Time quietly slipped into October.
Konoha Village already smelled of winter; the temperature had dropped noticeably.
Yet the Training Ground of the Ninja Academy was as bustling as ever, the Genius Class students training with fierce dedication.
Compared to previous years, they had become markedly more diligent.
After all, once next year passed, most of them would graduate and become full-fledged Ninjas.
Although they had tasted Ninja life, taking missions, for instance, they still weren't true Ninja.
Besides, after graduation, it would be hard to land team leaders as heavyweight as Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kitazawa, Kosuke, or Kakashi.
Kitazawa stood on the field, watching Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata, lost in thought.
After long training, their World-Extinction Arrow was fairly proficient; all it lacked was real combat.
A technique rivaling a Tailed Beast Ball couldn't be casually fired in practice.
Kitazawa pondered two questions.
First: should he let them use the World-Extinction Arrow in actual battle? Firing it anywhere would be wasteful; ideally, it should create real value.
Second: what should he teach them afterward? They could learn new archery or switch to Gentle Fist—say, Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
Kitazawa suddenly recalled the system mission whose reward was Sage Art: Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands.
Its requirement: form a new Konoha Sannin.
He judged the time ripe for that mission.
Right now, Sasuke and Naruto clearly meet the criteria. The former would soon awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan; the latter could already partially manifest his Tailed Beast form.
To speak plainly, their strength rivaled that of Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru when they first earned the title of Konoha Sannin.
As for the third member, options abounded.
With the World-Extinction Arrow, both Neji and Hinata qualified. So did Kurama Yakumo—after all, she possessed genjutsu on par with the Mangekyo Sharingan.
If a standard three-man team required a Medical Ninja, Sakura Haruno, Karin Uzumaki, or Shion would fit.
Because they were medics, the bar could be lower.
Most assumed Medical Ninja lacked combat strength. Throughout the Ninja World, fewer than five Ninja were both medical specialists and formidable fighters.
Kitazawa was instantly tangled in choices. Sometimes, too many options were a curse.
Still, he could start building their fame. The fastest route was to have them defeat a renowned Ninja.
For instance, Naruto—already able to partially manifest the Nine-Tails—could topple a famous shinobi.
With Kitazawa's publicity, the boy's renown would skyrocket.
Likewise, once Sasuke awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, the same method could apply. Once all three were famous, the idea of a new-generation Konoha Sannin could be floated.
He could have the original Sannin, Tsunade, publicly praise them.
"Hinata." Kitazawa came back to himself and called, "Neji."
"Kitazawa-sensei." Hinata reached him first.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Neji followed a step behind.
"Your World-Extinction Arrow is polished enough; we can pause here." He reached out and gently patted her head. "When the chance comes, you'll fire a real one."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei," Neji answered.
"Sensei, what do we learn next?" Hinata lifted her gaze.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven." He explained, "Though you favor bows, Revolving Heaven covers your close-quarters gap."
In the original story, the technique was hailed as absolute defense, repelling any physical strike. Of course, anything touted as absolute defense usually isn't absolute.
Still, Revolving Heaven was solid against most Ninja. Only against monsters like Uchiha Madara would it crumble.
"Take a week off; return once you've learned Revolving Heaven." He considered, then spoke again.
"Mm." Hinata nodded.
"You're dismissed." He withdrew his hand.
After the two Hyuga left, he planned to find a spot to train. Just then, three lines appeared before his eyes.
[Current Mission: Synthesize the Five-Release Kikaichu.]
[Reward: Senju Hashirama's Wood Release.]
[Host has completed the mission; reward issued.]
Kitazawa instinctively stopped. Had Shino Aburame's mutation experiment succeeded?
He checked inward—no noticeable change. So Hashirama's Wood Release differed from Yamato's only in Chakra nature.
Kitazawa tugged the corner of his mouth. He felt the mission had been pointless; he'd gained nothing.
[Congratulations, host has acquired master-level Wood Release Chakra nature transformation.]
He gave a soft exclamation. Now, this mission wasn't bad.
Previously, he'd only gained single-element masteries—Lightning, Water, and the rest. Master-level Wood Release nature transformation was multi-element.
