"Hokage-sama." Kitazawa took out a scroll and said, "This is the plan for the Genius Class."
"You've worked hard, Kitazawa."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and opened the scroll to read it. The content was similar to their last discussion, just more detailed and actionable.
"It's very well written."
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled with satisfaction and said, "No modifications are needed; it can be implemented as is."
"Hokage-sama, you flatter me." Kitazawa humbly replied, "This is all the result of discussions with Hokage-sama."
"Do you have any suggestions for the teachers to be hired?" Sarutobi Hiruzen put down the scroll and asked.
"The more comprehensive, the better," Kitazawa hinted. "Ideally, they should be able to teach all seven types of Ninjutsu."
The Genius Class was meant to gather all highly talented students. These students would naturally possess various Chakra natures.
According to Kitazawa's idea, three or four Jonin should be hired as teachers, capable of teaching Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Yin, and Yang Release.
After all, for a Genius Class, only teaching the Clone, Transformation, and Substitution Technique would be a waste.
"Why do I feel like you're suggesting I go teach?" Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"If Hokage-sama could teach, it would be a blessing for the students."
Kitazawa was momentarily stunned, then quickly followed up. He had nearly forgotten that, besides Kakashi, Sarutobi Hiruzen was also an all-attribute ninja.
Currently, in Konoha Village, only the two of them were all-attribute ninjas.
"I am the Hokage now, I don't have time to teach." Hiruzen said thoughtfully, "After I retire, I might be able to teach a couple of classes."
He thought about it carefully and realized that teaching at the Ninja Academy was indeed suitable for him.
After all, once he retired, he wouldn't have much to do. Going to the Ninja Academy would allow him to teach students on one hand, and build his reputation on the other.
Undoubtedly, the students who emerged from the Genius Class would all become the future pillars of Konoha Village.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen became their teacher, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had disciples all over Konoha.
"With Hokage-sama's teaching level, it seems Konoha will have several more powerhouses like Konoha's Sannin." Kitazawa raised an eyebrow and said with a smile.
"It's not that exaggerated." Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand and said, "It would be quite good if even one appeared."
In reality, Kitazawa knew this wasn't an exaggeration. Sasuke and Naruto's future strength would far surpass Konoha's Sannin.
Of course, this was limited to this particular Genius Class.
"Your suggestion isn't very realistic. Besides me, the only all-attribute ninja is Kakashi." Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly chuckled and said, "Indeed, Kakashi can go teach."
The reason he had Kakashi leave Anbu to become a squad leader was because he wanted him to move past his past trauma.
As for Naruto becoming his student, that was actually secondary. After all, Naruto still had five years until graduation, which was quite a while away.
Compared to being a squad leader, being a Ninja Academy teacher would allow Kakashi to meet more students and live more actively, which might help him recover more easily.
If Hiruzen chose other Jonin to be Academy teachers, he would feel it was a waste of their mission time.
But there was no such concern with Kakashi.
Ever since becoming alone, Kakashi had been deeply mired in trauma, unable to escape, with his only outlet being missions.
The effect was that the more missions he did, the further he drifted from being a normal human.
If this continued, what difference would there be between him and the ninja of Root?
"If it's Kakashi, he certainly meets the conditions for being a teacher perfectly."
Kitazawa feigned surprise. Of course, he was indeed quite happy. With Kakashi as a teacher, he would have much less to worry about.
"Haru." Sarutobi Hiruzen called out directly, "Call Kakashi over."
Not long after, Kakashi entered the Hokage Office. He glanced at Kitazawa, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Kakashi, do you remember when I mentioned you leaving Anbu to become a squad leader?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.
"I remember." Kakashi nodded with his dead fish eyes.
"There are still three months until graduation."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle, "You haven't been a squad leader before, so why don't you go to the Ninja Academy and experience it for three months first?"
"Be a Ninja Academy teacher?" Kakashi finally understood why Kitazawa was there.
"That's right." Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, "What do you think?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said in a businesslike manner.
"You go first. Kitazawa will find you later and explain the specific situation." Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed in his heart.
He had absolute high hopes for Kakashi because his talent was simply too great.
Graduating at five, Chunin at six, Jonin at twelve. In Konoha's history, such ninjas were few and far between.
Under normal circumstances, he would have grown into the next Sakumo Hatake or Minato Namikaze.
But reality was too cruel to him, causing him to slump for many years, with no further improvement in his strength.
This was also reflected in the original work. After Kakashi returned to normal, his strength advanced by leaps and bounds.
"Kitazawa, you and Kakashi are ninja of the same generation, and you know his current situation." After Kakashi left, Sarutobi Hiruzen exhorted, "You need to help him more."
"I understand," Kitazawa said in a deep voice.
"With you and Kakashi as teachers, the Genius Class is pretty much set." Sarutobi Hiruzen paused and asked, "Do you have any other ideas?"
"The Genius Class also needs theoretical classes, and I think Iruka can teach them," Kitazawa suggested.
"That's fine." Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed after a brief thought.
