Kitazawa returned to the First Year, Class A classroom after the meeting.
Karin was chatting with Ino and Naruto, and it seemed they had already started becoming friends.
Kitazawa wasn't surprised. What kind of bad intentions could a group of six or seven-year-old children possibly have?
Moreover, Karin wasn't a social phobic like Hinata. In the original work, her personality was somewhat closer to Tsunade's and Sakura's.
"Class is starting." Kitazawa walked to the podium, patted it lightly, and spoke.
The moment he did, Class A immediately fell silent.
Karin instinctively glanced left and right, realizing Kitazawa's authority. Every student was sitting upright, taking the class seriously, not showing even the slightest hint of reluctance.
Even Shikamaru, who always looked lazy, was no exception.
The first lesson was on the Will of Fire.
Karin initially thought she wouldn't understand, since she was a transfer student who had never attended school before. But to her surprise, she found herself listening with full attention.
Is this what a teacher from Konoha, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, is like? Truly terrifying!
"Karin, come to my office." After class ended, Kitazawa called out and left the room.
"I'm going to see Teacher Kitazawa." Karin stood up and waved goodbye to Ino and the others.
"We're going to train. If you want to find us, come to the training ground," Ino said with a smile.
"Sasuke-kun and I will be at the school's Artificial Lake!" Sakura quickly added, "You can come find us, too!"
Although she usually interned at Konoha Hospital, if Kitazawa wasn't around, she would always sneak over to the lake to practice Medical Ninjutsu. Of course… she also took the chance to peek at Sasuke.
"Hey, don't forget me!" Inuzuka Kiba jumped in right away. He was also training at the Artificial Lake, working on Water Walking.
"Mhm!" Karin nodded. A warm feeling spread in her heart.
Back in Kusagakure, she and her mother had been locked indoors day after day, forbidden to go out, and she had no friends. Now, to suddenly have so many companions felt like a dream.
After leaving the classroom, Karin made her way to Kitazawa's office.
"Come in." Kitazawa's voice came from inside after a knock.
"Teacher Kitazawa," Karin greeted as she walked in.
"How was your first day at school?" Kitazawa asked with a gentle smile.
"I feel very good," Karin replied sincerely. "My classmates are all kind, and your teaching is excellent."
"If you run into any problems here, come to me right away," Kitazawa nodded before adding, "But remember, it's already the second semester. You've missed a lot of lessons, so you'll need to catch up."
"Okay!" Karin agreed without hesitation.
"For now, you won't attend regular classes. Once you've made up for what you missed, then you can return."
Kitazawa casually picked up a textbook from his desk. "Let's go. We're heading to the training ground."
"Huh?" Karin blinked, stunned. What kind of tutoring happened at the training ground?
"It'd be too lonely for you to study here alone," Kitazawa explained, easily reading her thoughts. "It'll be livelier if you're with Ino and the others."
Karin was momentarily stunned again. He really thinks of everything?
Teacher Kitazawa was truly a great person. She wasn't used to this kindness—especially since everyone in Kusagakure had always been cruel, never once showing her warmth.
The two arrived at the training ground.
"Karin?" Ino's eyes widened in surprise at her arrival.
Shikamaru immediately used the opportunity to slack off, ceasing his training at once.
Hinata continued her practice, though her gaze drifted toward Kitazawa and Karin.
Neji only glanced once before ignoring them completely.
Yakushi Kabuto, however, proactively stepped forward.
"She'll be here with you all for her make-up lessons." Kitazawa unfurled a summoning scroll, producing a desk and chair in an instant.
Karin quickly sat down without hesitation.
"This is the first semester's textbook," Kitazawa explained, setting the book on the desk. "Read through it, and I'll have my Shadow Clone guide you."
If Karin were left to study on her own, her progress would be slow. But with a Shadow Clone assisting her, she would advance far quicker than in normal classes.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa." Though her head ached at the sight of so many textbooks, she didn't complain.
After leaving the hell of Kusagakure, even attending school felt like a blessing.
"You all continue training as well." Kitazawa glanced at Shikamaru.
