After Mei Terumī and the others left, the Ninja of Konoha Village immediately became lively.
Although they had all heard more or less about the genius names of Naruto and Sasuke, the shock of seeing them in person was entirely different.
Anyone who could become a Jonin was once a genius, wasn't he?
But this Genin Exchange Meet still gave them a huge impact—especially when compared to the geniuses from Hidden Mist Village, like Chōjūrō and Suigetsu.
Naruto and Sasuke could truly be called geniuses among geniuses.
"You all did very well."
Tsunade looked at Sasuke and the others, saying with satisfaction, "In this Genin Exchange Meet, you perfectly showcased the spirit of Konoha Village."
"Quickly, thank Hokage-sama," Iruka reminded them.
With his strength, he normally wouldn't be qualified to be a spectator, but since he was the teacher of the Genius Class, an exception was made for him.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Sasuke and the others said in unison.
"All five of you won, so you can each choose one B-Rank Ninjutsu," Tsunade said with a smile. "Go back and think about it, then tell your teacher, Kitazawa."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Sasuke and the others responded again.
However, for them, a B-Rank Ninjutsu was nothing. Winning against the geniuses of Hidden Mist Village was what truly excited them and brought them joy.
"Do you have anything else you want to say?" Tsunade turned to Hiruzen and the others and asked.
"Nothing to say," Hiruzen replied with a chuckle. "They all performed perfectly; there are no problems to pick out."
Shikaku and the others nodded in agreement.
"Today's Genin Exchange Meet concludes here."
Tsunade looked at Kitazawa and said, "The rest is up to you."
After she finished speaking, she and Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others left the Ninja Academy.
"I won't say any unnecessary words; I'm giving you two days off," Kitazawa said with a smile.
The students of the Genius Class immediately cheered.
Today was Thursday, so two days off meant a four-day long weekend.
They never expected that, besides Sasuke and the five who participated, even those who didn't attend the Genin Exchange Meet would receive a reward.
"Students who ranked in the top eighteen in the last Monthly Exam, don't forget that you have a mission on Saturday," Kitazawa reminded them.
"Having Grandpa Third lead the team is truly exciting!" Naruto immediately said, eyes shining. "I feel my youth burning brightly!"
Sakura nodded at his words. She was also very much looking forward to Saturday's mission.
Not only would the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, be leading the team, but Sasuke would also be her teammate. She felt that the pinnacle of her life was right here.
Sasuke was already thinking about how to outdo Naruto and make a big splash during the mission.
"Teacher Kitazawa leading the team is just as good!" Ino brushed her bangs aside and said, unwilling to be outdone.
"There's no point in competing over these things."
Kitazawa raised his hand, ruffled her head twice, and said with a smile, "Alright, you all go home."
"Goodbye, Teacher Kitazawa!"
The students of the Genius Class greeted him and then ran outside. The sudden four-day holiday made them feel like happy little butterflies.
"Wait for me, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out, but in the blink of an eye, Sasuke had already disappeared.
He was eager to go home and hear praise from his father and brother. He was so happy that he ran incredibly fast.
"Teacher Kitazawa, what mission are we going on this Saturday?" Ino asked curiously.
"Will we encounter a Jonin?" Kiba asked with an expectant look.
"We can't beat a Jonin," Tenten shook her head and said.
"Don't undermine our own morale!" Kiba grinned. "Even if we can't beat them, Teacher Kitazawa definitely can!"
"You're the ones taking the practical exam, not me," Kitazawa said, glaring at him.
Kiba scratched his head sheepishly, not daring to speak anymore. Although Kitazawa was usually very kind to them, for some reason, he found him quite frightening.
"We're going to the Land of Waves this Saturday," Kitazawa said after a brief pause. "As for the specific mission, I'll tell you when we get there."
"Where is the Land of Waves?" Kiba asked, somewhat confused. "How come I've never heard of that country?"
"It's a very small island nation," Ino replied. "It's normal that you haven't heard of it; I only heard my dad mention it once."
