10:00 AM.
Kitazawa, who was practicing Wood Release: Wood Human Technique, suddenly stopped.
"Lord Kitazawa."
An ANBU ninja, Haru, appeared before him.
"Tsunade-sensei wants to see me?" Kitazawa asked proactively.
Normally, when Tsunade needed to see him, she had Haru notify him directly.
If matters weren't too urgent, she would inform the ANBU first, and then the ANBU would relay the message. In such cases, Konan usually handled the task.
"Yes." Haru replied, "The Hokage wants you to come immediately."
Kitazawa nodded and used the Flying Thunder God Technique without delay.
In the next instant, he appeared inside the Hokage's office.
"This is the intelligence that just arrived." Tsunade handed him a scroll, her expression unusually solemn.
Kitazawa couldn't help feeling puzzled. It was rare to see Tsunade wearing such a serious look.
He quickly unrolled the scroll and began reading.
After a brief glance, his eyes narrowed sharply. The Eye of the Moon Plan had begun?
Compared to the original timeline, this was four to five years earlier. But thinking about it carefully, it made sense.
In the original work, the delay had been due to the Akatsuki waiting for the Three-Tails to revive.
Now, however, the Three-Tails was alive, and the Akatsuki possessed both a water trade and a silver jewelry business.
Under those circumstances, an early start was perfectly reasonable.
Kitazawa wasn't particularly alarmed. His current strength was already sufficient.
Although he hadn't yet mastered Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, his greatest threats were not Uchiha Madara or Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
As for Uchiha Obito, his danger lay entirely in Kamui.
Nagato, in the original story, hadn't even been able to defeat Uzumaki Naruto in an eight-tailed Beast state during Pain's invasion.
The only truly uncertain variable was Black Zetsu.
But now, with the Flying Thunder God Technique and Tenjōtōtsuki, ambushing him was virtually impossible.
After all, he had already taken precautions.
If he hadn't known of Black Zetsu's existence, an ambush might have succeeded. But now, it wouldn't.
Kitazawa steadied himself and continued reading the scroll.
The report also concerned Gaara's capture, but the situation differed greatly from the original story.
First, the Akatsuki member who attacked had changed. Instead of Deidara, it was Sasori.
When facing Rasa, Sasori had even deployed the Third Kazekage as a puppet.
Because of that, his identity was immediately exposed.
In truth, even without using the Third Kazekage, Sasori would have been discovered—truly powerful puppeteers were exceedingly rare.
As for Sasori's teammate, he hadn't intervened.
However, Kitazawa recognized him from the description alone. It could only be Uchiha Obito.
After all, he was the only Akatsuki member who wore a mask. Beyond that, there was another major discrepancy.
The ANBU attributed the entire conflict to a dispute between Amegakure and Sunagakure over the water trade.
The reason was simple.
Before Sasori and Obito arrived, all the ninja from Amegakure had already withdrawn back to the Land of Rain.
And outside the Five Great Villages, only Hanzo possessed the authority to recruit a powerhouse like Sasori.
Kitazawa had informed Tsunade of Hanzo's death, but the ANBU were unaware of it.
As a result, they assumed Hanzo was the mastermind. Logically speaking, their conclusion wasn't unreasonable.
After all, Amegakure and Sunagakure had been fighting over water resources for a long time.
"What's the situation in Sunagakure now?" Kitazawa asked after finishing the scroll.
"The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, is critically injured. Chiyo has ended her seclusion and returned to take charge."
Tsunade spoke slowly. "The latest intelligence says Ebizo is handling internal affairs, and Chiyo has already led a team to rescue Gaara."
"She definitely would."
Shizune, standing behind Tsunade, sighed. "No one expected that the one to make a move this time would be her own grandson, Sasori."
"Moreover, Sasori turned the Third Kazekage into a puppet, effectively branding him a rogue ninja of Sunagakure," Tsunade added.
"Did Sunagakure ask us for help?" Kitazawa asked after a brief pause.