Firstly, because Iruka Umino was exemplary. Secondly, because the Genius Class indeed needed theoretical classes, especially the Will of Fire class.
"I think we could also add an experienced, older ninja." Kitazawa added, "Kakashi and I are both relatively young, and there are many subtle details we might not know."
"There are quite a few old ninja in Konoha Village." Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have anyone in mind?"
"Kosuke Maruboshi-senpai," Kitazawa replied.
"Kosuke?" Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but be surprised. He had not expected Kitazawa to mention Kosuke Maruboshi.
Kosuke Maruboshi was an eternal Genin, but his seniority was very impressive. He had served under three Hokage: Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Minato Namikaze.
Most importantly, he was strong, very responsible, and a firm practitioner of the Will of Fire.
"Kosuke has been punishing himself for a mistake made in his youth, and even at this age, he still takes dangerous missions like infiltrating enemy villages," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, his tone thoughtful.
"Letting him become a Ninja Academy teacher would also be a kind of early retirement, allowing him to enjoy life."
"Then I'll go notify him?" Kitazawa asked.
"Kosuke isn't an ordinary Genin; I'll go see him later." Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.
In a sense, Kosuke Maruboshi and he were like fellow disciples. After all, they were both students of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—although Kosuke was not a formal student.
"Alright," Kitazawa said, not pursuing the matter further.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen personally handling it, there would certainly be no problems. He would slack off whenever he had the chance.
"The establishment of the Genius Class will begin next semester," Sarutobi Hiruzen continued. "There will be a Jonin meeting on Sunday morning; you should come too."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kitazawa quickly responded.
Sunday was three days away. After their discussion, Kitazawa left the Hokage Building.
As for which students would be in the Genius Class, it would be the top thirty in the Student Council's practical selection.
Kitazawa arrived at the Anbu headquarters.
"Teacher Kitazawa."
A familiar voice rang out. Kitazawa instinctively turned his head and saw Uchiha Itachi. Even though he wore an Anbu mask, Kitazawa could recognize him instantly.
"Teacher Kitazawa, is Lady Tsunade giving you another mission at Anbu?" Itachi asked, stepping forward.
"No," Kitazawa shook his head. "I'm here to find Kakashi."
"Senior Kakashi is packing his things in his room," Uchiha Itachi explained with a faint note of regret. "He's about to leave Anbu."
Kakashi could be considered his Anbu mentor. After Itachi joined Anbu, he often went on missions under Kakashi's lead.
"If you want to see him in the future, just come to the Ninja Academy," Kitazawa said directly. "Kakashi will be our class's teacher from now on."
"Ah?" Uchiha Itachi's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Retiring from Anbu to become a Ninja Academy teacher? That sounded a bit out of place.
"Can you take me to see him?" Kitazawa asked with a smile.
"Normally, non-Anbu members aren't allowed into the dorms," Itachi hesitated for two seconds, then added, "but you shouldn't have any problem. Please follow me."
"Do all you Anbu ninja live in dorms?" Kitazawa asked curiously as they walked.
"No. Anbu needs to be on call 24/7. The dorms are for those on rotation to rest," Itachi explained.
"I see," Kitazawa nodded.
"Kakashi-senpai is an Anbu captain, so he has a dedicated room," Itachi added.
The two quickly arrived in front of a door.
"Kakashi-senpai," Itachi knocked. "Teacher Kitazawa is here to visit."
A moment later, the door opened—but the one who appeared was not Kakashi. His hair was not white.
"Yamato-senpai," Itachi greeted politely.
Kitazawa's eyes narrowed slightly. Yamato—the sole survivor and success of Danzo and Orochimaru's Wood Release experiments.
"Kakashi-senpai is inside," Yamato said, then turned to leave.
"Then I'll be going. You two chat," Itachi added, disappearing along with Yamato.
"Am I going to be a teacher for First Year Class A?" Kakashi asked without looking up.
"You're going to the Genius Class," Kitazawa explained in detail.
Kakashi was surprised. When he was a student, there had been no such thing as a Genius Class. From the looks of it, this was Kitazawa's original idea.
He also understood why Sarutobi Hiruzen would assign him. Familiar with over a thousand ninjutsu and possessing all five elemental affinities, he was perfect for the role.
But in truth, it didn't matter to him. Whether Anbu captain, squad leader, or Academy teacher, none of it weighed heavily on Kakashi's heart.
"I'll come find you next semester." Kakashi sat on the bed, packing his things with his usual indifference.
"Then what do you plan to do this month?" Kitazawa asked.
Kakashi paused. Ever since Obito and Rin died, he had done nothing but missions in Anbu. He hadn't had a month-long break in years. Asked suddenly what he wanted to do, he didn't know. Perhaps he would simply read Make-Out Paradise at home.
"I've been holding a winter break special training recently," Kitazawa chuckled. "There's a student in the Genius Class with great talent in Lightning Release. Why don't you go and teach him early?"
"Who is it?" Kakashi asked with some confusion. "I didn't see any students using Lightning Release during the Student Council selection practical."
