In the plaza outside the palace, Kitazawa and Asuma stood facing each other.
"Both of you remember to hold back. Getting injured at this critical juncture isn't good for your mission."
Kurenai stood not far away, reminding them.
Beside her were Kabuto, Torune, and Uchiha Izumi. They were all curious who would win.
Asuma was quite famous in Konoha Village. After all, he was Hiruzen Sarutobi's son. However, as Kitazawa's students, they naturally supported Kitazawa.
"Come on!" Asuma said with great confidence.
Although he didn't possess a top-tier Bloodline Limit, he was quite strong—an Elite Jonin, skilled in both Fire Release and Wind Release.
Kitazawa glanced at the Chakra Blades in his hands. His Chakra Blades resembled brass knuckles, worn on the four fingers of both his left and right hands.
Body Flicker Technique!
Kitazawa's body blurred into an afterimage, moving at an incredibly fast speed.
"Good!"
The thing Asuma feared least was close combat. He gripped his Chakra Blades tightly, infusing them with Wind Release chakra, causing a faint blue glow to appear on their surface.
Two flashes of blue light appeared. Asuma threw both fists, striking at Kitazawa.
Chakra Enhanced Strength! Kitazawa stopped and punched out.
Asuma couldn't help but be stunned. What was happening? Flesh and blood against his Chakra Blades?
Asuma didn't have time to think. His eyes narrowed, his right fist aimed at Kitazawa's fist, while his left fist slashed upwards, the Chakra Blade cutting towards Kitazawa's wrist.
The fist landed first. Their right fists collided.
Asuma's confident expression suddenly froze. An irresistible force surged from Kitazawa's right fist.
His right arm instantly lost all sensation, and his body simultaneously flew backwards.
With a thud! Asuma crashed onto the ground, kicking up countless dust.
Kitazawa didn't press his advantage. Instead, he stood still and waited.
Kurenai's face showed bewilderment. What happened?
Although she had guessed that Asuma was no match for Kitazawa, how could he not even last one round? Wasn't he an Elite Jonin?
"So strong!" Uchiha Izumi couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
The rumored son of the Third Hokage was actually sent flying with one punch.
Was he too weak? No, it was clearly Kitazawa who was too strong.
"It's Lady Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Strength."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, saying in a precocious tone, "Senior Asuma was careless—or rather, he underestimated Teacher Kitazawa."
Just then, Asuma quickly got up. He looked at Kitazawa with a mix of surprise and shame. Losing so badly in front of Kurenai made him see red.
"Again!" Asuma was naturally unconvinced.
Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!
A large amount of chakra gathered in his throat, and when he exhaled, thick smoke and ash poured out.
The sky-filling ash obscured their vision, and Asuma's body disappeared within it.
Kitazawa felt a wave of hot air coming towards him. These ashes possessed a high temperature no less than magma; once touched, they would cause burns.
More importantly, Asuma was hidden within the ashes, ready to launch a fatal strike at any moment.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall! Kitazawa calmly formed hand seals.
A stream of water appeared out of nowhere, spinning around him and forming a wall of water.
"It's the Second Hokage-sama's Water Release!"
Asuma, hidden in the shadows, was startled. Because only Senju Tobirama's Water Release: Water Formation Wall was different from a normal Water Formation Wall.
It was four-sided, circling the caster in a rotating motion, rather than just guarding one side. This meant a more comprehensive defense.
The ash surged towards the water wall, immediately creating a large amount of smoke. But the wall of water did not evaporate; instead, it continuously replenished any gaps.
Kitazawa looked around and suddenly heard a piercing shriek tearing through the air.
He instinctively turned his head and saw a Chakra Blade piercing through the water wall, coming right at him.
This was Asuma's Wind Release: Verdant Mountain Gale. Its effect was to remotely control Chakra Blades to unleash terrifying Wind Release attacks.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!
In the nick of time, Kitazawa, holding a kunai, blocked the Chakra Blade.
But the next second, a sharp crack echoed. The kunai developed a split down its center.
Kitazawa wasn't surprised.
It was perfectly reasonable for a Chakra Blade worth tens of millions of ryō to shatter a kunai worth less than a thousand.
Asuma suddenly appeared. He reached out, gripped the Chakra Blade, and then applied force.
The kunai broke completely.
Clang!