"How could they?" Tsunade laughed lightly. "Sunagakure is fearful of us right now."
Kitazawa was momentarily stunned, then immediately understood.
In the original timeline, Sunagakure had asked Konoha for help because the two villages were already allies.
But now, without Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha, Rasa was still alive, and Gaara had not become the Fifth Kazekage.
Sunagakure dared not ask a non-ally like Konoha for assistance. What if Konoha took advantage of Rasa's severe injuries and Gaara's capture to launch a war?
"Sunagakure has only requested assistance from Kirigakure," Shizune said.
"And the reactions of the other villages?" Kitazawa nodded and asked.
"Kumogakure is too far away, so there's been no movement."
Tsunade replied casually. "Iwagakure, however, has reinforced the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Rain."
Kitazawa immediately understood Ōnoki's thinking.
Although the Akatsuki wasn't yet widely known, figures like Ōnoki were well aware of its existence.
Now that Akatsuki had helped Amegakure severely cripple Sunagakure, Ōnoki and others believed Akatsuki was under Hanzo's control.
No—to be precise, everyone except Ōnoki believed Hanzo was the mastermind.
Kitazawa had previously learned from the ANBU that Deidara had returned to Iwagakure.
Ōnoki must have learned the true situation of Akatsuki from Deidara. That was why he had sent additional personnel.
"The biggest problem right now is Akatsuki's objective," Shizune said seriously. "Is it the water trade? Or are they trying to start a war?"
"I heard Jiraiya mention Akatsuki before. At that time, their goal was peace in the ninja world, and they did quite a few good deeds," Tsunade said, frowning slightly. "But now, it seems their purpose has changed."
If their goal were truly peace, then Akatsuki would never have needed to capture Gaara.
Everyone knew that Jinchūriki were an absolute taboo for any ninja village.
By capturing a Jinchūriki, Akatsuki had effectively declared a life-and-death feud with Sunagakure.
"Since they've already taken action, their true purpose will soon be revealed," Kitazawa said, placing the scroll down.
"Mm." Tsunade nodded. "For now, we'll wait and observe what happens next."
Kitazawa's thoughts drifted to his system mission—to form the new Sannin of Konoha.
Sasori was undoubtedly an excellent stepping stone.
Especially now that, by a twist of fate, his identity had been exposed, and the long-missing Third Kazekage had been turned into a human puppet.
It was no exaggeration to say that Sasori of the Red Sand was currently the most famous ninja in the entire ninja world.
In the original story, the Sand Village had asked the Konoha for help. Sasori was ultimately killed by Chiyo and Sakura.
Gaara, whose One-Tails had been extracted, was revived by Chiyo using a forbidden life-transfer technique.
But now, with Konoha absent from the equation, Chiyo would most likely face Sasori head-on herself.
The outcome was unpredictable. And it also depended on whether Obito chose to intervene.
However, Sasori would most likely not involve him and would face Chiyo alone.
For Kitazawa, the real problem was that Sunagakure had not asked Konoha for help, making it difficult for Konoha to intervene openly.
But regardless of that, he had to get involved. After all, he still intended to bring Akatsuki under his control.
Every Akatsuki member was exceptionally talented, and with Konan's position, eliminating them outright would be an unforgivable waste.
As for Nagato, Kitazawa already had a rough plan.
Nagato's greatest issue was his hatred of Konoha. But what if his parents hadn't died at Konoha's hands?
What if he learned that his entire life had been manipulated by Uchiha Madara?
[Current Mission: Incorporate the Akatsuki into Konoha.]
[Mission Reward: 50% Ōtsutsuki Clan Bloodline.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa glanced at it and chose to accept. He would have pursued this path regardless of the system's mission.
Of course, the reward itself was also extremely attractive. He had taken a massive step closer to obtaining the Tenseigan.
Although defeating Akatsuki would essentially make him invincible within the ninja world, there were still threats beyond it—the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
And not just the sealed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
In short, strength was never excessive.
