Tuesday morning.
Kitazawa opened his eyes to Kurenai's sleeping face. She was sleeping deeply, a hint of tiredness still on her features.
They'd reunited after a while last night and, naturally, talked their hearts out till dawn.
His gaze drifted down.
Kurenai was wrapped around him like an octopus.
He could clearly feel the softness of her body and the smooth warmth of her skin; with each steady breath, there was a faint, springy give.
After admiring the view for a moment, Kitazawa gave her a light pat on the hip.
Half-asleep, Kurenai slid her thigh off him, rolled over, and settled flat on the bed, her long legs coming together.
Kitazawa smiled.
So thoughtful—she'd made a habit of this.
He got out of bed and dressed.
After one last look at the breathtaking scene, he pulled the blanket up over Kurenai.
Breakfast done, he headed to the Ninja Academy.
The playground was the same familiar bustle.
Uzumaki Naruto was excitedly recounting things their squad had run into on their mission.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
The Advanced Class spotted him and called out greetings.
Kitazawa swept a glance over them and noticed Uchiha Sasuke, Rock Lee, and Tenten weren't there.
Looked like they were still out on a mission.
Normal enough—anything can happen mid-mission.
Knowing Sasuke, he'd probably nudged Hatake Kakashi into taking a high-difficulty job.
"Keep chatting."
Kitazawa waved them on.
There was still half an hour before class; no need to kill Naruto's vibe.
Besides, Sarutobi Hiruzen was listening nearby.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Nara Shikamaru hadn't left. "I want to add to my training."
He'd been working on the Shadow–Neck Binding Technique but hadn't mastered it yet.
Kitazawa hadn't pushed him.
Shikamaru's talent was good, but not on Naruto or Sasuke's level.
On top of that, he was lazy; one Shadow–Neck Binding was plenty to keep him busy.
Of course, now that he'd decided to put in the effort, he had time to learn something new.
"All right."
Kitazawa thought a moment. "I'll teach you the Leaf Body Flicker."
The Nara clan's role is control and support—that shouldn't change.
Ino–Shika–Chō is a classic trio; no reason to break it up.
But adding mobility on top of control/support is great—
especially with Shikamaru's IQ. If he can stall and stay alive, a counterplan will come.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."
Shikamaru was genuinely grateful.
Given how last weekend's fight went, if he learned the Leaf Body Flicker, at least he wouldn't get grabbed.
[Current Mission: Help Nara Shikamaru learn the Leaf Body Flicker.]
[Reward: Shadow Summoning Technique.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa agreed with a thought.
He led Shikamaru to a clear patch of ground and started teaching the Leaf Body Flicker.
9:00 a.m.
Aside from Sasuke, Rock Lee, and Tenten, the Advanced Class had assembled in full.
Kitazawa left Shikamaru to practice, gave a few pointers to the students in his study group, then went off to train Five Release Great Combo Technique.
As for the Medical-nin program at Konoha Hospital, he didn't need to oversee it anymore.
Now that Yakushi Nonō had learned the Limb Regeneration Technique, she was teaching.
Wednesday.
Kakashi and Sasuke's team made it back to Konoha without a hitch.
Kitazawa, meanwhile, found a suitable spot with Konan to place the Rock Powder boulder.
Friday.
The Advanced Class held the written finals.
Nara Shikamaru reclaimed first place.
He'd woken up for real and stopped handicapping his scores.
Saturday.
Kakashi and Maruboshi Kosuke each led squads back out on missions.
Kitazawa and Hiruzen didn't need to.
Only two student teams remained to do their missions anyway.
Kitazawa had his own task: compounding medicine for Nagato.
A new week—Tuesday.
Breakfast done, Kitazawa headed to the Academy.
It was the last day of the term; summer break would finally start tomorrow.
[Current Mission: Teach Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke Lightning Release: Chidori Current.]
[Reward: Lightning Release: Kirin.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
Kitazawa let out a soft "oh."
