The earth shook, and countless sheets of snow surged forward like a raging torrent.
A few minutes later, when the avalanche finally subsided, everything in sight was buried beneath thick layers of snow.
Koyuki withdrew her gaze and let out a quiet breath of relief.
That terrifying wall of snow had crashed straight into the Wood Dragon. For a moment, she had truly feared that even the dragon wouldn't be able to withstand it.
But her worries proved completely unnecessary. Even an avalanche of that magnitude hadn't left so much as a scratch on the Wood Dragon.
"No wonder the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was once revered as the God of Shinobi." Sandayū Asama exclaimed in admiration. "This Wood Release ninjutsu is truly formidable."
He had long heard of Wood Release, yet had never witnessed it with his own eyes. Now that he had it, it more than lived up to its legendary reputation.
A single person had held back a natural disaster.
"Kitazawa-sensei will definitely become the second God of Shinobi!" Ino brushed a strand of golden hair from her forehead and declared confidently.
"I think so too." Kiba readily agreed.
Haku nodded in silent assent. In his mind, Kitazawa's strength seemed to have no limits.
"Kitazawa-sama, thank you from the bottom of my heart!" Koyuki stepped forward and bowed deeply, sincerity written all over her face.
With Dotō Kazahana dead, she had not only avenged her father, Sōsetsu Kazahana, but also secured her rightful position as the new daimyō of the Land of Snow.
From this day on, she could live openly, no longer hunted across the endless snows.
"It's nothing. We're allies now." Kitazawa snapped his fingers lightly. "Next stop—your coronation tour."
At his thought, the Wood Dragon beneath them surged forward, racing toward the capital of the Land of Snow.
"Teacher, shouldn't we retrieve Dotō's body?" Kiba glanced back at the snowfield and asked.
"Their corpses are worthless," Kitazawa replied casually. "With the avalanche, digging them out would only waste time. There's no point."
Kiba nodded and said nothing more.
Sandayū thought of something, opened his mouth, then closed it again. Dotō had ruled for many years. Loyalists surely remained.
Bringing back his body might have broken their morale more easily. But one glance at the Wood Dragon beneath their feet made him swallow his words.
The four strongest fighters in the Land of Snow had been Dotō and his men. Against this dragon, numbers were meaningless.
The Wood Dragon thundered across the snowfields and soon reached the capital.
"What… what is that?!" The guards on the city walls and at the gates went pale, terror written all over their faces.
The dragon's sheer size rivaled that of a Tailed Beast. As it passed, the capital trembled as though struck by an earthquake.
The oppressive presence alone froze even the most hardened Snow Country soldiers in place.
The Wood Dragon halted, and the tremors ceased.
"Oi! Go get whoever's in charge!" Kiba shouted.
Riding a dragon comparable to a Tailed Beast—and with Kitazawa present—filled him with boldness.
When else would he ever get such a perfect chance to show off?
Usually, Sasuke or Naruto stole the spotlight. Now, at last, it was Kiba's moment.
Ino clicked her tongue in silent regret—she'd been a step too slow.
Only Haku showed no interest in grandstanding.
"There are people on it?" The soldiers steadied themselves and noticed six figures standing atop the dragon's head.
They exchanged stunned looks. Then realization dawned—and their shock deepened.
Was someone controlling this dragon? Who possessed such terrifying power?
Whoever it was, they absolutely could not afford to offend them. Without hesitation, they complied, sending four men to fetch their commander.
[Current Mission: Help Koyuki Kazahana reclaim her country.]
[Reward: Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.]
[Mission completed. Reward distributed.]
As they waited, three lines of text appeared before Kitazawa's eyes.
Ice Release techniques were rare, even in the original story. Among them, Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals was arguably the strongest.
Haku had just demonstrated it earlier—summoning multiple ice mirrors and freely moving between them.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The technique was excellent, but its offensive power was somewhat lacking.
His thoughts drifted to Admiral Aokiji's Ice–Ice Fruit from the neighboring world of One Piece.
Many of its applications could inspire new Ice Release techniques. Take Ice Age, for example.
It froze vast regions, turning the sea between several islands into solid ice for an entire week.
If he could create a similar technique, every Water Release user would be helpless before him.
