A new day.
After yesterday's commotion, Konoha had returned to calm.
But across the ninja world, the undercurrent only grew more turbulent.
For the other hidden villages, the outcome they preferred wasn't Konoha defeating the Akatsuki—it was the Akatsuki defeating Konoha.
If the Akatsuki won, the Five Great Villages would all be in the same predicament, facing a common enemy, with a reason to unite.
But if Konoha won, Konoha would stand alone at the top—and the other villages would immediately feel a massive threat looming over them.
9:00 a.m.
Kitazawa walked into the Hokage's office right on time.
The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Konan.
She was wearing an Anbu mask and Anbu uniform—no one would've guessed that just yesterday, she'd still been an Akatsuki member.
"Ki—… Hokage-sama."
Konan removed her mask and stepped up to him.
"When did you get here?" Kitazawa asked, a little surprised.
"Half an hour ago," Konan replied.
"From now on, just start work at nine," Kitazawa said after a brief pause. "Your job is to stay with me and relay my orders."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Konan answered coolly.
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
He'd been about to correct the way she addressed him, but on second thought, as Anbu, calling him "Hokage-sama" was appropriate.
If others heard her calling him by name, it might stir up unnecessary misunderstandings.
"Any important paperwork today?" Kitazawa asked as he headed to the Hokage's desk.
"Yes," Konan followed and said. "Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure all sent requests."
She stopped, picked up four documents from the desk, and held them out.
Kitazawa couldn't help but smile.
After sitting down, he casually opened the one from Kumogakure.
It was long, but it all boiled down to one sentence: they were willing to pay a price to get the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails back.
He skimmed the documents from Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure next.
As expected—every last one of them demanded Konoha return their tailed beasts.
"Go get Shikaku," Kitazawa said after finishing.
"Understood."
Konan put her mask back on and left the office.
The Hokage Secretariat was next door, so in under a minute, Nara Shikaku knocked and came in.
"You've seen these four documents?" Kitazawa asked.
Shikaku glanced at the papers on the desk and nodded.
Konoha's current workflow was that all documents went through the Hokage Secretariat first, then only the important ones were passed to the Hokage.
"Good. Draft my reply for them," Kitazawa said, handing over the papers.
"Hokage-sama," Shikaku said as he accepted them. "Do you want me to set up trade terms?"
"That's right." Kitazawa paused, then smiled. "But set terms they won't agree to."
"…?"
Shikaku instinctively looked confused.
"You're a smart man. You know what I mean," Kitazawa said lightly. "Konoha doesn't need to stand on equal footing with them anymore."
Shikaku's pupils trembled.
He understood instantly—Kitazawa had no intention of returning the tailed beasts. He wanted to ignite the Fourth Great Ninja War.
It was… almost unimaginable.
Since the Five Great Villages were established, there had never been a precedent of one village declaring war on four at the same time.
"Mission accepted—guaranteed completion!" Shikaku snapped back and answered immediately.
From the perspective of a major clan strategist, he actually wanted war.
War could reshape Konoha's current power structure and bring new benefits.
If the Five Great Villages were unified, the Ino–Shika–Cho faction's influence could expand severalfold.
More importantly, in his eyes, this was a war they couldn't lose.
The Akatsuki had managed to steal tailed beasts from those four villages.
So why couldn't a Konoha stronger than the Akatsuki defeat them?
And now the Akatsuki had joined Konoha.
The current Konoha could be called invincible.
After Shikaku left and the door closed, Konan reappeared.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin.
Konoha's strength was obvious to all.
What worried him now was something else:
Even if Konoha refused to return the tailed beasts, the other four villages might not even dare to start the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Kitazawa narrowed his eyes in thought.
Looks like he'd have to personally go and flip a few "sleepers" to force their hand.
To be honest, if he really wanted to fight, he alone could bulldoze the entire ninja world.
But doing it that way wouldn't maximize benefits—or rather, the system's missions would lose part of their value.
Besides, he'd spent nearly six years training people. His students needed a stage to show what they could do.
[Current Mission: Ignite the Fourth Great Ninja War and become the mastermind—the hidden hand behind the ninja world.]
[Mission Reward: Otsutsuki bloodline purity +30%.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa let out a small, surprised sound.
His Otsutsuki bloodline was already at 100%, so what did "+30%" even mean?
He considered it.
Most likely, it meant evolving from the Otsutsuki line of Hamura toward Kaguya's level.
