"How can you guarantee you'll really release it?"
Although Kubisaki Goza was tempted, he wasn't naïve enough to trust Kitazawa blindly.
"My strength is my guarantee."
Kitazawa arched a brow, his hands already weaving seals.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!
He spun toward the writhing flesh of Shiromari—still grappling with Hinata and the others—and this time, he didn't hold back.
A torrent of chakra exploded out of him. Three massive fire dragons roared to life, blazing into the sky before crashing down in a hellish sea of flame. The entire castle—no, the lizard itself—convulsed under the inferno, its cries echoing like a nightmare.
Hinata, Ino, and Tenten stood frozen before the firestorm, their young faces pale with sweat and awe. The flames towered so high it felt as if the gates of hell had opened before them.
"Enough! Stop!"
Kubisaki Gonza's eyes bulged in alarm. "If you keep burning it, it'll die!"
In all his life and after, he had never witnessed such devastating Fire Release. Kitazawa's display was enough proof—if he wished, he could have slain the lizard outright. And that was precisely why Gonza believed him.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!
Kitazawa's hands flashed again. Water dragons crashed down from the air, dousing the raging flames in a billowing shroud of steam.
Still, the lizard's body bore horrific burns.
Kitazawa didn't hesitate. With a clap, nine shadow clones appeared, and together they began treatment. Ten Kitazawas working in unison, channeling green healing chakra into scorched flesh.
When the healing was done, Kitazawa realized he'd performed yet another high-difficulty operation—his eighth. Just one more, and the path to a forbidden medical jutsu would open to him.
"Thank you."
Goza exhaled deeply, relief softening his ghostly features.
"It's nothing." Kitazawa gave a light chuckle. "Now—where's the contract scroll?"
"Straight down this hall, left at the end, the fourth room," Gonza said. Then, bowing low, he whispered, "Please."
The reason he lingered as a ghost was simple—he couldn't bear to see Shiromari sacrifice itself endlessly for him. But he had failed to release it in life, and so he lingered in death. Now, Kitazawa's arrival had given him what he could not do himself.
"We'll take good care of it." Kitazawa smiled faintly. With Tenten's nature—and her wealth—the Shiromari would be pampered beyond belief.
"Kitazawa-sensei, you're amazing!" Ino breathed, eyes glittering with admiration.
"Sensei has always been amazing," Hinata added quietly, though her shy glow betrayed how proud she was.
"No more flattery." Kitazawa tapped Hinata's forehead gently, earning a small blush. "Let's go fetch the scroll."
The four moved together. Strangely, the lizard made no further attempts to hinder them. Perhaps the firestorm had convinced it.
The contract scroll waited in plain sight, unguarded, in the center of the chamber. Kitazawa unrolled it—filled with names of its past masters. Among them, curiously, was Masashi Kishimoto.
"Tenten, it's yours. Sign it."
Tenten froze. "Such a powerful summoning beast… shouldn't you keep it for yourself, sensei?"
Kitazawa smiled. "Precious as it is, it can't compare to the beasts of the Three Sage regions. I already have better."
Her eyes widened at the casual claim, but she didn't argue further. Using her blood, she wrote her name.
The ground shook violently. The entire castle trembled, and with a deafening rumble, its walls crumbled away. The transformation collapsed, revealing the truth.
"Be careful!" Kitazawa grabbed Hinata and Ino, pulling them close as the massive gates blasted open with blinding light.
The four leapt clear, just as the illusion shattered.
Before them rose Shiromari in its true form—a colossal beast half the size of a tailed beast, towering at twenty meters tall.
"Wow…" Tenten whispered, awestruck.
Kitazawa scanned its massive frame with approval. Yes, this would be a formidable ally.
[Current Mission: Help Tenten acquire a summoning beast.]
[Mission Reward: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.]
[Mission Complete. Reward issued.]
Kitazawa blinked as the system messages scrolled across his vision. He couldn't help but grin. So, Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu… an A-rank technique straight from the Third Hokage's arsenal.
Perfect. Especially fitting, considering Tenten's style.
"Tenten, release it for now," Kitazawa instructed.
"Yes, sensei." She dispelled the summoning, and the lizard vanished in a burst of white light, returning to its dwelling.
"Mission complete. Back to the village!"
They retraced their steps, reaching Konoha by evening.
"Goodbye, sensei!" Tenten waved, running off first.
"Ino." Kitazawa stopped her and handed over a scroll.
"What's this?" She unrolled it, gasping. "Moonlight Beauty Ninjutsu?! Thank you, sensei!"
"Study it for a few days. I'll teach you the rest on Tuesday."
"Mm!" Ino tucked it away, practically glowing with excitement.
Kitazawa turned—and noticed Hinata lingering, her eyes wistful.
"Ki… Kitazawa-sensei…" she murmured, head bowed shyly.
"Once you've mastered Sixty-Four Palms, I'll show you more." He reached out, gently pinching her cheek. "Go on home."
Hinata gave him one last, reluctant glance before hurrying off, a soft smile tugging her lips. Missions with Kitazawa meant freedom, away from her clan's suffocating rules. She cherished every moment.
When Kitazawa finally returned home, the silence struck him. Empty.
"They're still not back?" He frowned. Right—he had sent Kurenai to accompany Itachi on that mission in his stead. Probably far away.
With Itachi's Mangekyo and a squad of Anbu, nothing should go wrong.
Yawning, Kitazawa shrugged off the thought and headed for the bath.
The next morning marked the start of a new week.
January had already reached its midpoint, yet the air remained bitterly cold, showing no sign of softening.
