The Genius Class's summer vacation is one month, which is about four weeks. Half of it has just passed, so Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jugo cannot enroll yet.
Let them stay at the Konoha Orphanage for now; Kabuto can show them around and help them get familiar with the environment.
Because, if nothing unexpected happens, they probably won't return to Otogakure. After all, Orochimaru's current situation makes it difficult for him to escape again.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei."
Kabuto was very intelligent; from Kitazawa's single sentence, he understood the whole situation.
Kimimaro and the others were likely abducted, just like Haku. In the future, they would either attend the Genius Class or work for the Anbu.
"From now on, the three of you will call me sensei, just like him." Kitazawa suddenly remembered something and reminded them.
"I won't!" Tayuya immediately refused.
"Why not?" Kitazawa raised his hand and tapped her forehead, saying, "If you can't beat me, you have to call me that."
Tayuya winced, covering her forehead, and glared at him fiercely.
"I can go find Orochimaru and have him expel you from Otogakure," Kitazawa said with a smile.
Tayuya's heart jolted, and her eyes widened.
"What should you call me now?" Kitazawa raised his hand and asked.
"Ki... Kitazawa-sensei." Tayuya reluctantly called out.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Kimimaro and Jugo were much more straightforward.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
He could tell that Tayuya wasn't genuinely willing to come to Konoha Village. But it didn't matter; Kitazawa had already told him how to handle them.
That was to bring up Orochimaru. Once a person has a weakness, they are easy to control.
"Kabuto, I'll leave the rest to you. Take them around Konoha these next few days." Kitazawa patted Kabuto and said.
"When can we see Lord Orochimaru?" Kimimaro asked.
"It's not difficult to see him." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "When you have time, you can have Kabuto take you to Orochimaru's laboratory."
After he finished speaking, he left the Konoha Orphanage and headed to the Hokage Building.
A knock sounded.
"Come in." Tsunade looked up towards the door.
"Tsunade-sensei." Kitazawa pushed the door open and walked in.
"Cooperating with Orochimaru is indeed a beneficial choice for Konoha." Tsunade saw him and said with a smile, "These are the results he shared."
Kitazawa took the documents she had handed over.
The documents recorded three of Orochimaru's achievements: genetic modification technology, cloning technology, and the Cursed Seal.
Genetic modification technology refers to transplanting Hashirama cells.
Cloning technology was related to Uchiha Shin, but it was far from as mature as in the original story.
At that time, it was already possible to mass-produce Sharingan, and even the Mangekyo Sharingan had emerged.
The Cursed Seal referred to the Cursed Seal of Heaven and the Cursed Seal of Earth.
"Genetic modification technology is not very useful for now."
After Kitazawa finished reading, he slowly said, "Cloning technology can play a significant role in Limb Regeneration Medical Ninjutsu."
"That's a good idea."
Tsunade's eyes lit up, and she said, "With cloning technology, the side effects of Limb Regeneration can be greatly reduced."
"I thought you would prohibit the use of cloning technology, given that it involves ethics." Kitazawa smiled and said.
"We can clone organs, but not duplicate people," Tsunade said with a serious tone.
"I agree with that." Kitazawa echoed.
The thought of another clone of him existing in Konoha Village didn't sit well with him.
"I will have Nono strictly oversee this matter." Tsunade said emphatically, "Once discovered, there will be no leniency!"
"What do you think of this Cursed Seal technology?" Kitazawa asked again.
"It's a very good method, a flawed version of Sage Mode, but the mortality rate is too high." Tsunade's face showed hesitation, and she said, "I'm inclined not to use it."
From the fact that Otogakure in the original story only had five Cursed Seal of Earth users, one could see how low the success rate of implanting the Cursed Seal was.
"The best way is to modify it to reduce the mortality rate." Kitazawa put down the document and retorted, "Orochimaru is in Konoha now. Why not let him modify it?"
"I almost forgot that." Tsunade smiled upon hearing this, saying, "That's right, we can have Orochimaru modify it."
