After finalizing the deal with Orochimaru, Kitazawa sought out Itachi.
The assignment was simple.
Monitor Orochimaru.
Report regularly on the progress of the artificial human.
Nothing more.
Once the instructions were delivered, Kitazawa left the Hokage Building and returned to the ANBU Base.
The moment he stepped into his office, Konan appeared silently before him.
Without a word, he reached out and pinched her cheek lightly before walking past her toward the desk.
He unrolled a blank scroll and spread it open.
Aside from the artificial human, his agreement with Orochimaru also included another technique—the Chimera Technique.
It belonged to Hiruko.
Hiruko had once been a peer of Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya—but unlike them, he lacked natural talent.
To compensate, he developed Chimera.
Its ability was disturbing.
It allowed the user to forcibly merge up to five Bloodline Limits into their own body.
In the original timeline, Hiruko had fused Storm Release, Dark Release, Steel Release, and Swift Release.
For the fifth, he had targeted Kakashi Hatake's Sharingan.
He never succeeded.
He was defeated before completion.
Like Orochimaru, Hiruko had fled Konoha after being exposed for illegal human experimentation.
Kitazawa had initially intended to assign the task of locating Hiruko to Itachi, but Itachi was already occupied monitoring Orochimaru.
After brief consideration, Kitazawa wrote down the names of eight ANBU—two full squads.
He had no intention of retrieving the Chimera Technique personally.
First, the Genius Class Final Exams were approaching; he didn't need to leave the village.
Second, while Chimera sounded powerful, it was flawed.
Useful for Orochimaru's artificial bodies perhaps—but not something Kitazawa himself desired.
After sealing the scroll, he stepped outside and handed it to a nearby ANBU operative, instructing them to summon the named shinobi.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Konan was sitting on the sofa.
When he approached, she instinctively stood.
Their eyes met.
After two quiet seconds, Kitazawa lowered his head and lightly caught her lips between his own.
"How are things in Sunagakure?" he asked casually, drawing her into his arms.
"No change," Konan replied.
Kitazawa felt a trace of relief.
He absentmindedly stroked her hair as his thoughts drifted.
Sunagakure still didn't know that Akatsuki stood behind Amegakure.
Hanzō's reputation was formidable—but one man alone could not intimidate a Great Village forever.
If Suna formally aligned with Kirigakure, a full-scale war against Amegakure was possible.
He needed Flying Thunder God mastered soon.
Very soon.
His gaze lowered unconsciously to Konan's pale neck.
He leaned closer, catching the faint scent of paper and rain.
Konan felt his breath brush her skin.
A faint blush rose to her cheeks.
She tilted her head slightly, exposing her neck.
Kitazawa laughed softly.
"I'm not a vampire."
"What's a vampire?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.
"A creature of the night," he said lightly, "that drinks the blood of beautiful women."
"Are there such creatures in the shinobi world?"
"No," he replied.
"I read about them in a novel." "I don't read much,"
Konan said quietly. "I've only read—"
She stopped herself.
"Only read what?" Kitazawa prompted, brushing her cheek.
"…The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi."
Ah.
Jiraiya's book.
Kitazawa understood the hesitation immediately.
"That's Jiraiya-sama's novel," he said with a faint smile.
"I read it long ago," Konan replied calmly. "I didn't pay attention to the author."
"It's a good thing you didn't read his second one," Kitazawa chuckled.
"I've heard of it," she admitted.
"If you want stories," he said, "I can tell you some."
"Okay."
Her answer was soft, unconcerned.
She wasn't particularly interested in novels.
But she was willing to listen.
For him.
"Good girl."
He leaned down and kissed her again.
"I'm heading to train. If anything comes up, find me at the Training Ground."
Konan nodded.
She didn't look away until the door closed behind him.
A month passed.
December arrived.
Konoha welcomed its first snowfall.
After breakfast, Kitazawa and Kurenai walked side by side toward the Ninja Academy.
Thin snow dusted rooftops and training fields.
Their breath misted faintly in the cold air.
On the training grounds, the Genius Class students were already active. Some chatted in small groups. Others were practicing jutsu despite the chill.
Winter had come—
But the fire of youth burned hotter than ever.
"Kitazawa-senpai."
Iruka hurried over, a stack of papers in hand.
"You two talk," Kurenai said lightly, waving before heading toward the Genius Class students.
"These are the final exam papers," Iruka paused. "When should we schedule the exam?"
"December fifteenth," Kitazawa replied after a moment's thought.
They had skipped one Monthly Exam, so the finals were moved slightly earlier.
Which worked out perfectly.
The twenty-first was his birthday.
Better to clear his schedule.
He skimmed through the test papers, nodding once.
"These look fine."
He handed them back.
At that exact moment—
[Current Mission: Teach Shion five Sealing Techniques within one year.]
[Mission Reward: Five Elements Seal.]
[Mission completed. Reward issued.]
