Kitazawa had no idea that, back in the Hokage's office, a heated "You'll regret this!"—"I already do!"—slam! argument had just taken place.
If he had known, he would've felt disappointed—missing such a legendary moment was a real shame.
He looked around the Ninjutsu Archive and saw many familiar techniques.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had been generous: aside from a few forbidden jutsu, all seven chakra natures were represented here—including the Rasengan.
Kitazawa fell into thought.
He considered choosing an A-rank jutsu he hadn't mastered yet.
But after a moment of reflection, he decided on the Rasengan.
The reason was simple.
With his system, why waste time learning an A-rank technique the hard way?
That time could be better spent studying Medical Ninjutsu, especially since that might help him get closer to Lady Tsunade.
"A-rank jutsu scrolls can't be taken out. Please memorize the content here,"
said ANBU operative Haru.
"If you forget something, you can come back next time."
"Got it."
Kitazawa nodded in understanding.
A-rank jutsu were the foundation of a hidden village—leaking one could cause catastrophic consequences.
He unrolled the Rasengan scroll and pretended to study it intently.
Fifteen minutes later, he set it down.
"I've memorized it. I'll be taking my leave."
He greeted Haru politely and left the Hokage building.
Out on the street, Kitazawa exhaled deeply.
After the friendship match, his strength had soared once again.
As long as he didn't face monsters like Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Itachi, or Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, he was confident he could handle anything.
He glanced over his unfinished missions, finalizing his next steps:
Learn Medical Ninjutsu.
Train his students further.
Eliminate the hidden threat—Mizuki.
After some thought, he decided not to return to the academy. Instead, he turned toward Yuhi Kurenai's home.
It was Friday, and since the friendship match had taken most of the day, Class 1-A had simply been dismissed early.
"Back already?"
Kurenai raised an eyebrow when she saw him at her door.
"What did Lord Hokage reward you with?"
"He put me in charge of the school's Academic Affairs Department."
Kitazawa smiled. "And he also gave me an A-rank jutsu."
"A-rank jutsu?!"
Kurenai gasped. "I've only mastered two A-rank genjutsu myself—and both are family techniques."
"So?" Kitazawa grinned. "Pretty impressive boyfriend, huh?"
He closed the door casually and walked into the living room.
Since Kurama Yakumo had participated in the match earlier, she'd also been given the rest of the day off, leaving Kurenai alone.
"Fine, fine—you're amazing."
Kurenai rolled her eyes, humoring him.
"Not sincere enough. Try again!"
Kitazawa lifted his hand and playfully smacked her thigh.
Her smooth, pale skin trembled slightly from the touch—soft yet firm, clearly well-trained.
"Hey! You're asking for it!"
Kurenai startled, then retaliated immediately—stepping forward, she stomped on his foot hard.
But since she was barefoot, Kitazawa barely flinched.
"Now we're even!"
Kurenai huffed, but the corner of her lips curled up in a faint smile.
"Then maybe you should stomp a few more times."
Kitazawa's eyes lingered on her long, shapely legs.
"In your dreams."
Kurenai crossed her arms, pouting. "No!"
The playful defiance made her look irresistibly cute—and a little dangerous.
Kitazawa chuckled and sat down on the sofa.
"What jutsu did you pick, anyway?"
Kurenai sat beside him. "Wind Release?"
"Not Wind Release," Kitazawa said, shaking his head. "Rasengan."
"The Fourth Hokage's Rasengan?"
Kurenai blinked in surprise, then nodded in realization.
"Exactly. It's a seal-free technique, incredibly powerful. If I master it, it'll boost my strength a lot."
Kurenai hesitated for a moment.
She almost said, It's extremely hard to learn—you might not manage it.
But thinking about how much Kitazawa had changed recently, she swallowed the words.
He'd already surpassed her in power—something she hadn't imagined possible.
"Where's Lady Tsunade today?"
Kitazawa reached out and gently held her hand—her palm was warm and soft to the touch.
"You know her. Probably at the casino," Kurenai said, glancing at the clock. "She usually comes back around six."
"Figures."
Kitazawa fell quiet, thinking about how to approach his next goal—learning Medical Ninjutsu.
Just then, Kurenai suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"What's wrong, Kurenai?" he asked, blinking.
"What's wrong? You tell me!"
Her cheeks flushed as she snapped, "Stop touching me already!"
"Ah—sorry. I got distracted thinking."
