After leaving the Hokage Building, Kitazawa made his way alone toward the Forest of Death.
He stood silently beneath the towering trees, activated his Byakugan, and in an instant, everything within his field of vision—trees, insects, even the faint movements of distant animals—became crystal clear.
"The Ōtsutsuki Clan Bloodline really does enhance the Byakugan," he murmured, nodding in satisfaction.
He could clearly sense that his Byakugan's perception and clarity had improved by roughly ten percent. Of course, that was only the secondary benefit.
The true value of this 10% Ōtsutsuki Clan Bloodline was that it had increased his chakra reserves by nearly six full units.
Kitazawa's first reaction was that this was an incredible gain.
Previously, he had completed countless system missions and tasks just to earn six units of chakra. Yet now, a single Limb Regeneration Medical Ninjutsu had brought him the same result—effortless and convenient. The only price he had paid was time.
His second reaction, however, was a mix of satisfaction and contemplation. Six units of chakra were an enormous gain for him—but compared to the vast, godlike power of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, it was still minuscule.
After all, the Ōtsutsuki were beings of near-infinite chakra.
Kitazawa stroked his chin thoughtfully. There was only one conclusion: his Ōtsutsuki Bloodline was far from pure.
Based on his past experience with the Senju Bloodline, he knew that reaching a full 100% purity not only amplified overall chakra but also awakened deeper potential.
Moreover, not all Ōtsutsuki were equal. Those who had consumed the Divine Tree Fruit possessed overwhelming power far beyond the rest.
Undoubtedly, the Ōtsutsuki Bloodline granted by the system belonged to the latter category—those who had not eaten the fruit.
If it were otherwise, even his Sharingan should have evolved further. But it hadn't—only the Byakugan had shown a change.
Still, six additional units of chakra were already a tremendous improvement. The most direct result was that his Senju Chakra Mode could now last for twelve full minutes.
Kitazawa then took out the humanoid puppet Konan had given him. With just a single thought, the puppet began to move, following his will like an extension of his own body.
He couldn't help but marvel. Byakugan: Puppet Manipulation was truly an abnormal ability.
In theory, as long as his eye power was sufficient, he could control an infinite number of puppets—each capable of independent combat.
Once he gave a command, the puppets could act autonomously without requiring further manipulation.
Traditional puppet masters could never achieve this. They had to use chakra threads, and without constant control, the puppets would remain lifeless.
Normally, controlling even ten puppets simultaneously was considered the limit, restricted by the number of fingers and the capacity of the mind.
Only Sasori, after transcending his humanity, had managed to break that limit, controlling over a hundred puppets at once.
In fact, throughout the entire ninja world, only Chiyo and Sasori had ever been capable of manipulating ten puppets at the same time.
And now, Kitazawa could do so effortlessly.
Deactivating his Byakugan, he returned to the Anbu base—but instead of heading to his office, he entered an unoccupied room.
"Konan."
At his call, Konan immediately appeared before him, silent and still. She didn't ask why—she already knew.
Kitazawa unsealed a Summoning Storage Scroll, and in an instant, a large pile of medical experimental equipment materialized before him.
These had all been borrowed from Konoha Hospital. He then took out the medicinal herbs Konan had previously gathered and began to prepare and mix the medicines right in front of her.
Konan quietly watched, saying nothing. She wasn't a medical ninja—she understood only fragments of what he was doing—but comprehension wasn't necessary. What mattered was Kitazawa's calm and steady manner, which alone reassured her.
Her amber eyes reflected his figure. For a moment, her thoughts wandered—once again, she was thinking about money.
The Akatsuki's method of earning money was simple: take missions from the underground black market. With the widespread presence of White Zetsu, their efficiency was unmatched.
However, high-reward missions were few and far between. Jobs worth tens of millions of ryō were rare, often appearing only once in several months.
Worse still, Konan had another problem.
Now that she was officially an Anbu member assigned to guard Kitazawa, she could no longer take on external missions herself.
While Kakuzu and the others could still earn money through bounties, all their profits were directed toward the Akatsuki Organization and the Eye of the Moon Plan.
As an Anbu operative, Konan did receive pay for her assignments, but not much—and nearly all of her missions revolved around protecting Kitazawa.
