Afternoon rolled around.
Kitazawa left behind a shadow clone and was about to head to the Hokage's office when three lines of text flashed before his eyes:
[Current Mission: Help Aburame Shino breed kikaichū with Water Release resistance.]
[Mission Reward: +10% personal resistance to Water Release damage.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
Kitazawa raised a brow. So that one's finally done!
He changed course for the artificial lake.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Aburame Shino hurried up to him. "I was just about to look for you."
He held out his palm. Two kinds of kikaichū crawled there—one light blue, one dark blue.
"Looks like your mutation experiment worked again," Kitazawa said with a smile. "Give me the rundown."
"These dark-blue ones can breathe freely in water," Shino said after a steadying breath. "They can be used for underwater sensing and scouting."
"Nice." Kitazawa's eyes lit up. He didn't first think of scouting enemies so much as underwater resources—especially on the seafloor. If the Aburame all carried these, they could form an underwater survey team. After all, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa practically moonlighted as a gold miner for Sunagakure.
"The light-blue ones are similar to fire-resistant types—they can withstand Water Release jutsu," Shino continued. "How long they last depends on the strength of the water technique."
"What's your next step?" Kitazawa asked with a nod.
"I want to develop kikaichū with Wind Release resistance," Shino said, thinking of Naruto. With Wind-resistant bugs, he might last longer in a fight against him.
"Alright," Kitazawa said after a moment. "We can have Naruto help you."
[Current Mission: Help Aburame Shino breed kikaichū with Wind Release resistance.]
[Mission Reward: +10% personal resistance to Wind Release damage.]
[Accept?]
A familiar prompt. Kitazawa glanced at it and accepted.
"I'll go find Naruto now," Shino said eagerly. Two successful mutations had boosted his confidence. If he could create kikaichū resistant to all five elements, the Aburame's strength would skyrocket—and he'd go down as the greatest in clan history.
Kitazawa saw him off, then headed to the Hokage's office.
"News from Kirigakure," Tsunade said, lounging as casually as ever in the Hokage's chair.
"When are they coming?" Kitazawa stepped closer, taking in the lethal curves of her figure.
"June 1," Tsunade said after a pause. "Leading the delegation is Kiri's new Mizukage—Terumī Mei."
"Terumī Mei?" Kitazawa was surprised. "I thought it would be Ao."
In the original timeline, Mei only became the Fifth Mizukage much later—around the eve of the Fourth Great Ninja War, when Elder Genji pushed her forward for the Five Kage Summit. That's roughly ten years from now. With her promoted early, she could now rival Minato for "youngest to become a Kage." Of course, once Gaara becomes Kazekage at fifteen, that title becomes moot.
"Ao's seniority is higher, but he's not as strong as Mei," Tsunade mused. "And Kiri needs a decisive young leader to pull them out of the mess."
"True," Kitazawa said, then shifted tone. "But it'll be hard." In canon, Kiri never really recovered; Mei didn't manage a full turnaround. And with Chōjūrō as the Sixth, things got even worse.
"Kiri's problems aren't ours to solve," Tsunade waved it off. "You and Shikaku go receive her when she arrives."
Strictly speaking, if a Mizukage visits, the Hokage should meet them as an equal. But Kiri is the defeated side—no need to roll out the red carpet. Clip their wings now to gain leverage at the table.
"Got it," Kitazawa said. "I plan to take three students from the Advanced Class out on a mission tomorrow."
"Be careful," Tsunade said offhand. With Kitazawa's strength, even facing a Five Kage wasn't necessarily fatal. She wasn't worried.
"The jōnin meeting's set for next Monday," Tsunade added, remembering. "If you can't get back in time, I'll push it."
"Is that… okay?" Kitazawa grinned. Jōnin meetings were usually announced days in advance; changing the date last-minute wasn't exactly by-the-book—pretty domineering, actually.
"Problem?" Tsunade shot back.
"Nope. You're the Hokage; you make the call," Kitazawa said, giving a thumbs-up. "Boss energy!"
"Enough nonsense. Go practice the Yin Seal," Tsunade said with an eye-roll.
