Chapter 59: Transformation
"Hey... is it just me, or is there something off about you lately?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
A gentle autumn breeze rustled through the streets of Konoha.
Naruto squinted at Kitagawa Gen with a puzzled look. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something felt... different. And that bugged him.
This guy looked the same in every way—but somehow also... completely different.
After thinking hard for a moment, Naruto suddenly smacked his right fist into his left palm.
"Aha! I got it—you look paler than before!"
"..."
That's all you noticed after staring for that long?
Kitagawa Gen let out a soft snort. Honestly, his changes were much more dramatic than that.
Now that his Ōtsutsuki bloodline development had reached 20%, he really had turned noticeably paler. Even he was startled when he first saw it.
Thankfully, he wasn't as ghostly white as Momoshiki or Urashiki yet—and he certainly hadn't reached Orochimaru levels. Besides, he was always kind of fair-skinned anyway, so he could pass it off without too much suspicion.
"Most importantly… no horns!"
He let out a sigh of relief. If he had grown horns, he might've gone full Uchiha Madara and snapped them off right then and there.
Despite the minor hiccups in appearance, everything else had gone surprisingly well—especially the increase in chakra, which had now reached the level of a High Kage.
Granted, Kitagawa Gen was still trying to fully grasp what "High Kage" even meant.
But when he thought about it more deeply, he kind of got it.
"Kage" is more of a conceptual tier. Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, was a Kage. So was Hashirama, the First Hokage. But are they really in the same league?
Clearly not.
You think Rasa could be compared to Senju Hashirama?
He wished.
Unless, of course, he wanted to lose all self-respect...
"There aren't many who qualify as 'High Kage.' Reaching this level with just 20% of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline... this blood really is something else."
Kitagawa Gen couldn't help but marvel. Beyond this level... perhaps the next tier would be "Super Kage"—and only a rare few stood at that height, overlooking the rest of the world...
"No point in dreaming that far ahead. What matters now is that my body's gotten stronger again."
He shook his head slightly and clenched his fist. He noticed another improvement: his chakra recovery speed had increased as well.
"Wait... I can sense Flying Thunder God seals from farther away now?"
Scanning his surroundings, he could feel the scattered seals all across Konoha—some placed by the Second Hokage, others by the Fourth.
It thrilled him... but he didn't let it get to his head.
"More chakra is great, but I still lack actual combat experience, battle instincts, and mastery of techniques."
Strength alone wasn't what made ninjas dangerous. It was how they used it.
Even Naruto and Sasuke—without their plot armor—could still beat Momoshiki. And that weirdo Kashin Koji pushed Isshiki into a corner just by relying on Jiraiya's battle wisdom.
And let's not forget: Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was once thrown off guard by Naruto's Reverse Harem Jutsu.
Yeah... he still had a long way to go.
"Hey, why're you zoning out again?"
Naruto pouted beside him, clearly still curious.
"Come on, how'd you get paler? Tell me! Maybe if I do the same, Sakura will like me more!"
"Tch. Some things are just out of your league, kid."
Kitagawa Gen snapped out of his thoughts, chuckling with a mix of pride and mischief. Besides, his changes weren't just skin-deep.
Even his eyes had turned pale.
They hadn't changed color like the traditional Byakugan, but they resembled the future version of Himawari Hyuga he remembered—only activating when in use.
"Is this because of Tailed Beast chakra? Or maybe Asura's chakra?"
He wasn't sure—but whatever the reason, it was incredibly convenient. At the very least, he didn't need contact lenses anymore.
And more than that…
"My eyes seem to have the Byakugan's traits… but with hints of the Sharingan's abilities too?"
He wasn't entirely certain if that was linked to the chakra from Isobu (Three Tails), but one thing was crystal clear:
His eyes didn't just have Byakugan-like powers—they could see farther, and his perception had grown incredibly sharp.
"And now... my eyes are absorbing chakra again."