Invading Kirigakure? One Ice Age would freeze the surrounding seas solid, leaving their Water Release specialists completely stunned.
And in theory, it wasn't difficult—just an extreme conversion of chakra into Ice Release.
"Kitazawa-sama, I still have some influence here. Allow me to negotiate." Sandayū said, glancing at the shaken soldiers.
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. He lowered the Wood Dragon's head.
Sandayū and Koyuki leapt down to the ground. They spoke with the still-trembling guards.
As expected, everything went smoothly.
The moment the soldiers learned of Dotō's death, they knelt without hesitation, welcoming Koyuki as the rightful ruler of the Land of Snow.
Seeing this, Kitazawa dispelled the Wood Dragon Technique. He had maintained the dragon partly for transportation and partly to awe the country.
Both objectives had been achieved—there was no reason to sustain it any longer.
"Kitazawa-sama," Koyuki approached respectfully. "After you."
The Land of Snow was not one of the Five Great Nations, and her restoration depended entirely on him. A little humility cost her nothing.
Kitazawa nodded. He cared little for formalities, but her attitude made the journey worthwhile.
"This entire wall is made of ice?" Up close, Kiba realized that the city's ramparts were solid ice.
"The Land of Snow has snowfall year-round. Ice never melts here, making it a perfect building material." Koyuki explained.
Kitazawa was reminded of the ice-and-snow theme parks from his previous life.
Combined with Koyuki's fame as a movie star, the Land of Snow could easily develop a theme park to stimulate its economy.
The group entered the city.
The nobles and officials had already heard news of Koyuki's return. They gathered before the palace to welcome her.
Life under Dotō had been brutal. He had seized the throne in pursuit of Sōsetsu Kazahana's so-called secret treasure.
No one knew where it was. Dotō refused to believe them. Torture followed, and many lost their lives.
After that, the survivors were forced to scour the entire country for the treasure.
With Dotō's volatile temper, death could come at any moment—so Koyuki's return filled them all with hope.
After brief greetings, Koyuki entrusted matters to Sandayū. He needed to learn everything that had happened during her absence.
"Kitazawa-sama," Koyuki said as she approached Kitazawa's group. "Allow me to show you to your quarters."
"We'll be returning to Konoha tomorrow," Kitazawa reminded her.
"So soon?" Koyuki protested. "Stay a few more days. Let the Land of Snow properly thank you."
"There's no need for any fuss," Kitazawa replied lightly. "You've only just become daimyō. You'll be very busy."
Koyuki opened her mouth, then closed it again. Kitazawa's tone left no room for argument, so she let the matter drop.
"Go rest," Kitazawa said as he stopped walking. "I still have one more thing to discuss with the daimyō."
"Understood, Sensei." Ino, Kiba, and Haku asked no questions and obediently went to their rooms.
"Kitazawa-sama, just call me Koyuki," she said with a gentle smile.
"Our alliance mentioned you serving as a spokesperson," Kitazawa said. "Now that you're daimyō, will you still make films?"
"I will." Koyuki thought for a moment before replying. "Making movies is my hobby, and it also helps earn money to develop the Land of Snow."
The Land of Snow was not developing well. Its environment was almost identical to that of the Land of Rain.
That was one of the reasons Sōsetsu Kazahana had researched the environment-modification machine.
Although Kitazawa had many ways to develop the Land of Snow, all of them stemmed from ideas in his previous life.
People in the Ninja World simply didn't think that way.
"All right." Kitazawa smiled. "Origami, negotiate with her."
Origami was Konan's ANBU codename. In front of outsiders, he couldn't address Konan by her real name.
Konan, wearing her ANBU mask, appeared before the two of them.
She instinctively glanced at Kitazawa. He had once mentioned hiring a TV or movie star as a spokesperson, but only casually.
She never expected that he would go so far as to personally come to the Land of Snow just to recruit Koyuki Kazahana—Fuyukaze Yukie—as an ambassador.
Konan couldn't help feeling a little conflicted.
"What product is it for?" Koyuki looked at Konan and asked.
Konan gathered herself and explained the Land of Rain's water business.
Although Koyuki wondered why the endorsement was for the Land of Rain rather than Konoha Village, she agreed without hesitation.
