Time came to the next day.
After breakfast, Kitazawa dismissed the Wood Release: Four Pillar House. In an instant, the wooden residence disappeared without a trace.
Tenten and the others were once again amazed. This Ninjutsu was simply too useful.
"Next, we will enter the Land of Wind, and we may encounter Sunagakure Ninja at any time in the Land of Wind." Kitazawa instructed, "Neji and Hinata, you two are responsible for sensing."
"Yes, Teacher Kitazawa." Neji and Hinata said in unison.
"I'll help too!" Tenten formed hand signs and summoned her Ninken, Gekkou.
With two Byakugan and a Ninken, it was virtually impossible for any enemy to approach them silently.
The group left the Land of Fire and headed towards Takumi Village.
At first, there was still a lot of vegetation on the ground, but three hours later, they entered a desert. As the temperature rose, so did the blowing sand.
"Stay behind me." Kitazawa walked at the very front.
As Chakra surged out, all the wind and sand were blocked by him.
Normally, a Ninja walking in the desert wouldn't waste Chakra like him. But he had a lot of Chakra, so he could do as he pleased.
"Teacher Kitazawa is really too good!" Tenten couldn't help but exclaim when she saw this.
The other three nodded in agreement. Perhaps they were lucky; they didn't encounter any Sunagakure Ninja along the way.
By the evening of the second day, they arrived at Takumi Village.
"Lord Kitazawa." Uchiha Itachi suddenly appeared before them.
"How is the situation?" Kitazawa nodded and asked.
"Everything is normal." Itachi replied, "The Four Celestial Symbols Men haven't noticed that we've discovered their shoddy work."
"Rest for a night, and we'll meet them tomorrow." Kitazawa glanced at Hinata and the others and said.
They had been traveling for two days, especially spending most of that time in the desert, so they were already very tired.
"Please follow me." Itachi raised his hand and said, "We have already prepared accommodation."
After he finished speaking, he led the way. Soon, they arrived at a courtyard.
Kitazawa looked around. This courtyard belonged to Takumi Village, but it was very secluded, far from the central area.
It offered both lodging and privacy, without worrying about being disturbed. It was truly not easy for Itachi to find this place.
"Tomorrow at nine in the morning, go invite the Four Celestial Symbols Men over," Kitazawa said after a moment of thought.
The area near the courtyard was devoid of people and buildings, making it ideal for combat.
"Yes, Lord Kitazawa." Itachi immediately responded.
"You four get ready." Kitazawa looked at Hinata and the others, smiling as he said, "If we don't reach an agreement, there will be a battle."
The night passed without incident.
---
Takumi Village Leader's Building.
Itachi walked in openly.
"Who are you?" The nearby Ninja discovered him and quickly surrounded him.
"I am an Anbu from Konoha Village." Itachi said calmly, "Lord Kitazawa has arrived and wishes to invite your leader for a discussion about Ninja tools."
"Kitazawa?" Everyone immediately stirred.
Takumi Village was not a closed-off, small Ninja village; they sold Ninja tools to the Five Great Villages year-round, so they were well aware of major events in the Ninja World.
And Kitazawa was already well-known in the Ninja World, so they naturally had heard his name.
"Please wait a moment." A middle-aged man said before turning and going upstairs.
He quickly arrived at the office of Takumi Village's leader, also known as the Four Celestial Symbols Men.
The Four Celestial Symbols Men consisted of two men and two women.
The two women were Kujaku and Ryūgan, who used the Weaknessless Soaring Shortsword and the Garian Sword, respectively.
The two men were Suiko and Hōki, who used the Infinite Armour and the Fire Sword, respectively.
"What did you say?" Kujaku's face changed drastically as she asked.
"Is it that Kitazawa? The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade's student."
Hōki couldn't help but frown.
"Besides this Kitazawa, is there any other Kitazawa in Konoha Village?" Suiko's face showed worry as he asked, "The Ninja tools aren't ready yet, and Kitazawa suddenly shows up. Could it be...?"
He didn't finish, but the other three understood his meaning.
