"Even with the restrictions, Naruto is still that strong…"
Kiba let out a long sigh as he watched the battlefield settle.
"Sasuke actually did really well," Shikamaru said lazily, his hands resting behind his head. "He just ran a little short on chakra."
"A little?" Ino shot back immediately. "You call that a little?"
Tayuya shook her head with a bitter smile. "There's no point comparing chakra with those monsters."
When she had first joined the Genius Class, she had been full of ambition, convinced she could stand at the top.
Now she understood the truth.
No matter how hard you trained, standing across from Uzumaki Naruto still made you feel powerless.
"Still," Ino said, crossing her arms, "Naruto's squad might not win the third round."
She glanced toward Hinata.
"I think Hinata's team has the advantage."
After all, she and Yakumo had already lost to them.
"Hard to say," Shikamaru replied, shaking his head. "Naruto's team has Tenten. Her Ninken can track us wherever we go."
"Maybe," Ino said, planting her hands on her hips. "But a Ninken's range still can't compare to Hinata's Byakugan."
"I'm betting on—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
The image of Sakura flashed through her mind.
She quickly swallowed the rest of the words.
No way she was jinxing anything like that.
"Everyone… just do your best," Hinata said softly.
Reaching the third round was already beyond what she had expected.
The Genius Class was filled with prodigies. Every team here was extraordinary.
Of course she wanted first place.
But she also knew reality.
For Hinata, giving her absolute best was the only way to repay Kitazawa-sensei's guidance.
A moment later, Sasuke and Naruto returned to the formation.
Kitazawa stepped forward.
"Third round, first match: Uzumaki Naruto Squad vs. Hyuga Hinata Squad."
His gaze swept across the class.
"You have five minutes to choose your restrictions."
Five minutes later—
Hinata spoke first.
"We restrict Naruto from Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and Tailed Beast Power, and Tenten from summoning the Shiromari."
The bans were identical to before.
There simply weren't many other options against Naruto's team.
Naruto scratched his cheek before responding.
"We restrict Hinata's Explosive Arrow and Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, and Shikamaru's Shadow Exchange Jutsu."
The choices were carefully considered.
Explosive Arrow was a Yin Release secret technique. Naruto himself could resist it thanks to Kyuubi—but Choji and Tenten certainly couldn't.
Meanwhile, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was practically a nightmare for close-combat fighters like Naruto and Choji. One mistake, and their tenketsu would be sealed.
Hinata still retained Spiral Arrow and Void Arc Arrow, but Tenten's mastery of ninja tools could counter those from range.
Hinata's remaining teammates were Shikamaru and Hotaru.
Hotaru wasn't much of a threat in terms of banned abilities—her main specialty was simple Water Release techniques.
Shikamaru, however, was another matter entirely.
After careful discussion, Naruto's squad banned Shadow Exchange Jutsu, a troublesome life-saving secret technique.
"As expected," Shikamaru muttered calmly.
Naruto's team had chosen exactly the three restrictions he predicted.
But predicting them was one thing.
Beating Naruto's squad was something else entirely.
In terms of raw power—Naruto's team still held the advantage.
Soon, both squads entered the Forest of Death, taking opposite sides of the battlefield.
"I bet Hinata's squad will use the same strategy they used against Yakumo's team," Tenten said as they walked.
"So what do we do?" Choji scratched his head. "With her Byakugan, Hinata can see everything we're doing."
Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I could boost us with Wind Release: Gale Palm to move faster."
"It might work," Tenten said, "but it'll come down to reaction speed."
Hinata's Byakugan covered the entire battlefield.
Even if Gale Palm accelerated them, it wouldn't let them cross the arena instantly. Hinata's team would still have time to react.
Most likely…
It would turn into another drawn-out chase.
"Any better ideas?" Choji asked.
Tenten frowned. "Not right now."
"Well, at least you've got Yue," Choji said gratefully. "We won't lose their trail."
Suddenly—
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"I've got it!"
He snapped his fingers excitedly.
"I'll use Transformation Jutsu to turn into a ninja tool, then Choji throws me!"
Choji blinked.
