"The winner—Uzumaki Naruto!"
Kitazawa's voice rang out, bringing the battle to its official close.
Neji and Sasuke had both fallen the same way—overwhelmed by Naruto's relentless combination of Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, Wind Release: Gale Palm, and a barrage of flying ninja tools. They could defend for a time, but once caught inside the storm's radius, escape was nearly impossible.
"This concludes the practical exam," Kitazawa announced. "Take a short break. Rankings will be revealed shortly."
Leaving the arena, he went to find Iruka.
"In the end, Naruto won," Tenten sighed, disappointment flickering in her eyes despite her respect for the result. She had supported Neji, but even she had to admit Naruto's victory was fair.
"Who can even beat him now?" Kiba muttered, frustration written all over his face. "At this rate, even ten years of training might not be enough to catch up."
"There's no such thing as an invincible jutsu."
The calm, steady voice drew everyone's attention.
"Kosuke-sensei!" The Genius Class students quickly bowed as Kosuke approached.
"Kosuke-sensei, how can we possibly defeat Naruto?" Kiba blurted out, eager for an answer.
Sasuke, Neji, and even Naruto himself turned to listen. If anyone knew where his weaknesses lay, it would be Kosuke.
"The simplest way," Kosuke said slowly, "is with strong defensive ninjutsu."
"And Earth Release," Kakashi added as he appeared at his side.
"Exactly." Kosuke nodded in agreement.
The two seasoned shinobi began discussing counters to the devastating winds Naruto unleashed, trading insights as the students hung on every word.
Meanwhile, Kitazawa was with Iruka, finalizing the results. As he looked down at the slip before him, three familiar lines of text appeared.
[Current Mission: Help Uzumaki Naruto defeat Uchiha Sasuke and Hyūga Neji in the next Monthly Exam.]
[Mission Reward: One-fifth increase to Chakra capacity limit.]
[Mission complete. Reward issued.]
A strange look crossed Kitazawa's face as a surge of chakra flooded into him, filling his body with a satisfying fullness. His reserves had now reached an astonishing level—enough to sustain Senju Chakra Mode for an additional thirty seconds.
"The rankings are ready, Kitazawa-senpai," Iruka reminded him.
"Good work, Iruka." Kitazawa accepted the roster. "Bring in the students from other classes who want to challenge."
Iruka chuckled. "After their complete loss last time, I doubt there'll be many challengers."
"That's to be expected. The Genius Class has too much of an edge." Kitazawa's eyes flicked over the list before he added, "But for this last month, I plan to implement something new—the tutor system."
Iruka blinked. "Tutors?"
"Yes. The Genius Class students will temporarily act as teaching assistants for the other classes—demonstrating basic ninjutsu like the Clone Technique. It'll help them review old knowledge and give them a break from nonstop training."
Iruka frowned slightly. "Won't this slow their progress?"
"Not if it's balanced properly," Kitazawa replied. "We'll sort out the details later. For now, it's time to announce the results."
When Kitazawa returned to the waiting students, Kosuke and Kakashi stepped back, allowing him to take center stage. Sasuke and Neji looked reluctant—they had wanted to keep hearing from the two veteran shinobi.
"I'll announce the theoretical exam rankings first," Kitazawa began.
As he read out the results, Kiba immediately groaned. "Shikamaru, you're holding back again!"
"How am I holding back?" Shikamaru raised his hands in mock innocence, smirking. "This is just my natural level."
The class stared at him in disbelief. No one could figure out how he kept bouncing between first and tenth place so consistently.
"I don't get it," Naruto muttered, scratching his head.
"You shouldn't talk," Ino shot back with a snort. "You and Shikamaru both make no sense."
Naruto chuckled sheepishly. Even he couldn't explain the ridiculous amount of chakra he had.
"Next, the practical exam rankings," Kitazawa continued, instantly drawing everyone's full attention.
"First place—Uzumaki Naruto."
"I'm finally first again!" Naruto whooped, pumping his fists. Even though he'd expected it, hearing the official announcement still filled him with pride.
"Don't get too cocky!" Kiba barked, fists clenched. "Kosuke-sensei and Kakashi-sensei just gave us plenty of ideas to beat you next time!"
"You won't hold onto first so easily," Sasuke said coolly, his eyes sharp.
"Agreed," Neji added, his usual aloofness softened with determination. He could feel the thrill of competition pushing him forward.
Naruto grinned. "Bring it on! Youth is about taking on all challenges!"
"So passionate," Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head. "I'll never understand why you all care so much about first place."
"This is the spirit of youth!" Lee declared, giving a thumbs-up.
"Not everything is about youth," Tenten groaned, rubbing her forehead.
