After Kitazawa finished testing the Demon-Slaying Bow, he headed toward the Hokage Building.
A walk that should've taken ten minutes ended up taking him almost thirty.
Thanks to Wood Release, his fame in Konoha had reached its peak.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say he'd already surpassed Tsunade and become the most famous ninja in the village.
Of course, the late Senju Hashirama didn't count.
By the time Kitazawa arrived at the Hokage Building, the three summoning storage scrolls he carried were already full.
They were stuffed with gifts from the villagers and ninja of Konoha.
From ordinary vegetables, to everyday fruits, all the way to ninja tools—pretty much everything you could think of.
Kitazawa wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Dealing with all these enthusiastic villagers and ninja felt even more exhausting than fighting Mōryō.
Turns out being too famous wasn't exactly a good thing.
But Kitazawa was very self-aware.
The reason he was this popular was because Wood Release itself had a huge reputation.
In other words, he was basking in Senju Hashirama's reflected glory.
If Hashirama hadn't once used Wood Release to steamroll the entire ninja world, his own Wood Release wouldn't have caused such a sensation now.
Even though his Wood Release was very strong, at best it was comparable to Ōnoki's Dust Release—it wasn't at the level of "invincible."
Kitazawa stopped outside the Hokage's office door.
He lifted his hand and knocked.
"Come in."
Tsunade's voice came from inside.
Kitazawa pushed the door open and walked in.
"How was it?"
Tsunade looked at him with a grin. "So, did you feel just how high Wood Release ranks in Konoha?"
She'd heard the commotion outside earlier. One look out the window and she'd seen Kitazawa being swarmed by villagers and ninja.
"Why do you sound like you're enjoying my suffering?" Kitazawa complained.
"What suffering? I'm happy for you."
Tsunade's smile grew even brighter.
That scene of Kitazawa being adored by everyone, in her eyes, was basically a sign she could retire early.
If she coasted for a little longer, she could just toss the Hokage's hat onto Kitazawa's head.
Then she'd finally be free again—spending her days in casinos and izakayas, happily enjoying the rest of her life.
"Don't think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours."
Kitazawa shook his head with a smile. "Whether you get to retire depends on my mood."
"I'm your teacher!"
Tsunade instantly clenched her fist and threatened him.
"So what?"
Kitazawa met her gaze head on, completely unfazed. "If that doesn't work, you can always go find yourself a new student."
"And where exactly am I supposed to find one now?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
In today's Konoha, aside from Kitazawa, anyone else being named Sixth Hokage would be met with doubt and opposition.
"Then you'd better treat me a little nicer."
Kitazawa walked up to her, leaned back against the Hokage's desk, and looked down.
The first thing that entered his vision was a flawless white curve.
"Your Wood Release is still nowhere near Grandpa's. Don't get cocky just because of a little fame."
Annoyed, Tsunade stomped on his foot and gave him a warning.
"I know."
Kitazawa nodded. "I'm not losing my head over it."
"Good."
Tsunade gave him a look and said, "It's a pity I didn't get to see your fight with Mōryō in person."
"If you really want to see it, I can put on a demonstration for you right now."
Kitazawa casually picked up the water cup on the Hokage's desk and took a sip.
"Don't waste chakra."
Tsunade paused for a moment, then added, "That's my cup."
"I know."
Kitazawa set the cup down and smiled. "I just did a huge favor for the village. You're not even going to let me drink a cup of your water?"
"That's not what I meant."
Tsunade hesitated, then finally said, "Forget it, use it however you want."
What she'd originally wanted to say was that it was a cup she'd already drunk from, but with the kind of relationship she had with Kitazawa, that sort of thing didn't really matter anymore.
"How are the other villages reacting?"
Something occurred to Kitazawa and he asked curiously.
"On the surface? Nothing much."
A smile appeared on Tsunade's face. "But if you ask me, they're definitely not calm."
Back then, Senju Hashirama and his Wood Release had carved a permanent shadow into the hearts of ninja everywhere.
Now that Wood Release had reappeared, there was no way the other villages could just shrug it off.
"You should be careful for a while."
Tsunade warned him. "They might get desperate enough to try and assassinate you."
"I'm not too worried about myself."
Kitazawa thought for a moment. "But it's hard to say about the Advanced Class. I'll have Anbu tighten security around them."