"It's Sasuke," Kitazawa replied. "He has both Lightning and Fire attributes, but as you know, there aren't many excellent Lightning Release ninja among the Uchiha."
Kakashi paused, a flicker of interest in his eyes. Lightning attribute combined with the Sharingan was simply too suitable for him to be Sasuke's teacher. He had also been teammates with Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi, so they were already quite familiar.
"My requirements are very high. He must first pass my test," Kakashi said after a moment of thought.
Anyway, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already appointed him as a teacher for the Genius Class, so teaching Sasuke wouldn't be much trouble.
"As it should be," Kitazawa said with a smile. With Kakashi's help, Sasuke's mission should progress smoothly. Of course, to feel involved, Kitazawa planned to take some time to guide Sasuke as well.
"Tomorrow, I'll bring Sasuke, and we'll meet at the Ninja Academy training ground," Kitazawa continued. "Eight in the morning."
"Alright." Kakashi nodded in agreement.
"See you tomorrow."
Kitazawa greeted him and then left the Anbu base. Instead of returning to the Ninja Academy, he headed to where Tsunade and Shizune lived.
Kitazawa raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Good morning, Teacher Kitazawa." Karin opened the door.
"Is Lady Tsunade here?" Kitazawa asked, patting her head.
"No," Karin replied. "She and Sister Shizune went to the casino."
"As expected." Kitazawa wasn't surprised. With a smile, he added, "Then I'll talk to your mother."
"Mhm." Karin stepped aside. "Teacher Kitazawa, please come in."
"Teacher Kitazawa, have some tea." Rina Uzumaki handed him a cup with both hands.
"Thank you." Kitazawa took a sip and said, "Karin has caught up with her studies after tutoring. I plan to teach her ninjutsu this winter break."
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa." Rina Uzumaki glanced at Karin, her eyes filled with gratitude. After escaping the Grass Hidden Village, she understood the importance of strength more than anyone.
"Karin is from the Uzumaki Clan, and I think Sealing Technique is most suitable for her," Kitazawa continued, getting straight to the point. "Mrs. Rina, have you learned Sealing Technique?"
"No." Rina Uzumaki sighed. "My talent isn't good enough."
Kitazawa wasn't surprised. If she had truly mastered the Uzumaki Clan's sealing arts, she would have escaped the Grass Hidden Village long ago.
"Fortunately, Konoha holds many Uzumaki Sealing Techniques. When Lady Tsunade returns, please tell her about this."
Kitazawa stood and said, "For now, I'll take Karin to train her chakra control."
The difficulty of Sealing Technique was even greater than Medical Ninjutsu, and chakra control was especially important.
However, in the original work, Karin had already demonstrated her talent for sealing techniques. Kitazawa didn't need to worry about her ability—he only needed to start her training.
The two arrived at the Ninja Academy. For chakra control, the classic methods were tree climbing and water walking.
After Kitazawa explained for ten minutes, Karin began her tree-climbing practice. She quickly grasped the technique and managed to climb halfway up a tree in no time.
Just then, three lines of text appeared before Kitazawa's eyes:
[Current Mission: Lead your ninja squad to complete 90 D-rank missions within one month and make a name for yourselves.]
[Mission Reward: Lightning Release: Chidori.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow, a little surprised, but it made sense.
With Yakushi Kabuto, Aburame Torune, and Uchiha Izumi—each powerful and supported by Shadow Clone—completing the mission early was natural.
Kitazawa stood still, receiving the Lightning Release: Chidori infused by the system. Moments later, he had completely mastered the technique.
The only drawback of Lightning Release: Chidori was that it required the Sharingan. Its speed was too fast, and without the Sharingan, even the user would find it hard to control.
Chidori fully exploited Lightning Release's speed characteristic, designed as a surprise-attack ninjutsu. In the official novel, Kakashi, without his Sharingan, had to create Lightning Release: Purple Electricity as a replacement.
It was worth noting that Kakashi originally developed Chidori because he could not learn Lightning Release: Rasengan. From an attack perspective, both Chidori and Rasengan were indeed similar—neither could be thrown, and both required close-range activation.
"Teacher Kitazawa."
A few minutes later, Yakushi Kabuto, Aburame Torune, and Uchiha Izumi arrived at the training ground. They had rushed over after submitting their final D-rank mission at the Hokage Mission Hall.
"You've worked hard. You won't have to do D-rank missions anymore," Kitazawa told them.
[Your ninja squad has already gained some reputation in Konoha Village, but it's not enough.]
[Current Mission: Choose a high-level mission that can expand your Team's reputation.]
[Mission Reward: Compound Ninjutsu – Lightning Water Dragon Jutsu.]
[Do you accept?]
Kitazawa's eyes immediately caught on the reward. Compound Ninjutsu, also known as Combination Ninjutsu, combined different techniques to unleash even greater power.
In the original work, the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumī and the Fourth Raikage A had used Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Jutsu. Its strength surpassed that of the standard Water Dragon Jutsu, and it carried the paralyzing effect of lightning.
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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)