"It seems like being a teacher isn't so bad after all."
Kurenai couldn't help but chuckle softly as she looked at the contrasting expressions of Naruto and Sasuke.
"Alright then," Kitazawa clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Who wants to answer what a ninja should do when setting up camp in the wild?"
"I'll answer!" Naruto raised his hand high and shouted before anyone else could react.
Sasuke and Neji also lifted their hands silently, both wearing calm expressions.
"Hmm… Naruto, you go first," Kitazawa decided after a moment's thought.
"First, find a safe place," Naruto began quickly, speaking with confidence. "Then set up the tent, and put traps all around!"
It was clear he still remembered what had been taught at the Ninja Academy—at least, the parts that had stuck with him.
When he finished, Naruto looked at Kitazawa expectantly, hoping for praise or perhaps even a few points.
"You didn't say everything," Sasuke interjected coolly. "You can't light a fire in the wild—it'll attract attention. And you need to take turns standing watch at night."
"Oh! I forgot about that, oops!" Naruto scratched his head, his eyes widening in realization.
In theory, his progress had improved greatly compared to his counterpart in the original story—largely thanks to Kitazawa's guidance—but even so, he still couldn't quite match a perfectionist like Sasuke.
Of course, what he cared about most right now wasn't accuracy—it was whether he'd still earn points.
"One point for each of you," Kitazawa said with an encouraging smile. "Neji, you'll handle the traps. Sasuke and Naruto, you're responsible for setting up the two tents."
"Thank you, Mr. Kitazawa!" Naruto said, instantly reinvigorated. He grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled him toward an open patch of ground.
"Do you even know how to set up a tent?" Sasuke asked, looking at him doubtfully.
"Of course I do!" Naruto replied proudly, giving a big thumbs-up. "I paid attention in class! Just watch me!"
Sasuke folded his arms and observed him silently. But within moments, he couldn't hold back a sigh.
Because somehow, Naruto had managed to tie himself up with the ropes while setting up the tent.
"Didn't you just say you knew how to do it?" Sasuke said dryly as he bent down to untangle him.
"Accidents! Just accidents," Naruto insisted sheepishly, scratching his head. "I followed everything exactly like in the lesson… so why did this happen?"
"Theory is theory. Practice is practice," Sasuke said curtly, brushing his hands off. "Move aside."
Naruto obediently stood back, watching as Sasuke efficiently erected the tent in under a minute.
"Whoa…" Naruto's eyes widened in admiration.
"Well?" Sasuke asked with a faint smirk.
"You really are worthy of being my lifelong rival!" Naruto said with a grin that showed all his teeth. "But youth doesn't admit defeat! After dinner, I'll practice setting up thirty more tents!"
"Have you already forgotten what Kitazawa-sensei said?" Sasuke replied flatly. "You're about to lose points again."
"Oh—right!" Naruto said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Then… we'll practice after the mission!"
"Kurenai, go check on Neji's traps," Kitazawa said, shifting his attention away from the two boys.
"Alright," Kurenai replied, nodding lightly before walking toward Neji's position.
Kitazawa took out a summoning storage scroll, unsealing a set of lunch boxes he had prepared earlier. He extended his hand, releasing a controlled surge of Fire Chakra that created an invisible wave of heat.
Within moments, the lunch boxes were perfectly warmed.
"Come and eat," he said, spreading a picnic blanket on the ground.
"Thank you, Mr. Kitazawa!" Naruto called, grabbing his portion eagerly.
"The traps Neji set up are flawless," Kurenai said as she returned and sat beside Kitazawa, smiling. "Not a single problem."
Kitazawa nodded calmly—he wasn't surprised.
Neji was the type of student who excelled in everything. Like Sasuke, he mastered any subject taught in class with ease.
Naruto, on the other hand, had a clear bias in his abilities. His combat instincts were unmatched, but his theoretical understanding was… average at best.
"After dinner," Kitazawa said after a pause, "you should refine your chakra to restore your stamina. You can also take the time to review what you've learned recently. But—" his tone sharpened slightly, "you are not allowed to use chakra."
"Yes, Mr. Kitazawa," Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji responded in unison.
"In the wild, anything can happen," Kitazawa continued. "Ambushes, traps, enemy sneak attacks. That's why you must conserve chakra whenever you're on a mission."
All three nodded seriously, committing the lesson to heart.
After dinner, they did as instructed—restoring their energy and balancing their chakra flow. Half the day had been spent traveling, and exhaustion was beginning to set in.
