Thursday
The Genius Class was set to face their second monthly exam.
Kitazawa arrived at the academy after breakfast, still mulling over his training. For the past two days, he had been drilling Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu, but his progress felt frustratingly slow.
He considered tapping into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan to accelerate the process by copying the technique outright. But revealing that ability in front of Konoha's shinobi was dangerous. With the Anbu scouring the village for Obito, the last thing he needed was to give Hiruzen another reason for suspicion.
After some thought, Kitazawa devised another approach. He would follow Kakuzu's example—take bounty missions on weekends through the underground exchange. Test his skills against outsiders where it wouldn't raise eyebrows. Perhaps even against an Iwagakure shinobi this Saturday.
"Good morning, Kitazawa-sensei!"
A sweet, floral scent brushed past him as Ino appeared, bright and energetic.
"Morning," Kitazawa replied, snapping out of his thoughts. He smiled and asked, "Where are Shikamaru and Choji today?"
"I stopped at the flower shop, so I didn't come with them," she said.
"Oh? What for?"
"I asked my mom to prepare the petals I'll need for tomorrow's jutsu." She clenched her little fist with determination. "This time, I'm definitely beating Sakura!"
Kitazawa chuckled. "Your strength is slightly ahead of hers. Just make sure to watch out for her Water Release: Water Formation Wall."
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Ino skipped ahead, spinning around to face him while walking backward, her golden ponytail swaying. "Does that jutsu have a weakness?"
Kitazawa tapped her forehead with a finger, amused. "What's this? You trying to make me help you cheat?"
"It's not cheating!" Ino puffed her cheeks. "Sakura's seen my techniques plenty of times, but I haven't seen her use this one. I'm just gathering intelligence."
"Fine." Kitazawa thought for a moment. "I'll show you the jutsu myself. But as for finding its weak point—that's up to you."
Ino's face lit up. "Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
They headed to the training ground together. Since today was only the written exam, the field was quiet.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Kitazawa formed the hand seals, and a sudden surge of water encircled him, rising into a protective barrier.
"An all-around defense?" Ino murmured, frowning as she analyzed it.
Kitazawa dropped the technique and asked, "Well?"
"It looks really troublesome…" Ino admitted, her expression tight. "No wonder Sakura's so confident."
"No jutsu is invincible," Kitazawa reminded her, patting her head.
"Mm. I'll think it through this afternoon," Ino said breezily, then tugged his arm. "But for now, let's hurry!"
When they arrived at the classroom, Tenten eyed them curiously. "Ino, why did you come with Kitazawa-sensei today?"
"I bumped into him," Ino said casually, her eyes darting mischievously. "I asked for some tips on beating Sakura."
"Eh?!" Sakura shot up, indignant. "That's cheating!"
"Hmph! Just wait and accept defeat!" Ino declared, clinging triumphantly to Kitazawa's arm.
"Kitazawa-sensei isn't like that!" Sakura huffed, glancing at him with certainty.
Caught, Ino's smile faltered. "Tch, you saw through me?" She pouted.
"How terrifying," Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. "Psychological warfare for a monthly exam…"
"I call it youth!" Lee exclaimed, striking his familiar pose with sparkling teeth.
"Where's Naruto?" Kiba asked, scanning the room. "It's weird without him yelling."
"If you can get used to that, you're doomed," Shikamaru muttered.
"He probably overslept," Kitazawa said, glancing at the clock. "Still ten minutes left."
"He must've trained too late last night," Kiba guessed.
"That's why he gets first place," Ino said with admiration.
"Correction—last time, Sasuke-kun was first!" Sakura snapped.
"This time too," Sasuke said flatly.
Before anyone could respond, a blur burst through the doorway.
"Ahhh! Am I late?!" Naruto panted, bracing himself against the desk.
"The exam's already over," Shikamaru deadpanned.
Naruto froze. Sasuke sighed, shaking his head—how could he fall for something so obvious?
Kitazawa chuckled, patting Naruto's shoulder. "Relax, it hasn't started yet. Take your seat."
Naruto exhaled in relief, then shot Shikamaru a glare. "You tricked me!"
"I'll buy you Ichiraku for lunch," Shikamaru replied instantly. Problem solved.
Soon, the exam began. Kitazawa handed out the papers and, unlike last time, didn't use the opportunity to sneak away for training. Instead, he sat at the front desk, scribbling notes for his experimental limb-regeneration ninjutsu while the class worked.
Two hours later, he called time. The students' varied expressions—relief, despair, smugness—made him smile as he collected the papers.
