Chapter 19

Thursday The moment Kitazawa stepped into the staff office, he found an unexpected visitor waiting for him. "Kitazawa." Mizuki stood up with a bright smile, acting as though nothing was amiss. He was good at wearing a mask, hiding any trace of the jealousy he harbored toward Kitazawa. "What do you need from me?" Kitazawa nodded slightly, his tone calm and businesslike. Mizuki’s smile twitched for an instant, irritation flickering across his eyes. ’What’s with that attitude? How infuriating...’ "There’ll be a meeting in the second-floor conference room after school next Monday," Mizuki said, forcing his voice to remain polite. "It’s mainly to discuss the details for this month’s upcoming exams." "Thanks for letting me know." Kitazawa replied courteously. Mizuki nodded, turned on his heel, and stalked out of the room. Once outside, he dropped his polite façade, scowling in annoyance. Kitazawa, however, spared Mizuki’s attitude no further thought. His mind was already occupied with the challenge that had popped up before him: Current Mission: Place first in the April monthly exam. Reward: Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet. Accept? Normally, a teacher wouldn’t participate in a student exam. But Kitazawa’s system was anything but normal—it was downright cunning... or exceptionally wise, depending on one’s perspective. ’If I sit the exam myself in the test room, would that count?’ Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Either way, it was worth attempting. Because Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet wasn’t just any ninjutsu—it was a B-rank technique. A B-rank might not sound impressive to outsiders, but in reality, it was a skill level many chunin couldn’t even touch. As an ordinary chunin without any specializations, Kitazawa had no B-rank ninjutsu under his belt yet. Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet would be his first—and a powerful one at that. It was, after all, one of Danzo’s signature techniques in the original story. The class bell rang, drawing Kitazawa out of his thoughts. He entered the classroom. Instantly, the noisy room fell silent, students scrambling back into their seats. "All right, everyone—open your textbooks. Today, we’re continuing the story of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama." Kitazawa stood at the podium, voice even and authoritative. "Under Senju Hashirama’s leadership, Konoha thrived. But, sadly, peaceful times never last forever." The students leaned forward, curiosity lighting up their eyes. ’If Senju Hashirama was around... how could the mighty Konoha fall?’ Kitazawa continued: "The head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Madara, broke ties with the village over irreconcilable ideals. This rift ultimately led to an epic battle between him and the First Hokage at the Valley of the End." Sasuke’s eyes widened in shock. ’Wait... something like that happened?’ ’Could this be connected to the current situation of the Clan?’ "The outcome was Madara’s decisive defeat—and his death at the Valley of the End," Kitazawa finished. The classroom instantly erupted in chatter. "As expected of the First Hokage-sama!" "Wood Release is unbeatable!" "Of course! The ’Konoha’ in our village name comes from the trees created by Wood Release!" Hashirama’s legendary status as the God of Shinobi and his powerful Wood Release had made him a hero in the eyes of younger generations. Only Sasuke sat silent, eyes dark with unspoken thoughts. It was his famed ancestor who’d been defeated, after all. "This afternoon, we’ll have physical training," Kitazawa announced as the dismissal bell rang. "So don’t overeat at lunch." Noon A soft knock sounded at the office door. Hinata entered, clutching a bento box in her hands. "Come here," Kitazawa said, already seated on the sofa. He pulled out a spatial storage scroll and, with a flick of his wrist, unsealed eight bento boxes all at once. Hinata froze, staring in shock. Only then did she realize why Kitazawa had invited her to have lunch with him—he’d prepared all those extra bentos for her. "Well? Don’t just stand there," Kitazawa said, picking up his chopsticks. "Sit and eat." Hinata fidgeted, then suddenly seemed to remember something. She pulled out a small pink wallet and held it out to him. "What’s this for?