"Kazuma!" After hearing the Land of Fire's Daimyo's cry for help, Asuma and the others appeared.
"Why is Asuma here?" The five Guardian Ninja behind Kazuma immediately panicked.
"What does it matter if he's here?" Kazuma said confidently. "No matter how many people come, they will all meet the same end—death!"
"Kazuma!" Asuma snorted at his words. "I think you don't know your place!"
"You can only be arrogant now. When the new Daimyo appears, your Konoha Village will cease to exist." Kazuma revealed his true thoughts.
"Impossible!" Asuma waved his hand. "Take them down!"
Chiriku and the four Lightning Release users behind him immediately launched their attacks. He, meanwhile, drew his Chakra Blades and charged at Kazuma.
"Kabuto, you three protect the Daimyo," Kurenai instructed.
"Yes." Kabuto decisively pulled the Land of Fire's Daimyo into the palace.
Amidst such a chaotic battle involving so many Special Jonin and Jonin, the three of them truly lacked the strength to intervene. He and Torune were relatively fine, but Uchiha Izumi would be in great danger if she participated.
Furthermore, the safety of the Land of Fire's Daimyo was also extremely important. If anything happened, the entire Konoha Village would be in trouble.
Outside the palace, a fierce six-against-seven battle unfolded. Kazuma fought Asuma and Kurenai by himself. From the start of the battle, he was at a disadvantage.
Asuma, with his fists clenched and combined with his Chakra Blades, fought fiercely. Kazuma evaded several attacks in a very short time.
Kurenai knew Kazuma was Kitazawa, but she was afraid Asuma would notice something amiss. Therefore, she used Genjutsu for long-range interference. Asuma didn't think much of it; in his opinion, Kurenai only knew Genjutsu, so this fighting style was not a problem.
"Earth Release: Stone Spikes!"
Kazuma retreated, and a huge rock pillar, like a wall, rose in front of him. Asuma Sarutobi struck the rock pillar with both fists.
With a loud bang, the rock pillar shattered into pieces under the sturdy and sharp Chakra Blades. Just then, Asuma's pupils suddenly contracted. Sudden darkness enveloped him.
"Infinite Darkness Genjutsu?" Asuma Sarutobi was stunned for a moment, then recognized it. He subconsciously asked, "Kurenai?"
The Infinite Darkness Genjutsu was the unique Genjutsu of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and Kurenai was the only Genjutsu Ninja present. He subconsciously assumed it was Kurenai who used the Darkness Genjutsu.
"Asuma, I'll help you!" Kitazawa's voice, from far to near, entered the darkness. Immediately after, screams rang out.
"Kitazawa, what's going on?" Asuma clenched his fists, unable to move recklessly due to his lost vision, and could only ask aloud.
As his voice fell, the darkness vanished. Asuma instinctively squinted his eyes. After his vision recovered, he saw Kitazawa and Kazuma, who were already dead at his feet.
Asuma Sarutobi looked for a moment. Kazuma had been hit in both arms by a Rasengan, then had his throat slit.
"Well done!" Asuma didn't blame Kitazawa for stealing his kill and turned to rejoin the battle.
With Kazuma's death, the remaining five Guardian Ninja were quickly defeated under everyone's siege, with some dying and others falling unconscious.
"We won!" The guards who had been blown away earlier immediately cheered.
"Kitazawa!" Asuma's urgent voice rang out. "Seito is severely wounded!"
"Everyone, step back." Kitazawa walked forward, his brow furrowing involuntarily.
Seito, one of the four Lightning Release users, had been stabbed in the heart by the enemy's dying counterattack. Involving the heart was undoubtedly a high-difficulty surgery.
"Kabuto, you and I will perform the surgery together," Kitazawa took a deep breath and said. Fortunately, besides him, there was another excellent Medical Ninja here—Yakushi Kabuto.
The two began the surgery. Time slowly passed.
"Alright, he's out of danger." Kitazawa stood up, exhaled, and said.
Kurenai quickly walked over to wipe his sweat.
"…" Asuma's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Although he had let go, it wasn't that quick to become completely oblivious. However, Kitazawa was indeed amazing. That surgery just now could only be completed so excellently by a Medical Ninja Jonin.