That familiar "saturation" from before had disappeared—replaced by the old, gnawing "hunger."
And with this latest enhancement, his bones had started absorbing chakra too—at a much greater rate.
The benefits were unimaginable... but there was one problem.
His bones seemed like a bottomless pit.
"For now... there's no end in sight."
But it wasn't really a big deal—after all, he had the upper hand!
"You bastard, why are you always such a jerk?"
The blonde kid rubbed his ears, clearly annoyed even though he'd gotten somewhat used to it. But Kitagawa Gen didn't respond. Instead, after thinking for a moment, he suddenly said:
"Naruto, what do you think if I dye my hair white?"
"Huh?"
Naruto looked completely confused.
"Why would you do that?"
"Don't you think it would look cool? Actually, why don't we go and dye ours together?"
Changing hair color wasn't a big deal for a ninja. Sure, there was the Transformation Jutsu, but dyeing might have a more lasting effect.
Kitagawa Gen's skin had already turned paler—maybe next, his hair would follow suit.
Rather than wait for that to happen passively, why not take the initiative?
Might as well get it dyed now and save himself the trouble later.
"Imagine going on a mission with Kakashi and Jiraiya—three white-haired guys. What a team!"
Gen chuckled to himself at the thought, but Naruto shook his head in protest.
"No way! I'm not doing that!"
"I'll pay, what are you scared of?"
"Still no!"
Naruto shook his head like a pendulum. But when he heard the words "I'll pay," his expression shifted, like it had triggered some kind of trauma. He instantly grew suspicious.
"Hold up. Who's paying this time? I'm warning you, I haven't gotten my stipend yet. And you're not going to run off midway for a mission again, are you?"
"What are you so nervous about?"
Gen looked at him, half-laughing, half-exasperated. Had he traumatized this poor blondie?
"The last two times were accidents! And I paid, didn't I?"
"One time you did! The other time it was Grandpa Hokage who covered it—and I got scolded for days after!"
"Alright, alright. I forgot. But hey, at least I didn't leave you stranded, right?"
Since Naruto wasn't budging, Gen didn't push it. The two continued bantering as they headed toward the restaurant.
But as they walked, Gen suddenly paused. Something caught his attention.
He looked ahead and spotted Sasuke walking alone, his silhouette almost melting into the night.
"Tch, that guy..."
Naruto followed his gaze, muttering under his breath.
"He's really pushing himself."
"What do you mean?"
Gen raised a brow, curious. He'd been busy lately and hadn't kept up with what was going on.
"It's your fault, actually. Ever since you told him about 'hardworking geniuses,' he's been going nuts."
Naruto snorted, then added:
"He trains after school every day, super late into the night. Sometimes he even ends up hurting himself."
"Is that so..."
Gen nodded thoughtfully. He already knew Sasuke was intense—whether or not he'd said anything, Sasuke would've pushed himself just as hard.
Then he gave Naruto a strange look, filled with curiosity.
"Why are you paying so much attention to him?"
"Because we got paired up during last week's sparring class..."
Naruto rubbed his face like it still hurt.
"Ugh! That guy's a menace!"
Gen didn't need him to finish the story—he could already guess Naruto had taken a beating. That explained the attention.
Watching Sasuke's retreating back, Gen stroked his chin and said:
"Why not invite him along?"
"Huh?!"
Naruto's eyes widened. Though he clearly looked tempted, he still grumbled:
"That guy's cold, arrogant, and super annoying. Why bother?"
"You really think that?"
Gen raised an eyebrow, and Naruto clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Ugh, whatever! Just hurry up. I'm starving!"
Gen didn't argue further and started walking toward Sasuke.
Since his recent improvement, he could sense Naruto and Sasuke's hidden chakra more clearly. Though both were still dormant for now, he could feel the potential brewing deep inside them.
The question was—when would that power awaken? And just how much could he draw out of it?
"I wonder when we'll get sent out on a mission again... and how much development I can squeeze from those two…"