A cave somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Ever since he'd been injured, Uchiha Obito hadn't left. There was no point going back to the Hidden Mist, but unless he healed up, he didn't dare meet Nagato. Nagato had the Rinnegan and, frankly, was stronger than him. More importantly, Konan had never exactly warmed up to him; if she saw he was hurt and decided to finish him off, that would be a problem.
Sitting at the cave mouth, Obito suddenly turned his head. The ground trembled slightly, and White Zetsu budded up out of the earth.
"Did you confirm it?" Obito asked evenly.
"Your great hope, Yagura Karatachi, went down—lost to Tsunade and Kitazawa," White Zetsu said. "The Hidden Mist has conceded. The war's over."
"As expected—useless." Obito snorted. He'd half expected it, but the fact they couldn't even hold out for two and a half months still disappointed him.
"If he had it in him to beat Tsunade, he wouldn't have been under your control," White Zetsu chuckled. "Still planning to go to the Mist?"
"A place with no value isn't worth the trip," Obito said coolly. "As for Konoha—their turn will come. No rush."
Once the Eye of the Moon Plan was in motion, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger; Nagato's group would bring trouble to Konoha for him. A Rinnegan wielder like Nagato was nothing like Yagura. When the time came, Konoha would be destroyed.
"Destruction is the prelude to rebirth," Obito said, lifting his face to the dim, ragged moon.
"There's something else—your favored Hoshigaki Kisame also died in the fighting tonight," White Zetsu added, as if remembering.
"Kisame?" Obito blinked. "Shame."
Of everyone in the Mist, Kisame was the one he rated highest—maybe add Suikazan Fuguki, at most.
"Who killed him?" Obito went quiet for two seconds, then asked, "Not many people can do that."
"Someone you know very well," White Zetsu said, blinking. "Kitazawa."
"The next time I meet him, I'll tear him to pieces." Obito clenched his fists, thoroughly annoyed.
"And…Kakashi?" White Zetsu needled.
"Shut up!" Obito snapped. "Get out!"
White Zetsu wasn't scared of him; he simply slipped back underground and vanished.
Night passed. The sun rose.
Morning light washed over Konoha. Sarutobi Hiruzen had barely gotten out of bed when someone knocked. He paused. Normally no shinobi visited off-hours—unless it was urgent.
Thinking that, Hiruzen went to the door and opened it. An Anbu stood outside—one he recognized.
"Haru, why are you back in Konoha?" Hiruzen frowned. "Weren't you assigned to stay with Tsunade?"
"Hokage-sama," Haru drew a deep breath. "The war's over. We won."
"What?" Surprise flickered across Hiruzen's face. "So suddenly?"
Two days ago his dispatches still said Konoha and the Mist were fighting tooth and nail with no end in sight. How could a decisive result come in just forty-eight hours? It felt unreal.
"It's thanks to Tsunade-sama and Kitazawa-sama," Haru said, quickly summarizing the previous night.
Hiruzen stared, momentarily stunned—even with his experience, last night's events were staggering.
First: Kitazawa's strength had exceeded his expectations. Water, Lightning, Wind, Fire, Earth, genjutsu, medical ninjutsu—seven disciplines, and none of them weak. He was…basically a second Hiruzen. If Hiruzen were twenty years younger, he would've taken Kitazawa as a student on the spot; as it was, having him as a "grand-student" wasn't bad either.
Second: Tsunade had gone all out and pummeled Yagura—proof her hemophobia no longer constrained her. The efforts of Yakumo Kurama and Kitazawa had finally paid off. For Tsunade and for Konoha, that was a huge win. A Hokage can't have a fatal weakness like that.
Third: the Fourth Mizukage's war had been triggered by genjutsu control. That thought chilled Hiruzen. A mighty Kage, controlled? No one would believe it. Good thing the Byakugan can spot such things. He'd have to prioritize the Hyuga in the future—perhaps recommend Tsunade assign a Hyuga as Hokage guard. They wouldn't keep the eyes active constantly, but if Tsunade ever behaved strangely, they could check the chakra in her brain.
"Spread the good news," Hiruzen said at last, laughing. Though Yagura's manipulation made him wary, Konoha's victory needed to be known to all.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Haru replied.
"When is Tsunade returning?" Hiruzen asked, thinking of something.
"She didn't say," Haru shook his head.
"Coordinate with the Anbu at the front—pin down her return time," Hiruzen said, smiling. "A triumph like this deserves a heroes' welcome—from shinobi and villagers alike."