That little guy was always looking for a chance to slack off—even for just a few minutes. A true master of laziness.
Shikamaru returned to practicing his clan's Shadow Imitation Technique, his face expressionless as always.
"Teacher Kitazawa!" Kabuto suddenly called out once everything was settled. "I've already mastered Wind Release: Gale Palm and Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."
"Not bad," Kitazawa nodded in approval.
To learn two C-rank Wind Release techniques in just half a month was excellent progress.
"I'll teach you your third Wind Release Jutsu now," Kitazawa said after a moment's thought. "But it's B-rank, so it'll be much harder."
He then pulled out a shuriken. Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken!
Kitazawa infused his chakra, then hurled it at a nearby rock. The shuriken's edge shimmered, and in the next second, the rock was cleanly split in half.
"This is Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken." He paused before continuing. "Practice it on your own. If you can't grasp it, come find me again."
A B-rank jutsu required mastery of chakra nature transformation. Kabuto's Wind Release transformation was still shallow—he had only just begun.
If he failed to learn it, he would need to pause and return to practicing his chakra nature transformation first.
"Understood, Teacher Kitazawa." Kabuto took a deep breath and gripped a shuriken tightly.
After half an hour of instruction, Kitazawa left the rest to his Shadow Clone. Kabuto already had a strong foundation and excellent chakra control, so Kitazawa wasn't too worried.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Seeing this, Hinata finally couldn't hold back and called out.
"What's wrong?" Kitazawa walked forward, gently stroked her head, and asked, "Did you encounter a problem?"
"No." Hinata's lips curved upward as she looked at him, saying happily, "I can already perform twelve consecutive palms!"
"Are you asking me to praise you?" Kitazawa looked at her expectant expression and asked teasingly.
Hinata's thoughts were seen through, her small face flushed red, and she shyly lowered her head, her little hands restlessly fiddling with the hem of her clothes.
"Your progress is indeed very significant." Kitazawa couldn't help but smile and praised, "Your current strength is more than enough to participate in the Chunin Exams."
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!" Hinata's heart leapt with joy as she said, "This is all thanks to Teacher Kitazawa's guidance!"
"Alright, no need for extra words. Continue your training and strive to master the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms as soon as possible."
Kitazawa reached out and pinched her delicate little face as he spoke.
"Mhm." Hinata nodded firmly.
Kitazawa stepped back and quietly watched her continue her practice. Once Hinata no longer made obvious mistakes, he turned and walked toward a distant corner.
Passing through two tree-lined avenues, Kitazawa's eyes fell upon Naruto. Or rather, a large group of Narutos.
All of them were drenched in sweat, panting heavily, and looked utterly exhausted.
The third stage of the Rasengan was indeed extremely difficult. What's more, Naruto wasn't using any of the little tricks he had relied on in the original method, so his progress was even slower.
"Naruto, you've been training for so long. Come and rest for a bit," Kitazawa called out loudly.
"Kitazawa-sensei?" Naruto noticed him and immediately looked surprised.
Ever since the Rasengan training had gotten on track, he had mostly been practicing alone, with Kitazawa rarely checking in.
"You should dismiss your Shadow Clones first," Kitazawa said, his mouth twitching slightly.
A whole bunch of Narutos in bright green jumpsuits crowded around him, and Kitazawa almost felt his eyes turn green—it was truly unbearable.
Upon hearing this, Naruto quickly formed hand seals. Sounds of "bang, bang, bang" echoed in rapid succession.
One by one, the countless Shadow Clones vanished, and all their memories and fatigue came rushing back at once.
Naruto staggered, his face pale, and collapsed onto the ground.
Kitazawa thought to himself, What a beast.
If it were him, recalling so many Shadow Clones at once might very well kill him.
"Drink some water," Kitazawa said, handing over a bottle.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."
Naruto sat up, twisted the cap open, and guzzled down several mouthfuls in one go.
Kitazawa's eyes briefly drifted toward his abdomen. He wondered if the Nine-Tails inside was casually eavesdropping when it had nothing better to do.
