Ninja Academy — Vice Principal's Office.
Konan looked up at Kitazawa.
From his forehead, the cursed seal spread along his skin until it covered his entire body. This was Tsunade's Ninjutsu — Creation Rebirth: Hundred Healings Technique.
Although Konan had never seen it before, she had heard of it.
As far as she knew, only Tsunade in the entire Ninja World could master it — but now, there was clearly one more person.
Kitazawa slowly exhaled. All the cursed seals receded, eventually forming a rhombus on his forehead.
On the first day of October, he had finally learned Creation Rebirth: Hundred Healings Technique.
By then, he had mastered all of Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu. However, there was still one gap between them — experience.
But experience was something that could only be accumulated over time.
"Congratulations." Konan's clear, cold voice rang out.
"Thank you." Kitazawa stood up, glanced at the clock on the wall, and said, "The timing is just right."
Today was October 1st — the first Monthly Exam for the Genius Class this semester.
And for this exam, Kitazawa had two related system missions, triggered by Kimimaro and Tayuya.
Tayuya's mission was a sure thing, while Kimimaro's carried a bit of suspense. But Kitazawa had discovered a loophole in the system.
The mission stated that Kimimaro must not enter the top three. Then wouldn't it be fine if he himself participated?
Anyway, the system had always considered him a student of the Genius Class. By then, with himself, Yakumo, and Naruto, they could easily prevent Kimimaro from ranking in the top three.
Of course, it would be best if Sasuke could take the win.
"Has the medicine for that Akatsuki Organization member of yours run out?" Kitazawa suddenly remembered something and asked.
"The medicine will be completely gone this week," Konan replied.
She would return to the Akatsuki Organization every once in a while.
Originally, White Zetsu could have handled it, but because it involved Nagato's physical condition, she didn't want others to know the details.
Nagato himself didn't want the truth leaked either — he still had to maintain his dignity as a god.
And a god couldn't be seen as injured.
"Then have him come to the Land of Fire again." Kitazawa nodded and said, "I estimate that after another phase of treatment, Limb Regeneration can be used."
Konan's eyes lit up involuntarily. Had that moment finally arrived?
Nagato, who had long been confined to a wheelchair, would finally be able to stand and walk freely again.
Konan suddenly thought of a question. If Nagato's legs were healed, would she no longer need to stay by Kitazawa's side?
But… Konan wasn't ready to leave just yet. Because she wanted to learn Kitazawa's knowledge — and how to make a lot of money.
Her heart stirred. That was a very good reason. If she could make money for the Akatsuki Organization, Nagato would surely not object.
She could leave after she had learned everything.
"I'll go to the classroom first." Kitazawa waved his hand and left the office.
---
The Genius Class classroom was already full of students by the time he arrived.
"What!?" Tayuya looked at Ino Yamanaka with a shocked expression.
"What are you guys talking about?" Sakura turned her head and asked curiously.
"Tayuya didn't know that the theoretical exam scores would be included in the final ranking," Ino explained.
"This isn't fair!" Tayuya said discontentedly, "I've only studied theory for a month! How can I possibly compare to you guys?"
"That is a problem," Sakura nodded and said, "but there's no way around it. Yakumo and Karin also went through this."
"I believe you'll definitely catch up to us later," Ino comforted her.
"Damn it!" Tayuya gritted her teeth. She felt like she'd been tricked.
If the theoretical exam was included in the final ranking, how could she possibly make it into the top five?
No, that's not right—She clearly remembered that Kitazawa said the practical exam determined the ranking!
Tayuya decided to insist that the ranking was based on the practical exam. Once she entered the top five, Kitazawa's face would surely look ugly.
She was already fantasizing about the sweet feeling of revenge.
"It's fine. The theoretical exam isn't that important," Sakura pouted and said. "Anyway, none of us will get first place."
"Why do you say that?" Tayuya snapped back to reality and asked, confused.
"Because Shikamaru's youth is simply too amazing!" Naruto said, giving a thumbs-up.
"..." Tayuya was speechless.
Naruto was fine in every other way, but this word "youth" — she could never understand it.
