Ninja Academy, Vice Principal's office.
Konan looked up at Kitazawa.
From his forehead, seal markings crept across his skin until they covered his whole body.
It was Tsunade's Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth — Strength of a Hundred Technique.
Konan hadn't seen it in person before, but she'd heard of it. As far as she knew, only Tsunade in the entire shinobi world could use it—apparently there was about to be one more.
Kitazawa slowly exhaled.
The markings all drew back, finally condensing into a diamond on his forehead.
On the very first day of October, he had finally mastered Creation Rebirth — Strength of a Hundred.
At this point, he'd learned all of Tsunade's medical ninjutsu.
There was still one gap between them: experience.
And experience only comes with time.
"Congratulations," Konan said coolly.
"Thanks." Kitazawa stood, glanced at the wall clock, and said, "Right on time."
Today was October 1st—the Advanced Class's first monthly exam of the term.
For this exam, Kitazawa had two related "system tasks" triggered by Kimimaro and Tayuya. Tayuya's looked almost guaranteed; Kimimaro's had a bit of uncertainty.
But Kitazawa had noticed a loophole in the system.
The task said to keep Kimimaro out of the top three.
Well, he could just step in himself, couldn't he?
The system always counted him as a student of the Advanced Class anyway.
If needed, he, Yakumo Kurama, and Uzumaki Naruto could "handle" Kimimaro quite neatly.
Of course, it'd be best if Uchiha Sasuke won on his own.
"Is your Akatsuki member out of medicine yet?" Kitazawa asked suddenly.
"We'll run out completely this week," Konan replied.
She went back to Akatsuki periodically. White Zetsu could have handled the errands, but when it came to Nagato's condition, she didn't want others knowing the details.
Nagato didn't want it getting out either—he had a god's dignity to maintain. Gods don't get hurt.
"Have him come to the Land of Fire again," Kitazawa said with a nod. "I estimate one more stage of treatment and we can use the Limb Regeneration technique."
Konan's eyes lit up.
Was it finally time?
Nagato, who had suffered so long with crippled legs, would be able to stand and walk freely.
A thought struck her.
If Nagato's legs were healed, did that mean she didn't need to stay with Kitazawa anymore?
But… Konan wasn't ready to leave yet.
She wanted to learn what Kitazawa knew—and how to make real money.
That, she realized, was a perfect reason to stay.
If she could make money for Akatsuki, Nagato wouldn't object. She could leave once she'd learned enough.
"I'll head to the classroom," Kitazawa said with a wave, leaving the office.
The Advanced Class room was already full.
"What?" Tayuya stared at Yamanaka Ino in shock.
"What are you talking about?" Haruno Sakura turned around, curious.
"Tayuya didn't know the theory exam counts toward the final ranking," Ino said.
"That's not fair!" Tayuya complained. "I've only studied theory for a month—how am I supposed to beat you guys?"
"That's true," Sakura nodded, "but there's no helping it. Yakumo and Karin had to deal with the same thing."
"You'll catch up later, I'm sure," Ino tried to reassure her.
"Damn it!" Tayuya gritted her teeth.
She felt played. If the final ranking included theory, how was she supposed to make top five?
No—wait!
She was going to stick to what she'd assumed: the practical exam determined the ranking.
Once she broke into the top five, Kitazawa's face would be priceless.
She could already picture the sweet payback.
"It's fine. Theory isn't the important part," Sakura said with a pout. "None of us are getting first anyway."
"Why not?" Tayuya asked, puzzled.
"Because Shikamaru's youth is just too strong!" Naruto shot her a thumbs-up.
"…" Tayuya was speechless. Naruto was fine in most ways, but the way he went on about "youth" was incomprehensible to her.
"Shikamaru's brains outclass all of us," Sakura sighed. "He takes first every time."
"I don't buy it!" Tayuya refused to admit she was dumber than anyone.
"You'll see," Sakura muttered, laying her head on the desk, despondent. "I used to be number one."
"You could always tie for first," Aburame Shino adjusted his glasses. "As long as you get a perfect score in theory."
"Thanks for the tip," Sakura twitched a smile.
Even as a top student, a perfect score needed some luck—there were always subjective questions.
"What matters most for a shinobi is real combat!" Tayuya said, switching gears. "As long as I take first in the practical, I'm good!"
"I'd still be careful," Ino warned. "Especially of Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji."
"I know," Tayuya waved dismissively.
In her mind, the ones to watch were Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuga Neji, and Hyuga Hinata—because of their surnames.
She knew the reputation of Sharingan and Byakugan.
Even so, she believed her genjutsu and summons would carry the day—especially her summons.
Her three Doki, in raw strength alone, were on par with chūnin and strong genin.
Of course, she still couldn't beat Kimimaro.
But since he was from Otogakure too, she subconsciously discounted him.