"…Huh?"
The idea sounded completely ridiculous.
But Tenten's eyes suddenly sparkled.
"Wait," she said slowly. "That might actually work."
Choji scratched his head uncertainly. "I'm not sure how far I can throw you though."
"Then we add wind support," Tenten said quickly. "Two shadow clones boost the throw with Wind Release: Gale Palm."
Naruto grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
"Perfect!"
He clenched his fist dramatically.
"Time for our youth… to take flight!"
"Begin!"
Fifteen minutes later, Kitazawa's voice rang out across the Forest of Death.
Naruto immediately formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof! Poof!
Two shadow clones appeared beside him in bursts of smoke.
At that exact moment—
A rain of arrows streaked through the sky.
Hinata's Multiple Arrows curved overhead, cutting across the battlefield like falling stars.
"Tenten!"
"Got it!"
She hurled her largest scroll high into the air.
"Ninja Tool Art: Heaven's Chain Calamity!"
The scroll unfurled midair, releasing a torrential storm of ninja tools that shot upward to intercept the arrows.
Steel clashed against chakra as the sky filled with ringing impacts.
Meanwhile—
"Expansion Jutsu!"
Choji's body expanded rapidly.
But he didn't stop there.
"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"
His already massive arms swelled even larger, muscles bulging like rolling boulders.
At the same time—
Naruto leapt into the air.
Poof!
In a flash of smoke, he transformed into an enormous boomerang.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Both shadow clones formed hand seals simultaneously.
Twin blasts of wind surged forward, wrapping tightly around the spinning boomerang.
Tenten's eyes sharpened as she tracked the trajectory of Hinata's arrows.
"That direction… about thirteen to fourteen hundred meters!"
Within seconds she had calculated the enemy's approximate position.
As a master of ninja tools, her instincts for angles, distance, and trajectory were razor-sharp.
Choji grabbed the massive boomerang.
With a roar—
He hurled it with all his strength.
The wind-enhanced projectile tore through the air like a missile.
"Move!"
Hinata's Byakugan instantly detected the incoming object.
"What's going on?" Shikamaru asked instinctively.
From his perspective, the battle had barely begun.
There was no way Naruto's squad could already reach them—
BOOM!
A massive boomerang slammed into the ground roughly three hundred meters to their left.
With a puff of smoke—
Naruto appeared.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
He dispelled the transformation and immediately recreated his two clones.
In the blink of an eye, they stood on either side of him.
Shikamaru stared.
"…?"
His brain filled with question marks.
Naruto didn't give them even a second to process what had just happened.
"Konoha Dragon God!"
He spread his arms wide and began spinning.
Three massive green dragons of swirling chakra descended upon the battlefield like raging storms.
The sudden attack completely shattered Shikamaru's strategy.
Hotaru and Shikamaru were defeated almost immediately.
Only Hinata managed to resist for a short while, relying on her Moon-Chasing Bow and Byakugan.
But with Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms banned, her ability to deal decisive damage was severely limited.
Against the overwhelming force of Konoha Dragon God, even she eventually fell.
Kitazawa stepped forward.
"The winner—Uzumaki Naruto's squad."
A wave of murmurs spread through the spectators.
"I have to say… Naruto's tactic was brilliant," Kosuke said with a sigh of admiration.
Kurenai nodded. "Naruto really does come up with the most outrageous ideas."
"Still," Chen added thoughtfully, "pulling it off wasn't nearly as simple as it looked."
"Choji, Tenten, and Naruto were all indispensable."
Choji provided the raw strength to launch the attack.
Tenten calculated the distance with pinpoint accuracy.
And Naruto—
Well, Naruto had the sheer combat power required to face three opponents alone.
Without that strength, being thrown straight into the enemy formation would have been suicidal.
"A bit of luck was involved too," Kosuke admitted.
Chen smiled faintly.
"Luck is also part of strength."
Kurenai clapped her hands lightly.
"Come on, let's head over. The final rankings will be announced soon."
Meanwhile, the Genius Class was buzzing with excitement.
"Did Naruto seriously come up with that?" Kiba asked, completely stunned.
