"Since we're still on the clock, I'll teach you the Limb Regeneration medical jutsu first."
Kitazawa didn't rush to the Uchiha. Sooner or later made no difference, and if Tsunade mastered Limb Regeneration, his system task would jump ahead by a lot.
"Go ahead and teach me." Tsunade nodded and set down the files in her hands.
Kitazawa began explaining the key points and essentials of Limb Regeneration. Tsunade was, without question, a perfect student—quick to grasp concepts, able to infer by analogy, improving at a frankly scary pace.
An hour flew by; it was already five in the afternoon.
"It's been a while since I had this feeling of really learning," Tsunade said, stretching. "Let's stop here for today."
"Then I'll swing by the Uchiha." Kitazawa admired her graceful figure and, smiling, asked, "Want me to handle Shizune-senpai for you?"
"You have a way?" Tsunade stood up at once, unable to hide her impatience.
"The same way as before," Kitazawa said. "You clock out with me, and we say we were practicing the Yin Seal."
"But… I don't have any money." Tsunade turned those beautiful eyes on him.
"I'll front you."
Seeing her expression, Kitazawa couldn't help but smile.
"As expected of my excellent student!" Tsunade said, quite satisfied.
"But it's still my money," Kitazawa added evenly. "And I get the feeling your luck hasn't been great lately. How about I boost your Luck stat a little?"
"…?"
The line made Tsunade pause. It sounded familiar. She immediately thought of that time they got drunk—she'd meant to give Kitazawa a "lucky kiss," but the kiss had ended up landing somewhere… else.
She was still thinking about it when Kitazawa started walking toward her.
"Stop!" Tsunade's heart skipped; she blurted, "I don't need it!"
"All right then." Kitazawa stopped, handed her a bankbook, and said, "There's two million ryō in here."
Tsunade stared at him in surprise. He gave up that easily?
"See you tomorrow." Kitazawa waved, turned, and left.
Tsunade stood where she was, bankbook in hand, emotions tangled.
Kitazawa headed for the Uchiha compound.
There's a saying: sometimes "giving up" isn't actually giving up—it's a tactical retreat to advance. Try this a few times and Tsunade would feel embarrassed taking his money for nothing; she'd have to make it up to him sooner or later.
"Kitazawa-sensei?" came Sasuke's hesitant voice behind him.
"Sasuke, just got out of school?" Kitazawa turned to him.
"Mm." Sasuke nodded, then asked curiously, "Kitazawa-sensei, what are you doing here?"
"Perfect timing," Kitazawa said with a smile. "I'm here to see your father."
"I'll take you to him." Sasuke brightened at once.
"Let's go."
Kitazawa followed Sasuke to his home.
"Dad!" Sasuke shouted before he'd even stepped inside.
"Sa—Kitazawa-sama?" Itachi's face showed surprise when he saw Kitazawa.
"Nii-san? You're home early today?" Sasuke asked, delighted.
"Nothing much going on." Itachi paused, then instructed, "Sasuke, go get the tea from Father's room."
"Dad's not back yet?" Sasuke glanced around.
"He should be back soon." Once Sasuke headed for Fugaku's room, Itachi looked to Kitazawa and said, "Please have a seat, Kitazawa-sama."
Given Kitazawa's current status and standing, coming to the Uchiha was unlikely to be about Sasuke. He probably had something to discuss.
"I'll wait until Clan Head Fugaku gets here," Kitazawa said before Itachi could speak.
"I'll send a shadow clone to fetch him," Itachi replied, splitting off a clone.
"Nii-san!" Sasuke reappeared. "Here's the tea you wanted."
"Please wait a moment, Kitazawa-sama." Itachi took the tea away and soon brought back a freshly steeped cup.
"Thanks." Kitazawa accepted it.
"Kitazawa-sensei," Sasuke said as he sat beside Itachi, "has next week's field-exam team list come out?"
"Who do you want to team with?" Kitazawa countered.
Itachi tactfully let them talk. He already knew the new exam format from Sasuke. With anyone else he would have objected—he knew too well what early exposure to missions could do to a child's mind. He himself had been taken to the battlefield at four; that first kill was burned into his memory. He didn't want Sasuke to become another him. But Kitazawa had thought it through; that kind of thing wouldn't happen.
"If I get to choose: Sakura and Shino," Sasuke said, head tilted. "Sakura's a medical ninja, Shino's a sensor—they can both support me."
In front of Itachi he didn't bother acting cool. He seemed like a normal kid.
"If you want a sensor, why not pick Neji and Hinata?" Kitazawa asked with a smile.
