Chapter 43: Chapter 43

AN : Bonus Chapter for reaching 300 power stones!!!! Keep em coming!!!!

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Kitazawa watched for a while, then gave a slight nod of approval.

Sasuke truly lived up to his legacy as one of the original protagonists—his talent was undeniable.

He had already begun to grasp the fundamentals of chakra nature transformation. It was only a matter of time before he succeeded.

Forming a string of hand signs, Kitazawa created a Shadow Clone.

The clone remained behind to supervise Sasuke’s training, while his original body returned to the school office.

“Kitazawa-sensei,” a soft voice greeted him.

Hinata looked up from her desk, her pen momentarily paused.

“What are you planning to write for your speech?” Kitazawa asked, stepping behind her with a gentle smile.

“I… I was thinking of sharing some of my study methods,” Hinata replied, turning to glance at him. “Is that alright?”

“Of course it is.”

Kitazawa lightly patted her head. “Hinata, you’re ranked first in the entire grade. You should have more confidence in yourself.”

“Mm.” Hinata nodded, warmth blooming in her chest. His words filled her with new motivation.

“You work on the first draft,” Kitazawa said, heading to his own desk. “I’ll help you review it once you’re done.”

As Hinata resumed writing, Kitazawa crossed his arms and leaned back in thought.

One of his current goals was to get Naruto into the top ten for the next monthly exam.

Realistically speaking, that wasn’t going to be easy.

There was only one viable strategy: cram preparation—helping Naruto review the specific material that would be covered.

As for the practical exam, there was actually a decent shot.

Naruto could easily place first in the physical test. And if his Clone Jutsu and ninja tool accuracy improved just a little, a top ten ranking was within reach.

Kitazawa unrolled a blank scroll and started drafting supplementary review questions.

He’d briefly considered pulling Naruto out of class for intensive training—but since Naruto hadn’t even mastered the basics yet, skipping class would do more harm than good.

That left only one option:after-school training.

Afternoon arrived.

“I’m finished, Kitazawa-sensei,” Hinata said, walking up to him, hands clutching her draft nervously.

Kitazawa took the speech and gave it a careful read.

Just as she’d said, it focused on her study habits—logical and honest, but lacking impact.

“You’re missing a strong ending,” he said, looking up at her with a reassuring smile. “You need to leave the audience with something meaningful.”

Hinata tilted her head, confused.

“It’s okay. I’ll show you what I mean.”

Kitazawa picked up a pen and began writing at the bottom of the page:

’Under the guidance of the Hokage, we must inherit the Will of Fire…’

Hinata stood on her tiptoes, leaning over the desk to read it as he wrote. Her brows furrowed slightly, processing his words.

“I think you can polish this a bit more tomorrow,” Kitazawa said, setting the pen down. “For now, let’s head to class.”

“O-Okay.” Hinata nodded quickly, falling in step beside him.

They returned to the training ground for the final lesson of the day—practical combat class.

“Today’s focus is once again the Clone Jutsu,” Kitazawa announced, standing before First-Year Class A. “If you failed to pass it during the last exam, I’ll be offering personalized guidance.”

Several students groaned in dismay.

“Those who’ve already mastered the Jutsu may use the time for free training.”

With a flash of hand signs, Kitazawa summoned another Shadow Clone.

“Students who need help, follow the clone.”

Immediately, the class split into two groups.

“Ino, can I join you guys for special training?” Sakura Haruno asked, latching onto Ino’s arm.

Ino gave her a skeptical look. “Are you really here to train? Or do you just want to spy on someone?”

Sakura flushed. She had, after all, passed the Clone Jutsu—and her primary motive was catching a glimpse of Sasuke.

“I’m warning you now,” Ino said sternly, folding her arms. “Whatever your reason, if you’re joining our group, you’d better be serious about it.”

Sakura froze for a moment.

At that instant, she felt as though her best friend had become someone else entirely—a version of Ino who carried a new kind of maturity and resolve.

“I understand. I’ll train seriously,” Sakura said, gritting her teeth.