"That's Naruto for you!" Lee declared enthusiastically, eyes shining. "That strategy was overflowing with youth!"
Kiba rolled his eyes. "You managed to squeeze 'youth' into three sentences again."
"It worked because Naruto is strong," Neji said bluntly.
"That's true," Ino agreed. "Who else would dare charge into three enemies alone?"
"Sasuke-kun could do it too!" Sakura argued immediately.
Sasuke remained silent.
He could face three opponents.
But not as steadily as Naruto had just done.
There was still a chance he would lose.
'I need the Mangekyō Sharingan…'
Sasuke clenched his teeth.
During the break, he decided he would spar with Naruto even more.
If getting beaten was what it took to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan—
Then so be it.
Soon Naruto, Hinata, and the others returned to the gathering area.
Kitazawa stepped forward.
"I will now announce the Team Battle rankings."
Although additional restrictions had been introduced during the matches, scoring was still divided into team points and captain points.
Both winning and losing teams received scores based on performance.
Kitazawa began reading calmly.
"First place: Uzumaki Naruto.
Second place: Hyuga Hinata.
Third place: Uchiha Sasuke.
Fourth place: Kurama Yakumo.
Fifth place: Tenten.
Sixth place: Akimichi Choji…
Twenty-first place: Hotaru."
After announcing the team battle standings, he proceeded to reveal the theory test results and the overall final rankings.
Finally, Kitazawa smiled.
"That concludes this semester's Final Exams."
"Continue working hard next term."
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!" the Genius Class responded in unison.
"Alright," Kitazawa said with a nod. "Go get some rest."
After the students dispersed, Kitazawa exchanged a few words with Hiruzen and the other instructors before heading home alongside Kurenai.
"Kitazawa-sensei."
A voice called out.
"Kurenai-sensei."
Karin stood up from the table.
Kitazawa glanced down.
A scroll was spread out before her, with a fish placed neatly on top.
"Practicing Medical Ninjutsu already?" he asked.
"There's nothing else to do," Karin replied.
Tsunade, Rina, and Shizune were still at the Hokage Building. No one else was home.
Since she had returned early, she had simply begun practicing on her own.
"Hard work is good," Kurenai said gently, stroking Karin's hair. "But rest is important too."
Kitazawa suddenly smiled.
"How about we go watch a movie this afternoon?"
Kurenai's eyes immediately lit up.
"That sounds great!"
Karin nodded as well.
For once, a quiet afternoon of relaxation awaited them.
After lunch, the three of them headed to the cinema.
A brand-new film starring Koyuki Kazahana had just been released.
Although she had already become the Daimyō of the Land of Snow, Koyuki had never abandoned her acting career. For the Land of Snow, it served as both excellent publicity and a steady source of income.
Today's film, for instance, had been shot entirely on location in the Land of Snow.
As Kitazawa watched the scenes unfold on the screen, he quickly noticed something familiar—the early outlines of the winter theme park he had once proposed.
For now, however, travel to the Land of Snow was still difficult. The journey was long and expensive, meaning only wealthy nobles or merchants could afford the trip.
If the park was to truly flourish…
Then peace across the ninja world was essential.
After the movie ended, the three of them wandered through the streets for a while before finally heading home.
The moment Kitazawa stepped into the living room, he saw Tsunade sprawled across the sofa in a thoroughly unladylike posture.
Clattering sounds came from the kitchen.
Inside, Shizune and Rina were busy preparing dinner.
"Did the Genius Class Team Battles take the whole day?" Tsunade asked lazily, glancing over at him.
"No," Kitazawa replied. "We went to watch a movie afterward."
"You went to the cinema without inviting me?" Tsunade immediately sat up. "If you had asked, I could've gotten off work early."
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
"If we had invited you… would you really have gone to the cinema?"
Tsunade paused.
"…Fair point."
She shrugged.
"I probably would've gone to the casino instead."
"That really is Lady Tsunade's style," Kurenai said with a small smile.
She admired Tsunade's straightforward personality—something she herself could never quite replicate.