A pleasant surprise.
So Sasuke had managed to learn Chidori Current just in time for summer break.
Kitazawa figured Kakashi planned a summer training regimen for him.
Which was great news.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Hyuga Hinata's voice sounded behind him.
Kitazawa stopped and looked her way.
"Good morning, Kitazawa-sensei," Hinata greeted, stepping up. "Didn't expect to run into you here."
"This is the school gate. What's unexpected about that?"
Kitazawa chuckled.
Hinata flushed, then looked down. Something occurred to her and she asked, "Sensei, will there be special training this summer?"
"You don't need special training—just master Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms."
Kitazawa ruffled her hair. "I'll still drop by the Academy whenever I'm free."
"Mm!"
Hinata's heart leapt.
She caught the subtext:
no special training, but she could keep practicing at the Academy and still get his pointers.
They walked in together.
Although it was the last day of the term, there were no classes or drills—just announcing final rankings.
"Kitazawa-senpai."
Iruka Umino came to meet him before he reached the classroom. "Here are the final exam rankings."
"Thanks."
Kitazawa took the sheet. "Has the Third arrived?"
"Yes, they're already waiting in the office," Iruka said.
Kitazawa nodded and walked with him toward the office.
Hinata saw them off and headed for the Advanced Class room.
As soon as she entered, she saw Ino Yamanaka waving her over.
Along with Ino were Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura Haruno, Yakumo Kurama, and others.
"Hinata, we're betting who took first in the finals," Ino said, smiling. "What do you think?"
"You mean practicals or written?" Hinata blinked and asked back.
"Practicals, of course," Sakura huffed. "I obviously got first in the written!"
Ino pouted but couldn't rebut it.
Shikamaru usually sandbagged.
"For the practicals…?"
Hinata thought a moment. "I'd say one of Yakumo, Sasuke, or Naruto."
She forgot she'd scored a perfect herself.
"That answer's basically not answering," Kiba Inuzuka muttered.
Hinata ducked her head, embarrassed.
It was the obvious list.
"No need to debate—first place can only be Sasuke!" Sakura declared confidently.
Sasuke nodded.
Sakura jinxed things a lot, but this time he was sure.
He'd gotten a perfect in the practical.
Even if Naruto had too, it wouldn't matter—
Sasuke's written scores were middling at best.
9:00 a.m.
Kitazawa, Hiruzen, Maruboshi Kosuke, Kakashi, and Iruka entered the classroom.
The Advanced Class fell silent and took their seats.
"I'll announce the written rankings first."
Kitazawa glanced at the sheet and smiled. "First place: Nara Shikamaru."
"What?"
Sakura's eyes went wide.
"How is it Shikamaru?" Choji Akimichi gaped at him.
That wasn't like him.
Then realization dawned.
Shikamaru had been serious all week.
"Shikamaru, how come you're not tenth this time?" Ino asked, genuinely curious.
The three of them had grown up together.
Seeing Shikamaru suddenly place first was a shock.
"It's nothing," Shikamaru said seriously. "I think exams should be taken seriously. I'll work harder from now on."
"Shikamaru!"
Naruto threw him a thumbs-up. "You've grasped the true spirit of youth!"
"You're not Shikamaru—who are you? How did the words 'work harder' come out of Shikamaru's mouth?" Kiba stared.
Aburame Shino adjusted his glasses, thoughtful.
He figured it was tied to their last mission.
In that fight, Shikamaru got captured and nearly died—he'd brushed past the gates of hell.
A brush with death can change a person.
All in all, it was a good thing.
"We're doomed!" Sakura groaned. "Does that mean you'll be first from now on?"
"Not necessarily," Shikamaru shook his head. "I'm just doing my best."
"How's that any different?" Sakura raked a hand through her hair. "Who can beat you then?"
"Kitazawa really has a way with people," Maruboshi Kosuke murmured, listening to them.
