A new day arrived.
Kitazawa and Tsunade walked into the Hokage Office together.
Today, they were going to select the guiding Jonin for the students of the Genius Class who were about to graduate.
In the past, this task had always been the Hokage's personal responsibility.
As the saying goes, Ninjas in the Ninja World place immense importance on the teacher–student relationship.
This bond represents the inheritance of power, will, and Ninjutsu. With a powerful teacher, a Ninja has a very high chance of soaring to great heights.
Take the commoner Ninja Namikaze Minato, for example. If he had not become Jiraiya's student, he would never have learned the Flying Thunder God Technique.
For students born into Ninja clans, the choice of teacher is even more closely tied to power and interest.
Take the Ino–Shika–Chō formation. Historically, the Team Leaders for Ino–Shika–Chō had always come from the Sarutobi Clan.
Tsunade did not sit in the Hokage's chair. Instead, she sat down on the sofa.
Kitazawa sat beside her, naturally placing his left hand on her thigh.
Through Tsunade's trousers, he kneaded the flesh of her leg slowly and unhurriedly.
Compared to Kurenai and Konan, Tsunade's figure was more mature and voluptuous, and her thighs were fuller and more solid.
Kitazawa especially liked the feeling of having her lying on the bed while he stood and held her thighs in his hands.
"The number of Jōnin is limited." Tsunade did not mind his actions at all as she asked, "How many leading Jōnin do you think the Genius Class should have?"
A team leader's rank could range from Chūnin at the lowest to Jōnin at the highest.
But it was impossible for every team leader to be a leading Jōnin. In the original system, only the Team Leaders of the Konoha Twelve were all Jōnin.
Kitazawa fell into thought.
Due to his butterfly effect, the Genius Class now had far more than twelve students, comparable to the original Konoha Twelve.
Strictly speaking, the top twenty-one students all deserved to be led by a Jōnin.
Even Chino and Hotaru, who had joined later, possessed the potential to become Jōnin in the future.
"Seven." Kitazawa finally replied.
"This can be considered the class with the most leading Jōnin in history." Tsunade could not help but smile when she heard that.
"This is the list of Team Leaders I've selected." Kitazawa casually took out a scroll and handed it over.
"Did you write down every suitable Ninja?"
Tsunade glanced at it and found that the list was extremely long, containing more than fifty names, with the lowest rank being Special Jōnin.
"Pretty much," Kitazawa replied calmly. "The students of the Genius Class all deserve good teachers."
"Are you going to be a team teacher as well?" Tsunade suddenly thought of something, turned her head, and looked at him.
"I am." Kitazawa explained, "I want to form the Konoha's New Three Sannin."
"So your students are Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata?" Tsunade had heard him mention this so-called new Konoha's Three Sannin before.
"Yeah." Kitazawa nodded.
"Given their strength and their status, there are very few Ninjas in Konoha Village who could serve as their team teacher."
Tsunade agreed immediately. "You really are the best candidate."
Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Sasuke and Hyūga Hinata were the heirs of Konoha Village's two great Ninja clans.
With the three of them placed on a single team, the requirements for their teacher were extraordinarily high.
Aside from Kitazawa, it was almost impossible to find another suitable Ninja.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade herself, and Jiraiya could technically do it, but they were separated by too many generations, making it less appropriate.
"As for the remaining six Jōnin, five have already been decided: Kakashi, Asuma, Yamato, Guy, and Kurenai." Kitazawa thought briefly before continuing.
In the original story, Asuma Sarutobi, Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, and Kurenai Yūhi had been the Team Leaders of the Konoha Twelve.
Yamato had once temporarily served as Team Seven's leader.
Now that there were more students, it made perfect sense for him to become a full team teacher.
"As for the last Jōnin, I have an idea." Tsunade smiled slightly. "Anko Mitarashi."
Kitazawa was momentarily stunned. After thinking it over, he realized it was indeed feasible.
In the original story, Anko Mitarashi had only been a Special Jōnin.
But because of Kitazawa's butterfly effect, after Orochimaru returned to Konoha Village, Anko became the head of the Cursed Seal Ninja Unit.
Combined with the Curse Seal of Earth, her strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Jōnin.
More importantly, the Genius Class also contained three students with cursed seals.