Three lines of text flickered before his eyes.
Kitazawa glanced toward Shion in the distance.
Impressive.
Her talent for sealing techniques was truly exceptional.
Five techniques in under a year.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Once she mastered the Evil Sealing Method, he could transition her into Medical Ninjutsu.
Sealing plus medical ability—
A dangerous combination.
"Go ahead and get busy," he said to Iruka.
Then he walked toward Shion.
For half an hour, he carefully explained the principles of the Evil Sealing Method. After ensuring she understood the fundamentals, he left a shadow clone to continue guiding her.
At nine sharp, the Genius Class officially began lessons.
Kitazawa, meanwhile, took Uzumaki Naruto straight to the Forest of Death.
After nearly two months of relentless Chakra control training, Naruto could now climb the Wood Dragon from base to crown without slipping once.
That alone was a remarkable achievement.
"Today," Kitazawa said, stopping before him, "you'll learn how to truly use Kyuubi's Chakra."
Naruto had already entered the first stage of Jinchuriki development—borrowing chakra.
The second stage was partial tailed beast transformation, forming a cloak and manifesting tails.
But Naruto was different from other Jinchuriki.
Most manifested all their tails at once—like Utakata's six.
Naruto's growth was incremental, due to the corrosive nature of Kyuubi's chakra.
One tail.
Two.
Four.
Six.
Eight.
Each additional tail meant an exponential surge in power.
Kitazawa's goal was simple:
Within two weeks, Naruto would manifest a single tail.
That would mark the true completion of Stage One.
In the original timeline, Naruto had skipped controlled borrowing entirely. Kyuubi's chakra was simply too vast and volatile.
But now—
Naruto was younger.
And more importantly—
Kyuubi was cooperating.
That changed everything.
A week later.
Snow dusted the rooftops of Konoha.
After breakfast, Kitazawa and Kurenai stepped outside.
An ANBU figure appeared instantly before them.
"I'll head to the Academy first," Kurenai said, sensing official business.
The masked ANBU removed their disguise.
It was Konan.
"Antelope asked me to deliver this," she said, offering a scroll.
Kitazawa already knew what it contained.
The mission to capture Hiruko had been assigned to Antelope.
He unrolled it.
The Chimera Technique.
He read carefully.
And frowned.
This was far more grotesque than expected.
He had assumed Chimera was a fusion technique—
It wasn't.
It was body-merging.
Rather than extracting Bloodline Limits, the user physically fused with the host who possessed them.
Disturbingly similar to what Yakushi Kabuto would later do by implanting cells to gain abilities.
This wasn't clean assimilation.
It was parasitic integration.
Still—
For artificial human experimentation, it had potential.
If applied correctly, Orochimaru might create a clone capable of wielding five Bloodline Limits simultaneously.
Unethical?
Certainly.
But possessing knowledge and using it were two different matters.
That was why he wanted Orochimaru to have it.
"Thanks for the delivery," Kitazawa said, sealing the scroll.
Konan simply watched him.
"Go rest," he added softly, patting her head.
She nodded and left without another word.
Kitazawa continued toward the Academy.
Then—
[Current Mission: Help Shino Aburame breed Kikaichu with Earth Release resistance.]
[Mission completed. Reward issued: Earth Release damage resistance +10%.]
He stopped at the Academy gate.
So they succeeded.
Shino had been researching two Earth-variant Kikaichu types.
One with enhanced durability against Earth Release.
The other capable of subterranean movement.
The second variant was far more practical.
His thoughts shifted—
Yin variant?
Yang variant?
Then—
What if he used Chimera to fuse five elemental mutant Kikaichu into a single organism?
A perfect Five Elements Kikaichu.
The system responded instantly.
[Current Mission: Synthesize the Five Elements Kikaichu.]
[Mission Reward: Senju Hashirama's Wood Release.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa blinked.
Senju Hashirama's version?
At first glance, incredible.
But logically—
The true difference between Yamato's Wood Release and Hashirama's wasn't technique.
It was Chakra.
Volume.
Quality.
Authority.
Kitazawa already possessed Yamato-level Wood Release, yet could perform high-level techniques like Wood Dragon due to his massive Chakra reserves.
In practical terms—
He was already closer to Hashirama than Yamato ever was.
Still—
A system-backed "Hashirama version" likely meant qualitative enhancement.
Stability. Control. Suppression capability.
It was worth it.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Shino approached quietly.
He extended his hand.
A dark insect burrowed briefly beneath his skin before resurfacing.
The Earth-Parasite Kikaichu.
"Raising five mutant strains simultaneously is difficult," Shino stated calmly.
Kitazawa smiled.
"Then we won't raise five."
He rested a hand on Shino's shoulder.
"We'll create one ultimate Five Elements Kikaichu instead."
Shino's eyes flickered slightly.
"…Is that possible?"
"I have a forbidden technique," Kitazawa said evenly.
