The Land of the Sea was a small, fragmented nation compared to the sprawling Land of Water—a collection of four major islands surrounded by countless smaller ones.
Among them was Summoning Island, their destination.
After reaching the southeastern coast of the Land of Fire, Kitazawa's team boarded a large vessel bound for the Land of the Sea. The ship, supplied by Gato's shipping company, was far larger and more luxurious than any of them had expected.
For Tayuya, Tenten, Karin, and Choji, it was their first time aboard such a massive ship. They stood along the deck railings, eyes wide, pointing curiously at the waves and gulls gliding over the horizon.
Kitazawa, meanwhile, stood near the bow, listening quietly as Gato gave his report.
Everything was progressing smoothly.
Neither the Land of Water nor Kirigakure had realized that Gato was secretly under Konoha's control. Trade routes continued as usual, and his company operated as the perfect cover for both legitimate commerce and covert information flow.
Between Gato's Shipping and the Ocean's Heart Jewelry Company, Konoha had effectively seized control of most maritime trade between the islands and the Water Country.
If Kitazawa ever chose to move against Kirigakure in the future, these routes would give him a decisive advantage.
For now, though, profit and secrecy were enough. There was no need to draw attention.
That night, the ship sailed under a sky thick with stars. By dawn, they had reached the misty waters of the Land of the Sea.
Kurenai stretched and yawned as she stepped onto the deck.
"Sleeping on a ship really takes some getting used to," she said, rubbing her eyes.
"It's a bit shaky," Tenten agreed.
"A bit? It's awful!" Tayuya complained, looking pale. "The sea is worse than I imagined."
She'd barely slept, waking several times to the rocking of the waves.
"I think it was nice," Choji said cheerfully, stretching.
Kitazawa scanned the horizon, comparing the landscape to his map. Then he raised his hand toward a distant island wreathed in fog.
"That's Summoning Island. We'll approach directly from the sea."
"Won't the local shinobi spot us?" Kurenai asked sharply.
"There's no need to worry," Kitazawa replied, folding his map. "The guards are concentrated inside the research base."
Without hesitation, he stepped off the ship and onto the ocean's surface, chakra spreading beneath his feet in a steady ripple.
The others followed one by one—Kurenai, Tenten, Tayuya, Karin, and Choji—until all six stood gliding across the open water, heading straight for the island.
Minutes later, they landed on its rocky shore.
Dense, towering vegetation greeted them—enormous trees, strange ferns, and flowers with petals like blades.
"This place is amazing…" Tenten murmured, eyes wide. "It feels like we just stepped into a prehistoric jungle."
"Wait."
Kurenai's tone sharpened. "Something's coming. The ground's shaking—large footsteps."
Tayuya immediately raised her bamboo flute, Tenten unfurled a scroll, and Choji tucked away his snack bag, all snapping into combat readiness.
Karin instinctively ducked behind Kitazawa, her chakra sense flaring but her nerves clearly frayed.
"It's just a wild boar," Kitazawa said calmly, sensing the creature's chakra signature. "Big, but not a summoning beast. Drive it away."
"Got it."
Tayuya lifted her flute and blew a sharp, haunting note.
The chakra-infused melody rippled through the forest. Within seconds, the massive boar skidded to a halt mid-charge, its eyes glazing over as it fell into a genjutsu trance.
"Sound Genjutsu?" Kurenai's eyes widened slightly.
She hadn't seen Tayuya's abilities firsthand before; during the Orochimaru incident, she'd been assigned elsewhere.
"It's pretty clever," Tenten admitted. "perfect for ambushes."
Tayuya smirked proudly, flicking a glance toward Kitazawa.
"One point for you," he said casually.
Her grin faltered for a second—then crept back, smaller but more genuine.
Just one point, huh? Fine. I'll show you more than that soon.
Her goal was clear: break into the top five of the Genius Class through this mission, and finally make Kitazawa acknowledge her true strength.
"Stay alert," Kitazawa said as they moved forward. "Summoning beasts here can appear without warning."
They pressed deeper into the jungle, occasionally spotting strange creatures—scaled foxes, long-tailed birds, and shell-backed apes—but none were strong enough to pose a threat.
Tenten and Tayuya exchanged unimpressed looks.
"They're… kind of weak," Tenten muttered.
"Yeah," Tayuya agreed. "All bark, no bite."
