December 20th, 9 a.m., Ninja Academy.
"This semester ends here. Starting tomorrow, it's winter break."
Kitazawa smiled as he spoke. "I hope you all have fun."
There weren't many changes in the final exam rankings.
The only thing worth mentioning was that Uchiha Sasuke had taken back first place.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
The Advanced Class students shouted in unison, full of excitement.
Training and getting stronger felt good, but an almost month-long winter break made them just as happy.
"Dismissed!"
Kitazawa clapped his hands as he spoke.
The Advanced Class instantly exploded into motion, everyone charging toward the school gates.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Hyuga Hinata, a little nervous, walked up to him.
"Hinata, is there something else?"
Kitazawa looked at her and asked.
"My birthday is next week. I… I hope Kitazawa-sensei can come."
Hinata took out an invitation, her expression earnest and pleading.
"I'll be there."
Kitazawa took one look at the invitation and put it away.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."
Hinata's face lit up with a bright smile.
"Is there anything you want for your birthday?"
Kitazawa ruffled her hair as he asked.
"Having Kitazawa-sensei come is enough."
Hinata looked up at him. "Father said the improved version of the Caged Bird is like giving the Hyuga clan a new lease on life."
She didn't really understand what that meant.
But since Hiashi had said so, it had to be right.
"'Improved Caged Bird' does sound a bit weird as a name."
Kitazawa thought for a moment. "Go home and tell your father to rename it the Guardian Seal."
"Okay."
Hinata nodded. "I'll go tell Father right now."
"See you tomorrow."
Kitazawa watched Hinata leave, then headed toward the Hokage Tower.
He didn't feel any particular reluctance about the semester ending.
Aside from the week off for New Year, Hinata and the others would still come to the Academy to train like usual.
Kitazawa arrived outside the Hokage's office and pushed the door open.
"Why are you here so early today?"
Tsunade glanced at the clock on the wall and asked casually.
"Final exams are over. Winter break has officially started."
Kitazawa replied.
"I want a month-long vacation too."
Tsunade sighed.
"That's going to be harder."
Kitazawa walked up to her desk, leaned back against it, and smiled. "You can ask Shizune and see if she's willing."
"Do I even need to ask?"
Tsunade sounded annoyed. "She acts like I'm asking for her life if I so much as take half a day off."
"You can't really blame Shizune."
Kitazawa's gaze slid to the necklace at her collar. "She actually has more work than you."
Most of Konoha's day-to-day affairs were handled by the Hokage's secretariat.
Even though there were several secretaries, they were still swamped every single day.
If the Hokage vanished for a whole month, the secretariat would probably blow up.
"You came here just to complain about that?"
Knowing she was in the wrong, Tsunade quickly switched topics.
"Nothing special. I just came to chat."
Kitazawa took her hand. "How's your Yang Release Chakra Mode training going?"
"What do you think?"
Tsunade straightened up proudly. "I'm still your teacher, you know. Something like Yang Release Chakra Mode was mastered ages ago!"
As she lifted her chest, her clothes quivered slightly.
Kitazawa's eyes widened before he could stop himself.
"What are you staring at now?"
Tsunade noticed his gaze and frowned.
"Sorry."
Kitazawa apologized with a straight face.
"Then why are you still looking?"
Tsunade asked irritably.
Kitazawa finally forced himself to look away from her explosive figure.
He lowered his head instead, gently kneading her soft, slender hand.
Tsunade shot him a glare, but didn't pull her hand back.
"Hinata's birthday is next week. Did the Hyuga invite you too?"
Kitazawa's eyes drifted up to her pale arm.
"They did."
Tsunade licked her lips lightly. "And the Hyuga's sake isn't bad. Might as well go."
Kitazawa's gaze fell on her slightly moist, red lips.
"Since you helped them improve the Caged Bird Seal, they definitely— mmph."
Halfway through her sentence, her lips were sealed.
She blinked at the face right in front of her, froze for a heartbeat, then actively leaned into the kiss.
Soft breathing quietly filled the Hokage's office.
Tsunade's legs instinctively drew closer together; her body felt a little weak.
After a moment, her dazed gaze finally cleared as she remembered it was still only nine in the morning.
"That's enough for now. I still have work to do."
Tsunade caught her breath as she spoke.
Of course, what she really worried about was someone barging in.
Kitazawa looked at her, then bent down and buried his face in her embrace.