He'd taught the Advanced Class long enough to know Shikamaru's personality well.
"Remember, I was the one who recommended Kitazawa to Shikaku in the first place," Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
"You have a keen eye, Lord Third," Iruka praised.
"It's Kitazawa who has the ability," Hiruzen waved it off with a smile. "Now Shikaku won't have to worry about that son of his."
Back when he was Hokage, Shikaku often mentioned Shikamaru to him—chiefly that he was too lazy.
"Second, Haruno Sakura. Third, Hyūga Neji."
Kitazawa quieted the chatter and continued in one breath, "Fourth, Hyuga Hinata. Fifth, Uchiha Sasuke…"
Sasuke froze.
Fifth?
His previous written ranks were usually around Neji and Hinata's level.
If it were a regular test, fine—but this was the final.
He'd finally aced the practical; this was supposed to be in the bag.
He clenched his fist.
There was still a chance!
Neji had only gotten a single perfect in the practical this term—a shared one.
Hinata had never gotten a perfect.
"…"
Sakura's heart clenched.
Was she really going to jinx him again?
Please no!
Come on, Sasuke!
She clasped her hands and prayed.
"Next, the practical rankings," Kitazawa said after finishing the written list.
Aside from the shuffle at the very top, the written ranks were about what everyone expected.
Sasuke and Naruto looked at him, eyes full of anticipation.
Compared to written scores, they cared way more about the practicals.
You either know theory or you don't; brute-forcing it rarely helps.
"First place," Kitazawa said with a small laugh, "Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino."
"That many first places?" Kiba gaped.
"And it's Hinata and Shino's first time on top," Ino said, a little envious.
Their own mission had gone smoothly, which meant she, Sakura, and Neji had no shot at perfects.
Sasuke's head swam.
It was over.
His "first place" was gone.
Hinata's higher written rank had just snatched the crown.
"So the overall first is Hinata?" Ino realized.
"Eh?" Hinata looked up, blank with surprise.
Me? First?
How is that possible?
"Oh, right!" Kiba smacked his palm. "It really is Hinata!"
"Hinata was fourth in the written and first in the practical," Shino said, pushing up his glasses. "Overall, that's above Sasuke, Yakumo, and Naruto."
Neji blinked, a little regretful.
He'd beaten Sasuke on the written this time, but not on the practical.
If this were back at the first monthly exam when he got a perfect in the practical… but you can't swap tests.
And this time he'd topped Hinata on the written, but not on the practical.
A loop with no exit.
Sakura hugged her head, unable to face it.
She'd jinxed Sasuke again.
Hinata felt like she was dreaming.
It was a happy surprise.
She didn't care that much about being first, but Hiashi and the clan would be thrilled.
She glanced instinctively at Kitazawa.
Her perfect practical was the key.
Kitazawa smiled back.
He really hadn't meddled.
Hinata taking first had surprised even him.
"Quiet," Kitazawa called them to order and continued, "Second, Kurama Yakumo. Third, Hyūga Neji…"
By the end of the practical announcements, everyone had more or less worked out the overall ranks.
Sasuke shut down completely.
He'd failed to beat Naruto and hadn't even taken first. He'd embarrassed the Uchiha name.
"Final overall ranking—first place, Hyuga Hinata," Kitazawa announced with a smile.
"Congrats, Hinata!" Ino cheered at once.
"I feel like I might have a shot at first someday!" Kiba said, energized.
He'd always thought first place in the Advanced Class was monopolized by Sasuke and Yakumo.
Turns out, not necessarily.
Get a perfect in the practical and pair it with solid written scores, and you could stage an upset.
"True," Yakumo nodded.
"It's not that easy," Shikamaru poured a little cold water. "Hinata took first because she genuinely has the strength."
In earlier monthly exams she wasn't #1, but she was almost always top five.
This time luck tilted her way; she nailed a perfect in the practical and that pushed her over the top.
