Half an hour later, the results were announced.
"Ha-ha! We won!" Naruto crowed, pumping his fist. "This is the power of youth!"
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
They'd missed first place by a single minute.
At best, they could only aim for second now.
"Next two teams,"
Kitazawa called out.
Yakumo and Neji stepped forward. The remaining squads—Hinata's and Shino's—waited behind.
"What are you doing here?"
A familiar voice cut in.
Kitazawa turned to see Tsunade approaching, dressed in a tea-green haori.
She stopped a short distance away.
"And what exactly are you doing here?" Kitazawa asked as he walked over.
"Why do you think?" Tsunade shot him a glare.
"This is the Hokage Rock. I got a report and thought some suicidal spy was vandalizing it."
"I'm no spy," Kitazawa replied solemnly.
"If a Wood Release user were a spy, Konoha would already be doomed."
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"Then how did this turn into graffiti on the Hokage Rock?"
"It's like this…" Kitazawa explained, briefly outlining the purpose of the contest.
"…Couldn't you have picked somewhere else?"
Tsunade glanced at her own defaced likeness and asked flatly.
"This cliff face is the largest."
Kitazawa cleared his throat lightly.
"…"
Tsunade was left speechless.
"Tsunade-sensei," Kitazawa smoothly changed the topic,
"Tomorrow's the Genius Class team battle. Care to come watch?"
"Since you're inviting me, of course."
She paused. "Will it be over by noon?"
"Probably."
Kitazawa thought for a moment.
"But it's the first team battle, so timing's uncertain."
"Then I'll take the whole day off," Tsunade declared casually.
"Planning to slack off again?" Kitazawa realized.
"You just said it might run long," Tsunade smirked.
"Any problem with me taking the day?"
"So you're planning to drag me to the casino afterward?" Kitazawa asked bluntly.
"Absolutely!" Tsunade said righteously.
"You defaced my Hokage face—you owe me."
Kitazawa's lips twitched.
He had a strong suspicion this had been her real reason for showing up.
After all, ANBU would've reported the situation anyway—there was no need for the Hokage herself to intervene.
"Fine."
Kitazawa could only agree.
If the students weren't present, he would've lectured her on the spot.
"I'm heading back to work," Tsunade waved, smiling as she turned away.
"Don't forget to come find me early tomorrow."
Time passed slowly.
Two hours later, the graffiti contest finally ended.
[Current Mission: Graffiti on the Hokage Rock together with Uzumaki Naruto.]
[Mission Reward: Super Beast Imitation Drawing.]
[Mission completed. Reward distributed.]
Kitazawa nodded to himself.
This was practically a free reward.
In the original story, Super Beast Imitation Drawing had been Sai's signature technique.
In essence, it was drawing an animal, and it briefly came to life—capable of attacking, scouting, carrying messages, or even flying.
While limited to animals, its versatility was undeniable.
Though labeled as a single jutsu, it was more accurately a full series of techniques.
No wonder it was so hard to learn—canonically, even in ROOT, only Sai had mastered it.
"Everyone, follow me."
Kitazawa came back to himself and led the group toward the Forest of Death.
Soon, a line of boundary flags appeared before them.
"Only the area within these flags counts as the battlefield," Kitazawa reminded them.
"Tomorrow, crossing the line will cost you points."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!"
The students answered in unison.
"Naruto, your team goes first."
Kitazawa nodded.
"You have one hour. I'll call you when time's up."
Naruto, Rock Lee, and Jūgo entered the forest immediately, beginning their survey.
The others stayed outside, peering in.
Though the dense trees blocked much of the view, they still noticed details.
"Why are there two hills in there?"
Kiba frowned.
"I've passed through the Forest of Death before—never saw those."
"Obviously artificial," Shikamaru said at once.
"Kitazawa-sensei must've added complex terrain everywhere."
"Damn it—half an hour won't be enough," Kiba slapped his palm.
"At least you get half an hour," Ino sighed. "We only get ten minutes."
"This zone isn't that large," Neji said, following the boundary flags to the far end. "Ten minutes should suffice."
Remembering the rules, he deliberately refrained from activating his Byakugan.
"It's fine, I'll draw it."
Yakumo spoke softly.
"Ino, Karin—each of you memorize one section. I'll sketch everything afterward."
"Yakumo, you're amazing!" Ino praised her without hesitation.
Karin nodded in agreement, clearly impressed.
"Good thing we have fifty whole minutes," Sakura said with a smile, glancing at Ino.
"This is Sasuke-kun's and my flawless teamwork!"
"Hmph, don't celebrate yet!" Ino planted her hands on her hips.
