After sending Hinata and Ino to train, Kitazawa taught the Genius Class for a while longer. More accurately, he was filling in for Kakashi, who was still out on a mission with his team.
The same question resurfaced in Kitazawa's mind. Should he increase the number of teachers for the Genius Class?
Previously, Kakashi and Kosuke would take two teams out on missions, alternating weeks. If two more teachers were added, the time could be cut down by a week.
After all, with eighteen students, six teachers—one per team—would be just right.
This way, the practical exam could be completed within a week, instead of dragging on for two weeks.
Kitazawa stroked his chin. He thought Kurenai could be a teacher for the Genius Class.
Nowadays, besides her own training, she mostly goes on missions with him, leaving her with a lot of free time.
Moreover, teaching at the Ninja Academy wouldn't take up much time; it mainly involved guiding the students' training.
Guiding students also wouldn't interfere with her own training; she could just use the Shadow Clone.
But for the second teacher, he was at a loss for a while.
Personality aside, Might Guy would be a good choice.
However, Kitazawa felt that he himself definitely couldn't maintain composure, and Kakashi and the others would also find it difficult.
If he ended up corrupting a few students, that would be truly terrifying.
Kitazawa let out a soft "hmm." He suddenly had a candidate in mind.
It was Chen, the one known as Konoha's strongest Taijutsu Ninja, who created the Konoha Dragon God.
In a sense, Chen was even more suitable than Might Guy.
It wasn't because his personality was more normal, but because he could teach his Taijutsu to Naruto and Rock Lee, especially the latter.
Rock Lee, being too young, couldn't learn the Eight Gates, causing his strength to stagnate.
But if he couldn't learn the Eight Gates, he could learn Chen's Konoha Gale and Konoha Dragon God.
If he could truly master them, his strength could also advance by leaps and bounds.
Kitazawa recalled the plot from the original story.
Outwardly, Chen died during the Third Shinobi World War. But in reality, he didn't die; he simply became despondent after the death of his student.
When Rock Lee went to pay his respects, he met Chen's granddaughter at his grave. Chen's granddaughter would come every day to bring him food and told Rock Lee that her grandfather was not dead.
Thinking of this, Kitazawa sent the Anbu to investigate the location of Chen's grave, while he continued to train at the Ninja Academy.
Half an hour later, the memories of the Shadow Clone returned. Kitazawa paused, quickly understanding Nagato's condition.
As he expected, he was recovering very well. After one more course of medicine, he could perform the Limb Regeneration Medical Ninjutsu on him.
At noon, Kitazawa arrived at the ANBU Base.
Konan appeared shortly after. She had already been there for a while, but Kitazawa was teaching, so she didn't disturb him.
"I'll prescribe his medicine now." Kitazawa sat at his desk, picking up a pen and paper.
Konan stood by, waiting quietly.
After the first two courses of treatment, she now completely trusted Kitazawa, so she didn't watch him write the prescription, as she wouldn't understand it anyway.
"Alright, you can go back and get the medicine." Kitazawa exhaled, handing her the written prescription.
"Thank you." Konan took the prescription and then said, "The processing plant in the Land of Rain has been built and is ready for operation."
"Do you know about market segmentation?" Kitazawa asked with a smile.
Konan thought for two seconds, then shook her head.
"The simplest market segmentation can be divided into two types." Kitazawa held up his index finger and said, "The first type is the high-end market, targeting Daimyo, nobles, and wealthy merchants."
A look of realization appeared on Konan's face.
The exorbitant necklaces Kitazawa designed clearly belonged to the high-end market, catering exclusively to the wealthy.
As for the second type of market, she guessed it: opposite to high-end would naturally be low-end.
"The silver you mine in the Land of Rain is not as valuable as gold and gems." Kitazawa said unhurriedly, "I think you can focus on the second type of market, targeting ordinary residents and Ninja."
Konan fell into thought upon hearing this.
The low-end market certainly wouldn't generate money as quickly as the high-end market, but it had a larger market and more targets, allowing for small profits and quick turnover.