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow, amused. ’Is she trying to make me a kept man? Am I that type of guy?’ "For the bentos..." Hinata murmured. "This little bit of money doesn’t matter," Kitazawa said, shaking his head. "No!" For the first time, Hinata raised her voice, her tone uncharacteristically firm. "That’s the spirit," Kitazawa said, studying her with a small smile. Hinata’s whole body stiffened, and she quickly lowered her head, cheeks flushing pink. "All right, then—I’ll accept it. Now, let’s eat before it gets cold." Kitazawa took the pink wallet, his lips curling into a faint grin. After lunch, Hinata quietly returned to the classroom for her midday nap. Later that afternoon, the students stood assembled on the academy’s track, lined up neatly in anticipation. "This will be your first physical conditioning session," Kitazawa announced from the center of the training field. "There’s no lap limit, and no time cap. I want to see how far each of you can go." He raised a hand with a smirk. "The top ten will get snack packs based on your rankings." "Yay!" A chorus of cheers erupted from the group. "First place is mine!" Naruto shouted, punching the air with confidence. "Keep dreaming," Kiba scoffed, arms crossed. "That spot belongs to me." Unlike Naruto, Kiba wasn’t just boasting. As a member of the Inuzuka Clan, he’d trained alongside ninja dogs since he could walk. His speed was leagues beyond that of a typical academy student. Sasuke said nothing. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he stood calmly, his gaze steady. ’None of them matter,’ he thought. ’From today forward, this field will be known as Uchiha Plaza.’ "Look at them... they’re really fired up," Shikamaru muttered with a yawn. "Should we give it a go too?" he asked lazily. "Run a bit, then call it a day?" "I’m down," Choji said between munches. "Running’s pain anyway. Snacks or not, I’m not killing myself over it." "Hey Ino, wanna race?" Sakura stretched her arms and grinned. "Loser can’t bug Sasuke-kun today." "No need." Ino brushed her hair back with a smirk. "You can have him." Sakura blinked. "...Huh?" That wasn’t the Ino she knew. Ino, meanwhile, had her gaze fixed on Kitazawa. ’Sasuke will be at the tree later. I’ll be there, too. No contest, Sakura—you’re already a step behind.’ "Alright, quiet down." Kitazawa clapped his hands once, smiling. "Here’s the deal—I’ll be running with you. And if anyone manages to beat me, I’ll give you a special prize." At those words, Sasuke’s eyes lit up. Finally, a challenge worth chasing. None of his peers came close to him. But a Chūnin? If he could outpace a real ninja—even once—maybe, just maybe, his father and Itachi would finally take notice. "Ready..." Kitazawa raised his voice. "Go!" The students bolted forward, feet pounding against the dirt like thunder. Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba, and Sakura surged to the front. Kitazawa, however, remained steady. He jogged at a measured pace, watching from behind. ’Exploding from the gate is a rookie mistake,’ he thought. ’This isn’t a sprint—it’s a test of endurance.’ Up ahead, Naruto blazed ahead with unrestrained enthusiasm. Kiba, Sasuke, and even Sakura kept pace, weaving through the rest of the students. But the tide soon began to turn. Thirty minutes passed. Naruto’s pace wavered, his breathing ragged. Sasuke pulled ahead, still composed, his rhythm perfect. Kiba remained close behind. Kitazawa watched from a short distance, his own strides easy and relaxed. Physically, Kitazawa was in his prime—an adult ninja hardened by years of training. The children, prodigies though they were, still had young, undeveloped bodies. After fifty laps, most students were sprawled out along the sidelines, reduced to cheering. "Sasuke-kun, keep going..." Sakura murmured from where she sat, her voice weak but full of admiration. But Sasuke didn’t hear her. His eyes locked on Kitazawa, who still ran effortlessly ahead of him. ’No matter how much I push... I can’t catch him!’ Kitazawa looked back, noticing Sasuke’s strained face. "Still running?" he called with a grin. Only Sasuke remained on the track. ’Damn it!’ Sasuke clenched his fists. Sweat streamed down his temples, his limbs trembling despite the blazing sun. His pride, however, refused to let him stop. He wouldn’t quit. 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