A surge of information flooded Kitazawa's mind.
He had simultaneously mastered Fire Release: Heavenly Prison and Fire Release: Great Fire Heavenly Prison.
Despite their classification as Fire Style ninjutsu, these were, in truth, sealing techniques. Their destructive power was average, but their primary purpose lay in confinement.
Especially the Great Fire Heavenly Prison—a rare jutsu capable of restraining large creatures, which were notoriously difficult to subdue in the shinobi world. The larger the opponent, the harder it was to control them due to the inherent limitations of range and destructive capability in most ninjutsu.
Kitazawa retrieved a storage scroll, unfurled it, and sealed the corpses of the two bandit leaders inside using Enclosing jutsu. Although these storage scrolls couldn't contain living beings, corpses were fair game.
After securing the scroll, he methodically searched the abandoned mountain village before heading toward the cliff where Mizuki had fallen.
Peering over the edge, he could just barely make out a body at the base.
Without hesitation, Kitazawa casually leapt off the edge. The wind howled past him, whipping at his hair and clothes as he plummeted downward.
As he neared the bottom, he clapped his hands together.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
Chakra surged, converting into a burst of wind beneath him. The counterforce slowed his descent, cushioning the fall. Twisting midair, he landed lightly and gracefully.
Kitazawa approached Mizuki's body.
While Naruto's Rasengan often seemed non-lethal in the anime due to the durability of his foes, Mizuki was just an ordinary Chunin. A direct hit to the chest from a Rasengan proved fatal—his heart had been obliterated.
Without a second thought, Kitazawa unrolled the scroll again and sealed Mizuki's body.
The mission was complete.
He turned and began the journey back to Konohagakure.
---
An hour later, Kitazawa walked through the village gates.
Typically, completed missions were reported at the Mission Assignment Desk in the Hokage Building. However, with his teammates dead, Kitazawa was required to report directly to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Come in." Hiruzen's voice responded to the knock. He looked up from his paperwork.
"Hokage-sama," Kitazawa greeted respectfully as he entered.
"Ah, Kitazawa," Hiruzen smiled. "What brings you here on a Saturday?"
Kitazawa began his report.
From the sparring challenge with Class A's second-year students to accepting a mission with Mizuki, and Mizuki's subsequent attempt to have him assassinated using a rogue ninja.
"What did you say?" Hiruzen's face darkened. "Mizuki dared to do that?"
Konoha had many laws, but one was inviolable: no killing of fellow Konoha shinobi.
Even someone as powerful as Orochimaru, once Hiruzen's own student, was branded a traitor for experimenting on Konoha shinobi. Exceptions were quietly made for high-ranking officials, as long as the truth remained hidden.
Shimura Danzō, for instance, had conducted experiments rivaling Orochimaru's, but since nothing had been publicly exposed, he remained untouchable.
But Mizuki? He was just a Chunin with no power, no backing.
Even if Kitazawa hadn't killed him, Mizuki would have likely faced life imprisonment. That's why the system noted Kitazawa had exceeded mission expectations.
"Hokage-sama," Kitazawa said, presenting the scroll, "Mizuki's body is inside."
"The body?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, then nodded.
He wasn't particularly concerned about Mizuki's fate, but he was deeply relieved Kitazawa wasn't lying or concealing anything.
Given Kitazawa's outstanding abilities and current contributions to the Academy, there was no one who could replace him at present. If he were to die or defect, it would be a tremendous loss—especially for students like Naruto.
Handing over Mizuki's body confirmed Kitazawa's honesty and integrity. Hiruzen stood and walked to a clear spot, then unfurled the scroll.
The corpse materialized in a puff of smoke.
His eyes widened. "…You learned the Rasengan?"
Kitazawa gave a modest nod. "I got lucky."
"You don't master the Rasengan through luck," Hiruzen replied with a mix of surprise and admiration. "With your strength, it's a waste to leave you stuck teaching at the Academy."
"There are many in Konoha stronger than I am," Kitazawa replied humbly. "But when it comes to teaching, they can't compare. The school is where I belong."
"…You're not wrong," Hiruzen chuckled softly.
He resealed Mizuki's body and turned to Kitazawa.
"According to protocol, Mizuki's remains will be handed over to the Analysis Team for memory examination."
"I understand," Kitazawa replied calmly.
"What about Naruto?" Hiruzen asked as he resumed his seat. "Any recent plans?"
"He's under Might Guy for taijutsu training. Physically, he's coming along well," Kitazawa reported. "But he still lacks real battle experience, so I'm focusing on practical combat drills."
"Combat training? That's an excellent approach," Hiruzen nodded. "If that's all, go ahead and report your mission officially."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kitazawa left the office and descended to the Mission Assignment Hall.
The reward for a B-rank mission ranged from 50,000 to 150,000 ryo. Because this mission involved multiple Chunin-level threats, it was awarded the maximum: 150,000 ryo.