After all, being confined to a pitch-black prison for so long, besides listening in, there really wasn't much else to keep it entertained.
But then again, it might also just be fast asleep within the sealing space.
"Naruto, wait here for a moment." Kitazawa suddenly thought of a way to rouse the Nine-Tails.
"Eh?" Naruto was about to ask when Kitazawa vanished from sight.
Moments later, he reappeared—this time with Sasuke in tow.
"Sasuke, activate your Sharingan," Kitazawa instructed.
Already confused, Sasuke became even more bewildered.
What's going on? Did you seriously drag me here just to make me use my Sharingan?
Even though Sasuke was puzzled, he still complied and activated it.
A scarlet glow flickered in his eyes. An oppressive, chilling aura spread outward.
—Sealed space.
"Where did this Uchiha come from?" The Nine-Tails, who had been dozing, suddenly stirred awake.
There were two things it despised most in its entire life: the Sharingan and Wood Release.
Between the two, though, it hated the Sharingan more. Because against Wood Release, it couldn't win no matter what.
But the Sharingan? That cursed eye could seize its will, controlling it without a fight, forcing it into battles it had no desire to fight.
"Oh… It's that brat." The Nine-Tails noticed Sasuke and quickly lost interest.
Having stayed inside Naruto's body, it was naturally familiar with those closest to him. Sasuke was one of them.
But in its eyes, he was just another pitifully weak Uchiha it could crush with a single swipe of its claw. Far from enough to stir its blood.
"During this break, how about I tell you the story of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and Uchiha Madara?" Kitazawa asked with a smile.
"That's great! I want to hear it!" Naruto immediately perked up.
Uchiha Madara? Wasn't that the strongest Uchiha in the history of their clan?
Sasuke, too, grew interested upon hearing the name.
"Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara?" The Nine-Tails gave a low snort.
Hearing those names, its massive body gave an involuntary shudder.
It remembered clearly—back then, it had been peacefully asleep when it was suddenly dragged away by Uchiha Madara, who not only controlled it but forced it into battle.
The Nine-Tails had always believed itself invincible in the Shinobi World. Yet Uchiha Madara had subdued it with nothing more than a single glance.
At that time, the Nine-Tails thought Madara must surely be the strongest shinobi alive.
But then came an even more monstrous existence. Senju Hashirama.
That man, while shouting things like "You're too strong, I need to seal you!" pressed it down into the ground with just one hand.
Back then, the Nine-Tails had felt truly pitiful and utterly helpless.
"The stories from the Warring States period are quite old. I didn't witness them myself. These are just legends I've heard, so don't take them too seriously," Kitazawa prefaced with a light smile.
Then he asked, "So—whose story do you want to hear first?"
"Senju Hashirama!" Naruto immediately said.
"Uchiha Madara," Sasuke spoke almost at the same time as Naruto.
"Then let's begin with Uchiha Madara," Kitazawa decided.
Turning to Naruto, he added, "Don't be disappointed, because many of Uchiha Madara's stories are deeply tied to Hashirama Senju."
"Hmm." Naruto nodded, then said, "Sasuke, sit with me."
Sasuke hesitated for a few seconds, then sat on the ground with him.
"According to unofficial historical records, Uchiha Madara never cried or made a fuss after he was born." Kitazawa fabricated, "His father, Uchiha Tajima, laughed uncontrollably upon seeing this, believing he was a 'Cry-Free War God'."
"Why was his father so happy?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
"Because that era was very chaotic, and only the truly Strong could survive." Kitazawa gave an example, "Even powerful figures like Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju couldn't protect their younger brothers."
"Not crying or making a fuss doesn't sound particularly special." Sasuke frowned slightly and said.
He had thought it would be some earth-shattering birth, like flowers falling from the sky or Chakra surging everywhere.
"When Uchiha Tajima picked up Uchiha Madara, he started to cry." Kitazawa coughed lightly and said, "But it wasn't the cry of a normal baby boy."
"What kind of cry was it?" Sasuke was stunned for a moment and asked curiously.
"It was a girl's cry," Kitazawa replied.
