analyze it and graft fragments of its theory onto his own research.

That alone was enough to spark a breakthrough.

Had he attempted true mastery, it would’ve taken him at least another year or two.

Kitazawa, however, wasn’t worried in the slightest.

Time was on his side. Even if Yomi crawled toward progress, slowly and painfully, it didn’t hinder Kitazawa.

By the time Yomi made his move, Kitazawa’s Wood Release would be far beyond simple Deep Forest Emergence.

Now that he had fully grasped Yang Release Chakra Mode, his next target was the Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique.

Among Hashirama’s arsenal of high-level Wood Release, the Wood Dragon was considered the “accessible” one—though it was still an S-rank technique.

In Hashirama’s hands, the Wood Dragon could bind even Kurama, rendering the terrifying beast immobile.

Kitazawa’s chakra was still leagues behind Hashirama’s.

He had no delusions of restraining Kurama…

But Mōryō?

That, he could likely manage.

Kitazawa and Kurenai arrived at the Academy.

Hiruzen, Kosuke, Chen, and Kakashi had already arrived and were chatting casually with the Genius Class students.

At nine sharp, the groups split to begin their daily training.

Kitazawa stood still for a moment, observing quietly.

A new semester meant recalibration—he intended to check everyone’s progress and adjust their training accordingly.

“Shikamaru,” Kitazawa called.

The boy lazily approached, hands stuffed into his pockets.

“I see your Shadow Neck Binding Technique is already solid. You’re ready for the next secret technique.”

Shikamaru hesitated.

“…Can I learn something else instead?”

Kitazawa raised a brow.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“I already have four clan secret techniques under my belt. It’s enough for now,” Shikamaru explained.

“In actual spars, my biggest problem isn’t a lack of techniques—it’s not having a way to stall for time or defend myself before I can use them.”

A precise and honest assessment. As expected of Shikamaru.

Kitazawa’s first instinct was to give him a defensive technique.

His own arsenal had Water, Earth, and Wood Release—but none of those suited Shikamaru’s style.

Could Yin Release produce a defensive jutsu?

As he pondered, inspiration struck.

He recalled a secret technique Shikamaru once used in a movie timeline: Shadow Release, a jutsu that wrapped the user in shadows as a protective veil.

The name sounded too much like a Kekkei Genkai, so Kitazawa reinterpreted it as—

Shadow Wall.

“Does your clan have any defensive secret techniques?” Kitazawa asked.

“No,” Shikamaru replied. “In most battles, the Akimichi usually protect us.”

“Then here’s my idea.”

Kitazawa smirked. “A defensive barrier made of shadow—like an Earth Wall or Water Wall, but powered by Yin Release.”

Shikamaru’s eyes immediately lit up.

That was exactly what he needed.

“I’ll design the technique and call you over in a couple of days.”

“Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei,” Shikamaru said with rare seriousness.

Next was Jūgo.

Kitazawa upgraded his taijutsu repertoire, teaching him Leaf Strong Whirlwind.

Then Kiba—Kitazawa created a new jutsu for him based on Earth Release: Earth Fang Bullet:

Earth Release: Consecutive Fang Bullet, a rapid-fire variant that shot a stream of stone bullets like a vacuum barrage.

After that, Kitazawa made his rounds to the other groups.

Chen was enthusiastically teaching Naruto and Lee the Konoha Dragon God.

Pre-emptive? Perhaps.

But unlike the Eight Gates, it wasn’t fundamentally dangerous.

Kitazawa let it slide.

To Kitazawa’s surprise, Sasuke wasn’t practicing Lightning Release today—he was practicing swordsmanship.

Not ordinary kenjutsu, but something sharper, faster.

Hatake swordsmanship?

The killing style rumored to belong to the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake.

Kitazawa couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

“I really wonder what the future has in store for Naruto and Sasuke…”

He left them and found an open space to begin his own training in the Wood Dragon Technique.

Afternoon – Hokage Office

Tsunade greeted him with a slow smile.

“So, how exactly do you plan to teach me?”

“The goal of Yang Release Chakra Mode is full-body activation,” Kitazawa replied.

“We’ll start with your hands.”

Tsunade held them out obediently.

“I’ll help you get a feel for the activation first.”

He gently took her hands.

Tsunade’s eyebrow twitched.

Does this mean you’ll be touching other parts later too?

She had a feeling Kitazawa was enjoying this a bit too much.

“Focus,” he said calmly. “Clear your mind.”

He guided warm chakra from his palms into her hands.

If it were Lightning Release, he would never dare—chakra of different natures could repel violently.

But Yang Release was gentle, nurturing. Safe.

Tsunade felt the change immediately.

Her cells stirred. Her chakra responded. Her skin warmed, smoothed—almost glowing.

Her eyes widened slightly.

This was Yang Release Chakra Mode.

——————

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