"Kitazawa," Asuma waited for a moment, then said. "Thank you for your help this time; otherwise, Seito would certainly not have escaped death."
It was more than just Seito. In the original work, only Kazuma, Chiriku, and Asuma survived this Guardian Ninja Rebellion.
"It's nothing." Kitazawa looked at the mission progress bar advancing another notch and immediately smiled.
He had already completed six high-difficulty surgeries, and only three more were needed to obtain that Medical Forbidden Ninjutsu.
"I apologize for delaying you all for so long this time." Asuma said in a deep voice, "If your mission isn't completed because of this, I'll go explain the situation to Old Man."
Kitazawa and Kurenai had told him earlier that they were on an outdoor mission and were just passing through the Capital of the Land of Fire.
"Actually, our mission is already complete." Kitazawa pondered for a moment and decided to tell Asuma the truth.
After interacting these past few days, he felt that this Asuma was no different from the Asuma in the original work. In terms of personality, he was no longer rebellious but had become mature and steady.
"We were ordered by Hokage-sama to help you end the Guardian Ninja Rebellion," Kitazawa said truthfully.
"…" Asuma froze in place. A complex emotion surged in his heart.
"Anyway, I still want to thank you all." Asuma took a deep breath and said.
"Are you coming back with us?" Kitazawa extended an invitation and asked.
"After this incident, the Daimyo probably won't trust me anymore." Asuma thought for a moment and said, "You all go back to the village first. I'll resign and return after I've handled things."
He had firmly stood on the Hokage's side in this Guardian Ninja Rebellion, becoming a so-called "Hokage-supporting faction" member. This would undoubtedly plant seeds of suspicion in the Land of Fire's Daimyo's heart.
"Alright then." Seeing this, Kitazawa said nothing more.
He called Yakushi and the other two, and along with Kurenai, left the royal palace. As for Kazuma's body, it was left for Asuma Sarutobi to handle.
---
The next afternoon.
Kitazawa and the others returned to Konoha Village. They had not stayed overnight in the Capital of the Land of Fire but had traveled through the night. After all, they had already been delayed for a week.
Kitazawa's winter break training had just begun, and half of the winter break had already passed. And there was another very important matter these two days: Tsunade's hemophobia treatment.
"You all go back and rest first. Meet at the school's training ground tomorrow morning," Kitazawa looked at Kabuto and the other two and said.
"Yes, Teacher Kitazawa." Kabuto and the other two replied in unison.
They had been away for a week and had long wanted to go home. Now that they had Kitazawa's instructions, they quickly left.
"Kurenai, are you coming with me to see Hokage-sama, or are you going home first?" Kitazawa turned to Kurenai and asked. After traveling for most of the day, her beautiful face showed fatigue.
"I'll go home first." Kurenai thought for a moment and said, "This is your Team's mission, so it's more appropriate for you to see Hokage-sama."
"Alright then." Kitazawa lowered his head, bit her lip, and said, "Wait for me."
"Mm." Kurenai licked her lips, a smile appearing on her face.
---
Hokage Building.
Kitazawa went directly to the Hokage Office. After receiving permission, he pushed the door open and entered.
"How are things?" Sarutobi Hiruzen proactively asked. Regarding Asuma Sarutobi, he was not as calm as usual.
"The mission was successfully completed." Kitazawa immediately recounted the situation.
"You did very well." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded after listening. There were no flaws in any aspect; he was both brave and resourceful.
"Hokage-sama." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "There's one thing I need to apologize to you for."
"What is it?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, puzzled.
"I told Asuma the truth of the matter," Kitazawa said, embarrassed.
"What was his reaction then?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze sharpened, and he asked.
"Asuma said he would resign as Guardian Ninja very soon and return to Konoha Village," Kitazawa replied.
"Haha!" Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "Asuma has finally grown up!"
Kitazawa stood there with a slight smile. He had done it on purpose. By leveraging this incident, he could gain Sarutobi Hiruzen's trust and perhaps even receive an additional reward.
