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Since it was still early, Kitazawa returned to the Ninja Academy.
Instead of heading straight to the training grounds, he wandered to a quiet corner on the south side. From a distance, the crackle of electricity reached his ears, punctuated by Sasuke's muffled grunts.
Drawing closer, Kitazawa saw Sasuke's body shrouded in lightning.
Practicing Lightning Release Nature Transformation already?
His gaze shifted upward. Perched casually on a tree branch, Kakashi was absorbed in Make-Out Paradise, barely sparing Sasuke a glance.
"Kakashi."
Kitazawa leapt up and landed in front of him.
"What is it?" Kakashi asked, tucking the little book away with practiced ease.
"You've been training Sasuke for two weeks now," Kitazawa said with a smile. "How's his Lightning Release talent?"
Kakashi paused for two seconds, then replied, "Not bad."
Kitazawa nodded knowingly. Coming from Kakashi, those two words meant Sasuke's talent was exceptional.
And indeed, it was. As one of the story's destined protagonists, Sasuke's aptitude needed no further proof. He might not be the strongest Lightning Release user in the world, but top five was no exaggeration.
"When can he start learning actual Lightning Release ninjutsu?" Kitazawa asked, watching Sasuke grit his teeth through another surge.
"Next week. Some lower-level techniques, at least," Kakashi said after a moment's thought.
"What about your Chidori?"
Kakashi's brow furrowed. "Chidori? He's still far from ready."
Kitazawa leaned in slightly. "Sasuke's goal is to defeat Naruto."
"…Ah." Understanding dawned on Kakashi. So that was why Kitazawa was pushing—it was to give Sasuke a counter against Naruto's Rasengan. The thought stirred something in him. After all, Rasengan was the jutsu created by his own teacher, the Fourth Hokage.
"I'll try my best," Kakashi said after a pause. Sasuke was indeed well-suited for Chidori. If he could master it, Kakashi wouldn't hold back.
Almost unconsciously, Kakashi touched his left eye. Obito's Sharingan… he was no true Uchiha, and in some ways, he still felt indebted to their clan. Passing on Chidori to Sasuke might be a way of repaying that debt.
"I've been working on Lightning Release myself," Kitazawa said casually. "Think I could learn Chidori too?"
Kakashi's eye widened slightly before he shook his head. "Chidori relies on sudden strikes and precise timing. Without a Sharingan, you won't even hit your target—let alone control the chakra flow safely. Even if you learned it, it'd be useless."
"That's not necessarily true." Kitazawa's tone brimmed with confidence. "I can modify Chidori."
Kakashi blinked. Modify an A-rank technique? He doubted it. Kitazawa was known for medical ninjutsu, wind, and fire release—not lightning. But Kitazawa continued, his eyes gleaming.
"Chidori focuses lightning in the hand. But what if you spread it across your whole body—offense and defense together? Chidori Stream. More practical than the original, if you ask me."
The truth was, with his mastery of Lightning Nature Transformation, Kitazawa could develop it on his own.
Kakashi hesitated, still skeptical. Reworking an A-rank jutsu wasn't far from inventing one entirely.
"…When I teach Sasuke Chidori, you can join us," he said at last.
"Appreciate it. But I can't just take it for free," Kitazawa replied with a sly grin. "Tell you what—I've got an idea for an S-rank Lightning Release technique. Interested?"
Kakashi's lone eye narrowed. "S-rank Lightning Release?"
Such jutsu were exceedingly rare. Across an entire element, there might not even be five in existence.
"If this works, it'll definitely qualify," Kitazawa assured him.
"Then why not create it yourself?" Kakashi countered.
"Because my plate's already full—Earth Release, sealing jutsu, Water Release," Kitazawa said smoothly. "Besides, you're Konoha's best lightning user."
"Hokage-sama's stronger than me," Kakashi corrected.
"And far too busy," Kitazawa shot back. "So—what do you say? Want to co-create an S-rank?"
Kakashi hesitated, curiosity tugging at him. No shinobi could resist the lure of an S-rank technique. "…Fine. Let's hear it."