"It's called Chimera."
He leaned closer.
"I'll explain everything after class begins."
Snow drifted quietly across the Academy grounds.
Somewhere in Konoha—
The next evolutionary leap was about to begin.
9:00 AM.
After spending half an hour teaching Haku a new Water Release technique—Water Release: Heavenly Cry—Kitazawa went looking for Shino Aburame.
The two immediately resumed their most ambitious experiment yet:
The fusion of the Five Elements Kikaichu.
December 15th arrived.
Final exam day.
While the Genius Class students prepared for battle inside the Forest of Death—
Kitazawa stood alone.
A thousand meters ahead, a lone tree swayed in the winter wind.
He exhaled.
Chakra surged.
The next second—
He vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already standing before the tree.
His fingers brushed the Flying Thunder God mark carved into its bark.
A faint smile curved his lips.
After months of study—
He had finally mastered the Flying Thunder God.
Only the most fundamental version, yes.
He had yet to master the next variations.
But those were derivatives.
Once the foundation was solid, the branches would grow easily.
Second Step—Throw the marked kunai, teleport, strike with Rasengan.
Guiding Thunder—Teleport others.
Even redirect something as terrifying as a Tailed Beast Ball.
Kitazawa formed a hand seal.
A Shadow Clone appeared.
"I want you to go to the northernmost point of Konoha," he instructed.
Though called a "village," Konoha was enormous—closer in scale to the Capital of the Land of Fire.
If he could teleport freely across its entire span—
His mobility would border on absurd.
He waited.
Minutes later, the clone dispersed.
Memories returned.
Kitazawa activated the technique.
The world folded.
In an instant, he moved from the southern edge of the Forest of Death to the northern mountain ridge behind Hokage Rock.
He assessed the chakra consumption carefully.
Even in his base state—
He could traverse Konoha at will.
If he activated Yang Release Chakra Mode—
The range would multiply.
At full power?
He could likely teleport to Sunagakure.
Mobility like this was nothing short of oppressive.
No village could tolerate an enemy who could appear in their heartland at will.
Minato Namikaze had wielded the Flying Thunder God—
But Minato's offensive arsenal was narrow.
Rasengan.
Precision.
Speed.
Kitazawa?
He could teleport into Sunagakure, unleash Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique, and vanish before anyone reacted.
That alone could rival the destruction of a Nine-Tails rampage.
And then—
A more terrifying thought surfaced.
Sage Art: Wood Style — True Several Thousand Hands.
If he summoned that colossal thousand-armed Buddha—
And then teleported it.
The mental image alone was horrifying.
He almost laughed.
That would be pure villain behavior.
And once he mastered Guiding Thunder—
He could bring others with him.
Entire strike teams.
Or extract allies instantly.
The strategic value was immeasurable.
Kitazawa returned to Konoha Village, quietly leaving Flying Thunder God marks at key locations.
Training grounds.
ANBU base.
Near the Hokage Building entrance—hidden carefully.
A Flying Thunder God mark could not be erased unless the object itself was destroyed.
Permanent.
Reliable.
Invisible advantage.
Soon, he pushed open the Hokage Office door.
"Tsunade-sensei."
"What now?" Tsunade muttered without looking up from her paperwork.
"I've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Her pen paused.
She looked up slowly.
"…You're serious?"
Kitazawa didn't answer.
He walked forward and casually placed a mark beneath the Hokage desk.
Then—
He vanished.
One heartbeat later—
He reappeared beside the entrance of the Hokage Building.
Then vanished again.
Reappearing inside the office.
Tsunade stared.
Wood Release.
Now Flying Thunder God.
Her emotions tangled.
As Hokage—She felt immense relief.
Konoha had become nearly untouchable.
But—She had promised him something.
A special reward.
"Tsunade-sensei," Kitazawa asked with a knowing smile, "about that reward?"
She bit her lip.
"I'll give it to you on your birthday next week."
She needed time.
He was asking too directly.
"You're not backing out, are you?" he pressed.
"Do I look like someone who breaks promises?" she shot back.
Kitazawa blinked.
There was an entire room of IOUs at her house.
But he decided not to say that aloud.
"Since the reward is delayed," he continued shamelessly, "is there an advance bonus?"
Tsunade stared at him.
"You're one of Konoha's highest-ranking officials. Why are you like this all day?"
"I am simply making reasonable requests within village regulations," he replied solemnly.
The corner of her eye twitched.
This brat.
"Come here," she said suddenly.
Kitazawa's eyes lit up.
He stepped forward without hesitation.
Before he could even steady himself—
Tsunade grabbed him—
And pressed his face directly into her chest.
His vision went dark.
Warm.
Soft.
Overwhelming.
For a moment—
Even the Flying Thunder God couldn't save him.
Outside—Snow continued to fall gently over Konoha.
Inside—The Hokage's office had never felt warmer.
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