"Yes, Tsunade-sensei." Kitazawa left the office. "Not to disturb Tsunade's work," he told himself—when in fact he snuck off to train Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall. But his Yin Seal progress was so fast Tsunade didn't press.
Saturday came.
Hyūga Hinata woke early—mission day. Humming her homemade "Onigiri Song," she happily got dressed.
"Nee-chan!" A porcelain-cute little girl ran up as Hinata opened her door—her kid sister, Hanabi.
"Hanabi." Hinata bent to scoop her up.
"Come eat," Hiashi said, glancing at them as he walked into the living room.
"Yes, Father." Hinata answered properly. She set Hanabi down at the table. Breakfast overflowed the table—way more than enough for four.
"Mother," Hinata greeted.
"Mom!" Hanabi piped.
"Missions aren't like school—danger everywhere. Follow Kitazawa's instructions in all things," Hiashi said, lifting his chopsticks.
"I understand, Father," Hinata replied, a little startled—Hiashi rarely voiced his concern so plainly.
"Kitazawa is the Hokage's student," Hiashi added. "If you get the chance, get closer to him. You might become his formal student."
The Hyūga's standing was good—but no one refused a step up, especially with the Uchiha hinting they were reentering Konoha's power center. The Hyūga couldn't fall behind.
"Mm!" Hinata nodded vigorously. She also wanted to study under Kitazawa. The only hitch: he was universally beloved; competition would be fierce.
After breakfast she reached the academy training field. Shino had arrived even earlier.
"Morning, Shino," Hinata greeted.
"Morning," Shino replied.
Silence. Shino wasn't outgoing. Hinata, though braver thanks to Kitazawa's help, still didn't count as extroverted.
"Hinata! Shino!" Inuzuka Hana's arrival broke the awkwardness.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Her three ninken yapped enthusiastically.
"What are they saying?" Hinata asked.
"They're saying your names," Hana imitated their barks. "Woof-woof-woof is you; woof-woof-woof-woof is Shino."
"Amazing," Hinata said, blinking. "I can't tell the difference."
"I couldn't at first either. Time helps," Hana said generously. "If you want, I can give you a ninken."
Befriending the Hyūga heiress was never a bad move.
"Thank you," Hinata shook her head. "It'd be wasted on me."
"Woof-woof!" The three dogs barked again.
"They smell Kitazawa-sensei," Hana translated.
"Looks like you're getting along," Kitazawa said, walking up with a smile.
"Kitazawa-sensei," the three chorused.
"Ready? If so, we head out now," he said, turning toward the village gate. They hurried after him.
"Your task is simple—find a boy named Haku," Kitazawa said as they moved. "About your age, wandering alone in the Land of Water."
"The Land of Water? That far?" Hana blurted. Hinata and Shino also hadn't expected their mission to be in Water.
"Distance isn't the issue. As shinobi, you go wherever the job takes you," Kitazawa said casually. "Your first lesson today: how to pace yourselves on a long trek."
They sobered up at once. After the briefing, Kitazawa set them running. The Land of Water was roughly three days away at a shinobi's pace—but they weren't crossing the entire country. Reaching the border-adjacent region would take less than two.
"Hinata, your breathing's too fast. Slow it," Kitazawa called back. Hinata adjusted immediately.
"Hana, your stride's sloppy—keep your steps even. Kuromaru, good work," he added with a grin.
"Woof!" Kuromaru wagged happily.
By sunset they reached the coast. Kitazawa produced a small boat. "Rest. I'll row," he said. The three flopped into the boat, exhausted.
Kuromaru and his brothers panted with tongues out. Only Kitazawa looked unchanged—thanks to Senju blood and the Yin Seal, he could run three days straight.
He channeled chakra, pushing the boat toward Water. He recalled how Jiraiya once had Naruto paddle a boat with Rasengan, and shook his head—then revisited Haku's story: a perpetually snowy village, villagers who hated kekkei genkai under Blood Mist policy; Haku's mother hiding Ice Release; his father discovering it, leading the villagers to kill her—and Haku awakening his Ice Release and killing them. He'd wandered Water's streets until meeting Zabuza.
Anbu had scouted ahead; Kitazawa roughly knew the village's location. The plan: use it as the center and search outward.
