"Someone's coming; it's Kitazawa-sensei's Shadow Clone," Aburame Torune said, pausing before speaking.
As a member of the Aburame Clan, he was exceptionally skilled in sensing and reconnaissance, and he was no exception.
Although he didn't possess Kikaichu, he commanded nano-sized poisonous insects called Phosphorous Destructive Insects(Rinkaichū). Smaller and more discreet than Kikaichu, they were perfect for sensing and reconnaissance.
A moment later, Kitazawa's Shadow Clone entered with Ranmaru. Upon seeing this, Kitazawa dispelled the clone.
"Why did you bring back a little girl?" Kurenai asked, puzzled.
"It's a little boy," Kitazawa corrected her with a smile.
"Boy?" Kurenai examined Ranmaru for a moment longer and exclaimed, "He really looks like a little girl."
"He's not simple," Kitazawa explained Ranmaru's past and his Red Eye.
"A Bloodline Limit like the Red Eye actually exists?" Kurenai looked utterly incredulous.
Kabuto and the others were equally astonished. The Byakugan was famous in the Ninja World, but they never imagined there would be a Red Eye—a natural counter to the Byakugan.
"The Ninja World is vast and full of wonders," Kitazawa said, pausing before adding, "Moreover, Hidden Mist Village already has many Bloodline Limits."
"That's true," Kurenai agreed.
"However, after the Fourth Mizukage took office, he began extensively hunting and eliminating Bloodline Limit Ninja," Kabuto recalled from rumors he had heard.
Kitazawa nodded. In reality, it wasn't the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi's fault—it was Uchiha Obito's doing.
Obito acted to avenge Rin Nohara. During the Third Great Ninja War, Rin had the Three-Tails implanted in her by Hidden Mist Village.
The original plan was for her to self-destruct upon returning to Konoha Village. To protect Konoha, Rin willingly died by Kakashi Hatake's Lightning Blade. Of course, Kitazawa knew that Uchiha Madara was behind the entire scheme.
"I don't understand why the Fourth Mizukage would do that," Kurenai asked, perplexed. "Most Bloodline Limit Ninja are quite strong; isn't their existence beneficial for the Village?"
"Who knows?" Kitazawa shrugged. "Let's sleep. We still have a mission tomorrow."
"Mm." Kurenai looked at Ranmaru. "What about him?"
"It's not safe to send him back to Konoha with a Shadow Clone; let's take him with us." Kitazawa formed hand seals. "I'll use the Five Elements Seal to temporarily incapacitate him."
He placed his hand on Ranmaru's forehead. Black talismans spread across the boy's entire body.
"Kabuto, you guys take care of him," Kitazawa said, standing. "If you have any problems, just find me."
"Alright." Kabuto immediately replied.
Kitazawa and Kurenai moved to another tent.
"Your strength should be no less than Kakashi's now, right?" Kurenai asked curiously as she sat on the mat. Kakashi and Raiga both had considerable reputations, so their strengths should be comparable.
"Haven't fought him, so I don't know," Kitazawa said, lying down. "But it shouldn't be much different."
The current Kakashi had not trained for a long time and was relatively weak. Unless he had learned to use the Mangekyo Sharingan, he would likely not be Kitazawa's match.
"This sounds like a dream," Kurenai murmured, somewhat dazed.
She had known Kitazawa's strength was growing rapidly, but she had no reference point. Now, after seeing him kill Kurosuki Raiga, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, she finally had a clear understanding.
Aside from the Kage of the Five Great Villages, Kitazawa's strength was among the top tier of Jonin.
The next second, she gasped and turned to glare at him.
Kitazawa's hand had already slipped under her clothes, disappearing up her thigh.
"We have a mission tomorrow!" Kurenai quickly stepped back two paces. "No funny business tonight!"
"I wasn't planning any funny business," Kitazawa chuckled. "You're the one thinking about it."
"I am not!" Kurenai's face flushed.
"Alright, come over and sleep," Kitazawa said, patting the mat.
Because they were in the wilderness, they all slept in their clothes to prevent accidents. Kurenai snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his arm as she closed her eyes. With a slight smile, she murmured, "Good night."
Kitazawa lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead.
---
The night passed without incident.
Time moved to the next day.
Ranmaru had already woken up, but because of the Five Elements Seal, he couldn't move and looked utterly lifeless.
Kitazawa didn't waste time trying to persuade him. Once they returned to Konoha Village, he would simply find someone to erase his memories. Though somewhat cruel, in a sense, it was for Ranmaru's own good.
Ranmaru had met the wrong person at the right time. Without encountering Kurosuki Raiga, he likely wouldn't have survived. But Raiga was clearly no good, and following him would have led to disaster.