"Good."
Tsunade agreed. "We can't afford anything happening to the Advanced Class."
"With Lord Third watching over them, plus Anbu, that's enough to neutralize most threats."
Kitazawa looked at her. "You don't need to stress too much."
"There's something else interesting."
Tsunade suddenly laughed. "Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure have all copied us and set up their own 'Advanced Class' programs."
"The Advanced Class is useful, but at the root of it, it all comes down to the students themselves."
Kitazawa didn't really care. "They don't have that many geniuses to begin with. Even if they set up their own Advanced Classes, the results will be limited."
"True enough."
Tsunade sighed. "Sometimes even I'm surprised. How did Konoha end up with so many prodigies in this generation?"
Because the original story is called Naruto, not The Five Kage.
Kitazawa chuckled. "Maybe Konoha's just lucky."
That wasn't exactly wrong. Everything in the ninja world traced back to the alien Ōtsutsuki clan.
Whichever village was more tightly tied to the Ōtsutsuki tended to be luckier and have more prodigies.
And among Konoha's current generation of geniuses, there were two reincarnations of the Sage of Six Paths' sons—more accurately, the reincarnations of their chakra.
When the crisis hit, the Sage of Six Paths himself would even come out to hand them power-ups, letting them instantly become the strongest in the ninja world.
"Besides luck, I really can't think of any other explanation."
Tsunade nodded. "Anything else? If not, you should go get some rest."
"That's it for business—but what about my reward?"
Kitazawa's eyes dropped to her red lips.
Tsunade froze for a moment.
She didn't need to guess to know exactly what kind of "reward" he wanted.
"Do you still remember you're supposed to be a student?"
Tsunade stood up and looked at him. "Is this how a student is supposed to act?"
"And what is a student supposed to act like?"
Kitazawa blinked at her.
Tsunade held his gaze for a few seconds, then finally leaned in and kissed him.
Given her personality, there was no way she'd act like some shy, lovestruck girl.
Things had already come this far—she could only accept it head-on.
Kitazawa froze for a moment, then responded.
He wrapped his arms around Tsunade's waist and pulled her closer.
Even when their "battle of tongues" finally ended, he didn't let go. Instead, he held her even tighter.
Tsunade took a breath, but still didn't push him away.
Kitazawa felt the softness in his arms, lifted his right hand, and gently stroked her hair.
"All right, that's enough. If someone sees us, it'll be a problem. Go get some rest."
Tsunade came back to her senses and stepped back half a pace.
"Okay."
Kitazawa decided to leave it at that for now.
Tsunade had already half accepted him. The rest was just a matter of time—pushing too hard would only backfire.
Kitazawa turned and left the Hokage's office.
The next day, August 2nd.
Early in the morning, Kitazawa arrived at the Anbu base.
"Kitazawa."
Konan looked at him, and couldn't help recalling that terrifying Wood Dragon.
"Morning, Konan."
Kitazawa greeted her as usual.
He walked over to his desk and started going through the latest intel.
Unsurprisingly, every major piece of news in the ninja world lately had something to do with his Wood Release.
Although he'd already heard Tsunade's summary of the other villages' reactions yesterday, the written reports were much more detailed.
Still, there wasn't anything particularly noteworthy.
The other villages weren't going to start a war with Konoha just because Kitazawa had mastered Wood Release.
War was too unpredictable. Without overwhelming certainty—or being completely forced—no village would casually start one.
After Kitazawa finished reviewing the intel, he headed to the Ninja Academy.
Konan didn't follow.
That was Kitazawa's standing order: when he was at the Academy, she didn't need to shadow him, unless it was during the lunch break.
Konan was actually very busy.
Besides her Anbu duties, she also remotely managed two major Akatsuki businesses in the Land of Rain: Silver Jewelry and Rainwater.
After Kitazawa left, Konan returned to her dorm.
As soon as she opened the door, she noticed a small slip of paper on the table.
She walked over. On the note was a single character: "North" (北).
Of course, this "North" wasn't Kitazawa's "Kita"—it was a codename used by an Akatsuki member.
She was "White"; "North" referred to Kakuzu.
But this note hadn't been left by Kakuzu—it was from White Zetsu.
Only White Zetsu could sneak into Konoha without being noticed.
