"Tomorrow, Konoha and the Hidden Mist will be holding a Genin meet."
Seated behind his desk, Kitazawa smiled faintly as he looked at the five before him. "And I've personally recommended all of you to Hokage-sama."
Sasuke and the others exchanged uncertain glances. None of them had expected this announcement.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto raised his hand immediately. "So what exactly do we do at this 'event'? Just… chat with the Mist Genin?"
Kitazawa's lips curved. "We're shinobi, Naruto. We don't communicate with words—only with our fists."
He leaned back slightly. "Both sides will fight five sparring matches."
"I'm in!" Naruto shouted before Kitazawa even finished, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.
Kitazawa couldn't help but chuckle. Ever since Naruto had trained with Gai, he'd become a full-blown battle maniac. Still, that wasn't necessarily bad—his growth through combat had been astonishing.
Across the room, Sasuke's eyes gleamed.
Sparring against Hidden Mist Genin? That meant facing the best of another village. If he could defeat them all, it would bring prestige not just to himself, but to the Uchiha name.
He remembered his brother once mentioning that Shisui had made his mark during a war against the Hidden Mist.
Now, it was Sasuke's turn.
The thought filled him with restless anticipation.
"Are… all five of us participating?" Hyuga Neji finally asked, glancing around at his peers.
This was called a Genin meet, but none of them were technically Genin. Did Kitazawa truly believe they were already beyond that level?
"Yes," Kitazawa said simply. "All five matches will be yours. Hokage-sama expects great things from you—don't let her down."
"We won't!" Naruto declared, grinning confidently and giving a big thumbs-up. "Hokage-sama will see our burning youth for sure!"
"Just don't wear a green jumpsuit," Sasuke muttered dryly, lips twitching.
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Why not?"
Sasuke sighed. If Naruto showed up in that ridiculous outfit in front of Mist Village shinobi, Sasuke would be forced to flee Konoha out of sheer embarrassment.
"I've already prepared your uniforms," Kitazawa said, clearing his throat. "Since you'll be representing Konoha, you'll wear the official flak jackets of our village."
Naruto's eyes lit up like lanterns. "Really?! So cool!"
He'd always admired those vests. Wearing one made him feel like a real shinobi—even if it was just for the exchange meet.
Kitazawa's expression softened slightly. "There's still a day left before the matches. You've learned everything your teachers can teach you for now. Rest well, and stay in your best condition tomorrow."
He looked at them steadily. "I believe in you."
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto said, his voice loud and brimming with sincerity. "We won't let you down!"
Hinata, Yakumo, Neji, and Sasuke all nodded firmly in agreement.
After all, the Genius Class had the strongest teacher lineup in the entire ninja world—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Maruboshi Kosuke, Kakashi Hatake, and Kitazawa himself.
Even the most elite Mist Genin couldn't have dreamed of such instructors.
If they lost now, it would be a disgrace to their teachers—and to themselves.
"Oh, and one more thing," Kitazawa added, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "If you win against the Mist Genin, each of you can choose any B-Rank Ninjutsu as a reward."
"What a reward filled with the spirit of youth!" Naruto shouted, eyes sparkling. "I'm definitely getting that!"
Sasuke stayed composed. They already knew plenty of B-Rank techniques.
Ironically, Naruto did too—he just hadn't realized that half the jutsu he used were already A-Rank.
"The exchange meet will be held at our Academy's training grounds," Kitazawa reminded them. "Don't be late."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!"
The five answered in unison.
"You're dismissed."
Kitazawa waved a hand.
They bowed slightly before turning and leaving the office, the door closing softly behind them.
Kitazawa had already run through the numbers in his head—a clean sweep wasn't out of reach.
The average Genin barely mastered the Three Basic Jutsu. If one could use even a single low-rank elemental jutsu, they were already considered exceptional.
But Neji and the others? Each of them had long surpassed that level. Every one of his students had at least one high-level ninjutsu under their belt.
Yakumo, Sasuke, and Naruto were especially outrageous—with the right stroke of luck, they could probably take down a Jonin.
Hopefully, Mei could handle what was coming.
At this rate, the Hidden Mist's Genin might end up questioning their entire ninja careers after those five matches.
The only uncertainty lay in the random pairing system.
Hidden Mist would definitely send Chōjūrō—that much was certain.
As for Suigetsu Hozuki, Kitazawa wasn't sure whether Orochimaru had already taken him or not.
In the original timeline, Suigetsu first appeared in Orochimaru's base. But the timeline had shifted quite a bit since Kitazawa's involvement. The situation could easily be different now.
He'd find out tomorrow.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Kitazawa rose and headed toward Konoha's front gate.
A few minutes later, he spotted Shibi waiting there with several other clan members.
This was the underwater exploration team Kitazawa had assembled. Now that they'd secured permission from the Hidden Mist to use a coastal zone, they planned to depart today to establish a forward base there.
