The power of the World-Ending Arrow had already reached the level of an ordinary Tailed Beast Ball.
And by "ordinary," Tsunade naturally excluded the Nine-Tails.
With its vast and terrifying chakra reserves, the Nine-Tails could fire Tailed Beast Balls repeatedly, each one capable of reshaping the battlefield and shaking the world itself.
"Not bad."
Kitazawa nodded in satisfaction. "This is my World-Ending Arrow—modeled after the Tailed Beast Ball."
"The Dragon Vein really does rival a Tailed Beast," Tsunade said with a sigh of admiration.
With her experience, she could immediately grasp the essence of the technique.
The true core of the World-Ending Arrow wasn't Kitazawa's talent—it was the Dragon Vein itself.
"The only regret," Kitazawa added, "is that the Dragon Vein sealed inside the Bow doesn't regenerate. Every shot permanently consumes part of it."
"You really do want everything," Tsunade scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Even if it doesn't recover, that amount will last you a very long time."
"That's true." Kitazawa smiled. "So—what do you think?"
"Perfect," Tsunade said without hesitation. "From today onward, Konoha effectively has two Jinchūriki."
As Hokage, nothing pleased her more than seeing Konoha grow stronger.
And more importantly—the additional "Jinchūriki" was Kitazawa himself.
She could almost feel retirement inching closer.
"More than two, actually," Kitazawa corrected. "The bows Hinata and Neji carry can do it too—though their cooldowns are much longer."
The Zero-Tails and the Golem were far inferior to the Dragon Vein. After a single shot, they would likely need a year—or more—to recover.
Still, having the option mattered.
In a life-or-death moment, even a single World-Ending Arrow could completely reverse the situation.
Tsunade's eyes shone as her thoughts drifted back to the Second Shinobi World War.
If Konoha had possessed even one such weapon back then, the casualties would have been drastically reduced.
The Third Shinobi World War, too.
"Let's head back," Tsunade said, snapping out of it. "A disturbance like that will definitely draw Sand Ninja scouts."
"No problem," Kitazawa replied calmly. "They won't figure out the cause."
"I'll have my clone initiate Reverse Summoning immediately."
The Katsuyu beneath their feet vanished in a puff.
Moments later, a familiar pull wrapped around them.
They didn't resist.
Space rippled—and the two reappeared inside the Hokage Office.
"Thank you for your trouble, Lady Katsuyu," Kitazawa said politely to the Katsuyu resting on the desk.
"It was my duty," Katsuyu replied gently. "Please call upon me anytime."
With that, she dispersed and returned to Shikkotsu Forest.
"Compared to Ryūchi Cave or Mount Myōboku," Kitazawa said thoughtfully, "the contractors of Shikkotsu Forest are treated with genuine respect."
"You can say that to me," Tsunade replied dryly, "but not in front of Jiraiya."
After a pause, she added, "Though I agree."
"Tsunade-sensei."
Kitazawa suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
She struggled out of instinct—but quickly melted, returning the kiss with equal fervor.
The warmth and weight pressed against his chest were impossible to ignore.
After a long, breathless moment, they finally parted.
"What was that for?" Tsunade demanded, slightly flushed, glaring at him.
"A reward," Kitazawa replied with a perfectly straight face.
"…Hmph."
"Alright," Tsunade said, shoving him aside. "We've seen your bow technique. Now we're going to the casino."
"Lead the way."
Having already gotten his advantage, Kitazawa wisely chose to indulge her.
Otherwise, that shove wouldn't have been the end of it.
"Wait—there's something I need to tell you," Kitazawa said as they exited the Hokage Building.
Tsunade slowed her steps. "What is it?"
"It's about the Hidden Rain Village," Kitazawa said seriously. "Our intelligence confirms that Hanzō is dead. The Akatsuki now control Amegakure."
"What?"
Tsunade stopped cold.
"You're sure?"
That old battle—etched deep into her memory—made it hard to believe that Hanzō of the Salamander had fallen so quietly.
"Yes."
Kitazawa nodded without hesitation. "It's absolutely true."
"The Akatsuki Organization?"
Tsunade frowned slightly. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Lord Jiraiya," Kitazawa reminded her.
Tsunade froze for a moment—then remembered.
Jiraiya had once taken in three orphans in the Land of Rain. Those very three had founded the Akatsuki.
"But… weren't they supposed to be dead?" Tsunade asked, confusion creeping into her voice.
Back then, Anbu had delivered a message to Jiraiya, claiming Nagato and the others had perished.
"The organization still calls itself Akatsuki," Kitazawa said, shaking his head, "but we can't yet confirm who its current members are. We're still investigating."
"…I see."
Tsunade let out a slow breath. "Alright."
The two soon arrived at the casino.
As usual, Kitazawa sat beside Tsunade—not watching her gamble, but quietly training on his own.