"Gather here at nine a.m. on Saturday," Kitazawa interrupted their conversation and said, "Everyone else go home; you all leave too."
The three of them—Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka, and Tenten—said goodbye to him and turned to leave.
[Current Mission: Make Hidden Mist Village lose five consecutive matches.]
[Mission Reward: 10% Byakugan purity.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
Kitazawa stood in place for a moment, and when no new prompts appeared, he couldn't help but sigh with regret.
It seemed that 60% Byakugan purity hadn't triggered any new abilities. He could only continue to wait for new missions to see what special abilities more Byakugan purity would bring.
Kitazawa handed the remaining matters over to Iruka and then went to the Hokage Office.
Tsunade seemed to be in a good mood, with a smile on her face. But that was normal.
Konoha Village had won a great victory in the Genin Exchange Meet, and as Hokage, she was naturally very happy.
"Mei Terumī and the others will return to Hidden Mist Village in two days."
Tsunade casually picked up a pen and asked, "Which five B-Rank Ninjutsu do you think we should ask them for?"
"They're all pretty much the same," Kitazawa said indifferently. "Just ask for any five B-Rank Ninjutsu."
Hidden Mist Village was most famous for its Water Release Ninjutsu. However, due to Senju Tobirama, Konoha Village's Water Release Ninjutsu was even superior to theirs.
Aside from that reason, Konoha Village had already obtained most of Hidden Mist Village's Ninjutsu.
These Ninjutsu were mostly obtained through war—more precisely, from the corpses of Hidden Mist Ninja.
Especially since Kitazawa had killed an Elite Jonin like Kurosuki Raiga, even Hidden Mist Village's iconic Ninjutsu, Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique, was among them.
"That's true." Tsunade nodded, pondered for a moment, and then wrote down five B-Rank Ninjutsu.
As for the five B-Rank Ninjutsu rewarded to Uchiha Sasuke and the others, there was no need to ask Hidden Mist Village for them; Konoha Village would provide them directly.
"That's it then." Tsunade casually handed it to Shizune and instructed, "Take this to Mei Terumī."
Shizune nodded, greeted Kitazawa, and then left.
"Teacher Tsunade." Kitazawa asked with a smile, "Didn't you forget something?"
"What is it?" Tsunade was stunned for a moment, thought carefully, but couldn't recall.
"Our bet." Kitazawa reminded her.
"You won, what do you want?" Tsunade twitched her lips and asked.
"Can I ask for anything?" Kitazawa blinked and asked.
"Of course not!" Tsunade's heart tightened as she said, "That depends on whether I'll give it!"
"As Hokage-sama, are you going to renege on a debt?" Kitazawa walked up to her.
"You tell me what you want first."
Tsunade met his gaze, instinctively wanting to turn her head, but ultimately resisted—feigning composure as she stared back at him.
Kitazawa looked at her and slowly bent down.
"You… what exactly do you want?" Tsunade felt an inexplicable panic as she watched Kitazawa gradually approach.
"A gift for you." Kitazawa's gaze drifted to the fair skin at her collar—it was curving slightly with her breathing.
"A gift?" Tsunade was a little confused. Wasn't he asking what I wanted? Why is he suddenly giving me a gift?
Kitazawa reached out his hand and placed it in front of her. His five fingers spread open, revealing a necklace.
Tsunade had originally worn the First Hokage's necklace, but she hadn't worn it since giving it to him.
Kitazawa had visited a jewelry store a while ago—of course, his purpose wasn't to buy Tsunade a necklace, but to survey the jewelry and precious metals market.
If all went as expected, the undersea exploration team would discover many ores on the seabed.
If gold, silver, and various gemstones were found, they could certainly be made into jewelry.
"I'll put it on for you."
Kitazawa held both ends of the necklace, threaded it through her golden hair, and fastened it behind her neck.
Tsunade looked at the face so close to hers, and her heart—for the first time in a long while—accelerated its beating. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she bit her lip.