Kimimaro, Jūgo, and Tayuya.
Although Tayuya had not yet received the Curse Seal of Earth, she had possessed it in the original work.
Kitazawa planned to have her receive it after he returned.
Anko becoming the team teacher of the former Otogakure Trio was extremely fitting.
After all, in the original story, Orochimaru himself had been the teacher of the Sound Five.
And compared to Orochimaru, Anko's personality was far more cheerful and approachable.
"Then let it be her." Kitazawa agreed.
"What about Gaara and Fū? Aren't they graduating as well?" Tsunade suddenly realized something and asked.
"We won't assign them Team Leaders for now," Kitazawa explained. "We'll wait until the issue with the Tailed Beasts is resolved."
"That makes sense." Tsunade more or less guessed his intentions.
After all, neither Gaara nor Fū had truly joined Konoha Village yet.
"Then let's talk about student distribution." Kitazawa thought for a moment before saying, "We'll start with Kurenai. Her students will be Yakumo, Kiba, and Karin."
In the original story, Kurenai's students had been Hinata, Kiba, and Shino.
Frankly speaking, as a Genjutsu Jōnin, Kurenai hadn't meshed particularly well with those three.
Hinata and the others had all specialized in perception and reconnaissance.
Now that Hinata was in Kitazawa's squad, she naturally could no longer be Kurenai's student.
Kiba could stay, continuing to handle tracking and reconnaissance. As for Karin, needless to say, she was both a Medical Ninja and a sealing specialist.
If she awakened Kagura's Mind's Eye and the Adamantine Sealing Chains in the future, she would become truly terrifying.
However, with just those two, the team's offensive power would still be insufficient at this stage.
Adding Kurama Yakumo perfectly compensated for that weakness.
With a Genjutsu Bloodline Limit comparable to the Mangekyō Sharingan, there were very few Ninjas in the entire Ninja World who could deal with her.
This way, the squad was extremely well-balanced, possessing perception, control, offense, and healing.
"You're really good to Kurenai." Tsunade raised her arm and nudged him lightly with her elbow.
"Honestly speaking, I'm very good to you as well." As Kitazawa spoke, he raised his hand and placed it directly over her chest.
He immediately felt the texture of the necklace resting against her skin.
"During working hours, you must maintain proper respect for the Hokage." Tsunade slapped his hand away without hesitation.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kitazawa blinked and asked, "Does Hokage-sama have any suggestions for Kakashi's students?"
In the original story, Kakashi's students had been Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
Now, only Sakura remained.
"You're the teacher of the Genius Class. You should be the one making suggestions." Tsunade calmly threw the question back at him.
"Kakashi is one of the rare Ninjas proficient in all seven nature transformations. He can handle almost any student."
Kitazawa thought for a moment and said, "Shino, Chino, and Sakura."
Shino was now far more well-rounded than in the original story, already comparable to an Elite Jōnin and suitable for almost any team.
Although Chino did not possess the Sharingan, she had the Blood Dragon Eye(Ketsuryūgan), which was very similar in nature.
The two shared many similarities, making Kakashi well-suited to guide her.
As for Sakura, needless to say, she was a Medical Ninja and a Water Release user.
Just like the previous team, this group was extremely well-balanced, combining perception, control, offense, and healing.
"That works." Tsunade nodded in agreement.
"As for Asuma, following tradition, he'll take charge of the new generation of Ino–Shika–Chō."
In the end, Kitazawa did not change the team teacher for Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji.
The three of them had already received tremendous enhancements and were more than capable of carrying a team on their own.
Asuma was also a reliable and upright person.
More importantly, forcibly breaking the long-standing alliance between Ino–Shika–Chō and the Sarutobi Clan would only invite unnecessary speculation.
In the Ninja World, strength was respected above all else. Kitazawa himself did not care about such so-called alliances.
"Anko is the head of the Cursed Seal Ninja Unit, so her students should preferably also possess cursed seals."
Kitazawa continued, "Kimimaro, Jūgo, and Tayuya will be suitable."
"Now that only Yamato and Guy remain," Tsunade reminded him.
Kitazawa could not help but fall into deep thought. In the original story, Might Guy's students were Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee.
Originally, he had not planned to make any changes, but doing so would leave Yamato's team looking rather weak.