"At least the odds are better than before," Shino added.
"Sasuke, we still—"
Sakura stopped herself.
Better not jinx the next one. If she blew it again, how could she face Sasuke?
Sasuke exhaled in relief when she didn't finish.
"That's it for this term's final rankings," Kitazawa said, setting the sheet down. "I won't belabor the point—keep at it next term. Dismissed for break!"
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
At the word "break," the class promptly forgot about rankings and whooped.
A whole month of summer—heaven.
Of course, plenty were already contemplating summer training:
Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, and the like.
"Let's go."
Hiruzen and Maruboshi rose and filed out.
"Hinata, not heading out?" Kitazawa asked with a smile, seeing her still at her desk.
"Um… I… "
Hinata stood, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
"What for? It's your own strength."
He stepped up and tapped her forehead. "Say it like that and it sounds like I helped you cheat."
"I didn't mean that!"
Hinata shook her head hard, her blue-black bob swishing like a rattle-drum.
"All right, I'll walk you home."
Kitazawa laughed.
Hinata ducked her head, flustered.
They left the Academy together.
Hyūga Compound.
Kitazawa stopped at the gate.
He glanced into the courtyard and his expression turned a touch curious.
Hyūga Hiashi was holding Hanabi and humming a lullaby.
He looked every inch the doting father—the opposite of his usual image.
Kitazawa thought it through and guessed why.
Hinata's strong performance meant she'd likely inherit the clan.
By tradition, that would put the Caged Bird on Hanabi.
Maybe guilt was making Hiashi try to make it up to her.
"…"
Still humming, Hiashi turned his head and saw Kitazawa and Hinata.
His face went stiff with embarrassment.
He hurried inside to hand Hanabi to her mother, then came out to greet Kitazawa.
"Clan Head Hiashi."
Kitazawa smiled. "Nothing major—just walking Hinata home on the way."
"Much obliged. Since you're here, why not stay for dinner?" Hiashi hesitated two seconds, then offered.
"I can't—I've got business at the Hokage's office."
Kitazawa declined and turned to go.
"Hinata, what rank did you place this time?" Hiashi asked, exhaling without meaning to.
"First," Hinata answered.
"First?"
Hiashi's surprise showed.
He knew how the Advanced Class worked.
Hinata was excellent, yes—but several students had even more dazzling talent.
How had she suddenly taken first?
"Nicely done," he said at last, smiling with real warmth.
…
Kitazawa didn't go straight to Tsunade.
He stopped by the Anbu base.
"Kitazawa-sama."
Hyūga Homon rose at once in the office.
"Good work, Homon."
Kitazawa knew he'd just returned from the Land of Waves.
"It's my duty."
Homon produced a sealing scroll. "These are the three necklace designs you requested."
"Thanks."
Kitazawa took the scroll. "You can go rest."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sama."
Homon bowed and left.
Kitazawa opened the scroll and looked over the necklaces—almost identical to what he remembered from his past life.
He'd pulled the designs straight from memory and shared them with the team.
With the Byakugan's precision, they could reproduce them one-to-one.
These three pieces were meant to be the representatives of Kitazawa's high-end jewelry brand.
The target customers: the noblewomen of the Land of Fire.
That was the strategy:
let the noblewomen do the PR. With the Daimyō's wife leading the trend, the brand would explode overnight.
And once the brand was hot, mainstream sales would rise too.
Hokage's office.
Kitazawa started to knock, then noticed the door was ajar.
He pushed it open and stepped in.
Tsunade was slumped over the desk asleep, her beautiful face squished flat against the wood.
He glanced instinctively at the window.
Sleeping in the morning?
What did she get up to last night?
He stepped forward and set his hand on her forehead.
Yang-release chakra flowed, pouring into her.
Tsunade's expression eased at the comfort, her face going serene.
Her eyes opened to find Kitazawa's hand on her brow.
