8:00 p.m.
Tsunade wrapped up her monster strength lesson.
Kitazawa dragged his exhausted body into Kurenai's house.
Without a word he flopped onto the couch, feeling completely drained—he didn't even want to lift a pinky.
Learning monster strength burns through both stamina and focus; even with his "cheat," he couldn't tough it out.
Honestly, the fact he lasted three hours had already made Tsunade look at him in a new light.
Soft footsteps approached.
Kurenai's beautiful face came into view.
She bent slightly at the waist, looking down at him from above.
Because of that movement, her loose top outlined more than a little.
"You've worked hard, Kitazawa," Kurenai said gently.
Monster strength training makes a lot of noise.
She'd noticed Tsunade teaching him outside long ago.
No need to ask—she knew learning monster strength is a form of torture.
"I'll give you a massage," Kurenai said after a moment. "Put your head on my lap."
She sat down on the couch as soon as she finished.
"Thanks."
Seeing this, Kitazawa didn't refuse.
Kurenai's thighs were wrapped in bandages.
Once he rested his head there, he discovered the view was… interesting.
He could follow the line of her abdomen all the way up to her face.
He thought of Tsunade.
If it were her, he probably wouldn't be able to see the face at all.
Kurenai placed her hands at his temples and began to press lightly.
Kitazawa closed his eyes, catching a faint, pleasant scent.
"Did Tsunade-sama take you on as her student?" Kurenai asked curiously.
You couldn't blame her for asking; outside of medical ninjutsu, Tsunade is most famous for her monster strength taijutsu.
No exaggeration—monster strength is one of her trademarks.
"No," Kitazawa answered.
"That is strange," Kurenai murmured. "She's already taught you so many jutsu."
"She's preoccupied with other things," Kitazawa said casually. "Once she works through them, she'll accept me."
"That's good," Kurenai said with a nod.
Kitazawa was her boyfriend now, so of course she wanted the best for him.
Becoming Tsunade's student would make that a lot easier.
"Turn on your side."
After ten minutes, Kurenai gave him a reminder.
Kitazawa complied at once.
"Face outward!"
Kurenai glanced down and immediately raised her voice.
Kitazawa, naturally, ignored her.
Lying on his side, he pressed his ear and cheek to her thigh, eyes aimed at her waist and stomach.
Unfortunately, her top was long, the hem down to her thighs, covering everything very securely.
"That'll teach you not to listen!"
A little annoyed, Kurenai reached out and scrubbed his face with her hand.
"I'm too tired to move," Kitazawa coughed lightly and said solemnly.
"Still so many excuses."
Kurenai looked a bit displeased, but kept massaging anyway.
Her nimble fingers glided slowly over his face and head, carrying a soft, soothing warmth.
"Kurenai, you're the best," Kitazawa said, moved.
"As long as you know," she huffed softly.
"I'll massage you next time," Kitazawa said, blinking.
"Pervert!"
Kurenai blurted out, "What massage? You're obviously just trying to take advantage!"
"I'm not that kind of guy," Kitazawa insisted. "I really mean an actual massage. If you don't believe me, try me."
"I'm not trying anything," Kurenai rolled her eyes. "I'm not falling for that bargain-bin provocation."
"As expected of you—smart and gorgeous," Kitazawa said, rolling with it.
"Why are you talking so much?" Kurenai's lips curved up slightly. "Turn over. I'll do the other side."
Kitazawa had no choice but to turn outward.
He couldn't see Kurenai now, but he could see the pale skin beyond the bandages on her thighs and the curve of her knee.
On impulse, he reached out and put his hand on her thigh.
"Don't mess around!"
Kurenai noticed at once and warned him quickly.
"This isn't messing around."
Kitazawa gave her thigh a playful squeeze and spouted nonsense with a straight face. "This is me repaying your kindness."
A strange sensation spread.
Kurenai's legs stiffened.
Her round, delicate toes curled up on reflex, then slowly relaxed.
"Jerk!"
Kurenai ground the words out between her teeth.
Her hands pressed harder.
But for Kitazawa, it wasn't a problem—if anything, it felt even better.
"That's enough! We're stopping here!"
After a bit more, Kurenai couldn't stand his wandering hand and ended the massage.
"Thanks."
Kitazawa sat up with a smile. "I feel totally refreshed now."
"Then go cook."
Kurenai pouted. "I'm hungry."
"Give me a sec."
Kitazawa stood, kissed her on the cheek, and headed for the kitchen.
Watching him go, Kurenai suddenly broke into a smile.
…
The next day arrived.
There wasn't as much to do as yesterday.
After arranging all the special training for his students, Kitazawa returned to the office.
He had two things to do today.
First, make practice tests for Karin.
Karin had a task: place in the top ten in the written finals.
Kitazawa's plan was simple.
As the head of academics, and after several monthly exams, he'd already figured out the first-year teachers' habits when writing tests.