Aside from Neji's group, only Shion, Haku, and Hotaru remained.
After thinking it through, Kitazawa ultimately decided to split them up. His main consideration was Might Guy's overwhelming strength.
"Guy's three students will be Haku, Hotaru, and Rock Lee," Kitazawa said after some deliberation. "Yamato's three students will be Hyūga Neji, Tenten, and Shion."
By mixing the two teams, their overall strength became far more balanced.
And frankly speaking, Might Guy was not well-suited to be Neji and Tenten's team teacher, as he could not teach them much.
Neji specialized in the Gentle Fist and bow-type ninjutsu.
Tenten followed the path of ninja tools and Summoning Beasts.
Neither had much overlap with Might Guy's Taijutsu-focused teachings, so transferring them to Yamato's squad would not negatively affect their growth.
The only one who could not be reassigned was Rock Lee.
Rock Lee was a pure Taijutsu Ninja; combined with Haku's Ice Release and Hotaru's Water Release, the team would possess both close-combat and long-range capabilities.
Of course, the most terrifying presence in that squad was still Might Guy himself.
With all Eight Gates opened, his strength rivaled that of the strongest Ninjas in the entire Ninja World.
"I have no objections." Tsunade accepted all of it without hesitation.
"Then let's discuss the grouping of the remaining students." Kitazawa smiled as he spoke.
The remaining students were not on par with the top twenty-one, but since they had entered the Genius Class, their talent and strength were still respectable.
Their Team Leaders would no longer be Jōnin, but Special Jōnin instead.
Half an hour later, the grouping of all students in the Genius Class was finalized. The results would be announced on the day of the graduation exam.
"Tsunade-sensei." Kitazawa suddenly had a thought and said, "I suggest setting the venue for the Genius Class graduation exam at the Konoha Arena."
The Konoha Arena had been the venue for the third round of the joint Chūnin Exams in the original story.
Not only was it spacious, but it could also accommodate a massive number of spectators.
It would serve as the perfect stage for the Genius Class to make their debut to the entire village.
"You decide." Tsunade waved her hand casually.
Matters like the venue were trivial details.
"Then I'll be heading out now. See you tonight." Kitazawa stood up and said.
"Mhm." Tsunade waited until he left before sitting back down in the Hokage's chair.
---
Kitazawa used the Flying Thunder God Technique and arrived at the Ninja Academy.
He summoned Tayuya and implanted the Eight Trigrams Cursed Seal of Earth into her body.
The process went smoothly.
Tayuya had already been able to withstand the original Cursed Seal of Earth, so the reduced-difficulty Eight Trigrams version posed no challenge at all.
After that, Kitazawa arrived at the ANBU headquarters. He casually picked up the documents on the desk.
The hottest topic in the Ninja World at the moment was naturally the Akatsuki Organization capturing the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails of Kumogakure.
The document in his hand detailed Kumogakure's current condition following its crushing defeat.
Many of Kumogakure's Jōnin had fallen, but since the Akatsuki Organization's objective was limited to the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails, the village itself had not suffered catastrophic damage.
Overall, most of Kumogakure's core strength had been preserved.
More importantly, the Fourth Raikage had survived. It was Mabui who had saved him using the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
The Heavenly Transfer Technique was a Space-Time Ninjutsu primarily designed for transporting objects.
To use it on a living Ninja required an extraordinarily strong physical body.
In the original story, only the Third Raikage, the Fourth Raikage, and Senju Tsunade had been capable of enduring such transport.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. To him, the Fourth Raikage's survival was actually good news.
Because the Fourth Raikage would inevitably trigger corresponding system missions in the future.
Kitazawa then picked up the second document. He raised an eyebrow slightly.
The other four Great Ninja Villages had already begun contacting one another while deliberately bypassing Konoha Village.
Saying they "bypassed" Konoha was not entirely accurate.
More precisely, the four Great Villages had united first and planned to allow Konoha Village to join only after it suffered defeat at the hands of the Akatsuki Organization.
Kitazawa smiled faintly and ignored it. After all, once he became Hokage, he had no intention of convening any Five Kage Summits.
He picked up the third document. This one concerned the Akatsuki Organization.
Following Kitazawa's orders, although the ANBU were monitoring Akatsuki's movements, they had not set foot in the Land of Rain.
