Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Kitazawa awoke with the first light of dawn streaming into his room.

He sat up, stretching and stifling a yawn.

The night before, he, Tsunade, and Kurenai had stayed up discussing new types of ninjutsu, but despite hours of brainstorming, they’d failed to produce any concrete results.

The problem was simple yet formidable. After creating three jutsu that served primarily as diagnostic tools, they’d reached the point where the next step had to be jutsu capable of truly treating psychological illness.

Even Tsunade, with all her medical brilliance, couldn’t devise something like that in just a few hours.

If it had been solely up to Kitazawa, he would have shifted focus for now to helping Yakumo develop her kekkei genkai.

But the goal of Konoha’s Psychological Medical Ninja system wasn’t to serve just a single person.

Both Hiruzen and Tsunade wanted a set of general-use psychological medical jutsu.

The prior Jutsus—the Therapeutic Words Jutsu, the Truth Extraction Jutsu, and Demonic Illusion: Inner Mind—were useful, but what they really needed next was a jutsu that could replicate the effects of Yakumo’s bloodline limit.

A task much easier said than done.

Fortunately, time was on their side, allowing them to advance on two fronts: helping Yakumo grow stronger while continuing research into broader applications of psychological medical ninjutsu.

A sudden knock at the door broke his thoughts.

Kitazawa raised an eyebrow and quickly threw on some clothes.

“Good morning, Kitazawa.”

Kurenai stood at the door, still dressed in the same low-cut red dress from last night, a warm smile lighting her face.

“You’re here so early. Have you had breakfast?” Kitazawa stepped aside to let her in.

“No, not yet.”

Kurenai slipped off her shoes at the entrance as she stepped inside.

Kitazawa’s gaze automatically dropped to her feet.

Only then did he notice she wasn’t barefoot today. Instead, she wore sleek black stockings.

In the clear morning sunlight, the fabric hugged her legs perfectly, the dark sheen emphasizing the smooth contours of her pale skin.

“What are you staring at?” Kurenai asked, breezing past him.

“Why the black stockings today?” Kitazawa asked, feigning innocence while smiling.

“What I wear is my business,” Kurenai sniffed. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she added, “I’m starving. Make me your ramen.”

“Coming right up,” Kitazawa replied. He took a few steps toward the kitchen, then turned back and said, “By the way… black stockings suit you perfectly. You look incredible.”

Kurenai paused briefly, then broke into a smile.

’A woman dresses up for the man who appreciates her,’ she thought.

Truth be told, she’d worn the black stockings precisely for Kitazawa—and hearing his compliment made it all worth it.

’Though,’ she mused, ’this man’s preferences are far less “proper” than his serious exterior suggests.’

Still, Kurenai wasn’t some shy teenage girl. She was more than capable of handling such things.

“Come eat,” Kitazawa called after about ten minutes.

He carried out two steaming bowls of ramen and set them on the table.

“When’s your Special Jōnin assessment scheduled?” Kurenai asked, leaning forward slightly. Her glossy red lips parted as she blew gently on the steaming broth. When she took a sip, a hint of oil glistened on her soft lips.

“Eight o’clock sharp. At the ANBU training grounds,” Kitazawa replied.

“That’s definitely a special arrangement by Hokage-sama,” Kurenai said, eyes widening slightly. “Normal Special Jōnin assessments aren’t held there. This kind of treatment is reserved for very few.”

“I’m partly benefiting from being a sensei… and from Hokage-sama’s attention toward Naruto,” Kitazawa said honestly.

Kurenai understood perfectly. She’d lived through the Nine-Tails incident and was among the few who knew the truth about Uzumaki Naruto’s identity.

“You shouldn’t sell yourself short,” she said firmly. “Hokage-sama is fair. He wouldn’t help you if you didn’t have the skill to back it up.”

She paused, then added with a wry smile, “It’s a pity genjutsu isn’t included in the Special Jōnin selection. Otherwise, I’d have been promoted long ago.”