"Uh…" Sasuke faltered.
Kitazawa had already guessed—he didn't want Hyuga Neji or Hyuga Hinata stealing his points. Same reason he wasn't choosing Naruto or Kurama Yakumo. Sakura was a medic and deferred to him; she wouldn't snipe his points. Shino was strong, but not at Neji or Hinata's level; Sasuke figured he could keep him suppressed. And teammates who were too weak made it hard to finish missions, so Shino was a balanced choice.
All told, Kitazawa thought Sasuke's pick was good—close to optimal. He might even snag first place.
But Kitazawa's first assignment for him wasn't going to be D-rank or C-rank—it was B-rank. He planned to take Sasuke and Naruto—just like in the original—to take down Aoi Rokushō.
The door opened.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kitazawa," Fugaku said, hurrying in.
"No worries, I just arrived," Kitazawa said with a smile. "Please sit. There's something I want to discuss with you."
"Sasuke," Mikoto called timely, "come here."
"I…" Sasuke wanted to ask how he should form his team, but one glare from Fugaku sent him scurrying out.
"Clan Head Fugaku," Kitazawa began after a moment's thought, "what do you think is the main reason the Uchiha have such a poor reputation?"
"The Nine-Tails incident," Fugaku answered, slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected such a blunt opener. If it had been anyone else, he'd have thrown them out.
"That's part of it," Kitazawa said, shaking his head, "but I think the main issue is the Konoha Police Force."
"What do you mean?" Fugaku's face tightened. His first thought was that Tsunade wanted to seize authority. The Police Force was the only institution the Uchiha controlled. They couldn't give it up, or they'd be pushed out of Konoha's power center.
"You Uchiha handle things too 'impartially,'" Kitazawa said evenly. "Because of that impartiality, the villagers don't like you."
"I don't understand. How does being too fair make us disliked?" Fugaku asked, stunned.
Itachi fell into thought as well. He'd always wondered why not only shinobi disliked them—even the villagers did. He could understand shinobi; many Uchiha were arrogant. But villagers?
Kitazawa's answer made something click.
"For minor matters, you should smooth them over, not blow them out of proportion," Kitazawa said, giving an example. "Villagers aren't shinobi. You can't lock them up just because they got into a scuffle."
"Then what should we do?" Fugaku asked, impatient.
"Get both sides to reconcile, treat it as if nothing happened, and you can even have medical ninja treat their injuries," Kitazawa said. "Only then can you build good relations with the villagers."
Fugaku and Itachi both froze. Suddenly, they understood Tobirama's real intent in giving them the Police Force. In theory, if they did well enough, they could earn the villagers' recognition—ticking off one of the three prerequisites for becoming Hokage. But the Uchiha's pride had made them overlook those unarmed villagers.
"Our path was wrong from the very beginning," Itachi said gravely.
Kitazawa's words hit squarely on his dream—peace between Konoha and the Uchiha. That path could have been realized through the Police Force, and they'd missed it. Not just Fugaku—even he and Shisui hadn't noticed. Had their own arrogance blinded them?
"Isn't it already too late?" Fugaku sighed. "And our clansmen's temperament won't change overnight."
"Then bring in shinobi from other clans," Kitazawa said, finally stating his real aim—power-sharing, just as he'd discussed with Tsunade.
"Impossible!" Fugaku refused without thinking. Now he was even more certain Tsunade wanted to strip the Uchiha of power.
"Father," Itachi said, taking the opposite stance, "I think we can try."
"No!" Fugaku remained firm.
"I think you're misunderstanding," Kitazawa cut them off. "Tsunade-sama is a fair Hokage. She's willing to grant the Uchiha a Hokage's Secretary post."
"Is that true?" Fugaku was instantly excited, incredulity on his face.
Tobirama had once formed a Hokage Guard that included Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, and Mitokado Homura. Tsunade didn't maintain a guard unit, but she had Hokage's secretaries.
Shizune's role showed the position was similar in nature—qualified even to become Hokage one day. Even if not Hokage, it was a sure path to a senior Konoha leadership role; Homura and Koharu were prime examples.
If an Uchiha became Hokage's secretary, their embarrassing situation could be reversed. The chance to become Hokage would be right in front of them. They might even leverage it to reclaim their old district.
"It's true," Kitazawa said with a nod. "Tsunade-sama will announce it at next week's jōnin meeting."
"Hokage-sama is… truly exceptional!" Fugaku praised at once. "Under her leadership, Konoha will only grow stronger!"
Compared to Tsunade, Hiruzen and Danzo had been downright criminal toward the Uchiha.