Kitazawa said nothing, his eyes focused ahead. After a few more minutes of trekking, a metallic structure came into view—half-buried in the mountainside.
"There," he said. "The research base."
"Wait—we're not going in together?" Kurenai asked, frowning.
Kitazawa shook his head. "The layout inside is unknown. I'll go first and assess the situation."
In truth, his plan was simple: locate and release the Ultimate Summoned Beast, let the students face it for experience, and simultaneously confirm the presence of the Uzumaki survivor rumored to be held inside.
"Understood. Be careful," Kurenai said quietly.
Kitazawa nodded, then blurred forward, vanishing into the dense foliage.
Two guards stood watch at the research base entrance.
Judging by their mismatched armor and rough manner, they were rogue shinobi—mercenaries, not affiliated with any recognized village.
Kitazawa studied them briefly, then vanished.
A flicker of chakra—and he was standing before them.
The two didn't even have time to cry out before their world went dark.
Kitazawa caught one by the collar as he slumped, lowering him silently to the ground, then stepped through the entrance as if the building already belonged to him.
Inside, a sterile corridor stretched ahead, dimly lit by humming fluorescent lights.
He closed his eyes briefly.
Byakugan!
The world peeled open in layers of chakra.
Within moments, he saw the entire complex: thirty-six signatures in total—a mix of rogue ninja and civilian researchers.
Among them, one presence blazed like a crimson sun.
Found her.
Kitazawa moved swiftly through the halls, his footsteps soundless.
He stopped at a door etched with sealing formulae. The chakra inside was unmistakable—strong, pure, Uzumaki.
He knocked once.
"Please, come in," came a clear female voice.
Kitazawa pushed open the door.
Scrolls, ink, and paper seals covered nearly every surface. The air hummed faintly with chakra.
The sealing arrays were intricate—a blend of classical Four Symbols Seals and fragments of other Uzumaki designs. Crude in execution, but the theory was correct.
It didn't take him long to see what she was attempting.
She's trying to seal that so-called Ultimate Summoned Beast inside a human host—like a Jinchūriki.
An ambitious idea… but without complete mastery of Uzumaki sealing arts, it would only end in disaster.
That explained why the beast had gone berserk in the original timeline.
The red-haired woman looked up as he entered, startled.
"You—who are you?"
"I could ask you the same," Kitazawa said, his tone calm. "You're Uzumaki, aren't you?"
Her expression tightened. "I'm not."
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow, then pointed casually toward a seal drawn on the wall. "Then why are you using formulas derived from the Four Symbols Seal?"
Her eyes widened. "You… recognized that?"
"I'm from Konoha," Kitazawa replied simply.
Recognition flickered across her face. "Ah. That makes sense. After the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan, only Konoha retained those sealing techniques."
"Correct." Kitazawa took a step closer, hands in his pockets. "So tell me—why is a seal master wasting her time in a backwater lab?"
Her posture stiffened. "Are you here for the Ultimate Summoned Beast?"
Kitazawa snorted softly. "That mindless creature? Hardly. I'm here for you."
"...Me?" She blinked in disbelief.
"Konoha still preserves the Uzumaki sealing arts—every one of them," Kitazawa said. "If you come with me, you can learn them properly. You won't have to scrape by in a place like this."
"I… don't understand. Why me?"
"Because you're talented," he replied. "And because your clan isn't gone. There are three other Uzumaki living in Konoha right now."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
For as long as she could remember, she'd believed she was the last of her kind.
"If you don't believe me," Kitazawa continued, gesturing toward the exit, "come and see for yourself. One of them is waiting outside."
Uzumaki Honoka fell silent.
After her clan's fall, she had taken refuge in the Land of the Sea, trading her sealing expertise for protection. This lab, this island—all of it had been a compromise for survival.
But if what this stranger said was true…
If Konoha truly welcomed her…
"I want to meet them first," she said at last.
Kitazawa nodded. "My shadow clone will escort you."
She hesitated. "And you? What will you do?"
"I still have something to check." Kitazawa's gaze flicked toward the deeper chambers of the base. "Your experiment won't succeed, Honoka. That creature will lose control soon. You'll see it yourself."
Her brows furrowed. "How do you know that?"
"The seals you're using are mismatched," Kitazawa explained calmly. "They'll collapse once the beast resists. No shinobi would want a summoning creature that's mindless and uncontrollable."
