Chapter 81: Chapter 81

After the physical endurance test, nearly every student collapsed to the ground, gasping for air—except for one.

Uzumaki Naruto.

Still bursting with energy after claiming first place, he ran laps around the exhausted crowd, grinning from ear to ear.

Kitazawa couldn’t help but think, ’If he breaks into “We Are the Champions,” I won’t be surprised.’

“What a familiar sight,” murmured Shikaku, watching the blond blur with narrowed eyes. The image reminded him unmistakably of the Yellow Flash—Minato Namikaze.

Hiruzen gave a subtle nod of approval.

There was no denying it: Naruto carried echoes of his father. Yet, unlike Minato’s composed presence, Naruto radiated uncontainable spirit.

But admiration aside, Hiruzen was faced with a dilemma.

What kind of reward could he possibly give Kitazawa?

According to the rules of Konoha, rewards were reserved for shinobi who completed missions above expectations or contributed in exceptional ways.

Kitazawa was “just” teaching.

But considering Naruto’s identity as the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki, the importance of his growth—and stability—could not be overstated.

Even if he broke protocol and rewarded Kitazawa, no one would question it.

Meanwhile, Mizuki sat slumped to the side, muttering under his breath.

“Did I really lose again?”

Kurenai cast him a glance, feeling a twinge of sympathy. Losing three times in a row was no small blow; she doubted she’d handle it any better in his shoes.

To his credit, Kitazawa didn’t rub salt in the wound. He was already deep in thought—planning strategies for the upcoming practical combat competition.

There was no doubt about Second Year Class A’s lineup: Neji, Tenten, and Lee.

Kitazawa began matching counters in his mind.

Hyuga Neji? He had faith that Yakumo could hold her own against him.

Rock Lee? That was easier. From the results of the physical test, it was clear that Naruto now outclassed him in stamina and speed.

Tenten, though… She was a wildcard.

Her vast arsenal of ninja tools gave her an edge. Against younger Genin like Sasuke and the others, even a minor slip-up could end in defeat.

Kitazawa’s first thought was Sasuke.

Though his Sharingan hadn’t awakened yet, he possessed Fire Release jutsus and a strong grasp of manipulating shuriken. That gave him a fighting chance.

Then, another idea struck him—Hyuga Hinata.

If she activated her Byakugan, Tenten’s weapons would be nearly useless. The Byakugan’s near-360-degree vision would completely negate Tenten’s long-range attacks.

The only problem?

Would Hinata actually activate it?

Kitazawa mulled it over and decided he’d have to give her a nudge.

Just then, Hiruzen stepped forward to make an announcement.

“Congratulations to First Year Class A for yet another victory. We’ll take a 30-minute break before beginning the practical combat competition.”

“Right—the combat round!” Mizuki sat up straight, energy suddenly returning to his eyes.

This was it.

All the written tests, the physical training—it was fluff compared to this.

For a ninja, nothing spoke louder than battle.

To Mizuki, this was his last chance to salvage his pride. He returned to his students with renewed purpose and began giving detailed instructions.

As a Chunin, he could see the bigger picture and had a strong guess as to which five students Kitazawa would choose. He poured everything he could into prepping his team.

“Aren’t you going to talk to your students?” Kurenai asked Kitazawa, glancing at him with mild curiosity.

“There’s nothing left to say,” he replied, calm and confident. “I’ve taught them what I could. The rest is up to them.”

Kurenai looked at him, slightly baffled. “Your students really are performing exceptionally… I honestly don’t know how you train them.”

“If you’re curious,” Kitazawa said with a wink, “I could always teach you too.”

“You want to be my tsensei now?” she said, rolling her eyes. “In your dreams.”

Kitazawa smiled but said nothing more.

Truthfully, he wasn’t joking.

In the original timeline, Kurenai was a Jonin, but her strength never quite reached the elite tier. If possible, Kitazawa did want to help her improve—to teach her a few more advanced Ninjutsu, to make her stronger.

Unfortunately, he was still limited by what techniques he knew. He’d have to rely on the system to unlock more—eventually.

Half an hour passed.

The crowd slowly gathered again around the training ground, forming a wide circle of spectators.

It was time.

The final event: practical combat.

Only five students from each class would take part. Without a doubt, these were the elite—the strongest of their year.

Standing at the center of the field, Hiruzen prepared to officiate the matches.

He was genuinely excited.

Here, gathered before him, was the future of the Hidden Leaf.

Uzumaki Naruto. Hyuga Neji. Uchiha Sasuke. Rock Lee. Tenten.

Geniuses, every one of them.

Not since the era of Kakashi Hatake, Might Gai, and Asuma Sarutobi had the village seen such concentrated talent in its youth.

The outcome of these matches would not only decide the day’s victor—it would foreshadow the fate of Konoha itself.

“I’ll now announce the rules.”