In practical terms, he'd now learn Wood Release far faster. That alone made the reward worthwhile, saving vast amounts of precious time.
"Kitazawa-sensei." While he mused, Shino quickly appeared before him.
In his palm rested a strangely colored Kikaichu, as if paint had spilled across it.
"Congratulations." Kitazawa smiled.
"It's all thanks to you, sensei," Shino replied at once.
Without Kitazawa's suggestion, he'd never have attempted the mutation experiment.
"I think you should pause here and learn your clan's secret art." Kitazawa looked at him. "There's a powerful technique called Parasitic Giant Insect: Bug Bite. Do you know of it?"
"Yes, but the difficulty is extreme; I've never studied it."
Shino wasn't surprised Kitazawa knew; as a Hokage higher-up, familiarity with secret arts was normal.
"Your strength is sufficient now; give it a try." He paused. "I'll give you a week off."
In the original work, Parasitic Giant Insect: Bug Bite was Shino's strongest secret, burrowing into a target to devour Chakra. Even the Ten-Tails clones couldn't withstand it.
"Understood, sensei." Shino nodded. "I'll head back now."
After seeing Shino off, Kitazawa entered the Forest of Death.
He'd meant to train Sage Art: Myojinmon, but with the new reward, he switched to Wood Release: Wood Human Technique.
After a short while of training, he could already feel the difference—his speed had noticeably improved.
If mastering Wood Release: Wood Human Technique used to take a year, now it would only take six months.
---
Another day of training passed.
When the Genius Class was dismissed, Kitazawa left the Ninja Academy with Kurenai.
"The midterms are coming up; any new arrangements this time?" Kurenai asked as they walked.
"None." Kitazawa shook his head. "Same as before—just complete a mission."
Saying that, he fell into thought.
His first idea was to find a famous Ninja for Naruto to defeat and use as a stepping-stone to fame. But after careful consideration, no suitable target came to mind.
More precisely, all the suitable ones were in the Five Great Villages.
In a time of peace, that was troublesome.
And apart from shinobi of the Five Great Villages, the rest were generally unknown—even the Akatsuki Organization.
Although every member of Akatsuki was powerful, they hadn't yet made a name for themselves.
Only when they began hunting Tailed Beasts would the Five Great Villages realize Akatsuki had gathered a host of elite Ninja.
A vague plan formed in Kitazawa's mind. Wait until Akatsuki is famous, then let Naruto and Sasuke defeat them.
With that thought, he stopped worrying about the final exam and decided any random mission would do.
Time passed slowly.
Once December arrived, Konoha Village saw its first heavy snowfall.
On an open field north of the Forest of Death, Kitazawa formed hand seals. Vast amounts of Chakra surged out, whirling the falling snow into the sky.
The next second, a huge red torii gate crashed down, embedding itself deep in the ground.
This was Sage Art: Myōjinmon.
The red torii was similar to the red gateway in front of a shrine.
Kitazawa exhaled slowly. After so long training, he had finally mastered Sage Art: Myōjinmon.
It had two applications.
One was to summon a single torii. This version targeted the opponent's head, sealing it.
The other was to summon multiple torii to seal the entire body.
In the original story, Senju Hashirama had summoned several to pin down all ten of the Ten-Tails' tails.
Kitazawa dispelled Sage Art: Myōjinmon with a wave of his hand. Now that he'd learned it, he could focus on Wood Release: Wood Human Technique.
In terms of raw power, that technique was second only to Sage Art: Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands among Wood Release jutsu.
As Tsunade had said, he was getting closer and closer to Senju Hashirama.
Thinking about it was almost absurd. Even with a cheat, it had taken him this long to catch up.
In terms of strength, Senju Hashirama felt more like the main character than Naruto or Sasuke.
Were it not for the alien Ōtsutsuki Clan, Hashirama would stand at the pinnacle of the Ninja World.
Still, he himself carried Ōtsutsuki blood.
Kitazawa shook his head, clearing the jumble of thoughts.
He turned and walked into the Forest of Death. Before he got close, he sensed Naruto's surging with Nine-Tails Chakra.
Soon, he saw Naruto and Sasuke locked in fierce combat.