Besides, there's only so much first-year material. He knew exactly what formats and topics they liked to test.
He planned to prepare five mock exams a week for Karin so she'd have homework on top of tutoring.
In a sense, it was cheating.
But whatever.
He'd only "cheat" this once.
It had been the same for Hyuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto before—once they finished their tasks, they stopped grinding practice papers.
Second, research a new secret technique for Inuzuka Kiba.
Writing tests wasn't hard—Kitazawa finished in an hour.
The new secret technique, though, wasn't so simple.
Fortunately, he wasn't inventing from nothing; he had two Inuzuka clan techniques to use as reference:
Beast Human Clone (D-rank), and Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf (B-rank).
He planned to modify the Beast Human Clone by blending in elements of the Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf.
He wasn't aiming for a B-rank jutsu, but at least a C-rank one.
Honestly, B-rank was too tough.
It would take him a ton of time to create, and a ton of time for Kiba to learn.
A C-rank would be just right.
The Inuzuka clan's secret arts fall under Yang Release because they involve the body.
Whether turning a human into a dog or a dog into a human, it isn't just surface-level—it's a true structural transformation.
Kitazawa's practiced Yang-nature chakra transformation really shone here.
And he already had a plan, so progress wasn't slow.
Tuesday passed, and Wednesday came.
"Kitazawa-sensei! I did it!"
As soon as Kitazawa got to the artificial lake, he heard Kiba's ecstatic shout.
He looked over on instinct—beside Kiba stood a shadow clone that looked exactly like him.
"Well?" Kiba asked impatiently.
"Not bad," Kitazawa said after a quick look. "You've learned the Shadow Clone Technique."
"I knew I was a genius!" Kiba said proudly.
"You're just getting started," Kitazawa shook his head. "You need to practice and split into more clones."
"I'm short on chakra," Kiba said, thinking of Naruto. "If I had as much chakra as he does, I'd definitely beat him."
"You've got quite the imagination," Kitazawa said, half laughing.
"People need dreams!" Kiba paused, then asked with bright eyes, "Kitazawa-sensei, is there any way to increase my chakra?"
"If I had a way, you think I'd let you have it first?" Kitazawa shot him a look. "Your chakra cap is innate. You can't change it."
In reality, there are ways—but they all have side effects.
Take the Hero Water from the Waterfall Village: drink it and your chakra increases—but at the cost of your lifespan.
Put simply, you trade HP for MP.
There's also an easier option: become a jinchūriki.
But there are only nine tailed beasts in the whole shinobi world—most people will never get that chance.
"All right, let's talk about your new secret technique," Kitazawa said, getting back on topic.
"Kitazawa-sensei, you already created it?" Kiba's eyes went wide, equal parts shock and delight.
"Mm," Kitazawa nodded.
"Kitazawa-sensei really can do anything!" Kiba couldn't help flattering him.
Getting those two clan techniques out to Kitazawa had taken real effort—after all, Kitazawa is an outsider.
Now that there was a new secret technique, it would definitely placate the grumbling in the clan.
Kiba could already picture their faces when they saw it.
"Which of you is going to be the ninja hound?" Kitazawa asked, looking left and right.
"The shadow clone, of course!" Kiba answered without thinking.
"I refuse," the clone said flatly.
"I'm the original—you have to listen to me!" Kiba looked baffled.
"Says who?" the clone snorted. "A shadow clone's life is still a life. My life, my rules!"
"I can dispel you any time!" Kiba threatened, face stinging.
"Shadow clones disappear in the end anyway," the clone said with a shrug.
"You… you…"
Kiba was speechless.
Kitazawa couldn't help laughing.
He'd known this would happen.
Shadow clones have independent consciousness.
They'll do normal tasks, sure—but being the dog… that's another matter.
Kiba instinctively looked to Kitazawa for help, eyes pleading.
"That's how shadow clones are," Kitazawa said, helpless. "You don't want to be the hound; neither does he. Theoretically you're the same person—of course you think alike."
"…"
Kiba's expression shifted through several phases before he finally ground his teeth and gave in. "I'll be the ninja hound!"
If he wanted a better rank in the finals, he had to pay the necessary price.
"This new secret technique is called Hellhound," Kitazawa said once they'd settled it, and began explaining his modification.
The principle was simple:
Have Kiba and his shadow clone fuse into a Double-Headed dog.
He'd even left room to upgrade.
In the future, if Kiba could make two clones—or if he had an actual ninken—he could transform into a three-headed hound.
That's why he named it Hellhound.
It's very similar to the Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf—basically a weaker version.
But the upside is you don't need a ninken to transform.
"Got it?" Kitazawa asked after half an hour.
"Yeah," Kiba nodded, letting out a breath.
Only after hearing it all did he realize he wouldn't be turning into a dog first—he was just filling the "ninken role."
In other words, he didn't need to transform into a dog before fusing.
"Let's start."