After all, the Otsutsuki on the moon and the Otsutsuki out in the wider cosmos weren't exactly the same—though the difference wasn't huge.
And the mission reward hinted at that.
Logically, with Kitazawa's current strength, stirring up a Fourth Great Ninja War should be easy.
Under normal circumstances, the reward should've been 10%—or even 5%—not 30%.
But the specifics would only become clear after completing the mission.
Kitazawa thought for a moment and took out a pen.
Generally speaking, "turning" someone wasn't easy.
Even if you could do it, you'd usually only flip minor players—genin or chunin.
Jonin were, under normal circumstances, extremely hard to sway.
But for Kitazawa, flipping jonin wasn't hard at all. He could even flip the Kage of the other four villages.
Because he had the Rinnegan.
If Obito could use the Mangekyō Sharingan to control the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, then Kitazawa could do it too.
He began writing down key figures from the other four villages on a scroll.
He planned to pick a few, use the Rinnegan to plant subtle genjutsu suggestions, and push them to take the initiative in starting the Fourth Great Ninja War.
That way, Konoha would have a "just cause."
Kitazawa didn't care much about reputation, but Hiruzen and Jiraiya did—so he might as well hand them a convenient excuse.
In other words: one move, two wins.
"Konan," Kitazawa said, closing the scroll. "Have White Zetsu confirm these people's locations."
"Mm." Konan took the scroll.
"And on your way, call Kakashi over," Kitazawa added.
Konan turned and left the Hokage's office.
"Hokage-sama."
Not long after, Hatake Kakashi walked in.
"Do you know anything about cloning technology?" Kitazawa asked.
"I've heard of it," Kakashi answered honestly.
"If I cloned you another Sharingan, would you accept it?" Kitazawa asked, half serious, half testing.
Kakashi froze.
He hadn't expected Kitazawa to bring up something like cloning a Sharingan.
"This Sharingan was Obito's gift to me," Kakashi said after a long pause, refusing. "If there were another one, it would feel like I was betraying what he entrusted to me."
"What was Obito's purpose in giving you that eye?" Kitazawa asked.
"To protect Rin and Konoha," Kakashi said with a quiet sigh.
"If you had two Sharingan, your strength would rise a lot—you could protect Konoha even better," Kitazawa said smoothly.
"I'm not an Uchiha. Two Sharingan might not increase my strength," Kakashi said, then hesitated.
"At its core, the issue is your chakra reserves," Kitazawa replied after a brief pause. "I can make you a jinchūriki."
"Huh?"
Kakashi's face filled with shock.
Wasn't Konoha's jinchūriki Uzumaki Naruto?
How could he become one?
"The Akatsuki captured seven tailed beasts. You can choose one," Kitazawa said flatly.
Kakashi's heart lurched.
So… Konoha wasn't going to return the tailed beasts?
This was… outrageously bold.
Yet when he remembered Kitazawa's power—on par with Hashirama—he found himself accepting it.
Hashirama had distributed the tailed beasts.
That didn't mean Kitazawa had to.
A subtle thought surfaced in Kakashi's mind:
He might be about to witness the unification of the Five Great Villages.
He fell into deep thought.
There was no doubt about it—Kitazawa, as Hokage, had treated him with extraordinary consideration.
Cloning a Sharingan for him, and even offering to make him a jinchūriki.
Jinchūriki had a terrible reputation, but their importance was beyond question.
"I'm also going to form a Hokage Guard," Kitazawa suddenly said.
Kakashi looked at him, puzzled.
"Kirigakure has their Seven Ninja Swordsmen," Kitazawa said with a faint smile. "I'm going to establish Konoha's 'Seven' as well."
"But not with swords as the symbol," he continued. "With tailed beasts."
Why did jinchūriki have such a bad reputation? Mainly for two reasons.
First, villages kept the truth hidden and classified, so most people didn't understand what jinchūriki and tailed beasts really were.
Second, jinchūriki could lose control, causing destruction and casualties—so people feared them.
But now, both problems could be solved.
Kitazawa planned to create a Hokage Guard made up only of jinchūriki.
On one hand, it raised their status.
On the other, Konoha could openly declare they wouldn't lose control—the tailed beasts would become weapons to protect the village, passed down through generations.
Given enough time, becoming a jinchūriki would turn into a coveted path.
After all: a massive leap in strength and status—why wouldn't people want that?
Of course, Kitazawa had another reason, too.
Aside from Kakashi, the other jinchūriki candidates were his trainees.
Raising his people's status was only natural.
"I see," Kakashi inhaled quietly.