Sasuke was scrambling under the assault of Naruto and his army of Shadow Clones covering the hills.
Sasuke himself was a stat monster, but he'd run into an even more outrageous one.
Normally, the reincarnations of Ashura and Indra should be evenly matched, with Indra slightly ahead.
But Ashura's line had produced two freaks: Senju Hashirama and Naruto.
"I wonder when Sasuke will awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan," Kitazawa mused, rubbing his chin.
From what he sensed, Sasuke was already at the limit of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and could break through at any moment.
Of course, Kitazawa hoped it would be sooner rather than later. He still had a system mission to complete.
Once Sasuke opened the Mangekyo Sharingan, the corresponding quest reward would be his.
"Let's hope he manages it before the New Year."
Kitazawa withdrew his gaze, found a spot, and began training without disturbing them.
December fifteenth.
The Genius Class held its end-of-semester Final Exams. The format hadn't changed: restricted Team Battles.
In the end, Naruto's squad won.
With the exams over, winter break began.
For most of Konoha's Ninja, however, the break wasn't the highlight—the New Year was.
It was the only time they got any real vacation.
On the first day of break, Kitazawa crawled out of his warm bed and headed to the Academy alone.
As for Kurenai, she'd been worn out the night before and was still asleep. Which was why his late-night visits to Tsunade had gone unnoticed for so long.
He soon reached the Academy Training Ground.
He'd come because it was time to update several students' training regimens.
First, the four new members of the Genius Class.
Moegi Kazamatsuri and Ise Udon had mastered the three basic E-rank Technique and Konoha Style Taijutsu; they could now begin Chakra-control training.
Hanabi and Konohamaru, having finished Chakra-control training, would move on to actual Ninjutsu.
Hanabi would naturally study Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
Konohamaru would learn the Sarutobi clan's Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning.
Next came Haku, Chino, and Hotaru, studying Water Release.
The first two would learn Water Release: Instant Water, and Hotaru would take Water Release: Water Severing Slash.
Finally, Yakumo and Ino. He grouped them because he planned to teach them Super Beast Imitation Drawing.
Though it looked like Water Release, it was fundamentally a Yin Release Secret Technique.
Only Yin Release could create something from nothing.
Yakumo was an obvious fit.
In fact, Super Beast Imitation Drawing bore some resemblance to Genjutsu: Creation. But it won in speed—you could sketch on the spot.
No downside to learning it.
Ino's art wasn't as good as Yakumo's, but she excelled at Yin Release Secret Techniques.
Super Beast Imitation Drawing would be a major boost for her. It offered solid combat and support utility.
Combined with Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji, she'd be far more effective.
As he considered this, Kitazawa sensed a fierce, almost violent Chakra.
He glanced up and saw Rock Lee.
"Is that the Eight Gates?" He raised an eyebrow.
Only the first gate, but for Lee, it was a great start. In a way, he now had a shot at catching Neji and Aburame Shino.
If he could open the eighth, he might even rival Sasuke or Naruto.
Kitazawa took one look and paid no further heed. After all, Might Guy and Chen had always been Lee's teachers.
Normally, Naruto should have trained in the Eight Gates alongside Lee. But becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki offered a better output.
Still, learning the Eight Gates wouldn't hurt—Naruto could try them when he had time.
Kitazawa called Hanabi and the others over and began their winter-break training.
After he finished teaching them, he walked toward the Forest of Death.
"Kitazawa." Konan suddenly appeared in front of him.
"You need me?" Kitazawa stopped and asked.
"I'm returning to the Land of Rain for a while," Konan replied.
"Has the war with Sunagakure changed?" Kitazawa felt a flicker of surprise.
The Hidden Rain Village's war against Sunagakure had been under Konoha's constant watch; the Anbu delivered daily reports without fail.
Yet the situation had stayed deadlocked, each side trading blows within a limited scope.
"No." Konan shook her head. "I don't know the details myself."
"Is that so?" Kitazawa considered briefly. "The New Year is almost here; I'll give you a month off. Come back after the holiday."
By now, he and Konan knew almost everything about each other—only the final step remained.
Since she wanted to go home, he wouldn't be stingy with leave.