Before long, noon arrived.
"Alright, that's all for today," Kitazawa said, removing his gloves. "We've used up about one-fifth of the herbs. At this pace, we can finish the rest in three or four more days."
"Thank you," Konan replied coolly.
Kitazawa gave her a brief glance but said nothing further. Locking up the room, he headed toward the Hokage Building.
It was lunchtime. Normally, he would have eaten with Sasuke and the others at the Academy, but since he was at the Anbu base today, he decided to try the Hokage Building's cafeteria instead.
With so many departments and personnel working there, it was only natural that the building had its own dining hall. Kitazawa had never eaten there before, so today seemed like a good opportunity.
Still, he thought with amusement, eating in the cafeteria wasn't exactly exciting. Eating with Tsunade, however, had its own benefits—if nothing else, it was pleasing to the eyes.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door. Kitazawa wasn't Tsunade; he preferred manners to smashing doors open.
"Come in," Tsunade's voice called out.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Tsunade and Shizune were sitting on the sofa, eating lunch. A spread of food was laid neatly on the coffee table before them.
"May I join you?" Kitazawa asked with a faint smile.
"Of course you can," Shizune replied, returning the smile. "But whose side do you want to sit on?"
She and Tsunade were seated opposite each other.
"It doesn't really matter," Kitazawa said, walking over and taking a seat beside Tsunade.
"Why are you eating with us today?" Tsunade asked casually, leaning forward slightly as she picked up a fried shrimp with her chopsticks.
Kitazawa's eyes instinctively followed her movement. Her posture was elegant yet firm—her back straight, her golden hair swaying slightly as the fabric of her clothes shifted with gravity.
Tsunade took a bite of the shrimp, raised an eyebrow, and then, without warning, kicked him lightly under the table.
"No particular reason."
Kitazawa withdrew his gaze and said, "I just suddenly wanted to try the food made in the Hokage Building's cafeteria."
"I feel it's quite a bit worse than what you make," Shizune said considerately.
"Thank you."
Kitazawa placed the takeout food from the cafeteria on the coffee table. He picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of meat.
How to describe it? The taste was alright—not bad, but not exceptionally good either; just passable.
"I've improved the Limb Regeneration Medical Ninjutsu," Kitazawa suddenly thought of something and spoke up.
"Improved what?" Shizune asked curiously. "I think Limb Regeneration is already quite perfect. Did you reduce the side effects?"
"Can it regenerate Bloodline Limit organs?" Tsunade recalled Uchiha Fugaku's earlier request for Kitazawa to improve Limb Regeneration.
"No." Kitazawa shook his head. "What I improved is to allow Limb Regeneration to be used on oneself."
Actually, he was referring to the Medical Forbidden Technique: Body Revival Technique.
"Huh?" Shizune asked, surprised. "What if an arm is severed?"
"It can also regenerate," Kitazawa said with a slight smile.
"Can it be used in combat?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"It can be used," Kitazawa replied with a nod.
"Are you sure?" Tsunade's expression involuntarily tightened, her tone becoming serious.
If it could truly be used in battle, it would double the value of this Medical Ninjutsu—especially in evenly matched fights.
After finally landing a fatal injury, like severing a limb, if the opponent could instantly regenerate it, that would certainly shatter their will to fight.
"Why would I lie to you?"
Kitazawa took out the Body Revival Technique scroll and handed it to her.
Tsunade immediately put down her bowl and chopsticks and began to read it. Shizune stood up and leaned closer.
As a Medical Ninja, she naturally understood the significance of this Ninjutsu.
Meanwhile, Kitazawa continued to eat unhurriedly.
Given the difficulty of the Medical Forbidden Technique: Body Revival, Tsunade was probably the only one in Konoha capable of mastering it.
In truth, he had given it to her with a simple goal—to increase her strength.
She already possessed the Yin Seal, making her incredibly hard to kill. Now, with the Body Revival Technique, she would become nearly immortal in a certain sense.
Of course, strong regeneration alone wasn't enough. One couldn't simply take hits forever.
Tsunade's offensive methods were relatively limited, relying primarily on her monstrous strength.