Most importantly, it wouldn't create direct competition with other jewelry stores. The only issue was production capacity.
"We are short on manpower." Konan thought for a moment and then spoke.
"How can you be short on manpower? Aren't all the residents of the Land of Rain your employees?"
Kitazawa said with a smile, "And letting them all participate will allow them to earn money and support their families. In the long run, the Land of Rain will become even more prosperous."
Konan's heart involuntarily trembled. She instinctively looked at Kitazawa, her eyes filled with surprise.
To make the Land of Rain prosperous was her, Yahiko, and Nagato's original dream.
But even with the Akatsuki Organization, the Land of Rain still couldn't develop. The reason was simple: in addition to the harsh weather, there were no special resources.
Now, Kitazawa's words gave her hope. This silver jewelry industry might truly drive the development of the Land of Rain.
"Of course, that's still too far off. The immediate priority is to officially start production."
Kitazawa said after a brief thought, "I will design three silver jewelry pieces for you and be responsible for their promotion, but I want half of the profits."
Konan instinctively frowned. Her first reaction was that Kitazawa was taking too much, demanding half right away.
But upon closer consideration, half might not be a loss after all.
The popularity of the Ocean Heart Jewelry Store showed that promotion and design were the most crucial aspects, while raw materials were secondary.
"If selling silver jewelry can double the market price of silver ore, then I agree." Konan deliberated for a long time, adding a condition.
Under normal circumstances, they had planned to sell silver ore directly. If the profit from selling silver jewelry could double the profit from selling silver ore, then giving Kitazawa half would be acceptable.
"You certainly have a good head for economics." Kitazawa chuckled and said, "Alright, let's do as you say, but on the condition that you unconditionally obey during promotion."
Doubling it was underestimating him. The Ocean Heart Jewelry Store's profits weren't just double; they were tens or even hundreds of times over.
However, he could understand Konan. Her meaning was simple: the Akatsuki Organization just needed to earn money from selling silver ore.
As for silver jewelry, the idea itself only arose under Kitazawa's influence.
"I'll give you the designs tomorrow," Kitazawa added.
He had seen many silver jewelry pieces, but for a grand opening, he definitely had to choose three that were more eye-catching.
"Mm." Konan nodded.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Kitazawa called out casually.
"Kitazawa-sama." An ANBU Ninja walked in and reported the location of Chen's grave.
"You may leave." Kitazawa waited for him to depart, then also left the room.
It was exactly noon, so he might encounter Chen's granddaughter bringing food.
Not long after, Kitazawa arrived at Chen's grave. With a thought, his senses spread out, and he quickly discovered his whereabouts.
Chen was in a tree not far away.
Kitazawa had thought he would be in the grave, but on second thought, lying in a grave would be too uncomfortable.
He didn't say much, standing still and waiting. A moment later, a little girl carrying a bento box appeared.
"Who are you?" Chen's granddaughter looked at Kitazawa and asked doubtfully, "You look somewhat familiar."
"My name is Kitazawa, and I am your grandfather's friend," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"You're so much younger than my grandfather. How did you become friends?" Chen's granddaughter tilted her head and asked.
"It's a long story." Kitazawa blinked, then changed the subject, asking, "Are you also here to pay respects?"
"I'm not." Chen's granddaughter shook her head and said, "I'm here to bring my grandfather food."
"Chen's granddaughter, how many times have I told you not to reveal that I'm still alive to outsiders?" A sudden voice rang out.
A short, old man, wearing sunglasses, appeared.
"Ah? I forgot, I'm sorry, Grandpa." Chen's granddaughter said, embarrassed.
"Kitazawa-sama." Chen looked at Kitazawa and asked, "This should be our first meeting, so how did we become friends?"
"Might Guy and I are friends, and so I consider you a friend as well." Kitazawa cleared his throat and said.
As for why Chen recognized him, that wasn't surprising. In Konoha Village, those who didn't know him were already few and far between.
"Kitazawa-sama, what can I do for you?" Chen didn't dwell on the matter and returned to the main topic.