The welcome party was one thing; the momentum it created was another. War is cruel, but it's the fastest path to fame. Namikaze Minato became Hokage largely because he made his name in the Third Great Ninja War.
This conflict with the Mist wasn't on that scale, but a resounding victory was worth trumpeting—especially since it was chiefly Tsunade and Kitazawa's doing. With Kitazawa being Tsunade's student, the two would amplify each other's reputations. If Hiruzen announced Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage on the spot, not a soul would protest.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Haru said, turning to go.
The Mist's surrender and Konoha's victory flashed through the village at speed. Shinobi and civilians alike began to celebrate.
At the Shimura compound, the revelry felt very far away. Shimura Danzo stared blankly at the water's surface.
"The Mist really are hopeless," he muttered, snapping back to himself. He'd even sent word to Yagura ahead of time—and for what? Not only had the ambush failed, Tsunade and Kitazawa had thrashed them, and then the Mist had flat-out surrendered, handing Konoha a clean win.
Danzo sighed. With the war officially over, he'd lost all leverage. He'd planned to pass the Mist a few more intelligence tips, but after his first message, there'd been no chance. Now his only hope was Kotoamatsukami.
At the Ninja Academy, a new term had begun, and the prodigy class was training. Kosuke Maruboshi and Kakashi Hatake supervised, each with their own focus. Kosuke had devoted himself to Sakura Haruno, treating her as his true pupil and carefully teaching her Water Style. Sakura was holding her own; aside from her limited chakra, she excelled at water techniques. Kakashi, meanwhile, was instructing Sasuke Uchiha—who was already learning Chidori.
"Good news—great news!" Umino Iruka came running up, breathless. Everyone looked over.
"The Mist surrendered. We won!" Iruka said loudly.
Kosuke and Kakashi traded a look—both surprised. A war lasting a year or two is normal; to wrap up the Mist–Konoha conflict in two and a half months was remarkably fast.
"Awesome!" Uzumaki Naruto whooped. "Knew Konoha would win!"
"Konoha's just too strong," Inuzuka Kiba said, clapping him on the shoulder—then sighed. "Shame I didn't get to join the fight."
"If you had, we'd be at war for years," Shikamaru Nara deadpanned. "Not happening."
"If you ask me, better not to fight at all," Yamanaka Ino said, shaking her head. "The battlefield's too dangerous."
"So…when's Kitazawa-sensei coming back?" Hyuga Hinata asked first, eyes lighting up.
"Right!" Naruto blurted. "Iruka-sensei, when's Kitazawa-sensei getting back?"
Hinata, Ino, Sasuke and the others turned to Iruka.
"I'm not sure," Iruka said after a moment. "Figure in travel time and wrapping up post-war details, my guess is sometime this week."
"Yes!" Ino grinned from ear to ear. Hinata's lips lifted without her noticing; her heart filled with anticipation.
"I haven't seen Kitazawa-sensei in ages—he'll be blown away by how strong I've gotten!" Naruto beamed.
"Don't count on it," Iruka laughed. "This war, your Kitazawa-sensei and Tsunade-sama beat the Fourth Mizukage together."
"What?" Eyes went wide. They all knew what a Mizukage was—the Mist's Kage, equal in status to Konoha's Hokage. Even if Yagura wasn't Hiruzen's equal, he wasn't far off.
"Kitazawa-sensei's insane!" Naruto yelled.
"That's the youth I live for!" Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up.
"Hahaha!" Kiba laughed. "We've got a teacher who beat the Mizukage—everyone's gonna be jealous!"
"I'm definitely learning more ninjutsu from Kitazawa-sensei," Ino pumped a little fist. The Fourth Mizukage specialized in Water Style; Sakura was learning water too. With Kitazawa's help, Ino felt she could keep the edge.
Hinata unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes. She said nothing, but she was elated.
"The Fourth Mizukage, huh?" Sasuke gripped his ninjatō, full of yearning. A clash between powerhouses like that—what a sight it must have been. Too bad he hadn't seen it. No matter; one day, he'd reach that level.
"Kitazawa's already on par with the Fourth Mizukage without us noticing?" Kakashi murmured, startled.
"The kid is fearsome," Kosuke said in awe.
By noon, Kitazawa opened his eyes feeling refreshed—every trace of battle-weariness gone. He sat up to find Kurenai already gone. Stretching lazily, he stepped out of the tent.