"Not necessarily." Ryūgan shook her head and said, "We don't need to scare ourselves."
"That's true." Kujaku calmed down and said, "From beginning to end, we've maintained strict secrecy. Konoha Village shouldn't have found out."
"Even if they did, what then?" Ryūgan said fearlessly, "At worst, we'll return those materials to Konoha!"
"Exactly, Konoha Village wouldn't dare to lay a hand on us, because they can't do without our Ninja tools." Hōki nodded and said, "There's no need to be afraid of them because of this."
"It's a pity the time isn't ripe enough."
Ryūgan snorted, "If we brought out our Takumi Village's ultimate Ninja tools, how could Konoha Village even be in our eyes?"
"Let's go, we'll meet him." Kujaku took a deep breath and said.
The four left the office, chatted briefly with Itachi, and then left together.
A moment later, they saw Kitazawa.
"Lord Kitazawa." Kujaku stepped forward, smiling as she said, "Welcome."
"How are my four bows coming along?" Kitazawa asked casually.
"Two bows have already been crafted, and all of them will be completed in half a month at most," Kujaku replied.
"May I see the finished bows?" Kitazawa asked again upon hearing this.
"Of course." Kujaku said confidently, "I believe Lord Kitazawa will be very satisfied."
She thought that with their technology, Kitazawa would absolutely not discover any shoddy workmanship in the bows they crafted.
Kujaku opened her summoning storage scroll and took out two bows. These two bows were entirely gray-black, emanating a faint, cold aura.
Kitazawa took them and found them not as heavy as he had imagined. He examined them, and from the outside, he couldn't find any flaws.
Kitazawa's mind stirred, and Chakra surged from his palm. And when Chakra was infused into the bow, he discovered the problem.
When he had previously infused Chakra into the Box of Ultimate Bliss, the Chakra's transmission speed was incredibly fast.
But now it was different; the speed was much slower, especially with slight obstructions appearing at both ends of the bow.
These obstructions were undoubtedly impurities or other materials.
"Why were other materials added to the bow?" Kitazawa looked at Kujaku and asked slowly.
"Is Lord Kitazawa mistaken? We did not add any other materials." Kujaku's heart skipped a beat, but she still said without changing her expression.
"Is that so?" Kitazawa casually tossed a document to her.
Kujaku immediately felt a bad premonition. She opened the document, glanced at it, and her face froze.
All their actions had been recorded.
"Lord Kitazawa." Kujaku closed the document and said, "We can make compensation."
Ryūgan and Hōki's expressions changed, but they did not speak to stop her. Since things had come to this, arguing was meaningless; they could only admit defeat.
"How about this?" Kitazawa raised his hand and said, "These are four students from our Ninja Academy, currently in their third year."
Kujaku and the others looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
"And you also happen to be four." Kitazawa said with a smile, "How about you have a spar? If you win, I'll let bygones be bygones."
"You are insulting us!" Kujaku's face immediately darkened upon hearing this.
"Although your Konoha Village is one of the Five Great Villages, our Takumi Village is not to be trifled with!" Ryūgan said coldly.
"Arrogant!" Suiko said angrily, clearly displeased, "I alone can defeat your four students!"
Although Hōki didn't speak, his expression was also quite grim.
"I never joke." Kitazawa took a step back and said, "Start now."
"Since you insist on sending your students to their deaths, don't blame us for being impolite!" Seeing this, Kujaku unhesitatingly pulled out her Weaknessless Soaring Shortsword.
With a swing of her swords, countless wind blades attacked Neji and the others.
Ryūgan, Suiko, and Hōki stood still and did not make a move, as they believed Kujaku alone could handle it.
After all, Neji and the others looked to be only eight or nine years old. As a Jonin, Kujaku would naturally have an easy time taking them down.
Yakumo directly threw out a painting.
The painting was torn apart by the wind blades, Chakra splattered everywhere, and it immediately transformed into a water wall.
"What is this?" Kujaku couldn't help but be startled.
Terrifying Illusion! Yakumo didn't give her any chance to react and directly pulled her into the illusion.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!
