Friday.
Kitazawa's office.
Hinata Hyuga glanced at Yakumo Kurama and felt slightly relieved — another member had joined the class‑skipping squad.
She had thought half a day of truancy already made her the undisputed champion of skipping at the academy, but Yakumo was even bolder: she skipped the entire day and only showed up for the practical‑combat period.
"Hinata, are you stuck on something?"
Kitazawa looked up, having noticed her distraction.
"N‑No…"
Hinata's cheeks flushed and she shook her head quickly.
She had zoned out for just a moment and Kitazawa had caught her.
Embarrassed and shy, she instinctively tensed her legs; her pale toes curled slightly.
"If you have a question, ask me," Kitazawa said with a light smile.
Most kunoichi wore open‑toed boots or sandals, so her small movement hadn't escaped his eyes.
"Okay."
Hinata let out an inward sigh of relief.
Kitazawa's gaze shifted to Yakumo Kurama not far away.
Hinata was grinding through practice problems, determined to take first place in the theory exam at month‑end.
Yakumo was reading up on Yin Release to lay a foundation for becoming a psychological‑medical ninja.
Kitazawa looked away and went back to drafting questions for the monthly test.
By mid‑afternoon he had finished thirty items.
"Take these, other me."
He handed the questions to a shadow clone, instructing it to deliver them to Vice‑Principal Sarutobi Hisao.
Leisurely, he headed to the training field.
"Kitazawa‑sensei, what are we learning today?"
Naruto Uzumaki bounced over, eyes sparkling.
"Clone Technique."
"Wow! Is that the jutsu you used yesterday, Sensei?"
"Hmph, are you an idiot?" Sasuke Uchiha cut in. "That was the Shadow Clone Technique, not the regular Clone Technique."
"Huh…?"
Sakura Haruno suddenly realized something: the normally aloof Sasuke was talking with Naruto? She didn't even get that privilege. She shot the blond boy a jealous look.
"Clone Technique is one of the Three Basic Techniques," Kitazawa explained calmly. "It creates illusionary copies to mislead the enemy, but unlike Shadow Clones they're not physical."
"I get it now," Naruto said, scratching his head.
"The Three Basics are compulsory for the graduation exam. Everyone must master them."
He stepped in front of the class. "Watch closely. I'll demonstrate."
Poof!
When the smoke cleared, two Kitazawas stood there.
"Did you memorize the hand‑seal sequence?"
He dispelled the clones.
"Yes!" the students chorused.
"Begin practicing. I'll point out any problems."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Sasuke formed seals and produced two flawless clones.
"Sasuke‑kun!"
Sakura instantly turned into a cheerleader.
"I can do it too!"
Naruto, unwilling to lose, slammed his hands together.
Smoke billowed—two clones appeared.
One crawled on all fours like some bizarre creature; the other stood slack‑jawed, babbling nonsense.
After two stunned seconds the class burst into laughter; the air was filled with glee.
Sasuke tugged at the corner of his mouth. How humiliating. Just drop out.
And to think he'd believed Naruto might become a rival.
Kitazawa chuckled. The scene was a carbon copy of the original story.
Come to think of it, of Naruto's Three Techniques only Transformation ever looked decent—well, indecent: his "Sexy Technique" could hard‑CC even Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
"Alright, keep practicing," he clapped.
Scanning the group, he saw that besides Sasuke, Hinata, Shino Aburame, and Shikamaru Nara succeeded on the first try.
Ino Yamanaka, Sakura, and Kiba Inuzuka took most of the period but got it.
Only Naruto made no headway.
"That's it for today's practical class."
The bell rang right on cue. "See you next week."
"Bye, Sensei!"
The kids bolted off like wild horses; the weekend was theirs to enjoy.
"Kitazawa‑sensei…"
Naruto asked gloomily, "Am I talentless at ninjutsu?"
"No," Kitazawa said. "You just haven't found a jutsu that fits you."
"Then… what does fit me?"
Naruto brightened.
"Tell you what." Kitazawa thought for a moment.
"Meet me tomorrow at nine a.m. on the training ground. I'll teach you a new jutsu."
"Thank you, Sensei!"
Naruto's gratitude was palpable.
"Don't mention it."
Cultivating goodwill with Naruto could only make life safer in Konoha — Iruka Umino's rise from ordinary chūnin to academy principal proved how far bonds with the Nine‑Tails' host could go.
…
The next morning.
After breakfast, Kitazawa headed to the academy.
"Kitazawa‑sensei!"
Naruto was already waiting.
"The jutsu is Transformation. I'll demo first."
Without preamble Kitazawa formed seals; his body and face morphed instantly.
"So cool!"
Seeing a perfect copy of himself, Naruto felt like he was looking into a mirror.
"Your turn."
Kitazawa canceled the jutsu.
"Right!"
Naruto hurried through the seals.
A horrifying sight followed: his head transformed into Kitazawa's, but the body remained his own.
"Keep going," Kitazawa said, mouth twitching.
Three hours later Naruto was panting, exhausted.
"Here." Kitazawa handed him a bottle of water. "Let's rest a bit."
"Thanks, Sensei."
Naruto dropped to the ground and guzzled it; Kitazawa sat casually opposite.
"Sensei, what's Transformation mainly used for?"
Naruto scratched his head. "Clone Technique feels more useful."
"Not necessarily."
An idea struck Kitazawa. "In a pinch, Transformation can save your life."
"Save my life?"
"Remember Madara Uchiha, the one I told you about?" Kitazawa said with a completely straight face. "Unofficial lore claims Madara once transformed into a stunning beauty, fooled Hashirama Senju, and escaped death."
"Really?"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Can't vouch for its truth," Kitazawa laughed, "but used well, Transformation can work like that."
"I see…"
Naruto fell into thought.
Just as Kitazawa was about to speak, four glowing lines appeared before his eyes:
[Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win every battle.]
[Current Mission: Learn your lifelong rival Naruto Uzumaki's unique ninjutsu — the Sexy Jutsu.]
[Reward: One‑tenth of Kakashi Hatake's chakra capacity.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa froze.
One‑tenth of Kakashi's chakra? Now that's enticing!
~~~
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