Night fell. They docked on a deserted islet. After two hours' rest the trio had recovered some energy.
"Hana, set up two tents. Shino, sweep the area and lay traps. Hinata, prep dinner," Kitazawa ordered.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei." They moved at once while Kitazawa supervised. The tents went up quickly. Hinata had cooked at home, but never in front of Kitazawa; she even thought about using Byakugan to help, then remembered his rule against wasting chakra on missions. In the end she pulled it off.
"You're amazing, Hinata," Hana marveled. "I can't cook."
"Me neither," Shino adjusted his glasses.
"It's nothing," Hinata said shyly.
"We're in Water territory now; Kiri shinobi could show up anytime," Kitazawa warned after dinner. "Even asleep, stay alert."
"Yes, Sensei." The three crawled into their tents and pulled out sleeping bags. Kitazawa didn't sleep; he kept watch outside, mulling how to secure first place in the field exam for his system task. The logic was simple: he'd need to perform during the mission.
On a search mission, that meant finding the target before his students. But that alone might not clinch first—bonus points would come from "unexpected events," like encountering Kiri shinobi. They were deep enough into Water that it wasn't unlikely—and it could be a good chance to temper the trio.
The night passed without incident.
They shoved off again, and three hours later reached a snow-covered village. Kitazawa had thick clothing ready for the students.
"You three take one direction; I'll take another," he decided after a moment. The trio were nervous but agreed and moved west together. Kitazawa formed ten shadow clones—Byakugan active to search for Haku—while his real body tailed the trio.
"Anything?" Hana asked an hour later.
"No targets that match," Shino shook his head.
"Me neither," Hinata said, rubbing her eyes—long Byakugan use was tiring.
"Let's rest ten minutes," Hana said, noticing.
"Agreed," Shino said. "Finding someone isn't about rushing; staying in good condition matters more."
Hinata nodded.
"Woof-woof-woof!" Kuromaru barked suddenly.
"Something strange underground!" Hana stood, face tightening.
"Thirty meters to the left," Hinata said, snapping her Byakugan back on. Shino raised both hands.
Secret Technique: Parasitic Insects!
A flood of kikaichū surged out.
"Spotted—move!" a Kiri shinobi shouted, leaping from the ground. He formed seals; an earth wall rose to block the insects.
"Hah! Three Konoha brats in the wild? Free merit!" a middle-aged ninja crowed from a tree. No Konoha forehead protectors, but a Byakugan gave them away. As captain he didn't strike; three kids meant a fourth nearby—likely a team leader. He didn't know why the formation was odd, but as a Kiri jōnin in the Land of Water, he was confident.
A young male ninja blitzed Hinata. The whoosh of air—Hinata slipped past his punch. He frowned, retracting his fist into a kick; she dodged again. Two whiffs rattled him—Hinata looked six or seven, maybe not even a genin, and he was a chūnin. He pressed hard. Hinata felt the pressure spike, but gritted her teeth and used the Byakugan to hold even, waiting for an opening.
The chūnin wasn't an Advanced Class student—he knew Hinata was Hyūga and stayed wary, avoiding her Gentle Fist whenever he could.
Nearby, a kunoichi finished seals.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!
A roaring dragon of water hurtled toward Hana.
"She's mine," Shino stepped in front of Hana.
"Kuromaru!" Hana shouted, spinning into Fang Over Fang with the three ninken—four swirling drills slammed into the earth wall. The earth-style user startled and retreated as the wall cracked apart.
Meanwhile, the water dragon met Shino's kikaichū—most were blasted away on contact. The kunoichi smirked and began forming seals again to finish Shino.
But then, with a spray of droplets, a group of pale-blue kikaichū punched through the water dragon and wrapped around her at high speed. She blanched and tried to evade, but she was only mid-chūnin at best; losing the initiative meant she lost her chance. She screamed as the bugs swarmed.
"What the—" The captain on the tree moved to help—but a chill of danger stabbed his gut. He turned—and Kitazawa was behind him. Terror flashed across his face; in that instant of eye contact he fell into Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell.