"Besides the endorsement, there are also those technologies," Kitazawa reminded her. "Including Dotō's Chakra Armour."
While Kitazawa himself had no use for the Chakra Armour, other ninja in Konoha certainly could.
"I'll have them delivered first thing tomorrow," Koyuki nodded.
With the agreement settled, she didn't linger and excused herself.
Just as Kitazawa had said, she had far too much to deal with—an unfamiliar Land of Snow awaited her leadership.
Kitazawa casually pushed open the door.
Koyuki had arranged excellent accommodations for him—a small palace so spacious it felt lonely for a single occupant.
"Kitazawa." Konan followed him inside and said softly, "Thank you."
"The water business is yours, but it's also mine," Kitazawa said as he sat down on the sofa. "I'm only doing what I should."
Konan opened her mouth, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Although half the profits would go to Kitazawa, the true beneficiaries were still the Land of Rain, Amegakure, and the Akatsuki Organization.
Without Kitazawa, they wouldn't even earn the remaining half.
The money Akatsuki gained from missions and bounties was less than one-tenth of what Kitazawa brought in.
"All right, let's not talk about that," Kitazawa waved his hand.
"Would you like a massage?" Konan stepped forward, sat on the sofa with her legs together, and asked on her own initiative.
"I will give you a massage," Kitazawa blinked. "Lie down."
Konan hesitated for a second, then turned sideways and rested her head on his thigh.
Kitazawa reached out, placed his hand on her cheek, and gently kneaded it.
Konan's eyelashes trembled slightly as she reflected. She realized that Kitazawa seemed particularly fond of pinching her face.
"Let me test you with a question," Kitazawa suddenly thought of something and asked with a smile. "Don't you think the Land of Snow is very similar to the Land of Rain?"
"The weather is similar," Konan thought for a moment before answering.
"Then how do you think the Land of Snow should develop?" Kitazawa asked, looking at her pretty face.
Konan fell into deep thought.
The Land of Rain had abundant water, so they sold water. The Land of Snow, naturally, had abundant ice.
"We could sell ice blocks to hotter regions," Konan replied.
"A conventional answer," Kitazawa commented.
Konan was slightly startled but didn't ask anything. Instead, she looked at him, waiting for his explanation.
"The truly hot regions of the Ninja World are basically limited to the Land of Wind," Kitazawa explained. "And unlike water, ice melts during transport. The cost would be extremely high."
Konan understood immediately. Although the Ninja World had refrigerators, using them to transport ice would be prohibitively expensive.
Unless Ice Release ninja were involved. At present, the only Ice Release ninja in the world are Kitazawa and Haku.
Beyond that, there was also the issue of pricing. Only the wealthy could afford to buy ice to cool down during the summer.
Ordinary civilians struggled just to survive—luxuries were out of reach.
Konan then thought of summer treats like shaved ice and popsicles. But the ice here came from falling snow and wasn't clean enough to consume directly.
"The best approach is tourism," Kitazawa said, sharing his theme-park concept with her.
After listening, Konan felt the idea was wildly imaginative. The Ninja World had no theme parks, ski resorts, or ice festivals.
Mainly because the conditions didn't allow it.
First, the constant wars.
Second, the poor economic level meant there was no demand.
Kitazawa was only chatting with Konan to broaden her perspective. Actually, building a theme park would be troublesome.
But the Land of Snow could genuinely give it a try. They could use local materials, keeping costs low.
And with railways and airships, transporting tourists would be convenient.
As they talked, Kitazawa also continued to… help Konan with her massage.
That evening, Koyuki held a grand banquet and invited them to attend. The atmosphere during the meal was extremely lively.
The next day, Kitazawa obtained the railway, airship, and Chakra Armour technologies.
In return, he discussed the Ice-and-Snow World concept with Koyuki.
After that, Kitazawa and Ino's group left the Land of Snow.
Naturally, Koyuki would later send an envoy delegation to Konoha Village to negotiate more detailed cooperation matters.
After all, signing the alliance treaty was only the first step—many follow-up tasks still remained.
But none of that had anything to do with Kitazawa. The moment he returned to Konoha Village, he handed everything over to Shikaku Nara.
Like Tsunade, Kitazawa would slack off whenever he could.
