The Genius Class's first practical combat lesson of the new semester.
Kitazawa arrived at the academy right on time. Once the students settled into their training routines, he signaled for three particular students—Yakumo, Jugo, and Choji—to step aside.
It was time to update their training.
"Choji," Kitazawa began, "you've already gotten the hang of the Giantification Technique. So next, you'll move on to the Akimichi Clan's advanced Secret Technique—Super Palm Thrust."
Super Palm Thrust took the Giantification Technique a step further, applying Partial Multi-Size to amplify just the hands. One strike could flatten land… or a shinobi.
But there was a drawback.
Akimichi techniques were notorious Chakra guzzlers. Choji would struggle with that.
"Alright, Kitazawa-sensei," Choji said, though he sounded a little conflicted.
"You'll take a few days off from class," Kitazawa added. "Once you get a basic grasp of Super Palm Thrust, come back."
Choji clearly didn't want to leave—the Academy was far more exciting than staying home—but he nodded. There was no other way to learn a clan technique.
He waved goodbye to Naruto and the others and trudged off.
"Jugo, you'll continue focusing on Taijutsu."
Jugo nodded quietly.
His fighting style revolved around Sage Transformation—the Curse Mark of Earth. With the modified Earth Seal stabilizing his mind, he could now train safely.
And in the original timeline, even in Curse Mark State Two, Jugo relied heavily on Taijutsu:
Exploding Smash, Steel Arm Binding, and countless strikes using his mutated arms.
But his legs had almost no specialized training.
"Today, we start covering your weak point," Kitazawa said. "I'll teach you Leaf Whirlwind."
He created a shadow clone, then led Jugo toward a nearby tree—the perfect practice dummy in a village full of them.
"Yakumo," Kitazawa said, turning to her, "you've already learned Leaf-Style taijutsu. Now return to developing your Genjutsu Bloodline Limit."
He asked gently, "Any ideas for your next technique?"
"No…" Yakumo admitted, brow furrowing.
Her abilities so far—Horror Illusion and Genjutsu Creation—had already surpassed ordinary genjutsu. But the third technique eluded her.
"I have a suggestion," Kitazawa said. "What is the essence of genjutsu?"
"Ninjutsu that interferes with the opponent's five senses to create illusions," she replied.
"Correct. And most genjutsu today act through a single sense, like sight."
Kitazawa's eyes sharpened slightly.
"But what if there were a genjutsu… that affects all five senses simultaneously?"
Yakumo's breath hitched.
"That's impossible. Someone affected like that couldn't break free. They'd be—"
"A puppet," Kitazawa finished. "Everything they see, hear, smell, taste, and feel—controlled."
"Under normal circumstances," he continued, patting her head, "a genjutsu like that shouldn't exist."
"But your bloodline limit can make it possible."
A Genjutsu equal to or beyond the Mangekyo Sharingan:
Demonic Illusion: Five Senses.
Yakumo's eyes lit up with pure inspiration.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
"Go train," he said, watching her hurry back to the field.
Kitazawa left the grounds soon after.
He had a meeting today—with Gato. They needed to finalize the preparations for the new casino.
Before long, he reached a large building already under renovation. Gato had purchased it and begun converting it into a casino, though it would still take another month or two.
"Lord Kitazawa," Gato greeted him personally.
Kitazawa nodded. "Good work. I've brought several new gambling concepts. Take notes."
They talked until noon. After that, Kitazawa no longer needed to worry—Gato would handle the rest.
Deep in the Forest of Death, Kitazawa activated his Byakugan to ensure no one was nearby.
Then he formed the hand seals.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.
His chakra burst outward, transforming into raw life force.
The earth trembled.
Cracks split the soil, and thick vines erupted from the ground. Saplings twisted skyward in an instant, swelling into massive ancient trees. The forest expanded violently, merging with the existing terrain until the Forest of Death looked even more primeval—wild, overgrown, alive.
A bird passed overhead.
Kitazawa glanced up.
Branches and vines lashed out like serpents, tearing the bird apart before it could even cry, bleaching its bones in seconds.
The trees settled back into eerie stillness.
Kitazawa nodded, satisfied.
Deep Forest Emergence was a massacre technique.
Against Genin or Chunin, survival was nearly impossible.
Even Jonin could be swallowed whole if unprepared.
"The only downside…" Kitazawa exhaled, releasing the jutsu, "is the Chakra cost."
