Kitazawa stood at the door of Kurenai's house and took out the key. But just as he was about to unlock it, the door suddenly opened by itself.
"I guessed you'd return around this time," Kurenai poked her head out and smiled. "How is it? Am I right?"
She was wearing a red dress, slightly bending from behind the door. While showing off her flexibility, gravity pulled the dress down naturally, forming a graceful arc.
"You guessed right." Kitazawa stepped forward and lowered his head, kissing her soft, rosy lips.
"Mmh." Kurenai instinctively straightened up and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Kitazawa's left hand pressed against her back, while his right hand slid down and gave her a firm squeeze on the butt.
Kurenai's eyes widened as if struck by lightning. Her face flushed pink as she stepped back half a step, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "You're not behaving."
But the upward curl at the corners of her mouth betrayed a mix of shyness and delight, making her look both charming and alluring.
Kitazawa held her hand and pulled her into his embrace. Up close, he could feel the softness of her body and the vague curves under the fabric.
"Tsunade-sama is here. She's waiting for you in the living room," Kurenai lightly punched his chest and reminded him.
Kitazawa had no choice but to let her go. He took off his shoes and walked into the living room.
Tsunade was sprawled lazily on the sofa, her long legs stretched out, and her fair feet resting openly on the coffee table.
Kitazawa wanted to tell her not to put her feet there, but since he still needed her to teach him medical ninjutsu, he wisely chose to stay silent.
"Shizune." Tsunade glanced over at him, tilted slightly, and propped her chin with one hand. As she moved, her snowy collar looked like it might burst open at any moment.
"Eyes off!" Kurenai leaned in close and warned him in a whisper. Then she turned to Tsunade and said, "I'll head up to the roof to check on Yakumo."
Secretly learning ninjutsu was forbidden in Konoha, especially medical ninjutsu. Kurenai headed upstairs to keep an eye on Kurama Yakumo.
Kitazawa felt slightly wronged. Tsunade might act properly in public, but once home, she did whatever she liked.
Still, he couldn't help but admire her. He was only human; he couldn't resist such things.
"Kitazawa." Shizune brought over a basin with a carp swimming inside.
Kitazawa instantly had a strong sense of déjà vu. Of course, it wasn't just a coincidence—
fish were commonly used for beginner training in medical ninjutsu.
In the original series, Haruno Sakura had also used fish while learning from Tsunade.
"You've already read the scroll on the Healing Jutsu this morning. Now, we'll officially begin," Shizune explained. "The Healing Technique is the most basic medical ninjutsu. If you can't even master this, it means you aren't suited for this path."
"If it takes you more than three months, you might as well give up," Tsunade added from the sofa.
Her words triggered something in Kitazawa's mind. Originally, he had planned to show off and master the technique quickly, but being too over-the-top would be suspicious. The key was that, so far, he had only mastered two medical ninjutsu: Blood Coagulation and Healing Jutsu.
If he learned too quickly now, but later slowed down when the system didn't provide help, it would expose him. A genius was fine. A freak was not.
With his master-level chakra control, he could still learn normally at a good pace and maintain the genius image. When the system provided medical ninjutsu, he could accelerate slightly to strengthen that impression.
"How long did it take you, Tsunade-sama, to learn the Healing Jutsu?" Kitazawa asked with feigned curiosity.
"One day." Tsunade smiled faintly. "But I'm a special case."
"Learning it within two days is enough to be called a genius and considered highly talented in medical ninjutsu," Shizune added. "It took me two and a half days."
"You really are amazing, Senior Sister Shizune." Kitazawa praised.
"Senior sister?" Shizune was slightly startled. "Aren't you a year older than me?"
"Whoever achieves more, leads first." Kitazawa paused and teased, "If my medical skills surpass yours someday, then I'll call you junior sister instead."
"You're quite amusing," Shizune laughed.
"But surpassing her? Keep dreaming," Tsunade said with a smirk. "She's been learning from me for years. Her medical ninjutsu is on par with a jonin."
"Shall we place a bet?" Kitazawa asked suddenly, eyes lighting up.
