Kitazawa nodded slightly.
Hinata did not infuse her Chakra when using the bow; in other words, this was the bow's inherent power.
However, the bow's focus wasn't on power, but on speed. The 800-meter distance was covered almost instantaneously.
Kitazawa felt that aside from Jonin and some capable Chunin, other Ninja would find it difficult to react in time.
If used in a sneak attack, even some slightly weaker Jonin might be taken out. High speed also compensates for the bow's shortcomings.
"Since the bow is in hand, we will return to Konoha Village today." Kitazawa paused, then said, "Neji, your bow will require another half a month of waiting. I will give it to you then."
Neji nodded expectantly. According to Kitazawa, all four bows were crafted from fragments of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
This meant his bow was the same as Hinata's. With such a powerful bow, if he got his hands on it, he might be able to continue competing for first place in the Genius Class.
With good luck, defeating Sasuke and Naruto would not be a problem. In terms of the arrogance of a genius, Neji was actually similar to Sasuke; he was unwilling to be inferior to others.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!" Hinata said gratefully.
She liked this bow very much, firstly because it could enhance her strength, and secondly because it was a gift from Kitazawa.
However, it would be difficult for her to repay such a valuable gift.
"You can give it a name." Kitazawa stroked her head and reminded her.
"A name?" Hinata fell into thought.
"No need to rush; we can think about it as we walk." Kitazawa withdrew his hand, exchanged greetings with Itachi, and then took his four students onto the road home.
That evening, they entered the Land of Wind.
As before, Kitazawa once again used Wood Release: Four Pillar House.
After eating dinner, he took Hinata to a nearby riverbank.
As for the other three students, they were not asleep but were training and learning Ninjutsu on their own.
"Give the bow to me." Kitazawa stretched out his hand and said.
Hinata immediately placed her bow in his hand. Kitazawa grasped the bowstring and slowly drew it back.
The Yin Release Arrow appeared on the bowstring, but he did not release his grip. Because he wanted to test his bow's Secret Technique.
The first bow Secret Technique was Spiral Arrow. Kitazawa pondered briefly and thought of Rasengan.
Rasengan involves rotating and highly compressing Chakra; setting aside the compression, the principle is similar to Spiral Arrow.
With a thought, Kitazawa channeled Chakra from his hand. The Chakra spread along the Yin Release Arrow, quickly covering it.
Kitazawa looked at a fish in the river, then released his hand. The Yin Release Arrow flew out, rotating wildly under the influence of the Chakra.
With a boom! When the Yin Release Arrow entered the river water, the water was lifted by its rotational force, creating splashes.
The fish targeted met the same fate, instantly exploding.
Hinata couldn't help but show a shocked expression. Did this bow have such a usage?
[Current system mission: Create the first bow Secret Technique.]
[Mission Reward: Gentle Fist: Twin Lion Fists.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
The system was timely as always. Kitazawa looked at the three lines of text before him, processing the large amount of information being inserted into his mind.
He wondered if there would be any related system missions later on.
"I call it Spiral Arrow." Kitazawa looked at Hinata and introduced it.
The principle of the Spiral Arrow is very simple: using the Chakra to make the Yin Release Arrow rotate. However, learning it effectively is not so simple.
Although it does not involve changes in Chakra nature, it requires good Chakra control and Chakra shape transformation.
Kitazawa could learn it easily because he possesses Master-level Chakra control and Chakra shape transformation.
Hinata does not. Fortunately, she has the Byakugan, and with the Byakugan's assistance, performing Chakra shape transformation will be much easier.
For example, Gentle Fist: Twin Lion Fists was used by Hinata in the original story. And this Gentle Fist involves Chakra shape transformation.
"Come, try it out." After explaining for half an hour, Kitazawa returned the bow to Hinata.
Hinata nodded nervously.
Under Kitazawa's gaze, she drew the bowstring. Chakra surged from her small hand, covering the bowstring.