He'd wanted to do this for a long time, and now he'd finally gotten his wish.
Because she was still breathing heavily from the kiss, he could clearly feel the rise and fall of her warm, soft body.
Unfortunately, he only enjoyed it for a moment before Tsunade pushed him away.
"Believe it or not, I'll kick you right out of here."
She clenched her fist, her tone carrying a clear warning.
"I'll come back at noon."
Kitazawa coughed lightly.
Then he bolted, in case she really decided to punt him through a wall.
Still, he had to admit—totally worth it.
More importantly, it was a great start.
Because Tsunade hadn't rejected him outright, nor had she kicked him into orbit like she'd threatened.
Kitazawa returned to the Anbu base.
He opened the door and saw Konan sitting on the sofa.
"When did you get back?"
He walked over to his desk, asking casually.
Replacing nobles and officials in the Land of Rain and recruiting new talent wasn't something that could be done in one trip.
Konan had gone back several times already.
This time, she'd only been gone three days.
"An hour ago."
Konan stood up and walked behind him.
She reached out and began massaging his shoulders.
"Thanks."
Right then, Kitazawa almost hated the design of office chairs.
If there weren't a backrest, he could technically… lean back into the pressure.
Of course, that was just a thought. Their relationship probably wasn't at that stage yet.
But for some reason, he felt that with her personality, she might just quietly accept it if he pushed.
"Run into any problems?"
Kitazawa picked up a file from the desk.
"No. Everything went smoothly."
Konan's cool voice floated down.
Following his advice, she used a ninja's method—genjutsu.
Any noble or official in the Land of Rain who refused to cooperate was simply put under illusion and made obedient.
The reason she'd been delayed so long was because she wanted to recruit people with real drive and ideals.
After all, you couldn't rely on genjutsu for everything. She didn't have that much chakra to spare.
"Good."
Kitazawa responded, eyes on the documents.
Unfortunately, there was still nothing from Uchiha Itachi.
Looked like the Dragon Vein trip would have to be pushed back again.
At noon, Kitazawa went back to the Hokage's office.
When Tsunade saw him, she immediately set down the paperwork, stood up, and stretched lazily.
"I brought you lunch."
Kitazawa took out a summoning storage scroll. "I went to your favorite izakaya just to pack this."
"Is there alcohol?"
Tsunade's eyes lit up as she walked over.
"What, planning to take the afternoon off again?"
Kitazawa crouched in front of the low table arranging the food, and when he turned his head, he saw her long legs wrapped in fitted slacks.
"It's almost the holidays anyway. There's not much going on."
Tsunade plopped onto the seat, her plush hips flattening slightly.
"So, what do you think? Did I buy you any alcohol?"
Kitazawa finished placing the dishes and smiled at her.
"I'm guessing yes."
Tsunade arched a brow. "If you didn't, you'd be going right back out to buy some."
"You're the Hokage. Should you really be this unreasonable?"
Kitazawa sat down across from her.
"I'm already Hokage. What reason do I need?"
Tsunade held out her hand. "Well? The alcohol."
"Here."
Kitazawa shook his head and handed her a bottle.
"Very good."
Tsunade's smile bloomed. "I knew I didn't misjudge you."
"What about Shizune-nee?"
Kitazawa passed her a cup.
"She's still working."
Tsunade poured herself a drink. "If she were here, I wouldn't be drinking."
"Fair enough."
Kitazawa picked up his chopsticks. "Heading to the casino this afternoon?"
"Where else would I go after taking the afternoon off?"
A spark of excitement flashed in Tsunade's eyes. "I'm going to win back everything I lost last time!"
"Mm. Do your best."
Kitazawa replied in a deliberately neutral tone.
"What's with that attitude?"
Tsunade shot him a sideways look. "You don't believe in me?"
"I'm your student. Of course I believe in you."
He said it with utmost sincerity.
"Forget it. I'll let you off this time—for the sake of this bottle of sake."
She downed her drink in one go and let out a satisfied breath. "Not bad at all."
"It should be. It's the most expensive sake in Konoha."
Kitazawa reminded her.
"You really are a good student."
Tsunade lifted her pale chin slightly, poured another cup, and held it out to him. "Here, I'll feed you."
"How are you tipsy after just one bottle?"
Kitazawa shook his head. "If I drink, Shizune will know something's up when I ask her for leave."
"Oh, right."
