Friday, 9:00 a.m.—the Advanced Class's training officially began.
Kitazawa made a round of the field, then called over Jūgo and Karin. They needed to tweak their training plans.
Jūgo had been working on the Leaf Whirlwind. It isn't a hard taijutsu and he'd already learned it, so Kitazawa taught him the upgraded version: Leaf Great Whirlwind.
Karin had been studying the Four Limbs Weighting Seal and had almost mastered it. After thinking it over, Kitazawa decided to teach her a new sealing technique—the Evil Sealing Method.
Given Karin's age, the Evil Sealing Method is pretty tough. But there just aren't many low-level fūinjutsu. Like medical ninjutsu, sealing techniques normally aren't things a genin should be learning.
Kitazawa mulled it over. Karin would be on the Evil Sealing Method for a long time. In that span, she could carve out time for other jutsu too.
In the original timeline, besides sealing, Karin also knew medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Right now the Advanced Class only has one medical ninja—Haruno Sakura—so Karin could study medical ninjutsu as well. But medical ninjutsu is just as hard as sealing.
In the end, Kitazawa decided to start her on taijutsu. As an Uzumaki like Naruto, Karin has an exceptional physique—perfect for taijutsu. But her taijutsu track should be Tsunade's style, not Might Guy's. A girl shouting "youth" every day? That's a no-go. More importantly, Karin can become a medical ninja. Once she learns the Mystical Palm Technique and monstrous strength, she'll be a fun-size Tsunade.
Up to now, Karin hasn't cracked the top eighteen of the Advanced Class because her sealing focus leaves her weak in combat. Once Inuzuka Hana graduates, Karin can slot in on the strength of her taijutsu and sealing.
"Besides the Evil Sealing Method, I'll also teach you Leaf-Style Taijutsu," Kitazawa said after finishing the sealing lecture.
Karin's eyes lit up and she nodded. Her thinking was much like Sakura's back when Sakura only studied medical ninjutsu—watching classmates run wild in the practical exams is hard not to envy. With taijutsu, she can finally join the fray.
After teaching Karin, Kitazawa left a shadow clone to keep guiding her. He himself found a spot to practice his Multiple "Three-Bedroom-One-Living-Room" Technique.
By noon, after lunch with Naruto and the others, Kitazawa returned to his office.
"Kitazawa-sama." Uchiha Itachi stepped up at the door.
"When did you get here?" Kitazawa asked, a little surprised.
"I just arrived." Itachi took out a scroll. "These are the three bows reforged by Takumi Village."
"That was fast." Kitazawa accepted the scroll with a smile. "Thanks, Itachi."
"It's my duty," Itachi replied, shaking his head.
"When is Sasuke coming back to school?" Kitazawa pushed open the door and walked in.
"He said he'll be back for finals." Itachi smiled faintly. He knew exactly why his kid brother wanted to take finals—Sasuke intends to show off the power of his three-tomoe Sharingan.
"There's something I want you to look into," Kitazawa said, setting the scroll on the desk. "Do you know Mōryō from the Land of the Demons?"
"I've heard of it." Itachi thought for a moment. "I read the file on Mōryō when I was in the Anbu."
"After Mōryō was sealed, its believers didn't give up. They founded a group called the Yomi Cult," Kitazawa said, meeting his eyes. "I want you to find them."
"Understood," Itachi agreed at once.
"You can mobilize the Anbu to help," Kitazawa added, then suddenly remembered something. "Also, swing by Konoha Hospital today for a check-up."
"A check-up?" Itachi looked puzzled. "Why?"
"Employee perk," Kitazawa ad-libbed. "I'm planning to have members of Konoha's departments get regular physicals to catch issues early."
Itachi felt it was odd, but it wasn't his place to press. "I was going to try the process myself to see if there are any kinks, but I'm busy. Go through it for me," Kitazawa said. "When you get to Konoha Hospital, look for Nonō-senpai—tell her I sent you."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sama." Itachi nodded.
"Head out now, then." Kitazawa opened the scroll and took out the three bows. Itachi left, closing the door behind him, and set off for the hospital.
Kitazawa examined the bows. Without spirits yet bound to them, they looked like the Box of Ultimate Bliss—somber black through and through. He checked them end to end—no issues—then put them away.
It was Friday; tomorrow would be Saturday. He planned to return to Land of the Sky to seal the Zero-Tails into one of the bows, then give it to Hyūga Neji.
[Current Mission: Forge two Yin-Release bows.]
[Mission Reward: Mastery in Yin-Release chakra nature transformation.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
Kitazawa glanced at the sudden system prompt and nodded. The value of Yin-Release mastery goes without saying—learning or creating Yin-Release jutsu will be much easier from here on out. It'll also help a lot with the upcoming bow-style secret arts.