"Senior Chen, I would like to invite you to teach at the Ninja Academy's Genius Class," Kitazawa stated his purpose.
"I refuse," Chen said without thinking.
The reason he was so passive now was that his student died during the Third Shinobi World War.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason. He had originally wanted to teach his student the Konoha Dragon God, but the Third Shinobi World War broke out before he had the chance.
Chen always felt that his student's death was related to him; if he had taught him Konoha Dragon God earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have died.
Now, asking him to teach would only bring back painful memories.
"Don't you want your Taijutsu to be passed down?" Kitazawa asked after a brief thought.
Chen fell silent.
"Senior Chen, your Konoha Dragon God has a certain reputation in the Ninja World. It would be a pity if it were lost." Kitazawa continued.
Ninjas place great importance on the teacher-student relationship, even surpassing familial bonds to some extent.
And Chen was already old, not far from death. No matter how much he didn't care, he wouldn't want his Taijutsu to have no successor.
After all, Konoha Dragon God was a Taijutsu he created himself.
"Once you become a teacher for the Genius Class, your granddaughter will also have a chance to enter the Genius Class." Kitazawa changed his approach and said.
Chen subconsciously glanced at Chen's granddaughter.
The Genius Class system had been implemented for a long time, and most Ninjas in Konoha Village knew of its existence.
It was no exaggeration to say that entering the Genius Class meant a limitless future.
After all, the teachers of the Genius Class students included Sarutobi Hiruzen and Kitazawa.
"You are a capable Ninja. Spending the rest of your life here would be a waste." Kitazawa said earnestly, "People should look forward. Changing your environment might be better."
"I'll try teaching for a month first." Chen looked at him and finally nodded.
Kitazawa was a high-ranking official in Konoha Village. To invite him with such an attitude already showed him great respect.
Even if not for himself, he had to consider his family. Moreover, he truly didn't want his Konoha Dragon God to be lost.
His regret back then was not having time to teach his student, Konoha Dragon God, and now he had a chance to make amends.
"Senior Chen, I believe the Genius Class students will not disappoint you," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"I've also heard about the Genius Class students." Chen nodded, then thought and said, "I'll come to the Ninja Academy tomorrow morning to find you."
"Alright, see you tomorrow." Kitazawa didn't stay long and turned to leave.
"I never thought I'd have a day where I could be a teacher again." Chen said with emotion.
"I remember now!" Chen's granddaughter suddenly said excitedly, "He's Hokage-sama's student! I saw him once before!"
Previously, when Konoha Village defeated Hidden Mist Village, Tsunade, Kitazawa, and others returned victorious, and she went to join the crowd.
"Yes." Chen reached out, stroked her head, and said, "Come on, let's go home."
"Grandpa, you haven't been home in a long time!" Chen's granddaughter's face showed a surprised expression upon hearing this.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Chen led her towards their home.
---
A new day, Wednesday.
8:30 AM.
Kitazawa went to the ANBU Base, gave the silver jewelry design to Konan, and then came to the Ninja Academy with Kurenai.
Compared to Chen's hesitation, Kurenai agreed to become a teacher for the Genius Class without much thought.
She had completed many missions with Kitazawa and had already established a good relationship with the Genius Class students.
Now that she was a teacher, she wasn't resistant at all.
As soon as Kitazawa entered the Training Ground, he saw Sarutobi Hiruzen, Maruboshi Kosuke, Kakashi Hatake, and Chen chatting.
Although he didn't know what they were talking about, the atmosphere seemed very pleasant, and everyone had smiles on their faces.
"Kitazawa." Sarutobi Hiruzen noticed him and said with a chuckle, "To think of asking Chen to be a teacher, you're quite clever."
"I think it's a very good choice." Kosuke's face showed a reminiscent expression as he said, "I even did missions with Chen as teammates."
"That was a long time ago. I never thought I'd become colleagues with Senior Kosuke." Chen said with emotion.
"We have to thank Kitazawa for creating the Genius Class." Kosuke glanced at Kitazawa and said, "I also never thought I'd be colleagues with Hiruzen again."