Orochimaru possessed a long lifespan, and coupled with his powerful abilities, the successful modification of the Cursed Seal was only a matter of time.
Kitazawa put aside the thoughts and brought up the matter of Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jugo joining the Genius Class.
"You are the teacher of the Genius Class, so you can arrange it." Tsunade waved her hand, saying indifferently.
"Mmm." Kitazawa paused and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"No... Oh, actually, there is one thing." Tsunade said with a smile, "You're joining us for dinner tonight."
"Us?" Kitazawa asked curiously, "Besides you, who else?"
"Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen Sensei." Tsunade replied, "Jiraiya returned this morning, and as soon as he got back, he went to see Orochimaru."
"I see." Kitazawa was not surprised. "Lord Jiraiya has always been pursuing Orochimaru, and now his wish has been fulfilled."
"He boasts so much all the time, yet it took him so many years to catch one Orochimaru."
Tsunade snorted softly, shaking her head and saying, "He's not as good as me... and you."
She paused, then added Kitazawa. Kitazawa had made great contributions in capturing Orochimaru this time.
He not only discovered Orochimaru's whereabouts but also defeated Orochimaru in his Eight-Headed Serpent form.
Without Kitazawa, Tsunade felt it would have been very difficult for her to take him down alone.
"With our teacher and student working together, we'll conquer the Ninja World." Kitazawa blinked and said.
"Alright, don't get ahead of yourself. We still have some way to go before conquering the Ninja World."
Tsunade rolled her eyes at him and said, "Six o'clock tonight, at the izakaya near our house."
"Okay, I'll be there on time." Kitazawa nodded in agreement.
He naturally couldn't miss such a major event as the gathering of Konoha's Sannin.
After Kitazawa left the Hokage Office, he went home.
In the afternoon, he began to learn his second Wood Release Ninjutsu — Wood Release: Silent Strangle Jutsu
Its effect was to bind the target with branches, lock their throat, rendering them immobile and silent.
The afternoon quickly passed.
Kitazawa finished his training and went to the nearby izakaya.
He arrived relatively late; Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Sarutobi Hiruzen were already seated at the table.
But someone was even later than him.
"Where's Tsunade?" Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Kitazawa and asked, "How come she, the host, is the last to arrive?"
"Sensei, Tsunade is the Hokage now; she's very busy. It's normal for her to be delayed by something." Jiraiya immediately spoke up for Tsunade.
"Haha, I forgot about that. I'll drink a penalty cup later." Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed heartily.
Anyone with eyes could see he was in a good mood.
Since Orochimaru's defection, Sarutobi Hiruzen had never imagined he would return and eat and drink with them again.
As a teacher, he naturally had affection for him, and Orochimaru's return to Konoha made him very happy.
"You shouldn't drink so much when you're old." Jiraiya shook his head and said.
"What does being old have to do with drinking?" Hiruzen glared, his beard bristling, and said, "Tonight, I'll make sure you can't walk out of this izakaya!"
"When it comes to drinking, Orochimaru is the strongest." Jiraiya changed the subject and said, "Orochimaru, I'll leave the Old Man to you tonight."
"Don't bring your own troubles to me," Orochimaru said with a calm expression.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya fumed, "I should have known to have Tsunade call me. I would have given you a good beating!"
"Do you have that ability?" Orochimaru glanced at him and asked.
"Why not?" Jiraiya was immediately displeased, stood up, and said, "Let's go outside and spar. I'll fight you in Sage Mode."
"Sage Mode?" Orochimaru snorted coldly and said, "I've already developed Sage Mode."
"Really or fake?" Jiraiya looked at him with suspicion and asked.
If Orochimaru had also learned Sage Mode, he wouldn't be so confident.
"Orochimaru has developed a Cursed Seal that allows the user to enter a state similar to Sage Mode."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, saying, "In terms of research, you are probably not inferior to my teacher."
"Cough, cough, I'll go see if Tsunade has arrived." Jiraiya immediately said, chickening out.
He didn't want to be beaten black and blue by Orochimaru in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Kitazawa.
"Why are there so many things to do?" Tsunade's voice rang out, "Being Hokage isn't worth it!"