Hinata released her grip, and the Yin Release Arrow flew out, but the expected rotation did not occur; it was merely a bit more powerful.
She froze for a moment, looking at Kitazawa with embarrassment.
"If you succeeded on the first try, wouldn't I be out of a job?" Kitazawa pinched her cheek and said, "Continue."
Hearing this, Hinata let out a sigh of relief. She nodded happily and raised the bow again.
An hour later, Kitazawa stopped her training. Drawing and shooting the bow while simultaneously controlling Chakra requires multitasking, which is much more tiring than usual training.
"Today's training ends here." Kitazawa glanced at her slightly trembling arm and said, "You should rest for fifteen minutes after every half hour of practice."
"I understand, Teacher Kitazawa." Hinata nodded obediently.
Both of her arms, especially her right arm, indeed felt a wave of soreness and numbness; if she continued practicing, she probably wouldn't even be able to draw the bowstring.
"Give me your hand." Kitazawa grabbed her wrist and said, "Don't move."
A light green Chakra glowed. Hinata immediately felt warmth in her arm. She looked at Kitazawa and said shyly, "Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa."
"Alright, go back and rest." Kitazawa released her hand and said with a smile.
The two returned to the wooden dwelling.
Neji and Tenten were still training.
Kitazawa subconsciously raised his head and saw Konan sitting on the roof. Her long legs were dangling and swinging slightly in the air.
Kitazawa guessed her purpose. She was waiting for him to say goodbye before returning to the Akatsuki.
Kitazawa pushed open the door. Because there was no electricity, the room was quite dim.
He took out a candle, placed it on the table, and lit it using Fire Release.
"Go to sleep early." Kitazawa smiled and said, "As for archery, don't rush. You can practice slowly once we return to school."
"Good night, Teacher Kitazawa." Hinata looked at him and said.
Kitazawa closed the door and walked toward the rooftop.
"Kitazawa." Konan heard the footsteps, stood up, and greeted him.
"Are you planning to return to the Akatsuki tonight?" Kitazawa asked directly.
"Mhm." Konan nodded and said.
"Alright then." Seeing this, Kitazawa said nothing more.
Konan took a step back, and paper sheets appeared out of thin air, forming a pair of white wings behind her. She leaped up, spread her wings, and flew toward the Akatsuki.
"Being able to fly is really great." Kitazawa couldn't help but sigh.
The night deepened.
Yakumo and Neji stopped their training and returned to their rooms to sleep.
They woke up the next day, ate breakfast, and continued their journey. As before, they spent about three days traveling.
They had departed last Friday, and by the time they returned to Konoha Village, it was already Sunday of the new week.
Six days of round-trip travel plus three days waiting for the bow to be reforged in Takumi Village totaled nine days.
[Current system mission: Secretly control Takumi Village and become the master of Takumi Village.]
[Mission Reward: Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
While on the road, Kitazawa also completed a system mission incidentally. Of course, to be more accurate, Itachi helped him complete it.
Once Kitazawa mastered the Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon, he understood why Orochimaru and Senju Hashirama used Triple and Quintuple, respectively.
The reason lay in the difference in Chakra reserves.
Rashomon consumes an enormous amount of Chakra; a normal top-tier Jonin or Kage can summon at most the Triple version.
Only someone with the Chakra reserves of Senju Hashirama could summon the Quintuple Rashomon.
Naturally, high Chakra consumption also means the Rashomon's defense is astonishing.
In the original work, Summoning Technique: Quintuple Rashomon could even alter the trajectory of the Tailed Beast Ball from the Nine-Tails controlled by Uchiha Madara.
Kitazawa naturally cannot currently use Summoning Technique: Quintuple Rashomon, but Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon is already enough.
In addition, he automatically mastered Summoning Technique: Single Rashomon and Summoning Technique: Double Rashomon.
Theoretically, if he had enough Chakra, he could also directly use Summoning Technique: Quintuple Rashomon.