Kitazawa clamped a hand over his mouth and drew a kunai across his throat. Kiri jōnin died silently among the branches. With Kitazawa's current skill, ambushing a standard jōnin was child's play.
"Out of the way!" The young chūnin hearing the woman's scream bolted toward her. Opportunity! Hinata used Konoha Shunshin—instantly at his back.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams—Thirty-Two Palms!
Her hands blurred—thirty-two strikes in one breath. The chūnin collapsed in disbelief—he hadn't expected that burst of speed or that she knew a high-level Gentle Fist kata. Distracted by the kunoichi, he never even resisted as thirty-two tenketsu were sealed.
Hinata exhaled.
"Damn it!" The earth-style chūnin kicked Hana away and jumped back. His teammates were down in a blink—three chūnin losing to three brats?!
"Sensei, help!" he shouted pragmatically. A jōnin leading three chūnin would be a jōnin—someone they couldn't handle. Best plan: finish the earth-user and run.
"Fall back!" Shino tossed a flash bomb. Blinding light burst forth. Hana dropped Fang Over Fang, grabbed Hinata, and sprinted.
"Wait!" Hinata called. "Shino—what now?"
"Shino's always steady—he'll manage," Hana said.
"Go!" Shino caught up moments later.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
The flash rattled the earth-user, but he reacted fast, raising a wall. The expected follow-up never came.
"They ran!" He blinked, then used Body Flicker to chase—but stopped abruptly, something wrong. He tore open his shirt—his abdomen bulged grotesquely, sucking down his chakra at terrifying speed.
"What is this?!" he panicked, trying to flood chakra to kill it—
Boom!
He exploded. The surviving young and female chūnin stared, blood spattering the air—then a pair of shuriken ended them.
"What did you do, Shino?" Hana panted. "Kuromaru says they aren't chasing."
"Exploding Insects—given to me by Kitazawa-sensei," Shino explained their origin.
"Incredible," Hana breathed. If even the Fourth Raikage could be tagged by them, three chūnin didn't stand a chance.
"Stay wary of their leader," Shino warned.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Hinata, Byakugan still active, spotted him first.
"You three did great," Kitazawa said, stepping out. He'd expected first-time blood combat to rattle them, but they'd exceeded expectations—especially Shino's decisiveness.
Hinata rushed up and hugged his leg. She hadn't been scared in the moment—but seeing him released the delayed fear.
"Their leader's already handled. No need to worry," Kitazawa said, ruffling her hair. Shino and Hana exhaled.
A memory surged into Kitazawa's mind—feedback from a shadow clone that had found Haku and dispelled.
"Hinatá," he asked, "you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," she said, blushing and letting go.
"Let's go. I've found our target," he smiled, dispelling his remaining clones and following the recalled route.
Soon they reached a chilly little town.
"No shinobi in town," Hinata reported after a sweep. "Our target's in an alley to the north."
Kitazawa led them in. In the alley, they found Haku—sitting in the corner in dirty clothes, staring at the ground, eyes empty.
"With your talent, you shouldn't die in a place like this," Kitazawa said. "Do you want to come to Konoha? You'll have friends there—and a place to use your gift."
"My… talent?" Haku stared blankly, then asked, "Do I have value?"
"Of course," Kitazawa nodded.
"I'll go with you," Haku said without hesitation. In the original story, Zabuza never treated him well—only as a tool. But Haku followed anyway, because Zabuza was the only one who saw his value.
Kitazawa sighed. In this world there were many like Haku—Yakushi Kabuto, Ranmaru… The chaos of the shinobi world bred tragedies.
The five returned. By the time they reached Konoha it was Monday morning. Haku gazed at the bustle, a little dazed. So this is where I'll live? …Not bad.
"You three worked hard these three days. Take today off—no classes," Kitazawa said, patting Hinata's head. "I'll grade you based on your performance."
"Bye, Kitazawa-sensei," the three called, heading home.
"Haku, we're going to Anbu," Kitazawa said, walking toward their base. Haku followed, eyes wandering—Konoha exceeded anything he'd imagined.
"Kitazawa-sama," Anbu said on seeing him. "Tsunade-sama has moved the jōnin meeting to tomorrow."