Kitazawa was already modifying another of Shinno's Medical Forbidden Techniques—Cellular Activation. His goal was to transform it into a Yang Release Chakra Mode, similar to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
If successful, both he and Tsunade could use it. He could also complete a system mission along the way.
However, the modification was difficult and would take time.
"This is... incredible!" Shizune said, dazed after reading it.
This was no longer a simple modification, but the creation of an entirely new Medical Ninjutsu.
Compared to Limb Regeneration, the Body Revival Technique was even more powerful. A body torn into pieces could be reassembled and restored.
"You are the second ninja I've seen with such extraordinary talent for creating Ninjutsu," Tsunade said solemnly, closing the scroll.
The first, naturally, was Senju Tobirama, who had created countless Ninjutsu for Konoha, including many astonishing Forbidden Techniques.
"If Limb Regeneration is an S-rank Medical Ninjutsu, then Body Revival is an S-rank Medical Forbidden Technique," Tsunade mused. "Its difficulty and side effects are both higher."
"But the effect is also better," Shizune said, sitting back down on the sofa. "The most important thing is that it can be used in combat."
When it truly came down to life or death, side effects certainly didn't matter.
"That's true." Tsunade nodded, her gaze fixed on Kitazawa.
Undoubtedly, his talent as a Medical Ninja was exceptional.
Previously, she had thought Kitazawa was, at most, on par with her in Medical Ninjutsu. But now, she had changed her mind.
These two Medical Ninjutsu alone were enough to leave a profound mark on the history of Medical Ninja.
If he created one or two more, surpassing her in strength and reputation would not be impossible.
"Why are you staring at me blankly?" Kitazawa raised his hand and waved it in front of her.
"I'm thinking about what reward to give you," Tsunade said, putting away the scroll.
Although few people could master the Body Revival Technique, its value was undeniable. Such an S-rank Medical Forbidden Technique naturally deserved a corresponding reward.
"Keep it pending for now."
Kitazawa's gaze fell briefly on her rosy lips.
Tsunade immediately glared at him. She turned to look at the dishes on the coffee table, bit her lip, and felt a strange mix of emotions.
Thinking about it carefully, the reason Kitazawa had brought out the Body Revival Technique was most likely because of her, since she was probably the only one capable of learning it.
"Eat." Tsunade quickly regained her composure.
After lunch, Kitazawa found another place to practice the Yin Seal.
Of course, that was what he told Tsunade. In reality, he was practicing the Five Release Great Combo Technique.
Another week passed in the blink of an eye.
This week, Kitazawa had little to do. Besides training, he was refining and concocting medicine.
There were no major events in Konoha Village; only Nara Shikaku and his team's negotiations with the Hidden Mist Village were still ongoing, filled with endless arguments.
But after such long discussions, they were finally nearing the end.
---
Monday.
Kitazawa gave Konan a day off. She took the medicine and returned to the Akatsuki Organization.
Although it was a half-month's supply of medicine, she wouldn't stay long—she planned to return to Konoha Village as soon as she delivered it.
Kitazawa arrived at the Ninja Academy. Two weeks had passed since the last Monthly Exam, and it was time to prepare for the next one.
Of course, he didn't concern himself with theoretical exams. His task was to reorganize the eighteen students participating in the new practical exam.
Because Hiruzen Sarutobi would also be a squad leader this time, Kitazawa made slight adjustments to the team assignments. He and Hiruzen Sarutobi would each lead one team, while Maruboshi Kosuke and Kakashi Hatake remained unchanged, each leading two teams.
The reason was simple—Kitazawa was too busy now.
Aside from managing the Genius Class and the Medical Ninja Training Class, he also had to practice the Five Release Great Combo Technique, modify the Medical Forbidden Technique: Cellular Activation, and study Wood Release, along with other techniques.
Leading two teams would consume both weekends, which he couldn't afford.
Following Hiruzen's suggestion, Kitazawa assigned Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura to him—forming the original Team 7, a balanced and reasonable configuration.
As for Kitazawa himself, he didn't pay much attention to team composition. His provisional team consisted of Yamanaka Ino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Tenten.
The only selection criterion was that he hadn't led these three in the last Monthly Exam. After all, repeatedly leading the same students didn't seem appropriate.
