Chapter 48

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"Hinata."

As they walked along, Kitazawa asked, "Do you want to head home, or keep training?"

"I…"

Hinata opened her mouth to reply—but was abruptly cut off by an explosion of voices.

"Youth! Youth! Youth!"

Three voices shouted in unison, breathless but perfectly synchronized.

Hinata turned her head instinctively.

Three figures in identical green jumpsuits came trotting into view.

"Is that… Naruto?"

Hinata blinked in disbelief as she squinted at the trio. Sure enough, one of them was her classmate, Uzumaki Naruto.

"Kitazawa-sensei!"

Naruto spotted them and waved wildly, a huge grin on his face.

"Perfect timing!"

Rock Lee suddenly burst forward, sprinting ahead of Naruto.

"Not so fast! Check out my Youth Tornado!"

Naruto leapt into the air, spinning like a top, and effortlessly caught up with Lee.

"This fills me with burning passion!"

Gai wiped tears from his eyes as he cried, "Let your youth blaze like a roaring flame!"

Thanks to Kitazawa's butterfly effect, Rock Lee had become Gai's student earlier than he had in the original timeline.

Yet the biggest impact wasn't on Lee—but on Uzumaki Naruto.

Being born into the Uzumaki Clan, Naruto possessed a robust physique and a monstrous healing factor, making him a natural taijutsu prodigy.

Gai had taken him under his wing and was teaching him every secret he knew, already considering Naruto like one of his own disciples.

That was why Kitazawa had eased off training Naruto himself lately.

When it came to taijutsu, Gai was handling things. Kitazawa's role now was simply to help Naruto improve his academic grades.

Kitazawa rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

'If Naruto masters the Eight Gates… that's going to be terrifying. Who could possibly stop him?'

He couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for Sasuke's future.

"They…"

Hinata stared at the bizarre scene before her, completely at a loss.

She simply couldn't grasp the strange, explosive energy between Gai and his students—it was as shocking as it was confusing.

"Hinata, you still haven't answered my question," Kitazawa reminded her gently.

"I want to keep training."

Hinata snapped back to herself, replying without hesitation.

She'd become used to Kitazawa's demanding training. Even though she'd defeated Toranosuke, she wasn't about to slack off.

She still held onto one dream: earning Hyuga Hiashi's acknowledgment.

"Let's call Sasuke to join us."

Kitazawa considered this for a moment.

If they were going to have a shot at beating Second Year Class A, both Sasuke and Naruto would be crucial.

And Sasuke was the type who'd leap at any chance for extra training.

So they headed for the Uchiha Clan compound.

Since the Nine-Tails incident, the Uchiha Clan had been relocated to the outskirts of Konoha.

The moment Kitazawa and Hinata stepped inside the district, several Uchiha ninja fixed sharp eyes on them.

"Kitazawa-sensei."

Hinata instinctively shrank back, clutching Kitazawa's sleeve.

"It's alright," Kitazawa reassured her quietly. "They're ninja of this village. They won't pick a fight with us here."

Attacking fellow shinobi inside Konoha's walls was basically tantamount to treason.

And frankly, neither he nor Hinata were significant enough to ignite such a dangerous conflict.

"Who are you?"

A calm voice suddenly cut through the air.

A young man with a composed presence stepped toward them.

Kitazawa studied his features for a second before recognition struck.

Uchiha Itachi—the loyal son and quiet genius. Those distinctive tear troughs beneath his eyes were unmistakable.

"My name is Kitazawa. I'm a teacher at the Ninja Academy."

Kitazawa introduced himself directly. "I'm looking for Uchiha Sasuke."

"You're Kitazawa-sensei?"

Itachi's lips curved in a faint smile. "I've heard Sasuke mention you many times. He says you're an excellent teacher."

"Could you be Sasuke's older brother?"

Kitazawa feigned surprise, offering a respectful nod. "I've heard of your genius for quite some time. It's an honor to meet you."

"It's nothing but an exaggerated reputation."

Itachi shook his head modestly, then added, "I'm sorry, but I have other matters to attend to, so I can't take you to Sasuke myself."

He pointed them in the right direction before turning to leave.

"Thank you."

Kitazawa and Hinata soon arrived at Sasuke's home.

Fugaku wasn't there, but they were warmly welcomed by Mikoto.