The group arrived at the capital of the Land of Rivers.
"This is the target Ninja's location," Kitazawa said casually, handing Kabuto a map. "Take him out as quickly as possible."
Yakushi Kabuto nodded. With the map in hand, he, Aburame Torune, and Uchiha Izumi entered the city.
"Are we just going to watch?" Kurenai asked.
"The target Ninja isn't strong—not even a Jonin. They can handle him," Kitazawa said indifferently.
"This mission is too easy, it's boring!" Kurenai clenched her fists. "Next time, make sure to find a mission that lets me take action!"
"There will be," Kitazawa said with a smile.
The capital of the Land of Rivers was much smaller than the capital of the Land of Fire. With the map's guidance, Kabuto and the others quickly arrived at the target Ninja's house.
"Torune, use your poisonous insects first," Yakushi Kabuto instructed after a moment's thought. "If he somehow survives, Izumi, use your Sharingan."
"Mm." Uchiha Izumi activated her Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
Aburame Torune, without a word, raised his hand. Nano-sized poisonous insects flew through the window. A moment later, a scream rang out.
Uchiha Izumi immediately pushed open the door. The target Ninja instinctively turned his head, meeting her Sharingan. A momentary blankness appeared on his face.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!" Kabuto pulled out a kunai and slashed across the target's neck.
The Ninja then fell into eternal darkness.
"Torune, bag his body." Kabuto put away his kunai, expression calm. The target Ninja had been too weak, leaving him completely unmotivated.
Torune produced a Storage Scroll. After securing the body, the three quickly left.
"Kitazawa-sensei." Outside the city, Aburame Torune handed the scroll to Kitazawa.
"Let's go, back to Konoha Village." Kitazawa took the scroll and turned to leave.
The group returned along the same path, and by afternoon, they arrived back at Konoha Village.
"You all go back and rest. I'm going to see Hokage-sama," Kitazawa said. Pausing, he added with a smile, "Come find me tomorrow at 9 AM, and I'll give you your rewards."
A B-rank mission naturally didn't require seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen, but the addition of Kurosuki Raiga made it necessary. He was one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and was worth a considerable sum.
In the Ninja World, bodies could talk. Konoha Village could use Raiga's body for interrogation, likely obtaining many secrets about the Hidden Mist Village's higher-ups.
Kitazawa brought Ranmaru to the Hokage's office. He raised his hand to knock and, after receiving permission, pushed the door open.
"Kitazawa?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, somewhat perplexed. "Why did you bring an unconscious child with you?"
He had met all the students in the Genius Class and was certain Ranmaru wasn't among them.
"Hokage-sama, our Ninja squad just returned from a mission in the Land of Rivers," Kitazawa said, going straight to the point. "We encountered Kurosuki Raiga, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Did you have a conflict?" Hiruzen's expression immediately became serious.
"We killed him," Kitazawa replied.
"What?" Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned.
"This is Kurosuki Raiga's body." Kitazawa took out the Storage Scroll.
Hiruzen quickly rose, moved to the open space in front of his desk, and opened the scroll. A moment later, Kurosuki Raiga's body was released.
"It's him indeed!" Hiruzen confirmed, then laughed heartily. "You all did wonderfully!"
Kurosuki Raiga had already been a rogue Ninja of Hidden Mist Village, so killing him wouldn't provoke war. And with his death at Kitazawa's hands, if word spread, Konoha Village would gain considerable attention and prestige.
Kitazawa, of course, would also gain fame.
In Hiruzen's view, Kitazawa's fame had never matched his strength, and it was difficult to increase fame during peace. Like Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, and Kakashi Hatake, most renown came from the Great Ninja Wars.
"Haru, go call Inoichi," Hiruzen said impatiently.
Kurosuki Raiga was a high-ranking Hidden Mist Ninja. Currently, the Hidden Mist Village was under a closed-Village policy, so Konoha had a rare opportunity to learn its secrets.
"Since you encountered Kurosuki Raiga, your mission is upgraded to S-rank, with a reward of 1.2 million Ryo," Hiruzen said as he returned to his chair.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kitazawa replied calmly.
"But the mission reward alone isn't enough, Kitazawa. What do you want? Ninja tools, money, or Ninjutsu?" Hiruzen asked, smiling broadly.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. It was the first time he had seen Hiruzen give him a choice. Indeed, Kurosuki Raiga's body was valuable. Kitazawa fell into thought.
Ninja tools: he already had the Chakra Blade, given by Hinata, plus Kurosuki Raiga's Kiba (lightning blades), so he didn't need new tools.
Money: he had plenty and wasn't short of it for now.
After much consideration, Ninjutsu was the most practical choice. Although he possessed many Ninjutsu, he lacked truly powerful ones. Trading Kurosuki Raiga for an S-rank Ninjutsu should pose no problem.