"I never thought you would be the last of us three to become Hokage." Orochimaru looked at her and said.
He thought he would become Hokage, but Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared.
After he fled, Minato Namikaze died, and he thought it would be Jiraiya, but in the end, it was Tsunade.
In short, he was completely wrong.
"Because a certain person doesn't care about Konoha," Tsunade said with a dissatisfied tone.
"I care a lot about Konoha!" Jiraiya immediately argued, "I just don't stay in Konoha very often!"
"Have you found your Child of Prophecy?" Orochimaru picked up the sake bottle, poured a cup of sake, and asked.
"Pour me a cup too." Jiraiya handed his cup to him and said.
Tsunade didn't speak; she just placed her cup on the table.
Orochimaru's mouth twitched, and he poured a cup of sake for each of them. He also poured a cup of sake for Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"I'll do it myself." Kitazawa proactively took the sake bottle.
As a junior, there was no need for him to get involved.
"I thought I had found the Child of Prophecy before, but it turned out I hadn't." Jiraiya drank it all in one gulp, sighed, and said.
But they all knew he was referring to Minato.
"Since you are the teacher of the Child of Prophecy, you can wait for him to appear in Konoha Village," Orochimaru said casually.
"How can it be that easy?"
Jiraiya was stunned for a moment, shook his head, and said, "The Child of Prophecy is not necessarily a Ninja from Konoha Village; just waiting will only waste time."
"Searching is also a waste of time," Orochimaru said impolitely.
"Forget it, let's not talk about these things; it's rare for us four, master and students, to reunite." Jiraiya raised his cup and said, "Come, let's drink!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Tsunade raised their cups.
"You too." Tsunade glanced at Kitazawa and said.
"Kitazawa, you are the hero of our reunion; you should drink with us." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile.
Kitazawa was slightly startled, clinked glasses with them, and drank it all.
"Speaking of Kitazawa, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, you two should work harder; the New Konoha's Sannin is currently missing two."
Sarutobi Hiruzen put down his cup, a thought suddenly struck him, and he said.
"Students like Kitazawa are hard to find." Orochimaru shook his head and said.
Although he was beaten up by Kitazawa, it didn't hinder his admiration.
As for his current student, Anko, forget it — she shouldn't try to become one of the New Konoha's Sannin.
Compared to Kitazawa, she was not on the same level of Ninja. However, Anko's strength stagnated because of him.
After all, his defection meant she had no one to teach her.
"That's natural." Tsunade's lips curved upwards as she smiled and said, "I estimate it will be very difficult to gather the New Konoha's Sannin again."
Kitazawa secretly thought that it might not be the case.
After all, there were still Naruto and Sasuke — two protagonists with cheats.
It's just that they were Kitazawa's students. Was it too strange for a teacher and his students to form the New Konoha's Sannin?
Moreover, other Ninjas in the Ninja World wouldn't treat them as peers.
Thinking about it this way, it was indeed difficult to gather the New Konoha's Sannin.
But it wasn't impossible. They just needed to find another Ninja of the same generation as Naruto and Sasuke.
Judging from the current situation, Sakura and Kabuto both had a certain probability.
Kitazawa could make Kabuto the successor of Shikkotsu Forest.
However, could Naruto and Sasuke still become the successors of Mount Myōboku and Ryuchi Cave?
The former was simple, with Jiraiya around. The latter was more troublesome.
In the current situation, Orochimaru would certainly not teach Uchiha Sasuke anymore.
[Current Mission: Form the New Konoha's Sannin.]
[Mission Reward: Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa suddenly coughed. He truly had not expected this mission reward.
Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands could be said to be Senju Hashirama's strongest Wood Release Ninjutsu.
Its effect was to summon a thousand-armed Bodhisattva statue — and one hand could suppress the Nine-Tails.
Kitazawa's first reaction was that this system mission was too difficult. Did he really have to form the New Konoha's Sannin with his two students?
But he quickly found a loophole.
The system's mission description was to form the New Konoha's Sannin; it didn't say he had to be among them.