"But there's still one issue," Kitazawa said with a light cough. "To secure the secretary position, the Uchiha need the support of most jōnin."
Fugaku's expression froze. That demand was, frankly, very hard for the Uchiha.
"With only a week left, the quickest way to repair relationships is through shared interests," Kitazawa hinted.
Even if Fugaku were dense, he would have gotten it by now. Bringing other clans' shinobi into the Police Force was the best way to win their support.
The Police Force was a massive Konoha institution with real authority. In theory it oversaw all villagers and shinobi. With the Uchiha's decline, much of that authority had been encroached on. But if they brought in outsiders, some of that power might return. More importantly, there was the secretary post.
"Kitazawa," Fugaku said, taking a deep breath, "say what needs doing, and the Uchiha will do it."
"Good," Kitazawa said with a pleasant smile. "Then I'll toss out a few points."
Night fell.
Kitazawa declined the dinner invitation and went home. The Uchiha, meanwhile, sent out an Itachi-led squad to pay calls on the major clans.
None of the clans refused. The reason was simple: given the Uchiha's usual temperament, such a change wouldn't happen unless… For changes to the Police Force, the Hokage's approval was required. In other words, Tsunade was behind this. Her message was clear: the Uchiha would share part of their power, and in return the clans should change their stance toward the Uchiha. With benefits on the table—and the Hokage's will behind it—there was no reason to make things difficult.
Under cover of night, Konoha's internal landscape quietly shifted.
Friday arrived.
[Current Mission: Create Lightning Release: Kirin together with Hatake Kakashi.]
[Mission Reward: Lightning Release: Chidori Current.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
When Kitazawa woke up, those three lines were floating before his eyes. His first reaction was: Kakashi's up training this early? That's not his usual self. Maybe, under the influence of Sasuke and the others, he was gradually walking out of the shadows of his past.
Chidori Current was a variant of Chidori. It gave up Chidori's high attack and penetration in exchange for solid defense—spreading the lightning from the hand across the whole body. It felt a bit like Kurosuki Raiga's Lightning Armor. Unlike that, Chidori Current still carried offensive power and could be channeled into the ground for area attacks. All in all, a very practical lightning jutsu.
After breakfast, Kitazawa headed to the academy.
"Here," Kakashi said when they met on the training field. He'd arrived first and casually tossed Kitazawa a ninjutsu scroll.
"Congrats, Kakashi." Kitazawa glanced at it and smiled. The scroll recorded the newly created Lightning Release: Kirin.
"You can submit it to the village for a reward," Kitazawa reminded him. He might've supplied the idea, but Kakashi had done the work. No need to vie for credit—and he didn't need the reward anyway. His teacher was the Hokage; if he wanted something, he could just ask Tsunade.
"Thanks," Kakashi said, as laconic as ever.
"Hold on a sec." Kitazawa waved to someone nearby. "Kosuke-senpai, over here."
"What is it, Kitazawa?" Maruboshi Kosuke walked up to them.
"The new field exam," Kitazawa explained. "Each of us needs to lead two teams. To avoid disrupting the Advanced Class, we'll run them on the next two weekends."
"Starting next weekend?" Kosuke nodded, then asked.
"I think we can start this weekend," Kitazawa said.
"No objection," Kosuke replied casually.
"How are we forming teams?" Kakashi asked straight out.
"I've already picked the members of the two squads I'll lead," Kitazawa said after a beat. "You two choose from the remaining students."
His first team was Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Hyuga Neji—because he planned to send them on the Aoi Rokushō mission.
Before defecting from Konoha, Aoi had been a chūnin; after moving to Amegakure he became a jōnin. From the original story, that 'jōnin' rank had a lot of fluff. Sasuke and Naruto should be able to handle him. For safety and ease of tracking, he added Neji.
The second team was Hyuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Hana. Kitazawa planned to take them to the Land of Water to look for Haku. Byakugan, kikaichū, and ninken were all ideal for tracking.
"Your pick first, Kosuke-senpai," Kakashi said. Though he regretted not getting Sasuke, he didn't protest.
Kosuke chose Haruno Sakura without hesitation—she was his Water Release successor. He casually picked five more to round things out.
At nine a.m., the Advanced Class students gathered on the training field.
"The monthly exam is next Thursday," Kitazawa said. "To avoid the field exam running too late, we'll start missions tomorrow."
"Awesome!" Naruto whooped.
"I wonder who my teammates will be," Ino said, face full of anticipation.
"Ino–Shika–Cho won't be broken up," Sakura said with relief. "Good thing Sasuke-kun doesn't have a fixed trio like you."