Kitazawa dressed, headed to the bathroom, and began brushing his teeth when three lines of glowing text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Current Mission: Help Uchiha Izumi become an outstanding Chunin.]
[Mission Reward: Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change.]
[Mission complete. Reward issued.]
"…Already?"
Kitazawa paused, lost in thought.
It seemed the system considered Izumi's newly awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan sufficient proof of Chunin-level ability.
Not bad. These past two days had been rewarding indeed.
First, the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu. Now, the Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change. Both high-level techniques, but the latter stood out in particular.
Its effect could be summed up in one word: reflection.
A genjutsu capable of bouncing back illusions without even requiring hand seals—provided, of course, the opponent was weaker. Against those beneath him, it was a perfect nightmare.
After breakfast, Kitazawa resumed his Earth Release training.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
The familiar voice belonged not to Kurenai, but to Tenten.
"Tenten? Shouldn't you be in class?" Kitazawa asked, surprised.
She marched up, holding out a scroll. "This is the reward for Shiromari summons!"
"There's no need for that." Kitazawa shook his head. "Shiromari had no owner. It didn't cost me anything."
"No!" Tenten insisted, her eyes firm. "I only gained such a powerful summoning beast because of you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Kitazawa relented and accepted the scroll. "Alright then."
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" she said brightly before dashing off to class.
Clearly, she'd only come to hand over the money.
Kitazawa smiled, flipping open the bankbook—then froze.
"…Ten million ryo? Just like that?" His lips twitched. "Being rich really is something else."
With Tenten's contribution, his fortune now exceeded twenty million ryo. For once, he could call himself wealthy. To be fair, though, Shiromari was worth every coin. Powerful summoning beasts were rare treasures in the shinobi world.
Time slipped by.
That afternoon, Kitazawa felt a familiar chakra and looked up. A figure he knew well was approaching.
"Welcome home."
He stepped forward and slipped an arm around Kurenai's waist.
"Being away was exhausting," she murmured softly against his chest. "You'd better make it up to me."
"Where did you go?" Kitazawa asked, lifting her easily.
"The border of the Land of Wind." She kicked off her sandals, her long legs brushing lightly against his arm.
"No wonder you were gone so long." He carried her inside. "Do you want to head straight to sleep?"
"Mm." Kurenai closed her eyes. "But don't do anything bad."
"You're already this tired," Kitazawa chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of draining you further."
He laid her gently on the bed. Within moments, her breathing evened out in sleep. Kitazawa kissed her lightly before stepping out.
By Tuesday, the Genius Class resumed its combat training. After a week, the students had settled into rhythm, leaving little for Kitazawa to micromanage.
He spent half an hour teaching Ino the Ninpo: Moonlight Beauty, then took Sakura to Konoha Hospital. Only one high-difficulty surgery remained before completing his current objective, and he was eager to finish.
But luck wasn't on his side. Despite spending long hours at the hospital, no such surgery appeared. Still, the downtime wasn't wasted—he mastered Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall in the meantime.
Finally, on Thursday morning, good news arrived.
"Kitazawa, emergency surgery—come with me," said Yakushi Nono briskly.
Kitazawa's heart leapt. Emergency cases often meant high difficulty.
"Sakura, grab the tools," he ordered.
As they hurried down the hall, Nono explained, "The patient is a Root operative named Shigaraki Tanuki."
"Root shinobi? At Konoha Hospital?" Kitazawa frowned.
"Normally, no," Nono admitted. "But his injuries are severe. Root's medics can't handle it."
Which meant the man was valuable. Kitazawa thought the name sounded familiar—then it clicked. Shigaraki Tanuki was the researcher behind the Ox-Head Heavenly King Project—the twisted attempt to fuse Hashirama's cells with summoning beasts. In the original timeline, he succeeded, creating Nue, the chakra-devouring monster with self-destructive power enough to level nations.
So… had he blown himself up mid-experiment? Typical.
Nono's next words confirmed it: "Danzo is here too."
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Inside the operating room, Danzo immediately scowled. "Why is he here?"
"Danzo-sama," Nonou replied evenly, "he is Lady Tsunade's student. His medical ninjutsu surpasses even mine."
Her meaning was clear: Touch him, and you risk Tsunade's wrath—and Tanuki's life.
Danzo growled, "If you fail to save him, you'll bear the consequences."
Kitazawa ignored him, focusing on Tanuki. The patient's body showed clear signs of tampering—all traces of Hashirama's cells deliberately erased. Unsurprising.
He and Nono began the surgery.
Hours passed. Night fell. At last, Tanuki was stable. Danzo immediately expelled them, leaving Root medics to double-check their work. Not that Kitazawa cared—he hadn't altered anything. Harming a Konoha shinobi would only play into Danzo's hands.
Back in the office, glowing text appeared once more:
[Current Mission: Successfully complete nine high-difficulty surgeries as a Medical Ninja.]
[Mission Reward: Medical Forbidden Jutsu: Body Regeneration.]
[Mission complete. Reward issued.]
Kitazawa inhaled sharply as knowledge flooded his mind.
A forbidden technique—and a terrifying one. Even if the body were torn into pieces, it could reassemble and regenerate. Practical immortality.
Almost.
The drawbacks were steep: enormous chakra consumption, post-healing weakness, and, most dangerous of all—shortened lifespan. The technique accelerated cellular division beyond natural limits. Sooner or later, the body would pay the price.
Still, to cheat death itself, who wouldn't gamble?
Kitazawa steadied himself and thought back to Tanuki. The man's survival could become leverage—leverage to alert Tsunade about Danzo's ongoing experiments with Hashirama's cells. Even if Danzo couldn't be killed outright, Tsunade would never let such treachery slide.
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