After a brief, polite exchange, Kitazawa explained his purpose for coming, then departed with Sasuke in tow.

At the Ninja Academy training grounds…

"Sasuke, how's your chakra nature transformation training going?" Kitazawa asked.

Sasuke didn't answer right away. Instead, he plucked a leaf from a tree.

A surge of fire chakra rippled around his fingers. The air shimmered with heat, and a dry wind blasted outward, scorching the leaf.

Moments later, the leaf had become brittle and shriveled—but it didn't burst into flames.

"Your progress is impressive," Kitazawa said approvingly. "Give it another day, and you'll finish the preliminary stage."

"Preliminary?"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.

"Chakra nature transformation training isn't as simple as you might think."

Kitazawa chuckled.

"It doesn't matter."

Sasuke clenched his fist, determination blazing in his eyes. "As long as it gets me closer to my goal—I'll do whatever it takes."

'Really, anything?'

The thought flickered through Kitazawa's mind before he quickly shook it off. He wasn't some cartoon supervillain plotting world domination.

"You keep training."

Kitazawa left a Shadow Clone behind and headed for the artificial lake, with Hinata following at his side.

He didn't even have to say a word. The moment they arrived, Hinata stepped lightly onto the lake's surface and began practicing her water-walking technique.

Time slipped by, and before long, the sun was sinking toward the horizon, bathing the world in orange glow.

"Hahaha!"

Sasuke stood grinning, a burning leaf crackling between his fingers. He couldn't hold back his laughter, his eyes bright with triumph.

Mid-laugh, he formed hand seals again.

Suddenly, a scorching fireball exploded into existence, blazing in the dusk light.

Sasuke's lips curled into a satisfied smirk as he watched the sphere of flame swell—twice the size it had been before. It used to stand two or three meters high; now it roared five meters into the air.

'Surpassing Uchiha Itachi doesn't seem so far away anymore.'

"Kitazawa-sensei!"

Sasuke dashed over, breathless with excitement. "Give me the next training method!"

"Fire Release isn't just about burning things," Kitazawa said calmly. "Its true strength lies in its intense heat."

He produced a glass cup, filled it from the lake, and held it out. "Evaporate all the water in this glass."

Sasuke accepted the cup, lifted his palm, and focused his Fire Release chakra.

A few moments later, his brow creased, realization dawning. It was much harder than it seemed.

"Time's up for today," Kitazawa said, clapping him lightly on the shoulder. "We'll pick up the training tomorrow. Keep the glass cup—it's yours."

"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei."

Sasuke nodded, gripping the glass cup like a precious treasure as he left the academy.

Once Kitazawa finished escorting Hinata back to the Hyuga Clan compound.

—

"Hinata."

Hyuga Hiashi stood waiting in the courtyard, arms folded. "It's been a while since I checked your Gentle Fist progress. Let's spar."

A few moments earlier, he'd received a report from Ko about Hinata's decisive fight against Toranosuke.

Hiashi still found it hard to believe how cleanly she'd won.

Hinata froze in surprise, thrown off by the sudden challenge.

But her father's words were an order, not a suggestion.

She stepped forward, lowering into the Gentle Fist stance. Her eyes grew sharp, and she lunged in first.

Bang!

Hiashi barely shifted. With minimal movement, he blocked her strike and raised an eyebrow, surprised by the force behind it.

Hinata staggered back a step. She drew a deep breath and rushed in again.

But no matter how fiercely she tried, her attacks were parried as if they were nothing.

"Alright. That's enough."

Hiashi finally lowered his arms and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Father…"

Hinata bowed her head, guilt flashing across her face at his stern expression.

"Why are you apologizing?"

Hiashi's tone softened as he regarded her with quiet approval. "You've progressed more than I ever expected."

"Huh?"

Hinata blinked in confusion.

"Compared to the last time we sparred, your reaction speed, your chakra control, and the force in your Gentle Fist have all improved significantly."

Hiashi paused, then added, astonishment creeping into his voice. "But the most remarkable thing… your chakra reserves have increased by nearly half."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"I… that's all thanks to Kitazawa-sensei!" she blurted quickly.

Hiashi shook his head, a faint frown on his face. "Kitazawa is merely a Chunin. At best, he can help refine your chakra control. But expanding your chakra capacity—that comes from within. No one else can give that to you."

"I… I don't really know…" Hinata murmured, utterly bewildered.

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