"Konan, send the other Akatsuki members to Konoha Village." Nagato, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
His voice was low and hoarse, filled with a quiet, restrained hatred.
Nagato had always harbored deep resentment toward Konoha Village.
His parents were killed by two Konoha Jonin during the Second Shinobi World War—he had watched the entire scene unfold with his own eyes. In that moment of unbearable grief, he awakened the Rinnegan and killed them.
And that wasn't all. Yahiko's death, too, had been tied to Konoha.
Danzo and Hanzo had conspired together, setting a deadly trap that destroyed everything Nagato and his friends had built.
Konan was his last remaining light—his most trusted companion. If something happened to her in Konoha, Nagato would never forgive himself.
As for the other Akatsuki members, he couldn't care less.
"I don't trust anyone else," Konan replied calmly, shaking her head.
Nagato's brows furrowed slightly at her words.
"The current Hokage of Konoha is Tsunade," Konan continued. "She's only recently taken office, and she won't do anything that could harm Konoha's reputation."
Nagato fell silent for a moment before nodding.
Tsunade's reputation was known across the ninja world—strong, fair, and resolute. Because she had once been Jiraiya's teammate, he could afford a small measure of trust.
"I'll come find you tomorrow," Konan said, turning to Kitazawa.
"Make it tomorrow afternoon," Kitazawa replied after a brief thought, remembering the Jonin Meeting scheduled for the morning.
"Thank you," Konan said softly.
"It's nothing—just a fair exchange," Kitazawa replied with an indifferent smile.
Nagato and Konan didn't trust him, and likewise, Kitazawa didn't trust the Akatsuki—or more precisely, Uchiha Obito and Zetsu. That was why he had only come here through a Shadow Clone.
"How much money do you want as payment?" Konan asked.
"I'm not short on money," Kitazawa said with a faint grin. "Instead… how about three requests?"
"You first," Konan said cautiously.
She didn't agree immediately, but the fact that he wasn't asking for money was something she preferred. After all, the Akatsuki was severely short on funds at the moment.
"Do you know of Midori Aoi?" Kitazawa asked.
"Midori Aoi?" Konan repeated, thinking for a moment before replying, "The former Konoha rogue ninja who became a Jonin of the Hidden Rain Village?"
"That's right." Kitazawa nodded. "Send him to the Land of Rivers for a mission next Sunday."
Konan's eyes flickered as she understood the hidden meaning behind his words. She glanced briefly at Nagato, then replied, "Alright."
Midori Aoi was a defector from Konoha—someone who had already betrayed one village. If he could betray Konoha, betraying the Hidden Rain would be no issue. More importantly, he had little real value left to the Akatsuki.
"What's the second request?" Konan asked again. The first had been trivial—she knew the real demands usually came later.
"The Akatsuki is a well-known mercenary organization," Kitazawa said, folding his arms in thought. "Have you ever worked with any ninja from the Hidden Sand Village?"
"Yes," Konan replied after a brief pause. "But keeping our clients' identities secret is one of our unbreakable rules."
"I understand." Kitazawa smiled faintly. "All I want is for you to help me contact them. I need a puppet."
Konan's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise. "You're a puppet master as well?"
"No," Kitazawa replied with a small laugh. "I'm simply curious. I want to study puppets."
Konan considered this for a moment, then nodded. It wasn't a difficult request—especially since the Akatsuki counted one of the greatest puppet masters in history among its ranks.
"This puppet must have at least the strength of a Special Jonin," Kitazawa added.
"That won't be a problem," Konan said. With Sasori's skills, creating such a puppet was simple.
"As for the third request…" Kitazawa spread his hands. "I'll tell you once his legs begin the healing process. If I can't cure him, I won't have the right to make demands."
In truth, he hadn't thought of what the third request should be yet.
Konan was momentarily taken aback. Though it seemed a minor thing, that small detail made her trust Kitazawa just a little more. She had met far too many greedy shinobi—men who always asked for more than they deserved.
"Then it's settled. See you tomorrow," Kitazawa said.
The next instant, his Shadow Clone dispersed into a puff of white smoke.
"I don't like Konoha Village," Nagato said quietly, his tone calm but edged with disdain. "You don't need to go there yourself."
"You know the situation with the rest of the Akatsuki," Konan replied as she stepped behind him, her voice steady. "Most of them joined with their own hidden motives."