"What medical ninjutsu is that?" she asked, feigning calm.
"An activation use of yang-release chakra," Kitazawa said, withdrawing his hand with a smile. "A medical technique I've been researching lately."
"Activation?" She blinked. "What's it do—just relieve fatigue?"
"Relieving fatigue is the tiniest part of it," Kitazawa said. "You know the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Chakra Mode?"
"You mean you're creating a Yang Chakra Mode?" Tsunade's eyes went wide.
Lightning Chakra Mode, refined over two generations of Raikage, was famous across the shinobi world—
power rivaling some kekkei genkai, speed comparable to Flying Thunder God, and enough punch to pierce a tailed beast.
"Right."
Kitazawa nodded, then added, "But a Yang Chakra Mode would differ from Lightning Chakra Mode in a lot of ways."
"Even so, it'd hardly be weak," Tsunade said at once, already thinking use-cases. "If medical-ninja could learn it, their survival rates would soar."
Medical-ninja are crucial—
but their biggest weakness is lack of combat ability; they need protection.
With Yang Chakra Mode, that burden on teammates shrinks.
"You really might become the second coming of my grand-uncle," Tsunade murmured, impressed.
She could already see Kitazawa's impact on Konoha growing.
A powerful, inventive ninja's contributions are never just additive.
"So if I pull it off, what's my reward?" Kitazawa asked, brow wagging.
"We'll talk when you pull it off."
She looked away. "What did you come for?"
"Need a favor."
From where he stood, he could see quite a lot looking down—
the angle was… excellent.
"Sit over there," Tsunade said, catching his glance and shooting him a glare.
"Our jewelry shop is basically set," Kitazawa said, straightening. "But I need the Daimyō's wife to help us make a splash."
"The Daimyō's wife?" Tsunade blinked. "How does she factor in?"
"Celebrity effect," Kitazawa explained. "She's the most prestigious woman in the Land of Fire. If she wears it, the others will follow."
"I see."
First she'd heard of it, but it wasn't hard to grasp.
She smiled despite herself—Kitazawa always had another angle.
"I do know the Daimyō's wife well, but asking her to endorse us out of the blue won't be easy."
She thought a moment. "You should gift her a truly fine necklace."
"Great minds, sensei."
Kitazawa grinned. "That's exactly my plan."
"So we already have finished pieces?" Tsunade's eyes lit up. "Show me."
She wasn't exactly into jewelry—but she was still a woman.
Kitazawa opened the sealing scroll and took out the first necklace.
Tsunade's eyes went round.
Her first thought: dazzling.
It was a double-strand necklace of a hundred-plus translucent diamonds.
Between the layers hung a pendant of white silver and mutton-fat jade from the sea—
two pieces, small and large, balanced for a crisp, symmetrical hit of visual impact.
Kitazawa had copied what was the most expensive necklace in his previous life—rumored at two hundred million dollars.
"You're giving something this lavish to the Daimyō's wife?" Tsunade asked once she recovered, clearly reluctant to part with it.
"As long as she keeps wearing it, she's advertising for us."
Kitazawa paused. "When you talk to her, you can add a few conditions."
"Oh, I will," Tsunade said, clenching a fist. "Otherwise I'd feel totally fleeced."
Kitazawa chuckled.
He understood.
Technically speaking, the piece counted as her asset.
But he also knew the rule: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
"This second piece will be the first we put up for auction," Kitazawa said, producing the next necklace.
It was a white-gold-and-gold design.
The body was white gold, the chain like branches, with silver "fruit" in groups of three.
At the bottom hung a gold pendant, amber-like and gorgeous.
"Beautiful," Tsunade said after a close look.
She'd been to Konoha's jewelry shops; none of them had anything as opulent or precious as these two.
"Also a bit flashy rather than practical," she added. "Not for ninja."
"But perfect for noblewomen," Kitazawa said, taking out the third.
Tsunade let out a soft "huh."