Kitazawa chuckled. “There’s no rush. With your abilities, you’ll definitely make Jōnin sooner or later.”

“I’ll take that as a good omen.” Kurenai smiled. “Alright, enough mutual flattery. Let’s eat up and head to ANBU together.”

“That’s not flattery. It’s just the truth.” Kitazawa corrected her with a grin.

Kurenai tilted her head, narrowing her eyes playfully. “Then tell me… who do you think will become a Jōnin first—you or me?”

“It doesn’t really matter who’s first.” Kitazawa neatly sidestepped the question.

Kurenai shot him a sidelong glance.

That answer clearly didn’t satisfy her, but she didn’t push further.

Besides… deep down, she already knew the answer.

From everything she’d seen so far, Kitazawa’s strength wasn’t a single step behind hers—and more importantly, he had never once shown his full power.

But very soon… she’d see just how strong he truly was.

The Special Jōnin assessment in Konoha was straightforward yet demanding.

First came the evaluation of specialized skills—areas like teaching, interrogation, or unique talents.

Kitazawa, for his part, had an impeccable record. For three consecutive years, he’d been an outstanding instructor, his contributions to ninja education recognized by all.

Next came the test of strength.

A Special Jōnin’s power lay somewhere between that of a typical Chūnin and a full-fledged Jōnin—they were, in essence, the elite among Chūnin.

The skill evaluation was conducted through a review of official records and recommendations. The combat test, however, was far more direct: a sparring match against an established Special Jōnin.

After breakfast, Kitazawa and Kurenai arrived at the ANBU base.

Two masked ANBU were already waiting on the training grounds.

Among them was Haru, someone Kitazawa recognized immediately.

“Kitazawa,” Haru said without preamble. “This will be your examiner—Nezumi. You’ll spar with him for the assessment.”

“Kita— cough cough—”

Nezumi barely managed to speak before he was seized by a fit of violent coughing, clutching his chest.

Kurenai blinked in surprise, her expression turning incredulous.

’Is this guy really an ANBU?’

He looked like he might drop dead on the spot.

Kitazawa, however, remained unfazed. He had immediately recognized Nezumi as Hayate.

In the original timeline, Hayate had quite a few appearances, notably serving as an examiner during the Chūnin Exams. Unfortunately, his story ended tragically; the Hayate who died in Naruto was indeed this unlucky soul.

But despite his sickly appearance, Nezumi was no pushover.

Not only was he a bona fide Special Jōnin, he was also far stronger than the average Chūnin.

He specialized in Konoha-style Kenjutsu, and his signature Jutsu—the Dance of the Crescent Moon—was an A-rank secret sword art renowned for its lethal precision.

That was no small feat; even among Jōnin, few mastered multiple A-rank jutsu.

Hayate also possessed a rare bloodline limit, Transparent Escape, which allowed him to vanish completely from sight—a perfect skill for espionage and reconnaissance.

It was partly this jutsu that secured him his Special Jōnin rank.

“Please, step forward.”

Kitazawa offered no unnecessary words and moved to the center of the training ground.

Nezumi observed his calm demeanor and arched an eyebrow.

But inwardly, he remained skeptical.

He’d never even heard of this so-called Kitazawa.

Usually, any Chūnin with genuine strength had at least some reputation in the village—like Kurenai, whose prowess in genjutsu was already widely recognized.

But Kitazawa? He seemed to have appeared from nowhere.

And for Hokage-sama himself to arrange a Special Jōnin assessment solely for him? It defied explanation.

Hayate narrowed his eyes, his cough subsiding as he adjusted his grip on his sword. In the blink of an eye, he launched forward with a Body Flicker, his movements crisp and deadly.

After all, facing someone being groomed for promotion meant he couldn’t hold back.

If he underestimated Kitazawa and lost… he’d end up nothing more than a stepping stone.

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