"Tomorrow's the real team battle!"
"Tomorrow it'll still be—"
"Sakura."
Sasuke cut her off calmly.
"You'll take the left zone in a moment."
"Yes, Sasuke-kun!"
Without even realizing it, Sakura's self-jinx had been neatly shut down.
The students chatted casually as they waited for Naruto's squad to finish scouting.
Nearby, Kitazawa watched them in silence, deep in thought.
Specifically, he was considering which team he should attach himself to as a supervising teacher.
After all, he still had a system mission to lead a team to first place.
From a probability standpoint, the squads led by Yakumo, Sasuke, and Naruto had the highest chances.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin.
At the moment, he genuinely couldn't tell who would come out on top.
Yakumo's genjutsu alone was Mangekyō-level in threat.
Sasuke, with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, dual Fire and Lightning Release, and newly learned Hatake swordsmanship, was no less dangerous.
Naruto, empowered by Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, had seen explosive growth in both taijutsu and Wind Release—and he'd recently mastered Konoha Dragon God, pushing his strength even higher.
Unable to decide based on captains alone, Kitazawa shifted his focus to the team members.
Among them, Kimimaro stood out as the strongest by far.
The others were roughly on par.
Then his gaze landed on Jūgo.
A memory surfaced—Jūgo could understand animals.
If animals were used for reconnaissance, no one would notice.
Add to that the fact that Lee had nearly mastered Konoha Dragon God as well…
In the end, Kitazawa made his choice.
Naruto's squad.
Whether they could truly take first, however, was still uncertain.
As the Genius Class continued to grow stronger, the influence of instructors naturally diminished.
Kitazawa could no longer quietly manipulate outcomes the way he once had.
But that was fine.
Because his own power—and standing—had risen just as steadily.
Besides, exam-related system missions were becoming rarer anyway.
Dusk soon fell.
All six squads finished surveying the terrain and returned home to rest.
Tomorrow would be the real test.
Once the students dispersed, Konan reappeared.
Kitazawa looked at her, then suddenly thought of the Super Beast Imitation Drawing he'd just acquired.
Technically speaking, humans were animals too.
Yet Sai had never drawn people.
Too fragile.
Unable to use ninjutsu.
Limited to instinctive movement.
In truth, most animals were the same.
Kitazawa opened a summoning storage scroll and took out a blank scroll and brush.
Super Beast Imitation Drawing was, in essence, similar to Water Release—chakra flowed through ink instead of water.
Though he lacked artistic talent, the system reward had conveniently granted him a baseline level of skill.
In moments, an image took shape.
"How is it?"
He handed the scroll to Konan.
She glanced at it—and froze.
The figure on the scroll was her.
Not exquisitely detailed, but unmistakable at first glance.
"Very accurate," Konan said quietly, nodding.
"The interesting part comes next."
Kitazawa snapped his fingers.
The ink rippled.
Black lines flowed out of the scroll, rising and reshaping themselves.
In seconds, another Konan stood before them—rendered in flowing ink-wash style.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?" Konan asked, genuine surprise flickering across her face.
"Super Beast Imitation Drawing."
Kitazawa smiled, a hint of regret in his voice.
"This is the limit, though. I can't make them indistinguishable from the real thing."
"How strong is she?" Konan asked curiously.
"She has no true combat power," Kitazawa admitted.
"At best, she can use basic taijutsu. Your paper techniques are beyond her."
Konan hesitated, words hovering on her lips.
It seemed… underwhelming.
But she didn't want to say that aloud.
"It works better with animals," Kitazawa added, reading her thoughts.
"Enough to deal with ordinary ninja. For me, though, it's mainly for transport and communication."
"Transport?"
Konan's heart tightened instinctively.
Would he no longer need her to carry him through the sky?
"I can draw birds," Kitazawa said gently, brushing his fingers along her cheek.
"If you're ever away, I'll just ride one instead."
Konan pressed her lips together.
Her thoughts churned.
One day, she and Kitazawa would inevitably part ways.
After all, the Akatsuki Organization stood opposed to the entire Ninja World—
Including Konoha Village.
With a casual wave of his hand, Kitazawa dispersed the ink-wash Konan, the figure melting back into a dark puddle that seeped into the ground.
He glanced at the now-blank scroll, then lifted his brush again—this time without channeling any chakra—and sketched Konan once more.
"A gift."
He handed her the scroll and added lightly, "It's late. Go back and get some rest."
With that, he turned and walked away, unhurried.
Konan stood there for a long moment, staring at her own likeness on the scroll.
Only after a while did she roll it up, tuck it away, and return silently to the ANBU Base.
The night passed without incident.
Morning arrived.