Kitazawa cleared his throat. "Lightning Release: Kirin."
Of course, he was borrowing Sasuke's future idea—years ahead of schedule. But better Kakashi develop it now and pass it down, saving Sasuke precious time later.
He didn't know the exact seals, but he understood the principle: summon natural lightning from thunderclouds, then guide it down like a divine beast. The drawback was obvious—weather dependency. But even that could be engineered, as Sasuke would one day prove with Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire.
The result? World-destroying power.
Kakashi's eye lit with rare excitement. "Your idea is brilliant."
"How about it? Want to try?" Kitazawa hinted. "Though I'm a little… busy myself."
Kakashi gave a thoughtful nod. "Alright. I'll test it when I can."
[Current Mission: Develop Lightning Release: Kirin with Kakashi Hatake.]
[Reward: Chidori Stream.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa almost chuckled aloud. A mission trigger—better than expected. With the system's version, Chidori Stream would be perfected instantly, saving him months of work.
"If you run into trouble, come find me," Kitazawa said with a confident smile.
Kakashi wasn't convinced. If Kitazawa were truly confident, he wouldn't have handed off an S-rank idea so easily. Still, he let it go.
"You get back to Make-Out Paradise then," Kitazawa said as he dropped from the branch.
"This isn't—" Kakashi started, but Kitazawa was already gone. He shook his head and pulled out a notebook. Kirin would need serious research; Kitazawa had only handed him the framework.
Meanwhile, Kitazawa arrived at the training grounds.
Hinata was the first to notice. She almost stopped practicing Shadow Clone, but under his watchful eyes, quickly resumed.
Ino's training looked almost artistic: surrounded by drifting pink petals, she caught one, infused it with chakra, and flicked it into a tree trunk with sharp precision. Kitazawa nodded. She was close to mastering Ninja Art: Hundred Flower Chaos.
Naruto and his shadow clones, on the other hand, sat cross-legged with leaves on their palms, faces scrunched in frustration. His Wind Release training clearly wasn't progressing. Kitazawa suspected the Nine-Tails was interfering.
No matter. Naruto would keep at it—and once Tsunade overcame her hemophobia, Kitazawa could finally reveal the truth about the Nine-Tails, unlocking even greater growth for him.
The fox really was the ultimate cheat.
After offering pointers to Kabuto, Torune, and Izumi, Kitazawa moved toward a secluded spot in the north.
A sharp, pungent smell with a faintly sweet undertone drifted through the air.
Kitazawa stopped before Shino's insect nest. Flames surrounded it, while Kikaichu crawled frantically to escape.
"How's it going?" Kitazawa asked.
"Kitazawa-sensei, please look."
Shino extended his hand, revealing a single Kikaichu. Its carapace was streaked with black and red.
"It worked?" Kitazawa's brows rose.
"Half-worked," Shino corrected. "I discovered it three days ago. This one lasted three whole seconds in the fire."
"Three seconds isn't short," Kitazawa said with interest. "In battle, that's long enough to change everything."
"The problem is—it's only one." Adjusting his glasses, Shino continued, "If I had two, I could attempt to breed them."
Kitazawa understood. Forcing fire resistance was a temporary fix; true success meant altering the Kikaichu's genes, producing offspring that naturally inherited the trait.
"Where there's one, there will be more." Kitazawa gave him an encouraging smile. "It's only a matter of time."
Shino nodded, then immersed himself once again in his experiment, already preparing to infuse chakra and replenish the nest.
Kitazawa circled back to the training grounds. His own work awaited him: sealing techniques.
Two weeks of winter break remained. He aimed to master three basic seals before it ended.
He had already learned the Finger Engraving Seal. He started learning the Barrier Method Formation.
The Barrier method Formation was designed to trap a target within concentric seals, preventing escape. Multiple users could maintain it together—or a single shinobi alone.
Kitazawa formed the hand signs. Chakra pulsed from his feet into the ground. Three black concentric circles of cursed seals spread outward, glowing faintly.