[Current Mission: Defeat Sasori.]
[Mission Reward: Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. Compared to the previous mission, this reward felt somewhat underwhelming.
The Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets was indeed the pinnacle of puppetry ninjutsu, allowing the user to control hundreds of puppets simultaneously.
But for Kitazawa, it wasn't particularly useful.
[Current Mission: Let Gaara join the Genius Class.]
[Mission Reward: Mastery of Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa was genuinely surprised. Three system missions triggered at once?
However, this mission aligned perfectly with his own thoughts. He had already considered expanding the Genius Class.
And truthfully, Gaara was more than qualified to join it now.
First, his relationship with Rasa was strained. Second, he had been captured by Akatsuki and would soon have Shukaku extracted.
Kitazawa could use a modified version of One's Own Life Reincarnation technique to save him.
And it wouldn't stop with Gaara—Temari and Kankurō could join as well.
Sunagakure and Rasa would undoubtedly oppose this. But that didn't matter.
Physical persuasion was always an option.
"Kitazawa, have the ANBU keep a close watch on this situation and notify me immediately if anything changes," Tsunade said in a deep voice.
"I understand." After a brief pause, Kitazawa added, "I'll use the Flying Thunder God Technique to go there personally and assess the situation."
"Be careful." Tsunade was initially worried, but relaxed after hearing about the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Alright." Kitazawa nodded.
After bidding farewell to Tsunade and Shizune, he headed to the ANBU base.
He pushed open the door to his office.
His gaze fell on Konan, who was seated on the sofa.
"Kitazawa." Konan looked up and said, "I'd like to request a week's leave to return to Amegakure."
"Is it because Akatsuki captured Gaara?" Kitazawa asked bluntly.
The Gedo Mazo(Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) absorbed Tailed Beasts through the Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals—a process requiring ten ninja and lasting three full days.
Konan's heart tightened instinctively, panic rising within her. She turned her gaze aside and fell silent.
Konan didn't know how to answer. Should she say that their true objective was to capture all nine Tailed Beasts?
That would be the same as severing ties with Kitazawa.
Because she already knew—the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was Naruto Uzumaki, Kitazawa's student.
"If it were only for the water business, there would be no need to go this far." Kitazawa explained as he stepped closer to her. "Your real objective is the Tailed Beasts."
Konan's pupils contracted the instant she heard that, surprise flashing uncontrollably across her face.
She truly hadn't expected Kitazawa to see through Akatsuki's purpose so quickly.
"Actually, there's something else I'm more curious about." Kitazawa reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "Why did you come back to Konoha?"
Konan's eyelashes trembled faintly, and she subconsciously bit her lower lip.
"Don't worry. I'm not interrogating you." Kitazawa lowered his head and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
"I… I'm sorry. I can't stop Akatsuki." Konan's heart quivered as she spoke.
"Aren't you one of Akatsuki's members? Why try to stop them?" Kitazawa sat down beside her and asked quietly.
"Akatsuki wasn't like this before." A trace of sadness passed through Konan's eyes.
Since Yahiko's death, both Akatsuki and Nagato had changed completely.
"I understand." Kitazawa reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Konan looked at him, a question unconsciously forming in her mind. From her perspective, Kitazawa didn't truly understand Akatsuki.
"You can leave this matter alone. I'll handle it." Kitazawa patted her head and said.
Konan froze. Leave it alone?
She wanted to—but that was impossible.
Kitazawa had no idea how terrifying Nagato's power truly was with the Rinnegan.
No one could stop him. Not even Kitazawa himself, despite possessing Wood Release.
The Rinnegan was the legendary eye of the Sage of Six Paths.
Kitazawa saw the disbelief in Konan's eyes.
He didn't explain further. Facts would speak louder than words.
Once he defeated Nagato, Konan would naturally believe him.
"Don't overthink it." Kitazawa smiled softly.
Konan looked at him, a sudden sense of disorientation washing over her.