If that were the case, it would indeed be easier to complete. But only slightly easier.
This system's mission was still very troublesome.
To become the New Konoha's Sannin recognized by the Ninja World, one needed both strength and fame.
Clearly, Sasuke and Naruto were still lacking a bit. Regardless, accepting this system mission was not a loss.
What Kitazawa feared most was not being able to get a reward like Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands.
"What's wrong?" Tsunade looked at him and asked with concern.
"I choked a little; it's nothing." Kitazawa smiled and said.
"Why think so much?" Jiraiya raised his cup and said, "The next generation has its own destiny; there's no need to form another Konoha's Sannin."
"That's a good point." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with emotion.
He also hadn't expected his three students to end up in such a situation. Whether it was Orochimaru, Jiraiya, or Tsunade — he hadn't guessed a single one correctly.
The four people drank and chatted. Kitazawa was like an outsider, pouring them drinks and occasionally interjecting a few words.
"This is the happiest meal I've had recently." Sarutobi Hiruzen was already a bit drunk, but his face was full of smiles.
"Me too!" Jiraiya put his arm around his shoulder and said woozily.
Tsunade was also drunk, her face flushed, and she walked unsteadily. Kitazawa followed behind her, preventing her from falling.
Only Orochimaru was the most sober. He looked at the three drunk people and felt a long-lost sense of nostalgia.
Unfortunately, everything could not go back; although their atmosphere tonight was very good, he was still a prisoner.
"O-Orochimaru, where are you living now?" Jiraiya shook his head and asked.
"The Sarutobi Clan's compound," Orochimaru said in a flat tone.
He lived in the Sarutobi Clan's compound purely for Sarutobi Hiruzen's convenience in monitoring him.
"Alright then!" Jiraiya said with a smile, "I'll stay with you tonight!"
"I refuse," Orochimaru said without hesitation.
"You... refusal is useless!" Jiraiya looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and asked, "Old Man, what do you say?"
"The more the merrier, so let's all go together." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
"W-we're going back now, see you tomorrow!" Tsunade waved to the three and said.
After all, her and Kitazawa's home was nearby.
After Tsunade finished speaking, she swayed and turned onto another path. Kitazawa stepped forward and reached out to support her waist.
Tsunade turned to look at him. After a second of stunned silence, she stopped walking.
"Why aren't you walking?" Kitazawa asked confusedly.
"T-tired, don't want to walk, you... You carry me!" Tsunade said as she went behind Kitazawa.
She leaped up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and simultaneously hooked her two fleshy thighs around his waist.
Kitazawa felt the soft impact and elasticity on his back. He twitched his lips, stretched out his hands, and supported her peach-like buttocks.
"You really are lazy." Kitazawa walked and complained, "It's only a minute or two walk, and you won't even walk that."
"Annoying!" Tsunade leaned on his back, reached out, pinched his face, and said, "I'm the teacher!"
"You'll regret it!" Kitazawa retaliated by slapping her buttocks.
"Do you want to die?" Tsunade kicked him twice and asked.
The two of them fought like children all the way back home. Upon arriving home, Shizune came out and led Tsunade into the house.
Kitazawa didn't follow in; he turned and went home.
"This Kitazawa really needs a good lesson!" Tsunade shouted, her face flushed.
"Lady Tsunade." Shizune couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "Kitazawa brought you back, why are you still scolding him?"
"He... never mind, I'm going to sleep." Tsunade realized these things were difficult to explain to Shizune, so she promptly ended the topic.
The long night finally passed.
---
The next morning.
After Kitazawa and Kurenai had breakfast, they went to the Ninja Academy. He hadn't been there for three days.
Fortunately, Naruto and the others' training didn't have any major problems.
After giving a few pointers, he ran to the side to practice Ninjutsu — Creation Rebirth: Hundred Healings Technique and Wood Release: Wood Release: Silent Strangle Jutsu.
Because of Orochimaru's return, Jiraiya stayed for two more days — but only two days.
Two weeks passed quickly.
Summer vacation ended, and the new semester began.