He recalled how Iruka had once used this very technique on Naruto—only for the boy to break free almost instantly. Useful on paper, but in truth, only a low-level seal.
The sun dipped low, painting the sky orange. One by one, Sasuke, Naruto, and the others wrapped up training and headed home.
"Hinata, stay a moment," Kitazawa called.
She looked up, her face flushed and hair damp with sweat. To Kitazawa, she seemed both heroic and endearingly cute.
"Here." He handed her a storage scroll.
"What is it?" she asked, taking it carefully.
"Snacks from the Fire Capital," Kitazawa replied. Then he added, "Consider it a belated birthday gift."
Hinata's eyes widened in surprise before softening with joy. She had feared he had forgotten.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
"You gave me a fine ninja blade. I've yet to prepare a gift of equal value," Kitazawa admitted, patting her head. "But I'll find something fitting in time."
"In my opinion, this is already more than enough," Hinata said, smiling as she clutched the scroll.
Kitazawa chuckled. "You'd probably thank someone even while being swindled."
"They can't swindle me!" Hinata tilted her head defiantly.
"You're really too cute." He tapped her forehead gently. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
"Mm!" She skipped happily beside him as he spoke about the Fire Capital along the way.
"Goodbye, Kitazawa-sensei!" Hinata waved reluctantly before heading inside.
The next morning marked the third week of winter break. Only three days remained until New Year. Kitazawa decided his students deserved a short rest—training through the holiday would be cruel.
For the next two days, he focused solely on practicing the Barrier method Formation.
December 31st arrived—the final day of the year.
Upon waking, Kitazawa was greeted with a system prompt:
[Mission Complete: Help Hinata learn the Shadow Clone Technique during winter break.]
[Reward Granted: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.]
The jutsu might not mean much to him, but for a Hyuga, it was invaluable. It solved Gentle Fist's weakness—limited reach—by sending invisible chakra shockwaves through the air.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. If Hinata had mastered Shadow Clone, then Neji surely had too. With Neji's upcoming mission to defeat Naruto, perhaps Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm would be the perfect trump card.
Of course, it would be best for Hiashi to teach it first—Kitazawa could then refine Neji's use.
"Are… are you awake?"
A drowsy voice pulled him from his thoughts. Kurenai stirred, stretching languidly before draping a bare leg across him.
Kitazawa quickly averted his gaze. The Law of the Abyss was merciless—one look too long, and he'd fall into the abyss.
"It's time to get up, Kurenai," he murmured, patting her softly on the rear.
"Just a little longer…" She nuzzled against him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before burrowing back into his chest.
Kitazawa pinched her nose until she finally stirred awake.
"Going to the Academy today?" she asked, sitting up and stretching.
"No, I gave the students two days off." His eyes lingered openly on her as she moved.
"Then you're coming shopping with me. We need food for dinner."
Kitazawa had invited Tsunade and Shizune for New Year's, and preparations couldn't wait.
"Mm." He nodded.
Wherever you went, New Year was special. In the shinobi world, the last day was called Ōmisoka, and soba noodles were tradition.
"What do you want for breakfast?" Kurenai asked, tracing a finger over his chest.
"Anything's fine." He retaliated cheekily.
"Pervert!" She winced, snatched his wrist, and glared before slipping into her clothes. Kitazawa only smiled.
A sudden boom shook the air.
Kitazawa quickly dressed and went to the window. Outside, a white-haired shinobi lay embedded headfirst in the dirt. His clothes and hair left no doubt.
Jiraiya. One of the Sannin. Back in Konoha?
Likely—after all, it was New Year's. But judging by the crater, he had just been sent flying… by Tsunade.
Kitazawa stepped outside. Sure enough, Tsunade stood nearby, expression calm as she dusted her hands.
"Good morning, Lady Tsunade," Kitazawa greeted politely.
"Mm. Morning." Her tone softened slightly at the sight of him. "Just finished teaching a fool a lesson."
Jiraiya sat up groaning—only to see Tsunade smiling and chatting easily with a young, handsome guy.
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