The main camp was bustling—not with missions, but with striking tents and packing to head home. With the war over, there was no reason to stay. After two and a half months out here, everyone was ready to go back.
[Current Mission: Help the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, break free of control.]
[Mission Reward: 30% Senju bloodline + 20% Byakugan purity.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
Here we go. The three lines flashed before Kitazawa's eyes, and his spirits lifted. A heartbeat later he felt clear changes in his body. Most obvious was the boost to his chakra cap—about three-fifths of a "card." His total now topped five cards.
[Senju bloodline has reached 100%. Gain an extra 1 card of chakra.]
Kitazawa blinked—pleasantly surprised. In total, hitting 100% Senju bloodline had netted him roughly three cards of chakra. It didn't sound huge, but it put him well beyond most jōnin.
Kakashi's chakra wasn't bad to begin with—he only seemed short because the Sharingan drained him. And the system's "Senju bloodline" meant a normal Senju—not Hashirama. For a Senju to have three cards of chakra was already impressive—enough to go toe-to-toe with Sharingan-bearing Uchiha.
[Unlock Senju special: Seal-less Regeneration.]
[Seal-less Regeneration: Automatically heals injuries with no handseals. Recovery speed scales with your chakra.]
Kitazawa arched a brow. Seal-less Regeneration—one of Hashirama's signature traits. Part of why Hashirama's cells stayed preternaturally "alive" even after death was this very ability. He hadn't expected to get it. Judging from the description, it wasn't on Hashirama's level—recovery scaled with chakra, and Hashirama had magnitudes more.
Still, like Senju Chakra Mode, this could "level up" as his chakra grew. With a cheat like his, who knew—maybe one day he'd surpass Hashirama.
Thinking that, he went back into the tent, picked up a kunai, and drew it across his forearm. Watching the wound knit at speed, he couldn't help but smile.
At this rate, it was comparable to a B-rank medical ninjutsu. In other words, he was carrying around a medic casting B-rank heals on him nonstop. Ordinary injuries, he could ignore. Against strong foes, he could trade hits, lean on monstrous regen, and force an advantage.
[Byakugan purity has reached 50%. Unlock special: Byakugan—Puppet Control.]
[Byakugan—Puppet Control: You can control inanimate puppets, and you can attempt to control living targets.]
[Note: A living target's strength and mental resistance heavily affect success rate.]
Another perk? He'd thought the rewards were done, but no—the 50% Byakugan purity opened a new toy. His mind jumped to Ōtsutsuki Toneri on the moon—in the movie, the Tenseigan let him command scores of puppets and even seize Hinata's will.
This "Byakugan—Puppet Control" was clearly related—a toned-down cousin, maybe—but broken all the same. Forget puppets—the ability to hijack living targets was huge. It wouldn't work on the strong, but it was a total bully tool against weaker foes.
As for puppets…he mulled it over. Puppet users were a whole profession—shinobi who fought through puppets. Sunagakure had an entire puppet corps. The two greatest puppet masters—Chiyo and her grandson Sasori—both came from the Sand.
Konoha didn't have puppet users, but with Byakugan—Puppet Control in hand, he could consider commissioning one. Might come in handy someday. The question was: who'd build it? Chiyo—or Sasori? Sasori should already be with Akatsuki. Kitazawa rubbed his chin. Akatsuki, at this stage, was pure mercenary. Pay Sasori to craft a puppet? Very doable.
"Kitazawa-sama," came a voice from outside the tent. "Tsunade-sama requests you in the command tent."
Kitazawa snapped back to the present and stepped out. An Anbu had brought the message; Kitazawa thanked him and headed over.
The mood felt off the moment he walked in. Tsunade's expression was dark.
"Tsunade-sama?" Kitazawa approached, puzzled. "What happened?" With the Mist already surrendered, what could still have her this angry?
"Yagura just dropped by," Tsunade said, handing him a scroll. "He gave me this."
Kitazawa opened it: a portrait—an unfamiliar shinobi in a mask.
"Yagura said the reason he managed to lay an ambush for you was that this person tipped him off," Tsunade said, drawing a long breath. "Which strongly suggests he's a Konoha shinobi."
"I see." Kitazawa studied the sketch. "I recommend checking the Root members who joined Anbu."
"That was my thought as well," Tsunade said, blinking.
Kitazawa couldn't help but smile. Looked like they were both thinking of Shimura Danzo.
~~~
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