Compared to Hiruzen and Tsunade and the other Hokage, Kitazawa was bolder—more decisive.
Nine jinchūriki forming a Hokage Guard… even imagining it was terrifying.
"I'll take the Three-Tails," Kakashi said slowly.
Kitazawa paused, genuinely a little surprised.
In a sense, the Three-Tails was connected to Rin's death.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Rin had been captured by Kirigakure and had the Three-Tails sealed into her.
Kirigakure planned to send her back to Konoha and have the Three-Tails rampage—delivering a catastrophic blow.
In the end, to stop that, Rin chose to die by Kakashi's hand.
"Alright." Kitazawa nodded. "Go to the Science Division today and cooperate with them on the 'cloning' procedure."
Of course, that was a cover.
There was no real need to clone anything—later, he would simply implant Obito's other Sharingan into Kakashi.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Kakashi bowed slightly and left.
Kitazawa lifted a hand and rubbed his temples.
Of the nine tailed beasts, four jinchūriki were already decided: Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Fū.
He intended to give the Eight-Tails—second only to the Nine-Tails—to Uchiha Sasuke.
What troubled him was the remaining five tailed beasts.
They weren't enough for everyone.
At that moment, Konan stepped behind him and gently massaged his temples.
She'd noticed him rubbing his brow earlier.
"Thanks," Kitazawa said with a small smile.
Having a personal Anbu at his side really was convenient.
He continued thinking through the jinchūriki roster.
First, he ruled out Hyūga Hinata and Hyūga Neji.
They possessed the Moonchaser Bow and the Fatefeather Bow.
Both bows sealed Yin Release monsters—effectively half a tailed beast each.
And in the future they would awaken the Tenseigan anyway, so there was no need for them to become jinchūriki.
Kitazawa then thought of the seven shinobi teams formed after the prodigy class graduated.
He felt that each team should have at least one jinchūriki.
Team One was Kurama Yakumo, Karin, and Inuzuka Kiba.
Yakumo didn't really need a tailed beast.
Her chakra alone was already like half a tailed beast—practically inexhaustible.
And in the original timeline, a Yin Release monster named Ido would even be born within her.
On top of that, Yakumo's genjutsu bloodline was comparable to the Mangekyō Sharingan. There were very few people in the ninja world who could handle her.
Between Karin and Kiba, he ultimately chose Karin.
Karin was already strong as a medical and sealing specialist—her support value was set.
With a tailed beast, her combat power would rise dramatically.
And as a member of the Uzumaki clan, she was naturally suited to be a jinchūriki.
The remaining five tailed beasts were the One-Tails, Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Six-Tails.
After thinking it through, Kitazawa decided to give the One-Tails to Karin.
The One-Tails was special—wind style and sealing techniques suited her well.
Team Three was Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Chōji.
He skipped Team Two because Team Two was Kakashi's squad.
Kakashi was already the Three-Tails jinchūriki—adding another jinchūriki there would be wasteful.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin.
He planned to give the Two-Tails to Yamanaka Ino.
The Two-Tails, Matatabi, looked like a blue cat.
As for the reason… well, if you had to pick one: a partial transformation with cat ears and a tail was simply more fitting for her.
Team Four was Kaguya Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Jūgo.
Any of them would work.
After a moment, Kitazawa decided on giving the Five-Tails to Kimimaro.
It would raise his potential ceiling.
Team Five was Rock Lee, Hotaru, and Haku.
The biggest advantage of becoming a jinchūriki was effectively limitless chakra.
But Rock Lee wasn't ideal.
The Eight Gates already generated massive chakra output on its own.
And since Lee had no talent for ninjutsu, giving him more chakra would be wasteful.
In the end, Kitazawa chose Haku.
He would get the Six-Tails.
That left only one tailed beast unassigned: the Four-Tails.
Team Six had Neji, and Team Seven didn't even need discussion.
After weighing it all, Kitazawa decided to choose from Yakushi Kabuto, Uchiha Izumi, and Aburame Torune.
Those three were also his trainees.
In the end, he chose Kabuto.
For the same reason as Kimimaro: it raised his upper limit.
With the Four-Tails plus Sage Mode, Kabuto would instantly become one of the absolute top-tier monsters in the ninja world.
"Done," Kitazawa said, stretching lazily.
Konan was directly behind him, and the movement brought him into contact with her. He paused, then pulled her gently into his arms.
His gaze fell on her slightly flushed lips.
"Thirsty?" he asked.