"In the face of God's power, none of them would dare betray us," Nagato said confidently.
"It concerns your legs, Nagato. There's no harm in being cautious," Konan said, giving his wheelchair a gentle push as they started to move.
Nagato fell silent. He knew Konan well—when she set her mind on something, no one could sway her.
---
Meanwhile, at Konoha's Anbu Headquarters—
The memories of the Shadow Clone flowed back into Kitazawa's mind, leaving him momentarily dazed.
[As a student, one must have the ambition to surpass their teacher—especially in the field of medical ninjutsu.]
[Current Mission: Help Nagato recover his legs.]
[Mission Reward: Improved Version of One's Own Life Reincarnation.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa wasn't surprised that Nagato had triggered a system mission.
But the reward—it caught his attention.
One's Own Life Reincarnation was an S-rank forbidden medical ninjutsu created by Chiyo of the Hidden Sand Village.
It allowed the user to pour all of their chakra into another person, sharing their life force to resurrect the dead—or even grant life to a puppet.
In essence, it was a one-for-one resurrection technique.
As for granting life to puppets, it referred to human puppets—a type of puppet made from living people. In the original history, only Sasori of the Red Sand had mastered that taboo art.
He had even transformed himself into a human puppet. Though technically alive, his entire body had already become a lifeless shell.
The cost of One's Own Life Reincarnation was far too great—Kitazawa would never use it as it was.
But the system's reward was an improved version.
How exactly had it been improved? He wouldn't know until he received it.
Still, an S-rank medical ninjutsu was nothing to scoff at. Kitazawa couldn't help but look forward to it.
"Why hasn't this Limb Regeneration mission been completed yet?"
Kitazawa stroked his chin thoughtfully, a faint crease forming between his brows as confusion flickered in his eyes.
[Current Mission: Modify or create a new Ninjutsu.]
[Mission Reward: Rewards will be distributed based on the Ninjutsu's rank, purpose, and impact.]
By all logic, this system's mission should have been completed the moment Limb Regeneration was successfully modified.
The only plausible explanation was that the system deemed the jutsu's purpose and impact not yet at their full potential.
Kitazawa recalled his Medical Ninja training class. Could it be that the mission would only be marked as complete once another Medical Ninja mastered Limb Regeneration?
That was fine by him. The harder a mission was to complete, the greater the reward it would yield.
He gathered the newly written mission report, rolled up the scroll, and made his way toward the Hokage's Office.
"When did you get back?" Tsunade looked up in slight surprise upon seeing him enter.
"Just now." Kitazawa walked forward and placed the scroll on her desk. "This is the report for the mission."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Does a C-rank mission require my personal review?"
"You'll know once you read it," Kitazawa replied with a faint, knowing smile.
Tsunade unrolled the scroll and began reading. As her eyes scanned the account of the encounter with the Hidden Mist Village Jonin, her expression subtly changed.
This wasn't a simple mission—it had escalated beyond its original rank.
"Ice Release Ninja?" For the first time, Tsunade's calm composure wavered.
A single Hidden Mist Jonin wasn't enough to alarm her. Even if Kitazawa had run into the Mizukage himself, she was confident he could have escaped safely.
But for Kitazawa to bring back an Ice Release user… that was far beyond her expectations.
Bloodline Limits were rare, and every ninja possessing one held power surpassing ordinary elemental users. An Ice Release Ninja would, without question, grow into a Jonin in the future.
One more Jonin meant one more pillar of strength for Konoha. This was undeniably a great boon.
"You did well," Tsunade said at last, closing the scroll.
"Let Yakushi Nono-senpai take care of him for now," Kitazawa replied after a brief pause. "As for his Ice Release, I'll speak with him tomorrow and help him develop it."
He had already established his reputation as a creative and unorthodox ninja. Developing Ice Release was no great challenge.
After all, the concept of Ice Release was well-documented in the records of the Shinobi World. He simply needed to teach the boy, Haku, the proper way to shape and control it.
Even Zabuza Momochi, who lacked Ice Release himself, had trained Haku into a formidable user of it.
Tsunade smiled faintly. "You've already made all the arrangements. There's nothing left for me to add."
Kitazawa grinned. "Because I know you value efficiency."
Her expression darkened instantly. "Why does that sound a little off? Are you implying I'm lazy?"
"How could I possibly say that?" Kitazawa coughed lightly, taking a step back. "Anyway, I'll be off. See you this afternoon."