Naruto sat cross-legged on the blanket, eyes closed, focusing on his chakra flow.
Suddenly, his body trembled slightly. When he opened his eyes again, the scene around him had changed.
He was no longer in the forest camp. Instead, he stood within a vast, dimly lit chamber—the sealed space of the Nine-Tails.
"Hey, big fox! Good evening!" Naruto called out cheerfully as he approached the enormous iron gate.
"Why are you shouting so loudly?" the Nine-Tails grumbled, not even lifting its head. "You're disturbing my sleep."
At first, the Nine-Tails often threatened Naruto from time to time, baring its fangs and exuding its immense killing intent to intimidate him.
However, as days passed, it gradually realized that all of this was completely meaningless. Naruto never showed even the slightest trace of fear—no matter how menacing its voice, no matter how dark its chakra flared.
Eventually, the Nine-Tails grew tired of wasting effort on such a futile endeavor.
The truth was, Naruto's fearlessness made it feel oddly… unfulfilled.
"Hey, big fox! We left Konoha Village today!"
Naruto said cheerfully, recounting the day's adventures with great enthusiasm, his voice echoing in the vast, damp chamber of the seal.
Kurama had long grown accustomed to the boy's endless chatter. It didn't bother to respond, lazily closing its eyes, its massive body half-submerged in the dim orange glow of its chakra.
It drifted somewhere between wakefulness and sleep—until a certain name broke through its drowsiness.
"...Uchiha Madara?" Kurama's eyes snapped open, sharp red irises gleaming through the shadows.
"What did you just say?" it asked, voice low and sharp.
"Do you wanna hear the unofficial history of Uchiha Madara?" Naruto blinked and grinned. "If you wanna listen, I'll go find—"
"Listen!" The Nine-Tails cut him off instinctively, its deep voice rumbling through the space.
"Big fox, I have a request," Naruto said suddenly, scratching his cheek.
"Hmph," Kurama snorted, curling its tails around itself. "You humans are all the same."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Don't you just want my chakra?" Its voice carried a trace of disappointment.
For a fleeting moment, Kurama had thought this brat might be different—unlike the previous two jinchūriki who had tried to suppress and exploit it. But in the end, perhaps he was no different.
"Why would I want your chakra?" Naruto replied honestly, blinking in confusion. "I just wanna know your name! It feels rude to keep calling you 'big fox.'"
"..." Kurama froze, utterly taken aback.
"You don't have a name?" Naruto tilted his head, eyes bright with curiosity. "Then I can help you choose one!"
"Of course I have a name," Kurama finally said, regaining its composure. "My name is Kurama."
"Oh! My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"
Kurama gave a small grunt. "I knew that before you were even born. You don't need to tell me."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Then you must've heard what my mom said before, right? Can you tell me about her?"
He had heard countless stories about the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, from the Third Hokage—but very little about Uzumaki Kushina.
Kurama's grin showed a row of sharp teeth. "I'll tell you when I'm in a better mood."
In truth, just the thought of that fiery red-haired woman made it grind its fangs. That violent girl had sealed it again and again—it was hard to feel charitable toward her memory.
"Then, when will your mood get better?" Naruto asked eagerly.
Kurama gave a deep rumble of amusement. "Maybe I'll feel better after hearing the unofficial history of Uchiha Madara."
"Okay! Wait here, I'll go find Mr. Kitazawa right now!" Naruto's figure faded as he exited the sealed space.
The moment he disappeared, Kurama sat up fully, its nine tails swaying behind it.
To hear the unofficial history of Uchiha Madara—it wouldn't dare miss that for anything.
"Teacher Kitazawa!" Naruto shouted excitedly as he returned to the camp. "We wanna hear the unofficial history of Uchiha Madara!"
Sasuke, who had been quietly sitting nearby, subconsciously looked up.
His interest piqued for a moment—but then he remembered the "unofficial history" Kitazawa had told him once before. His expression stiffened immediately.
He recalled, with dreadful clarity, Kitazawa's tale about Uchiha Madara wearing skirts as a child and competing with Senju Hashirama to see who could urinate farther.
Suddenly, Sasuke wasn't so eager to listen.
"The unofficial history of Uchiha Madara?" Neji blinked in mild surprise.
He had never heard Kitazawa tell that story before, but he knew enough about Madara—one of the most formidable shinobi in Uchiha history, both friend and enemy to the First Hokage.
They had founded Konoha together, only to part ways over irreconcilable ideals. Their final battle at the Valley of the End had become legend.