Today's focus was the Flying Thunder God.
He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the subtle fabric of space around him.
He was still stuck at the first stage—learning to perceive space itself.
Meanwhile, in the vast desert of the Land of Wind—
The enormous pit left behind by the World-Ending Arrow yawned like an abyss, its depths impossible to see.
A fierce wind swept through the sands.
High above, riding atop a drifting cloud of sand, stood a young man—the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
As a master of Magnet Release, he could manipulate sand freely, even using it to fly.
His gaze settled on the crater, and his expression darkened.
This was no natural phenomenon.
Residual Chakra still lingered in the air.
Rasa frowned deeply.
A crater of this scale left him with only two conclusions.
Either the attacker possessed terrifying mastery over Magnet or Earth Release…
—or they were a Jinchūriki.
Anything else was unthinkable.
But what troubled him most was the absence of battle traces.
No shattered weapons.
No scorch marks beyond the impact zone.
Was this meant as a warning?
A show of force?
"Lord Kazekage!"
A figure rushed over from afar and stopped beneath Rasa's sand platform.
"Yura?"
Rasa guided his sand downward. "What brings you here?"
Yura was a jōnin of Sunagakure. In the original timeline, Sasori would later control him as a spy—leading to countless Sand casualties during the hunt for Shukaku.
"There's a water pipeline not far from here," Yura reported. "I heard a massive explosion and came to investigate."
Rasa's eyes narrowed.
A possibility formed in his mind.
Could this be Rain Village's doing?
Recently, Sunagakure and Amegakure had been locked in fierce competition over the water trade in Wind Country.
"Lord Kazekage," Yura asked curiously, "did you create this pit while mining with Magnet Release?"
Rasa often mined ore in the desert—only a handful of jōnin knew about it.
Yura was one of them.
"No."
Rasa shook his head. "I arrived only moments ago."
"If not you…"
Shock flashed across Yura's face. "Then who could do something like this?"
"I suspect Rain," Rasa said gravely. "Increase patrols along the pipeline."
"Would Rain really dare?"
Yura blinked. "We're far stronger than them."
"They're led by Hanzō," Rasa replied in a low voice. "He's not someone to underestimate."
"Hanzō hasn't been heard from in years," Yura speculated. "He might already be dead."
"I doubt it."
Rasa shook his head. "Every spy we sent vanished without a trace—jōnin included. Only Hanzō could manage that."
To most ninja, Hanzō the Salamander was a living legend.
During the Second Shinobi World War, he had faced Konoha, Sand, and Iwa simultaneously.
Though he didn't win outright, he carved his name into history.
Especially after defeating Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru single-handedly—and granting them the title of the Legendary Sannin.
"That Rain dares to challenge us over the water trade," Rasa continued, "means they fear us little."
"Only Hanzō would have that confidence."
"So… we just let Rain do as it pleases?" Yura asked.
"Not yet."
Rasa's gaze returned to the abyss. "We still don't know who caused this."
"Continue business as usual for now."
His eyes hardened.
"But if Rain truly chooses war—Sunagakure will not back down."
Hanzō was the only man in Rain he feared.
Yet once war began, another danger loomed—Iwagakure… and Konoha… waiting eagerly for Sand to weaken.
Konoha, in particular, had become frighteningly powerful—especially now that it possessed another terrifying Wood Release ninja.
The next day marked the start of a new week.
With March underway, the temperature in Konoha Village had risen noticeably. Walking through the streets, Kitazawa felt the long-missed warmth of spring brushing against his skin.
Winter had finally passed.
It was Monday, which meant there were no classes at the Ninja Academy.
Kitazawa planned to head to the ANBU Base—both to continue studying the Flying Thunder God and to check whether Konan had returned.
There was one more matter as well.
He needed ANBU to investigate the current whereabouts of Koyuki Kazahana.
Now a famous movie star across the Ninja World, tracking her location would be trivial. That was precisely why Kitazawa hadn't bothered assigning the task to Itachi.
A mission with no real challenge simply didn't suit Itachi's caliber.
The moment Kitazawa pushed open the office door, he spotted Konan seated on the sofa.
"Kitazawa."
She stood up immediately.
"When did you return?" Kitazawa chuckled. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I came back last night," Konan replied. "It was late—I didn't want to disturb you."
"Is that so?"
Kitazawa walked up and lightly pinched her cheek. "How did things go over the past half month?"
"Pretty smoothly," Konan answered calmly, already accustomed to his casual teasing. "We'll need a bit more time to see the full effects."
"That's good."
Kitazawa nodded. "If any issues arise, let me know immediately."
"Mm."
As he studied her, a thought crossed Kitazawa's mind.
Because of the water trade, was it possible that Sunagakure and Amegakure might eventually clash?
After all, Sunagakure didn't know that the Akatsuki stood behind Rain. From their perspective, Sand was overwhelmingly stronger—victory would seem inevitable.