As a result, intelligence regarding the Akatsuki Organization remained relatively vague.
The document stated that after capturing the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails, the Akatsuki Organization had returned to the Land of Rain and made no further moves.
Kitazawa fell into contemplation.
At this moment, Akatsuki was most likely using the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seal Technique to have the Gedō Mazō absorb the Tailed Beasts.
After all, they were now only missing the Seven-Tails and the Nine-Tails.
Kitazawa's gaze sharpened.
He had no intention of saving the other Jinchūriki. What truly concerned him was the Gedō Mazō itself.
Once the Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) absorbed seven Tailed Beasts, its power would surge dramatically.
Even as an incomplete Ten-Tails, it would already represent an immense threat.
It seemed he still needed to find a way to complete the system mission of forming the New Konoha's Three Sannin.
Kitazawa thought about the upcoming graduation exam.
Once Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata's team assignments were finalized, he could have Tsunade assist with some publicity.
The only uncertainty was timing. He had no idea when the Akatsuki Organization would make its move against Konoha Village.
With that thought, Kitazawa immediately stood up and used the Flying Thunder God Technique.
He appeared inside Konan's room in the Hidden Rain Village. But Konan was not there.
Kitazawa was not surprised.
She was undoubtedly with the other members of the Akatsuki Organization, using the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seal Technique to assist the Gedō Mazō in absorbing the Tailed Beasts.
That was precisely why he had not teleported directly to her side.
Kitazawa was not in a hurry.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and began pondering the non–Tailed Beast version of the Yin Release Chakra Mode.
With the Yang Release Chakra Mode as a precedent, creating the Yin Release Chakra Mode would not be particularly difficult.
However, its effects would certainly differ greatly from those of the Yang Release Chakra Mode.
---
Time passed slowly.
At noon, the door finally opened.
When Konan saw him, a flicker of pleasant surprise flashed through her eyes. She hurried over.
Kitazawa patted his thigh. Konan obediently sat down on his lap.
Kitazawa reached out and removed her Akatsuki Organization cloak, revealing the backless bodysuit she wore beneath.
His right hand slid upward, slipping beneath her clothes and resting against her smooth abdomen.
Throughout it all, Konan maintained her usual cold, indifferent expression, allowing him to do as he pleased.
"When does the Akatsuki Organization plan to move against Konoha Village?" Kitazawa asked directly.
"Probably in about two months," Konan replied calmly.
Kitazawa nodded.
This was close to what he had anticipated, mainly because the Gedō Mazō required time to absorb the Tailed Beasts.
Especially since the current Akatsuki lineup was not only incomplete, but the strength of the newly recruited members had also declined noticeably.
Two months was undoubtedly good news for Kitazawa.
He was confident he could complete the system mission of forming the New Konoha's Three Sannin within that time.
Of course, it wasn't just that mission.
Missions such as Uzumaki Naruto unlocking the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode could also be completed.
By then, the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan would grant him an even greater reserve of Chakra.
"Thank you." Kitazawa's hand continued upward, resting over her heart.
Through her fair skin, he could clearly feel Konan's heartbeat.
"Mm." Konan gave a soft response.
Although her expression remained unchanged, her breathing had become faintly hurried.
Kitazawa's gaze drifted to her rosy lips.
Tsunade and Kurenai were not as obedient as Konan; it had been a long time since he had experienced something like this.
Kitazawa withdrew his hand.
Konan instinctively looked up at him, and the moment she saw the look in his eyes, she understood.
She knelt down and looked up at him.
Kitazawa lowered his gaze.
From this angle, he could clearly see Konan's snow-white back. After all, she was wearing a backless bodysuit.
Kitazawa reached out and gently stroked her head.
His hand slid down and rested at her neck. The skin there was uneven, faintly tinged with a purplish hue.
"Do you remember what I told you before?" Kitazawa sighed softly and asked.
Konan rolled her eyes.
"Before you go to Konoha Village, arrange a meeting for me with Nagato," Kitazawa said, watching Konan's movements. "Remember—do not notify a second person."
Konan froze slightly. Did Kitazawa already know about Nagato?
But after thinking it through, it made sense. Nagato had already revealed the Rinnegan during the attack on Kumogakure.
