Chapter 137

"Here’s six hundred thousand ryō."Kakashi slid a scroll across the desk to Kitazawa. "Much appreciated," Kitazawa replied, taking it—only to pause mid-motion as a thought struck him. "Wait... why six hundred thousand? Shouldn’t part of this go to Konoha?" Normally, mission rewards were split: the village took its cut, and the rest went to the squad. "ANBU don’t have to," Kakashi said, shaking his head. "No wonder so many people try to join the ANBU," Kitazawa muttered in mild surprise. "With your strength, you could join any time. Just tell the Hokage... or I could put in a word." Kitazawa chuckled, waving the offer away. "No thanks. I’d rather stick to teaching at the Academy." "Teaching? Why?" Kakashi asked, genuinely puzzled. For someone with Kitazawa’s skill, it seemed a waste. "No special reason. Call it a hobby—kind of like how you enjoy Make-Out Paradise." "I—! I have no idea what you’re talking about," Kakashi blurted, a little too quickly. Kitazawa grinned. "No need to be embarrassed. Next time I see Jiraiya-sama, I’ll tell him to hurry up with the next volume." Kakashi’s eye narrowed. "You know Jiraiya-sama personally?" "Not at all," Kitazawa replied with perfect seriousness. "But I do know Lady Tsunade." Kakashi’s lips twitched. ’Yeah, me too... and if Tsunade ever read that book, Jiraiya wouldn’t live to finish the next Chapter.’ "Well, I’ll leave you to wait for Lady Tsunade. Let’s do a mission together again sometime." Kakashi rose and left without fanfare. Kitazawa shook his head with a faint smile. The Kakashi of today—untouched by Team 7—was still something of a recluse. This much conversation was already rare. Closing his eyes, Kitazawa recalled the Bringer of Darkness technique Haru had demonstrated. Like the Rasengan, it had to be memorized on the spot—no scrolls allowed. "Still nothing compared to the version the system gave me," he muttered, stretching before stepping to the window. He found himself wondering about First-Year Class A. Five days wasn’t long, but he missed them. The door banged open. Tsunade strode in, visibly annoyed. "Who in Konoha would dare to irritate Lady Tsunade?" Kitazawa asked, one brow raised. "Who else but Danzō?" she scoffed, dropping onto the sofa. "But honestly... he’s more frustrated than I am, so I’ll call it a win." "No point wasting good moods on people like him," Kitazawa said lightly. "You’re right." Her lips curved faintly. "Still... teaching must be rough, huh?" Kitazawa blinked, then smirked. "Let me guess—an ANBU tried covering for me?" "Cover? Please. No one can replace you." Tsunade folded her arms. "I taught your class for two days myself." "Much obliged, Lady Tsunade. Drinks are on me next time." Her eyes lit up. "Deal! And I’m ordering the most expensive sake in Konoha." "Done," Kitazawa said without hesitation. After the payout from this mission, he wasn’t worried about the bill. "Now, get to class. Your students tried to ambush me this morning looking for you." "Huh?" Kitazawa stared. ’Kids these days...’ "You must be doing something right," Tsunade said with a faint smile. Naruto learning the Rasengan, Sakura picking up medical ninjutsu, Hinata already using the Gentle Fist’s Sixty-Four Palms... and they were only six or seven. "They are talented," Kitazawa agreed. "Any of them catch your eye?" "They’re yours, not mine. Teaching isn’t my style." Kitazawa wasn’t surprised. Tsunade’s changes since meeting Naruto were still far in the future. With a wave, she left. Back at the Academy, Kitazawa made straight for the training ground. "Kitazawa-sensei!" Hinata’s eyes lit up, and she hurried over. Shikamaru and Ino stopped training; the rest were elsewhere. "Hinata." He patted her head, drawing a shy smile from the girl. "Wait..." Ino narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you really Kitazawa-sensei?" "If I weren’t, would I be Lady Tsunade?" He flicked her forehead. "Now—whose idea was it to ambush her?" He looked pointedly at Shikamaru. "Not me!" Shikamaru said quickly. That tone, that look—yeah, this was definitely Kitazawa-sensei. "It was Naruto’s plan," Ino admitted sheepishly. "We all agreed, so we went along with it." "Figures." Kitazawa nodded. "So Naruto spotted something was wrong?" "No, Hinata did," Ino said. Kitazawa glanced at her. "Um... you didn’t bring me breakfast," Hinata murmured, face crimson. Kitazawa laughed. "That’s all? Alright—back to training!" Meanwhile, Tsunade headed not to the casino but to Konoha Hospital. "Lady Tsunade," Yakushi Nonō greeted warmly. "Am I interrupting?" Tsunade asked, glancing at the boy beside her. "Not at all. We were just discussing Kabuto’s future." "Good. I came to tell you both—you won’t be going back to Root. From now on, stay here at the hospital." Both were skilled medics, Kabuto especially—already mastering the Healing Hands at just fifteen. "Lady Tsunade," Kabuto said after a pause, "I don’t want to be just a medic." She studied him. "I could have the Hokage assign you to an excellent squad. A medic like you would be in high demand." "I want to follow Kitazawa-sensei," Kabuto said firmly. That actually caught Tsunade off guard. "Kitazawa? Well, you’ll have to ask him yourself. But... he’d be a fine teacher." "I understand," Kabuto said. Tsunade chatted a bit longer, then finally made for the casino. "Should we go to Kitazawa-sensei now?" Kabuto asked. "He’s teaching at this hour," Nonō replied. "He comes here after school every day. We’ll wait." Time crept by, and before long, dusk had fallen. Kitazawa’s return to the village barely caused a ripple. After classes ended, Kitazawa made his way to Konoha Hospital. Pushing open the office door, he was greeted by an unexpected guest. "Kitazawa-sensei." Kabuto rose to his feet, smiling politely before bowing. "Thank you for saving me and the Director." "You’re welcome." Something in