Hiruzen spoke with calm authority. “First, no reckless actions—be sure to stop before things get out of hand. Second, absolute fairness. As the referee, I will remain impartial and miss nothing.”

“Mizuki,” Kitazawa turned toward him with a slight nod. “Go ahead.”

Previously, Kitazawa had cleverly tricked Mizuki with a strategy—one that required Second Year Class A to reveal their combatants first. Back then, Mizuki, confident in his students’ superiority, had agreed without a second thought.

But now… he was starting to regret that decision.

After three consecutive defeats in the earlier events, Mizuki’s confidence had been thoroughly shaken. Even his faith in winning the practical combat round was starting to waver.

“…Tenten.”

He called the name in a steady voice, concealing his inner turmoil. Right now, the second years desperately needed a win to salvage their pride. But he couldn’t send out Neji right away—the strongest always came last. So he chose the second-best.

“Let’s go, Tenten!” Rock Lee cheered enthusiastically.

Neji remained silent, but his slight nod spoke volumes.

“Leave it to me. This’ll be over quick.” Tenten patted the massive scroll at her hip with a confident grin.

“Hyuga Hinata.”

Kitazawa’s calm voice called the first challenger from his class.

“Eh?”

Hinata’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected to be chosen first.

Their eyes met. Kitazawa gave her an encouraging look. Hinata took a deep breath and nodded with determination.

’Kitazawa-sensei has done so much for me… I can’t let him down!’

With that thought, Hinata stepped onto the training ground, her expression uncharacteristically firm.

“Hi! I’m Tenten.” Tenten offered a cheerful smile and extended her hand. “Neji’s mentioned you before. Never thought we’d be facing off today.”

Hinata’s gaze briefly shifted to Neji. He remained impassive, showing no reaction.

“…Hello.” She quickly refocused and returned the handshake.

“Better be careful,” Tenten said as she unrolled her scroll. “I won’t be going easy—for the pride of Class 2A.”

Hinata didn’t respond. Instead, she lowered into her Gentle Fist stance, her focus razor-sharp.

Tenten summoned her weapons instantly, but before she could attack, Hinata had already dashed forward.

A sharp whoosh split the air—dozens of shuriken flew toward Hinata in a dense barrage.

Tenten wasn’t bluffing. She really wasn’t holding back.

Hinata’s eyes widened.

’Now’s the time…’

The leaf-catching training Kitazawa had drilled into her flashed through her mind.

She moved like flowing water, weaving between the whirling blades. Not only that—she deflected many of them with kunai in both hands, her movements fluid and precise.

“…Impressive,” Tenten muttered, genuinely surprised.

Even though using so many ninja tools bordered on overkill, it was completely within the rules. Still, the ease with which Hinata dodged was beyond expectation.

“Twin Rising Dragons!”

Tenten launched two more scrolls into the air, spinning them overhead. They unfurled midair, transforming into twin spiraling dragons that unleashed a storm of weapons in every direction.

Unlike her earlier linear barrage, this was a true area-of-effect onslaught.

Hinata began to struggle. She barely dodged a kunai—only to be grazed by a shuriken on her wrist. Blood began to drip, and cold sweat formed on her brow.

’There’s too many… I can’t dodge them all.’

Should she give up?

In that moment, Kitazawa’s warm smile and trusting gaze surfaced in her mind.

’No… I can’t give up. Not now!’

A sudden surge of chakra erupted from Hinata’s body.

Her veins bulged at her temples—the telltale sign.

“The Byakugan?” Tenten gasped, her heart skipping a beat as she stared into Hinata’s transformed eyes—sharp, cold, and surgical in precision.

Even Neji’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ’She awakened it now? At her age?’

She wasn’t far behind him anymore. How had she changed so much?

“Rare to see Byakugan awaken this young,” Shikaku remarked in surprise.

“It seems the Hyuga Clan, like the Uchiha, now has two geniuses,” Hiruzen added, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

He knew Hinata well. Like Neji, he had once doubted her potential as a ninja.

But now, with such a dramatic awakening… it could only be one person’s influence.

Kitazawa.

Hiruzen grew more impressed. In less than a month, this teacher had transformed Hinata, Naruto, and others. His talent was undeniable.

With her Byakugan active, Hinata’s perception sharpened tenfold. The chaotic rain of weapons now looked as clear as day.

She dashed through the storm like a phantom, weaving between blades with uncanny accuracy. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of Tenten.

Without hesitation, Hinata struck with her fingers—precise, graceful, deadly.

A pressure point on Tenten’s wrist was hit. Her chakra spiraled into disarray.

Hinata followed up with a palm strike, sending her opponent flying.

“I surrender,” Tenten said with a wry smile as she steadied herself. “I can’t use my scrolls anymore… and I know better than to engage a Hyuga in close combat.”

Silence fell for a moment.

“…I awakened… my Byakugan?” Hinata finally spoke, her voice filled with awe.

A flood of emotion swelled within her—and somewhere beneath it all, a quiet, radiant joy.

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