Honoka frowned, caught between irritation and curiosity. "You seem to know an awful lot about this project."
"Konoha's information network is broader than you think," Kitazawa said with a faint smile. "Once I'm involved in something, I make sure to know every detail."
She gave a small nod. "I see…"
Without further protest, she followed his shadow clone out of the laboratory.
Outside the base, the group was waiting at the forest's edge.
Kurenai's gaze sharpened as she saw the unfamiliar woman. "Who's that?"
Karin's eyes widened as soon as the red hair caught the light.
"You… you're an Uzumaki?" Honoka asked, her tone cautious but hopeful.
Karin nodded, her chakra flaring subconsciously—a deep, steady pulse of raw vitality.
"My name's Karin. And you?"
"Uzumaki Honoka." She extended her hand, smiling faintly. "It's… good to finally meet one of my own."
Kurenai's eyes softened with surprise. "Another Uzumaki? On such a remote island, no less…"
"What's so special about the Uzumaki Clan anyway?" Tayuya asked bluntly.
Kurenai turned to her. "They were once one of the three great clans—as renowned as the Uchiha and Senju. Their chakra reserves and sealing arts were legendary."
Tayuya touched her own red hair thoughtfully. Her chakra wasn't nearly as powerful, but she couldn't help a flicker of envy.
"If I had that much chakra," she muttered, "I'd crush everyone in my path like Naruto does."
Then she blinked, frowning. "Wait—Naruto. He's an Uzumaki too, isn't he? Then why's his hair blonde?"
"Because his mother was Uzumaki—his father wasn't," Kitazawa's voice came from behind them as he reappeared.
"Who was his mother?" Honoka asked curiously.
"Uzumaki Kushina," Kitazawa answered without hesitation.
Honoka's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lady Kushina? She… survived?"
"No," Kitazawa said softly. "But she left behind something far more enduring than life."
Honoka's expression turned wistful. She'd been a distant relative—a branch member of the clan. To hear that the most gifted Uzumaki of her generation had not only lived in Konoha but also borne a child there filled her with both sorrow and pride.
Kitazawa glanced toward the distant mountain, where the lab stood.
His Byakugan still tracked the chakra within—and what he saw made his eyes narrow.
The chakra signatures were beginning to surge wildly, unstable and violent.
So it begins.
The Ultimate Summoned Beast was awakening.
And the real mission was about to start.
"Everyone, get ready," Kitazawa said calmly, though his tone carried a sharp edge of warning. "It's about to get dangerous. This is the real objective of your mission."
The moment he finished speaking, his body dissolved into smoke—a shadow clone dispelled.
The ground quaked violently.
A deep rumble rolled through the island, followed by terrified screams echoing from the research base.
The team turned toward the sound—just in time to see a massive, grayish-white creature tear through the steel walls like paper.
It was enormous, at least ten meters tall, its body an unholy fusion of insect and beast. Segmented armor plates gleamed under the sunlight, and its eyes burned with a feral, bloodthirsty intelligence.
The nearest researchers didn't even have time to run. The monster snatched them up and swallowed them whole.
Honoka froze, her face pale.
Kitazawa's words echoed in her mind. The experiment hadn't succeeded. It wasn't a perfect summon—it was a failure given form.
Kurenai's expression hardened. "You two stay back," she ordered Karin and Honoka. "Tayuya, Tenten, Choji—you're with me. We stop it here!"
Tayuya slammed her hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A burst of smoke erupted, revealing her three Nuki Oni. Under the sound of her flute, the hulking spirits roared and charged straight for the creature.
"ROOOOAR!"
The Ultimate Summoned Beast met them head-on, swinging one massive claw.
The first Nuki Oni barely raised its club before it was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing through the trees with a thunderous boom.
Tayuya's eyes widened. "No way…!"
She grit her teeth and commanded the remaining two to attack together.
The forest shook with the impact as the giants collided. Dust exploded into the air—and still, the Ultimate Summoned Beast held the upper hand, forcing both Nuki Oni backward with sheer brute strength.
"Choji!" Kurenai shouted.
"On it!"
"Multi-Size Technique!"
In an instant, his body expanded several times over. He tucked his limbs in.
"Human Bullet Tank!"
With a battle cry, he rolled forward like a boulder, crashing into the monster's side.