The Eye of the Moon Plan had already begun. The time she could remain in Konoha was growing shorter and shorter.
Although Kitazawa had told her not to worry about anything, she had completely ignored those words.
As that thought surfaced, Konan suddenly made a bold decision. She slipped free from Kitazawa's embrace and stood gracefully before him.
"What's wrong?" Kitazawa asked, slightly puzzled.
Konan didn't answer. She reached up and removed her ANBU uniform, revealing the clothes beneath.
It was a backless bodysuit, clinging tightly to her graceful frame, outlining her perfect figure without restraint.
Kitazawa froze.
The next second, his eyes widened.
The bodysuit slid down and fell to the floor. Konan's dazzlingly pale body was fully revealed before him.
At that moment, Kitazawa understood exactly what she intended.
He had thought that matters with Akatsuki and Nagato needed to be resolved first—but clearly, that wasn't necessary.
Konan lifted one leg and knelt on the sofa.
She extended her fair arm and gently pressed down, pinning Kitazawa beneath her as she slowly leaned closer.
In Kitazawa's eyes, her skin was as alluring as a freshly peeled lychee. Yet he didn't move.
It was obvious—Konan held the initiative. He only needed to respond.
Konan took a deep breath, a faint blush rising across her usually cool face.
She pressed her warm lips to Kitazawa's. Their breaths intertwined immediately.
After a moment, Konan lightly licked her lips.
She reached out and grabbed Kitazawa's collar. A piece of clothing slid off the sofa and dropped to the floor.
Konan glanced at it, her blush blooming like a rose. She drew another deep breath, forcing herself to remain composed.
After a brief pause, she looked down at Kitazawa from above. Her lashes trembled softly as her body leaned forward just a little.
At that instant, chakra surged through Kitazawa's palm.
Konan felt her strength recover significantly. She exhaled and braced herself.
Kitazawa simply watched her quietly.
At that moment, Konan perfectly embodied what it meant to be cold on the outside, yet warm within.
Until, finally, all her strength gave out and she collapsed into Kitazawa's arms.
The cool clarity in her eyes faded, replaced by a hazy, dreamlike softness. She felt as though she were intoxicated—lightheaded, drifting.
"Konan," Kitazawa smiled, looking at her flushed face. "This journey has only just begun."
Konan was momentarily stunned, failing to react.
Kitazawa lifted her soft body into his arms. The sudden sensation of being suspended made Konan cling to him like an octopus.
A mix of unease and anticipation flickered through her eyes, her legs tensing, toes curling.
Before long, drowsiness overtook her.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with nothing but affection. In the end, she didn't even know when it happened—she simply fell asleep.
Kitazawa shook his head.
Although Konan had taken the initiative, her endurance was nowhere near Kurenai's.
But that was understandable. After all, she was inexperienced.
Kitazawa didn't blame her. He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and carried Konan back to her ANBU dormitory.
The ANBU dormitories were all single rooms.
After all, ninja who joined the ANBU were at least elite Chūnin, so their treatment naturally couldn't be subpar.
Kitazawa supported her fair buttocks and gently settled into the bed.
Konan subconsciously shifted, curling herself into his arms.
Kitazawa felt the warmth and softness of her body, then reached up and lightly stroked her hair.
He swept his gaze around the room once, then lowered his hand and quietly left a Flying Thunder God mark on her buttocks.
That way, no matter where Konan ran, he would always be able to find her.
Closing his eyes, Kitazawa held her close as the two of them gradually drifted into sleep.
The sun sank beyond the horizon.
---
In the blink of an eye, dusk arrived.
Konan slowly opened her eyes, her brows knitting together. Her entire body felt weak.
When her gaze fell on Kitazawa, she froze. Everything that had happened came rushing back to her at once.
A deep blush spread across her cheeks.
It had to be said—Kitazawa's strength had left a profound sense of fear etched deep within her.
"Awake?" Kitazawa looked down at her.