A wave of fatigue washed over him.
With his current reserves, he could safely use Deep Forest Emergence twice. Thrice would push him to his limits.
But he had finally mastered it.
[Current Mission: Learn Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence]
[Mission Reward: One-tail worth of chakra.]
[Host has completed the mission—reward issued]
Kitazawa slowly exhaled.
The faint weakness from earlier vanished instantly as the two new Chakra cards integrated into his system.
"Good… but I need more Chakra-related missions."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
There was a pattern to the system's triggers. Missions almost always appeared around individuals with massive Chakra pools—Naruto, Hashirama, Kisame. Among his own students, besides Naruto, the next best target was Karin.
She and Naruto would be his best bets for future Chakra missions.
Fortunately, the world was still peaceful. Time was on his side.
After dusting off his hands, Kitazawa left the Forest of Death, heading toward the Hokage Building.
It was February 15th.
The Genius Class's first monthly exam of the semester had just concluded, and the top scorer was—unsurprisingly—Hyuga Neji.
Sasuke hadn't competed this time.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan was still too much for an eight-year-old to control, and one month wasn't enough to fully adapt. Without him, Neji placed third in the written exam, but received full marks in his mission evaluation, earning first place overall.
Shikamaru still dominated the written portion, but his mission luck had been too good—meaning nothing happened at all. And with no enemies to fight, a perfect combat score was impossible.
As for Takumi Village—still quiet.
After Kabuto offered a 30 million ryo reward, the Four Celestial Symbols Men had agreed without hesitation. Their craftsmanship lived up to their reputation: they disassembled the box of bliss in record time and were now forging it into new weapons. Assuming no trouble occurred, the four bows would be completed within two to three months.
Kitazawa knocked politely before entering the Hokage Office. He always knocked—walking in abruptly might interrupt Tsunade during work… or during one of her sudden naps.
"Tsunade-sensei."
"Oh, it's you."
Tsunade immediately relaxed, stretching lazily in her chair.
The movement made her clothes shift in a very distracting way, and Kitazawa's eyes wandered before he forced them away.
"What did you come for?"
"A new casino opened in the village."
Tsunade's eyes brightened instantly.
"Oh? How big?"
"Much bigger," Kitazawa said, smiling. "And the owner gave me a VIP card."
He handed it over.
Tsunade examined the sleek black-and-gold card.
"It looks expensive. But why only give one to you?"
"It wasn't only me. Everyone in Konoha with status, reputation, or wealth received one."
Tsunade froze.
"Then where's mine? Don't tell me he thinks I'm broke."
She was already planning to send ANBU to investigate who dared spread such slander.
"You have one too," Kitazawa said, barely suppressing a laugh. "I'm just the one delivering it."
"You should've said that earlier!" Tsunade snapped, her mood doing a complete 180. "So what benefits does this VIP card give?"
"Access to the VIP room… and discounts."
"Discounts?" Tsunade blinked. "How does a casino give discounts?"
"For example: if you lose one million, they cover a hundred thousand."
"That good!?"
Tsunade shot to her feet. "Let's go—now!"
"What about your work?" Kitazawa asked dryly.
"Shizune and the others can handle it."
"With Shizune-senpai's personality, she won't let you walk out without a proper excuse. What's your plan?"
"I don't know."
Tsunade waved a hand dismissively. "You come up with something. I have faith in you."
"Oh, I'll handle her," Kitazawa said confidently, then extended a hand. "But what about my reward?"
"I am your teacher," Tsunade snapped. "Do you need a reward for everything?"
"Yes," Kitazawa replied shamelessly.
Tsunade was silent for two seconds.
Then she stepped forward, leaned in, and brushed a quick kiss against the corner of Kitazawa's mouth.
Before he could react, she pulled back, took two steps away, snorted, and said,
"Aren't you leaving?"
Goal achieved, Kitazawa wisely chose not to press his luck. He turned and headed toward the Hokage Secretariat.
Once he was gone, Tsunade sank into the Hokage's chair.
Her fingers drifted to her lips. She stared blankly at the ceiling—lost in a thought even she couldn't fully articulate.
A moment later—
"It's all taken care of. Let's go."
Kitazawa reappeared at the doorway.
Tsunade straightened immediately, expression back to normal, and followed him out of the office.
The two soon arrived at the newly opened establishment.
Its name was strikingly direct: Konoha Casino.