"Shikamaru's intelligence is higher than all of ours, so he always gets first place," Sakura sighed.
"I don't believe it!" Tayuya said stubbornly.
"You'll understand later." Sakura slumped over her desk, looking hopeless. "I used to be first place."
"You can tie for first place," Shino adjusted his glasses and said. "As long as you can get a perfect score on the theoretical exam."
"Thank you for your suggestion," Sakura said dryly, her lips twitching.
Although she was an academic ace, getting a perfect score required luck — especially with subjective questions.
"The most important thing for a Ninja is practical combat!"
After Tayuya figured it out, her attitude immediately changed. "As long as I get first place in the practical exam, it'll be fine!"
"I advise you to still be cautious," Ino said, unable to hold back. "Especially be careful of Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji."
"I know." Tayuya waved her hand indifferently.
In her opinion, the ones worth noting were Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Neji, and Hyuga Hinata — simply because of their surnames.
She was well aware of the prestige of the Sharingan and Byakugan. Even so, she believed that with her Genjutsu and Summoning Beasts, she could still achieve victory.
Especially her Summoning Beasts — in terms of strength alone, the three Doki were no weaker than Chunin-level Ninja.
Of course, she actually couldn't beat Kimimaro yet. However, since he also came from Otogakure, she subconsciously ignored him.
"Confidence is a good thing." Kiba showed a nostalgic expression. "This is how I used to be."
He was similar to Tayuya once — full of confidence. But after being beaten down repeatedly in the Genius Class, he had long come to terms with reality.
"Tayuya, haven't you watched Naruto's training?" Shikamaru asked curiously.
Logically speaking, after seeing Naruto's Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, it would be impossible to still be that confident.
It was understandable if she hadn't seen Sasuke's training — after all, they weren't in Kitazawa's study group and didn't usually train together.
"No, I haven't." Tayuya retorted, "Why would I watch him train?"
She had long been accustomed to focusing only on herself in Otogakure. Watching others wasn't something she cared about.
Shikamaru suddenly gasped. Kitazawa was doing this on purpose.
He had deliberately separated Kimimaro and Tayuya during training to create a false impression for them.
Shikamaru fell into thought.
What was Kitazawa's purpose in doing this? As a teacher, he obviously wouldn't harm them.
Then the only explanation was that he wanted to frustrate Tayuya and the others — to correct their overconfidence and arrogance.
Shikamaru let out a thoughtful "hmm."
This reason sounded strangely familiar. Could it be…? No, impossible — absolutely impossible!
He had been captured by Jibachi of the Kamizuru Clan purely because his own strength was lacking. Otherwise, Jibachi could've easily captured Shino and Hinata, too.
Sasuke shook his head. True masters were always silent.
In his opinion, Kimimaro was far more troublesome than Tayuya.
Although they hadn't fought yet, he could already sense a kindred aura — that of someone born to fight.
Oh, except for Naruto. He wasn't normal.
"Go for it!" Tenten could already imagine Tayuya's look of existential disbelief after the exam.
All she could do was wish her good luck.
"Everyone, return to your seats and prepare for the exam." Kitazawa walked into the classroom.
Everyone immediately stopped chatting and sat down obediently — including Tayuya.
After a month of life in Konoha Village, she had gradually gotten used to it.
Although she occasionally still spoke sarcastically to Kitazawa, her attitude toward Ino and the others had become normal.
After all, she freeloaded snacks from them every day, so it wouldn't be right to act cold.
"There's only one rule for the theoretical exam: no cheating," Kitazawa said, handing out the test papers.
After Tayuya received hers, she immediately flipped through it. Two words appeared in her mind: It's over.
One month of remedial classes was far too short — she couldn't even understand half the questions.
And why were they even being tested on the Will of Fire? What did that have to do with them, Ninja from Otogakure?
Tayuya sighed, picked up her pen, and began writing random answers.
But she wasn't the only one — Kimimaro, Jugo, and even Haku were doing the same.
Kitazawa sat on the podium and began writing the test paper as well. He was putting himself into the situation to prevent Kimimaro from taking a top-three spot.
