December 20th, 9:00 a.m—Ninja Academy
"This semester ends here," Kitazawa said with a relaxed smile. "Starting tomorrow, winter break begins. I hope you all enjoy it."
The final rankings for this term showed little change.
The only noteworthy difference was that Sasuke had reclaimed first place.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
The students of the Genius Class shouted in unison, brimming with excitement.
Training hard and growing stronger was satisfying—but a nearly month-long winter break was just as delightful.
"Dismissed!" Kitazawa clapped his hands.
The Genius Class scattered instantly, laughing and rushing toward the school gates.
"Kitazawa-sensei…"
Hinata approached him, her steps hesitant.
"Hm? Hinata, is something wrong?" Kitazawa asked gently.
"Next week is my birthday," she said softly, pulling out an invitation. Her expression held a quiet, hopeful plea.
"I… I hope Kitazawa-sensei can attend."
"I will," Kitazawa replied after a brief glance, slipping the invitation away.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Her face immediately lit up.
"Is there anything you want as a birthday gift?" Kitazawa asked, rubbing her head lightly.
"It's enough if you come," Hinata said earnestly.
"Father said the improved Caged Bird Seal has placed the Hyuga Clan in your debt."
She didn't fully understand the meaning—but if her father said so, it had to be true.
"The name 'Improved Caged Bird Seal' sounds a bit awkward," Kitazawa mused.
"Tell your father to rename it the Seal of Protection."
"Mhm!" Hinata nodded quickly. "I'll tell him right away!"
"See you tomorrow."
After watching her leave, Kitazawa headed toward the Hokage Building.
He felt no particular sense of separation—aside from the New Year break, Hinata and the others would still return to the academy for training.
Pushing open the Hokage Office door, he stepped inside.
"You're here early today," Tsunade remarked, glancing at the clock.
"The final exams are over," Kitazawa replied. "Winter break has started."
"I wish I had a month-long vacation," Tsunade sighed wistfully.
"That might be difficult," Kitazawa said, leaning casually against the Hokage desk.
"You could ask Shizune—if she's willing."
"Do I even need to ask?" Tsunade snorted.
"She won't even let me take half a day off."
"You can't really blame her," Kitazawa said, his gaze briefly drifting to the necklace at her collar.
"She handles far more work than you."
Most of Konoha's affairs were processed by the Hokage Secretariat. Even with multiple secretaries, the workload was crushing.
If Tsunade vanished for another month, the entire office would probably collapse.
"You didn't come all this way just to say that, did you?" Tsunade asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Nothing important," Kitazawa said lightly, taking her hand.
"I just wanted to check—how's your Yang Chakra Mode coming along?"
Tsunade straightened immediately, puffing out her chest.
"What do you think? I'm your teacher. I mastered it long ago."
With the motion, her clothes shifted.
Kitazawa's eyes widened before he could stop himself.
"What are you staring at now?" Tsunade snapped, catching his gaze.
"My apologies," Kitazawa said solemnly.
"Then why are you still looking?" she demanded.
Kitazawa quickly averted his eyes, lowering his head instead and gently kneading her soft, hand.
Tsunade shot him a glare—
But she didn't pull her hand away.
"Next week is Hinata's birthday. Did the Hyuga Clan invite you?"
Kitazawa's gaze drifted upward, lingering on Tsunade's pale, slender arm.
"Yes."
She licked the corner of her lips casually. "The Hyuga Clan's sake is excellent. I can make time for that."
His eyes shifted again, settling on her slightly moist, crimson lips.
"You helped them improve the Caged Bird Seal, so of course they'd— mmph."
Her words were cut off midway.
Tsunade froze for a heartbeat as Kitazawa closed the distance, then—after a brief pause—she leaned in and met him halfway.
Soft, restrained breaths filled the quiet Hokage Office.
Almost unconsciously, Tsunade drew her legs closer, a faint weakness spreading through her body.
A moment later, her hazy gaze cleared as reason caught up.
"…That's enough," she said, taking a breath. "It's only nine in the morning. I still have work."
More importantly, she didn't want anyone barging in at the wrong moment.
Kitazawa looked at her, then bent down and buried himself directly against her chest.
He had wanted this for a long time—and now he finally had it.
Her breathing was still uneven from the kiss, and he could feel the warmth and softness beneath his cheek.
Unfortunately, it lasted only a moment before Tsunade pushed him away.
"Do you want me to kick you out?" she asked, clenching her fist threateningly.
"I'll come back at noon," Kitazawa coughed lightly.
He didn't wait for a response, retreating immediately before she decided to make good on her threat.
Still—
It was worth it.
More importantly, it was a very good start.