Tsunade drank the cup herself. "Next time, when we've got time, I'll treat you properly."
They finished lunch quickly.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Tsunade's cheeks were tinged pink.
She'd only had one pot of sake, so her head was still clear. The slight flush just added a lazy, alluring quality she didn't usually show.
"Nothing."
Kitazawa smiled. "I'm going to find Shizune to get your leave approved."
Tsunade stayed on the sofa, waiting.
"Want to take a nap?"
Kitazawa reappeared and asked as he watched her with her eyes closed.
"No need."
Tsunade stood up, instantly full of fighting spirit again. "I'm pumped right now. I'm going to crush everyone at the casino."
Kitazawa's mouth twitched.
Crush who, exactly—you really have no idea?
Night fell.
No miracles appeared that afternoon.
A completely bankrupt Tsunade grudgingly followed Kitazawa home.
The week went by quickly.
December 27th—Hinata's birthday.
Because it was an evening banquet, Kitazawa didn't rush over to the Hyuga compound.
Like every year, he first went to the Academy.
Per routine, he pointed out issues in the Advanced Class students' training, then went off to practice Wood Release: Cutting Technique.
At dusk, he returned to the Hokage's office.
This time, the Hyuga clan hadn't gone all-out with a huge event. It was just a private family dinner.
The only guests were Tsunade and Kitazawa.
The reason, of course, was the improved Caged Bird—now officially renamed the Guardian Seal.
As the one who had created the jutsu, Kitazawa deserved the most direct credit.
Tsunade, as Hokage, had backed the project behind the scenes. Even if she hadn't appeared publicly, she still had merit.
"Time for dinner, Tsunade-sensei."
Kitazawa pushed the door open but didn't step in, calling from the doorway.
"Let's go."
Tsunade stood up and walked over to him.
She'd finished her work a while ago.
"Mm."
Kitazawa nodded and closed the door behind them.
"Have you been paying attention to what's going on in the Land of Rain and Amegakure lately?"
Tsunade suddenly thought of something and asked.
"You mean them selling rainwater to the Land of Wind?"
Kitazawa countered.
He wasn't surprised she knew.
A movement that big—any Konoha intel ninja who wasn't blind would pick up on it.
"Yeah."
Tsunade nodded.
"Are you worried about Hanzō, Tsunade-sensei?"
Kitazawa immediately caught on.
Even though Hanzō was already dead, only a handful of people knew that.
"Hanzō was ambitious and strong—very dangerous. But after the Second Great Ninja War, he went completely quiet."
Tsunade said, "Selling rainwater is the only big move he's made in years."
Kitazawa silently thought, Talk about a lucky misunderstanding.
But she wasn't wrong either.
From Konoha's perspective, Rain suddenly exporting water was suspicious as hell.
"Your Anbu can use this chance to look into Hanzō's situation."
Tsunade instructed.
The Land of Rain and Amegakure had long been sealed off. Any spies Konoha sent had gone dark.
Which meant Hanzō had effectively vanished for twenty years.
Tsunade didn't believe that a man with his temperament would just retire quietly.
He'd been a major warlord in his time; even the title "Legendary Sannin" was thanks to him.
Selling rainwater involved a lot of people—including buyers from the Land of Wind.
Anbu could pose as merchants and sneak into the Land of Rain and Amegakure that way.
"After the New Year, I'll have Anbu look into it."
Kitazawa thought it over and nodded.
He figured this would be a good opportunity to slowly introduce Tsunade to the Akatsuki situation.
They chatted as they walked, and soon they arrived at the Hyuga compound.
"Hokage-sama."
Hiashi, who was waiting at the entrance, quickly bowed.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Hinata and Hanabi called out together.
Neji was just a step slower.
"Hiashi, looks like you don't have to worry about the Hyuga's future anymore. You've got three geniuses right here."
Tsunade gave the siblings a quick once-over.
"Hokage-sama, you flatter us."
Hiashi shook his head. "Hanabi is still young. We don't know how her talent will turn out yet."
"With an older sister like this, she won't be bad."
Tsunade said with a smile.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Hanabi replied brightly and without a hint of shyness.
Hinata, on the other hand, lowered her head, looking embarrassed.
"We'll be counting on you to teach Hanabi in the future."
Hiashi turned his gaze to Kitazawa.
He meant within the Advanced Class.
He really did want Kitazawa to be Hanabi's squad leader someday, but he knew that was unlikely.