"I choose Ninjutsu," Kitazawa replied.
"What Ninjutsu?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked generously. "You can choose any S-rank Ninjutsu."
Kitazawa's first thought was the Flying Thunder God Technique. But he reconsidered—it wasn't necessary. He knew well that, system aside, his talent was average, and he certainly wouldn't master the Flying Thunder God Technique on his own.
Since that was the case, it was better to leave it to the system. After all, it was only a matter of time before a system quest related to the Flying Thunder God Technique appeared.
Besides the system, he could also obtain the Flying Thunder God Technique through Tsunade. As long as he became Tsunade's student, he would receive treatment similar to Minato Namikaze.
It was important to remember that Minato had no fame when he learned the Flying Thunder God Technique; only after mastering it did he shine during the Third Great Ninja War.
In other words, Minato likely didn't earn it entirely on his own but obtained it through Jiraiya's connections. With this precedent, Kitazawa only needed to approach Tsunade if he wanted the technique, so there was no need to waste a slot here.
There weren't many S-rank Ninjutsu in Konoha Village, and many were forbidden jutsu—Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, Edo Tensei, Reaper Death Seal, and the Eight Gates Technique.
These forbidden jutsu felt more trouble than they were worth or were simply unusable. Kitazawa wanted a powerful offensive Ninjutsu.
As for S-rank techniques like Wind Release: Rasenshuriken and Lightning Release: Kirin, they didn't yet exist in Konoha Village and would have to be created by him and Kakashi Hatake.
Aside from the Flying Thunder God Technique, the most practical was the Spirit Transformation Technique.
The Spirit Transformation Technique allowed one's soul to leave the body, transform into a spirit, and attack enemies regardless of distance—or even control their bodies. Its only drawback was the need for teammates to protect the physical body.
There were also two S-rank Medical Ninjutsu: the Yin Seal and Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth—Strength of a Hundred Seal.
Kitazawa could learn them from Tsunade, and the Yin Seal already had a corresponding system quest, so there was no need to choose it.
Should he choose the Spirit Transformation Technique, then?
Just then, Kitazawa's mind stirred. He thought of an S-rank Ninjutsu—or more accurately, an S-rank combination Ninjutsu. That was Sarutobi Hiruzen's ultimate secret technique: the Five Release Great Combo Technique.
It involved simultaneously attacking the enemy with five different elemental Ninjutsu—Fire, Lightning, Water, Earth, and Wind—causing a devastating explosion.
"Hokage-sama," Kitazawa said, having made up his mind, "I would like to choose the Five Release Great Combo Technique."
While the Spirit Transformation Technique was powerful, he didn't like entrusting his life to others. Besides its immense power, the Five Release Great Combo Technique had another benefit: learning it would make him half a student of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"The Five Release Great Combo Technique? Are you sure?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, surprised. "Combining five Ninjutsu makes it far more difficult than typical S-rank Ninjutsu."
"I understand, but the Five Release Great Combination Technique suits me well, and I want to try it."
Because Kitazawa had the system, he was a rare all-element Ninja. Moreover, he already possessed several proficient Chakra nature transformations of different attributes.
"You have already completed the Earth Release and Lightning Release Chakra nature transformation training?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, astonished.
Ninja are naturally born with one or two Chakra natures; lucky Ninjas might have more. Those with only one or two natures can master others through later training.
This is why Jonin are required to master at least two elemental Ninjutsu. But a Ninja's talent and energy are limited. Very few can skillfully master all five elemental Ninjutsu.
In Konoha Village, currently only he and Kakashi Hatake possessed such an ability, with Orochimaru, who defected, as the only other possibility.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was incredulous when he learned that Kitazawa had already mastered five elemental Ninjutsu. As for Fire, Wind, and Water Release, Kitazawa had already used them and was aware of their intricacies.
Truth be told, mastering three elements was impressive among Jonin—five was extraordinary. No, it was actually seven, since Kitazawa was also a Genjutsu and Medical Ninja.
"I've just gotten the hang of it," Kitazawa said modestly. He wasn't afraid of exposure, so he didn't hide it.
"Kitazawa, you always manage to surprise me," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, smiling.
Kitazawa was Tsunade's student and a Ninja of the Hokage lineage. Now that another all-element Ninja had emerged from the Hokage lineage, Hiruzen was naturally pleased.
"If I were twenty years younger, I would definitely take you as my student," he added emotionally.
The Five Release Great Combo Technique was his masterpiece, unique in the entire Ninja World. However, his three previous students had never inherited it due to various circumstances.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had thought there would be no more inheritors, but then Kitazawa appeared out of nowhere.
