Two days later, the Box of Ultimate Bliss was delivered to the Anbu base.
Kitazawa immediately summoned Konoha's well-known blacksmiths and ninja-tool shop owners—all told, about eighteen people. He knew two of them: Tenmura, Tenten's father, and Granny Cat, who specialized in supplying the Uchiha with tools and intelligence.
"I want you to dismantle this box and reforge it into new ninja tools," Kitazawa said evenly. "I'm willing to pay thirty million ryō."
A stir rippled through the crowd. In the shinobi world, the only tools that cost over ten million ryō were those made with chakra metal. You had to add a lot of chakra metal to reach thirty million.
But Kitazawa hadn't said a word about using chakra metal—only about reforging. A thirty-million-ryō reforged tool was unheard of, which was why everyone was so surprised.
Still, Kitazawa wasn't the type to throw money around. If he offered thirty million, he had his reasons. And his name carried weight.
"Kitazawa-sama," Tenmura asked, "may we examine the box first?"
"Of course." Kitazawa raised a hand. "Please."
Everyone crowded forward at once. Whether for the thirty million or to build rapport with a Konoha higher-up like Kitazawa, this was work worth doing—and a bargain, really. The premise, of course, was that they could actually reforge the box into tools.
Kitazawa stood back and watched them inspect the Box of Ultimate Bliss. He'd offered thirty million partly because he could afford it, and partly because reforging the Box would truly be difficult—worth the money.
"This tool feels… unusual," a middle-aged man muttered after a look.
"Anything Kitazawa-sama produces is bound to be extraordinary," Tenmura said, stepping up and placing a hand on the box. A chill shot through him, but that was the only effect.
"What is this material?" Tenmura stroked the surface, astonished. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Me neither," Granny Cat said, tapping the box with her pipe. "Very peculiar stuff."
"Don't worry about what it is," Kitazawa reminded them. "If you can reforge it into tools, that's enough."
"As long as we can get it apart, reforging won't be a problem," Tenmura said after a moment's thought.
"How many tools do you think this box could make?" Kitazawa asked.
"What is Kitazawa-sama hoping to make?" Tenmura replied. "Different tools consume different amounts of material."
"Bows," Kitazawa said.
"Bows?" Tenmura couldn't help his surprise. Very few shinobi used bows.
"If it's bows, we could probably make four," Granny Cat said after a puff on her pipe.
"About that," Tenmura agreed, glancing over the box. The two had reached the same conclusion.
Kitazawa was taken aback. Four? The system mission he'd triggered was to make two Yin-Release bows; he'd assumed that was the limit. Four was a pleasant surprise; no need to overthink it.
One for Hyuga Hinata, one for Hyuga Neji. With his Byakugan, he could use one himself. As for the last… Kitazawa rubbed his chin, thinking of Hyuga Hanabi. She was still young, so there was no rush; he could hold it for now.
And a bow alone wouldn't do—you needed arrows. The best plan was to seal a Yin-Release creature inside the bow and extract Yin arrows from it. For now, they had only Satori, maybe the Zero-Tails from the Land of the Sky as well.
"Try disassembling it first," Kitazawa told them. "The first four who manage to open it may each craft one bow."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sama," they answered in unison.
"If you need anything, contact me through the Anbu." With that, Kitazawa left the base. Whether forging or reforging, it would take at least a month or two; there was no need for him to hover.
[Current Mission: Secretly take control of Kusagakure and become its leader.]
[Reward: Eight Trigrams Seal.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
Kitazawa had barely reached the Academy when three lines flashed before his eyes. He chuckled to himself—impressive turnaround.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Inuzuka Kiba came pelting toward him.
"What is it? Did you master Earth Release: Earth Fang Bullets?" Kitazawa asked, surprised. By his estimate, Kiba shouldn't learn that for another two months.
"N-no!" Kiba huffed.
"Then what is it?" Kitazawa asked, curious.
"It's my sister," Kiba said after a few deep breaths. "Is she graduating in March?"
Kitazawa blinked, then understood. Before joining the Advanced Class, Inuzuka Hana had already been a fifth-year, and this year was her graduation year. She wasn't the only one, either—when the class was formed, quite a few fifth- and sixth-years had joined.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Inuzuka Hana hurried up. She and Kiba had just been discussing this; he'd sprinted off when he saw Kitazawa, leaving her one step behind.
"You want to stay in the Advanced Class?" Kitazawa ventured—then thought better of it. If that were her aim, Kiba wouldn't be so worked up.
