"Kitazawa-sensei, where did you find such a huge summoning beast?"
Naruto practically bounced with excitement, eyes sparkling.
"Kitazawa-sensei! Are there more like that?" Kiba cut in impatiently, fists clenched. "I want one too!"
"Kiba," Hana warned with a sigh, "if Mom hears you say that, she'll beat you so badly you won't leave your futon for a week."
Though Shiromari looked terrifyingly strong, Hana still preferred her own ninken—her beloved Haimaru brothers, who had grown up by her side.
"I-I was just curious! Don't tell Mom!" Kiba hunched his shoulders, instantly backpedaling.
Kitazawa raised a hand, silencing their chatter. His tone grew firm. "Summons are a matter of fate. Finding another like that lizard is nearly impossible. More importantly, never forget—your own strength matters most. Relying on external things will only hold you back."
Kiba bobbed his head quickly. "R-right! I'm not jealous at all!"
"Eh? Then why did you just—" Naruto began, only to have Kiba slap a hand over his mouth.
"I was joking!" Kiba declared, face red.
Ino leaned forward with a sly smile, looping an arm through Kitazawa's. "Well, if Kiba doesn't want it, sensei… next time you find a summon like that, give it to me."
Hinata's lips tightened ever so slightly at the sight.
"We'll see," Kitazawa said, shaking her off gently. Then his expression turned serious. "For now, your focus should be next week's exam. Don't forget—anyone who ranks low can be challenged by students from other classes."
"Ah! Right!" Kiba stiffened, panic in his voice. "I don't want to get kicked out of the Genius Class!"
"Same here!" Naruto grinned wide. "I want to stay classmates with all of you forever!"
"…Why are you suddenly saying something so ominous?" Tenten muttered, uneasy.
"Youth is about embracing challenges!" Lee clenched his fists, eyes blazing. "I can't wait to take on challengers from other classes!"
"Are you already planning on coming in last?" Tenten deadpanned.
Lee scratched his head sheepishly. Truthfully, while his practical exams were solid, his written tests were another story…
"With our strength, there's little risk of being eliminated," Shino stated evenly.
Kitazawa clapped his hands once. "Enough talk. Let's train."
They reached the Academy's training ground. Kitazawa's voice rang out: "Neji, stay behind. The rest of you—join Kosuke-senpai and Kakashi."
The group dispersed. Neji lingered, curiosity flickering in his pale eyes.
"Kitazawa-sensei." His voice carried a rare edge of anticipation. Was he about to learn a new technique?
"Today's training will be more specific." Kitazawa smiled knowingly. "Don't you want to defeat Naruto? Then I'll fight you using the same ninjutsu he's learned."
Neji's heart stirred. He's tailoring his lesson just for me…
But before gratitude could settle in, Kitazawa's hands flashed through seals. A puff of smoke later—Naruto Uzumaki stood grinning before him.
The sight was… unsettling.
"Come." Kitazawa-as-Naruto beckoned.
Neji's expression hardened. He darted forward.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Kitazawa's shout rang out as thirty Narutos filled the field.
The voice gave him away. Neji's eyes narrowed, Byakugan pinpointing the true body. His palms blurred—
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
He surged straight for the real Kitazawa.
"Good. Decisive." Kitazawa didn't flinch. Instead—"Leaf Whirlwind!"
His leg shot out.
Neji's lips curled in the faintest smile. He drove a palm strike into the limb, forcing Kitazawa back two steps. Then he sealed a chakra point in the calf.
Kitazawa's leg faltered. His stance wavered.
Neji pressed forward, but forgot one detail—shadow clones.
"Leaf Double Whirlwind!"
Two clones spun in from both flanks. Neji barely blocked before Kitazawa's elbow slammed into his chest, knocking him flat.
The world spun. He staggered up, breath ragged.
"This," Kitazawa explained calmly, "is what Naruto would do. He'd fight head-on with his real body, trade blows without hesitation, then finish you off with clones."
"…Then how do I counter him?" Neji asked, voice humble.
"Either overwhelm him instantly… or use a feint."
Neji frowned. "Naruto's taijutsu isn't weak. Beating him before the clones move would be… difficult."
Kitazawa's smile widened. "Good. You understand your own limits. Then focus on deception. Stall him, create an opening, and finish it with Vacuum Palm. Remember—Naruto doesn't even know you have it."
Neji's eyes sharpened thoughtfully. It echoed his old strategy against Naruto… but this time, he had a new weapon.
"It's easy for me to say. Harder for you to do." Kitazawa's voice lowered. "You'll have to endure against his swarm of clones."
Neji nodded firmly.
"And one more thing—his Rasengan."
Neji stiffened.
Kitazawa's expression grew serious. "The Rasengan is deadlier than the clones. If it hits, the fight ends. But—" his smile returned—"it can't be fired from a distance. Naruto must conceal it in his hand. I'll play Naruto. You'll find a way to counter."
A shiver ran down Neji's spine. This wasn't training—it was preparation for the real thing.
If I can't win after this… I'd disgrace him as a teacher.
Resolving himself, Neji drew in a steadying breath, eyes burning with focus.
Kitazawa watched him and smiled faintly.
Against anyone else, these tactics might guarantee victory. But Naruto was… Naruto. He grew too fast. Once he tapped into the Nine-Tails, all of this would crumble.
Still, that was the future. For now—Kitazawa would sharpen Neji's blade.
Because among Naruto's generation, only Sasuke could stand beside him.
And the others? They'd need every advantage they could get.
Night had fallen.
Deep beneath the outskirts of Konoha, a Root base buzzed with activity long after hours.