Kitazawa smoothly withdrew the hand that had somehow found its way onto her thigh.
"Do you really expect me to believe that?"
Kurenai glared at him.
"How about this—since we've got some free time, let's train together. I'll show you the basics of the Rasengan."
The Rasengan was the pinnacle of chakra shape manipulation—to learn it required extreme control.
But Kurenai wasn't lacking in that department; after all, mastering genjutsu also demanded precise chakra control.
Of the seven nature transformations, Sealing, Medical, and Genjutsu were the hardest disciplines to learn.
"Me?"
Kurenai blinked twice. "No way. That's your reward from the Hokage. It'd be against the rules if I learned it too."
"No one will know but us," Kitazawa teased lightly. "Afraid I'll rat you out?"
"That's not the point," Kurenai said, visibly conflicted.
In Konoha, secretly learning restricted jutsu was technically a crime—and she'd always been someone who followed the rules.
"Just don't use it unless you really have to," Kitazawa said seriously.
"If it's a matter of life or death, would you still care about rules?"
He wasn't teaching her just for fun—he wanted to strengthen her.
After all, genjutsu alone had its limits.
If an illusion was dispelled, most of her combat strength vanished.
But with the Rasengan, she'd have a powerful ace up her sleeve.
"Don't worry. If it ever comes up, Lady Tsunade can cover for us."
Kitazawa stood and pulled her gently toward the door.
"I—"
Kurenai sighed, half resisting, half giving in.
They walked out to a quiet clearing behind her house.
"Here."
Kitazawa handed her a water balloon. "Let's start with the first stage of Rasengan training."
Kurenai nodded, focusing seriously now.
If she was going to do this, she'd commit fully.
"Try it."
She pressed her palm against the balloon, channeling chakra inside.
The water began to swirl slowly.
"I'd say you'll need about two or three hours," Kitazawa estimated.
He'd already mastered the Rasengan, so he knew exactly how she was progressing.
Her chakra control was excellent—but not at his system's perfect mastery level.
"How are you so familiar with it already?"
Kurenai noticed something off.
"I finished the first training stage on my way here," Kitazawa lied smoothly.
"That's impossible!"
Kurenai's eyes widened.
From the time he'd left the school to visiting the Hokage's office and arriving here—barely half an hour had passed!
If he'd completed the first stage in that short a time, that meant his chakra control was far beyond hers.
"See for yourself."
Kitazawa held up another water balloon, infused chakra—
and it exploded instantly.
"You're… unbelievable."
Kurenai let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Go stand over there and stop distracting me!"
It was hard to accept that Kitazawa had outpaced her so completely.
"Call me if you run into trouble."
Kitazawa smiled, stepping aside—which was good, since it spared him from accidentally exposing his secret.
Hyuga Compound
"Rice balls, rice balls, everybody loves rice balls!"
Hyuga Hinata hummed her self-made Rice Ball Song as she hopped into the courtyard, cheerful and carefree.
She was so happy she'd forgotten all the strict manners and composure drilled into her since childhood.
"Hinata."
A deep, familiar voice stopped her cold.
She froze—the voice of Hyuga Hiashi.
She realized instantly how improper her behavior had just been.
"I…"
She started to apologize—but stopped midway.
"What's gotten into you?"
Hiashi frowned slightly. Something about her aura felt… different today.
"Father," Hinata said, taking a deep breath. "I awakened my Byakugan."
She activated it as she spoke—the veins around her eyes bulging faintly.
"You… well done."
Hiashi blinked, then his expression softened instantly.
Awakening the Byakugan at age six—she wasn't far behind his own pace.
Only Hyuga Neji had done better.
But that boy was the clan's brightest prodigy in decades—no shame in falling short of him.
In truth, Hiashi himself hadn't been this advanced at her age.
"Thank you, Father."
Hinata could tell he was genuinely pleased—no lecture, no scolding.
For once, she'd earned his approval.
And it was all thanks to Kitazawa-sensei.
"Since you've awakened your Byakugan," Hiashi continued, smiling faintly, "it's time to begin training in the Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms—the Hyuga Clan's secret art."
"Yes, Father!"
Hinata's heart fluttered.
It was rare to see her father smile—she could count the times on one hand.
So this was what it felt like… to be recognized.
Thanks to Kitazawa's guidance, she finally believed she could become the worthy successor her father envisioned.
There was only one problem left—after everything Kitazawa had done for her…
How could she possibly repay him?
Hinata fell into thoughtful silence.