He'd already settled on his third bow secret art: after Spiral Arrow and Explosive Arrow comes Multi-Arrow. From one arrow, to three, to a rain of a thousand.
But that depends on the weapon spirit and the user's chakra. Though beings like Satori, the Zero-Tails, and Mōryō are "undying" Yin-Release monsters, their chakra isn't infinite. Day-to-day, the user has to "warm-nurture" them with chakra to replenish them. If you really unleash a storm of arrows, the drain is massive—it might take a while before you can fire another.
After lunch break, Kitazawa resumed class. At dismissal, he ran into Itachi again.
"How'd it go?" Kitazawa asked first.
"Director Nonō said there's no problem with the general physical process," Itachi said, hesitating a little.
"And your body?" Kitazawa caught the change in expression.
"Director Nonō said I'm prone to triggering Kekkei Genkai disease and should cut back on Sharingan use," Itachi admitted after a two-second pause.
"That's not bad, then," Kitazawa said with a nod. "Just be careful."
Honestly, Itachi's quick diagnosis owed a lot to Kimimaro—Konoha Hospital had built up experience thanks to Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai disease, so they could catch Itachi's risk in time.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sama," Itachi said earnestly. If Kitazawa hadn't sent him, he wouldn't have discovered the hidden danger. If he really developed Kekkei Genkai disease, he'd regret it for life. It would weaken him—and could shorten his lifespan. For him now, that's unacceptable. Konoha and the Uchiha are thriving; he wants to see true peace arrive—and to see Sasuke become Hokage. In short, he can't die.
"No need," Kitazawa smiled. This Itachi isn't the Itachi from canon. Even without Kitazawa's warning, he wouldn't be spamming Mangekyō techniques. Still, a precaution never hurts. It'd be a real shame to lose such a useful… helper.
After saying goodbye to Itachi, Kitazawa went home. The night passed quietly. Saturday morning, he ate breakfast and headed out.
He didn't bring Kurenai or the students—this trip was meant to be in and out. With Magnet Release flight, he figured he could be back in half a day.
He took a few steps and stopped. Why fly himself?
With that thought, he headed for the Anbu base.
"Kitazawa," Konan said, a bit puzzled when she saw him.
"Didn't I tell you yesterday I'd be out this morning?" Kitazawa gave a polite cough.
Konan nodded.
"I'm going to the Land of the Sky," Kitazawa said, dead serious. "I just realized walking is slow and flying saves time."
Konan blinked, then caught on. She didn't overthink it. "I can fly you there," she offered. She'd carried him through the skies back in the Land of Earth.
"Thanks," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"It's nothing," Konan replied, shaking her head. She owed Kitazawa a lot; one flight was a small favor.
They left the Anbu base and headed into Konoha's Forest of Death.
"Here's fine," Kitazawa said when he confirmed no one was around.
Konan stepped in front of him. After a brief hesitation, she stretched out her arms and hugged him. A faint fragrance surrounded them. Kitazawa's hand naturally slid around her slender waist. Pressed close, he could feel how soft she was.
The wind rose. White wings unfurled, and the two of them lifted into the air.
"Land of the Sky is to the north," Kitazawa said, glancing around and pointing the way.
"Mm." Konan's face didn't change.
Kitazawa noticed her blue-violet hair whipping in the wind and flicked out chakra to block the gusts. Then he stopped fidgeting and simply held her graceful body.
Time slipped by. They reached Land of the Sky and Konan slowly descended, loosening her hold and stepping back. Kitazawa arched a brow—her ears were a little red. He smiled but kept quiet, turning toward the Ancor Vantian they'd sealed away before.
"Come with me," he said.
Following his last visit's route, he soon reached the control room. The Zero-Tails, sealed in a massive tank, noticed them, straightened its mud-colored body, and stared. It was Konan's first time seeing it; surprise flickered in her eyes.
Kitazawa looked the Zero-Tails over—it hadn't changed. He'd planned to seal it into a scroll and use it as a power bank, but plans change.
He opened a summoning storage scroll and pulled out one of the three bows at random, handing it to Konan.
"I'm going to let it out," Kitazawa warned. "It'll probably attack us. I'll pin it down, then seal it."
"What do you need me to do?" Konan asked, gripping the bow.
"Nothing in particular—play it by ear," he said, and stepped up to the tank. His gaze skimmed the sealing formulae; he quickly found the node. Shinnō had sealed the Zero-Tails with techniques stolen from Konoha—same way he'd stolen the Eight Gates.
Kitazawa flashed through hand signs. Chakra spread over the tank. Moments later, the formulas began to unravel.