She hadn't rejected him outright.
And she definitely hadn't sent him flying.
Kitazawa returned to the ANBU Base.
Pushing open the door, he found Konan seated on the sofa.
"When did you get back?" he asked casually as he walked toward the desk.
Replacing nobles and recruiting capable talent in the Land of Rain wasn't something that could be done overnight. Konan had already returned several times before.
This time, though, she'd only been gone three days.
"About an hour ago."
She stood and moved behind him, gently placing her hands on his shoulders and beginning to massage them.
"Thanks," Kitazawa said.
At that moment, he felt an unreasonable resentment toward the chair's backrest.
If it weren't there, he could just lean back and endure the pressure—
But that thought died quickly.
Their relationship probably hadn't reached that stage yet.
Though, for some reason, he felt that with Konan's temperament… she might simply accept things in silence.
"Any problems?" he asked, flipping through the documents on the desk.
"No. Everything went smoothly," Konan replied coolly.
She had followed his advice and used the ninja approach—Genjutsu.
Any uncooperative noble in the Land of Rain was simply… persuaded into compliance.
The reason it took time was that she was also carefully selecting ambitious, capable individuals.
After all, even she didn't have enough chakra to maintain Genjutsu on everyone indefinitely.
"Mhm."
Kitazawa continued scanning the reports.
No message from Itachi.
It seemed the Ryūmyaku matter would have to wait a little longer.
At noon, Kitazawa returned to the Hokage Office.
The moment Tsunade saw him, she put down her documents, stood, and stretched lazily.
"I brought lunch."
He produced a storage scroll. "I went to your favorite izakaya and packed it myself."
"…Is there sake?"
Her eyes immediately lit up as she walked toward him.
"What, planning to take the afternoon off again?" Kitazawa asked as he crouched by the table, setting the food out.
"It's almost New Year's," Tsunade said, sitting down heavily. The cushions beneath her shifted instantly.
"There's not much going on."
"Then guess whether I bought sake or not," Kitazawa asked with a grin.
"Yes," she said confidently. "And if you didn't, you're going to buy some immediately."
"You're the Hokage. How can you be this unreasonable?" he sighed.
"I'm the Hokage," Tsunade replied smugly. "Why should I bother with reason?"
She extended her hand. "The sake."
"Here."
Kitazawa shook his head and handed her a bottle.
"Excellent."
A brilliant smile bloomed across her face. "I knew I wasn't wrong about you."
"Where's Shizune?" he asked, handing her a cup.
"Still buried in work," Tsunade said as she poured. "If she were here, I wouldn't drink."
"Fair enough."
Kitazawa picked up his chopsticks. "Casino this afternoon?"
"I've already taken the day off—where else would I go?"
A spark of excitement flickered in her eyes. "I'm winning back everything I lost last time."
"Mhm. Good luck," he replied flatly.
"What kind of reaction is that?" Tsunade glared. "You don't believe in me?"
"I'm your student," Kitazawa said solemnly. "Of course I believe in you."
"Hmph. I'll let it slide—for the sake of this bottle."
She drained the cup in one go, exhaled deeply, and smiled. "Good sake."
"It's the most expensive one in Konoha," Kitazawa reminded her.
"You really are a good student."
She lifted her pale chin slightly, poured another cup, and held it out.
"Come. Let me feed you."
"You're drunk after one cup?" Kitazawa shook his head.
"If I drink, Shizune will definitely get suspicious when I ask for leave."
"Oh—right."
Tsunade immediately drank it herself. "I'll treat you next time I actually have free time."
They finished lunch quickly.
"Why are you staring at me?" Tsunade asked, her cheeks faintly flushed.
She was still perfectly lucid—but the alcohol had softened her, lending her a languid, almost dangerous charm.
"Nothing," Kitazawa said with a smile. "I'll go ask Shizune for leave."
Tsunade leaned back on the sofa, eyes closed.
"Want to take a nap?" Kitazawa asked when he returned.
"No need."
She sprang to her feet, energized once more. "I'm fired up. Ready to sweep the casino clean!"
Kitazawa twitched at the corner of his mouth.…Didn't she know who was about to be slaughtered?
Night fell.
No miracles occurred that afternoon.
After suffering a crushing defeat, Tsunade reluctantly followed Kitazawa back home.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
December 27th—Hinata's birthday.
Because it was an evening banquet, Kitazawa wasn't in any particular rush to head to the Hyuga Clan compound.
As usual, he first went to the Academy.
Just like every other day, he corrected flaws in the Genius Class students' training, then found a quiet spot to practice Wood Style: Impalement jutsu.
By dusk, he arrived at the Hokage Office.