"Which is exactly why Tsunade-sensei became Hokage," Kitazawa added teasingly.
Tsunade shot him a sharp glare.
"Do you have any plans for the summer break?" Kurenai asked, quickly changing the topic.
"Not you—me," Tsunade corrected with a sigh. "Hokage don't get summer vacations."
For the Hokage, the only real holiday of the year was the New Year.
Kitazawa silently made a mental note.
'Once I become Hokage, the vacation system definitely needs reforming.'
"Tomorrow I'll be heading out with Kitazawa," Tsunade continued.
"We've located the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi, from Iwagakure."
Kurenai was startled.
"I probably won't be much help in that situation… so please be careful."
Although her strength had improved greatly, a Jinchūriki was still a terrifying opponent for most ninja.
Only someone with strength comparable to the Five Kage could truly confront one.
"Don't worry," Kitazawa said with a calm smile.
"I've already mastered Sage Mode."
Kurenai nodded.
She had learned about it only yesterday.
Most people associated Sage Mode with Jiraiya.
As for Senju Hashirama, his overwhelming Wood Release abilities had overshadowed everything else—so few people even realized he possessed Sage Mode as well.
But thinking about it carefully, it made perfect sense.
After all, the only person who might have witnessed Hashirama's Sage Mode in battle was likely Uchiha Madara.
"Rōshi isn't a missing-nin from Iwagakure," Kurenai added after a moment. "Won't capturing him cause conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure?"
"It'll definitely annoy them," Kitazawa said with a shrug. "But they won't start a war over one Rōshi."
Truthfully—
A part of him almost hoped they would.
After all, he was already approaching near-invincibility within the ninja world.
Still, caution was necessary.
He planned to wait until he had fully mastered Sage Art: Wood Release – True Several Thousand Hands.
From another perspective, capturing Rōshi would already place him in opposition to Iwagakure.
That would give him the perfect opportunity to subtly stir tensions later on—pushing the village toward war when the timing suited him.
[Current Mission: Defeat Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi]
[Mission Reward: Lava Release Chakra Mode]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
The system mission only appears now?
Still…
The reward was excellent.
Among all Lava Release techniques, Lava Release Chakra Mode was by far the most valuable in his eyes.
If he could automatically master it through the system, he could learn the remaining Lava Release techniques later when he had time.
The three of them chatted for a while longer before dinner was served.
The night passed peacefully.
The next morning, Kitazawa and Kurenai arrived at the Ninja Academy.
Even though it was summer break, many students from the Genius Class had already come to train as usual.
After thinking for a moment, Kitazawa went to see Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Since he would be leaving the village with Tsunade today to hunt down the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, he wouldn't be able to supervise the class.
Especially the sparring sessions between Sasuke and Naruto.
After asking Hiruzen to temporarily oversee the class, Kitazawa headed toward the Hokage Office.
He pushed open the door.
Tsunade was already there.
The reason he knew she had been waiting…
Was because she wasn't buried under mountains of paperwork.
Instead, she stood quietly by the window, gazing out at the village.
Kitazawa's gaze briefly settled on the graceful curve of her figure.
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
Tsunade wasn't surprised in the slightest.
In fact, she had sensed his arrival long ago—and had remained where she was precisely so he could approach her.
Leaning back slightly, she rested against him.
"Time to go, Tsunade-sensei," Kitazawa said softly.
"…Mm."
She nodded.
The next moment—
Kitazawa activated the Flying Thunder God.
Space distorted.
In an instant, the two of them appeared in the Land of Birds.
Tsunade looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Where are we?"
"The Land of Birds," Kitazawa replied calmly. "ANBU tracked Rōshi to this country."
"Do we know his exact location?" Tsunade asked.
"Not yet," Kitazawa admitted.
Then he smiled slightly.
"But I can find him."
"Wait here for a moment."
Before Tsunade could respond—
He vanished.
Kitazawa activated his Byakugan.
With the aid of the Flying Thunder God , he began sweeping across the entire Land of Birds, moving from point to point in flashes as his vision scanned everything within range.
A vast search net spread silently across the country.