"Tomorrow at nine sharp," he announced, "we'll hold the practical exam at the Training Ground. Don't be late."
Back in his office, Kitazawa summoned nine Shadow Clones. Together, they graded all thirty tests in no time. As expected, the rankings barely shifted—except for Shikamaru, who had slipped dramatically from first to tenth, while Sakura, Neji, Sasuke, and Hinata each climbed a notch.
"The real decider will be the practicals," Kitazawa mused, stretching.
This time, the system had issued him two side missions—one for Ino, one for Naruto. He had already taught them everything they needed. The rest was up to them.
Closing the office door, Kitazawa stepped outside—only to spot Tsunade, Shikaku, and the Hidden Mist delegation at the main gate.
His brow furrowed. Negotiations had never interested him much, but running into them now was unexpected. Curious, he decided to follow.
At the gate, Fuguki's voice rumbled with frustration.
"Konoha's arrogance—we'll remember it. Sooner or later, we'll return to challenge you."
No matter what terms they'd offered, Konoha had flatly refused to hand over the Kiba. The Mizukage's latest order had forced Fuguki to withdraw early, carrying only Raiga's corpse back with him. Still, Konoha's stubbornness left a bitter taste.
"Konoha is always ready to welcome you," Tsunade replied coolly, unfazed.
"Let's go."
Fuguki leapt into the forest, his men close behind.
"It's finally over… What a waste of my time."
Tsunade stretched her shoulders with clear irritation. "Next time, whoever wants to sit through those negotiations can go in my place."
Shikaku and the others wisely kept silent, pretending not to hear.
"You're dismissed."
Tsunade waved them off, knowing venting her frustration on them was pointless.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
They bowed lightly before turning to leave.
"You worked hard, Lady Tsunade."
Kitazawa stepped forward, his voice calm.
"Do you have plans this afternoon?" she asked, giving him a sidelong glance. She had noticed him tailing the group long before.
"Nothing, really," Kitazawa admitted after a pause. "But if you're thinking of dragging me to the casino, I—"
"You what?"
Before he could finish, Tsunade seized his wrist with surprising force. Her amber eyes gleamed. "I haven't set foot in the casino for days—because of you. You owe me."
Kitazawa stiffened. The negotiations had dragged on only because he had taken Raiga's Kiba. Without that, there would've been nothing for the Hidden Mist to bargain over.
He tried to pull free, but her grip was ironclad.
"…Alright," he sighed. After all, he was responsible.
"Good!" Tsunade's eyes lit up. "Let's go before Shizune finds out!"
"Aren't you at least going to eat lunch?" Kitazawa asked, lips twitching.
"Go buy us two bento boxes." She finally released him but wagged a finger in warning. "And don't think of running off, or you'll regret it."
"How could I dare?" Kitazawa chuckled. "I'm a man of my word."
"I'll wait at our usual spot," she said, her expression softening briefly before striding away.
Kitazawa exhaled. Buying bentos felt wasteful when he had food at home. Better to cook two portions himself.
"You're back? I'll start dinner."
Kurenai rose to her feet as soon as he entered.
"No need," Kitazawa replied. "I'm eating out. Tsunade wants me to bring her food at the casino."
"The negotiations with the Hidden Mist are done, then?" Kurenai asked, immediately understanding.
"Mm." Kitazawa moved into the kitchen.
Without a word, Kurenai followed. She picked up an apron, tied it neatly around his waist, and said gently, "I'll fetch the containers."
Her movements were calm and practiced, her expression warm—like a wife who'd done this countless times.
When the meal was ready, Kitazawa carried the two lunch boxes straight to the casino.
Tsunade was already there, eyes locked on the dealer, completely immersed in the game.
"Lady Tsunade," Kitazawa said, setting the boxes down. "Eat first."
"Don't have time," she replied curtly, not looking away. "Feed me."
Kitazawa blinked. "How can you say that?"
"Why not?" she said matter-of-factly. "I'm your teacher, after all."
"…Fine." He picked up the chopsticks, grasped a fried shrimp, and held it out.
Tsunade leaned forward, lips parting just enough to catch it. Her tongue flicked lightly against the food before pulling it into her mouth.
Kitazawa could only think: a feast for the eyes.
"Damn it!"
Her expression soured in an instant, delicate features twisting with annoyance. "I lost again!"
Kitazawa only shook his head. For someone who'd lost for decades, her persistence was almost admirable.
"Open your mouth," he said, offering a rice ball this time.