"It's on. What do you think? Does it look good?"
Kitazawa looked down at the necklace that had fallen into the snowy white abyss and asked.
Tsunade didn't answer; she suddenly reached out and hugged his head.
Caught off guard, Kitazawa stumbled into her embrace. The warm and soft sensation made him instinctively widen his eyes. His vision was filled with pure white.
Now, he was enjoying the same treatment as the necklace.
"Thank you." A moment later, Tsunade let go.
But Kitazawa did not get up.
"Do you want to die?" Seeing that he was still buried in her arms, Tsunade clenched her fist and threw a punch.
Kitazawa quickly dodged backward. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead—he had almost been punched while flying.
Even though her chest was so impressive, she was so petty at this moment.
However, that brief hug made him feel that the distance between them had shortened considerably.
"If you have nothing else, go to Konoha Hospital for surgery!" Tsunade glared at him and said.
"Then I'll be going, Tsunade-sensei." Kitazawa smiled, turned, and left.
Tsunade watched his retreating figure, then reached out and clutched the necklace he had just given her.
The gem on this necklace was similar in color to the chakra crystal of the First Hokage's necklace—it was clear that Kitazawa had specifically chosen it.
The corners of Tsunade's mouth curled up slightly, and after putting down the necklace, she worked with more enthusiasm than usual.
---
Kitazawa arrived at Konoha Hospital.
An afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.
He had also successfully completed two Limb Regeneration surgeries for the Ninja of Konoha Village.
The next day, Friday.
Although he had given the students a holiday, Kitazawa still came to the Ninja Academy.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto, who was doing handstand sprints on the training ground, immediately greeted him.
Besides him, there were also Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Neji, and Ino Yamanaka, among others.
Except for Shikamaru, who was too lazy to come, all of Konoha 12 were present. This also included Yakumo, Hana, and Karin.
Kitazawa thought, As expected.
Sasuke and the others had been training with him daily before joining the Genius Class, making it a habit.
The other students in the Genius Class attended classes and had holidays normally, and did not come for extra training.
But it was good—those with both talent and the willingness to work hard would achieve far more than their counterparts in the original storyline.
"Ino." Kitazawa stood in place and watched for a while, then spoke.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Ino immediately stopped her training, ran to him, and asked with a smile, "Is there something you need me for?"
"You've pretty much mastered Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique, so you can learn the next Genjutsu."
Kitazawa smiled and said.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino exclaimed excitedly.
"This time, I'll teach you an advanced Genjutsu—the B-Rank Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death," Kitazawa said after a brief thought.
"B-Rank?" Ino's eyes widened.
"No confidence?" Kitazawa tapped her forehead and asked.
"No, I don't." Ino blinked and said playfully, "But I have confidence in Kitazawa-sensei!"
Kitazawa chuckled helplessly.
That phrase sounded very familiar. He often put pressure on his system that way. So, he had become Ino Yamanaka's cheat?
"You're the one learning, not me." Kitazawa glanced at her and said, "If you can't learn it, then you'll face the homework punishment."
"Kitazawa-sensei, no!" Ino immediately hugged his arm and pleaded pitifully.
"It depends on your performance," Kitazawa said, unmoved.
"Alright." Ino released his arm and stood properly.
Kitazawa began to explain Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death to her.
Perhaps not wanting to do extra homework, Ino listened very carefully and learned faster than before.
However, it was a B-Rank Genjutsu after all, and with her talent, it would be difficult to learn it in a short time.
Kitazawa told her to practice on her own, then found a place to learn the Five Elements Great Combo Technique.
Five in the afternoon.
Kitazawa took all his students to a barbecue restaurant.
"Thank you for your hard work today, Kitazawa-sensei."
Ino immediately picked up a piece of grilled beef and placed it on Kitazawa's plate. Her bright eyes looked at him, as if to say, Don't give her extra homework punishment.
Seeing this, Hinata also quickly placed a piece of grilled meat in Kitazawa's bowl.