Because he already knew all the answers, he finished quickly and set the paper aside. Then he began thinking about his Eightfold Cursed Seal of Earth.
Modifying the Cursed Seal of Earth was actually easier than developing the Yang Release Chakra Mode.
After all, the Eightfold Cursed Seal of Earth only required adding restrictions to its existing structure — like taking a lamp that had one switch and giving it eight.
In fact, it didn't even need eight; the number would depend on the user's capacity. Kitazawa's ideal design ranged from three to eight layers.
At eleven in the morning, the bell rang, and the students of the Genius Class stopped writing.
"Tomorrow morning at nine, come to the Training Ground for the practical exam," Kitazawa reminded them.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino raised her hand and asked, "Are the teams formed only after the practical exam ends?"
"Yes." Kitazawa nodded. "Only students who make it into the top eighteen will be eligible for team assignments."
"Kitazawa-sensei, you must pick me first!" Ino clasped her hands together and said playfully.
"Kitazawa-sensei is fair and just! Your little tricks won't work!" Sakura immediately countered.
Shikamaru shook his head — he wasn't so sure. Only he had noticed Kitazawa's subtle manipulations before.
"If I were to choose, I'd pick three—" Kiba stopped midway, realizing something was off.
Kitazawa was here, but the Third Hokage wasn't, so he awkwardly changed his words to the only possible answer.
Tayuya's face showed a conflicted expression.
She wanted to be on a team with Kimimaro and Jugo, her fellow Otogakure Ninja, but Ino and the others were also good to her… and they had snacks.
"You'll know tomorrow. For now, go home and get some rest," Kitazawa said, cutting off their chatter.
He gathered the test papers and left for his office. Tayuya suddenly remembered something and quickly ran after him.
"Is there anything else?" Kitazawa turned to look at her.
"When I said 'top five,' I meant the practical exam!" Tayuya declared firmly.
"That's what I meant too." Kitazawa chuckled. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who would scheme against a child like you?"
"I'm not a child!" Tayuya glared at him.
"If you're not a child, then what are you?" Kitazawa asked, amused.
"I… I'm an official Ninja of Otogakure!" Tayuya said stubbornly.
"You're currently a student in the Genius Class of Konoha Village," Kitazawa corrected her.
"I am not!" Tayuya shouted, hands on her hips.
"Alright, I need to grade the test papers now," Kitazawa said calmly. "If you want, I can let you grade them."
Tayuya's face turned pale, and she bolted. Taking the test had already drained her life — grading it would be torture.
"And she says she's not a child," Kitazawa muttered with a faint smile as he walked into his office.
"Kitazawa." Konan looked up and greeted him proactively.
"Mm," Kitazawa responded and began grading the test papers.
Before noon, he had already ranked the Genius Class's theoretical exam results.
As expected, first and second place went to Shikamaru and Sakura. But the third place had changed — it was Sasuke. His summer tutoring had paid off.
The rest of the rankings were mostly the same.
Kimimaro, Jugo, Haku, and Tayuya — the transfer students — had average scores since this was their first theoretical exam.
None of them made it into the top fifteen, and Tayuya was even second to last. The last place was firmly occupied by Rock Lee.
Overall, the rankings were within expectations.
---
In the afternoon, Kitazawa returned home.
After learning Creation Rebirth: Hundred Healings Technique, he could finally focus his energy on mastering Wood Release.
Once he completed Wood Release: Great Forest Jutsu, he planned to go to Tsunade and lay everything out honestly.
When he got tired of practicing Wood Release, he would spend his breaks thinking about how to modify the Eightfold Cursed Seal of Earth and optimize his Yang Release Chakra Mode.
That had basically been his daily life for the past month. After all, the Ninja World was calm now — no major wars, no sudden crises.
Instead, the Land of Fire had been bustling because of the Ocean Heart Jewelry Store. Countless copycat jewelry shops had already sprung up across the region.
However, Konoha held the first-mover advantage. With the Daimyo's endorsement, there was no real cause for concern.
Those imitation stores could at best scrape up a few crumbs — they posed no threat to the original.
---
Time moved to the next day.