After meeting with Shikaku, he went to the Ninja Academy and found Iruka.
"Kitazawa-senpai." Iruka reported, "Four student squads have already returned. Only Third Hokage-sama and Kakashi-senpai are still out."
"Notify me once they're back." Kitazawa nodded.
This Monthly Exam was comparatively more important.
Because its rankings—especially those of the practical exam—would determine team selection for the final term's team battles.
After leaving the Ninja Academy, Kitazawa thought for a moment and headed to the Hokage Office.
This round trip had delayed him for nearly a week; he needed to check in with Tsunade. Kitazawa knocked. After receiving permission, he walked in.
"Where did the mission take you this time?" Tsunade set down her documents and asked casually.
"The Land of Snow." Kitazawa chuckled. "I also turned the Land of Snow into an ally of our Konoha Village."
"That easily?" Tsunade was visibly stunned.
Normally, whether major ninja villages or large countries, they rarely formed alliances with one another.
Such binding relationships could sometimes be more disadvantageous than beneficial.
Especially for small countries. If they didn't ally with any ninja village, they could freely post missions to all villages.
But once they signed an alliance with Konoha Village, missions would be prioritized for Konoha.
For Konoha, that was a good thing. But for small countries, they lost freedom of choice and risked offending other villages.
"I've just realized—you've signed alliances with quite a few countries." Tsunade reacted, her tone surprised.
Aside from the Land of Snow, there were also the Land of Grass and the Land of Demons. If one really counted, Takumi Village and Otogakure as well.
"Is that a bad thing?" Kitazawa walked up to her with a smile.
"Of course it's a good thing." Tsunade nodded. "Because of you, Konoha Village is receiving more and more missions."
She suddenly thought of Danzō Shimura.
His actions across the Ninja World had produced results completely opposite to Kitazawa's, earning him the title 'The Darkness of the Ninja World.'
The title sounded impressive, but in reality, it meant he had achieved nothing and only spread destruction.
"There's also this." Kitazawa took out a scroll and handed it to her.
Tsunade opened it and began reading. Soon, astonishment appeared on her delicate face.
"I never expected such technology to exist in the remote Land of Snow." She looked up at him. "Do you plan to popularize it in Konoha Village?"
"Konoha Village is large, but not so large that it needs railways and airships."
Kitazawa shook his head. "I plan to use these two technologies for the Ocean Heart Jewelry Store, to save on transportation time."
The Ocean Heart Jewelry Store's main market was in the Land of Fire. But its mining area lay in the sea region of the Land of Water, an enormous distance.
With railways and airships, transportation would become far more efficient.
"That's a good idea." Tsunade closed the scroll.
"These two technologies are better suited for the Land of Fire, not Konoha Village." Kitazawa smiled.
"Mm." Tsunade nodded. "When there's a chance, I'll mention it to the Fire Daimyō."
"After all, I worked hard to bring them back—I can't just give them away for free." Kitazawa reminded her.
"Of course." Tsunade's lips curved slightly. "The Fire Daimyō will have to increase the budget."
Kitazawa said nothing more.
Letting the Land of Fire build railways wasn't a bad thing. Railways cost a fortune. If the Land of Fire paid for them, Konoha saved the trouble.
More importantly, in Kitazawa's vision, the Land of Fire—or even the entire Ninja World—was his eventual target.
Provided he possessed absolute, invincible strength.
He wasn't an idealist like Hashirama. He wouldn't unify the world only to give it up later, distributing Tailed Beasts everywhere.
History had already proven Hashirama's approach ineffective—war resumed after his death.
In the original story, many had their own paths toward peace.
Jiraiya placed his hopes in the Child of Prophecy.
Obito sought to create a new world through Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Nagato believed the world needed to feel pain—to use war to end war.
From a practical standpoint, Kitazawa found Nagato's idea more viable. But it shared the same flaw as Hashirama's method. Once they died, peace vanished.
At that point, only an immortal, invincible existence could sustain peace.
Kitazawa smiled and handed Tsunade another scroll. This one contained Dotō Kazahana's Chakra Armour technology.
"From a technological standpoint, Land of Snow surpasses our village." After reading it, Tsunade couldn't help but remark.
