"Kitazawa-sensei, what's our mission this time?"
Ino took a step ahead, coming to Kitazawa's left side. She hugged Kitazawa's arm, poked her head out, and gave Sakura a triumphant look.
"Immature." Sakura pouted and said.
"We're going to the Land of Rivers," Kitazawa replied, "Our target for this mission is a rogue Ninja from Iwagakure named Shigenori, who is a Jonin."
"A Jonin?" Ino and Sakura both showed surprised expressions.
Only Kimimaro remained calm.
He was actually similar to Aburame Torune from Root—he obeyed orders without question.
Especially Orochimaru's orders, which he executed unconditionally.
"With your combined strength, dealing with a regular Jonin shouldn't be a problem if you cooperate well." Kitazawa patted Ino's head and said, "Don't be so surprised."
He had the Anbu investigate Shigenori beforehand; he was a very ordinary Jonin.
During the Third Shinobi World War, he would have been the kind of Jonin instantly killed by Minato Namikaze.
"It feels so hard," Sakura thought carefully, showing a troubled expression.
She wasn't as optimistic as Kitazawa. After all, hers and Ino's strength was only at the Chunin level at best. The only way to win was to rely on Kimimaro and their teamwork.
"What's wrong with it being hard? Kitazawa-sensei said we can do it, so we definitely can!" Ino clenched her fists with confidence.
"You have a day to travel from here to the Land of Rivers, so the three of you should think carefully about how to cooperate to win."
Kitazawa tapped Ino's forehead and said, "You need to be cautious when dealing with a Jonin; don't be overly confident."
"I know!" Ino smiled, then pulled Sakura to discuss with Kimimaro.
But the discussion was merely in name—Kimimaro didn't say much. Fortunately, Ino and Sakura understood his strength well enough to make proper arrangements based on his condition.
The Land of Rivers bordered the Land of Fire, and by dusk, the group had entered the Land of Rivers.
Kitazawa didn't rush to confront the rogue Ninja Shigenori but let them rest for the night.
---
Time moved to the next day.
A small grove somewhere in the Land of Rivers.
Kimimaro, Ino, and Sakura were hidden in the trees, only their eyes exposed as they looked into the distance.
They were waiting for Kitazawa.
Shigenori lived in a nearby town. Fighting in town would be easily interrupted and could harm innocent people.
Kitazawa had them ambush him in the grove while he went to lure Shigenori over.
"He's here!" Ino noticed a rapidly approaching figure.
"Proceed according to the plan." Sakura immediately said.
Kimimaro nodded.
The figure stopped before the grove. He was Shigenori, the rogue Ninja from Iwagakure.
Shigenori looked around, puzzled. How could the person he chased disappear so suddenly?
Just then, a flurry of petals floated out from the grove. Shigenori was startled and suddenly smelled exploding tags.
He quickly formed hand seals, raising an earth wall in front of him.
With a bang! Ino's specially crafted Ninja flowers—exploding tags disguised as petals—detonated instantly.
The earth wall trembled violently, spiderweb cracks spreading across it.
Shigenori retreated without hesitation. The wall shattered, and ten white streaks of light shot through the air toward him at extreme speed.
Shigenori's heart tightened. He didn't know what these were. He flicked his hands and unleashed countless kunai.
The kunai collided with the white streaks, producing sharp metallic clangs. Shigenori's kunai were deflected, but there were enough of them to block the incoming white lights.
When he clearly saw the white streaks, his pupils shrank.
Bones?
In that moment of distraction, a water dragon surged out of thin air, carrying steam as it rushed toward him.
Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears!
Shigenori reacted swiftly, condensing his Chakra into rising earth spikes. The spikes shot up like rock spears, aiming to pierce the water dragon.
The water dragon twisted in mid-air, rising to avoid the spikes, then suddenly accelerated toward him.
"Good Chakra control." The thought flashed through Shigenori's mind as he quickly formed hand seals.