Luxurious, yes, but less so than the first two.
Only the sea-blue central gem truly screamed pricey.
"It's called the Heart of the Ocean," Kitazawa said. "I'm thinking we name our shop the same. Thoughts?"
"Pretty good," Tsunade nodded. "All our raw materials come from the sea, after all."
"This will be the shop's treasure piece."
Kitazawa took her wrist and, under her puzzled gaze, set the Heart of the Ocean in her palm.
"You want me to keep it safe?" she asked.
"No—happy birthday," Kitazawa smiled. "Forgot? Today's your birthday."
Tsunade froze.
She didn't know the exact price, but it had to be astronomical.
As for birthdays… she hadn't celebrated in ages.
Women and age—enough said.
She hadn't expected a gift this extravagant this year.
"Better you keep it," she said, resisting the temptation.
"It'd be weird to take back a gift I already gave," Kitazawa said, shaking his head.
Truth was, the Heart of the Ocean hadn't cost him much—he was essentially presenting the fruits of their own mining.
"Aren't you afraid I'll sell it?" Tsunade said after a pause. "If I run out of money at the casino, I just might."
"I trust you won't," Kitazawa said, stowing the other two necklaces. "When do you want to go to the Fire Capital?"
"Tomorrow works," Tsunade said, staring at the gem for a beat. "You're coming with me."
"Fine by me," Kitazawa said.
He knew the publicity game better than she did—
he'd lived through an era of insane ad blitzes.
"And you can take a few days off," he added with a grin. "Not great if people keep seeing you asleep at your desk."
"Who besides you would see me?" Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You're the only one who sometimes doesn't knock."
When Hiruzen was Hokage, both Danzo, Tsunade, and Jiraiya came and went without knocking.
Under Tsunade, the only one who dared was Kitazawa.
Jiraiya was usually away.
And Hiruzen, retired, didn't come to the office.
"Shows how broad-minded you are, sensei," Kitazawa said—and his eyes drifted down again.
Tsunade kicked him.
She tucked the Heart of the Ocean away. "Nine a.m. tomorrow. Come find me."
Truth be told, she hadn't taken a real break in a long time.
Technically, Hokage don't take vacations.
This would be a rare chance.
"Got it, sensei," Kitazawa said evenly. "I'll head out. See you tonight."
He turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Tsunade stared at the door, a bit dazed.
Kitazawa's intentions were hardly subtle; she, of course, had noticed.
Forget it—one step at a time.
She shook her head and tabled the decision.
Leaving the Hokage building, Kitazawa headed for the Anbu base.
With the Advanced Class on break, he didn't need to teach.
His summer plan: train Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Jutsu and Wood Release.
As for Five Release Great Combo Technique, he'd nearly mastered it with Hiruzen's help.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Haku stopped training as soon as he saw him and came over.
He was working on Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome.
"Where's Kabuto? Why are you alone?" Kitazawa asked with a nod.
"Kabuto-sensei took a mission. He'll be back in a couple of days," Haku said.
Kitazawa's brows rose.
Kabuto was Anbu. Yakushi Nonō was the hospital's deputy director. Sometimes both were swamped.
He looked at Haku and thought that maybe the kid should transfer to the Advanced Class next term.
He was only a couple of years older than Naruto and the others.
He'd brought Haku into Anbu to fulfill a system task to cultivate trusted aides—
but if Haku's strength wasn't up to the task yet, better to get him into classes.
He could stock up on theory anyway.
Kitazawa thought it over and split off a shadow clone.
He didn't use Ice Release, but many techniques share fundamentals; with his skill, guiding a not-yet-genin like Haku wouldn't be hard.
Kitazawa returned to his office.
"Kitazawa."
Konan appeared. "Orochimaru is in the Village Hidden in Sound."
Kitazawa's eyes narrowed.
So Orochimaru had defected after all.
He fell into thought.
He wasn't going to storm Sound alone.