"Not really." Kitazawa corrected her. "Orochimaru-sama's technology far surpasses Snow Country's."
"True." Tsunade blinked and laughed. "I'd forgotten about Orochimaru."
Since returning, Orochimaru had holed himself up in his laboratory and rarely emerged. She barely saw him once a month, so he had slipped her mind.
"In terms of effect, the Chakra Armor is decent, but it can't compare to the Cursed Seal of Earth's boost."
Kitazawa analyzed. "And it has a major drawback—high cost."
"Not very practical." Tsunade frowned slightly.
"I suggest establishing a Scientific Ninja Tools Department." Kitazawa mused. "Have Orochimaru-sama head it and bring in a team from Takumi Village."
Scientific ninja tools were formally introduced in Boruto. To Kitazawa, they were simply specialized ninja tools.
Like the Thunder God Sword, Chakra Armor, and the four bows he had forged.
How should one put it? Researching them wasn't wrong.
For ordinary ninja, scientific tools could provide enormous boosts.
The Four Celestial Symbols Men of Takumi Village were, in a sense, the pioneers of scientific ninja tool research.
"You mean having them study the armour and cut costs?" Tsunade caught on immediately and asked.
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. "Not just the armor—other scientific tools as well."
"Fine." Tsunade agreed without much thought. "Find the time and handle it."
Kitazawa nodded. It wasn't troublesome.
Takumi Village was already under Konoha's control; a single order would be enough. The rest would depend on time.
If they managed to produce usable tools, it would be worth it.
"You've worked hard for a week. Go get some rest." With the business settled, Tsunade waved him off dismissively.
"Teacher Tsunade." Kitazawa cleared his throat. "According to village rules, since I exceeded the mission requirements, shouldn't there be an extra reward?"
"What kind of reward do you want?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him.
"After all that travel, I need a lap to rest in," Kitazawa said with absolute seriousness.
Tsunade laughed helplessly. Only Kitazawa could seize an advantage so shamelessly—and so righteously. His thick skin truly rivaled her own.
Tsunade glared at him, stood up, and snapped, "Sit!"
Ignoring her tone entirely, Kitazawa immediately sat down in the Hokage's chair.
Tsunade stepped forward and firmly pressed his head into her embrace.
Before he could react, soft warmth cushioned his face. He instinctively inhaled, and a faint fragrance filled his nose.
Tsunade's body trembled. The hot breath against her chest felt unfamiliar.
Suppressing the sensation, she looked down at him, a rare gentleness flickering across her face.
But soon her brows knitted, and she shoved him away.
Kitazawa coughed lightly, withdrawing his hand.
Tsunade had reacted too quickly—he hadn't even had the chance to lighten the burden of her clothing.
"I'll head back now. See you tomorrow." Kitazawa stood up, completely unruffled.
Tsunade kicked him once before returning to the Hokage's seat.
---
Three days passed.
It was now the end of February.
Under normal circumstances, preparations for the finals would have begun. But with missions added into the mix, the Monthly Exams had been stretched far longer.
Previously, a Monthly Exam took only two days. Now, it could last a week, half a month, or even an entire month.
Kitazawa began considering reducing the number of Monthly Exams. Normally, each term had two Monthly Exams and one final.
The Academy ran three terms per year—nine exams in total. In the past, nine exams took just eighteen days.
Now, they dragged on far too long. He felt that one midterm and one final per term would be sufficient.
At the Academy, he found Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others discussing the matter.
"I think that's fine." Kosuke agreed. Chen, Kurenai, and Kakashi all nodded as well.
"Then we'll cut one Monthly Exam." Seeing everyone in agreement, Hiruzen gave his approval.
Nine in the morning.
All the Genius Class students were present.
"First, an announcement," Kitazawa spoke. "Given how long missions take, from now on, there will be only two exams per term."
After the initial surprise, most of the class looked delighted. Aside from Naruto and a few others, no one liked exams.
Naruto only enjoyed practical exams—he hated theory tests.
"Next, I'll announce this month's practical exam rankings." Kitazawa paused. "The top six will act as temporary captains for the final and will have first pick."
All eyes turned to him. A few students hoped to place in the top five and form their own teams.
Most, however, knew their limits and simply wanted to know who their captain would be.