Konan blinked, realized what he meant, and nodded.
"Go change first," Kitazawa said, glancing at her Anbu uniform. He took out a black secretary-style skirt suit and a pair of black stockings.
Konan turned away and changed, keeping it quick and composed.
When she finished, even Kitazawa's eyes flickered with surprise—her cool beauty suited the outfit perfectly.
He exhaled, then looked back at the Hokage's desk and picked up another file.
Aside from the four village requests, he still hadn't read the rest.
This one was from the Engineering Division.
They'd already repaired the terrain damage caused by his battle with Nagato.
Kitazawa went through more documents. During this period, Konoha had no major incidents.
In under an hour, he finished reading.
He leaned back against the Hokage chair, closed his eyes, and felt fatigue wash over him.
Konan stood, poured water, and drank half the cup. She wiped the moisture from the corner of her mouth and looked at him.
Kitazawa patted his thigh.
Konan sat down on his lap naturally.
Kitazawa lowered his head against her, and for a moment, words failed him.
Konan gently stroked his hair, her gaze gradually softening.
"Go take a nap," Kitazawa finally said, then carried her to the Anbu quarters so they could rest.
Meanwhile, Shikaku drafted Konoha's "trade terms" for the other four villages and sent them out overnight.
The next morning arrived.
Kumogakure—inside the Raikage's office.
With a loud crack, the Raikage's desk split in two.
"This is outrageous!" the Fourth Raikage roared, face blazing with fury.
Mabui, Dodai, and the others looked grim as well.
They had just received Konoha's proposed terms.
How to put it?
Every single clause was absurd—there wasn't a hint of sincerity anywhere.
"Why would Konoha propose terms they know we'd never accept?" Samui asked, confused.
"Konoha probably doesn't intend to return our tailed beasts," Mabui said heavily.
"So Konoha wants to start the Fourth Great Ninja War?" Samui asked, startled.
"Then we fight!" the Fourth Raikage snapped instinctively.
"Raikage-sama, please calm down," Mabui said firmly. "The priority is to contact the other villages first and confirm whether they received the same kind of reply."
"And if they did?" the Fourth Raikage shot back.
"Then we invite the other Kage and hold a Five Kage Summit," Mabui said after thinking it through.
The Fourth Raikage looked like he wanted to argue.
Normally, he would never tolerate this kind of humiliation.
But the moment Kitazawa's strength crossed his mind, he swallowed it down.
"Handle it," the Fourth Raikage said, seething.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Mabui turned and left at once, dispatching messengers to Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure.
The following day, the replies came back.
All four villages had received nearly identical terms—equally outrageous.
Even Kirigakure, which had previously signed an alliance with Konoha, got the same treatment.
"Kitazawa really is tyrannical," Mabui muttered, clenching her fist, then forcing herself to relax.
She didn't want to go to war with Konoha—on paper, their odds weren't good.
But without tailed beasts, they'd have even less power to resist in the future.
"The Five Kage Summit is the last chance," Mabui sighed.
If Kitazawa attended as promised, there might still be room to negotiate.
But if he refused, it meant he had made up his mind: he would not return the tailed beasts.
On a northern plain outside Konoha, Kakashi, Sasuke, Karin, Kimimaro, Kabuto, Ino, and Haku gathered.
"Kakashi-sensei," Yamanaka Ino asked curiously, "why are we here?"
"Didn't the Hokage tell you?" Kakashi asked back.
"No," Ino said. "I only got an Anbu notice this morning—meet here at nine."
"Same," Karin chimed in.
"I met with Kitazawa-sensei yesterday," Kabuto said, pushing up his glasses. "He's planning to make us jinchūriki."
"Jinchūriki?" Ino's eyes went wide. "Like Naruto?"
Sasuke's heart jolted—and excitement surged through him.
A huge part of Naruto's power came from the Nine-Tails.
If he became a jinchūriki too, the gap between them could shrink again.
Maybe—just maybe—he could beat Naruto.
"That's right," Kakashi nodded. "The Akatsuki captured seven tailed beasts, so the Hokage chose the seven of you."
"No Hinata or the others?" Haku asked, surprised.
In his view, there were many in the prodigy class stronger than him—he didn't think it would be his turn.
Ino was surprised too.
But the surprise quickly turned into happiness.
"Since Kitazawa-sensei chose us, he must have his reasons," Kabuto said with a faint smile. "We don't need to overthink it. Once we become jinchūriki, we repay Kitazawa-sensei. That's all."
~~~
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