Kitazawa swiftly drew the Ninja Blade given to him by Hinata. The Ninja Blade and Chakra Blade collided, immediately producing a harsh sound.
Asuma's eyebrows raised involuntarily. A good blade!
Just as he was about to change his technique, his pupils suddenly constricted. He saw Kitazawa raise his right hand, and highly compressed chakra was violently rotating in his palm.
"Rasengan?"
Asuma's heart pounded, and he instinctively used the Body Flicker Technique to dash in the opposite direction.
Kitazawa didn't pursue. He casually dispelled the Rasengan and sheathed his Ninja Blade.
Although he had learned many Ninjutsu, it didn't include Kenjutsu or Swordsmanship. Kitazawa felt he should take some time to learn Konoha-style Swordsmanship. Otherwise, the Ninja Blade Hinata had given him would be left to gather dust.
Asuma looked at him with surprise and uncertainty.
The Second Hokage's Water Release, the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan, plus Tsunade's Chakra-Enhanced Strength.
This was insane!
How did an ordinary Ninja Academy teacher suddenly become a Hokage successor? Compared to him, the son of the Third Hokage seemed like an uneducated idler. After all, he hadn't learned any of the Ninjutsu Hiruzen Sarutobi was good at.
"Still fighting?" Kitazawa asked with a light laugh.
"I still have one Ninjutsu." Sarutobi Asuma was silent for two seconds, then said, "If you can take it, I'll admit defeat."
After he finished speaking, he put away his Chakra Blades.
Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Murder!
Sarutobi Asuma clapped his hands, and chakra surged out from his entire body. Golden light illuminated the sky, and a nearly ten-meter-tall Thousand-Armed Kannon appeared behind him.
"What kind of Ninjutsu is this?"
Kurenai, Kabuto, and the others looked bewildered and shocked. They had all seen Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Armed Murder for the first time.
But they were certain this was definitely not a Konoha Village Ninjutsu.
Kitazawa, however, recognized it at a glance.
This was a secret technique of the Fire Temple, called the Thousand-Armed Kannon. Kitazawa suspected it had something to do with Sage Mode, but the power of Thousand-Armed Murder was far inferior to true Sage Mode.
Eight Gates! Gate of Opening: Open!
Kitazawa could have dodged with Konoha-style Body Flicker, but there was no need. With the opening of the Eight Gates, the chakra in his body began to boil.
"You can also use the Eight Gates?"
Asuma was shocked yet again. Though truthfully, he had been shocked many times today. Gritting his teeth, he made the Thousand-Armed Kannon behind him move.
A thousand hands clenched into fists, all swinging towards Kitazawa.
Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu! With a bang, smoke erupted. Amidst it, twenty Kitazawas appeared.
Wind Release: Rasengan!
They immediately rushed towards Sarutobi Asuma. At the same time, Rasengan infused with Wind Release chakra appeared in their hands.
Facing the dense flurry of fists, twenty Wind Release: Rasengan were unleashed simultaneously.
In an instant, blinding light filled everyone's vision. What followed was a series of explosions.
Under the assault of the Wind Release: Rasengan, the arms of the Thousand-Armed Kannon were cut off piece by piece and disintegrated like splintered wood.
In less than a second, the once-golden Thousand-Armed Kannon grew dim and then shattered.
Asuma's face turned pale, and he couldn't help but slump to the ground. He looked at Kitazawa, once again feeling a wave of disbelief.
Twenty Shadow Clones plus twenty Wind Release: Rasengan—how much chakra did Kitazawa have to be able to spend it so recklessly?
At least, he himself absolutely couldn't.
Asuma couldn't help but feel dejected. After this battle, he understood just how vast the gap between himself and Kitazawa was.
Now it was completely over! He couldn't compare in strength. He couldn't compare in looks. And even their statuses had become evenly matched.
He was the son of the Third Hokage, and Kitazawa was Tsunade's student, not inferior to him in the slightest.
"Are you hurt?"
Kitazawa dispelled the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and came before Sarutobi Asuma. He extended both hands, and a light green chakra surged out.
"Mystical Palm Technique?" Sarutobi Asuma's mouth opened, completely at a loss for words.
Being able to learn the Mystical Palm Technique proved that Kitazawa was already a Jonin in Medical Ninjutsu alone. Not to mention, he also had Water Release, Rasengan, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, and the Eight Gates, among many others.
"Thank you." Sarutobi Asuma stood up and said, "Your strength is indeed much greater than mine."