"First place: Uzumaki Naruto," Kitazawa announced.
This practical exam was slightly different. There was no perfect score.
Because too many perfect scores had tied for first, making ranking impossible.
After the discussion, Hiruzen and Kakashi had differentiated the top ranks.
"Yes!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
Even though he'd taken first place many times, it still thrilled him every single time.
"Naruto, pick me! We'll form the Youth Squad and take first!" Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up, his face full of excitement and anticipation.
For this first team battle, there were no restrictions on teammate selection.
"No problem!" Naruto returned the thumbs-up. "This is our youth!"
Sasuke felt a pang of regret. Unaware of the new rules beforehand, he felt he'd lost to Naruto by the narrowest margin.
Still, he wasn't discouraged—it wasn't his first loss.
And Naruto, in first place, would definitely choose Rock Lee. The selection proceeded in rounds—one teammate per round, three rounds in total.
In a sense, first and second place were nearly equal.
"Second place: Kurama Yakumo." Kitazawa continued.
"I feel like Yakumo will be unstoppable in team battles." Kiba's eyes widened. "One genjutsu locking down three people, and it's an instant win."
Hearing that, Sasuke and Neji frowned. Kiba wasn't wrong—such a situation was entirely possible.
"Not necessarily," Shikamaru spoke up. "The team-battle terrain is complex. As long as we don't bunch together, that won't happen."
"Indeed." Tenten agreed. "We can also defeat Yakumo with ultra-long-range attacks."
"One-on-one, dispelling her genjutsu is a nightmare. But in a three-on-three, teammates can snap you out of it easily." Shino adjusted his glasses as he spoke.
"Hearing all this, I feel like I might actually have a chance against Yakumo." Kiba perked up.
Every previous match against Yakumo had ended with him being crushed without any chance to fight back.
Sasuke and the others also felt their spirits lift. It really was a rare opportunity.
"It's not that simple." Ino shook her head.
As a genjutsu specialist herself, she knew exactly how terrifying Yakumo's illusions were.
Before a teammate could even help break the genjutsu, they might already be caught in it themselves.
Still, Tenten's idea of ultra-long-range attacks did hold some promise.
Listening to everyone's discussion, Yakumo wasn't upset at all—she simply smiled. She suddenly felt as though she'd become the big villain.
"Third place: Uchiha Sasuke. Fourth place: Hyūga Hinata." Kitazawa continued smoothly. "Fifth: Hyūga Neji. Sixth: Shino Aburame."
"No Kimimaro?!" Tayuya's eyes widened instantly, sensing something was off.
Kimimaro unconsciously clenched his fists.
After mastering Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch, his strength had soared, and he usually ranked fifth or sixth.
This time, through sheer bad luck, he had slipped to seventh and missed the chance to serve as a temporary squad captain.
"Captain or not, doesn't matter." Jūgo consoled him. "Whoever earns the captain points in the end is the real captain."
"Then wouldn't picking Kimimaro give a team a huge advantage?" Chōji asked between mouthfuls of chips.
After so many exams, the Genius Class knew each other's strengths inside and out. The top seven were unquestionably the first tier—true powerhouses.
"In theory, yes, but none of us know the exact format of the team battle." Shikamaru shook his head. "We'll only find out during the final exam."
"The six students listed above will serve as Temporary captains for the next team battle."
Kitazawa paused briefly before continuing to read out the remaining rankings. He stopped only after announcing eighteenth place.
"Students ranked seventh through eighteenth will be selected." Kitazawa reminded them, "The top six have this month to decide who they want on their teams."
Many students fell into thought.
Kitazawa glanced at Kimimaro. At present, the Genius Class could technically form seven squads.
However, Shion and the others were still somewhat weaker and couldn't yet match the top eighteen.
Given enough time, though, catching up wouldn't be a problem. By next year, they should be able to field seven squads; for now, six would have to suffice.
"All right, everyone—go train." Kitazawa finished announcing the practical exam rankings, theory exam rankings, and overall rankings.
The students dispersed to find their respective instructors.
[Current Mission: Lead your team to first place in the final exam.]
[Reward: Featureless activation of the Byakugan.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa instinctively halted and frowned. Wasn't this system mission deliberately making things difficult for him?