"Indeed." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with emotion, "My current life has far exceeded my expectations."
His previously imagined retirement life involved fishing when there was nothing to do and freeloading meals from old friends when there was something to do.
Kakashi and Kurenai exchanged glances, both feeling the pressure. After all, their colleagues were seasoned powerhouses like Sarutobi Hiruzen, Maruboshi Kosuke, and Chen.
Their seniority and strength made interacting with them a challenge.
9:00 AM.
All the Genius Class students were present.
"Before class today, I want to introduce two new teachers to the Genius Class." Kitazawa raised his hand and introduced Kurenai and Chen to them.
"What will the two new teachers be teaching?" Ino raised her hand and asked.
Her current teacher was Kitazawa, so she didn't want a change.
"Kurenai will teach Genjutsu and Sealing Technique." Kitazawa replied, "Senior Chen will teach Taijutsu."
"Taijutsu?" Naruto and Rock Lee subconsciously looked at Chen.
But there was doubt in their eyes. The reason was that Chen looked unremarkable and was also too short.
In fact, other students also had this doubt.
Kurenai's strength was already well-known to them because she often went on missions with Kitazawa.
"Lee, come up here and let Senior Chen guide you." Kitazawa immediately saw what they were thinking, so he adopted the most direct method.
"Are you Might Guy's students?" Chen asked, looking at Rock Lee and Naruto, who were wearing green jumpsuits.
"You know Guy Sensei?" Rock Lee stood up and said, "Naruto and I are both Guy Sensei's students."
"I do." Chen waved his hand and said, "Let me see what you've learned."
"Konoha Whirlwind!" Rock Lee kicked out.
But Chen was faster than him, hitting his calf with a kick, causing him to stagger back several steps.
"Amazing!" Rock Lee rushed forward again, "Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
"Konoha Gale!" Chen mimicked him, calling out the Taijutsu name.
He leaped up and performed a three-hit spinning kick, leaving Rock Lee defenseless.
"There's actually another Taijutsu Ninja as strong as Guy Sensei?" Naruto couldn't help but widen his eyes.
"I used to be called the strongest Taijutsu Ninja in Konoha Village, you know!" Chen said proudly.
"Teacher Chen, can I join the fight?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Come on, one more of you won't matter," Chen said confidently.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
As soon as Naruto entered the field, he immediately created hundreds of Shadow Clones.
"…?!" Chen's expression instantly stiffened.
Did I fall into a Genjutsu? How could I see a seven-year-old child using Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu?
"Konoha Dragon God!" Chen looked at the overwhelming number of Naruto clones rushing towards him and chose to use his self-created Taijutsu.
In an instant, a giant azure dragon appeared, sweeping away the Shadow Clones like a destructive force.
Kitazawa darted forward, taking Naruto and Rock Lee away.
Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jugo felt a sense of familiarity. Because Kitazawa had used Konoha Dragon God when sparring with them in Otogakure.
From this perspective, Chen's strength was indeed very high.
Naruto and Rock Lee were even more so. It was their first time seeing Konoha Dragon God, and they were shocked by its power.
"Teacher Chen, I want to learn that!" Naruto and Rock Lee said in unison.
"That depends on your performance," Chen said with a smile.
Displaying Konoha Dragon God in front of so many students made him feel alive again.
"???" Sasuke had a face full of question marks upon hearing this.
Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu combined with Konoha Dragon God—how devious is that? How could he even fight?
Of course, learning Konoha Dragon God was not an easy feat; it was at least an A-rank Taijutsu. And if Naruto could learn it, so could he.
After this demonstration, the Genius Class students all accepted Chen.
Kurenai and Chen also quickly adapted to their roles as teachers.
October entered its mid-month.
It was a new week.
The eighteen students' missions were finally all completed, and the Monthly Exam rankings were released.
Sasuke once again took first place, making him laugh wildly.
Kitazawa looked at his hearty laughter and suddenly had an idea.
He planned to bring Itachi when Sasuke used the Box of Ultimate Bliss, perhaps staging the brotherly battle early.