"Second place, Yakumo Kurama," Kitazawa read. "Third place, Uchiha Sasuke. Fourth place, Hyūga Neji. Fifth place, Hyūga Hinata."
Kitazawa raised his hand to silence the class before continuing, "Sixth place, Shino Aburame. Seventh place, Ino Yamanaka."
The top seven, aside from Uzumaki Naruto, were nearly identical to the results of the last practical exam.
Each of them had improved, of course—but none as drastically as Naruto. His growth had been so explosive that it launched him straight into first place.
"Eighth place, Sakura Haruno. Ninth place, Inuzuka Hana. Tenth place, Tenten. Eleventh place, Inuzuka Kiba."
Kitazawa paused, then went on, "Twelfth place, Nara Shikamaru. Thirteenth place, Rock Lee. Fourteenth place, Akimichi Choji—"
"I actually made eighth place?" Sakura gasped, her eyes wide with shock and delight.
Last time, Ino Yamanaka had been the one to leap forward. This time, the spotlight was hers. Sakura had jumped from thirteenth place to eighth, a remarkable improvement.
The reason was simple: she had mastered an additional B-rank Water Release jutsu—something most Academy students could only dream of.
"But you're still one spot below me," Ino smirked, flicking a golden strand of hair out of her face.
"Hmph, just wait and see!" Sakura shot back, unwilling to concede.
"The Genius Class is brutal," Tenten sighed. Only a month had passed, yet she had slipped from eighth to tenth.
It wasn't that she hadn't grown—she had even learned the Shadow Clone Technique—but both Sakura and Hana had advanced faster, pushing her down the list. In her old Second Year Class A, rankings had never fluctuated this wildly.
"It's over for me!" Kiba groaned, clutching his head. "I've fallen out of the top ten!"
"It's alright," Hana said warmly, patting his shoulder. "At least your sister made it in."
"Does that even count?!" Kiba wailed.
"Twelfth place… troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, frowning. His written exam had earned him tenth, but his practical had dropped him to twelfth, pushing his overall ranking out of the top ten.
He had aimed for exactly tenth place. He hadn't accounted for Sakura and Hana's sudden growth. Now he'd have to explain this to his mother, Yoshino. A headache was already forming.
Kitazawa was about to continue when his gaze shifted sharply toward the academy entrance. A figure approached swiftly, landing before them.
Naruto and Neji turned curiously. The newcomer wore a gray vest.
Sasuke recognized it instantly. An Anbu operative. He had seen Itachi wear the same kind of vest.
"Kitazawa-sama, Kakashi-senpai," the masked ninja said. "Hokage-sama requests your presence at the Hokage Building's council room immediately. A Jōnin meeting has been convened."
Kitazawa's heart tightened.
Jōnin meetings were rarely sudden. If one was called without warning, something serious was happening in Konoha.
"I understand," Kitazawa replied with a nod.
The Anbu vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
"Kosuke-senpai." Kitazawa handed over the roster. "I'll leave the rest to you, including the challenge matches."
"No problem," Kosuke said readily. Though not a Jōnin himself, he understood what this sudden summons implied.
Kitazawa and Kakashi exchanged a glance before heading toward the Hokage Building together.
As they walked, Kitazawa's mind raced. In the original timeline, nothing major had happened that year beyond the Uchiha massacre. But with his interference, that tragedy would no longer come to pass.
That left only one possibility—Obito Uchiha.
By the time they arrived, the council room was already full. At the center sat Hiruzen, who must have received word first before calling the others to assemble.
Danzo was also present, notably absent from the last council.
"Over here," Tsunade called, lifting her hand.
"Kakashi, I'll go ahead," Kitazawa said before moving to sit beside her.
"It's a declaration of war from the Hidden Mist Village," Tsunade whispered.
Kitazawa's expression hardened. "The reason… wouldn't happen to be the Kiba, would it?"
"You guessed it," Tsunade said with a wry smile. "Congratulations—you've carved your name into history by single-handedly starting a war with the Mist."
"Lady Tsunade, is this really the time for jokes?" Kitazawa muttered, exasperated. But deep down, he already knew the truth.
The real reason was Obito.
Wounded, furious, and ruthless, he had forced Yagura—the Fourth Mizukage under his control—to declare war on Konoha. Not because of a sword, but simply to spite the village.
After all, to Obito, the Mist was nothing more than a pawn. Even if Yagura lost and the Mist collapsed, it wouldn't matter. His real aim was Akatsuki and the Eye of the Moon Plan.
"Don't worry, the old man won't blame you," Tsunade said, her voice softer now. "Anyone can see the Mist wouldn't declare war over a single blade."
The Kiba blades might be valuable, but it wasn't priceless.