"So disrespectful!" Tsunade pouted, but the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
Kitazawa returned to Kurenai's home. After mastering Wind Release: Rasengan, she had begun working on a new Compound Ninjutsu — the Hurricane Water Vortex Technique.
Once they both became proficient, they planned to experiment with a combination technique that would merge their chakra natures seamlessly.
"I'm back!" Kitazawa called as he entered the living room.
"Do you want to rest?" Kurenai asked, glancing up from her notes.
"I'm going to take a nap." Kitazawa leaned closer, pinching her cheek playfully. "Want to join me?"
"No," Kurenai replied quickly, though her voice wavered slightly. "I still have to study Ninjutsu this afternoon."
Kitazawa chuckled. "Look at you, always pretending to be so serious. Thinking improper things again?"
"Shut up!" Her face flushed a bright crimson, and she kicked at him with her soft, fair foot.
"Call me when lunch is ready," Kitazawa said with a teasing glance at her bare feet before retreating into the bedroom.
---
Time flowed quietly.
The next morning, Tuesday.
Kitazawa arrived at the Ninja Academy after breakfast. There was a Jonin Meeting at nine o'clock, the first one since Tsunade officially assumed the title of Hokage.
It would likely be a long one, so he needed to make arrangements for both the Genius Class and the Medical Ninja Training Class beforehand.
On the Academy's training ground, the Genius Class students were gathered together, chatting animatedly.
"You'll never guess what we experienced last weekend!" Ino said proudly, crossing her arms with a smug grin.
She, Choji, and Shikamaru had gone on a mission under Kakashi.
"What? What?" Naruto leaned forward eagerly. "Did you guys run into enemy ninjas?"
"No," Ino said with a smile. "We went to the Land of Iron—and met real samurai!"
"There are still samurai around?" Tenten asked in disbelief. "I thought traditional samurai were long gone—replaced by ninja."
"Traditional samurai are indeed extinct," Shikamaru replied lazily, stifling a yawn. "The ones in the Land of Iron use chakra. In my opinion, they're basically Taijutsu ninja with swords."
In the world of shinobi, blades and chakra went hand in hand. Anyone who wielded a sword in battle was, in essence, a Taijutsu-type ninja.
"Taijutsu ninja?" Rock Lee's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I hope I get sent on a mission to the Land of Iron next weekend, too!"
"That place is filled with sword-wielding chakra users," Shikamaru said dryly, giving him a side glance. "It suits Sasuke more than it suits you."
"The potato chips in the Land of Iron weren't very good…" Choji muttered gloomily.
"Sakura, where did you go for your mission?" Ino turned toward her friend, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"Just in the Land of Fire," Sakura replied with a helpless sigh. "It was an escort mission. Nothing happened for two days straight—it was so boring."
Tenten nodded in agreement. "Same here. Totally uneventful."
Yakumo, who had been quietly listening, also nodded. She had imagined her very first mission as a ninja to be thrilling—full of excitement and danger—but reality had been far more mundane.
"Looks like we should avoid escort missions next weekend," Naruto said immediately, frowning.
"What missions we take isn't up to us," Kiba reminded him, throwing an arm over Naruto's shoulder. "It's up to the squad leader. Anyway, Sis, how about your team? With Kitazawa-sensei leading, it must've been tough."
"It was quite difficult," Inuzuka Hana said, recounting their encounter.
"You actually fought three Chunin from the Hidden Mist Village?!" Naruto's eyes went wide in disbelief.
Sasuke and Neji exchanged looks of surprise as well. Beneath their calm exteriors, a hint of envy flashed in their eyes.
They, too, wanted to face enemy ninjas in real combat. Only then could they truly prove their worth—and raise their team's ranking.
"That sounds dangerous," Shikamaru muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Good thing our squad leader isn't Kitazawa-sensei."
"This is youth!" Naruto shouted passionately, his teeth gleaming. "As a ninja, how can you avoid danger?"
"But didn't the Hidden Mist Village just lose a war? Why would they still attack you?" Karin asked, puzzled.
"They probably underestimated us because we were young," Shino replied calmly, pushing up his sunglasses.
"Or perhaps they were tempted by the Byakugan," Shikamaru said with a knowing glance toward Hinata.
"The ninjas from the Hidden Mist are naturally brutal," Neji added, shaking his head. "Have you heard of Zabuza Momochi? He killed all of his classmates during graduation."