It didn't take long.
"Found him."
Kitazawa reappeared beside Tsunade.
Tsunade couldn't help but shake her head slightly.
"The Flying Thunder God is terrifying in your hands."
Kitazawa smirked and lightly patted her on the hip.
"What are you worried about?"
"Show some respect," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes. "On missions, I'm the Hokage."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Kitazawa gave a playful bow.
"What are your orders?"
Tsunade lifted her elbow and nudged him.
"You tell me."
"Very well," Kitazawa chuckled. "We capture Rōshi."
He paused.
"Mind if I handle this one myself?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"I want to show you something."
Kitazawa smiled faintly.
"My Sage Mode."
Tsunade studied him for a moment before nodding.
"Fine by me."
The Flying Thunder God Technique activated again.
Space flickered—
And the two of them appeared near their target.
"Be careful," Tsunade warned.
Kitazawa simply walked forward.
Halfway across the clearing, Rōshi appeared in front of him.
Kitazawa hadn't bothered hiding his presence.
"A shinobi from the Leaf?" Rōshi snorted coldly. "You people are like ghosts—you just won't stay gone."
This wasn't the first time Konoha's ANBU had tracked him down.
His expression darkened as he prepared for battle.
Kitazawa calmly brought his hands together.
"Sage Mode."
Natural energy surged through his body.
Rōshi's expression changed instantly.
"What is this…?"
A heavy, ominous pressure spread through the air.
His instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, Rōshi formed hand seals.
Kitazawa simply observed him, calmly deciding which technique to use.
In the original records, Rōshi had once been defeated by Kisame Hoshigaki.
The reason was simple—Kisame's Water Release perfectly countered Rōshi's Lava Release.
But Kitazawa had no intention of relying on that immediately.
"Sage Art: Rasengan."
A swirling sphere of chakra formed in his palm.
Rōshi's heart skipped.
The sense of danger intensified.
"Rasengan…?"
He recognized the technique instantly.
His hands blurred through seals.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
Rōshi inhaled sharply—then spat out more than a dozen blazing magma orbs.
Kitazawa instantly infused the Rasengan with Senjutsu chakra.
The sphere expanded dramatically.
With a thunderous crash—
The Sage Rasengan smashed straight through the incoming magma.
All twelve lava spheres exploded into fragments.
"What?!"
Rōshi's pupils shrank.
Without hesitation, he formed another sequence of seals.
"Lava Release Chakra Mode!"
This time, he unleashed his true power.
Molten chakra surged across his body, covering him in blazing magma armor.
Kitazawa didn't even blink.
"Sage Art: Water Release — Water Dragon Bullet!"
A colossal water dragon erupted forward.
The dragon slammed directly into Rōshi.
Steam exploded everywhere as water clashed against lava.
Rōshi was blasted backward through the air like a ragdoll.
"Impossible!"
He struggled to rise.
With a furious roar, the magma surrounding his body flared violently, finally evaporating the remaining water.
Rōshi glared at Kitazawa.
"Who are you?"
His voice trembled with disbelief.
They had only exchanged two moves, yet he had been completely suppressed.
That had never happened before.
Kitazawa didn't answer.
"Damn it!"
Realizing the danger, Rōshi made his decision immediately.
He drew upon the Four-Tails' chakra.
A violent surge erupted from his body.
Dark red chakra enveloped him as four blazing tails formed behind him.
A partial tailed-beast transformation.
"Tailed Beast Ball!"
Murderous intent flashed across his face.
A sphere of terrifying chakra began forming in front of his mouth.
Kitazawa moved first.
"Sage Art: Wind Release — Rasenshuriken!"
He leapt into the air and hurled the spinning blade of wind chakra downward.
Before the Tailed Beast Ball could fully form—
The Rasenshuriken struck.
The explosion was catastrophic.
Rōshi screamed.
Even the powerful tailed beast cloak, famed for its durability, was shredded like paper.
When the dust finally settled—
Rōshi lay motionless on the ground, covered in blood.
Unconscious.
Watching from nearby, Tsunade could only stare in stunned silence.
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