With Mizuki dead, Kitazawa received the full amount. Though he was well-off now, there was no reason to reject a well-earned reward.
Ironically, the bulk of his current funds came from Hinata, due to certain past circumstances. Shaking his head with a faint smile, Kitazawa stepped out of the Hokage Building and into the sunlit streets of Konoha.
----
"You're back? How are you? Are you hurt?" The moment Kurenai saw him, she fired off three questions in a row.
"Do I look hurt to you?" Kitazawa shrugged with a smile, spreading his arms.
"Mizuki didn't attack you?" Kurenai glanced around anxiously, only relaxing once she saw he was unharmed.
"Not only did he attack me," Kitazawa said with a grin, "he even hired two rogue Chunin. But they're all corpses now."
"They got what they deserved," Kurenai snorted, then softened. "I'm glad you're safe."
"I've already handed Mizuki's body over to the Hokage." Kitazawa poked her cheek lightly and said, "It's all over now. Don't worry about it anymore."
"Mm." Kurenai nodded in agreement.
"I'm going to finish my book. Let me know when Lady Tsunade arrives." With that, Kitazawa headed upstairs.
Of the two weeks allotted, one had already passed, and he still had half the book left to finish. If he didn't pick up the pace, he might not complete the task Tsunade had given him.
---
The next day—Sunday—arrived.
Kitazawa expected a typical day of reading or discussing new ninjutsu with Tsunade and the others. But instead, an uninvited guest arrived.
"Kitazawa." It was Haru, the ANBU operative, standing at the door. "Hokage-sama requests your presence."
Kitazawa blinked. Had his involvement in Mizuki's death somehow been exposed?
But on second thought, that was unlikely. He had remained on the defensive the entire time; he hadn't taken the initiative in any part of the conflict.
Besides, if he had been found guilty, Haru wouldn't have been this polite—he would've restrained him the moment the door opened.
"Got it." Kitazawa shut the door behind him and followed Haru to the Hokage's office.
"Kitazawa," said Hiruzen as he looked up, "the Analysis Team has reviewed Mizuki's memory. Everything confirms he acted of his own will."
"Understood," Kitazawa replied, finally at ease.
With those words, Mizuki was officially a matter of the past.
"Mizuki was the homeroom teacher of Class A in the second-year group." Hiruzen shifted the topic. "Now that he's gone, who do you think should take over?"
"I'll listen to your decision, Hokage-sama," Kitazawa replied after a moment of thought.
"Could you handle the job simultaneously?" Hiruzen asked with a smile.
Kitazawa was caught off guard. After a brief pause, he respectfully declined, "I'm currently focused on the first-year Class A. I simply don't have the time."
Though time wasn't the real issue.
Kitazawa's system had identified him as the homeroom teacher of first-year Class A. If he switched to the second-year group, there was a risk the system would misinterpret it and remove Sasuke, Naruto, and the other valuable task triggers from his progress queue.
"I understand you're busy, so I'm not asking you to take full responsibility." Hiruzen chuckled and continued, "A new teacher is being transferred to second-year Class A—his name is Terai."
Terai? Kitazawa paused. The name felt familiar. After a few seconds of thinking, his eyes twitched slightly.
In the original story, Terai was a Root operative. His only known appearance was when Shimura Danzo ordered him to pursue Yakushi Kabuto.
Was this just someone with the same name? Kitazawa had no desire to get tangled in Danzo's schemes.
"He's from Root," Hiruzen said bluntly. "Danzo originally wanted him to replace you as the homeroom teacher for your class. I refused. Instead, I assigned him to second-year Class A under the justification that the position was vacant."
Kitazawa frowned slightly.
"Don't worry, I still have final authority over the Academy," Hiruzen reassured him.
He understood Danzo's notoriety better than most. The man was infamous in Konoha—his name alone was enough to unsettle anyone.
"Your mission is simple," Hiruzen continued. "Just keep an eye on Terai. Once Danzo realizes he's not making progress, he'll recall him."
"Understood, Hokage-sama." Kitazawa nodded. There didn't seem to be any real danger. As long as Hiruzen stood above Danzo, there was a balance.
Besides, Kitazawa knew he wasn't Danzo's true target—it was likely Kurama Yakumo.
Her overwhelming Genjutsu Kekkei Genkai made her both dangerous and manipulable, especially given the decline of the Kurama clan.
Just as Kitazawa was about to take his leave, four glowing lines of text suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[As a genius, you should dominate the Ninja Academy. Let Second-Year Class A be your first step.Current Mission: Defeat Hyuga Neji, the strongest in Second-Year Class A.Mission Reward: Increase Byakugan purity by 10%.]
[Do you accept?]
Kitazawa froze.
"...Wait, is that even possible?"