SWNOVELXO Chapter 37: Reward
As Kitazawa walked, he pondered the reason Sarutobi Hiruzen had summoned him.
At the very least, he was certain the Third Hokage wouldn't use the Monkey King to punish him with the Adamantine Staff as he hadn't done anything wrong, after all.
He speculated it had something to do with the results of the monthly exam. Perhaps there would even be a reward.
"Go in," the Anbu ninja said, stopping in front of the Hokage's office.
Kitazawa gave a small nod and pushed open the door.
"You're here, Kitazawa," Sarutobi Hiruzen greeted as he looked up.
"Hokage-sama," Kitazawa quickly saluted.
"I've reviewed your class report. It's excellent," Sarutobi praised. "Your class had the most students scoring over 80 points in the entire school."
Both the theory and practical exams had a full score of 100, with the final ranking based on their combined score, still totaling 100.
In Hiruzen's eyes, students scoring above 80 were already the future hope of Konoha.
"It's all thanks to your guidance, Hokage-sama," Kitazawa said sincerely.
"No need to be modest. I've seen all your efforts," Sarutobi chuckled. "Assigning Class 1-A to you was the right decision."
"I'll continue doing my best to teach them well and raise outstanding successors who inherit the Will of Fire," Kitazawa replied firmly.
"Excellent." Hiruzen nodded in approval, then asked, "I've always believed in rewarding merit. So, what do you want as a reward? Money? Or ninjutsu?"
"I'd like wind-style ninjutsu," Kitazawa answered after a brief thought.
Money was important, but he wasn't short on it at the moment. What mattered more was resolving the origin issue of the ninjutsu he'd just acquired from the system.
"Go with Haru and choose a B-rank Wind Release technique," Sarutobi decided after a moment.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Kitazawa was a little surprised.
For non-clan shinobi, gaining access to B-rank jutsu was exceptionally difficult.
Receiving one just for good results in a monthly exam was extremely generous—and for Kitazawa, it was a timely gift. He had just received Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere—a B-rank jutsu—from the system.
"You've earned it," Hiruzen smiled, then asked, "What do you think about Naruto?"
"Naruto?" Kitazawa organized his thoughts and said, "He's cheerful, optimistic, and values friendship and loyalty deeply. A good child."
"Naruto's parents did Konoha a great service," Hiruzen said, his eyes softening. "I hope you can guide him more, especially in his studies."
He didn't directly mention Naruto being the Fourth Hokage's son. That was top-secret information. With Kitazawa's current strength and position, he wasn't yet qualified to know.
"Understood," Kitazawa agreed without hesitation.
He already had a system task related to Naruto, and now, with Hiruzen's request, it was a win-win. A double benefit.
"I'll leave it to you, then," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a wave. "Haru is waiting outside."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. I'll take my leave," Kitazawa said, bowing slightly before turning to exit.
As Hiruzen watched him leave, a dazed look crossed his face. Memories began to stir. He thought of Namikaze Minato. Though he rose to fame during the Third Great Ninja War, he was already a well-known, top-ranking student at the Academy.
In both theory and practical skills, he stood unrivaled, just like Kitazawa's student Hinata. And like Kitazawa, Minato had also been a civilian shinobi.
Because of his remarkable talent, Minato was placed under Jiraiya. He lived up to expectations, saving the village and leading Konoha to victory in the Third Great Ninja War.
Sarutobi sighed. That vibrant, all-embracing spirit still lingered in his memory.
"I hope Naruto can become the next Minato," he murmured.
—
Kitazawa arrived at the ninjutsu archive room with Haru.
"These scrolls here contain B-rank Wind Release ninjutsu," Haru pointed to a nearby shelf. "You may choose one. But don't open scrolls on any other shelves."
"Understood." Kitazawa nodded and approached the shelf.
He scanned the titles and locked onto Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere.
But instead of immediately picking it up, he paused, feigning hesitation for a few minutes before selecting the scroll.
"Take it home, memorize it, and I'll collect it from you in a week," Haru reminded him.
"Got it," Kitazawa said, storing the scroll and heading back to the Academy.
---
For the students, the monthly exam was over. But as a teacher, his responsibilities continued.
That afternoon, the faculty gathered for a meeting.
As Kitazawa entered the meeting room, all eyes turned toward him. After all, he'd just been summoned by the Hokage.
"Kitazawa-senpai!" Iruka called out, waving.
They both taught Class 1-A, and Iruka was proud of the honor their class had earned.
Only Mizuki, standing beside him, wore a twisted mix of emotions as if switching faces like an Oscar actor.
"Congratulations, Kitazawa," Mizuki said, finally putting on a forced smile.
"Thanks," Kitazawa replied as he took his seat.
"What was it like meeting the Hokage?" Iruka asked enviously.
"Nothing special," Kitazawa said with a shrug. "It's not my first time meeting him."
Invisible pretense hits the hardest. Iruka was momentarily speechless.
Mizuki clenched his fists under the table. If it weren't for his control, he might've punched him out of sheer frustration.
After all, in the original work, Mizuki was the type who would kill his comrades just to complete a mission.
"What did the Hokage say?" Iruka asked curiously.
"He praised Class 1-A's achievements," Kitazawa replied. "And gave me a B-rank Wind Release technique."
"B-rank?!" Iruka sucked in a breath. "The Hokage is so generous!"
"If you work hard, you can earn a reward too," Kitazawa said, patting his shoulder.
"I'll work even harder!" Iruka replied with renewed determination.
Mizuki watched them, gritting his teeth. He taught the only full-score student—why hadn't he gotten anything?
Generous? No—this Hokage is clearly biased!
Not long after, Sarutobi Hisao entered the room. The first thing he did was distribute the ranking sheets for the entire grade.
Kitazawa scanned the list. As expected, the top ten were all from Class 1-A.
That was no surprise—when classes were formed, the best students had all been placed in Class A.
"Now, I will announce the Outstanding Student Representative for this month's exam," Hisao said after a pause. "Hyuga Hinata."
Mizuki's smile froze on his face.
At the mention of 'Hyuga,' his heart surged with joy—but the second word, 'Hinata,' dropped him into an icy abyss.
"Why not Hyuga Neji?" Mizuki couldn't help but blurt out, standing up.
"This was decided by the Hokage himself," Sarutobi Hisao replied calmly.
"But—!" Mizuki clenched his fists, visibly shaken.
Kitazawa had received more praise than him. That was one loss. Being summoned by the Hokage was the second loss. Now, even the Outstanding Student Representative had been snatched away.
Three strikes in one month… what was even the point of it all?