He was confident he could beat Orochimaru, not that he could keep him from escaping.
The man was the best runner in the business… well—"man" was debatable.
His idea was to work with Tsunade on a snake-catching op—
lay a net around Sound and bag him for sure.
If he slipped away this time, catching him later would only get harder.
[As the future Hokage, you must strike hard at rogue ninja.]
[Current Mission: Capture Orochimaru alive.]
[Reward: Eight Branches Technique.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa's eyes narrowed.
A system task for Orochimaru wasn't surprising.
The reward… was strong, sure—but… at the cost of not being human.
The Eight Branches Technique was an S-rank forbidden jutsu that turned the user into the legendary Yamata no Orochi.
In theory, it could tangle with a tailed beast.
Too bad Orochimaru met his hard counter, Itachi, and never got to shine with it.
Worth noting: the technique wasn't Orochimaru's invention; it came from Konoha's Book of Seals.
Which meant Kitazawa could "launder" it and use it himself.
"I got it. Thanks," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"It's just business," Konan said, shaking her head.
By Akatsuki's rules, traitors must die.
If Kitazawa could handle Orochimaru, she'd be killing with a borrowed knife and saving herself trouble.
Night fell.
Because it was Tsunade's birthday, Kitazawa and Kurenai went over to celebrate.
Along with them were Hiruzen, Yakushi Nonō, Shizune, Naruto, and Karin with her mother.
Naruto was the most bewildered.
He wasn't as close to Tsunade yet as in the original timeline.
Fortunately, with Hiruzen and Kitazawa there, it wasn't awkward.
Kitazawa knew why he'd been invited:
his parents, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
Naruto's true identity was public now; for their sake alone, he had to be there.
As for the rest, no need to explain.
For the Hokage, it was a small, quiet birthday—
but for her, already lively.
When she'd wandered outside Konoha, it had been just her and Shizune.
"Too bad Jiraiya isn't back," Hiruzen said, eyeing the loaded table.
"Doesn't matter," Tsunade said lightly.
Hiruzen sighed to himself.
Jiraiya had the Prophecy Child on the brain—it was no wonder he and Tsunade never happened.
"Today is Tsunade-sensei's birthday," Kitazawa said, lifting his cup. "First toast goes to her."
"Happy birthday, Tsunade-sama!" Yakushi Nonō, Shizune, and the others chimed together.
"Happy birthday, Granny Tsunade!" Naruto raised his juice.
Tsunade's mouth twitched at "Granny."
If it were anyone else, she'd have punched him into orbit.
"Thanks, everyone," Tsunade said, smiling at last. "Drink up. Nobody leaves sober."
Glasses clinked; everyone downed their first.
Dinner ran late into the night.
Tsunade ended up tipsy again.
At least it was her house—no problem.
Hiruzen had had a fair bit, too.
To be safe, Shizune escorted him and Naruto home.
Yakushi Nonō had drunk some but not too much; she headed back to the orphanage.
"Careful, sensei," Kitazawa said, steadying Tsunade as they stepped into her room.
Karin and her mother were clearing the table and washing up.
"I'm… I'm not drunk!"
Tsunade plopped onto the bed, beckoned him closer, and said, "Let's keep drinking!"
"We're going to the Fire Capital tomorrow," Kitazawa said, taking her wrist and lowering her hand.
"That… that won't stop me!" Tsunade huffed.
Kitazawa crouched, slipped off her shoes, and laid her long legs flat on the bed.
When he looked up, she was staring at him in a daze.
"What are you thinking?" he asked, waving a hand in front of her eyes.
Tsunade suddenly sat up and hugged him.
Her rosy lips were inches away.
Kitazawa dipped his head and kissed her.
Soft, warm, with a hint of alcohol—it was a little intoxicating.
But moments later, Tsunade pushed him out of the room.
Kitazawa couldn't help smiling.
Looked like things had taken another step forward.
~~~
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