Kabuto’s gentle demeanor reminded Kitazawa of Yakushi Nonō—a quiet kindness that put people at ease. Come to think of it, during the Chūnin Exams in the original timeline, Kabuto had seemed harmless too... enough to fool Naruto and the others completely. "Kitazawa-sensei," Kabuto began after a slow breath, "I have... an impertinent request." "What is it?" Kitazawa asked, brows knitting slightly. "I want you to teach me ninjutsu." "...?" Kitazawa almost laughed. The future mastermind villain of the Shinobi World... asking him to be his teacher? Exciting. And a little suspicious. Still, it wasn’t entirely unexpected—after all, Kitazawa had saved his life. But should he accept? Kitazawa waited a few seconds for a system mission to trigger. Nothing. A small pang of disappointment followed. Well... it made sense. The system still saw him as a six-year-old Academy student—hardly the right time to start taking disciples. "I’m an Academy teacher," Kitazawa finally replied. "For now, I’m not planning on leading a squad. But if you want to learn ninjutsu, I can teach you." Kabuto’s shoulders eased. "Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei. That’s more than enough." "What exactly do you want to learn? I’m guessing not medical ninjutsu." Kabuto shook his head. "Wind Release and Water Release. They’re my natural chakra affinities." Kitazawa’s brow arched. In the original story, Kabuto never used Wind Release—but his Water Release skills were formidable, especially techniques like Water Dragon Bullet and Great Waterfall. Without Orochimaru’s influence, though, the path ahead for this Kabuto would be very different. It felt like a waste of his potential as a researcher. Still... there was no easy way to change that now. "I’ll teach you Wind Release first," Kitazawa decided. "Meet me at the Academy training ground at 8 AM tomorrow." [Your genius reputation has spread in a small circle. Faced with Yakushi Kabuto’s admiration, you choose to teach without prejudice.] [Mission: Help Yakushi Kabuto master three basic Wind Release techniques.] [Reward: Earth Release affinity.] [Accept mission?] Kitazawa’s lips curved slightly. Taking him as a disciple hadn’t triggered anything—but this did. Earth Release... that would bring him up to five chakra natures. And Kabuto’s exceptional chakra control meant this task would be quick. The system’s mission triggers, Kitazawa mused, seemed to come in two flavors—personal missions, and those tied to other major characters. "I just finished surgery." Nonō’s voice came from the doorway. "Director," Kabuto said quickly, "Kitazawa-sensei has agreed to teach me." "Then you must listen to him," she told Kabuto firmly. Turning to Kitazawa, she added, "If you ever need anything, come to me." For the first time in years, she was free from Danzō’s control—and thanks to Tsunade and Kitazawa, the orphanage’s funding worries were gone as well. "You’re too kind, Nonō-senpai," Kitazawa said with a smile. He didn’t refuse the offer—a favor from an elite medical-nin was no small thing. And with her blessing, Kabuto’s loyalty seemed far more secure. Night fell, bringing another long session of Mystic Palm Jutsu practice. When Kitazawa and Shizune stepped out of the hospital, a graceful figure stood waiting. "Kurenai," Kitazawa greeted, a little surprised. Shizune glanced between them, curiosity sparking in her eyes, but slipped inside without a word. "When did you get back?" Kurenai asked, arms folded, tone calm—but not without a hint of complaint. "This morning," Kitazawa said, sliding an arm around her waist. "Sorry." Her expression softened almost instantly. "Next time you take a mission, at least tell me first." "It came up too fast," Kitazawa explained, twining his fingers through her hair. "Next time, let’s take a mission together." "That’s more like it," she said—before glaring suddenly. "And stop touching me in front of Lady Tsunade and Shizune!" "Oh? So if they weren’t here, it would be fine?" Her cheeks flushed. "D-depends on your performance." She shoved him away and retreated quickly. ’...Wait, did she just say yes?’ Shaking his head, Kitazawa stepped inside, where Tsunade, Kurenai, and Shizune were sitting together. "You all chat. I’m going to train," he said, heading upstairs. Tsunade’s current project—some technique involving emotional transfer—wasn’t something he could help with anyway. "What A-rank jutsu did you trade for today?" Tsunade called after him. "Bringer of Darkness," Kitazawa replied. Tsunade blinked. First Rasengan, now this—he had a knack for picking tricky ones. Kurenai, meanwhile, frowned slightly. If he only just acquired Bringer of Darkness now... how had he used it before? Clearly, Kitazawa had more secrets. But that was fine—she had time to uncover them. "No bets this time?" Kitazawa teased. "No bets," Tsunade shot back immediately. With a faint sigh of regret, Kitazawa was off to the rooftop for Wind Release training. Morning came. Naruto arrived at Konoha’s village gate, greeted by a sparkling-toothed Might Gai. "For youth!" Gai declared. "For youth!" Naruto and Lee echoed, to the mild horror of the gatekeepers. "What a shame Sasuke isn’t here," Gai lamented. "An Uchiha in a green jumpsuit—that’s the true spirit of youth!" "When his training’s done, I’ll bring him!" Naruto promised, remembering Sasuke’s wild laughter in that very outfit during the eating contest. "Excellent!" Gai roared. "Let’s run!" An hour later, Naruto reached the Academy training ground—only to find someone already there. "Hello. I’m Yakushi Kabuto," the boy said, offering a handshake. Naruto blinked. No scorn, no mocking nickname... just a normal greeting. "I know you," Kabuto added warmly. "Uzumaki Naruto. You’re amazing—Taijutsu, Shadow Clones, and first place in the practical exam." Naruto’s grin was instant. ’This guy... I think I’ll make him my friend.’