Of course, Hiruzen wouldn't lose out either. After learning of this, the father-son relationship between him and Asuma would deepen considerably.
"You've worked hard, Kitazawa." Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then said, "Additionally, each person in your squad will receive one Ninjutsu of B-Rank or below."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Kitazawa's eyes lit up, and he quickly said.
It seemed Asuma's family card had worked. Their Ninja squad had a total of four people, meaning Kitazawa could claim four Ninjutsu of B-Rank or below.
It wasn't that he deliberately withheld the rewards from Kabuto and the others; it was that they didn't lack this one Ninjutsu. The reason was that Kitazawa would teach them according to the plan.
After Kitazawa received the one million Ryo mission reward, he went to the Ninjutsu storage room. He looked around and fell into thought.
Currently, he no longer needed to learn new Fire Release Ninjutsu and Wind Release Ninjutsu; what he had was basically enough. As for Water Release, he didn't need it for now, as he still had two A-Rank Water Release Ninjutsu to learn.
His weakest elemental Ninjutsu were Lightning Release and Earth Release. He already had Lightning Release: Chidori, but he didn't have a single Earth Release Ninjutsu.
During Kitazawa's trip to the Capital of the Land of Fire this time, Kazuma and his three subordinates were all Earth Release Ninja. He felt that Earth Release was very convenient in many situations, as it could use local materials and save a lot of Chakra.
Kitazawa snapped out of his thoughts and chose four Earth Release Ninjutsu:
Earth Release: Earth-style Wall
Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet
Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu
Earth Release: Earth Clone
The first one was a common Earth Release Ninjutsu used by Kakashi Hatake, with maximum defense. Although Kitazawa already had Water Release: Water Formation Wall, the five elements countered each other, so having an additional Earth Wall would make it easier to gain an advantage.
The second one was an offensive Ninjutsu; nothing special to say about it.
The third one, although also an offensive Ninjutsu, was more covert. Its effect was to allow the user to burrow underground, silently approach the target, and launch a surprise attack.
The fourth one was an enhanced version of the Body Replacement Technique, using rocks or mud as a substitute. In the original work, Sarutobi Hiruzen used Earth Clone to evade Orochimaru's Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.
These four Earth Release Ninjutsu included offense, defense, surprise attacks, and evasion, making them quite comprehensive.
[Current Mission: Learn four Earth Release Ninjutsu within the third semester.]
[Mission Reward: Master-level Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation.]
[Do you accept?]
Here it comes! It was basically identical to the mission of learning four Water Release Ninjutsu. Kitazawa had expected it, so he wasn't surprised.
After he accepted the mission, the text in front of him changed again.
[Current Mission: Choose a high-level mission that can increase your Team's reputation.]
[Mission Reward: Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
Kitazawa stood still, digesting the large amount of information in his mind. Then a smile appeared on his face.
This Compound Ninjutsu—Lightning Water Dragon Bullet—was indeed extraordinary. In terms of difficulty, it should be no less than A-Rank Ninjutsu.
A Bloodline Limit is the fusion of two chakra nature transformations. Once fused, it becomes easier to learn; for example, Ice Release or Wood Release both have a series of Ninjutsu that can be learned.
But Compound Ninjutsu is different; it requires a fresh combination every time it is performed. It's equivalent to a Bloodline Limit needing only one fusion, while a Compound Ninjutsu must be combined for each use.
Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet is a combination of Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique and Lightning Release: Electric Spark.
Kitazawa had already mastered Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique before, but not Lightning Release: Electric Spark. However, the system was very thoughtful and had already included Lightning Release: Electric Spark at full proficiency, so he didn't need to learn it again.
After leaving the Hokage Building, Kitazawa headed north and arrived at a secluded, uninhabited corner.
"Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!"
Kitazawa stood still and formed two sets of hand signs in an instant. One set was for Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique, and the other was for Lightning Release: Electric Spark. Because of the speed, anyone watching would think he had only performed one Ninjutsu.
This was the difficulty of Compound Ninjutsu. Although the power is greater, within the same amount of time, one has to form one more set of hand signs than the enemy.