This year, the Hyuga Clan didn't hold a grand celebration for Hinata's birthday. Instead, it was a small, internal family dinner.
The only guests were Tsunade and Kitazawa.
The reason was simple: the Improved Caged Bird Seal—now officially renamed the Seal of Protection.
As its creator, Kitazawa held the most direct credit.
As Hokage, Tsunade had supported the reform from behind the scenes. Even without appearing publicly, her contribution was undeniable.
"It's time for dinner, Tsunade-sensei."
Kitazawa opened the door but remained at the threshold, calling out.
"Let's go."
Tsunade stood and walked toward him. Her work had been finished for a while now.
"Mhm."
Kitazawa nodded and casually closed the door behind them.
"Have you noticed the recent movements in the Land of Rain and the Hidden Rain Village?" Tsunade asked suddenly.
"You mean them selling rainwater to the Land of Wind?" Kitazawa replied.
He wasn't surprised she knew. With activity on that scale, any competent intelligence network in Konoha would notice.
"Mhm."
"Are you worried about Hanzō?" Kitazawa asked immediately.
Though Hanzō was already dead, only a handful of people knew the truth.
"Hanzō was ambitious, powerful, and dangerous," Tsunade said. "Yet after the Second Shinobi World War, he went silent. Selling rainwater is the first major move he's made in years."
Kitazawa thought it was an amusing coincidence—but Tsunade's concern was reasonable.
From Konoha's perspective, the Land of Rain's sudden economic activity was highly suspicious.
"Have the ANBU investigate his current situation," Tsunade instructed. "They can disguise themselves as merchants."
The Land of Rain had long been closed off. Konoha's spies had lost contact decades ago.
Someone like Hanzō, once powerful enough to name the Sannin, wouldn't remain docile for twenty years without reason.
"After the New Year, I'll assign ANBU to look into it," Kitazawa replied after some thought.
He could use this chance to ease Tsunade into understanding the Akatsuki's situation.
The two talked as they walked, soon arriving at the Hyuga Clan compound.
"Hokage-sama."
Hiashi, waiting at the entrance, greeted her promptly.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Hinata and Hanabi called out together.
Neji followed a beat later.
"Hiashi, it seems you won't need to worry about the Hyuga Clan's future," Tsunade said, smiling. "Three geniuses at once."
"You flatter us, Hokage-sama," Hiashi replied modestly. "Hanabi is still young—we can't judge her talent yet."
"With an older sister like that, she won't be lacking," Tsunade said lightly.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Hanabi replied brightly.
Hinata flushed slightly at the praise.
"When the time comes, I'll have to trouble you to teach her as well," Hiashi said, turning to Kitazawa.
He was, of course, referring to the Genius Class.
Although he wished Kitazawa could personally mentor Hanabi, he knew how rare true legacy disciples were.
"I will," Kitazawa said, gently patting Hanabi's head.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" Hanabi beamed. "I'll work hard to catch up to my sister!"
"Please, come inside," Hiashi said, gesturing.
The living room immediately revealed a massive dining table, covered in dishes and wine.
Hanabi eagerly tugged Kitazawa inside, while Hinata watched with a trace of envy.
She'd grown more confident—but still couldn't be quite that carefree in front of everyone.
"Is it just the seven of us?" Tsunade asked in surprise.
"Yes," Hiashi replied. "A child's birthday needn't be extravagant."
"This is already more than enough," Tsunade said, eyeing the spread. "I doubt we'll finish it."
"That's not necessarily true," Kitazawa said, glancing at Hinata.
Hinata lowered her head shyly, fingers fidgeting.
"Growing children should eat well," he added.
Tsunade suddenly remembered Hinata's infamous appetite.
"Shall we begin?" Hiashi asked.
"I'm the guest," Tsunade waved. "I'll follow your lead."
With that, the dinner began.
Sake flowed, the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
By the end of the meal, however, Kitazawa was the one who suffered.
Tsunade had drunk far too much.
Unable to walk steadily, she ended up on his back.
Worse still, she was restless—shifting constantly.
The warmth, weight, and faint scent of alcohol made Kitazawa dizzy.
Fortunately—thankfully—Shizune arrived and took Tsunade away.
He was finally saved.
With Hinata's birthday over, the New Year arrived.
Though there was a holiday, Kitazawa found himself dragged to the casino every single day.
Even Kurenai complained that Tsunade occupied more of his time than she did.
But Tsunade was the Hokage—there was little she could say.
Besides, Kitazawa made sure to properly make it up to her at night.
Once the New Year ended, Tsunade and Shizune returned to work.
And the Genius Class welcomed the start of a brand-new term.
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