Earth Release: Earth Replacement!
His Earth Replacement shattered under the water dragon's impact. Using the opening, he created distance and reappeared a short distance away.
Shigenori eyed the grove but did not rush in. Such a place was too convenient for traps.
Thinking for a moment, he turned and fled. Since they were ambushing him here, they definitely wouldn't let him escape; attacking him proactively was inevitable.
Wind roared behind him.
Shigenori smirked internally, as expected, and simultaneously formed hand seals.
Earth Release: Mudslide! He spun around, clenched his fist, and slammed it into the ground.
The earth split open, and countless streams of mud surged out, forming a massive wave.
"Shikotsumyaku?" Shigenori raised his head, stunned as he saw his attacker.
The reputation of Shikotsumyaku and the Kaguya Clan was almost on par with the Sharingan and the Uchiha Clan—he recognized it instantly.
"How can there still be Kaguya Clan Ninja? And why are they attacking me?" Shigenori frowned.
But he had no time to think. Just as the mudslide was about to swallow Kimimaro, a water dragon intercepted it.
Water dragon and mudslide clashed, pushing against each other.
Dance of the Camellia!
Kimimaro leaped forward, stepping off the water dragon. He drew a bone blade from his left arm, and countless blade shadows erupted—fierce winds slicing through the air.
Shigenori felt a surge of pressure. He immediately raised an earth wall to block the bone blade.
The earth wall lasted a single second before exploding. Shigenori had been waiting for that moment.
Earth Release: Rock Gun Technique!
He opened his mouth and spat out a rock. Enhanced by Chakra, it shot at Kimimaro like a cannonball.
Kimimaro instinctively crossed his arms. Bones protruded from his forearms, meeting the rock head-on.
With a bang! The tremendous force sent Kimimaro flying backward.
"So he's just a Chunin." Shigenori snorted coldly and said.
After a brief exchange, he had already judged Kimimaro's strength. If Kimimaro were a Jonin, then combined with the formidable Shikotsumyaku, he would have already gained the upper hand.
While Kimimaro was still flying backward in mid-air, three Sakuras appeared simultaneously.
Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!
The middle Sakura stopped and formed hand seals. The Sakuras on the left and right leaped up, rapidly approaching Shigenori.
"Where did these brats come from?" Shigenori instinctively looked around.
Both Kimimaro and Sakura were too young—there had to be a squad leader. And the person who lured him out earlier was clearly the squad leader.
But since he couldn't find any trace of Kitazawa, he could only deal with the attacks before him.
Earth Release: Earth Dragon!
As soon as he formed hand seals, he saw the Sakura on the left throw out an uneven number of petals.
Shigenori glanced at them, his hands moving without pause as Chakra surged out. The ground rose, forming a massive dragon of earth and stone that shot upward.
The water dragon was a whole size smaller, instantly shattered by the collision. The earth dragon maintained its momentum, rushing straight toward Sakura.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Sakura raised a water wall, then immediately dodged aside. At that moment, another Sakura had already reached Shigenori's front.
"Hmm?" Shigenori suddenly sensed something was wrong.
Weren't there two Shadow Clones? Why did one vanish? He kicked out, and the Sakura before him burst into smoke.
He frowned, quickly scanning his surroundings.
Suddenly, countless petals materialized out of thin air, swirling around him and briefly obstructing his vision.
A faint whooshing sound rose. Shigenori looked up and saw Ino descending from the sky.
He sneered. "So she was above me."
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!
Ino met his gaze and immediately activated the Genjutsu she had prepared.
Shigenori's expression flickered with confusion, but he snapped out of it almost instantly, dispelling the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique.
Earth Release: Rock Bullet Technique! Shigenori opened his mouth, Chakra condensing in his throat as a rock rapidly formed.
Ino twisted her body and retreated without hesitation. She had already accomplished her goal.
A sudden gust of wind erupted. Kimimaro appeared behind Shigenori.