"Thank you." Kitazawa smiled and said, "You can just grill and eat yourselves; you don't need to worry about me."
"How can we do that?" Kiba quickly said, "Kitazawa-sensei, you just eat, we'll do the grilling."
"I can grill too!" Naruto suddenly suggested, "Let's have a passionate, youthful barbecue competition!"
"I agree!" Rock Lee also got excited.
"Let's not make a competition out of grilling; if we grill too much, it'll be a waste." Tenten shook her head and said.
"With Choji and Hinata here, how could there be any waste?" Naruto retorted.
"..." Tenten was speechless for a moment.
"No problem, leave it all to me!" Akimichi Choji grinned.
Eating barbecue and having someone grill for him for free — this was truly too blissful!
"Then let's do it." Sasuke said calmly, "Even if it's a barbecue, I'll still come in first."
"Sasuke-kun, I support you!" Sakura said without hesitation.
A barbecue competition thus began.
"Hinata, why are you still using your Byakugan?" Ino quickly noticed the problem.
"No one said we couldn't use Byakugan."
Neji also activated his Byakugan. Since Sasuke and Naruto were vying for first place, he naturally wouldn't fall behind.
"Damn it!" Kiba was so angry that he wanted to use the Shadow Clone Technique.
But then he remembered that Naruto could use Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, so he chose to give up. After all, if he really used Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, then everyone else wouldn't have any fun.
"Sasuke, you're actually using Fire Release?"
Kiba noticed the sudden rise in temperature on his left. He turned his head and saw Sasuke continuously outputting Fire Release Chakra with his left hand.
"You can use Fire Release too," Sasuke said in a calm tone.
"Kiba, I'll help you with Wind Release!" Naruto immediately said.
"Wait!" Kiba quickly stopped him, saying, "Your Wind Release will only blow out the fire!"
Although Naruto could use Wind Release, his Chakra control was not very good, and he could easily cause more harm than good.
"I declare the winner of this barbecue competition to be Sasuke."
Two hours later, Kitazawa said with a wry smile.
"That's cheating!" Kiba was very unconvinced.
"Winning is winning, losing is losing," Sasuke said indifferently.
"Next time, you guys need to clarify the rules beforehand," Shikamaru said nonchalantly.
Although he hadn't participated in the training, Kitazawa had still called him along. As for this so-called barbecue competition, he was simply participating for the sake of it, remaining unhurried from beginning to end.
"Alright, after the barbecue, everyone go home." Kitazawa stood up and said, "I'll see you back."
The night passed uneventfully, and a new day dawned — Saturday.
Kitazawa did not rush to the Ninja Academy, but instead went to the ANBU Base.
"Kitazawa." Konan was already waiting in his office. After she joined the Anbu, Kitazawa had arranged a dormitory for her at the ANBU Base.
"Good morning." Kitazawa nodded, then asked, "Has Yamato returned?"
The Anbu squad that departed with Shibi Aburame's underwater exploration team was led by Yamato. The reason was that Yamato's Wood Release could help them establish strongholds more quickly.
"He came by once before, but you weren't here." Konan took out a scroll and said, "This is what he left for you."
Kitazawa took the scroll, opened it, and began to read.
The scroll detailed Kado's situation. It was similar to the original storyline, but more detailed.
The Land of Water was indeed behind him.
However, contrary to his assumption that the Land of Water controlled Kado, Kado had bribed officials in the Land of Water to gain some support.
No wonder after Kado's death in the original storyline, the Land of Waves regained its freedom, and the Land of Water did not intervene.
This made things convenient for Kitazawa.
However, even if the Land of Water had controlled Kado, no one would dare to trouble him, given the Hidden Mist Village's disastrous defeat.
"Do you need me to call Yamato over?" Konan looked at him and asked.
"No need." Kitazawa shook his head and said, "This information is sufficient."
Konan said nothing more upon hearing this.
"Let's go." After reading the scroll, Kitazawa said, "You're coming with me to the Land of Waves."
Although Konan was puzzled, she still agreed.