Itachi moved like a shadow, slipping into the chamber where Root's most confidential documents were stored. A sealing barrier guarded the entrance—only Root operatives could pass.
Itachi's solution was simple. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life, seizing control of a Root shinobi. Using the puppetized ninja to bypass the barrier, he entered the archive and left his unwilling guard at the door.
Rows upon rows of documents filled the chamber. Itachi exhaled quietly, relief flickering in his eyes. Tracking down Shigaraki Tanuki's research site had been anything but easy. Root's network of underground bases was vast, each fortress heavily guarded, and every operative shackled by the cursed seal of the Absolute Tongue. Even if he controlled them with his dōjutsu, forcing answers risked Danzo noticing the curse's activation.
But persistence and strength had paid off. After tailing Root shinobi through countless missions, Itachi finally reached this den.
He advanced, riffling through reports. The deeper he read, the heavier his silence grew.
Human experimentation—gruesome, deranged, and systematic.
Experiments that even Tsunade would be compelled to investigate. And yet, despite the horrors recorded here, Itachi sensed something vital was missing.
Forming hand signs, he split into three shadow clones. Together, they combed the shelves until one discovery stopped him cold.
"Ushi-Oni. Lead researcher: Shigaraki Tanuki. Top Secret."
The words on the cover stirred a ripple of unease. He flipped the file open.
Failure. Failure. Failure. The log repeated the same grim refrain: On this date, the nth experiment failed due to chakra loss of control and resulting explosion.
"Explosion…" Itachi's eyes narrowed.
He had already researched Shigaraki Tanuki. The man was still recovering from devastating injuries at a Root medical site. Injuries caused, not coincidentally, by an explosion.
"This must be it."
Finally, a lead. At last, progress.
If there was an experiment, there had to be a laboratory. He scoured the base, circling again and again. No sign of a lab tied to Ushi-Oni.
"Hidden, then." His brow furrowed. The project must be restricted to an extremely small circle of insiders. Which meant only one path remained—waiting for Shigaraki Tanuki's return.
"I'll bide my time," he thought. Kitazawa hadn't set a deadline, and doing this cleanly would earn Tsunade's trust.
A new week dawned.
Tuesday morning, Kitazawa arrived punctually at the academy's training grounds, checking in on the Genius Class.
Sakura had already mastered Water Bullet and was beginning Water Formation Wall. Sasuke's Leaf-Style swordsmanship had reached the entry stage, with Leaf Style: Willow within his grasp by the monthly exam.
Kitazawa's own shadow clone had been practicing in sync with Sasuke. Once he grasped Willow, another mission of his system would be complete.
Naruto, Hinata, Yakumo, and Kiba showed little change for now.
At the artificial lake, Hana and Akimichi were in the midst of water-walking drills. Kitazawa studied them for a moment before calling out.
They hurried over, dripping wet.
"After a month of training, your chakra control has improved considerably," Kitazawa said with a smile. "You're ready for the next stage."
"Finally!" Chōji panted, wiping sweat from his brow. For him, tree climbing and water walking had been grueling torture. His heavier frame demanded far more chakra to balance. Hana, by contrast, handled it with ease, her stronger foundation as an older student shining through.
"Chōji, you'll move on to the Partial Multi-Size Technique," Kitazawa instructed. "You'll train at home for the next two days with your father."
Chōji perked up, only for Kitazawa's expression to harden.
"With your current control, you should master it within two weeks. If not…" Kitazawa let the words hang before delivering the strike. "You won't be allowed to eat potato chips at the Academy."
Chōji froze, eyes bulging like saucers. "What?! That's worse than death!"
In the next heartbeat, his despair ignited into fiery determination. "I'll master it, no matter what!"
Meanwhile, Hana's gaze turned sharp. "Kitazawa-sensei, what about me?"
The pressure of her younger brother's growth gnawed at her. The thought of Kiba surpassing her was unbearable. And with the Hell Hound technique he was training, it seemed inevitable.
A mission prompt appeared before Kitazawa.
[Mission: Help Inuzuka Hana develop a new ninjutsu.]
[Reward: 10% Senju Clan Bloodline.]
His heart leapt. A free gift from fate itself! But why would creating a jutsu yield Senju bloodline fragments? Could it be tied to Tobirama, the great inventor of jutsu?
He studied the three Haimaru siblings at Hana's side. Unlike Kiba, she already had her ninja hounds. Her current techniques—Four Legs Technique and Fang Over Fang—only allowed one hound to combine with her. The other two remained idle.
A spark lit in Kitazawa's mind. What if… Quadruple Fang Over Fang?
"Hana," he said at last, "I can modify your Fang Over Fang."
Her eyes widened. To her, the technique was already perfect.
"Fang Over Fang is strong, yes," Kitazawa explained with a sly smile, "but its creator never accounted for one thing—you fight alongside three hounds."
Her breath caught. "You mean—?"
"Exactly. I'll adapt the jutsu so that all four of you can unleash it together."
Hana's excitement burst forth. "Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" The Haimaru siblings barked in eager agreement.
"Bring me the jutsu scroll, and tomorrow I'll teach you the upgraded version. For today—keep water-walking."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Later, back in his office, Kitazawa and his clones labored deep into the night. Quadruple Fang Over Fang took form, a perfect gift for Hana—and a perfect reward for him.
[Mission Complete: Reward Issued.]
A smile crept across his face as the Senju bloodline coursed through him, chakra swelling within like a tide. Fatigue melted away, stamina surged, and his body brimmed with new strength.
Stretching, Kitazawa thought of Kurenai waiting at home. Tonight, he'd test just how far this new vitality could carry him.
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