The Zero-Tails noticed and slammed the tank. It didn't know why Kitazawa was freeing it, but this chance was too good to pass up.
As the seal broke, the tank lost its strength. Crack. A web of fissures ran across glass-like walls. The Zero-Tails grew more excited and smashed it again.
The tank shattered. The Zero-Tails attacked without hesitation. Its body shivered and a forest of mud-colored tendrils shot out in an instant.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
A wall of water surged up before Kitazawa. It only held for a heartbeat before the tendrils punched through—but that heartbeat was enough.
Senju Chakra Mode!
Kitazawa vaulted up, a blur in the air, and came down on the Zero-Tails' head.
Monster Strength!
He clenched his fist—no flourishes—and drove it straight into the creature's skull. The force howled through the air; a visible shockwave rippled out from his knuckles. The Zero-Tails' head caved in by half.
A normal being would have died on the spot. But the Zero-Tails is the coalesced darkness of human hearts—an undying Yin-Release monster. It didn't die, but it wouldn't be recovering quickly either. It froze up, body unresponsive, tendrils going limp and thudding to the floor.
Konan's heart skipped. That punch was beyond anything she'd imagined. If it had been her, taking it head-on, she'd be dead or maimed.
"The bow," Kitazawa said.
Konan snapped back, stepped up, and lifted the bow with both hands.
Four Symbols Seal!
As Kitazawa's hands danced through seals, dense markings crawled over the Zero-Tails. A black flash—and it sank into the bow.
To be safe, Kitazawa added another Four Symbols Seal, fusing them into an Eight Trigrams Seal.
With the Zero-Tails bound, the bow changed noticeably. Inside the riser it looked like black water was flowing—look closer and you'd see they were the Zero-Tails' tendrils.
Kitazawa nodded. This bow would suit Multi-Arrow even better—the Zero-Tails had plenty of tendrils to draw arrows from simultaneously. In terms of speed, it would likely outpace Hinata's bow when using Multi-Arrow.
Konan felt it was a bit of a waste. The Zero-Tails may not be a tailed beast, but it's close. Using it as a mere weapon spirit seemed like overkill. Then again, with Kitazawa's strength, the Zero-Tails wouldn't be much help in a fight anyway.
"Let's go," Kitazawa said, stowing the bow. They returned to the surface. Just like before, Konan flew him back. Only when they reached the Forest of Death did they land.
"Thanks for today, Konan," Kitazawa said. Unfortunately, the Anbu mask hid her expression. Konan shook her head and said nothing.
"Head back and rest," Kitazawa said after a moment's thought. "I'm going to the Hyūga compound."
"Mm." Konan gave him a look, tamped down the strange flutter in her chest, and vanished.
Kitazawa arrived at the Hyūga estate. In the courtyard, Hyūga Hiashi was watching Hinata practice Spiral Arrow. The more he watched, the more he felt it was a pity. Byakugan plus a bow is a perfect combo—but the catch is you need a custom bow, so it's not something the clan can roll out broadly.
His gaze fell on the bow in Hinata's hands—a weapon forged from the legendary Box of Ultimate Bliss, with the powerful Yin-beast Satori as its spirit. To be honest, the Hyūga have existed for a millennium and have deep roots, but creating such a bow would still be near impossible.
Hiashi used to think Hinata gifting Kitazawa a Zangetsu was wasteful. Now it looked like she'd made a killing. This bow was far rarer than Zangetsu. Zangetsu is chakra-metal—if you have money, you can make as many as you want. But this bow was, in theory, one of a kind in the ninja world.
"Kitazawa!" Hiashi spotted him and hurried over.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Hinata quickly stowed her bow and ran up.
"…?" Hiashi's mouth twitched. Why does she look happier to see him than me?
"Where's Neji?" Kitazawa ruffled Hinata's hair.
"He just went back," Hinata answered.
"I'll have someone bring him over right away," Hiashi said at once.
Kitazawa nodded. It was better if he handed the bow to Neji himself.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Moments later, Neji appeared.
"Here," Kitazawa said, taking out the bow that held the Zero-Tails.
Hiashi's eyes went wide. Another bow like that? And it also had a Yin-monster sealed inside? His worldview wobbled. Where were these powerful Yin beings coming from—and how had he never encountered them?
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" Neji gripped the bow and instantly felt how extraordinary it was.
"Same as Hinata—start with Spiral Arrow," Kitazawa said with a smile. "I hope you both shine in the finals."
"I'll give it everything!" For once, Neji's calm cracked and excitement showed through.
"I'll do my best too!" Hinata blurted.
"…?" Hiashi was struck by a subtle, awkward feeling—as if he were the extra wheel in his own courtyard.
~~~
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