"You all go back and rest." Kitazawa waved his hand and said, "The ranking for this Monthly Exam will be announced tomorrow morning."
There was no need to ask; the other five student teams had undoubtedly completed their missions and returned to Konoha Village. Their team was undoubtedly the last.
After Kitazawa watched Neji and the others leave, he turned and went to the Hokage Building.
He had been delayed for so long this time, and coupled with the conflict with Takumi Village, he needed to inform Tsunade.
---
Hokage Office.
As Kitazawa was about to knock, ANBU Ninja Haru blocked his way.
"Lord Kitazawa." Haru hesitated for two seconds and said, "Inside is Hokage-sama's clone."
"Clone?" Kitazawa couldn't help but smile, "It seems she also knows that her Shadow Clone won't work for her."
Shadow Clones have independent consciousness. Generally speaking, if the original body doesn't want to do something, the Shadow Clone feels the same.
"Hokage-sama left an hour ago." Haru continued, "She didn't tell me where she went."
Where else could she go? It must be the Casino.
Kitazawa turned and left the Hokage Building, heading towards the Konoha Casino.
Since its opening, the Konoha Casino's business has been booming. The reason was its novel gameplay and excellent service.
When other Casinos in Konoha Village realized this, they tried to imitate it, but they were always a step behind, and their business was far from what it used to be.
After entering the Konoha Casino, Kitazawa went to the second floor. He looked left and right and found Tsunade.
She wasn't gambling at the card table this time but was playing a slot machine.
Kitazawa walked over. Tsunade was playing very seriously and didn't even notice he had walked behind her.
Kitazawa reached out and patted her on the shoulder.
"Who?" Tsunade jumped in surprise, only to sigh in relief when she realized it was Kitazawa.
"Your reaction is like someone who's done something guilty." Kitazawa blinked and said, "I should have known to tell Shizune-senpai to come along."
"You dare?" Tsunade glared at him, her tone threatening.
"Don't you want money?" Kitazawa bent down, leaned close to her, and asked with a smile.
"That's my money to begin with." Tsunade subconsciously averted her gaze to the slot machine, emphasizing.
"I feel like my luck is very good today." Kitazawa reached out, took her hand, and said, "Don't move, I'll help you play."
Tsunade's heart trembled slightly; the warmth from her right hand made her feel a little uncomfortable and strange.
Just then, the slot machine shook violently, and the patterns on it turned into three sevens. A large number of coins rolled out.
"How about it? Isn't my luck very good?" Kitazawa turned to look at her and asked.
Tsunade suddenly remembered playing slot machines with Kitazawa a long time ago.
More precisely, it was a bet: if Kitazawa won, she would help him with something, and that something was saving Yakushi Nono and Yakushi Kabuto.
"So-so," Tsunade said stubbornly.
"Then you play?" Kitazawa looked at her and asked.
"No rush to gamble, when did you get back?" Tsunade's mouth twitched as she asked.
"Just got back." Kitazawa sat beside her but didn't let go of her hand; instead, he casually played with it.
Her hand was very smooth, soft, and tender to the touch. Kitazawa couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of the Yin Seal. No matter the age, it would maintain its peak state.
Kitazawa suddenly thought of himself. He learned the Yin Seal at twenty-one, which meant that until he died, his physical appearance could remain at twenty-one.
This was simply... wonderful!
"What do you need me for?" Tsunade let him knead her hand, her expression normal as she asked.
"Just to report the mission situation to you." Kitazawa recounted everything that had happened in the past few days.
"You controlled Takumi Village?" Tsunade felt surprised.
Takumi Village had been cutting corners in making Ninja tools for Konoha Village, so Kitazawa's actions to discipline them were indeed well-founded and beyond reproach.
However, controlling Takumi Village seemed a bit inappropriate in her opinion. After all, it didn't align with Konoha Village's usual conduct.
