Chapter 89

Konoha-style was a complete Taijutsu style, encompassing both punching and kicking—but it remained fundamentally basic. Its name was similar to Konoha-ryu Kenjutsu, the swordsmanship used by Gekkō Hayate, whom Kitazawa had encountered before. However, that sword-based style was far more advanced and lethal. Unlike Kenjutsu, Konoha-ryu Taijutsu lacked any named secret Jutsus or finishing moves—no A-rank-level attacks like the Dance of the Crescent Moon. Still, for many civilian ninja, Konoha-ryu Taijutsu was the only structured hand-to-hand system available. For that reason alone, it held value. Kitazawa divided today’s practical class into two parts: a theory session followed by combat drills. During sparring, the students’ natural talent in Taijutsu became immediately apparent. Sasuke, Hyuga Hinata, and Naruto were quick to pick up the fundamentals. Close behind were Ino, Sakura, and Choji—slower than the first group, but still progressing well. But for the remaining civilian students, mastering Konoha-ryu Taijutsu would take at least a year or more of hard, consistent training. No amount of good teaching could shortcut raw talent and early exposure. Kitazawa’s gaze settled on Naruto, remembering a particular mission: have Naruto defeat Sasuke—just once. The reward was excellent: one-tenth of Naruto’s Chakra capacity. But the difficulty of the mission had kept it on the back burner—until now. After watching Naruto’s scuffle with Rock Lee, Kitazawa saw a sliver of hope. If Naruto launched a clean, well-organized group assault, he might just have a chance against Sasuke. Might. Not a guarantee. The truth was, Kitazawa had been training Sasuke intensely for weeks, boosting his abilities significantly. While Naruto’s clone-swarm tactic was formidable, he was still made of flesh and blood. If Sasuke capitalized on his Fire Release jutsu and kept his distance, he could easily kite and outlast Naruto. Then Kitazawa thought of Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. If Naruto could use that, his odds would spike dramatically. But there was a problem. That jutsu was a forbidden jutsu, locked away in the Scroll of Seals—accessible only with the Hokage’s permission. A pity about Mizuki. There was no longer a way to extract value from him. With Mizuki’s fate sealed, the original plot of him tricking Naruto into stealing the scroll had veered off course. Kitazawa sighed, then made a decision: he would start Naruto’s special training. His plan was simple—find a Fire Release user to simulate Sasuke’s tactics, allowing Naruto to adapt ahead of time. As for who would play that role? Kitazawa’s Shadow Clone, of course. It wasn’t fair to Sasuke, but for the sake of the mission, sacrifices had to be made. Besides, Kitazawa had trained him plenty—it was time for Sasuke to "repay" the favor. It was just a final exam anyway. And if Sasuke triggered a mission next time, Kitazawa would help him too. That was his principle: a flexible bottom line. He helped whoever gave him the better return. "Today’s practical class is over. If you have time, practice more at home," Kitazawa said as the dismissal bell rang. "Yes, Kitazawa-sensei!" The students of First Year Class A scattered like startled birds. Kitazawa was about to leave when he heard someone call his name. He turned and was surprised to see the vice principal, Hisao Sarutobi. It was unusual—normally, a messenger would be sent if something came up. "Vice Principal, is something the matter?" Kitazawa asked, stepping forward. "The June monthly exam is coming up," Hisao said. "There’s a meeting scheduled for 8:30 a.m. tomorrow in the staff conference room." "Got it," Kitazawa nodded, then tilted his head slightly. "But why come personally?" "There’s another reason," Hisao said with a faint smile. "You’ll be presiding over the meeting." "Me?" Kitazawa blinked. In the past, Hisao had always led these meetings himself. "Have you forgotten your current position?" The vice principal chuckled, patting Kitazawa on the shoulder. "That seat was vacant for a while, so I stepped in. But you’re officially the Head of Academic Affairs now." Kitazawa froze for a moment before realization dawned. That’s right—he was the Head of Academic Affairs. "The official announcement hasn’t been made yet," Hisao added. "We’ll do it tomorrow. Congratulations, Kitazawa. You’re the youngest person to ever hold this position." "Thank you, Vice Principal," Kitazawa said modestly. "Since this will be my first time chairing a monthly meeting, I hope you’ll offer some guidance." "Of course. You’re doing well, and this is just the beginning." Hisao’s tone was warm—Kitazawa’s rapid rise in rank made him someone to watch. In the shinobi world, such things rarely