"Confidence is good," Inuzuka Kiba said with a nostalgic look. "That used to be me."
He'd been just as cocky. After getting pounded in the Advanced Class for so long, reality set in.
"Tayuya, you haven't watched Naruto train, have you?" Shikamaru asked.
If she'd seen his Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, there's no way she'd still be this confident.
It made sense if she hadn't seen Sasuke's training—different study groups rarely trained together.
"No. Why would I watch him train?" Tayuya shot back.
In Otogakure she'd gotten used to minding her own business and not caring about others.
Shikamaru sucked in a breath.
Kitazawa had done this on purpose.
He'd separated Kimimaro and Tayuya's training so they'd form the wrong impression.
Shikamaru fell into thought.
What was Kitazawa's goal?
As a teacher, he wouldn't harm them.
The only explanation was that he wanted Tayuya and the others to take a hard loss and correct their attitude.
Shikamaru clicked his tongue.
That sounded… familiar.
No way. Impossible!
When he'd been caught by the Kamizuru clan's ground bees, that was purely his own lack of strength.
Otherwise, the bees could have just as easily caught Shino or Hinata.
Sasuke shook his head.
The strong keep quiet.
In his eyes, Kimimaro was far trickier than Tayuya.
They hadn't fought yet, but he could already smell a kindred aura.
Oh—and Naruto didn't count.
He wasn't normal.
"Good luck!" Tenten said. She could already picture Tayuya questioning her life choices; all Tenten could do was wish her well.
"Everyone back to your seats. Get ready for the exam." Kitazawa walked into the classroom.
The chatter stopped at once. Everyone sat up straight—even Tayuya.
After a month in Konoha, she was starting to adapt. She still sniped at Kitazawa now and then, but she was perfectly civil to Ino and the others—hard to scowl at people whose snacks you mooch every day.
"There's only one rule for the theory exam: no cheating," Kitazawa said as he handed out test papers.
Tayuya scanned hers the moment it landed on her desk.
Only two words flashed through her head: I'm doomed.
A month of cram school wasn't enough—she couldn't even understand half the questions.
And why did shinobi from Otogakure have to study this "Will of Fire" stuff?
She sighed and started scribbling.
She wasn't the only one guessing; Kimimaro, Jūgo, and Haku were too.
Kitazawa sat on the podium and did the test himself.
He was inserting himself into the process to keep Kimimaro out of the top three.
Since he already knew the answers, he finished quickly.
Then his thoughts drifted to his Eightfold Cursed Seal of Earth.
It was still a modification, but simpler than Yang Release Chakra Mode.
All he had to do was add limiters onto the existing base.
Like turning a lamp from one switch into eight switches.
They didn't all have to be eight—he'd set it per user.
His idea was three to eight stages.
At 11:00 a.m., the bell rang and the Advanced Class students put their pens down.
"Tomorrow at 9 a.m., meet on the school field for the practical exam," Kitazawa reminded them.
"Kitazawa-sensei," Ino raised her hand, "are we forming teams after the practical?"
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded. "Only the top eighteen will be eligible to be drafted."
"Kitazawa-sensei, pick me first, okay?" Ino clasped her hands, playfully pleading.
"Kitazawa-sensei is fair and impartial. That kind of tactic won't work!" Sakura shot back.
Shikamaru shook his head—hard to say. He was the only one who'd noticed Kitazawa's past "behind-the-scenes" maneuvers.
"If I got to pick, I'd choose Sa—uh, Kitazawa-sensei," Kiba blurted, then corrected himself when he realized Hiruzen wasn't there.
Tayuya looked conflicted.
She wanted to team with fellow Oto-nin Kimimaro and Jūgo, but Ino and the others had treated her well—and there were snacks.
"You'll find out tomorrow. Go home and rest," Kitazawa cut the chatter short, grabbed the test papers, and headed back to his office.
Tayuya suddenly remembered something and hurried after him.
"Something else?" Kitazawa turned.
"When I said 'top five,' I meant the practical exam!" she blurted.
"So did I," Kitazawa couldn't help laughing. "You think I'm the type to scheme against a little kid like you?"
"I'm not a little kid!" Tayuya glared.
"Oh? Then what are you?" Kitazawa asked.
"I… I'm a full-fledged shinobi of Otogakure!" she snapped.
"You're a student of Konoha's Advanced Class right now," Kitazawa corrected.
"I am not!" she put her hands on her hips.
"Alright, I need to grade these," Kitazawa said with a glance. "If you want to help, I can hand this job to you."
Tayuya's face drained and she bolted.
Just filling one out had nearly killed her—grading them would be worse.
"And she says she's not a kid," Kitazawa muttered, walking into the office.
"Kitazawa," Konan looked up and greeted him.
"Mm." He answered and started marking.