Jiraiya would certainly have pieced things together and informed the higher-ups of Konoha Village.
Konan gave a muffled response and lowered her head again.
Her throat moved as she tried to distract herself through action, forcing her thoughts away from the question of who would win or lose in a confrontation between Nagato and Kitazawa.
Kitazawa immediately winced, then broke into a grin.
In this particular contest with Konan, she currently held the advantage.
But he wasn't worried. After all, his strength was superior.
Half an hour later, Kitazawa grabbed Konan's wrist and pulled her back up.
Konan collapsed onto his lap, her body trembling slightly as she instinctively wrapped her arms around him.
She was clearly exhausted and had no desire to speak anymore.
Kitazawa patted her snow-white bottom, admiring her exquisitely shaped body, and suddenly felt that her clothing was somewhat lacking.
He made a mental note to bring cheongsams, kimonos, secretary outfits, maid uniforms, and the like next time.
It was already afternoon.
Kitazawa carried Konan to the bed. Her fair body was clad only in the backless bodysuit, her seductive and graceful curves fully revealed.
Kitazawa was already very familiar with her condition, so he didn't linger with his gaze.
He tucked her beneath the blankets.
"I'm leaving now. See you next time." Kitazawa stroked her head once more and vanished from the spot.
Konan closed her eyes and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
---
A new day arrived.
Early in the morning, Kitazawa appeared at the Ninja Academy.
With graduation approaching, the students of the Genius Class had been arriving earlier than usual, already training on the field before eight o'clock.
Kitazawa surveyed the scene.
He didn't assign any new training. After all, only two weeks remained.
This period was meant for review—consolidating the Ninjutsu and Secret Techniques they had already mastered.
Just like the standard Yin Release Chakra Mode, Kitazawa did not plan to teach it to Ino and the others yet; that would wait until after graduation.
As for the partial Tailed Beast transformation version, Hyūga Hinata and Hyūga Neji had enough time, so he taught it to them.
Including the decision to give Tayuya the Cursed Seal of Earth, it was all because she could still make it in time for the graduation exam.
"Naruto." After watching for a while, Kitazawa called out.
"Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto immediately ran over.
"I'm taking you to Turtle Island," Kitazawa said without preamble.
Flying Thunder God Technique! In the blink of an eye, Kitazawa and Naruto arrived at Turtle Island.
The guards were still the same four Kumogakure Jōnin as before.
Kitazawa had already subdued them using his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, so he ignored them and led Uzumaki Naruto straight into the waterfall.
Behind the cascade lay a hidden sanctuary, resembling a temple, with Buddha statues lining both sides.
"Naruto." Kitazawa stopped and said, "In a moment, I'll undo Kurama's seal. What you need to do is seize his Chakra."
"Got it, Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up, nodding vigorously.
He didn't know whether he could truly seize Kurama's Chakra, but that didn't matter—believing in youth was enough.
Kitazawa thought for a moment and chose not to mention Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze.
Seeing was believing. Once Naruto saw them, he would understand everything.
Kitazawa had only one task: to extend the time Kushina's and Minato's Chakra could remain as much as possible.
Naruto's childhood had been far too miserable. It was time for some recompense.
"Let's begin." Kitazawa raised his hand and placed it against Naruto's forehead.
He had already mastered Kurama's seal and could undo it with ease.
Moreover, Turtle Island possessed a natural suppression effect on Tailed Beasts, so even if the seal was released, it wouldn't cause the Jinchūriki to lose control.
In truth, Turtle Island wasn't even necessary.
With the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release, Kitazawa's suppression of Tailed Beasts far surpassed that of Turtle Island.
If Kushina and Minato failed to appear, he would intervene personally.
The seal was undone.
Kurama immediately realized his restraints were gone.
Although his relationship with Naruto was fairly decent, when it came to freedom, he didn't hesitate to surge outward.
But Naruto blocked him, his own Chakra surging forward to seize Kurama's power.
A fierce tug-of-war instantly erupted.
Kitazawa activated his Byakugan, closely observing the changes in Chakra within Naruto's body.
At first, the two sides were evenly matched. But Kurama was, after all, the strongest of the Tailed Beasts.
That boundless hatred erupted in full, overwhelming Naruto and making it impossible for him to maintain his footing.