"Can we help you now?" Kitazawa asked, still thinking about the mission given by Hiruzen. After all, only by completing this mission could he finish the system's task.
"Of course." Asuma took a deep breath and said, "With your help, we can capture Kazuma and the others in one fell swoop."
"We'll follow your arrangements." Kitazawa nodded.
"Let's go inside and talk." Asuma glanced at Kurenai but ultimately didn't ask anything further.
---
The group returned to the palace.
"Now the Guardian Ninja have completely split," Asuma said slowly. "Kazuma and the others moved to another palace after several conflicts with us."
"If we directly kill them, will the Daimyo of the Land of Fire agree?" Kitazawa asked bluntly.
"He won't." Asuma shook his head. "So we've been waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity for Kazuma to make a mistake."
Kitazawa's heart stirred, recalling the plot from the original work. Asuma and his team did indeed get their chance. That was when Kazuma, for some unknown reason, attempted to assassinate the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
"Waiting for an opportunity is always too slow," Kitazawa said with a slight smile. "I have a plan that can create an opportunity."
He thought of his Imitation Technique, a ninjutsu capable of replicating a target's appearance, abilities, and thoughts.
"What method do you have?" Sarutobi Asuma quickly asked.
"I can make Kazuma and his group disliked by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire," Kitazawa replied.
"Are you sure?" Asuma was stunned, then added cautiously, "And the Daimyo of the Land of Fire must not suspect us."
"I can do all of that," Kitazawa said with a serious expression.
"If it's truly as you say, you'll be a great help to us!" Asuma said, suppressing the distrust in his heart.
"Kitazawa is very capable," Kurenai added softly.
Asuma's expression stiffened upon hearing this. Pain. So much pain. Ever since they met, Kurenai had been speaking up for Kitazawa, and there was even a hint of admiration in her tone.
"Besides that, there's one more thing," Sarutobi Asuma said, regaining his composure. "Kazuma has been missing for about a week. I suspect he's secretly preparing something."
"Missing?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. "Even you can't find him?"
"Can't find him," Asuma admitted with some embarrassment.
Kitazawa pondered, recalling Kazuma's ninjutsu. Could it be the ultimate Earth Release resurrection technique? Earth Release Resurrection Technique: Corpse Soil.
Its effect was to revive corpses buried in the soil, turning them into the user's puppets. When combined with Earth Release: Reincarnation Jutsu, the revived corpses could use all the powers they possessed while alive.
Kitazawa had an idea when he thought of this. The soil of the dead was not ordinary soil, but soil filled with death energy. And where was it full of death energy? Naturally, a graveyard.
"Understood. Then we'll find Kazuma first, and then sow discord between him and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire," Kitazawa concluded.
"You have a way to find Kazuma?" Sarutobi Asuma asked in surprise.
"I do have a way, but whether it will work is hard to say," Kitazawa replied as he stood up. "I'll try first."
"Alright then." Asuma paused, then asked, "Do you have a place to stay?"
"We're staying at an inn," Kitazawa said. "There's no need to change that—so as not to arouse suspicion from Kazuma and his group."
"Okay." Asuma glanced at Kurenai and said, "I'll go inform Chiriku and the others now, to put their minds at ease."
"It seems our mission will go smoothly," Kitazawa said with a faint smile.
After he left, Kurenai let out a sigh of relief.
"Asuma is not an unreasonable person," Kitazawa said. "And he has matured here in the Capital of the Land of Fire."
In the original work, it was mentioned that Asuma had a sudden realization here—he understood Hiruzen Sarutobi, and was no longer rebellious.
"Mm," Kurenai agreed. "He has indeed changed a lot."
Although challenging Kitazawa was still impulsive; he had readily admitted defeat after losing.
"Kabuto, I'm giving you a new mission," Kitazawa said, turning to Kabuto and his two companions. "Find the graveyards near the Capital of the Land of Fire."
"Graveyards?" Kurenai looked puzzled.
"I did some prior research on Kazuma," Kitazawa said, fabricating an excuse as he explained the Earth Release that Kazuma possessed.
"There's such an evil Earth Release ninjutsu?" Kurenai frowned in anger. "Those who toy with the dead deserve to die!"
Kitazawa thought to himself that it wouldn't be too late for her to curse after seeing thousands of Edo Tensei users.
