The air tore apart as Hayate Gekkō suddenly drew his sword, the cold steel flashing toward Kitazawa.
Kurenai's pupils contracted.
The moment Hayate Gekkō struck, she realized his strength was nothing to scoff at.
Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!
Kitazawa formed hand signs and exhaled a rapid series of wind spheres.
It was like a machine gun, a barrage of attacks unleashed in rapid succession.
Hayate Gekkō's heart jolted.
So fast!
He swung both hands, slashing his ninja blade at the nearest spheres.
At the same time, he shifted left, evading the rest of the wind spheres.
But before he could even stabilize, Kitazawa appeared right in front of him.
Konoha Great Whirlwind!
He spun and delivered a powerful kick toward Hayate Gekkō.
He can do taijutsu too?
Hayate Gekkō's mind flashed with surprise, but his hands moved swiftly.
After all, he wielded a ninja blade.
He angled the blade upward, aiming to slice through Kitazawa's right leg.
The next second, Hayate Gekkō's eyes widened.
His blade passed through Kitazawa's leg—but no blood spattered.
Before he could react, branches shot out from behind Kitazawa, embedding him into a nearby tree.
"Genjutsu? When—?"
Hayate Gekkō was flabbergasted.
"Is this… Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death?"
Kurenai's jaw dropped.
Kitazawa had even learned her genjutsu?
From her vantage point, she could see clearly—Hayate Gekkō had fallen into the genjutsu because Kitazawa used a single-handed hand sign.
Most ninjas use two hands by default.
Kitazawa emerged from atop the tree, drawing kunai and stabbing at Hayate Gekkō.
"Damn it!"
Hayate Gekkō struggled violently.
But it was too late; the kunai scraped across his face, drawing a streak of blood.
Genjutsu Release!
Hayate Gekkō finally reacted due to the pain.
With the genjutsu broken, the massive tree vanished.
Hayate Gekkō stared at Kitazawa, speechless.
Had this been a real fight, that kunai would have pierced his heart.
"Final move!"
Resentful, Hayate Gekkō decided to risk it all.
Konoha-Style Swordsmanship: Dance of the Crescent Moon!
He shifted, creating two shadow clones.
The three of them wielded ninja blades, attacking Kitazawa from the left, above, and right at incredible speed.
Blades crossed, deadly intent everywhere—nowhere to hide.
"Watch out!"
Kurenai shouted instinctively.
If she had been facing the Dance of the Crescent Moon without genjutsu, she probably would have lost.
Her concern for Kitazawa was now justified.
Shadow Clone Technique!
Kitazawa reacted quickly, creating two shadow clones of his own.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!
All three Kitazawas formed hand signs and launched massive fireballs.
The previously dire situation was instantly reversed.
The three fireballs blazed like suns, surrounding the real Kitazawa, forcing Hayate Gekkō to sweat and reel in disorientation.
He and his clones couldn't get close and were forced to retreat in panic.
"You win, Kitazawa-senpai."
Hayate Gekkō looked at Kitazawa, who did not pursue, and conceded.
A Chunin who could wield Wind, Fire, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu, now promoted to Special Jonin, was entirely reasonable.
Kurenai was both dazed and awestruck.
Is this Kitazawa's full power?
Although they hadn't truly sparred before, she could see the gap forming without realizing it.
"Thank you."
Kitazawa smiled faintly.
Had he used the Byakugan, he would have won even faster.
Still, he was satisfied.
Hayate Gekkō was a known character in canon, and through this fight, Kitazawa confirmed his own strength.
"Congratulations, Kitazawa."
Haru spoke flatly. "I'll report the results to the Hokage; you'll receive notice tomorrow."
"Understood."
"Ki… cough cough… Kitazawa-senpai, I hope… cough cough… we have a chance to cooperate next time."
Hayate Gekkō coughed while speaking, implying that Kitazawa, with his current power, wouldn't remain just a ninja academy teacher forever.
"Yes."
Kitazawa nodded in agreement.
Hayate Gekkō and Haru left together.
[Current Mission: Pass the Special Jonin Exam.]
[Mission Reward: Mastery of Chakra Nature Transformation.]
[Host has completed the mission. Reward granted.]
A flood of information entered Kitazawa's mind.
He instinctively clenched his fist.
Before, he had only guessed he could form a Rasengan by hand—but now he knew for certain he could.
The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu, considered the pinnacle of chakra form manipulation.
It uses neutral chakra, without needing elemental transformation, though it can incorporate elemental chakra for greater power.
In short, it's an incredibly practical jutsu.
In canon, Naruto used the Rasengan all the way to the series finale.
"What are you daydreaming about?"
Kitazawa walked up to Kurenai and tapped her forehead.
"You…"
Kurenai snapped out of it, unsure what to say.
Today's spar revealed Kitazawa's strength for the first time, completely shattering her preconceptions.
"You hid your abilities well."
Kurenai sighed.
"I just don't like killing."
Kitazawa cleared his throat. "And compared to true masters, this is nothing."
"That's asking for a punch!"
Kurenai pouted and pinched his waist.
If this is "nothing," then what does that make me compared to you?
"My mistake."
Kitazawa said immediately.
He could tell she hadn't used much force.
"What are your plans now? Going back to school?"
Kurenai withdrew her hand.
"Back to school?"
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. "I took the day off for you. Did you forget what you said yesterday?"
"I just said it casually. You don't need to take it seriously."
Kurenai was a bit surprised.
"Our first date deserves to be taken seriously."
Kitazawa said seriously.
"How did this become a date?"
Kurenai asked in shock.
"Isn't it a date?"
Kitazawa looked disappointed.
Kurenai's heart raced as she met his gaze.
She wasn't shy—she made a quick decision.
"You… can call it a date."
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"What do you mean, 'call it'?"
Kitazawa asked, staring at her beautiful face.
Kurenai noticed his gaze and felt her heart race.
She bit her lip, tiptoed, and kissed Kitazawa on the side of his face.
"Now you understand what I mean?"
She rolled her eyes at him.
"I don't."
Kitazawa blinked.
"Hey!"
Kurenai was suddenly annoyed.
Before she could react, Kitazawa held her, covering her mouth, leaving only the soft touch of his lips.
Her cheeks flushed fully, skin glowing with pink.
After a few seconds, her mind blank, she instinctively pushed Kitazawa away.