In his eyes, and in many others', Advanced Class "students" and official students were two very different things.
The former were students in name—nothing too precious.
The latter were true inheritor-students, and future Hokage candidates of Konoha.
Still, Hiashi was relieved that both Neji and Hinata had a very high chance of becoming Kitazawa's official students down the line.
"I will."
Kitazawa placed his hand gently on Hanabi's head.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Hanabi grinned. "I'll work hard to catch up to big sis!"
"Hokage-sama, Kitazawa, please come in."
Hiashi gestured them inside.
Tsunade nodded and walked through the courtyard into the main hall.
The first thing she saw was a huge dining table piled high with dishes and bottles of alcohol.
Kitazawa was pulled into the room by Hanabi.
Hinata watched, a little envious.
Her personality had improved a lot, but she still couldn't be as openly forward as Hanabi in front of so many people.
"Just the few of us?"
Tsunade asked, a bit surprised.
From the size of the table, she'd assumed at least ten people would be eating. Instead, there were only seven.
Besides her and Kitazawa, there were Hiashi and his wife, plus Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi.
"A child's birthday shouldn't be too extravagant."
Hiashi said with a warm smile.
"This is already pretty extravagant. I don't think we'll finish all this."
Tsunade shook her head.
"Not necessarily."
Kitazawa glanced at Hinata.
Hinata immediately lowered her head, poking her fingers together in embarrassment.
"Students need to eat more to grow."
Reminded by Kitazawa, Tsunade suddenly recalled Hinata's enormous appetite—one person could eat for ten.
"Then shall we begin?"
Hiashi looked to Tsunade for confirmation.
"I'm the guest. I'll follow your lead."
She waved casually.
"Everyone's here. Let's eat."
Hiashi said, pouring Tsunade a drink as he spoke. "This is fine liquor from the Land of Lightning."
"I've had it before. It's a lot harsher than Konoha's sake."
Tsunade took a sip and nodded. "Yup. Same flavor."
"As expected of Hokage-sama. Truly well-traveled."
Hiashi praised.
The birthday dinner passed in a lively, warm atmosphere.
Only after the meal did Kitazawa suffer.
Tsunade had drunk so much she couldn't walk straight.
He had no choice but to carry her home.
And a tipsy Tsunade was anything but well-behaved—she twisted and shifted on his back the whole way.
The generous curve of her chest, the firmness of her thighs, and the mix of perfume and alcohol scent made Kitazawa feel light-headed.
Unfortunately—no, actually, fortunately—Shizune came to take Tsunade off his hands, and he finally escaped his "torment."
Once Hinata's birthday was over, the New Year arrived.
There was a holiday for New Year, but Kitazawa still didn't have much free time. Tsunade dragged him to the casino every day.
Even Kurenai grumbled twice that, as the "official girlfriend," she saw less of him than Tsunade did.
But Tsunade was the Hokage, so she couldn't say much.
Besides, at night Kitazawa made it up to her thoroughly, leaving her completely satisfied.
When the New Year break ended, Tsunade, Shizune and the others went back to work, and the Advanced Class started their new term.
February 2nd, Monday.
At a training ground in northern Konoha.
Kitazawa held a bone blade in his hand, practicing Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Camellia.
A moment later, three lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[Current Mission: Master three Shikotsumyaku techniques.]
[Reward: Immunity to Shikotsumyaku's genetic disease.]
[Mission Completed. Reward Granted.]
Seeing that, Kitazawa stopped immediately.
He casually stabbed the bone blade back into his left arm, then picked up his clothes from the ground and put them on.
Shikotsumyaku was great at everything—except it chewed through clothes.
Pants too, technically. But there was no way he was going to strip his pants off to practice.
If he did, he'd be the talk of Konoha by the next day.
Still, he'd finally mastered three Shikotsumyaku techniques and cleared the system mission.
There weren't many Shikotsumyaku jutsu even in the original story; learning three was basically entry level done.
By comparison, he hadn't learned a single Ice Release technique yet.
After getting dressed, Kitazawa headed back to the Anbu base.
The Advanced Class had been in session for over half a month already, and their first monthly exam was coming up.
He needed to think about how to group them and what kind of mission they should take.
Unfortunately, there was still no good news from Uchiha Itachi.
Otherwise, the Dragon Vein mission would've been perfect.
"Kitazawa."
Konan stood up. "Uchiha Itachi has sent back top-secret intel. It's on your desk."