Tsunade's face was dark, but she bit down fiercely. For a moment, Kitazawa worried she'd take his fingers along with it.
The afternoon dragged on in the same rhythm—feeding her between losses. Unsurprisingly, Tsunade didn't win a single round.
When they finally stepped out of the casino, the air felt lighter.
"Fuguki's behavior was odd," Tsunade muttered. "A few days ago he was unyielding, but today he gave in far too easily."
Kitazawa's brow furrowed. Could this be Obito's doing? If Obito truly controlled the Fourth Mizukage, it explained everything.
A chill of foreboding crept through him. In the original timeline, Obito abandoned the Mist only after Ao exposed the truth with his Byakugan. But now, Ao hadn't uncovered anything, and Obito was injured—dangerously unstable.
If he lashed out, he might even pit the Mist against Konoha directly.
"Forget it. It's only the Mist," Tsunade said dismissively. "They've been bleeding strength for years. They wouldn't dare."
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. If it came to war, we'd manage. And maybe I'd even get a few system missions out of it.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Shizune came rushing up, Tonton in her arms. "You went to the casino again, didn't you?"
Tsunade didn't even flinch. "No. Kitazawa and I were at the training grounds."
"That's right," Kitazawa confirmed solemnly.
"Really?" Shizune asked, suspicious.
"You doubt me? Or Kitazawa?" Tsunade waved dismissively. "Anyway, I'm starving. Let's go eat."
Left with no room to argue, Shizune sighed.
"Kitazawa, tell Kurenai to join us for dinner," Tsunade added.
"Understood." Kitazawa inclined his head.
That night, far away in the Mizukage's office…
"Fuguki's squad is returning," Yagura reported.
"Good," Obito's voice answered coldly. "Tomorrow, you will declare war on Konoha."
"Yes." Yagura bowed and left without hesitation.
When the door closed, Obito's form rippled, revealing a White Zetsu clone in disguise.
The real Obito remained in the Land of Fire, still healing. But his Mangekyō's control over Yagura persisted—irresistible, permanent.
And with that, the Mist would serve as his tool of vengeance. He knew they couldn't possibly defeat Konoha… but bleeding them, irritating them, was satisfaction enough.
After years of playing "Mizukage," he was done. It was time to focus on Akatsuki and the Eye of the Moon plan.
The Mist could burn.
Friday
The second day of the monthly exams—practical combat.
"Kosuke-senpai, Kakashi, good morning."
Kitazawa arrived just in time, spotting the two waiting instructors.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto, Kiba, and the others chorused in greeting.
"Everyone, line up! We're starting the matches." Kitazawa clapped his hands.
Iruka brought out the lottery box. The students shuffled into formation, buzzing with anticipation.
"First round, first match…" Kitazawa's lips curved in amusement. "Ino Yamanaka versus Sakura Haruno."
The classroom erupted.
"Ino, you're gonna eat dust!" Sakura shouted, fists raised, brimming with spirit.
"Dream on! Today you're the one going down!" Ino declared, hands on her hips.
"Times have changed," Sakura shot back. "I've mastered Water Release—I'm not just a medic anymore."
"Hah! I learned ninjutsu from Kitazawa-sensei himself!" Ino countered smugly.
"Kosuke-sensei isn't bad either!" Sakura retorted.
Kitazawa chuckled at their squabbling. Children, yet already so full of rivalry.
The two marched to the center of the field, performed the Seal of Confrontation, and the match began.
"Ninja Art: Hundred Petal Storm!"
Ino swept her arms, releasing a storm of flower petals that clouded Sakura's vision.
Sakura immediately formed seals, but Ino's shuriken of petals sliced in from the side.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A barrier of water rose to shield Sakura. The petals struck and stuck fast. She turned sharply, kunai ready—
—but Ino was gone.
More petals whirled around her, obscuring everything.
From above, Ino dropped straight into the Water Wall, fists clenched.
This was the counter she'd devised all night.
Sakura's kunai shot upward, but Ino tilted her head, dodging narrowly, and drove a punch into her chest.
Sakura staggered back, teeth gritted, and launched herself forward.
The two clashed in close-quarters taijutsu, trading sharp blows, evenly matched.
Then, Ino seized her chance.
"Ninja Art: Hundred Petal Storm!"
Another wave of petals burst forth.
Sakura's hands flashed through seals, but too late. Ino's flower blade was already poised at her throat.
Victory.
The difference was simple—while Sakura's jutsu demanded more seals, Ino's could be cast in an instant faster.
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