"How could you even bet on something like this?" Shizune immediately tried to stop him. "Anyway, I'll demonstrate the Healing Jutsu now."
Although she was confident Kitazawa wouldn't surpass her, she remembered Tsunade's awful luck with bets and played it safe.
"Alright." Tsunade, on the other hand, actually wanted to take the bet. To her, this one was foolproof.
Kitazawa had only just started learning. He was more than ten years behind Shizune. What genius could bridge that gap so quickly?
Unless his talent rivaled hers. But since Shizune refused, she didn't press it.
"Watch closely, Kitazawa," Shizune said.
She drew a kunai, lightly cut the carp, and placed her hands over the wound.
Kitazawa was already familiar with the sequence—it was almost nostalgic.
"I'll explain the Healing Technique's core principles now," Shizune said, demonstrating while explaining each step.
As Kitazawa listened, he quietly thought about how long he should pretend to take. After a moment's reflection, he settled on one day—the same as Tsunade's record.
With that precedent, it wouldn't be too shocking, and it would cement his 'genius' reputation.
"Do you understand?" Shizune finished her explanation. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Senior Sister Shizune." Kitazawa stepped forward and said, "I'll try it now."
Shizune watched him with interest.
Tsunade also sat up slightly, eyes locked on his hands. Moments later, her expression shifted to surprise. He succeeded on the first try.
Though unrefined, it was definitely the Healing Jutsu.
Shizune couldn't help but inhale sharply. It had taken her half a day to perform it even once.
There was no denying that Kitazawa's talent surpassed hers. Could he really overtake her?
No way. Absolutely not.
Still, the pressure of this genius made her uneasy.
"It seems you really do have a knack for medical ninjutsu," Tsunade leaned back on the sofa and spoke casually. "Keep practicing."
"Okay." Kitazawa silently thanked the system; the medical ninjutsu it provided came with full proficiency. Otherwise, keeping up this illusion in front of Tsunade and Shizune would've been impossible.
Three hours passed.
Shizune gradually realized something alarming. She barely needed to teach at all—Kitazawa performed each step smoothly.
She had needed hours of scolding from Tsunade to get here herself. Now, she felt the full pressure of his presence.
"It's getting late. Let's stop for today." Kurenai and Yakumo appeared on the staircase.
"Same place tomorrow. You'll continue practicing the Healing Jutsu." Tsunade glanced at the clock, stood up, and added, "We're heading out. See you tomorrow."
Shizune nodded and followed her quickly.
It was already past nine o'clock. There were not many pedestrians on the street, and only a few streetlights remained lit. Fortunately, they lived next door.
"Tsunade-sama." After Shizune returned home, she couldn't help but ask, "What do you think of Kitazawa's talent?"
"Better than yours," Tsunade answered bluntly. "If he had just graduated from the Ninja Academy, I would've accepted him as a student without hesitation."
"Is it really that good?" Shizune looked surprised.
She was especially shocked by the second half of the sentence. Because she knew very well how strict Tsunade was with taking on students—especially now, when Tsunade had sealed her heart and buried her emotions.
"Whether he's good or not, we'll have to wait and see." Tsunade stretched lazily. "After all, he's older. It's hard to say whether he can become a top-tier medical ninja."
"That's true." Shizune nodded, then asked curiously, "What if he continues to perform this well later?"
"Then I'll take him as a student," Tsunade replied indifferently.
Shizune suddenly felt a sense of crisis. She didn't want her "senior sister" title turning into "junior sister"!
Although she wasn't an unrivaled genius in medical ninjutsu, she was still a first-class talent—with pride of her own.
---
Night fell.
Kitazawa and Kurenai escorted Kurama Yakumo home.
"How's your medical ninjutsu coming along?" Kurenai asked as they walked.
"Not bad." Kitazawa smiled. "Tsunade-sama said I have talent."
"Really?" Kurenai sounded incredulous.
At the age of 21, to suddenly show such a strong aptitude for medical ninjutsu? That sounded almost too unlikely.
After all, true geniuses usually displayed potential from a young age. Whether from a prestigious ninja clan or as a gifted civilian, most were recognized early.