"Thank you for your kindness, Hokage-sama," Kitazawa immediately replied.
"The Five Release Great Combo Technique is my Ninjutsu. If you have time, you can come to me," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after a moment's thought.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kitazawa said, his eyes brightening, quickly adding: learning on one's own and being taught are completely different experiences.
Since Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to teach him, he had no reason to refuse.
"This is the Ninjutsu scroll for the Five Release Great Combo Technique," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, producing a scroll. Kitazawa stepped forward and took it.
"The scroll contains the requirements for training in the Five Release Great Combo Technique," Sarutobi Hiruzen reminded him. "Read it first, and only start training once you meet the standards. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me."
"Understood." Kitazawa put away the scroll.
"We've been talking for so long, and I haven't even asked you about this child," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, looking at Ranmaru, who Kitazawa had placed on the sofa.
"His name is Ranmaru, and he possesses the Bloodline Limit, Red Eye," Kitazawa explained, detailing its abilities.
"What a peculiar Bloodline Limit!" Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered.
The Red Eye's abilities were no weaker than the Byakugan; if cultivated, Ranmaru would likely become another powerhouse. And with a bit of luck, he might even establish a new Ninja clan.
"As you suggested, after his memory is wiped, he will join the Konoha Orphanage," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle. "Once he adapts, he'll go to the Ninja Academy."
Kitazawa nodded. He had originally planned to send Ranmaru directly to the Genius Class. However, considering his young age and lack of foundation, he decided to place him in the Konoha Orphanage first.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up.
"Ho—…" Yamanaka Inoichi was about to greet him, but upon seeing the corpse on the floor, he couldn't help but ask, "Kurosuki Raiga?"
"That's right, it's him," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle. "Your Analysis Team must extract all valuable intelligence from his mind."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," a flicker of anticipation crossed Inoichi's eyes. He had rarely analyzed a strong Ninja like Kurosuki Raiga.
"Kitazawa, do you have Kurosuki Raiga's sword on you?" Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly remembered and asked.
"Yes, this is Kiba (lightning blades)," Kitazawa said, taking out the twin swords.
"I recall that the Hidden Mist Village has summoning scrolls for these seven swords," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after a moment. "Just in case, I'll place a contract seal on this sword."
Kiba (lightning blades) was Kitazawa's war trophy. Coupled with the fact that he was Tsunade's student, there was naturally no need to reclaim it.
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Kitazawa's face. His original plan had been to ask Sarutobi Hiruzen for help through Tsunade.
In the entire Konoha Village, besides the deceased Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, only he knew the contract seal.
Danzo might also know it, but he would absolutely not help. Now that Sarutobi Hiruzen had voluntarily offered, it saved Kitazawa a lot of time and effort.
Inoichi glanced left and right, his face immediately showing surprise.
Did Kitazawa kill Kurosuki Raiga? Because if he hadn't, he wouldn't have Kiba. What's going on? Had Kitazawa's strength reached this level?
Inoichi felt his impression of Kitazawa crumble. He had only two prior impressions: first, Kitazawa's teaching level was very high; second, he was half a student of Tsunade, a very good Medical Ninja.
Being able to kill Kurosuki Raiga indicated that, besides Medical Ninjutsu, Kitazawa's other Ninjutsu had also reached Jonin level. In other words, only a few Jonin in Konoha Village could now surpass him.
Inoichi Yamanaka quickly revised his assessment of Kitazawa's strength and planned to hold a meeting with Shikaku and Choza after returning.
With Kitazawa demonstrating formidable power, their Ino–Shika–Chō's attitude should also change.
"Hokage-sama, may I come to you later?" Kitazawa explained. "Kiba (lightning blades) is a twin sword, which isn't suitable for me. I plan to have it reforged."
"Hmm, come to me after you've reforged it," Sarutobi Hiruzen suggested. "But you might consider reforging Kiba into two swords to avoid waste."
Kitazawa paused slightly. He hadn't considered that before.
But on second thought, it was indeed possible. After all, Kiba was originally a twin sword, and its weight was sufficient. He only needed one sword.
Who would get the other sword? Kitazawa immediately thought of Kakashi and Sasuke. A sword with lightning-attracting effects would naturally be most effective for a Lightning Release Ninja.
Forging it into three swords would be too difficult. Never mind—let them figure it out themselves. Kitazawa stopped thinking about it once he understood.
"Is there anything else?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked again.
"No, Hokage-sama. I shall take my leave," Kitazawa bowed slightly and turned to depart.
He went to the mission hall, submitted the mission, and collected the 1.2 million Ryo belonging to their Ninja Team.
After leaving the Hokage Building, he headed straight for the commercial district, intending to find someone to reforge the lightning blades(Kiba).
--
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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)