Before noon, he had the theory rankings done.
As expected, first and second were Nara Shikamaru and Haruno Sakura.
Third had changed: Uchiha Sasuke—his summer cram sessions had paid off.
The rest were about the same.
Kimimaro, Jūgo, Haku, and Tayuya, the four transfers, were taking the theory exam for the first time, so their scores were average. None made the top fifteen—Tayuya was even second to last.
Last place was Rock Lee as usual.
All told, the results were within expectations.
That afternoon, Kitazawa went home.
Now that he'd learned Creation Rebirth — Strength of a Hundred, he could focus on Wood Release.
Once he mastered Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees, he'd come clean to Tsunade.
When he was tired of Wood Release practice, he rested by thinking through the Eightfold Cursed Seal of Earth and his Yang Release Chakra modifications.
That had basically been his routine for the past month.
The shinobi world was largely calm right now—nothing major happening.
The Land of Fire, on the other hand, was in a bit of a stir thanks to the Ocean's Heart Jewelry Shop; copycat stores had already started popping up.
But Konoha had first-mover advantage and the daimyo's support, so there wasn't much to worry about.
At best, the copycats would just "sip the soup"—they wouldn't affect Konoha's share.
The next day arrived.
Because it was the practical exam, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hatake Kakashi, and Maruboshi Kosuke all showed up.
"Kimimaro's gotten pretty famous," Maruboshi said, eyeing him. "When I went to the Konoha Hospital for a checkup, I heard a lot of med-nin talking about him."
"Why?" asked Kakashi, who had been busy with Sasuke's special training and hadn't been to the hospital.
"Because of his kekkei genkai illness," Kosuke said.
"Good thing we have Tsunade and the others. Otherwise Konoha would have lost a Shikotsumyaku user," Hiruzen chuckled.
Orochimaru had already returned to Konoha.
The village he'd founded—Otogakure—naturally fell under Konoha now, including people like Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jūgo.
The one Hiruzen valued most was Kimimaro.
After all, the Kaguya clan had become Kirigakure's top shinobi clan thanks to Shikotsumyaku.
Now that Kimimaro was in Konoha, perhaps a new Kaguya clan could rise.
"Mm," Kosuke nodded. "I'm very interested in Shikotsumyaku. I'm looking forward to his showing in the practical."
"I figure he'll make top five," Hiruzen said after a moment's thought.
"I think so too," Kakashi agreed.
At 9:00 a.m., Kitazawa arrived on the academy field right on time.
Under everyone's gaze, he produced a box for drawing lots.
He planned to draw them himself—for a simple reason: he was going to rig it.
If it were truly random, Kimimaro's strength would likely put him in the top three.
"This practical will use random draws," Kitazawa said, reaching into the box and pulling two slips.
Reactions varied around the field.
Sasuke wore quiet confidence.
He'd improved a lot lately and learned three Lightning Release techniques. In Kakashi's words, even most chūnin didn't have that many jutsu in their pocket.
Plus, he'd had a month of targeted taijutsu—especially sword—training.
He'd missed first place last time; this time he'd take it back and earn praise from Itachi and the others.
"Hope I match into Sasuke and the guys!" Naruto thought simply—he craved worthy opponents. A good fight was enough; snagging first would just be a bonus.
Tayuya folded her arms.
She was definitely cracking the top five this time—and Kitazawa's jaw would drop.
As for first place, with Kimimaro around, she wasn't aiming that high.
Kimimaro's face was blank, but he burned to take first.
He'd prove to Orochimaru that his power and talent made him the strongest anywhere.
Kiba, Shino, Tenten, and Sakura had all done plenty of practicals.
They knew they couldn't compete with Sasuke and the top tier, so they were aiming to do their best.
Sakura and Ino were different, though.
As best friends, each was sure she could beat the other.
"Round One, Match One: Tayuya vs. Hyuga Hinata!" Kitazawa announced.
Hyuga Hinata?
Tayuya's eyes narrowed. Tricky—but she still walked onto the field confident.
Hinata studied her, recalling the intel.
Her biggest problems were genjutsu and summons.
Given Tayuya's confidence, Hinata decided to go all out—no losing face in front of Kitazawa.
"Begin!" Kitazawa called once they formed the Seal of Confrontation.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!
Hinata opened with a right-hand thrust.
An invisible shockwave blasted out.
Tayuya had just taken out her flute when the wave hit, knocking it from her grasp.
Her eyes widened. Gentle Fist… at range?
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!
Hinata used the Leaf-Style Body Flicker to appear right in front of her and unleashed a flurry of twin-palm strikes.
Tayuya specialized in genjutsu and summoning; her taijutsu was average. Against the Thirty-Two Palms, she had almost no room to fight back. Hinata shut all her chakra points, and Tayuya collapsed to the ground.
~~~
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