Neji's curiosity stirred. What unofficial history could there be about such a man?
"What unofficial history?" Kurenai asked lightly, unaware of the chaos about to unfold. To her, it just sounded like another harmless after-dinner story.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
Naruto's "we" clearly included the Nine-Tails sealed within him. After all, Kitazawa had once told him to ask the beast directly if it wanted to hear Madara's story.
"You all know about the Valley of the End, right?" Kitazawa began.
Kurenai, Sasuke, and the others nodded in unison.
"Then," he continued with a mysterious smile, "do you know the real cause of the battle at the Valley of the End?"
"Wasn't it because the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara had different ideals?" Kurenai asked uncertainly.
"Not entirely," Kitazawa said solemnly—though it was complete nonsense.
"The truth is, Uchiha Madara turned from love to hate after hearing that the First Hokage was getting married."
"...Huh?" Kurenai's eyes widened in disbelief.
"The First Hokage getting married made Uchiha Madara turn from love to hate?" Naruto repeated, his face full of confusion.
Even Sasuke nodded in agreement.
"Damn it!" Kurama, deep within the sealed space, roared in fury.
Damn that Uchiha Madara!
Why did he have to drag me into his mess of love and hatred? Am I just some pawn caught between the two of you?
"Because Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage had a very good relationship," Kitazawa replied calmly, "they could even be called best friends."
"Since they were such good friends," Naruto asked curiously, "shouldn't he have given his blessings when the First Hokage got married?"
"Maybe Uchiha Madara felt that once the First Hokage got married, he wouldn't have time to accompany him anymore."
Kitazawa coughed lightly and added with a straight face.
"Sasuke, if you ever get married, I promise I won't fight you," Naruto declared seriously.
"…" Sasuke hesitated, unsure how to respond.
You actually believe this kind of unofficial history? Still, since it was Kitazawa speaking, he could only stay silent in the end.
"I can't help but feel you're making this up," Kurenai rolled her eyes and muttered.
"This is just unofficial history," Kitazawa said with a grin. "Whether it's true or not, who knows? Just take it as a story."
"Teacher Kitazawa, are there any other unofficial stories?" Naruto asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Then I'll tell you another one," Kitazawa said, thinking for a moment. "This one is also related to the Valley of the End."
"What could there be to say about that place?"
Although Kurenai felt Kitazawa was spouting nonsense, she couldn't help leaning in a little, intrigued despite herself.
"The Valley of the End," Kitazawa continued with a small chuckle, "was formed after the great battle between the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara."
He tilted his head slightly and asked with a knowing smile, "Would you like to know the details of their battle?"
"Yes!" Naruto immediately shouted, his enthusiasm overflowing.
Even Sasuke and Neji found themselves nodding subconsciously.
After all, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were once the two strongest shinobi in the entire world—their battle must have been truly legendary.
"I don't think you should get too excited," Kurenai warned gently, noting their eager expressions. "This is unofficial history, remember?"
"But even if it's unofficial," Naruto said with conviction, "the First Hokage still won in the end!"
"That's true," Kitazawa said with a sly blink. "But what I'm talking about… is Uchiha Madara."
"What about him?" Sasuke felt a twinge of unease creeping into his chest.
"In fact," Kitazawa said, suppressing a laugh, "Uchiha Madara was completely defeated by the First Hokage—until he summoned the Nine-Tails."
He continued dramatically, "And it was the Nine-Tails who charged in and out of the Valley of the End seven times!"
"The Nine-Tails is that strong?!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide.
"The Nine-Tails participated in that battle, too?" Kurenai was stunned.
She knew of the tailed beasts, of course, but she hadn't realized Uchiha Madara had summoned the Nine-Tails to fight against the First Hokage.
"The Nine-Tails… the most powerful tailed beast of legend?" Neji murmured thoughtfully. "To enter and exit the Valley of the End seven times—it truly must be a terrifying power."
Inside the sealed space, Kurama froze. Me? I went in and out of the Valley of the End seven times?
Was that really supposed to be me? But the more he thought about it, the more the corners of his mouth began to twitch upward.
Yes… yes, that's how it should be! That's the image of the mightiest tailed beast—the true Nine-Tails!
Kurama couldn't help but laugh proudly to himself, feeling immensely satisfied.
"There's something wrong with your story," Kurenai suddenly interjected, frowning. "If the Nine-Tails was so powerful, then why did he and Uchiha Madara still lose?"
"Ah," Kitazawa said, nodding seriously, "it was trying to save Uchiha Madara when it was accidentally caught by the First Hokage's Wood Release."