After all, in the original work, even Senju Tobirama was heavily criticized for Edo Tensei—and Senju Hashirama himself thought it was not a good jutsu. The dead were to be respected.
"Just find the locations; do not investigate on your own," Kitazawa instructed.
"Yes, Teacher Kitazawa." Kabuto and the two others turned and left the palace.
Aburame Torune's insects and Uchiha Izumi's Sharingan were both perfect for reconnaissance. With Kabuto's sharp mind added to the team, Kitazawa felt confident entrusting the mission to them.
"I've already informed Chiriku and the others about the situation," Asuma returned a short while later. "As soon as you find Kazuma's location, we'll act."
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. "In that case, we'll leave first."
"Aren't you staying for a meal?" Asuma asked in surprise.
"No, the sooner we find Kazuma, the sooner we can finish the mission," Kitazawa said, shaking his head.
"Asuma, there's one more thing." Kurenai spoke honestly, "I'm Kitazawa's girlfriend now."
After saying this, she followed Kitazawa and left.
No! Sarutobi Asuma subconsciously reached out his hand.
Although he had already somewhat expected it, hearing Kurenai's direct confession still left him heartbroken. But what else could he do? He had lost to Kitazawa in every aspect.
---
Two days later, on Friday.
Kabuto and his team successfully completed their mission. Guided by the graveyard locations they discovered, Kitazawa began his investigation with Kurenai.
They finally pinpointed Kazuma's location in a graveyard north of the city.
"There are four people in total." Kitazawa appeared before Kurenai and Kabuto's group. He had just found a secluded spot and used his Byakugan to investigate.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's Kazuma and his three subordinates: Fudo, Fuen, and Fuka."
Kitazawa gave his orders directly. "Kazuma is mine; you three deal with his subordinates."
"Should we inform Asuma?" Kurenai asked, worried about Kitazawa's safety.
"Delay breeds trouble." Kitazawa's expression was calm and confident. "Trust me."
"Alright then." Kurenai nodded, choosing not to argue further.
"Let's go." Kitazawa strode toward the graveyard.
"Who's there?" With a delicate shout, a large number of fireballs shot toward them.
The user was a beautiful red-haired girl—Fuka.
Her hair was her weapon, capable of switching bodies through it. She could use Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water Release.
In Kitazawa's eyes, she was quite similar to Kakuzu with his Earth Grudge Fear. However, one relied on hair, the other on hearts.
Kitazawa did not move. Instead, Kabuto stepped forward to meet her.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
He tilted his head back and exhaled a strong blast of wind. A series of small fireballs was immediately scattered.
"Konoha ninja?" At that moment, Kazuma himself walked out. His face sank as he asked, "Are you the reinforcements Asuma sent?"
"That's right." Kitazawa no longer hesitated. With a raised hand, he unleashed Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken.
The spinning shuriken carried incomparable sharpness, reaching Kazuma in an instant.
Kazuma was startled but reacted quickly. An earth wall rose, blocking the Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken.
But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the wall shattered—and a Rasengan appeared before his eyes.
Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!
In a life-or-death moment, Kazuma immediately threw the tin staff in his hand and formed hand seals. His body burrowed into the ground, merging with the rocks. It was an Earth Release similar to the Water Transformation Technique.
Clang! The tin staff was struck by the Rasengan and sent flying.
Kitazawa leapt into the air, forming hand seals with both hands.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
Chakra turned into flames, instantly transforming the ground into a sea of fire. The scorching heat forced Kazuma out.
Wind Release: Flower Scattering Dance!
A tornado suddenly formed within the flames, pushing them back. Kazuma's figure appeared in the clearing.
He subconsciously looked at Kitazawa, but he was no longer in the air. Kazuma's heart trembled. He quickly became vigilant, scanning his surroundings.
Then, the flames on the left shifted, and three roaring fire dragons surged out.
"There!" Kazuma rapidly formed hand seals.
Earth Release: Antlion Technique!
The ground beneath his feet softened. Under his control, it spun and swallowed the three fire dragons. But when the flames dispersed, Kitazawa's figure was still nowhere in sight.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind echoed.
Kazuma instinctively turned around—only to see Kitazawa's fist. In his haste, he could only raise his arms to block. Then, nothing.
The full force of Chakra Enhanced Strength was even more destructive than the Rasengan, shattering Kazuma's arms with comminuted fractures and sending him flying backward.