"What?!" Naruto clenched his fists, his face darkening in anger. "How could he do something like that? Killing your own classmates—that's insane!"
He couldn't even imagine fighting against Sasuke or Neji, much less killing them. The thought itself was unbearable.
"That's how the 'Bloody Mist Village' earned its name," Shikamaru said with a weary sigh. "Compared to that, Konoha really is a paradise."
"Indeed," everyone murmured in agreement.
They had grown up in Konoha all their lives, so they had taken its peace and warmth for granted. But when they compared it to the madness of the Hidden Mist Village, they suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for their home.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto spotted Kitazawa approaching from a distance and waved excitedly.
But before he could even move, someone darted ahead of him—Hinata.
"G-Good morning," she stammered, cheeks flushed.
"Good morning," Kitazawa said with a gentle smile, reaching out to lightly pinch her cheek.
Hinata quickly lowered her head, her face turning crimson.
"Kitazawa-sensei! What mission are we doing next weekend?" Naruto asked eagerly, bouncing on his heels.
"You'll find out soon enough," Kitazawa replied with a faint smile. "But don't worry—it won't disappoint you."
"It's gotta be a combat mission!" Naruto said confidently, giving a thumbs-up. "I'll give it my all—for the sake of youth!"
Kitazawa couldn't help but chuckle. This kid had clearly been brainwashed by Might Guy's enthusiasm for battle.
"Just stay behind me," Sasuke said suddenly, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.
Kitazawa smirked inwardly. Another one eager to steal the spotlight.
Midori Aoi might not have been the strongest Jonin, but his experience far surpassed Sasuke's. When the time came, the boy would be in for quite the surprise.
Stealing the spotlight? They would need perfect teamwork just to take him down.
"Alright, everyone, back to training," Kitazawa ordered after noticing Kosuke and Kakashi approaching.
"Kitazawa," Kosuke began, stepping forward. "I think we should adjust Yakumo's training regimen."
"Oh?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. "To what?"
Since mastering Konoha-Style Taijutsu, Yakumo had been learning the Konoha Great Whirlwind.
"She's more suited for Konoha-Style Swordsmanship," Kosuke said firmly.
He had taken Yakumo, Tenten, and Sakura on a mission last weekend. Though they hadn't faced combat, he'd taken the time to spar with them beforehand to assess their abilities.
Yakumo's physical strength was limited due to her Genjutsu-based bloodline, and the Whirlwind techniques required exceptional physical prowess to unleash their full potential.
"I see," Kitazawa said thoughtfully after a moment, then nodded. "Alright, make the change."
With so many students in the Genius Class, it was normal for a few mismatched training plans to appear now and then. He didn't dwell on it.
"Kosuke-senpai, the Genius Class is in your hands this morning," Kitazawa added. "Kakashi and I have to attend the Jonin Meeting."
"No problem," Maruboshi Kosuke replied with a nod.
Leaving behind two Shadow Clones to oversee the students, Kitazawa headed to the Hokage Building with Kakashi.
By the time they arrived, the meeting room was already packed with Jonin.
"Kakashi! Kitazawa!" Might Guy waved energetically from across the room. Beside him were Asuma Sarutobi, Yakushi Nonou, and Yakushi Kabuto.
"I'll go ahead," Kakashi said softly, knowing full well that with Kitazawa's current standing, he'd be sitting among the village's higher-ranking elites.
Kitazawa nodded and walked toward the front row.
"Kitazawa, sit here." Both Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi spoke up simultaneously, gesturing to the seats beside them.
The two clan heads exchanged sharp glances afterward, each sensing the other's unspoken competitive spirit.
Nara Shikaku, Shibi Aburame, and several others observed quietly, exchanging subtle looks.
It was rare—almost unheard of—for someone in Konoha to maintain good relations with both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans at once.
In the end, Kitazawa chose to sit beside Shizune.
"You're really popular these days," Shizune whispered with a faint sigh.
Kitazawa grinned. "What can I say? The trouble of being too handsome."
"…You're impossible," Shizune muttered, rolling her eyes.
Though she couldn't deny it, Kitazawa truly had become a central figure in Konoha, admired by many and supported by the most influential clans.
Both Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi weren't seeking his friendship for this reason; they were betting on his potential.
And perhaps… they were already seeing Kitazawa as Konoha's future Sixth Hokage.