As long as she could be near Sasuke, a bit of hardship was nothing to her.

“I’ll take you to Kitazawa-sensei.”

With that, Ino grabbed Sakura’s hand and led her over.

“Kitazawa-sensei!” Sakura called out, hope shining in her eyes. “Can I join the special training too?”

Kitazawa paused, considering it.

One more student or one less didn’t really make a difference to him. Besides, the main reason he was running these special sessions was to complete missions assigned by the system.

Just then, four lines of glowing text appeared in front of his eyes:

As class monitor, you should try your best to fulfill your classmates’ requests.

Current Mission: Help your classmate Sakura Haruno complete tree-climbing training.

Mission Reward: Hemostasis Jutsu.

Accept?

Oh? That’s quite a nice perk.

She really was one of the original heroines, after all.

Hemostasis Jutsu—a D-rank medical ninjutsu—could stop bleeding from ordinary wounds. It might not sound flashy, but it was practical and life-saving.

“Alright. Let’s head to the training ground.”

Kitazawa nodded.

“Thank you so much, Kitazawa-sensei!” Sakura exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement, her fists pumping in the air.

Soon, they arrived at the nearby training ground.

Aside from Ino and Sakura, Hinata was there as well.

Naruto was absent since he was still struggling to master the Clone Jutsu, and Yakumo was away training genjutsu with Kurenai.

“Sasuke-kun!”

Sakura’s eyes lit up the moment she spotted Uchiha Sasuke. She shouted his name so loudly that it echoed across the field.

But Sasuke didn’t even glance her way.

“Silence,” Kitazawa admonished her. “He’s practicing chakra nature transformation and can’t afford distractions.”

“S-sorry!” Sakura quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Sakura, my Shadow Clone will help guide you through tree-climbing practice to improve your chakra control,” Kitazawa instructed. “Ino and Hinata, you two come with me.”

Under his lead, the three of them made their way to the school’s artificial lake.

“Today, we’ll be training on water walking.”

Kitazawa leapt forward, chakra concentrated in the soles of his feet. He stepped lightly onto the lake’s surface, walking all the way across before returning to solid ground.

“Water walking is a continuation of chakra control training, but it’s trickier than tree climbing,” he explained. “Because water’s a liquid, it can’t support your weight if your chakra flow is unstable. One slip, and you’ll be swimming.”

Ino nodded eagerly, brimming with determination.

Hinata, meanwhile, looked uneasy.

Even though her chakra control was technically better than Ino’s, her timid personality often affected her performance.

“Don’t worry so much,” Kitazawa said with a warm smile. “If you fall in, I’ll fish you out.”

“Then I’m counting on you, Kitazawa-sensei,” Ino said with a playful grin, then boldly stepped out onto the water.

“Go ahead,” Kitazawa said, giving Hinata an encouraging pat on the head.

“Mm.”

Hinata exhaled softly, steeling her nerves. Carefully, she lifted her foot and placed it onto the shimmering lake surface.

Kitazawa stood by the shore, watchful.

Whenever either girl started to wobble dangerously, he darted forward, scooped them up, and carried them back to dry land so they could rest and try again.

The lesson passed quickly.

Afterward, Kitazawa summoned Naruto over.

“Here, take this,” he said, handing Naruto a scroll. “I want you to finish these practice papers at home.”

“Huh?!” Naruto blinked, staring at it as though it might bite him.

“You finished seventeenth in the last monthly exam,” Kitazawa reminded him firmly. “Don’t you want to break into the top ten next time?”

“Yes, I do!” Naruto clenched his fists, staring down at the scroll with newfound determination. “I’ll get it done!”

“If you make the top ten in the next exam,” Kitazawa said with a sly smile, “I’ll give you an extra reward. In addition to treating you to ramen, I’ll teach you a powerful new jutsu.”

“For real?!”

Naruto lit up like a bonfire. “By the name of the future Hokage, I swear I’ll make the top ten!”

Kitazawa couldn’t help the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth.

’Ah… that line again.?’

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