Konan nodded.
"How are you feeling?" Kitazawa reached out and placed his hand gently against her forehead.
"I'm fine." The moment Konan spoke, she felt warm chakra flow from his palm, spreading throughout her body.
The soreness and exhaustion vanished almost instantly, her strength returning to normal.
"Thank you." Konan steadied herself and regained her composure.
"Your cold expression really makes people want to take advantage of you." Kitazawa teased lightly.
Konan's face immediately flushed bright red, as sweet and vivid as a ripe peach.
"But we'll leave it at that today. You should rest properly." Kitazawa smoothly changed the subject.
Konan froze, an inexplicable sense of loss welling up inside her.
Although she had been completely overwhelmed earlier, she hadn't resisted that feeling at all.
On the edge between exhaustion and clarity, she had felt emotions more intense than ever before.
"I'll go make you something to eat." Kitazawa got out of bed and added, "Wait a moment."
He glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already five in the afternoon. A bit late, but still acceptable.
Kitazawa took a shower, prepared dinner for Konan, and then returned home.
Fortunately, his physique was now exceptionally strong.
Otherwise, Tsunade and Kurenai would definitely have noticed his depleted energy that night.
Being a man… was truly not easy.
---
The next day,
Kitazawa went to Konan's dormitory, only to find that she had already left.
He wasn't surprised. After all, allowing the Gedo Mazo to absorb One-Tails Shukaku was an urgent matter.
Kitazawa had no intention of stopping it.
His plan was to wait until Akatsuki captured all eight Tailed Beasts, then openly seize them in one decisive move.
Once everything was over, the other ninja villages would inevitably demand the Tailed Beasts back from Konoha.
At that point, he would pretend to negotiate—then secretly sow discord, provoking them into initiating the Fourth Shinobi World War.
In truth, Kitazawa didn't need to go through so much trouble. But his primary goal was to put on a convincing show for Tsunade and the others.
With a legitimate justification in place, even if the Fourth Shinobi World War erupted, no one would object.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Who should deal with Sasori?
After hesitating briefly between Naruto and Sasuke, he chose Naruto. It didn't really matter who became famous first.
Naruto was the better choice because he was more suited to fighting Sasori.
Sasori was a puppet user, meaning Sasuke's genjutsu would be largely ineffective.
Moreover, Sasori could control hundreds of puppets at once, forcing Sasuke to repeatedly rely on his eye techniques just to maintain the advantage.
But Sasuke had only recently awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan—using his ocular techniques that frequently would be far too costly.
It was better to counter numbers with numbers.
Naruto's Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was perfect for overwhelming Sasori's puppets in a massive frontal clash.
As for whether Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki would be exposed—that no longer mattered.
Akatsuki already knew who he was.
With his decision made, Kitazawa activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Consuming a tremendous amount of chakra, he appeared directly within the Land of Wind.
Activating his Byakugan, he quickly located Chiyo and the other Sunagakure ninja.
Memories of the original plot surfaced in his mind.
Sasori would first use the Phantom Dragon Nine Consuming Seals to extract One-Tail Shukaku from Gaara, only then facing Chiyo and Sakura.
Once the extraction was complete, the other Akatsuki members would withdraw without offering support.
That sequence ultimately led to Sasori's death.
Of course, much like the fraternal battle between Itachi and Sasuke, Sasori had held back—in effect, choosing to die.
The remaining Akatsuki members hadn't avenged him; instead continuing to capture Tailed Beasts to complete their plan.
Kitazawa estimated the timing.
Chiyo and the others would likely confront Sasori tomorrow. After a brief consideration, he decided not to leave and continued following them.
The next day, Chiyo and her group encountered Sasori.
At the same time, Kitazawa used the Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive at the Forest of Death.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto, who was in the middle of chakra control training, immediately greeted him.
"There's an urgent S-rank mission," Kitazawa said with a smile. "Do you want to take it?"
"Of course!" Naruto shouted excitedly.