Konan's first reaction was: Why is Kakuzu looking for me? Did something go wrong with the business in the Land of Earth?
But even if there was a problem, he didn't need to come all the way to Konoha in person.
Konan put the note away and headed out.
Outside Konoha, in the Forest of Death.
In a remote, deserted corner, Kakuzu was gazing up at the gigantic trees around him, a faint trace of nostalgia on his face.
The Forest of Death was a spectacle created by Senju Hashirama.
When Kakuzu was young, he'd crossed blades with that so-called "God of Shinobi."
Back then, the leadership of Takigakure had sent him on an assassination mission.
When he failed, he was severely punished by the village.
Outraged, Kakuzu stole Takigakure's forbidden technique, Earth Grudge Fear, and became a rogue ninja.
There was no doubt that his entire life had been changed because of Senju Hashirama.
So when Kakuzu heard that Wood Release had appeared in Konoha again, he rushed over without hesitation.
"Kakuzu."
Konan's cool voice rang out. "What are you doing in Konoha?"
"Kitazawa."
Kakuzu answered simply.
"Akatsuki can't afford to clash with Konoha right now. I'm not allowing any such operation."
Konan immediately frowned and rejected him without hesitation.
Kakuzu paused, slightly taken aback.
He couldn't shake the feeling that Konan had changed a little.
But… losing to Wood Release was the biggest regret of his entire life.
Kakuzu had originally thought that after Senju Hashirama's death, he would never have a chance for revenge again. Then Kitazawa appeared out of nowhere, becoming the second Wood Release ninja.
If he didn't fight a Wood Release user at least once, it would gnaw at him forever.
But Konan wasn't wrong.
Akatsuki's current goal was making money. The Land of Fire and Konoha both had plenty of high-quality clients.
More importantly, if they became enemies with Konoha, Akatsuki would immediately be under heavy surveillance and risk full exposure, making it impossible to keep running business as usual.
Should I quit Akatsuki?
Anyone who left Akatsuki would be hunted down endlessly by the others.
Kakuzu wasn't particularly afraid of that—but he was afraid of not making money.
The profits from silver jewelry and Rainwater had already surpassed everything he'd earned in his entire life.
If he had to give that up, he'd rather die.
"I think you're misunderstanding."
Kakuzu finally realized something and said, "I'm not here to assassinate Kitazawa. I just want to spar with him."
"…?"
Konan was stunned.
She had just heard the word "spar" come out of Kakuzu's mouth?
Kakuzu had been in Akatsuki for a long time now, and Konan knew him pretty well.
To put it simply, he was a ninja who would do absolutely anything for money.
He'd even killed several fellow Akatsuki members just to cash in their heads.
So when she heard that his target was Kitazawa, she instinctively assumed he wanted to kill Kitazawa for the bounty.
After all, Kitazawa's head was currently worth an astronomical sum on the underground market.
"I personally have a deep admiration for Wood Release, so I'd like to see this legendary power for myself."
Kakuzu said calmly.
It wasn't a lie.
His strength was formidable, but he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could stroll into Konoha and kill Kitazawa.
Even leaving Kitazawa aside, just Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were more than enough to keep him there forever.
Kakuzu didn't want to die.
He still hadn't made enough money—especially after getting into business, he felt like an entirely new world had opened up to him.
Compared to that, running around doing missions and hunting bounties all day suddenly felt horribly inefficient.
He was looking for Kitazawa purely because of his obsession with Wood Release.
"If it's just a spar, I can ask Kitazawa for you."
Konan thought it over briefly and replied.
"All right."
Kakuzu nodded. "If he agrees, tell him to meet me at the Valley of the End next Monday at 9 a.m."
He needed that week to fully prepare.
As for choosing the Valley of the End—this was where Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had fought.
If he could beat Kitazawa's Wood Release here, it would feel like venting his anger right in front of Hashirama's face.
"I'll be there with you."
Konan reminded him.
"I understand."
Kakuzu heard the implication.
She was worried that a spar might turn into a fight to the death, which could spark a war between Akatsuki and Konoha.
He didn't argue.
He was also afraid that Kitazawa's Wood Release might really be on Hashirama's level—and that he'd be the one to die.
You couldn't blame him for being cautious; Hashirama's Wood Release had left too deep a scar on him back then.
"Next Monday, I'll wait there for a whole day. If he doesn't show, I'll leave."