The remaining students were left for Maruboshi Kosuke and Kakashi Hatake to allocate freely.
Kitazawa still hadn't decided what missions to assign. He planned to check the mission hall—perhaps it would trigger some system missions.
Noon.
Kitazawa returned to his office after lunch. Just as he was about to begin researching the Medical Forbidden Technique: Cellular Activation, a knock came at the door.
Nara Shikaku entered.
"The negotiations are over?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. The timing seemed off for Shikaku to visit otherwise.
"They're mostly finished," Shikaku replied, "but the Fifth Mizukage brought up a new request—or rather, a suggestion."
He paused briefly, then continued, "She hopes to hold a Genin exchange meeting between the two villages."
"Genin exchange meeting? Sparring among Genin?" Kitazawa asked thoughtfully.
"Her intention is to select the most outstanding Genin from both villages for sparring," Shikaku nodded. "It doesn't need to be large-scale—about five matches would suffice."
"What's her intention?" Kitazawa asked, though he already had a few guesses.
"I think she wants to clearly see Konoha's future," Shikaku replied.
"If there's a gap in talent, Hidden Mist Village will still have hope of catching up," Kitazawa said with a faint smile. "But if it's impossible, then she'll face reality and ally with Konoha with peace of mind."
Overall, Mei Terumī's idea wasn't bad.
The future of a Ninja Village doesn't lie with its Jonin, but with its Genin—or rather, its unrenowned prodigies.
If a village lacks young talents, no matter how strong it is now, that strength is only temporary.
From Konoha's perspective, though, Hidden Mist seemed unwilling to completely concede and was gambling on its future.
[System Prompt]
[As the future Hokage, when faced with Hidden Mist Village's provocation, you must strike hard.]
[Current Mission: Make Hidden Mist Village lose all five matches.]
[Mission Reward: 10% Byakugan Purity.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
The system mission came suddenly—but at the perfect time. And the reward was quite tempting: a 10% increase in Byakugan purity.
Adding that to his existing 50%, he could reach 60% purity.
However, the mission wouldn't be easy. Kitazawa was confident Konoha could defeat Hidden Mist, but winning all five matches was another matter entirely.
After all, Hidden Mist also had a few promising young talents—Chōjūrō, for example, the future Sixth Mizukage, was a renowned prodigy.
"Konoha Village can accept her request," Kitazawa said after a moment's thought, "but I want to add one condition. Besides Genin, students from the Ninja Academy can also participate."
Shikaku was momentarily taken aback.
Normally, Academy students couldn't match Genin—but there were exceptions, especially among the Genius Class. He had heard his son, Shikamaru, mention Naruto and Sasuke's remarkable performances many times.
"Since it's sparring, there should be a reward," Kitazawa added. "The winner of each match can choose one B-rank Ninjutsu from the opposing village."
He wanted to wager for A-rank or even S-rank Ninjutsu, but he knew the Hidden Mist would never agree. B-rank Ninjutsu was still worthwhile—and it was essentially a free reward.
"Also, have them sign the treaty tomorrow morning. After it's signed, we'll hold the exchange meeting," Kitazawa concluded.
"Understood," Shikaku nodded, then reminded him, "If a treaty is to be signed, Hokage-sama needs to be present."
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. "I'll tell him."
"Then I'll go find the Fifth Mizukage now."
Shikaku left the office and made his way toward the Hidden Mist's temporary residence.
Before long, he met Mei Terumī and Ao.
"Mizukage-sama," Shikaku began, relaying Kitazawa's message.
"Ninja Academy students?" Mei Terumī raised a brow, surprised.
Her first reaction was that Kitazawa was being overly arrogant. What business did students—who hadn't even graduated—have joining such a competition?
But she quickly recalled Kitazawa's profile. He was a Ninja Academy teacher, and it seemed there were many prodigies in Konoha's Academy.
That's good. Mei Terumī quickly agreed.
Her purpose in proposing the exchange was to gauge Konoha's young talents—and to motivate her own.
Pressure breeds growth.
As for the B-rank Ninjutsu wager, while precious, Hidden Mist could afford it. Besides, she didn't believe the Hidden Mist village would lose. At least—not completely.