Kitazawa's eyes lit up.
The previous reports hadn't been labeled "top secret." Now that they were, it was obvious something big had happened.
He walked to his desk and picked up the document.
Top-secret intel used a special cipher that only a few people—like him and Tsunade—knew.
Once he decrypted it, he began to read.
Sure enough, it was about Mukade—he'd already unraveled Namikaze Minato's Dragon Vein seal and could open it at any time.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin.
Waiting until after the written exam would clearly be too late.
Thankfully, he was the Academy's vice-principal—he had the authority to start a practical exam early.
Besides, when it came to missions, doing it a week earlier or later didn't really matter.
As for who to take, that went without saying—Naruto had to go. Without him, Kitazawa couldn't complete his own system mission.
The other two students were more flexible.
At first he thought of taking Aburame Shino and Akimichi Chōji, since they'd run into the "younger versions" of Aburame Shibi and Akimichi Chōza.
But then he reconsidered. There was no need.
They saw their fathers every day; they didn't need some cross-time reunion to heal their hearts.
Plus, once Mukade absorbed the Dragon Vein's power, he became ridiculously strong.
Shino could probably handle it, but Chōji would be out of his depth.
Kitazawa made a small sound of realization.
What about bringing Kakashi along instead?
In theory, letting Kakashi see Minato again could count as fulfilling a wish—and he'd get to see his younger self too.
After thinking it over, Kitazawa decided he and Kakashi would lead the mission together.
In the original story, two teams still struggled against Mukade and his puppet army; with just them it would've been understaffed.
But with him, Kakashi, and Minato, numbers wouldn't be an issue.
"Konan, I'm heading out tomorrow. You don't need to follow this time."
Kitazawa put the intel away.
"Okay."
Konan nodded.
Kitazawa was about to leave when something occurred to him. He stepped closer to her.
Konan stood still, her cool gaze on him.
"I'll probably be gone for about a month this time. You can go back to the Akatsuki and handle your own affairs."
He'd no idea how long he'd end up stuck in the past at Rōran, so he gave himself a generous estimate.
"Thank you."
Konan answered at once.
Kitazawa's eyes lingered on her beautiful face.
He lifted his hands and couldn't resist gently pinching her cheeks.
Konan blinked. The light purple eyeshadow on her eyelids trembled faintly.
"See you next time."
Kitazawa smiled and turned to leave.
It was Monday. The Advanced Class students were in a theory lecture; he didn't disturb them, and went straight to Kakashi's house instead.
"Kitazawa?"
Kakashi opened the door, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"Have you heard of Rōran?"
Kitazawa asked directly.
"Years ago, I went there on a mission with Sensei."
Kakashi responded reflexively.
But as soon as he said it, he frowned.
He suddenly realized he couldn't actually remember what the mission had been—just that he'd been to Rōran.
A chill went through him.
What's going on?
With his memory, he shouldn't be forgetting something like that.
Rōran was unique, and he rarely went there. He'd only been once—there was no reason he shouldn't recall it clearly.
"Why are you asking about Rōran all of a sudden?"
Kakashi came back to himself and asked.
"There's a mission related to Rōran."
Kitazawa explained. "I've never been, so I want you to come along."
"What about the Advanced Class?"
Kakashi was about to agree when the thought hit him. He hesitated.
In the past, missions came first. Now, his students did.
"I'm planning to treat this mission as their practical exam."
Kitazawa said.
"I see."
Kakashi nodded, then asked, "So we go after the first monthly exam?"
"The mission's urgent. We're leaving tomorrow."
Kitazawa replied.
"All right."
Kakashi didn't ask further and agreed.
"This is an S-rank mission. Try to pick three students with strong combat ability."
Kitazawa reminded him.
"Sasuke, Kimimaro, and Neji."
Kakashi thought for a moment and named three.
"That works."
Kitazawa nodded. "I'll take Naruto, Shino, and Hinata."
With these six, handling Mukade's puppet army would be no problem.
Mukade himself, after gaining the Dragon Vein's power, would be the real threat.
But if they worked together, they could certainly put up a fight.
"Let them know today. We meet at the village gate at nine tomorrow morning."
Kitazawa added.
Kakashi nodded again.
Once they'd finished going over the details, Kitazawa left.
He didn't go back to the Academy. Instead, he headed to the Hokage's office.
"Haru."
Kitazawa stopped outside the door.