As always, the team battles were scheduled to begin at nine sharp.
After breakfast, Kitazawa and Kurenai were the first to arrive at the Ninja Academy.
He briefed Hiruzen and the other instructors on yesterday's team selections, explaining that he had chosen to oversee Naruto's squad and left the remaining assignments to them.
Once everything was settled, Kitazawa headed straight for the Hokage Building.
Tsunade, true to form, had started early—she was already in her office.
Kitazawa knocked, received permission, and stepped inside.
Shizune was there as well.
"Kitazawa?"
She blinked in surprise. "Why are you here? Isn't today the final exam?"
Tsunade shot him a knowing look.
"The Genius Class final has introduced a new format—team battles," Kitazawa replied smoothly.
"Since it's the first time, I thought it'd be best if Tsunade-sensei observed and offered guidance."
"In that case," Tsunade said solemnly, rising to her feet,
"Shizune, I'll leave today's paperwork to you. I'm taking the day off."
Shizune glanced between the two of them, sensing something suspicious—but unable to prove anything.
"…All right."
"See you later, Shizune-senpai."
Kitazawa closed the door behind them and followed Tsunade into the corridor.
She looked positively radiant.
"That happy?" Kitazawa asked.
"Skipping work is always bliss," Tsunade said with the ease of long experience.
"You'll understand once you start working full-time."
"Sounds like I should delay that for another couple of years," Kitazawa laughed.
"You dare?"
Tsunade's expression darkened instantly.
"Two years means two years—no extensions."
"Why so tense?"
Kitazawa leaned in, lightly nipping her lower lip as he murmured, "Do I taste like a liar?"
Tsunade stiffened, hurriedly checking the hallway before letting out a breath.
"Try that again," she snapped, "and I'll kick you halfway across Konoha."
Kitazawa merely blinked, entirely unfazed.
"If being Hokage tires you out so much," he said casually, "you should pick a successor early."
"All your students are too young," Tsunade shot back.
"Finding a successor isn't as easy for you as it was for me."
Kitazawa shook his head.
The next-next generation had plenty of talent—Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and others—but age was the issue.
Gaara becoming Kazekage at fifteen had been an emergency measure.
Konoha was different.
It was overflowing with capable candidates.
Even Naruto, the savior of the village, wouldn't become Hokage until nearly thirty.
And now that Kitazawa existed, the future was even harder to predict.
"Fair enough," Tsunade shrugged.
"Then the capable one just has to work harder."
"You give up fast," Kitazawa muttered.
"Your problem, you fix it," she replied flatly.
Chatting as they walked, they soon reached the Ninja Academy.
"Since you're already here," Kitazawa said suddenly, "why don't you draw the lots?"
There was no need to rig team battles—true strength would win out regardless of matchups.
"Fine," Tsunade agreed without hesitation.
"Hokage-sama!"
The Genius Class erupted in excitement the moment they spotted her.
They saw Hiruzen every day—but Tsunade was different.
The current Hokage. Rarely seen.
Hiruzen, Kakashi, Kosuke, and the others stepped forward to greet her as well.
"Iruka," Kitazawa called.
"The roster."
Iruka immediately handed it over.
"These are the six squads participating in the team battles."
Kitazawa passed the list to Tsunade.
She scanned it, then the attached rules.
"This really does resemble the second stage of the Chunin Exams," she remarked.
"That was my thought as well," Hiruzen chuckled.
"In two years, once they graduate, we should hold a joint Chunin Exam."
"Planning for two years from now can be left to Kitazawa," Tsunade said casually.
The room went silent.
Did that mean…?
Everyone knew Kitazawa was the next Hokage—but that soon?
Tsunade wasn't old, and with the Yin Seal she could maintain her youth indefinitely.
Normally, Kage served for decades unless something went wrong.
Hiruzen and Ōnoki were proof of that.
"All right,"
Kitazawa coughed lightly, breaking the awkward pause.
"Let's head to the Forest of Death."
With that, he led the way.
Before long, they arrived at the team-battle venue.
"Tsunade-sensei," Kitazawa said, producing a lottery box.
"Please draw the two squads for the first match."
She nodded and pulled out two slips.
"Uchiha Sasuke's squad versus Shino Aburame's squad."
"Both teams may enter the field," Kitazawa announced.
"The battle begins in fifteen minutes."
Those fifteen minutes were for terrain preparation and tactical discussion.
The two squads exchanged looks, then split off in opposite directions.
Kosuke and Kurenai took their positions nearby.
As instructors and safety officers, they would intervene the moment a life-threatening situation arose.
Students could also call for help themselves—Either way meant immediate disqualification.
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