"This is a field exam, not post-graduation team placement," Ino said, hands on hips. "I'm not necessarily with Shikamaru and Choji!"
"I want to team with Naruto and Sasuke," Shikamaru mused, hands behind his head. "That way I won't have to do anything and we'll still pass."
"How can you think only about slacking?" Tenten couldn't help complaining.
"If the job gets done anyway, what's a little laziness?" Shikamaru said carelessly.
"Sasuke-kun is mine!" Sakura huffed. "I have a feeling he'll be on my team!"
"Your predictions aren't exactly reliable," Shino said, nudging his glasses.
"…" Sakura's face stiffened. True enough—she jinxed Sasuke a lot.
Hinata clenched her hands. She didn't care who her teammates were—so long as Kitazawa was leading.
"I'll announce the three teams that will head out on Sunday," Kitazawa said. "Team One: Hyuga Hinata."
"Eh?" Hinata looked up, surprised. Being called first… it had to mean something, right?
"Aburame Shino," Kitazawa continued.
Shino gave a small nod. With Hinata as a teammate, they should have no trouble finishing.
"Inuzuka Hana." Kitazawa had originally wanted Kiba, but Kiba didn't have Akamaru right now.
"Me?" Hana was a bit surprised, but mostly happy. Both teammates were stronger than she was.
"I'll lead this team," Kitazawa said with a smile.
Hinata clasped the hem of her jacket, heart leaping.
"Aw…" Ino sagged with disappointment.
"Kitazawa-sensei will lead another team," Shikamaru reminded her.
"Right!" Ino perked up again.
"Team Two, led by Kosuke-senpai," Kitazawa announced. "Haruno Sakura, Kurama Yakumo, and Tenten."
"Where's my Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura's pupils shook; she put on a mask of pain.
"What a pity," Tenten said. She was happy with her teammates, but the lack of Neji felt odd.
Sasuke frowned. The two teammates he'd chosen—Sakura and Shino—had just been picked away. Was Kitazawa-sensei targeting him? He quickly shook the thought off. He trusted Kitazawa.
"Team Three, led by Kakashi," Kitazawa said in one breath. "Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru."
"I'm done for," Shikamaru sighed. "No way to slack now."
"Why not Kitazawa-sensei?" Ino and Shikamaru, for once, wore matching expressions of dismay.
"It's fine," Choji said with a simple grin.
"Kitazawa-sensei, who are my teammates?" Naruto finally raised his hand.
"You're with Neji and Sasuke," Kitazawa said.
"Neji and Sasuke?" Naruto blinked, then grinned. "Now that's a team full of youth!"
"…?" A question mark slowly formed on Sasuke's face. Shikamaru liked having strong teammates; Sasuke preferred the opposite so he could shine. With Naruto and Neji—neither weaker than him—how was he supposed to stand out? He suddenly felt this was going to be tricky.
"This could be a problem," Neji thought similarly, but said nothing.
"Isn't that team a bit much?" Kiba protested. "Putting three regular top-three in one group—how are we supposed to compete?"
"That's unfair!" Sakura jumped in. "I think I should swap with Neji!"
"Kitazawa-sensei must have his reasons," Ino said, shooting her a look. "Stop thinking only about your Sasuke."
"This setup isn't necessarily advantageous," Shikamaru said, shaking his head. "They'll split points among themselves. Averaged out, they might do worse than us."
"Makes sense," Yakumo agreed.
Sasuke fell silent. Was Kitazawa-sensei actually aiming for point-splitting? That would be dangerous—what if all three of their rankings dropped? And would the other two really hand him the spotlight?
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino raised her hand, hopeful. "Will the teams be reshuffled for the next monthly exam?"
"Yes," Kitazawa nodded. "Teams change every monthly exam."
"Yay!" Ino beamed, and quite a few others quietly exhaled in relief.
"All right, get to training," Kitazawa clapped. "The students from the three teams, meet here at nine tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!"
The Advanced Class scattered to their drills.
"Kosuke-senpai, Kakashi," Kitazawa added, "I'll have Anbu tail you. Treat them like they're not there."
Kosuke and Kakashi nodded. They understood the caution. Beyond sheer talent, these kids' identities mattered—a bunch of clan heirs. If anything happened, it would affect Konoha's future.
"I'm off to teach. See you later." Kitazawa headed toward the classroom.
After a week of study, the medical-ninja at Konoha Hospital all had a basic grasp of Limb Regeneration. The fastest learners were Tsunade and Yakushi Nonō. Especially Tsunade—Kitazawa estimated she'd master it in under half a month.
~~~
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