A deafening explosion followed. The combined force of Choji's attack and the Nuki Oni's push sent the beast staggering backward. The ground split open beneath its weight, and dust billowed skyward.
Tayuya exhaled sharply in relief, quickly signaling another command. Her Nuki Oni grabbed its massive club and swung it down toward the creature's skull.
The strike connected with a crack of thunder—but the beast caught the weapon mid-swing, growled, and hurled the Nuki Oni backward.
"Damn it!"
Choji stepped forward again, slamming a colossal fist toward the creature's chest.
The Ultimate Summoned Beast met him head-on.
The impact sent shockwaves through the air. Choji slid backward, his feet gouging deep trenches in the earth.
Tenten unfurled a massive scroll with a flick of her wrist.
"Ninja Art: Weapon Barrage!"
Kunai, shuriken, spears, and blades poured out in a torrential rain.
The air rang with metallic clatter—but the weapons barely scratched the monster's armor. The barrage only enraged it further.
"ROOOAAAR!"
It roared, pushing the Nuki Oni aside and leaping high into the air, its shadow swallowing them whole.
"Everyone, move!" Kurenai shouted.
Tayuya tried to pull her summons back, but they weren't fast enough.
At that exact moment, Tenten bit her thumb. "I'll handle this!"
She slammed her palm into the ground.
Tayuya frowned. "A summoning? Now? What's a small summon going to—"
Her words died as the sunlight disappeared.
The ground trembled under an immense shadow.
From the sky descended a colossal lizard—easily the size of a fortress—its scales glistening like steel.
It crashed into the Ultimate Summoned Beast with a sound like the heavens splitting apart.
The shockwave flattened the trees, sending a blast of wind rippling across the island. The Ultimate Summoned Beast shrieked—bones snapping audibly beneath Shiromari's sheer weight.
Tayuya's jaw dropped. "That… that's your summoning beast?!"
Tenten smiled faintly. "That's Shiromari. Kitazawa-sensei gave it to me."
"Then why didn't you use it in the practical exam?!"
Tenten shrugged. "It was just sparring between classmates. I didn't want to destroy the training ground."
Tayuya stared at her blankly, then realized something—she's the one ranked right below me...
Her expression soured. So my tenth place was a gift.
How many hidden monsters are in this class?
And worse—why does everything lead back to Kitazawa?
Before she could think more, his voice cut through the chaos.
"Enough chatter," Kitazawa said, suddenly appearing before them. His tone was calm, but his presence filled the battlefield like a pressure wave. "Focus on your mission."
Before them, the battle raged on—Choji, the Nuki Oni, and the Shiromari clashing with the monstrous summon in a chaotic melee of dust and thunder.
Tenten and Tayuya rejoined the fray, but at this scale, they could only serve as battlefield tacticians, guiding their summons.
Kitazawa's eyes narrowed. "That's enough warm-up."
He turned to Kurenai. "Let's test our Compound Ninjutsu: Hurricane Water Vortex."
Kurenai's lips curved into a confident smile. "Understood."
Wind Release: Rasengan!
Chakra swirled in her palm, forming a spinning sphere of roaring air.
Water Release: Raging Torrent!
Kitazawa followed instantly, molding water chakra and merging it into her vortex.
The two forces fused—and in an instant, a ten-meter-wide storm of spiraling wind and water formed before them.
They unleashed it together.
The raging vortex tore across the battlefield, its outer winds slicing like a thousand blades while the interior boiled with superheated water vapor.
The Ultimate Summoned Beast barely had time to turn.
BOOM!
The storm swallowed it whole. Flesh shredded under the cutting winds; blood vaporized into steam. The creature's shriek echoed across the island—then weakened, fading beneath the roar of the vortex.
When the winds finally died, it was a mangled ruin, barely standing.
Kurenai exhaled, smiling in satisfaction. "The power is even greater than last time."
Kitazawa didn't respond. His gaze lifted toward the sky.
Lightning Release: Kirin.
Dark clouds churned overhead. A deafening rumble followed as lightning gathered, converging into the shape of a celestial beast.
A brilliant Kirin formed—a dragon of pure thunder roaring across the heavens.
It dived.
And when it struck, the world turned white.
The explosion shattered the ground, and for a heartbeat, the air itself seemed to scream.
When the light faded, silence fell.
The Ultimate Summoned Beast was gone.
Only smoke and the faint scent of ozone remained.
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