But even if a conflict did break out, it wouldn't directly affect Konoha.
In fact, Kitazawa felt the real priority was still strengthening himself.
If his power reached a certain level, others fighting each other would only benefit Konoha—providing a perfect excuse to intervene.
"Go call Antelope," Kitazawa said, extending a hand. "I have an assignment for her."
"Mm."
Konan stood, walked to the door, then paused—remembering something—and slipped on her ANBU mask.
Moments later, Antelope knocked and entered.
"Investigate Fujikaze Yukie," Kitazawa said after a moment's thought. "Report back to me next Friday."
Next Friday happened to coincide with the Genius Class's second monthly exam.
"Yes, Lord Kitazawa."
Antelope bowed lightly and departed.
Kitazawa sank into thought.
For this trip to the Land of Snow, he intended to bring Haku.
With Ice Release, Haku would gain a natural advantage in a snowy environment.
As for the other two members, Kitazawa hesitated.
This time, he wasn't planning to bring Sasuke or Naruto.
The main antagonist of this mission—Kazahana Dotō—was only of average strength. This was the earliest movie-era storyline; the power scaling hadn't yet spiraled out of control.
That said, there were still valuable takeaways.
Railways. Airships.
If he could bring that technology back, it would prove extremely useful for future development—whether in Konoha or the broader Ninja World.
After a moment's deliberation, Kitazawa made his decision.
Yamanaka Ino and Inuzuka Kiba.
Two weeks passed swiftly amid constant training.
A new week arrived—Thursday.
It was the first day of the Genius Class's second monthly exam: the theoretical test.
Kitazawa didn't attend. Instead, he waited until the next day—Friday—before heading to the Academy.
Nine in the morning.
All the Genius Class students had gathered, animatedly discussing team assignments.
Kitazawa, meanwhile, finalized the groupings with Hiruzen and the other instructors.
Once the results were confirmed, he stepped forward and announced the teams.
"All right!"
Ino cheered. "Kitazawa-sensei is leading our team again!"
"My chance has finally come!"
Kiba clenched his fists, excitement flashing in his eyes.
Neither Haku nor Ino was stronger than him. This time, he could truly shine.
If his teammates had been Sasuke and Naruto, he wouldn't even have dared to hope.
Haku nodded solemnly.
By now, his strength had reached Chūnin level—his dream felt closer than ever.
Even if he still couldn't join ANBU, being led by Kitazawa meant he had to give it everything.
"That concludes the team assignments for this practical exam," Kitazawa said.
"The top eighteen students may now seek out their respective teachers and depart."
The remaining students would undertake the standard practical exam under Iruka.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Ino bounced over, her golden bangs swaying with each step.
"What rank is our mission this time?"
Kiba asked eagerly.
"Consider it S-rank," Kitazawa replied after a brief pause.
Dotō was a jōnin, supported by three subordinates around special jōnin level. On top of that, they possessed Chakra Armor—defensive gear capable of amplifying chakra output.
"S-rank?"
Kiba grinned. "Just watch my performance!"
"That's not guaranteed," Ino said, hands on her hips.
Haku didn't speak—but nodded firmly.
Kiba froze.
Since when were they this competitive?
"All right," Kitazawa said, rubbing Ino's head. "Let's move out. First stop—the Land of Earth."
"An S-rank mission in the Land of Earth?"
Kiba's eyes widened. "Could it involve the Third Tsuchikage?"
"How could that be?"
Ino scoffed. "If it were the Third Tsuchikage, it wouldn't just be S-rank."
"Fair point…"
Kiba scratched his head. "So who's our target?"
"We'll discuss that once we find our client," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"Huh?"
Kiba blinked. "Did our client go missing?"
"Have you heard of Fujikaze Yukie?" Kitazawa asked instead.
"Nope," Kiba and Haku answered together.
"I have!"
Ino raised her hand eagerly. "My dad took me to one of her movies!"
"What's a movie?" Haku asked, puzzled.
Ino immediately gave him a rough explanation.
"Wait—why are we looking for a movie actress?"
Kiba's eyes sparkled. "Are we filming something?"
"With your nonexistent acting skills?" Kitazawa laughed. "She's our client. She's filming in the Land of Earth. Once we find her, the mission details will become clear."
"…I really want to star in a movie," Kiba muttered wistfully. "Then the whole Ninja World would know my name."
"Become strong," Kitazawa replied calmly. "That works too."
"Kitazawa-sensei is famous across the Ninja World!" Ino said admiringly.
Kiba sighed. "How could I ever compare to Kitazawa-sensei?"
"No one said you could," Ino smirked, hugging Kitazawa's arm.
"…!"
Kiba twitched but had no retort.
"Pick up the pace," Kitazawa said, freeing his arm and tapping Ino's forehead.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino replied, grinning brightly.
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