"I made this decision for strategic purposes." Kitazawa explained, "By controlling Takumi Village, we can ensure that Konoha Village's Ninja tool supply won't have problems."
"But what about other Ninja Villages?" Tsunade pondered for a moment and said, "If other Ninja Villages find out, they definitely won't let us have our way."
"Don't worry, our Konoha Village won't interfere with Takumi Village." Kitazawa shook his head and said, "I just had Itachi cast a Genjutsu suggestion on the Four Symbols Heavenly Humans."
"Mangekyo Sharingan?" Tsunade was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "In that case, it indeed won't be easily discovered by other Ninja Villages."
"I thought you'd blame me for acting on my own." Kitazawa chuckled and said.
"You were also thinking of Konoha, and Takumi Village was in the wrong first." Tsunade paused, then reminded him, "Just don't become like Danzo Shimura."
Although she suspected Kitazawa intentionally used the Box of Ultimate Bliss as bait, no matter what, Konoha Village was in the right.
Of course, she was also biased; having gone to such lengths, she couldn't possibly blame Kitazawa for it.
"I'm not the kind of person Danzo is," Kitazawa said seriously.
"Mm." Tsunade pulled her hand away and said, "You've just returned and worked hard, go back and rest."
"You're not gambling anymore?" Kitazawa asked, somewhat surprised.
"I'm gambling, not you." Tsunade glared at him and said, "My luck isn't that bad!"
"Alright then." Kitazawa kissed her on the forehead, stood up, and then made a run for it.
"Do you want to die?"
Tsunade froze for a few seconds, then reacted and immediately raged. But Kitazawa had already disappeared.
Tsunade pouted, then turned back to the slot machine. She mumbled, "I'll see if your lucky kiss works."
---
Time came to the next day, Monday.
As Kitazawa expected, his student team was the last to return to Konoha Village.
"Kitazawa-senpai." Iruka saw him and came to greet him.
"Iruka, good morning." Kitazawa greeted him with a smile.
"These are the scores from Third Hokage-sama and the others; I've already compiled them into a table, just missing your four students." Iruka handed him a scroll and said.
"Thank you." Kitazawa opened the scroll and began to read.
There were quite a few students with perfect scores this time, but Shikamaru was not among them. It seemed the first place in the final ranking would once again belong to Neji.
After reading, Kitazawa walked towards Hiruzen and Kakashi, among others.
"How is it? Who's in first place?" Chen asked curiously.
"Neji," Kitazawa replied.
"It's Neji again?" Hiruzen chuckled and said, "Kitazawa, don't play favorites."
"Third Hokage-sama, I have always been fair and just," Kitazawa said with a serious expression.
If he really played favorites, he would have let Hinata take first place.
"I trust you." Hiruzen just said it casually.
He didn't think Kitazawa would manipulate such matters behind the scenes.
Because there was no need. And no matter who got first place, it was the same for Kitazawa. Did he get an extra reward if Neji or Sasuke got first place?
Nine in the morning.
Kitazawa finished chatting with Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kurenai, and others, and walked in front of the Genius Class. He picked up the report card and began to announce the rankings for this month's Exam.
"Another Monthly Exam where I missed first place." Kiba already knew his mission score, so he wasn't surprised.
"If you improve your theoretical exam ranking by a few spots, your chances will be greater," Hana suggested.
"Forget it, I think improving the theoretical exam ranking is even harder." Kiba quickly shook his head and said.
"I think so too!" Rock Lee gave a thumbs up and said, "Youth is truly bittersweet!"
"..." Kiba's mouth twitched.
Your theoretical exam ranking is always at the bottom; how do you manage to be so self-righteous?
"Congratulations, Neji!" Tenten said with a beaming smile.
"It's just that Sasuke happened to not be here." Neji said calmly, "I still need to work hard next time."
"Neji, let's work hard together!" Rock Lee heard this and said again, "This is youth!"