Since it was the day of the Practical Exam, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kakashi, and Kosuke were all present.
"Kimimaro's reputation has really spread now," Kosuke said, glancing at him. "When I went to Konoha Hospital for a check-up last week, I heard several Medical Ninja discussing him."
"Why?" Kakashi had been busy training Sasuke recently. Since he wasn't injured, he hadn't visited the hospital — so he was out of the loop.
"Because of the Bloodline Disease," Kosuke explained.
"Fortunately, we have Tsunade and the others," Hiruzen said with a faint chuckle. "Otherwise, Konoha might've lost a Ninja with Shikotsumyaku."
Orochimaru had already returned to Konoha, and by extension, the Otogakure he founded now existed under Konoha's jurisdiction — including Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jugo.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, among them, valued Kimimaro the most.
After all, the Kaguya Clan had once been the largest Bloodline Limit clan in the Hidden Mist Village, renowned for their Shikotsumyaku.
Now that Kimimaro had joined Konoha, there was even the possibility of rebuilding the Kaguya bloodline under the Leaf's banner.
"Mm." Kosuke nodded thoughtfully. "I'm very interested in Shikotsumyaku myself. I look forward to seeing his performance in this exam."
"I estimate he'll make it into the top five," Hiruzen said after a moment of thought.
"I think so too," Kakashi agreed.
At nine in the morning, Kitazawa arrived punctually at the Ninja Academy's Training Ground.
Under everyone's gaze, he took out a lottery box.
This time, he planned to draw the matchups himself — for a simple reason: he wanted to control the results.
If it were purely random, Kimimaro's strength would almost certainly guarantee him a spot in the top three.
"This practical exam will be conducted through random drawing," Kitazawa announced, reaching into the lottery box and pulling out two slips of paper.
The students of the Genius Class reacted in their own ways.
Sasuke had a calm yet confident look. He had made great strides recently, mastering three Lightning Release techniques.
In Kakashi's words, even most Chunin didn't know that many Lightning-based Ninjutsu.
Moreover, Sasuke had undergone special training in taijutsu this month. Having missed first place before, this time he intended to reclaim it — and earn praise from Itachi and the others.
"I hope I get matched with Sasuke or someone strong!" Naruto's thoughts were simple — he craved a good fight.
As long as the battle was satisfying, that was enough. Of course, if he could take first place in the process, that'd be even better.
Tayuya crossed her arms. She was convinced she could make it into the top five this time — and make Kitazawa's jaw drop.
As for first place? With Kimimaro around, she didn't harbor unrealistic expectations.
Kimimaro, though expressionless, harbored a quiet fire.
He wanted to prove his strength and his worth to Orochimaru — that no matter where he was, he remained the strongest.
Kiba, Shino, Tenten, and Sakura had participated in many practical exams before.
They all knew they couldn't compete with Sasuke and the others, so their goal was simply to do their best.
However, Sakura and Ino were a little different. As close friends and rivals, both firmly believed they could beat each other this time.
"First round, first match — Tayuya versus Hyuga Hinata!" Kitazawa announced.
Hinata? Tayuya's gaze sharpened. This might be troublesome. Still, she stepped forward with confidence.
Hinata looked at her calmly, recalling the intelligence gathered beforehand. Her biggest concerns were Tayuya's genjutsu and Summoning Beasts.
Considering Tayuya's confidence, Hinata decided to go all out — she couldn't afford to lose in front of Kitazawa.
"Battle start!" Kitazawa declared after the two formed the confrontation seal.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
Hinata struck first, thrusting her right palm forward. An invisible shockwave surged through the air.
Tayuya had just raised her bamboo flute when she was struck, the impact forcing her to drop it. Her eyes widened — could Gentle Fist really be used from that far away?
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!"
Hinata used the Konoha-styleBody Flicker Technique to appear right in front of her, unleashing a seamless flurry of palm strikes.
Although Tayuya excelled in genjutsu and Summoning Jutsu, her taijutsu was average.
And against the precision of Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, she stood no chance.
Within seconds, all her Chakra points were sealed. Tayuya collapsed to the ground, unable to move.