But after examining it more closely, he spotted the loophole. The system only required him to lead a team to first place.
Temporary captains led teams—and advisory teachers did as well. He only needed to select the strongest squad and act as its advisor.
In the past, he could've shamelessly stepped in and crushed the students himself. But given his current status, that would be far too disgraceful.
Fortunately, the system's wording left enough room for semantic maneuvering. Still, if he truly had to intervene personally, he would.
The reward was simply too good to pass up.
Featureless Byakugan activation would finally allow him to use it openly without exposing his identity.
He could already activate the Sharingan without visible features, but the Byakugan was different.
In certain situations, the Byakugan was far more practical.
After accepting the mission, Kitazawa called Jūgo over. Recently, Jūgo had been focusing on the Konoha Whirlwind taijutsu line.
He had already mastered Konoha Strong Whirlwind, so this time Kitazawa taught him the advanced version—Violent Leaf Adamantine Strength Whirlwind.
Once he was done with Jūgo, Kitazawa summoned Karin.
After prolonged training, she had learned the Evil Sealing Method and Konoha-style taijutsu.
"Karin, at your age, you've already reached the ceiling in sealing jutsu—for now, at least." Kitazawa thought for a moment.
Karin had already grasped six low- to mid-level sealing techniques. To progress further, she would need vastly improved chakra control.
"Do you want to continue focusing on taijutsu, or switch to Medical Ninjutsu?" Kitazawa left the decision to her.
"I can learn Medical Ninjutsu?" Karin blinked in surprise.
"You have the talent for it." Kitazawa ruffled her hair.
"Then I'll learn Medical Ninjutsu." After a long pause, Karin made her decision.
The advantages of becoming a Medical Ninja were immense. Moreover, both Kitazawa and Tsunade were Medical Ninja—she had long admired the discipline.
She could still train in taijutsu on the side. But in terms of raw combat talent, she couldn't keep up with the rest of the Genius Class.
Becoming a Medical Ninja would make her indispensable.
Especially with team battles added to the final exam, a Medical Ninja would provide an enormous advantage in sustained combat.
"If you're going to study Medical Ninjutsu, we'll train at Konoha Hospital." Kitazawa decided after some thought.
In the original story, Karin had already demonstrated outstanding medical talent. Even without formal instruction, she had learned the Mystical Palm Technique on her own.
Training at the hospital would let her get started faster—she could even intern there.
Yakushi Nono and the others would be able to guide her.
Kitazawa took Karin to Konoha Hospital. After he explained the situation, Yakushi Nono and the others agreed without hesitation.
Previously, Sakura had interned there. But ever since Sakura began focusing on Water Release ninjutsu, she rarely came anymore.
With Karin joining, she could seamlessly take over Sakura's responsibilities.
Kitazawa didn't linger at the hospital.
Karin had only just set foot on the path of a Medical Ninja. She couldn't jump straight into advanced techniques—she needed to build her foundations first.
Nono and the others could handle that.
Leaving the hospital, Kitazawa headed straight for the Forest of Death.
He planned to learn Wood Release: Hōbi Technique.
High-level Wood Release required vast open space; otherwise, it couldn't be fully deployed.
Simply put, Wood Release: Hōbi Technique summons a gigantic wooden shield shaped like a masked dragon's face for defense.
As for Wood Release: Cutting Technique, he had more or less mastered it already.
Of course, he wasn't stopping there. He still needed to master the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Between that and teaching the Genius Class, Kitazawa felt there simply weren't enough hours in the day.
Fortunately, the Akatsuki Organization's Eye of the Moon Plan was still a long way off—there was no need to rush.
March arrived—the Ninja Academy's graduation season once again.
A few students from the Genius Class would graduate, but the current Konoha Eighteen Powerhouses were still far from ready.
Yet in truth, it wasn't that far away.
Sasuke and Naruto would both turn ten this year. In two more years, they could graduate for real.
Kitazawa had already told Tsunade that in two years, he would stop serving as the Genius Class teacher.
Once he became Hokage, he would simply be too busy. Occasional lectures would still be fine, of course.
There was another reason as well. Once Sasuke and the others graduated, only a handful of named students from the original story would remain.
And that, in turn, would make triggering his system missions much harder.