Hinata and Neji simultaneously formed hand signs. Two invisible shockwaves collided with Kujaku.
Blood splattered.
Kujaku broke free from the Genjutsu due to the intense pain. By the time she recovered, she was already sent flying backward.
"Kujaku!" Ryūgan quickly chased after her and caught her.
"How is this possible?" Suiko's eyes widened.
"Kujaku was defeated just like that?" Hōki's expression changed drastically; for a moment, he thought he was caught in a Genjutsu.
The four of them were evenly matched in strength, which meant that anyone who went up would be instantly defeated.
Is this really a Ninja Academy student? How far has Konoha Village developed?
"Watch out!" Seeing Yakumo throw another scroll, Suiko quickly went to meet it.
He took out his Flail and struck the scroll. In an instant, lightning flashed and quickly flew towards him.
Suiko immediately spread his arms. His armor suddenly vibrated, absorbing all the lightning.
"I'm coming!" Tenten immediately opened a summoning storage scroll.
A dense barrage of Ninja tools, like a torrential downpour, covered Suiko.
Seeing this, Suiko quickly retreated. His Infinite Armour could only absorb Chakra, not Ninja tools.
"Get out of the way!" Ryūgan arrived in time.
Her Garian Sword seemed to come alive, transforming into three blue-and-white dragons. The three dragons intertwined, knocking down all the Ninja tools.
Hōki formed hand seals. Two green beams of light, like sharp blades, attacked Tenten.
Neji instantly flashed in front of her, extending both palms to disperse the two green lights.
"Watch out for his Gentle Fist!"
Kujaku wasn't dead, but having been hit by two Eight Trigrams Empty Palms, she had already lost her fighting ability.
Ryūgan manipulated the three blue-and-white dragons to spin and fly towards Neji.
Neji struck with a palm, but immediately felt something was wrong. These three blue-and-white dragons were not pure Chakra.
Under his Gentle Fist, the three blue-and-white dragons only trembled slightly and were not dispersed.
"Neji!" Seeing him in danger, Tenten immediately used Tool Manipulation: Binding Meteor.
An iron chain flew out, directly binding the three blue-and-white dragons.
Neji's legs burst with Chakra, and instead of retreating, he advanced, striking Ryūgan with both palms.
Ryūgan's expression changed. Her Garian Sword was already bound by Tenten's chain.
Fortunately, at this moment, Suiko blocked in front of her.
Neji's palms pressed against his armor. He felt the armor absorbing his Chakra, and without a word, he immediately withdrew his palms.
"Can you escape?" Suiko showed a triumphant expression, bringing down his meteor hammer.
Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique! Hinata appeared beside him.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms! She struck his exposed arms with extreme speed.
"Damn it!" Ryūgan and Hōki had not expected Hinata to appear so suddenly.
They instinctively wanted to rescue Suiko, but it was already too late.
Hinata struck Suiko's arms twelve times in one breath.
Suiko felt his arms lose all sensation, and the weapon fell to the ground.
Neji seized the opportunity, moved forward, and also used Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
But his target was Suiko's legs. In less than a second, Suiko's arms and legs completely lost control.
He fell backward uncontrollably.
"Suiko!" Hōki immediately took out his Fire Sword.
He swung it hard, and two green beams of light attacked Neji and Hinata from left and right.
Ryūgan was about to help when she heard a whooshing sound. She turned her head and saw Tenten throwing a large number of Ninja tools at her.
Without a word, Ryūgan twisted her wrist, and the three blue-and-white dragons transformed back into the Garian Sword.
She retreated while deflecting the incoming Ninja tools.
At the same time, Neji and Hinata both dodged the Fire Sword.
"Neji! Hinata!" Yakumo reminded them and used Illusion again.
Hōki immediately fell into a daze.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!
Neji and Hinata took advantage of this, stepping forward and striking with both palms.
All of Hōki's Chakra stagnated, and he fell to the ground. Kujaku, who was watching the battle, couldn't help but turn pale.
How did Hōki and Suiko lose their ability to resist in the blink of an eye?