"Kitazawa-sensei, I want to apply for graduation," Hana said, shaking her head.
"Isn't the Advanced Class good?" Kiba blurted, anxious.
"It is," Hana said calmly. "But I've reached graduation age, and I need to work toward my goal."
"I remember you said you wanted to be a veterinarian?" Kitazawa mused.
"Mm." Hana nodded. "After graduation, I'll join the veterinary track."
Kitazawa wasn't surprised. In the original story, she became one of Konoha's best veterinary medics and saved a gravely injured Akamaru more than once. Akamaru would likely be born next year.
"I don't really know veterinary medicine, so I can't teach you," Kitazawa said after a moment. "But after you graduate, you're still welcome to train with the Advanced Class."
Hana had a clear talent for veterinary work; there was no reason to hold her back. He could still coach her in ninjutsu—and maybe trigger a mission or two along the way.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" Hana broke into a smile. She'd learned a lot in the Advanced Class. No exaggeration: she could graduate at chūnin level already. In the original story she never reached jōnin, but with this training she might; at worst, special jōnin seemed very likely.
"Alright then," Kiba said, giving in.
"I'm only graduating, not leaving Konoha," Hana reassured him. "You can see me anytime."
"True," Kiba said, scratching his head. "Sis, come train with us when you have time."
"Mm." Hana laughed. "It's a bit early to say that—graduation's in March."
"Get back to training," Kitazawa said, patting Kiba's shoulder.
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei," the siblings answered together.
After watching them head back to the field, Kitazawa found an empty spot to train himself. He'd have Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees down within two months—by March at the latest.
Two more days passed. Uchiha Itachi returned to the village, and the Academy's new term officially began. This term wasn't long—barely three months.
"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked as soon as she entered the classroom, scanning for him.
"He took extended leave," Neji replied.
"Eh?" Sakura's heart clenched. "Did something happen to Sasuke?"
"It's good news. Sasuke awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan," Neji said. "He's staying home to familiarize himself with it. He'll come back once he has it under control."
"His three-tomoe is incredible. When he's back, I'm definitely having a youth-fueled spar with him!" Naruto gave a big thumbs-up, buzzing. He'd fought Sasuke while Satori was in him and been utterly crushed—but far from discouraged, he was exhilarated. The stronger the rival, the better.
"Three-tomoe Sharingan?" Kiba blurted as he walked in, eyes wide. "You're not joking?"
"Don't they say three-tomoe means jōnin-level?" Hana was shocked too.
"I saw it with my own eyes—Naruto and Hinata did too," Neji said, shaking his head. "No joke." He wished it weren't true, but it was.
Neji sighed inwardly. Both prodigies—but he was already falling behind.
"As expected of Sasuke-kun!" Sakura was thrilled. "So strong!"
"That's insane," Nara Shikamaru muttered. "Who's supposed to beat him now?"
"Three-tomoe is 'only' jōnin level," Aburame Shino adjusted his glasses. "I think Naruto and Yakumo can fight him."
"What are you all talking about?" Tayuya walked in with Kimimaro, Jūgo, and Haku. They all lived at the orphanage, so they came and went together.
"Sasuke-kun awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan!" Sakura said proudly.
"…?" Tayuya's face filled with question marks. Kimimaro, Jūgo, and Haku were also visibly stirred. They all knew enough about the Sharingan to realize how absurd it was to reach three-tomoe at eight years old.
"I just don't know when Sasuke-kun will be back," Sakura said, mood flipping in an instant. "Thinking about not seeing him for so long makes me miserable."
"Yeah," Naruto scratched his head. "Feels weird not seeing Sasuke around."
"Line up and come register," Kitazawa said as he entered. The Advanced Class cut the chatter and went up to the podium in order. When registration was done, they picked up their new textbooks and headed home in twos and threes.
Kitazawa's gaze fell on Hana. Once she graduated, Konoha's "Eighteen" would be down one. Karin could fill the slot, but right now her combat ability was lacking. Sealing techniques bloomed later; even learning half the art would make her formidable. If she also unlocked Mind's Eye of the Kaguya and Adamantine Sealing Chains, she'd leap into the top tier of sealers. If not… he could always "recruit" someone.
"Kitazawa-sama," an Anbu appeared. "Tenmura and the others ask that you come."
Kitazawa nodded and headed for the Anbu base.
"Kitazawa-sama," Tenmura and the blacksmiths bowed quickly when they saw him.
"What is it?" Kitazawa asked, glancing at the intact Box of Ultimate Bliss.