"Kitazawa-sama."
The Anbu operative wearing a mask stepped out of the shadows.
"There's something I need you to do."
Kitazawa had her notify Naruto and the others after school.
There was no need for him to go in person. As Anbu commander, he was allowed to delegate.
"Tsunade-sensei, slacking off again, huh?"
Kitazawa walked into the office and smiled at the sight of Tsunade lying on the sofa.
"I've already finished my work. That's not slacking."
She argued.
"Move your legs. Make some room."
Kitazawa lightly slapped her smooth instep.
"How rude."
Tsunade glared at him.
She lifted her legs, and once he sat down, she rested her fair feet on his thighs.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Kitazawa glanced at her painted toenails.
"Give me a massage."
Tsunade shifted her hips a little, finding a comfortable position, and spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You really are enjoying this 'teacher' job."
Kitazawa rolled up her trouser leg and placed her calf across his lap.
"So, what'd you come for?"
Tsunade's lips curved slightly. In a good mood now, she asked.
"I'm heading out tomorrow with some students on a mission."
Kitazawa kneaded her calf as he spoke. "I'll probably be gone about a month."
"That long?"
Tsunade's smile froze.
"Roughly."
Kitazawa explained. "Might not be that long. I might be back in half a month."
"With your strength, what kind of mission takes a month?"
She frowned slightly.
"We're going to the Land of Wind to capture a jōnin."
Kitazawa half-lied. "He's good at hiding. We haven't pinned down his location yet."
"You can send Anbu to track him."
Hearing that, Tsunade relaxed and slumped back again.
"Yeah."
Kitazawa nodded.
He wasn't lying out of malice—it was just too hard to explain the truth.
"When are you leaving tomorrow?"
She thought for a moment.
"Nine in the morning."
Kitazawa chuckled. "What, planning to see me off?"
"Is that not allowed?"
She countered.
"No need."
Kitazawa refused. "I'm not a kid."
Tsunade pouted.
She pulled her feet back, sat up, and looked at him.
Kitazawa blinked, meeting her gaze.
He was just about to speak when Tsunade straightened and kissed him.
He felt the soft warmth of her lips…and the reluctance behind them.
A warmth rose in his chest.
After a long moment, they parted.
"Go home first."
Tsunade's cheeks were flushed, and she was breathing lightly.
"Haven't you finished work for the day?"
Kitazawa stood and took her hand. "Come on. Let's go back together."
Tsunade froze, then nodded.
The next day.
9 a.m.
Kakashi arrived first.
With him were his three students: Uchiha Sasuke, Kaguya Kimimaro, and Hyuga Neji.
"Sasuke!"
A familiar voice rang out.
"…?"
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Wasn't their team already full? Why was Uzumaki Naruto here?
Kakashi hadn't told them anything about the mission.
He didn't know much himself—only that they were going to Rōran.
So he'd simply left it for Kitazawa to explain once he arrived.
"What are you doing here?"
Sasuke asked.
"I'm going to Rōran with you!"
Naruto grinned.
Haru had already told him the mission details.
"Rōran?"
Sasuke instinctively glanced at Kakashi.
"We're indeed going to Rōran."
Kakashi explained. "When Kitazawa gets here, he'll brief us on the mission."
"Kitazawa-sensei's coming too?"
Neji was surprised.
"This is a joint mission with two teams."
Kakashi said. "Hinata and Shino are also coming."
"Neji, why didn't Hinata come with you?"
Sasuke noticed the odd point and asked.
"I don't know."
Neji blinked. "Hinata didn't mention anything. She didn't come to find me either."
"She went to see Kitazawa-sensei. She'll be here soon."
Shino spoke quietly.
"When did you get here, Shino?"
Naruto scratched his head.
"Just now."
Shino adjusted his glasses.
"You walk without making any sound. I didn't notice you at all!"
Naruto said, amazed.
"I noticed."
Sasuke said coldly. "Which means your skill still isn't good enough."
"As expected of Sasuke!"
Naruto gave him a thumbs-up. "My youth still has a long way to go!"
"…"
Sasuke was at a loss for words.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto spotted Kitazawa in the distance and waved.
"You're full of energy no matter when I see you."
Kitazawa walked up with a smile.
Behind him was Hinata.
"Because that's what youth is all about!"
Naruto grinned, teeth flashing.
"All right, let's move."