"Thank you." Konan nodded.
"Want me to escort you to the Land of Rain?" Kitazawa chuckled. "I've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique—it'll save you time."
Konan had stayed by his side; of course, she knew he'd learned the Flying Thunder God Technique. In fact, she'd been stunned when she first found out.
"No need for the trouble; flying back won't take long." Konan hesitated, then declined.
She worried that if Nagato or White Zetsu spotted Kitazawa, explanations would be impossible.
"All right, go and return soon." Kitazawa didn't press her.
"Mm," Konan answered and turned away.
When the clear sky turned to endless drizzle, she had reached the Land of Rain.
Konan flew down from the clouds and, gazing at the familiar country, felt a pang of disorientation.
After so long in Konoha with its distinct seasons, returning to the rain-soaked land felt alien. Yet no matter what, the Land of Rain was still her home.
Arriving at Amegakure, she landed gently atop a high tower.
This return had been ordered by Nagato through White Zetsu; she truly didn't know why.
"Nagato." Konan entered and soon saw Nagato—or rather, Deva Path Pain.
Deva Path Pain said nothing, simply handing her a scroll.
Konan felt a stir of doubt. She glanced at Deva Path Pain and unrolled the scroll.
Her gaze sharpened. The scroll tallied the profits from both the water trade and the silver jewelry business.
"This came from Kakuzu." Deva Path Pain said flatly.
"Judging by the figures, both ventures are doing very well." Konan looked at him. "Why show me this?"
"The funds needed for the Eye of the Moon Plan are almost ready; we can begin our plan next year." Deva Path Pain raised a hand. "It is time to let the Ninja World know… There is a god above them."
Konan's pupils contracted; reflexively, she clenched the scroll.
She had worked tirelessly for the Eye of the Moon Plan, yet at this moment, she felt a rare surge of dread.
Once the plan began, the Akatsuki Organization would stand against the entire world—including Konoha.
In other words, she and Kitazawa would become enemies.
"We start with Sunagakure." Deva Path Pain continued.
The Eye of the Moon Plan's prerequisite was the revival of the Ten-Tails.
Simply put, the Gedo Statue—the hollow husk of the Ten-Tails—had to absorb the Chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts.
And the absorption had to follow the proper sequence, beginning with One-Tails Shukaku.
Of course, Sunagakure's rivalry over the water trade had also displeased Deva Path Pain.
Previously, while the plan had yet to launch, he had tolerated them. Now there was no need for pretense; Sunagakure would be the first to fall.
"Konan, after the New Year, summon every Akatsuki member back to Amegakure for a meeting." Deva Path Pain added, "We will assign the Tailed Beast captures then."
"Mm," Konan answered reflexively.
"The Nine-Tails, I will capture personally." Deva Path Pain mused aloud.
First, because the Nine-Tails was immensely powerful, few Akatsuki members could confidently defeat its Jinchuriki.
Second, he had an old parental score to settle with Konoha.
Konan's heart tightened; she opened her mouth yet found no words. She couldn't bring herself to dissuade Nagato.
For some reason, her only comfort was that Kitazawa possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Even if Konoha were destroyed, he would survive.
"My legs are healed; Kitazawa made no move against me." Deva Path Pain looked at her. "You need not return to Konoha."
Konan stood frozen.
"What is it? Is there unfinished business in Konoha?" Deva Path Pain asked, puzzled.
"I've more or less identified the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; I only need time to confirm," Konan replied, expression calm.
"How long?" Deva Path Pain asked without suspicion.
"Half a year at most." Konan's tone was cool.
"That should suffice." Deva Path Pain nodded after a moment.
The identities of Jinchuriki were closely guarded secrets in every Village; few knew them.
Moreover, some had left their Villages and wandered the world without fixed homes.
On top of that, capturing Tailed Beasts and their hosts could fail.
Taking half a year was therefore normal.
"Once you've confirmed the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, leave immediately." Deva Path Pain warned, "Once the Eye of the Moon Plan begins, Akatsuki becomes the enemy of the world; staying in Konoha will be dangerous."
"I understand." Konan nodded. "Don't worry. If danger arises, White Zetsu will alert me."