"Forgive us, Kitazawa-sama. We've tried many methods these past few days, but we can't take the Box apart," Tenmura said, chagrined.
"We can't—but someone can," Granny Cat said at the right moment. "Kitazawa-sama, have you heard of Takumi Village?"
"I've heard of it," Kitazawa said after a pause. "The ninja village founded by artisans?"
"Konoha often buys tools from Takumi Village. Their forging technique is second to none," Granny Cat nodded.
Kitazawa sank into thought. Takumi Village did exist—founded by the ninja artisan Seimei, famous for research and manufacture of ninja tools. After Seimei's death, the Four Celestial Symbols Men—four jōnin, each with a special tool—ran the village.
In the original story, they tried to revive their ultimate weapon, even going to war with Sunagakure to capture the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, alive. They were ultimately defeated by Gaara, Naruto, and the others.
Kitazawa's first instinct was to worry they'd cause trouble—then he realized that was exactly what he wanted. If they stirred things up, Konoha would have grounds to deal with them.
To be honest, Takumi's very setup was unreasonable. A minor village supplying ninja tools to the Five Great Villages? For shinobi, tools were practically a second life—vital. A small village capable of making them shouldn't exist independently; it should be under the Five's control. Not to mention, the tool trade was extremely lucrative.
An idea clicked into place: use the Box to fish for Takumi Village. Faced with a legendary tool like the Box, the Four Celestial Symbols Men would find it hard not to covet it. And even if they played by the rules, Kitazawa could always deploy Uchiha Itachi.
[Current Mission: Secretly take control of Takumi Village and become its leader.]
[Reward: Summoning: Triple Rashōmon.]
[Accept?]
Three lines floated up before Kitazawa's eyes—an unexpected bonus. The reward was especially practical. Summoning: Triple Rashōmon was an A-rank defensive technique, but essentially a summoning jutsu—calling out three massive Rashōmon gates to block incoming attacks.
Orochimaru had used it to stop Kitazawa's Five Release Great Combo Technique in their previous fight. Its defense was outstanding.
There was also Summoning: Quintuple Rashōmon, but only Hashirama had ever used that. Even so, Triple Rashōmon would be plenty. Right now his defensive options were only B-rank Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall and Water Release: Water Formation Wall. Triple Rashōmon would patch his lack of high-end defense nicely.
"Thank you for your efforts these past few days. I'll send someone to Takumi Village," Kitazawa said, coming back to himself.
"We're the ones who should apologize, Kitazawa-sama—our skills weren't up to the task," Tenmura said quickly. The others chimed in. Missing out on thirty million ryō was a shame, but if your skills fell short, there was nothing to say.
After bidding them farewell, Kitazawa returned to his office. He'd thought of asking Itachi, but sending him back out right after returning to Konoha felt wrong—especially since Kitazawa still needed to make time to coach Sasuke on controlling the three-tomoe.
Besides, Takumi Village, even if tempted by the Box, wasn't likely to rob them outright. More likely they would cut corners or swap materials.
"Bring Kabuto," Kitazawa called toward the door. Konan hadn't returned to Konoha yet, so this was how he had to give orders.
A knock sounded moments later, and Yakushi Kabuto stepped in.
"Kabuto, have you gained anything new from Orochimaru-sama lately?" Kitazawa asked with a smile.
"A lot," Kabuto replied, giving a brief rundown. Orochimaru had held nothing back—teaching him cloning techniques, genetic modification, and more. Much of it had already been submitted to Konoha, but self-study and guided instruction were two very different experiences.
"How's your Rasengan?" Kitazawa asked.
"Izumi and I have both learned it. Torune hasn't," Kabuto said.
"Torune is ultimately still too young," Kitazawa murmured—then paused. After Hana graduated, should he bring Aburame Torune back into the Advanced Class? Setting aside his nano-poison Rinkaichū, his overall level was about on par with Aburame Shino. But if Torune returned, Team Kitazawa would be down another member.
With Kitazawa absent and Torune gone, that would leave only Kabuto and Izumi—and Kabuto was currently studying under Orochimaru. In practice, only Izumi would remain.
"I have a task for you," Kitazawa said, pushing the stray thoughts aside. "Lead two Anbu squads and escort the Box of Ultimate Bliss to Takumi Village."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei," Kabuto nodded. As a ninja trained in Root, he didn't ask why—he just executed.
"I've written the specifics on this scroll," Kitazawa said, taking one out.
Kabuto stepped forward and accepted it with both hands.
"In a while, I'll send someone to relieve you," Kitazawa added after a moment's thought.
~~~
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