Kitazawa shook his head.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
Sasuke spoke up. "Who exactly is our target?"
"A jōnin from Sunagakure."
Kitazawa answered.
"Just one?"
Sasuke looked stunned.
Neji and Kimimaro were just as surprised.
Eight of them for one jōnin—what kind of heinous crimes had this person committed?
"His strength is no joke. You'll understand when you see him."
Kitazawa coughed lightly. "Pick up the pace. Try to reach the Land of Wind before dark."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei."
Sasuke and the others responded in unison.
Kakashi stayed quiet.
He was still wrestling with one question—what had he actually done on that mission to Rōran in his youth, and why couldn't he remember?
Time passed.
By dusk, they'd reached the border between the Lands of Fire and Wind.
After resting for a night, they set out again and officially entered the Land of Wind.
The vegetation grew sparser and sparser, eventually turning into endless yellow sand.
Sasuke and the others were young, but this wasn't their first time in a desert.
Naruto had even watched Hiruzen and Rasa battle out here in the sands.
That was the benefit of early missions—they'd had time to adapt long before graduation.
"There's an oasis!"
Naruto shouted excitedly.
"Rest here for a bit. I'll go pinpoint our target's location."
Kitazawa stopped.
"Need help?"
Kakashi asked.
"No."
Kitazawa shook his head and walked out into the desert.
Kakashi found this strange.
If they were tracking someone, shouldn't he bring Hinata and Neji?
But he didn't question it aloud.
Once Kitazawa was far enough away, he activated the Byakugan.
The Dragon Vein was nearby—but he couldn't take Kakashi and the others there yet.
If they grabbed Mukade before he broke the seal, things would get very awkward.
He had to time this perfectly.
Kitazawa raised a brow.
Beneath the ground, a dragon-shaped mass of chakra coiled like a living thing.
How to put it?
He'd seen Yagura's perfect Three-Tails transformation.
Compared to that, this dragon-shaped chakra was not inferior at all.
It sounded exaggerated, but it made sense.
Without that much chakra, how could it tear through time and space?
And the more chakra the Dragon Vein had, the more valuable it became.
If he got his hands on it, he might even qualify to use Sage Art: Wood Release—True Several Thousand Hands.
He didn't have Sage Mode yet, nor had he learned that jutsu, but having the chakra to support it was better than not having it.
After a brief look, Kitazawa started searching for Itachi.
He found him quickly.
Kitazawa used the Leaf Instantaneous Body Technique, racing over at top speed.
Moments later, crumbling ruins buried in the desert came into view.
Rōran's ruins.
But Rōran itself hadn't been destroyed. Now it survived as a nomadic tribe wandering the sands.
In the original story, after Naruto completed his mission and returned to the present, he'd met Rōran's queen Sara's daughter.
The girl had shown Naruto the keepsake Sara left behind—a shuriken.
The very same shuriken Naruto had given Sara.
Kitazawa's gaze shifted to the center of the ruins.
Namikaze Minato's Dragon Vein seal was there.
Mukade was in the area too.
But he hadn't made his move yet.
Kitazawa slipped into the past.
Itachi, who had been watching Mukade, suddenly stiffened and turned.
"It's me."
Kitazawa lowered his voice.
"Kitazawa-sama."
Itachi immediately relaxed and bowed.
"What's his status?"
Kitazawa glanced at Mukade, who was studying the Dragon Vein seal.
"He's been standing there observing for two hours."
Itachi replied.
"Then we wait."
Kitazawa nodded.
Two more hours passed before Mukade finally moved.
He began setting up a jutsu array around the Dragon Vein seal.
"Keep an eye on him. I'll go get the others."
Kitazawa turned and went back toward the oasis.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto yelled as soon as he saw him.
"I've located our target. Follow me."
Kitazawa nodded.
Kakashi and the others quickly fell in behind him.
Halfway there, the ground suddenly shook violently. Pillars of purple chakra shot into the sky—a spectacular sight.
"What's going on?"
Naruto asked, baffled.
Kitazawa didn't answer. He just sped up.
Soon, Mukade came into view.
He had activated the Dragon Vein, and the eye-shaped seal left by Minato was unraveling.
Those purple chakra columns were the Dragon Vein's power leaking out.
As the seal fully collapsed, the massive torrent of chakra erupted like a volcano.
Centered on Mukade, space itself began to warp.
"Charge in!"
Kitazawa didn't hesitate for a second.
~~~
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