"Ah?" Sasuke, Naruto, and the Nine-Tailed instinctively let out sounds of surprise.
"Because of this, Uchiha Madara was raised as a girl from a young age, often wearing skirts and such." Kitazawa held back his laughter and said.
"???" Sasuke's face was full of question marks. No, I don't believe it!
Although Uchiha Madara had betrayed Konoha, he was never forgotten within the Uchiha Clan due to his terrifying strength.
Now, hearing Kitazawa's words, Sasuke felt like the sky was falling, and Uchiha Madara's image was utterly destroyed.
"No wonder." Naruto said excitedly, "I'll call him the founder of the Sexy Jutsu!"
He remembered the unofficial history Kitazawa told him before.
It was about Uchiha Madara using the Transformation Technique to turn into a beautiful woman and deceive Hashirama.
He thought about it carefully, wasn't this the prototype of the Sexy Jutsu?
"???" Sasuke subconsciously looked at him. So the Sexy Jutsu was originally created by Uchiha Madara?
"Hahaha!" The Nine-Tailed was laughing so hard in the sealed space that it was slapping its belly.
It had never been imagined that the dignified Uchiha Madara had such an unofficial history.
"Does the First Hokage Senju Hashirama have any unofficial history?" Sasuke decided to help Uchiha Madara regain some face.
"Senju Hashirama, too?" The Nine-Tailed immediately stopped its wild laughter and pricked up its ears to listen.
"Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara were rivals and friends." Kitazawa paused and asked, "But do you know what challenge Hashirama Senju proposed when they first met?"
"It must have been a passionate, hot-blooded sparring match!" Naruto immediately gave a thumbs up and said.
Sasuke also nodded in agreement.
Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara were the strongest Ninjas in the Ninja World at that time.
Their first battle must not have been simple, just like the legendary Valley of the End battle that has been passed down to this day.
"No." Kitazawa shook his head and said, "They competed to see who could pee the farthest."
"What?" Naruto's eyes widened.
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Competing to see who could pee the farthest, he didn't even play such a childish game when he was three years old.
"Hahaha!" The Nine-Tailed was laughing and rolling on the ground.
For a moment, the sealed space was turbulent, and the Chakra was extremely chaotic.
"Hiss!" Naruto suddenly clutched his stomach and said, "I think I ate something bad; I'm a bit gassy."
"Let me check you." Kitazawa raised an eyebrow and said.
Naruto released his hand upon hearing this. Kitazawa placed his hand on his clothes, and a light green Chakra surged out.
He quickly sensed the sealed space deep within his stomach.
"It's nothing serious, just rest for a while." Kitazawa didn't delve deeper, withdrew his hand, and said.
After this examination, he confirmed one thing: the Nine-Tails was indeed eavesdropping. And that cluster of Chakra looked very active; it was probably laughing so hard it passed out.
"So who won in the end?" Naruto asked curiously.
Sasuke was speechless.
What was the point of who won or lost? However, he also looked at Kitazawa, wanting to know the answer.
"Senju Hashirama won." Kitazawa replied, "Because Uchiha Madara had a weakness: if someone was behind him, he couldn't pee."
"Someone helped Senju Hashirama?" Sasuke paused for two seconds and found the blind spot.
"It was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama." Kitazawa explained, "He used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport behind Uchiha Madara, causing his crushing defeat."
Is the Flying Thunder God Technique used like this?
No, that's not right.
You, Senju Clan people, two against one, is that fair?
Evil Senju! Sasuke's thoughts inexplicably drifted away.
"Hahaha!" The Nine-Tails laughed until tears came out; it turned out Uchiha Madara had such a weakness.
"Oh no, my stomach hurts again!" Naruto immediately clutched his stomach and said.
"That's all for today's unofficial history. You two continue your training, and I'll tell you more next time if there's an opportunity." Kitazawa clapped his hands and said.
But this was a lie. He planned to tell them again after some time.
The Nine-Tails might not be able to resist actively talking to Naruto, just to hear more unofficial history about Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju.
Sasuke's expression was complex. He would rather not have heard this unofficial history.
But Naruto listened with great relish.