And once war erupted, the Hidden Mist Village's losses would extend far beyond a single sword.
Kitazawa nodded.
Though, in truth, he was the one who had sparked this war.
At most, only Kakashi could be added to that list.
"The only person you need to watch is Danzo," Tsunade warned. "He'll certainly use this situation to stir trouble."
"Given his personality, no doubt he will," Kitazawa replied. He paused, thinking. "And he'll probably drag you into it as well."
Danzo's ultimate goal was to become Hokage, and Tsunade stood directly in his path. Now that Kitazawa had made a mistake linking himself to her, Danzo would inevitably exploit it.
Tsunade merely nodded, unsurprised. She had long expected this.
"But stirring trouble isn't his only goal," Kitazawa continued, stroking his chin. "He may see this as an opportunity to seize power."
War was always a double-edged sword—a risk and a chance for those bold enough to grasp it. If Danzo were to take command of this conflict, he would reclaim his place at the pinnacle of power.
"The old man won't let him succeed," Tsunade said firmly. "Danzo's too old to lead the war."
Kitazawa cleared his throat. "And you?"
Tsunade went silent. No one in all of Konoha was better suited to command this war than she. Among the middle-aged and younger generation of shinobi, her strength and authority were unmatched.
The others were either too old, like Danzo, or too young, like Kakashi. Hiashi and Fugaku could be considered, but they were clan heads first and Konoha ninjas second. Hiruzen would never entrust them with this responsibility.
By default, the mantle fell to Tsunade.
"I've noticed something," she muttered, rubbing her temples, "ever since I met you, nothing good has happened." She already sensed she couldn't avoid this.
"My fault," Kitazawa said sincerely. "Once this war is over, I'll take you to the casino, Lady Tsunade."
"How can a war end so easily?" she retorted, rolling her eyes.
"The Hidden Mist Village is no match for us," Kitazawa replied. "If we uncover why they started this, the war could be over quickly."
Tsunade gave a slight nod. But she couldn't immediately see any reason for the Hidden Mist to declare war. If she were in their shoes, there was no logic in attacking a stronger ninja village over a mere blade.
"Alright, everyone's here. Let's begin the meeting," Hiruzen said, clapping the table. "I just received word from Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi—he has declared war on Konoha."
The room fell into stunned silence.
"Didn't we just negotiate with them? Why declare war now?"
"How could the Hidden Mist change their stance so quickly?"
"With their strength, they dare challenge us? They've overestimated themselves!"
The Jonin murmured anxiously, bewildered by the sudden declaration.
"Hiruzen, explain the reason for their declaration," Danzo demanded.
"The Fourth Mizukage claims it's because we refused to hand over the Lightning Blades: Kiba," Hiruzen replied. "But that's clearly an absurd excuse."
Danzo snorted coldly. "Absurd? This mess was caused by Kitazawa. His seizure of war spoils sparked this conflict. He killed Kurosuki Raiga, so the Lightning Blade: Kiba belongs to him."
"How is that appropriation?" Hiruzen frowned.
"Perhaps," Danzo said, sidestepping, "but once war breaks out, how much will Konoha lose due to his selfishness? And Tsunade is partly to blame for failing to guide him properly."
"Danzo!" Hiruzen snapped. "Unreasonable!"
Hiashi, Fugaku, and the others exchanged glances but said nothing. They knew this was more than a war—it was a struggle for influence within Konoha, a silent clash between Tsunade and Danzo for the position of Hokage.
"Kitazawa followed Konoha's rules. What's wrong with that?" Tsunade asked, calm but firm.
"He provoked this war!" Danzo retorted.
"Then let him end it," Tsunade said, indifferent.
"End it?" Danzo sneered. "Does he have the power?"
"What if we do it together?" Tsunade challenged, looking him squarely in the eyes.
Danzo's heart skipped. He had come to this council to claim command of the war—he couldn't allow Tsunade to lead. If she won, she would have a clear path to become the Fifth Hokage.
"Excellent!" Hiruzen exclaimed, joy swelling in his chest. "Then let's appoint him immediately." Tsunade had proposed it herself, and he could hardly be happier.
"Wait!" Danzo protested. "I disagree!"
"Disagree with what?" Hiruzen asked sharply.
"Kitazawa made mistakes. And Tsunade, as his teacher, bears responsibility. How can someone at fault lead on the frontlines?"
Ah. So that was his plan.
"This was an unintentional mistake," Hiruzen said calmly. "Then let her resolve it and atone for her actions."
Danzo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Any objections?" Hiruzen asked, glancing at Hiashi and the other Jonin.
"No," came the unanimous response.
Danzo felt a chill crawl up his spine—his plan had been undone in broad daylight.
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