Dance of the Camellia! The bone blade in his hand slashed out in an instant.
An Earth Wall shot up with extreme speed. Shigenori let out a breath of relief, thinking he had defended just in time—
But then his expression froze.
A bone pierced through the Earth Wall with ease, stabbing into his heart with terrifying speed.
Shigenori opened his mouth as blood spurted out. The Earth Wall shattered completely.
Only then did he see that Kimimaro had undergone a drastic transformation. He looked far less human.
This was the Cursed Seal of Earth: State Two.
Earlier, Shigenori's Earth Wall had held out for a second against Dance of the Camellia, making him believe it could block the technique again.
But with the Cursed Seal of Earth: State Two, Kimimaro's speed and power had surged dramatically.
Kimimaro delivered another merciless strike.
Shigenori closed his eyes, his body falling backward as he sank into eternal sleep.
"We won!" Ino said excitedly.
"We actually killed a Jonin?" Sakura asked in disbelief.
In her imagination, this fight should have been incredibly difficult. But once the battle began, she had only used three Water Release Ninjutsu before achieving victory.
"Ninja warfare is information warfare," Kitazawa said. "You defeated him because he didn't know your intel."
"He didn't understand Kimimaro's Cursed Seal of Earth and Shikotsumyaku, so he misjudged when facing Kimimaro's sneak attack."
Sakura recovered from her shock and nodded.
"And my Genjutsu!" Ino flipped her golden bangs, placing her hands on her hips proudly.
"My Water Release and your Genjutsu attracted his attention." Sakura corrected her.
"But my Genjutsu played the bigger role!" Ino huffed.
"Alright, you all did very well." Kitazawa smiled and patted her head, cutting off their argument.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Ino, like a kitten, rubbed his hand and asked eagerly, "How many points will I get this time?"
"Don't worry, it'll be a very high score," Kitazawa replied.
"What about me? Can I get a higher score than Ino?" Sakura asked immediately.
"Based on your performance, how could your score be higher than mine?" Ino shot back.
"Look at you two—arguing again," Kitazawa said with a smile. "You'll both get the same score."
"Since Kitazawa-sensei said so, I'll generously accept a tie with you this time." Ino glanced at Sakura. "Next time, I'll definitely beat you with–!"
She almost said Ninja Art: Mind Butterfly—But she recalled what Kitazawa said about intel warfare and changed her words quickly.
"It won't be that easy!" Sakura replied confidently. "I'm waiting for your challenge!"
She suspected Ino was learning a new Ninjutsu, but she herself was also learning new Water Release, so she didn't think she would necessarily lose.
"The mission is complete. We'll return the way we came." Kitazawa pulled out a summoning storage scroll, sealed Shigenori's body, and turned to leave.
Kimimaro, Ino, and Sakura quickly followed.
---
The group returned to Konoha Village on Monday morning.
"You all go back and rest today, classes will resume as normal tomorrow." Kitazawa paused and said, "If the other teams have all returned, then the rankings will be announced tomorrow."
"Yes, Kitazawa-sensei." Kimimaro, Ino, and Sakura said in unison.
Kitazawa nodded and headed towards the Hokage Building.
He first submitted the mission at the Mission Hall, and then came to the Hokage Office. His last meeting with Tsunade, because of that kiss, left one thing unsaid.
Coupled with having to go out on a mission the next day, it was delayed until today. It wasn't an urgent matter anyway.
"Tsunade-sensei." Kitazawa pushed the door open and walked in.
"When did you get back?" Tsunade asked with a normal expression.
"Just now." Kitazawa walked up to her and handed her a Ninjutsu scroll.
"What is this? A mission report?" Tsunade asked with some confusion.
"You'll know when you read it," Kitazawa said with a slight smile.
Tsunade, curious, opened the scroll and began to read.
After a couple of glances, she realized it was the Cursed Seal of Earth. Why would he show her the Cursed Seal of Earth?