"Got it. Go fetch Kabuto," Kitazawa ordered. The original time had been Monday at nine; he'd missed it, but Tsunade had warned of a delay.
"Yes, my lord." The Anbu hurried off.
Back in his office—
"Kitazawa-sensei." Yakushi Kabuto soon appeared. He glanced at Haku, then bowed to Kitazawa.
"His name is Haku," Kitazawa said. "An orphan we met in the Land of Water."
"Should I place him in the orphanage?" Kabuto asked.
"He's different," Kitazawa shook his head. "He has a kekkei genkai—Ice Release. I want you to train him and make him your teammate."
"Ice Release?" Surprise flickered across Kabuto's face.
"The power to create and manipulate ice," Kitazawa said. "With proper training, jōnin level is within reach."
"Understood. I'll speak to the Dean and have him live with us," Kabuto said, studying Haku—sensing something familiar in him.
Kitazawa nodded. With Nonō and Kabuto looking out for him, Haku wouldn't lack for growth.
"Haku, come with me," Kabuto said, wearing his signature gentle smile. Haku glanced at Kitazawa.
"He won't hurt you. Do as he says," Kitazawa said with a reassuring smile. "I'll come find you tomorrow."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei," Haku replied. Kabuto led him out.
Kitazawa sat, rubbing his chin. He planned to record this as a B-rank mission and add it to Hinata's team records early—along with proper payment. Student or not, a mission done is a mission earned.
He stood and stretched. It was Monday; the jōnin meeting had slipped to Tuesday. He'd nap, then train Wood Release.
He left the Anbu base—and soon felt eyes on him along a quiet street. He turned down an alley. A heartbeat later, Konan appeared.
"Long time no see, Konan," Kitazawa greeted with a smile.
"Come with me," Konan said coolly.
"So your Akatsuki contact has arrived?" Kitazawa asked. "How far from Konoha?"
"Not far—twenty minutes," Konan said.
"I'll send a shadow clone with you," Kitazawa said.
"That works," Konan answered, eyes narrowing slightly.
Kitazawa formed seals and split off a clone. Konan turned and left; the clone followed. Twenty minutes later, they were in a primeval forest in the Land of Fire.
Kitazawa met Nagato—without the Rinnegan.
No—more precisely, the eyes were concealed by a seal like a visual jamming. The reason was obvious: Nagato was Jiraiya's student. Kitazawa was Tsunade's student. He could plausibly learn about Nagato and the Rinnegan from Jiraiya, which would drag in needless trouble—so they hid them.
"Please," Konan said, stepping aside. Nagato stayed silent, withdrawn. He hadn't wanted to come, but Konan had persuaded him for days. Even in darkness, Konan and Yahiko were different to him. And if his legs could really be healed, his strength would rise—so he agreed.
Kitazawa raised both hands, hovering them over Nagato's legs. Pale green chakra flowed from his palms into Nagato's limbs. Just as he'd expected, Nagato's life force was massively depleted—his body like an elderly man on his last legs. The injury to his legs was different—blast damage from explosive tags.
Kitazawa thought it through. In theory, White Zetsu cells—or Hashirama cells—could repair this. But Nagato hadn't used them—or Obito hadn't told him. In that case, Kitazawa couldn't very well use White Zetsu cells either; they'd notice, and explaining would be a mess. Besides, he didn't have many.
That left one option.
"Well?" Konan couldn't help asking.
"I can heal him, but it'll take time. His legs are too depleted—I need to medicate him first and restore his condition," Kitazawa said, lowering his hands. "Once he's recovered enough, I'll use Limb Regeneration."
"Give me the prescription," Konan said at once.
"Useless if you can't compound it," Kitazawa shook his head.
"Even with a medical-ninja?" Konan frowned.
"If you can find one at my level—or my teacher's—then sure," Kitazawa said with calm confidence. "Others might not even understand the prescription."
Konan fell silent. In medical ninjutsu, only Tsunade could claim first—and only Kitazawa would dare claim second.
"I'll watch you compound it," Konan said expressionlessly.
"You can," Kitazawa said after a pause. "But it'll take a while. You'll need to stay in Konoha for a bit. I can arrange it."