With that, Kakuzu vanished from sight.
Konan fell into thought.
She was trying to figure out how to bring this up to Kitazawa.
9 a.m.
As soon as Kitazawa arrived at the Ninja Academy, he was swarmed by the Advanced Class students.
Almost all of their questions were about Wood Release.
Wood Release's reputation in Konoha was simply too overwhelming. From elderly grannies to little kids, everyone knew about it.
"All right, that's enough. Go train."
After answering a few of their questions, Kitazawa shooed them off.
"Kitazawa, you're quite something these days."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
"It's all thanks to the First Hokage's reputation."
Kitazawa shook his head modestly.
"If you can beat a monster like Mōryō, your Wood Release is definitely not weak. Who knows, maybe Konoha will see another God of Shinobi."
Maruboshi Kosuke clearly had high hopes for Kitazawa.
Kakashi didn't say anything, but as he looked at Kitazawa, he felt something complicated.
Kitazawa gave him the impression that every time some time passed, his strength would skyrocket again.
Kakashi himself was a genius, and he'd seen plenty of prodigies like Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto—but even so, he still felt Kitazawa was abnormal.
And now, on top of everything else, Kitazawa had mastered Wood Release and completely outclassed him.
"Let's talk business."
Kitazawa lightly cleared his throat. "At this point, the Advanced Class's fame has grown enough that other villages are starting to target them."
"That is a real problem."
Master Chen said seriously. "Many prodigies end up dying at the hands of the enemy."
He couldn't help thinking of his former students.
"I'll have Anbu increase protection around the Advanced Class."
Kitazawa nodded. "And as their instructors, we also need to keep an eye on their safety day to day."
"Don't worry."
Maruboshi Kosuke promised immediately. "Anyone who wants to hurt them will have to go through me first."
"Exactly."
Master Chen agreed.
For these old ninja, death wasn't far away. Their only wish was to see the Advanced Class kids grow up safely.
Kitazawa suddenly thought of the Will of Fire.
Right now, Maruboshi Kosuke and the others were pretty much the perfect embodiment of the Will of Fire.
Once they finished their discussion, everyone went off to their respective groups to guide their students.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Neji—come here."
Kitazawa thought for a moment, then called out.
The three of them immediately stopped training and walked over.
"I've got a mission for you."
Kitazawa smiled. "This afternoon, I want you to show Shion around the village."
He'd originally only planned to call Naruto and Sasuke, but considering their personalities, he added Neji as a stabilizing factor.
In terms of personality, Neji resembled Sasuke a little, but in reality they were completely different.
Sasuke was just trying to act cool; Neji was actually calm and composed.
"Leave it to us!"
Naruto patted his chest confidently.
Sasuke and Neji didn't react much, just gave a small nod.
"Go train."
Kitazawa waved his hand. "I'll bring you to meet her this afternoon."
The three headed back to their spots and resumed training.
Around noon, Kitazawa returned to his office.
"Kitazawa."
Konan stood up, hesitated for a couple seconds, then said, "There's something I need to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
Kitazawa looked at her, curious.
"There's a member of Akatsuki who deeply admires Wood Release and wants to have a spar with you."
Konan decided to just tell the truth—at least the version Kakuzu had given her.
She'd spent the whole morning thinking about it and settled on using his stated reason.
[Current Mission: Challenge from Kakuzu—defeat him using Wood Release.]
[Mission Reward: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.]
[Accept Mission?]
Kitazawa's eyes lit up. As expected of Kakuzu—he's practically a walking money bag.
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was the S-rank Wind Release ninjutsu from the original story.
Its incomplete version had taken out two of Kakuzu's hearts in one shot.
Of course, it had drawbacks—its power was so overwhelming that it also damaged the user, which was why it was considered a forbidden technique.
In the original, Naruto lost all feeling in his right hand after using it once. If he'd kept using it, his right arm would've been ruined.
But once he mastered Sage Mode, Wind Release: Rasenshuriken no longer had that side effect.
Kitazawa might not have Sage Mode yet, but he trusted the system. He'd get it sooner or later.
In any case, there was no way this mission could be a loss. The reward was absolutely worth it.
In theory, Kitazawa could develop Wind Release: Rasenshuriken on his own—but that would take a ton of time, which really wasn't necessary.
~~~
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