happened without either extraordinary talent or powerful connections. Kitazawa had both. And Hisao Sarutobi, a veteran of the system, knew how to align himself wisely. "I’ll be there on time tomorrow," Kitazawa promised. "Good. See you then." Once Hisao left, Kitazawa made his way to Kurenai’s home. "Tsunade-sama hasn’t arrived yet," Kurenai said with a grin as she let him in. "But I’m looking forward to her reaction when she sees your Rasengan." "Don’t get your hopes up. She already came to check on me this afternoon," Kitazawa said as he settled onto the couch and opened a scroll Shizune had handed him. "You’re actually planning to learn medical ninjutsu?" Kurenai asked, raising an eyebrow. "I am. I want to try," Kitazawa replied. "Then you have my support," Kurenai smiled warmly. She didn’t have high expectations. Medical Ninjutsu was notoriously difficult, and Kitazawa had already missed the golden learning period. Still, he had surprised her so often that she decided to believe in him—just this once—because he was her boyfriend. "How exactly do you plan to support me?" Kitazawa asked with a playful blink. "You don’t miss a single opportunity, do you?" She rolled her eyes, catching his drift. "How is it taking advantage?" Kitazawa asked with mock seriousness. Kurenai sighed, walked over, and bent to kiss his forehead. Kitazawa took the chance to wrap his arms around her waist and bury his face in her chest—only, the angle was off, and his face ended up pressed to her stomach instead. Kurenai stiffened, then relaxed as warmth spread through her midsection. "You’re such a child," she murmured, gently stroking his hair. "I’ll give you one minute—ah! You’re touching again!" Her face flushed as she grabbed his wandering hand. Because he was sitting and she was standing, his hand had drifted somewhere it wasn’t supposed to go. "Tsunade-sama could come back any moment," she scolded, stepping away. "How’s your Rasengan training?" Kitazawa asked with a smirk, still savoring the memory of her soft thigh. "Going well," she said, adjusting her clothes. "Thanks to your notes." "Good. If you run into trouble, let me know." Kitazawa stood. "I’m heading to my room to read." The framework of the new Ninjutsu was already done; he didn’t need to supervise anymore. Back in his room, he laid out the books. Many overlapped with those he’d given to Sakura, so he set those aside. The rest needed to be finished within two weeks. Thankfully, he had the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Two clones popped into existence, and the trio began reading together. — Uchiha Clan Compound After waiting for an hour, Sasuke finally saw his brother return. He ran forward, eyes lit with joy. "Brother!" "Sasuke," Itachi greeted softly. That smile—that innocence—washed away his fatigue. Life as a double agent was exhausting. Between Uchiha politics and Konoha’s expectations, he was always one step from being crushed. But Tsunade’s return had eased things, at least on the clan’s side. "Brother, is there any more Fire Release Ninjutsu we can give to Kitazawa-sensei?" Sasuke asked eagerly. "Oh? Did he teach you another one?" Itachi smiled faintly. "Yep! Today he showed me Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu." "Already?" Itachi’s brow lifted. "Has he mastered the four Jutsus I gave you last time?" "Yeah! Isn’t that normal?" "...No. Not at all." To master four Fire Release Jutsu in such a short time—Kitazawa wasn’t ordinary. "Kitazawa-sensei’s amazing!" Sasuke grinned. "His dragon fire was huge!" "I’ll teach you sometime," Itachi chuckled. "Then we’ll see whose dragon is bigger." "Deal!" "As a return gift, let’s give him two more Jutsus," Itachi decided after a pause. The Uchiha didn’t mind sharing Fire Release Jutsus. After all, their real strength didn’t lie in fire—it lay in the Sharingan. Without it, no outsider could ever truly catch up. "Brother, one more thing..." Sasuke looked up, hopeful. "How do I awaken the Sharingan?" "..." Itachi’s smile faded. He had awakened his own eyes watching a teammate die. Later, he unlocked the Mangekyo by witnessing Shisui’s death. Pain. Loss. Trauma. That’s how the Sharingan eyes were opened. What was he supposed to say? "Go lose someone you love?""Just wait—I’ll kill myself for you?" Instead, he gently placed a hand on Sasuke’s head. "Train hard. When the time is right, your eyes will open on their own." ------------------------ AN : To keep the Chapters coming - Support with POWER STONES. For Every 100 power stones - 1 BONUS Chapter. For Every 10 5-star reviews - 2 BONUS Chapters. For getting to Top 10 Power ranking- 3 Extra Chapters. AN: Check out my P@treon For extra Chapters. Thank You For your Support!! [email protected]/noviceauthor777