Minato Namikaze and Sakura Haruno were already outstanding in their academy years.
"It's true." Kitazawa gently held her soft left hand. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Tsunade-sama."
"That's really... a pity." Kurenai sighed. "If you'd started learning medical ninjutsu right after graduating, you might be on par with Shizune by now."
She didn't compare him to Tsunade; no matter how talented Kitazawa was, she believed he couldn't surpass her.
"It's not too late," Kitazawa replied casually.
"That's true." Yuhi Kurenai smiled as a thought crossed her mind. "Then my future depends on you!"
The stronger Kitazawa became, the more Konoha would value him. Perhaps in a few years, he could take up a high-ranking position—maybe even become vice-principal of the Ninja Academy.
By then, she would enjoy a peaceful, comfortable life. After all, a ninja was still just a profession, and most missions were about earning money.
Kurenai certainly wouldn't turn down a better life.
"No problem." Kitazawa stopped and said, "You just focus on living comfortably from now on."
"See you tomorrow." Kurenai looked at him, her heart stirred by emotion. She stood on tiptoe and offered her soft lips.
After a long kiss, she turned and walked into her house.
---
A new day—Tuesday.
At the training ground of the Ninja Academy—
"Sasuke." Kitazawa looked at Uchiha Sasuke, who was practicing the Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique. "How did it go yesterday?"
"It went well." Sasuke suppressed the complicated emotions in his heart. "I made an agreement with Naruto to train together after school."
In truth, it hadn't gone that smoothly. After experiencing Naruto's brutal training, Sasuke realized how soft his own routine had been.
Halfway through, his body gave out, and he started vomiting nonstop. He wasn't even sure if he could endure today's session.
But he had to try.
"That's good." Kitazawa smiled. "Keep it up."
Even though Sasuke didn't say anything, Kitazawa could guess how tough it had been.
After all, the Uchiha clan wasn't known for extraordinary physique—unlike the Uzumaki or Senju clans.
"You keep training."
Kitazawa then turned to Haruno Sakura. He observed her for a moment and was genuinely surprised. She truly was a medical ninjutsu genius.
Sakura had officially started learning the Healing Jutsu only yesterday. Yet by today, she had already grasped most of it.
Kitazawa estimated she'd fully master it by this afternoon, which would be one and a half to two days in total. More gifted than Shizune, but still a notch below Tsunade.
Even so, that was an incredible level. She really was worthy of her position as the heroine in the original story.
And the faster Sakura progressed, the more helpful it would be for his mission.
---
The sun set, and dusk arrived.
[Current task: Help Haruno Sakura learn the first medical ninjutsu.
Task reward: Delicate Illness Extraction Technique.]
[Host completed the task. Reward issued.]
Kitazawa looked at the long-awaited lines and couldn't help but smile. He had been waiting since morning, and now he finally obtained his first B-rank medical ninjutsu.
The Delicate Illness Extraction Technique was a difficult skill often used for toxin removal, usually paired with detoxification. Unfortunately, Kitazawa hadn't learned detoxification or poison techniques yet.
"Ah!" Ino said with frustration, "I lost again!"
"Congrats—double homework tonight," Sakura said smugly.
"Damn it!" Ino gritted her teeth.
Still, she was shocked. She hadn't expected Sakura's talent for medical ninjutsu to be this strong.
As a child of a ninja clan, Ino had always believed she would outperform Sakura. But once Sakura began chakra control training and learning medical ninjutsu, Ino realized she was falling behind.
"Ino." Kitazawa spoke to console her, "Your Mind Body Switch Technique is also improving very quickly; I estimate you'll fully learn it in these two days."
"Sakura."
Upon hearing this, Ino immediately turned the tables, saying, "My Mind Body Switch Technique is much more complicated than your Healing Jutsu!"
"Teacher Kitazawa will definitely teach me Medical Ninjutsu that's even harder than Mind Body Switch Technique!" Sakura said, with her hands on her hips.
Kitazawa watched the two of them argue and couldn't help but laugh.