The moment Tsunade stepped inside, her brows lifted.
"It's much cleaner than any other casino I've seen… and the staff are all in kimonos."
"Look," Kitazawa gestured at the signs. "Opening-week discounts."
"This casino knows what it's doing," Tsunade said, genuinely impressed.
A middle-aged man in a kimono approached.
"Hokage-sama! Kitazawa-sama! Welcome."
"Are you the owner?" Tsunade asked.
"Just call me Kintaro," the man said with a broad smile. "You are both VIP guests—please allow me to guide you upstairs."
"You may lead the way," Tsunade replied, intrigued.
VIP rooms didn't exist in other casinos. She was eager to see what made this one special.
The moment she stepped into the upper floor, her pupils tightened.
It gleamed like a miniature palace—crystal lights, polished floors, velvet décor.
Only the rows of gambling tables reminded her that this was actually a casino.
"The VIP room includes free food and drinks," Kintaro explained.
"We also provide interest-free loans."
Tsunade blinked.
Interest-free loans? For gamblers?
But those allowed inside were clearly pre-vetted—big names, big wallets. They could repay.
"If you need anything, simply inform the staff," Kintaro said with a bow. "Please enjoy your time."
"Who exactly opened this place?" Tsunade asked once he was gone. "These tactics aren't normal."
"I checked," Kitazawa replied, giving a half-truth. "A wealthy shipping company from the Land of Fire."
"As long as they're clean," Tsunade said—and immediately made a beeline for the nearest table.
Kitazawa shook his head.
Good thing the casino essentially belonged to him—otherwise he'd go broke supporting this woman.
He sat beside her, handing over a neat stack of chips.
Tsunade dove into gambling with military-level intensity, eyes fixed, body tense, fully committed as though the fate of Konoha hung on her next roll.
After a while, Kitazawa grew bored.
He closed his eyes and slipped into training his Yang Release Chakra Mode.
He had no idea how long had passed until a familiar aroma drifted toward him.
"It's noon already. Want to eat?" he asked.
"Just bring me some rice balls," Tsunade replied without looking up.
Kitazawa headed to the food area—designed like a buffet from his previous life—and grabbed bread and milk.
When he returned, Tsunade ate absently while keeping her gaze glued to the table. After two rolls, she stopped.
Kitazawa finished the rest and glanced at her remaining money.
As expected, more than half was gone.
His gaze slid to Tsunade.
She didn't even notice him—completely absorbed.
Kitazawa's hand twitched.
On impulse, he slid his hand onto her thigh.
Even through the fabric, her thigh was soft and warm.
He gave a gentle squeeze.
Tsunade's brows twitched. She shot him an irritated glare…
then returned to gambling.
She didn't swat him away.
After he'd enjoyed himself enough, Kitazawa withdrew and resumed training Yang Release.
He wanted to push further, but pushing his luck now was too risky. Everything had to be gradual.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Kitazawa opened his eyes feeling invigorated.
Unlike other Ninjutsu, Yang Release training only made him more energized.
Warmth spread through his whole body—pure life force humming at his fingertips.
His gaze shifted to Tsunade.
Her elegant features were twisted with gloomy frustration.
No need to guess.
She'd definitely lost again.
A look at her chips confirmed it—she had burned through a full million ryo in one afternoon.
Kitazawa sighed.
He might truly be the only person in the entire shinobi world capable of financially supporting this woman.
"Tsunade-sensei, we should head back. If we're too late, Shizune-senpai will get suspicious."
"Tch… killjoy," Tsunade muttered as she stood.
"But I'll be back. Next time, I'm definitely winning."
Kitazawa chuckled despite himself.
"What are you laughing at?" she demanded, stomping on his foot.
"I meant—you'll absolutely win next time."
"That's more like it."
She swept out of the casino with her usual confidence.
"How do you feel about this place?" Kitazawa asked as he caught up to her.
"It's excellent," Tsunade said. "I just had terrible luck today."
"You can come more often. Sooner or later, you'll win."
Kitazawa winked.
Tsunade took a few steps, then suddenly turned and looked at him.
Kitazawa stiffened.
Did she notice something?
"…Nothing," she finally said, shaking her head.
She had originally wanted to mention how he'd touched her thigh earlier.
But in the end, she let it go.
After all… Kitazawa was her financial backer now.
And one day at the Konoha Casino wasn't nearly enough.
Next time, she'd need his help again.
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