Kitazawa stepped back a few paces and watched Kiba and his clone.
The two Kibas stood facing each other and began forming hand seals at the same time.
Chakra surged and connected between them.
"Now!" Kiba shouted, charging forward. "Combine!"
His clone rushed to meet him, their bodies colliding as their chakra merged.
Within the chakra, both bodies vanished, replaced by a ferocious Double-Headed hound.
"Looks like a success," Kitazawa said, lifting a brow.
Only "looks," though.
A second later, the hound toppled over.
"Lead with the left leg first!" Kiba snapped. "How can you not even walk?"
"Why can't we lead with the right?" the clone shot back. "You're the one who can't walk!"
The two dog heads started bickering on the spot.
In the original Human Beast Combination Transformation, the ninja dominates the movement, so there's no coordination problem.
But now it was two people, each with their own ideas, so they couldn't control the shared body smoothly.
That's the hard part of Hellhound.
Watching the two dog heads argue was an eye-opener for Kitazawa.
But arguing alone wouldn't solve anything.
"Kiba, there's less than a month until finals!" Kitazawa reminded him.
"…"
Kiba fell silent at once.
"Don't forget—you're the ninken right now," the clone sniffed. "The hound listens to the ninja."
"Damn it!" Kiba ground his teeth. "Fine, you command!"
"That's more like it," the clone said, grinning.
I'll endure it, Kiba thought, fuming.
He also developed a grudge against the Second Hokage, Tobirama.
Why did shadow clones have to have their own will?
After watching a while, Kitazawa relaxed.
Now that Kiba had been forced into the "dog" role, he'd basically learned the Hellhound technique.
Of course, this was only entry level.
Their end goal was to fight while controlling the Double-Headed Hound.
That would take time to sync up.
Fortunately, they were more in tune than twins, being original and clone.
Kitazawa turned toward the lake and began practicing Water Style: Water Formation Wall.
…
Time flew, and afternoon arrived.
The last period was, as always, practical combat.
The two classes gathered on the field right on time.
"Do you know what day it is?" Naruto asked, itching to go.
"Wednesday," Kiba said, giving him a look and guessing his thoughts. "Which means another round of sparring tests."
"Exactly!" Naruto clenched his fist, excited. "Wonder who I'm up against today!"
"Could be Sasuke again," Shikamaru yawned lazily. Compared to Naruto's excitement, he was unbothered. Fighting wasn't fun at all.
"I won't lose again," Sasuke said out of nowhere.
His brother Itachi had taught him a Body Flicker variation.
Combined with the Sharingan, it made surprise attacks easy.
As long as Naruto couldn't react, he'd go down.
He wasn't fully fluent with Body Flicker yet, though.
"Totally!" Sakura chimed in. "Who keeps losing forever? Sasuke-kun will definitely beat you!"
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Please stop talking.
"With more than seventy students between the two classes, what are the odds you two match up again?" Ino glanced at Yakumo. "For all we know, Sasuke might draw Yakumo this time."
Sasuke held his tongue.
He wanted to talk big, but against Yakumo he wasn't confident.
That's how it is with genjutsu users—it's a battle of stats, or rather, Yin Release power.
Whoever gets caught in an illusion first has already lost half the fight.
If your "stats" are higher and you break the genjutsu, you can still win.
If your stats are lower too, you can only surrender.
Right now, Sasuke's "stats" couldn't match Yakumo's.
"It's just a spar," Chōji said casually. "No need to obsess about winning or losing."
"Chōji's right," Shikamaru nodded.
"Come up and draw lots," Kitazawa said with a smile, cutting off the chatter.
The two classes lined up at once.
"I'm number four," Yakumo said after drawing.
"Too bad," Naruto shook his head. "I'm seventeen."
"I'm four," Sasuke said after a long silence.
"Seriously? You actually matched?" Ino, playing the prophet, looked shocked.
"Please go easy on me," Yakumo said with a gentle smile.
"…"
Sasuke had no words.
"Students holding number four, to the ring, please," Kitazawa said, smiling.
Sasuke and Yakumo had been paired by design, of course.
The two walked slowly to the center.
"Begin," Kitazawa said once they formed the Seal of Confrontation.
Body Flicker!
Sasuke closed the distance without hesitation.
Yakumo was startled.
But she recovered instantly and cast a nightmare illusion.
Sasuke fell into it; Yakumo vanished from his sight. His ambush failed.
"So he learned Body Flicker too?" Kitazawa raised a brow, a little surprised.
To be fair, Sasuke's strategy was solid—most genjutsu users panic at close range.
But he ran into a stat monster. Yakumo didn't even need hand seals to cast genjutsu.
What followed was basically a repeat of the last monthly exam.
Sasuke tried everything but couldn't break Yakumo's illusion, and in the end, he just shut down completely.
"Everyone did well again today," Kitazawa announced after the final bout ended. "The next sparring test is on Friday. Use the time to prepare."
~~~
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