Hinata Hyūga stopped thinking.
She felt a wave of dizziness, but her heart was filled with an unprecedented warmth and tranquility.
After an unknown amount of time, she finally reacted.
Like a startled rabbit, Hinata quickly retreated two steps. Once she steadied herself, she lowered her head, her face turning so red it looked like steam was about to erupt from her ears.
She's really cute.
Kitazawa smiled and said, "Wait a moment."
He turned and walked north, stopping abruptly after a few paces.
Lying before him was the scarf Toranosuke had discarded.
The white scarf was half-buried in fallen leaves, covered in dirt and dust, having long lost its original pristine white.
Kitazawa frowned slightly.
If it were just dirty, it wouldn't matter, but there were several tears in the fabric.
Kitazawa bent down and picked it up.
[Current Mission: Help your desk mate, Hinata Hyūga, retrieve her scarf.]
[Mission Reward: Leaf Whirlwind.]
[Host has completed the task. Rewards have been distributed.]
Leaf Whirlwind (Konoha Senpū) was a Taijutsu developed by Might Guy.
Kitazawa's heart skipped a beat.
He had been worrying about where to learn a C-rank jutsu, but now he had an idea.
He would go find Might Guy.
Taijutsu was still considered Ninjutsu in the broad sense, and theoretically, it didn't require specific chakra nature transformations.
Kitazawa had considered learning Genjutsu from Kurenai, but learning Genjutsu required Yin Release; otherwise, progress would be agonizingly slow.
His mission required him to master a C-rank jutsu faster than Sasuke mastered the Great Fireball Technique.
Genjutsu wasn't suitable, but Taijutsu fit his requirements perfectly.
Especially since he had just mastered the Leaf Whirlwind.
He already had a goal: Find Might Guy and learn the upgraded version of the Leaf Whirlwind—the Leaf Great Whirlwind (Konoha Daisenpū).
The only difference between the two was that the latter added a spinning mid-air kick.
"Hinata."
Kitazawa glanced at the ruined scarf. "This scarf is unusable. I'll buy you a new one."
"Eh?"
Hinata froze, then shook her head rapidly. "No... no need!"
"Consider it my apology for making a decision on your behalf," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"Apology?" Hinata looked confused.
"Toranosuke challenged you to a one-on-one duel one month from now. I accepted it for you," Kitazawa explained.
"Me? Fight him?"
Hinata's voice trembled. "I... I can't do it..."
"You haven't fought yet, so how do you know you can't?"
Kitazawa crouched down to look her in the eyes. "Hinata, you are stronger than him; you just don't know how to resist."
Hinata stared at him blankly.
Just then, four lines of text appeared in Kitazawa's vision.
[Unity is strength. As the Class Monitor, you should help classmates who are being bullied by other classes.]
[Current Mission: Help your desk mate, Hinata Hyūga, defeat Toranosuke.]
[Mission Reward: Water Release: Water Bullet Technique.]
[Do you accept?]
Kitazawa narrowed his eyes slightly.
This System's rewards were eclectic, covering all sorts of jutsu.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
The system was called the Strongest Hokage Training System. To surpass all previous Hokage, one had to be proficient in everything, including Kekkei Genkai.
"It's okay. We have a month. I'll give you special training," Kitazawa said, tucking the ruined scarf away and smiling.
Hinata nodded, her cheeks flushing again.
"I'll walk you back."
Kitazawa took her small hand and led her out of the grove.
"Goodbye, Kitazawa-sensei."
Hinata stood at the gate of the Hyūga compound, watching him leave. Only after he disappeared did she reluctantly walk inside.
Kitazawa went to the shopping district, bought a similar white scarf, and headed home.
He opened the front door and switched his general store to "Open."
"Teuchi! Please send over a bowl of Chashu Ramen!"
Kitazawa shouted toward Ichiraku Ramen nearby.
"Got it!"
A response came quickly.
Kitazawa sat at the counter, chin resting on his hands.
He was thinking about how to approach Might Guy.
But a few seconds later, he felt it wasn't necessary to overthink it.
With Might Guy's personality, as long as the "code" was correct, no reason was needed.
The code was simply: Youth.
"I'm coming in, Kitazawa-nii!"
A pleasant voice rang out.
A young girl wearing a white chef's uniform walked in carrying a tray.
It was Ayame, Teuchi's daughter.
"Thanks." Kitazawa took the ramen.
"You're welcome." Ayame grinned.
As she left, she glanced back at Kitazawa twice. Like Ino, she was depicted in fanon as appreciating a handsome face.
After eating, Kitazawa returned the bowl and paid the bill.
When he came back, he found another figure in his shop.
Kurenai Yūhi was leaning against the counter, her long legs stretched out, her hip pressed against the wood. Her arms were crossed, and a faint smile graced her beautiful face.
Framed by the dim evening light, she looked like a tranquil painting.
"Kurenai? Want to buy something? I can give you a discount."
Kitazawa smiled and walked up to her.
"I'll take a soda then."
Kurenai reached out and grabbed a bottle of Ramune.
"A bottle of soda isn't worth the breakfast you brought me. It's on the house." Kitazawa waved his hand.
"Thanks."
Kurenai took a sip. "I just came back from the Kurama Clan."
"Did the experience I gave you help?" Kitazawa asked curiously.
"A little."
Kurenai nodded, then sighed. "But the key issue isn't me, it's Yakumo."
" Is her Genjutsu talent not good?" Kitazawa asked, knowing the answer.
"It's not that it's bad. It's too good."
Kurenai explained, "Her body can't handle the strain of her talent."
"I see."
Kitazawa pondered for a moment. "Then can you teach her Taijutsu to build up her strength?"
"Difficult."
Kurenai shook her head. "She's physically frail by nature. She can't handle Taijutsu training."
"That is indeed troublesome." Kitazawa frowned.
The solution in the original story was to eliminate the Idō monster inside Yakumo. But right now, Idō hadn't fully manifested yet.
"Prevention is better than suppression."
Kitazawa volunteered. "I can try teaching her Taijutsu."
In the original story, the reason Idō was born was that Yakumo's parents and Kurenai stopped her from becoming a ninja, leading to repression.
"It's too much trouble for you. It's not necessary," Kurenai refused politely. "Besides, I can try teaching her basic exercises myself."
"It's no trouble at all. We're friends, aren't we? Besides, under normal circumstances, she should have been my student anyway."
Kitazawa smiled confidently. "I've been a teacher for five years. I know how to adjust teaching methods according to a student's physical condition."
"You still have your own job. Where would you find the time?" Kurenai asked, stunned.
"That's easy to solve. Let her come to the Ninja Academy for class."
Kitazawa said calmly.
"Class?"
Kurenai looked hesitant. "Her parents won't agree, and her body can't handle the full curriculum."
"She doesn't need to attend all day."
Kitazawa proposed, "I can arrange for her to only attend the Practical Combat Training classes. It's controlled, safe, and social."
Kurenai fell silent.
Today, she had followed Kitazawa's advice in the scroll and talked to Yakumo as a friend, on equal footing. Through that conversation, she learned just how desperate Yakumo's dream of becoming a ninja really was.
Maybe letting her attend school wasn't a wrong decision.
"When are you free? Come with me to the Kurama Clan."
Kurenai finally gave her answer.