Tsunade pondered as she continued to read, only understanding when the Sealing Technique was incorporated.
Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Earth had two states, which were also two limitations, but with very few restrictions. After Kitazawa's improvements, eight restrictions were added.
Unlocking the first three restrictions would not cause any impact on the body.
When the first six restrictions were unlocked, it reached the level of the original Cursed Seal of Earth: State Two, and prolonged use would have side effects.
The remaining two restrictions were extra and had different effects.
When the user went berserk and lost control, the seventh restriction would automatically trigger, forcing the user to exit the Cursed Seal of Earth.
If the user's life was threatened, at the brink of death, the eighth restriction could be unlocked.
This eighth restriction was like the Gate of Death in the Eight Gates Formation, completely losing control and unleashing all power to defeat the enemy.
After all, if one was about to die, side effects no longer mattered; it was simply a final dance.
"Once Orochimaru's modifications are complete, combined with your Eight Trigrams Cursed Seal of Earth, our Konoha Village can completely establish a Cursed Seal Unit!" After reading, Tsunade looked up and said excitedly.
The Five Great Villages had many special units.
For example, Sunagakure's Puppet Brigade, Iwagakure's Demolition Unit. Konoha Village, strictly speaking, didn't have any special units.
But if one had to say, it would be the units formed by various Ninja clans, such as the Perception Unit led by the Byakugan.
The emergence of the Cursed Seal of Earth was enough for Konoha Village to establish a Cursed Seal Unit.
And this Cursed Seal Unit would not be weak; using the Cursed Seal of Earth, the weakest would be elite Chunin and Special Jonin.
"That's what I thought too." Kitazawa nodded and said.
"You've rendered another service to Konoha Village," Tsunade said with a smile, then suddenly paused.
She originally wanted to ask what reward he wanted, but then she remembered the reward Kitazawa had asked for last time.
"Who do you think should be in charge of this Cursed Seal Unit?" Tsunade put down the Ninjutsu scroll and changed the question.
"Tsunade-sensei, answer me a question first." Kitazawa shook his head and asked, "Who do you think can join the Cursed Seal Unit?"
Tsunade was stunned for a moment and fell into thought.
The Cursed Seal of Earth was indeed very good and could enhance the user's strength.
Theoretically, if all Ninjas could be inoculated with the Cursed Seal of Earth, they could all try it. But this was not realistic and unnecessary.
"Do you have any ideas?" Tsunade noticed Kitazawa's composed demeanor and couldn't help but ask.
"Some Genin, Chunin, and Special Jonin, especially those whose strength has reached its limit." Kitazawa didn't beat around the bush and said directly.
"Your approach is very correct!" Tsunade's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she said.
Those Ninas who couldn't break through their bottlenecks were the least afraid of the side effects of the Cursed Seal of Earth. After all, their strength had already reached its limit.
At this point, if they were inoculated with the Cursed Seal of Earth, they would certainly agree happily.
And those Jonin, such as Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kakashi, and Kitazawa, would not agree to be inoculated with the Cursed Seal of Earth.
Because for them, the improvement was limited, and it would harm their bodies and minds, making it not worth the gain.
"Let's go back to the previous question. For the leader of the Cursed Seal Unit, Kimimaro is the most suitable, but he is too young." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "Besides him, there's Anko and Shiranui Genma."
"Alright." Tsunade agreed after a brief thought.
Anko herself had the Cursed Seal of Heaven, so having her in charge of the Cursed Seal Unit was a good fit.
Shiranui Genma was a Special Jonin, but his potential for improvement was basically non-existent.
Having him inoculated with the Cursed Seal of Earth and assisting Anko also made perfect sense. Moreover, he had served as the bodyguard of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
In fact, if not for Kitazawa's butterfly effect, he would also serve as the bodyguard of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.
From this perspective, his strength was considered outstanding among Special Jonins.