"Tsunade? Which Tsunade?"
"Who else in the Hidden Leaf could it be? Obviously Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin!"
"What? Lady Tsunade actually came looking for Senior Kitazawa?"
After a brief silence, the first-year teachers all showed shocked expressions.
"Lady Tsunade."
A young instructor quickly stood up. "Senior Kitazawa is in the first office on the second floor."
Tsunade shut the door casually and headed upstairs.
She was about to push it open directly, but paused, thought for a moment, and knocked.
"Come in."
Kitazawa looked up.
He had just finished teaching Class 2-A and returned to the office to prepare materials for the final exams.
Compared to the monthly tests, finals were far more important.
And since it was his first time organizing them, he couldn't afford errors. Everything needed to be perfect.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Kitazawa was surprised to see her enter.
"Got time?" Tsunade asked bluntly. "We're going to see the old man."
"Sure."
A visit to the Hokage's Office wouldn't take long.
More importantly—he could finally claim his payment and the ninjutsu reward.
The two walked out.
"About last night… thanks, Kitazawa," Tsunade said after a hesitation.
"It was nothing," Kitazawa replied calmly.
Tsunade bit her lip, unsure how to continue.
Soon they reached the Hokage's office.
BANG!
Without hesitation, Tsunade kicked the door open.
"One of these days you'll scare me into a heart condition!" Hiruzen grumbled.
"No worries," Tsunade said dutifully. "I can treat you."
Hiruzen choked on his own breath and coughed violently.
"You'd live a few years longer if you smoked less," Tsunade said, snatching away his pipe.
"And I'd live a few more if you stopped stressing me out," Hiruzen retorted. "What brings you two here?"
"Here."
Tsunade tossed him a scroll.
"Memory-Seal Technique?" Hiruzen murmured after reading it. "How is this different from other memory-sealing jutsu?"
"First—no mental damage."
Tsunade held up three fingers.
"Second—it's permanent.
Third—the target knows their memory was sealed."
"That's… surprisingly humane."
Most memory-seal techniques were intended for combat, crude and full of side effects.
"You can both collect one million ryō from the ANBU later," Hiruzen said.
"One million isn't enough," Tsunade replied. "This involves fūinjutsu—at least B-rank difficulty."
"…One and a half million, then.
And Kitazawa can pick one B-rank jutsu."
Ever since Kitazawa mastered the Rasengan, Hiruzen already regarded him as legitimate high-level fighting power. Combined with his teaching ability and reliability, Hiruzen didn't mind strengthening him further.
"That's more like it."
Tsunade waved. "Let's go, Kitazawa."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Kitazawa bowed and followed her out.
"I'm taking seven hundred thousand."
As usual, Tsunade divided the reward almost in half.
Kitazawa didn't mind—she had done most of the work anyway.
"Tonight we'll review the new jutsu," Tsunade said cheerfully. "But for now… the casino awaits."
Kitazawa then followed the ANBU operative Haru to the jutsu vault.
He had already decided yesterday, so he chose Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere, a stronger variant of Vacuum Bullet—less speed, far more destructive power.
Back at the academy, he continued preparing exams.
By afternoon most preparations were complete—only the various teachers needed to draft their written questions.
[Current Task: Help Yamanaka Ino master Mind Body Switch Jutsu.]
[Reward: Mind Body Switch Jutsu.]
[Task Complete. Reward delivered.]
"So it's finally done?"
Kitazawa wasn't surprised—Ino had been training diligently.
Still, the technique's limitations were huge. Alone, it was risky.
Given her age, mastering it at all was impressive.
Future training would focus on refining Yin-Release chakra nature.
The same applied to Nara Shikamaru—he needed time to settle before tackling his clan's next secret jutsu.
Kitazawa opened his task list.
Two tasks were tied to final exams:
Help Naruto defeat Sasuke.
Have his class score first place overall.
And two tasks reserved for summer:
—Help Hinata defeat Neji.
—Help Sasuke defeat Neji.
In short—train Hinata and Sasuke intensively.
Kitazawa chuckled.
Everything targeted at Hyūga Neji.
Losing twice would absolutely crush his pride… but maybe it would trigger new tasks.
He also thought of Akimichi Chōji.
Shikamaru and Ino triggered tasks—why not him?
But the Akimichi clan was unique: overeating was their training.
That sparked an idea.
He recalled the "Giant Ramen Eating Contest" from Ichiraku in the original story.
Maybe something could be done with that…
Kitazawa stepped into the training field.
Haruno Sakura's progress in the Hemostasis Technique was rapid—she'd likely master it tomorrow.
After teaching her the Anesthetic Technique, he'd shift her to Yang-Release chakra training.
His newly acquired proficiency-level Yang-Release nature change would finally be useful.
He then went to guide Hyūga Hinata.
Evening came.
Thursday ended.
Kitazawa left the academy on time.
He arrived at Kurenai's home—but froze the moment he opened the door.
Behind it wasn't the entryway.
It was an endless starry sky.
Did I open the wrong way…?
He closed the door and opened it again—still, a brilliant cosmos.
After a moment he understood.
This was Yakumo's Kekkei Genkai: Terrifying Illusion Realm.
In the story, even Kurenai—already jōnin-level in genjutsu—was nearly killed inside it.
Kitazawa stepped inside.
Starlight drifted around him like fireflies—beautiful and dreamlike.
Soon he saw Kurenai and Yakumo sitting on a seaside shore, their shoes off, dipping their feet into shimmering jewel-like water.
"Over here, Kitazawa!"
Kurenai waved.
Kitazawa approached and realized the water itself was part of the illusion—sparkling like gemstones.
He sat beside Kurenai and placed his feet into the water.
A cool sensation ran up his legs—refreshing and surprisingly real.
"This is Yakumo's new ability," Kurenai explained. "She can create an illusion that becomes real—no matter how impossible it looks."
Kitazawa immediately thought of Itachi's Tsukuyomi—a world where the caster controlled everything, even time.
Yakumo's Terrifying Illusion Realm wasn't on that level, but it rivaled it in concept.
He glanced at the water.
Kurenai's legs were visible beneath the surface—pale and smooth like polished jade.
Kitazawa subtly shifted, bumping her leg lightly.
Kurenai shot him a look, silently telling him not now with Yakumo present.
He gave her an innocent smile and behaved.
Footsteps approached.
"So this is Yakumo's Kekkei Genkai?"
Tsunade looked around in awe. "No wonder Danzo wouldn't let this go."
Shizune was speechless—she had never seen such a vivid illusion.
And the scariest part—she never even realized she had been caught in a genjutsu.
"You two behave," Kurenai whispered sharply to Kitazawa, flustered.
Kitazawa simply nodded and shifted properly, keeping a respectful distance.
"Lady Tsunade, Shizune-senpai—come join us," he offered politely.
The two sat down, dipping their feet in the gem-bright water.
All five of them—except Yakumo—marveled at the beauty and realism of the illusion.
"For our next jutsu, we should model it after this kind of illusion," Tsunade said suddenly.
"Wouldn't that be extremely difficult?" Kurenai asked.
"There's an easier version," Tsunade said, lowering her legs and splashing water.
"We only need ten percent of this effect."
"And since our genjutsu is used for medical treatment," Shizune added,
"we only need to create a small, comforting illusion for the patient."
"That's a good idea," Kitazawa agreed.
For once, he could relax—there was nothing he could contribute to this type of genjutsu.