"Was that really an accident?" Kurenai narrowed her beautiful eyes suspiciously at him.
Kitazawa clapped his hands and said briskly, "Alright, that's enough unofficial history for tonight. It's getting late—you should all get some rest."
He looked around and added, "Kurenai and I will take the first watch. You three handle the second half of the night."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei," Naruto said reluctantly, still thinking about the story.
Sasuke wanted to complain, but there were too many holes in that tale for him to even begin.
Never mind… It's unofficial history anyway.
Hyuga Neji, however, felt that he had just broadened his horizons tonight.
The three of them stood up and entered the tent on the left.
As for the tent on the right, it was reserved for Kurenai and Kitazawa.
"Aren't you afraid of misleading your students by talking nonsense like this?" Kurenai asked with a teasing smile.
"It's just an unofficial story for fun. They won't take it seriously," Kitazawa replied indifferently.
"While we still have some time, let's practice our compound ninjutsu—Hurricane Vortex Jutsu," Kurenai suggested as she stood up.
She had already mastered Wind Release: Rasengan, and now wanted to form a combination technique with Kitazawa's Water Release: Tearing Torrent. It would be a powerful move to use in the future when facing strong enemies.
"Alright," Kitazawa nodded. "I'll let the shadow clones watch over them. We'll go practice somewhere else."
The compound ninjutsu, Hurricane Vortex Jutsu, made quite a commotion—enough to disturb Sasuke and the others' sleep.
Kitazawa formed hand seals and created three shadow clones. Two were left to keep watch, while the third was sent to search for Aoi Rokusho.
Konan had only told him that Aoi Rokusho was on a mission in the Land of Rivers, but she hadn't specified the exact location.
Not that it mattered much—Aoi Rokusho wouldn't be waiting in the same place for two or three days anyway.
That night passed without incident.
---
The next morning arrived quickly.
Despite standing guard for half the night, Sasuke and the others seemed in good spirits.
"Today will be a tough battle," Kitazawa said, his gaze sharp. "Since this is your practical test, Kurenai and I will not interfere—unless absolutely necessary."
Sasuke and his teammates were taken aback. That meant they would have to face a Jonin head-on.
For Genin like them, it was undoubtedly the greatest challenge of their lives—though their lives had only just begun, barely seven or eight years long.
"This is the intel on Aoi Rokusho," Kitazawa said as he handed them a scroll. "Go through it carefully and discuss your strategy. Without teamwork, defeating him will be nearly impossible."
"Yes, Teacher Kitazawa," Neji said, taking the scroll without hesitation.
Being older than Naruto and Sasuke, he temporarily assumed the role of captain. Of course, the title didn't give him much authority—it simply meant he reminded his teammates more often.
"Let me see!" Naruto leaned in.
"Let's look together," Neji replied, unrolling the scroll.
The information on Aoi was detailed because it had been written by Kitazawa himself, based on his understanding of the man's background.
"How did he get the Sword of the Thunder God of the Second Hokage?" Neji asked, surprised.
"That's the reason for his defection," Kitazawa explained. "The Sword of the Thunder God is also the target of our mission this time."
"Do you have any antidote with you?" Sasuke asked after noticing that Aoi Rokusho uses poison with a Senbon and an umbrella-based weapon.
"I brought some," Neji replied.
"Let me check what you brought," Kitazawa said.
Neji immediately handed him two small medicine bottles.
In the original work, Aoi had poisoned both Naruto and Sasuke with his Senbon. Fortunately, Sakura had the antidote prepared by Tsunade and managed to detoxify them in time.
"Not bad," Kitazawa said after inspecting the bottles. "These should neutralize most common poisons."
As expected of someone from the Hyuga clan, the antidotes he'd purchased were of high quality, though still not as refined as the ones Kitazawa and Tsunade prepared.
After reviewing the information, Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji huddled together to strategize.
Although Aoi held the rank of Jonin, his actual combat ability was fairly average.
Aside from his poisons, Senbon, and umbrella, his strength mainly relied on the Sword of the Thunder God.
How to put it? If he were still in Konoha, he probably wouldn't even pass the Jonin examination, maybe a Special Jonin at most.
But in a smaller village like the Hidden Rain, the standards for Jonin weren't nearly as strict.
"We've finished discussing our plan, Mr. Kitazawa," Neji reported about ten minutes later.
"Good. Let's move out," Kitazawa said, taking the lead.
He already knew Aoi Rokusho's exact location—his shadow clone had found it during the night.