To truly unleash its advantage, one must have extremely fast hand speed—or rather, hand sign speed. In the original work, Compound Ninjutsu was usually performed cooperatively by multiple people.
A roaring water dragon appeared out of thin air. Within its body of water, a large amount of lightning flickered faintly, making it appear subtly blue.
With a bang!
The electrified water dragon slammed into the ground. The earth trembled violently, cracks spreading outward. Water splashed everywhere, soaking the nearby ground. At the same time, lightning spread rapidly, using the water's conductivity and leaving scorched marks wherever it passed.
Kitazawa nodded with satisfaction at the sight. The power was even greater than he had imagined, and it could now serve as his fourth trump card. As for the first three, they were Chakra Enhanced Strength, Rasengan, and Lightning Release: Chidori.
Kitazawa returned to the main street. He didn't go home immediately but went to the Kurama Clan.
"Yakumo." Kitazawa found Yakumo sketching on a hillside.
"Kitazawa-sensei?" Yakumo was a little surprised; she immediately put down her paintbrush, stood up, and asked, "Is there something you need me for?"
"How is your progress with the Emotion Displacement Ninjutsu I gave you before?" Kitazawa asked.
"I haven't learned it yet," Yakumo answered truthfully.
"Emotion Displacement Ninjutsu is an A-Rank Ninjutsu after all, so it's normal to learn it slowly." Kitazawa pondered for a moment and said, "Come find me at Kurenai's house tomorrow at ten o'clock."
"Is it for special training?" Yakumo asked curiously.
"Yes," Kitazawa replied. "Now that Psychological Medical Ninjutsu has formed a basic system, you should try to truly treat patients."
"Who is the patient?"
Although Yakumo was a bit surprised, she didn't refuse. After all, Kitazawa and Tsunade had invested so much time and effort in her, and it was indeed time for her to give back.
"You'll know tomorrow." Kitazawa suggested, "Be mentally prepared; she's not an ordinary patient."
"I understand!" Yakumo's heart tightened, but she still answered very seriously.
"See you tomorrow." Kitazawa didn't stay long, turned around, and went home.
---
Sunday.
After breakfast, Kitazawa came to the Ninja Academy.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
After a week apart, Naruto and Inuzuka Kiba were particularly enthusiastic. After some pleasantries, Kitazawa sent them off to continue their training.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Kabuto, Torune, and Uchiha Izumi walked over.
"Here's the reward for this mission." Kitazawa took out three passbooks and handed them over, saying, "One hundred and fifty thousand Ryo each."
"Kitazawa-sensei, I can't accept this." Uchiha Izumi quickly shook her head. "I didn't help much with this mission."
"Don't say such things; we're all part of the same squad," Kitazawa gently patted her head and said.
"Without your restraint, I wouldn't have been able to kill him so easily either," Aburame Torune added.
"Alright, no more wasting time. Next, I will arrange special training for you all." Kitazawa clapped his hands.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei." Uchiha Izumi felt a warmth in her heart and put away the passbook.
"Izumi, I'll teach you a B-Rank Fire Release Ninjutsu—Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique: Crimson Claw," Kitazawa said after pondering for a moment.
"Mmm!" Uchiha Izumi's eyes lit up, and she readily agreed.
As for why Kitazawa knew the Fire Release of the Uchiha Clan, she wasn't surprised—she had heard Uchiha Itachi mention that Uchiha Sasuke had given Kitazawa many Fire Release Ninjutsu.
"As for Kabuto, you'll learn a new B-Rank Wind Release Ninjutsu—Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets."
Kitazawa finished speaking and looked at Aburame Torune. He possessed nano-sized poisonous insects, which were already enough to achieve overwhelming success with one move. However, as a teacher, he definitely had to help him strengthen his abilities.
"I'll teach you Konoha-style Body Flicker," Kitazawa said after pondering for a moment.
Aburame Torune was already well-equipped in terms of offense; what he lacked were defensive and evasive Ninjutsu. Konoha-style Body Flicker was very suitable for him.
After Kitazawa spent an hour explaining the key points to them, he left the Ninja Academy. He was going to take Yakumo to see Tsunade and begin her first consultation.