The remaining Ryūgan looked at Neji and the others surrounding her, instinctively gripping her Garian Sword.
By now, she naturally understood that these four students in front of her were absolutely geniuses among geniuses.
"We surrender!" Kujaku shouted from a distance.
Ryūgan subconsciously gritted her teeth, but ultimately, with a dejected expression, she put down her Garian Sword.
Yakumo and the others looked at Kitazawa.
"Itachi." Kitazawa said, "Have them reforge the Ninja tools."
"Yes, Lord Kitazawa." Itachi immediately activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kujaku, Hōki, and Suiko had already lost their will to resist and were easily controlled by him.
Although Ryūgan was not injured, she was powerless to struggle against the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Kitazawa stepped forward and healed them.
Soon, they recovered.
"How long will it take to reforge a bow at the fastest?" Kitazawa looked at Kujaku and asked.
"Three days!" Kujaku quickly replied.
"That fast?" Kitazawa was a little surprised.
"Because two bows have already been crafted, and the other materials are added to both ends of the bow." Kujaku explained, "Our entire village will reforge it overnight; three days should be about right."
"Itachi, the rest is up to you. Just secretly control Takumi Village." Kitazawa paused and said, "Try not to be discovered by other Ninja villages."
His plan was simple: Takumi Village would remain as it was, continuing to provide Ninja tools to the Five Great Villages.
It wouldn't be too late to act after a Ninja World War or a falling out with a certain Ninja village.
"Yes, Lord Kitazawa." Itachi nodded and said.
"Mission accomplished. You all did well." Kitazawa turned to Hinata and the others, pondered for a moment, and said, "You all received full marks this time."
Although the Jonin of the Four Celestial Symbols Men had some weaknesses, they were Jonin after all.
Moreover, in this battle, Yakumo and Neji cooperated very well, with no major problems.
"I didn't expect to get full marks too!" Tenten immediately showed a look of pleasant surprise.
Neji subconsciously clenched his fists.
As long as Shikamaru and Sakura didn't get full marks in their practical exam, he would once again secure the first place in the final ranking of this Monthly Exam.
Although he achieved it while Sasuke was absent, it still proved his strength.
Hinata and Yakumo were relatively calm. They had no desire for rankings, and they had already received full marks before.
"We will wait in Takumi Village for three days," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"Teacher Kitazawa." Tenten asked curiously, "Are you going to switch to using a bow?"
"The bow is for Hinata and Neji." Kitazawa shook his head and said.
Hinata already knew, so she wasn't surprised. And Neji had also guessed, since Kitazawa had made him practice archery for so long.
Three days passed quickly.
Kitazawa received the first truly reforged bow from the Box of Ultimate Bliss from Kujaku. As for the other three bows, they would probably take another half a month.
Kitazawa took out the sealing scroll that sealed Satori and began the transfer.
As Satori entered the bow, its original dusty color brightened, becoming as dazzling as a gem.
Before, this bow looked as if it had been picked from a coal pile, not eye-catching enough.
"So beautiful!" Hinata couldn't help but exclaim.
"You try it," Kitazawa said with a smile.
Neji, Kurama Yakumo, and Tenten instinctively looked at Hinata. They also wanted to know the power of this bow.
Hinata nodded vigorously. She activated her Byakugan and looked at a tree eight hundred meters away.
Hinata gripped the bowstring tightly.
As she pulled, the bow's body trembled violently, and a part of the Yin Release power sealed within Satori was immediately absorbed.
A translucent arrow appeared out of thin air. Hinata released her hand, and the arrow instantly vanished.
There was a snap. The target tree was immediately pierced through.
"So fast!" Neji's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but exclaim.
He hadn't activated his Byakugan and hadn't been able to track the trajectory of this Yin Release arrow.
"This is great; the Genius Class rankings are going to change again." Tenten's eyes lit up.
Her biggest hobby was collecting Ninja tools. This bow could definitely become part of her collection.
Unfortunately, it belonged to Hinata, but at least she also received a Fire Sword.
Yakumo, on the other hand, received the Garian Sword.