"Kitazawa," Shibi greeted him as he approached.
"Lord Kitazawa."
The other Aburame clan shinobi bowed respectfully.
In the shinobi world, power spoke loudest—and Kitazawa's strength and influence far exceeded theirs.
But that wasn't all. He had done more for the Aburame clan than anyone in recent memory. From the information of the Exploding Insects to the Kikaichu mutations—all of it traced back to him. To them, he wasn't just an ally; he was a benefactor.
"Clan Head Shibi," Kitazawa said thoughtfully, "I'll have an ANBU squad accompany you. If anything urgent arises, you can rely on them."
Of course, that was only half the truth. The ANBU's real mission was to investigate Gato's activities in the Land of Waves. But since the new stronghold was being built on an uninhabited island nearby, the cover story fit perfectly.
"I won't keep you any longer. Safe travels."
Kitazawa inclined his head politely before Shibi could respond.
They had clearly been waiting for him to give the go-ahead.
"Then we'll take our leave. Until next time, Kitazawa."
Shibi nodded and led his team out through the gate.
As clan head, he naturally wouldn't remain on the island permanently. But for now, establishing the base required his personal oversight—this mission was too important to delegate.
By Thursday afternoon, preparations for the Genin Meet were complete.
Since it was a joint event between Konoha and the Hidden Mist, Kitazawa had ordered a temporary spectator stand built at the Ninja Academy's training ground.
The meet itself wasn't large in scale—five Mist Genin participants and fewer than forty spectators on their side.
Konoha, mindful of its newly signed treaty with the Mist, kept things low-key and also limited attendance to forty.
That didn't stop curious shinobi from pestering Tsunade and Kitazawa for invitations.
After all, "just Genin sparring" meant little when another hidden village was involved. Prestige was on the line.
Tsunade and Kitazawa turned most requests down—but not all. Those who could keep a low profile were quietly allowed to attend. With the Academy's wide grounds, hiding a few eager ninja was no problem.
Regardless of the turnout, the results would soon spread throughout both villages—that much was certain.
At noon, Kitazawa made his way to the Hokage's office for his usual "lunch meeting."
"How are your students holding up?" Tsunade asked, shifting over to make room for him.
"They're in good shape," Kitazawa replied, sitting down beside her.
"The Mist's Genin have already arrived," Tsunade said, scanning a folder of profiles. "Chōjūrō and Suigetsu Hozuki are the ones to watch. Still, it's best of five—losing one or two matches won't hurt."
Kitazawa arched an eyebrow.
So Orochimaru hadn't taken Suigetsu yet?
In the original events, Orochimaru had captured the boy to study his Water Transformation ability. Later, Sasuke had freed him from that same lab to form Team Hawk.
But perhaps that hadn't happened here—not yet.
He thought for a moment and realized the likely reason.
Orochimaru was still with the Akatsuki.
That, too, was Kitazawa's doing.
With Itachi never defecting, Orochimaru had never attacked him—and thus never been instantly defeated. Without that humiliation, he had no reason to covet the Mangekyō Sharingan or leave the organization.
Now, his ambitions were fixed on Nagato's Rinnegan instead. He hadn't founded Otogakure, and the Konoha Crush plan had never been born.
As for Suigetsu—at seven years old, the same age as Sasuke, his strength should still be limited.
Chōjūrō, on the other hand, was two years older and already hailed as a prodigy in the Hidden Mist.
"Want to make a bet?" Kitazawa asked suddenly, glancing sideways at Tsunade.
She looked up, puzzled. "A bet? On what?"
"On whether my students can win all five matches."
Kitazawa smirked. "You said we might lose one or two. I'm betting we won't lose any."
Tsunade folded her arms, then shrugged. "Fine. You're on."
It was a win-win either way—if she won, she'd prove a point. If she lost, Konoha's perfect victory would still be something to celebrate.
"That settles it," Kitazawa said, a small grin tugging at his lips. "No surprises, then."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tsunade shot him a glare. "You think I'm destined to lose?"
"Do you want to win?" Kitazawa countered.
"…"
Tsunade realized too late that she'd walked straight into his trap.
She clenched her teeth. "Eat."
"Getting mad isn't good for your beauty," Kitazawa teased, picking up a fried shrimp and holding it toward her. "Come on, open up."
"I'm not a child," Tsunade grumbled—but still bit into it.
Only afterward did she realize she'd eaten from his chopsticks. Her eyes flicked sideways.
"What's wrong?" Kitazawa asked innocently. "Want another bite?"
"No."
She turned away, cheeks faintly pink, and continued eating.
Kitazawa smiled quietly to himself.
After lunch, the two headed toward the Academy together.
"I just thought of something," Tsunade said, frowning slightly. "Do you think Mei Terumī might've given Chōjūrō and Suigetsu the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's blades in advance?"
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