"Today's haul wasn't bad," Tsunade said with a satisfied smile as she looked at the stack of money in front of her.
Perhaps because she hadn't gambled in a while, her luck seemed to have improved, and she won 300,000 ryō in just one afternoon.
"Let's head back," Hanekawa said, glancing out the window at the darkening sky. "Aren't you hungry yet?"
"I wasn't, but now I am," Tsunade replied, shoving a handful of money at him. "We're having a feast tonight!"
"Where are we eating?" Hanekawa asked as he followed her out. "That chicken shop nearby? I remember you love their food."
"No, we're eating at home," Tsunade declared, waving her hand. "Buy a chicken. You'll cook."
"Why make it so complicated?" Hanekawa complained. "Can't we just buy it ready-made?"
"I think your chicken tastes better," Tsunade explained.
"Alright, then," Hanekawa said, slightly surprised but agreeing.
"Don't forget two bottles of sake!" Tsunade said excitedly, quickening her pace.
Before long, the two of them returned home, carrying a cleaned chicken and two bottles of sake.
"Let me know when it's ready," Tsunade said as she kicked off her shoes, headed to the sofa, and sprawled out. Closing her eyes, she entered a state of relaxation.
After an unknown amount of time, the enticing aroma of food reached her nose, prompting her to sit up instantly.
"Is your sense of smell really that sharp?" Hanekawa asked, surprised.
"It's thanks to the Yin Seal," Tsunade replied as she walked to the dining table. "It keeps my body in peak condition."
"So it even enhances your senses?" Hanekawa said, handing her a pair of chopsticks.
"More than that," Tsunade said smugly, a smile on her face. "It can amplify my senses too."
Hanekawa froze for a moment. Amplifying senses? Wouldn't that make the body overly sensitive?
Cough.
Hanekawa quickly pushed the strange thought from his mind.
"How's your progress with the Yin Seal?" Tsunade asked casually as she picked up a piece of chicken.
"Pretty fast," Hanekawa replied after some thought. "I should master it within six months."
"Six months?" Tsunade shot him a glare. "Be honest!"
"I am being honest," Hanekawa said, grinning mischievously. "Want to bet on it, Sensei?"
"No bets," Tsunade replied firmly.
"Huh?" Hanekawa looked at her in shock.
Who are you, and what have you done with Tsunade? Why is she afraid of gambling?
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Tsunade rolled her eyes at him.
In her opinion, Hanekawa's gambling luck was absurdly high, so betting with him was a sure loss.
Moreover, while mastering the Yin Seal in six months sounded impossible, with Hanekawa's talent, it was entirely plausible. She decided it wasn't worth the risk.
"What a shame," Hanekawa said, pouring her a cup of sake.
"Are you drinking?" Tsunade asked, swirling her cup with a playful smile.
"No," Hanekawa replied, shaking his head.
"Boring," Tsunade huffed before downing her cup in one gulp.
As sake dripped from her pink lips, she licked them clean, making her lips appear even more enticing.
"What are you looking at?" Tsunade noticed Hanekawa's gaze and smirked. "Are you sure you don't want a taste?"
"No need," Hanekawa said, shaking his head again and pouring her more sake.
Tsunade dropped the teasing and continued drinking. In the Shinobi World, only adults were allowed to drink alcohol. She was only joking earlier; if Hanekawa had tried to drink, she might not have let him.
After dinner, Tsunade, her cheeks flushed red, sat on the sofa. She wasn't completely drunk—just tipsy, having only had two bottles of sake.
"Sensei, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Hanekawa asked as he returned to the living room after washing the dishes.
"Nothing," Tsunade said, waving her hand. "We just… just finished a mission. Rest… rest for a couple of days."
Hanekawa nodded slightly.
He observed Tsunade for a few seconds, confirmed she was only mildly drunk, and felt reassured. In this state, she wouldn't need his care.
"Sensei, do you want to take a bath now? I'll prepare the hot water," Hanekawa offered after some thought.
"Yes!" Tsunade said loudly, shaking her head to clear it.
Hanekawa headed to the bathroom, filled the tub with hot water, and soon returned to the living room. Raising his voice, he said, "Sensei, the bath is ready!"
Tsunade opened her drowsy eyes and stumbled toward the bathroom.
Seeing this, Hanekawa stepped forward to steady her by holding her arm.
"Go get my pajamas from my room," Tsunade said, letting go of him and heading into the bathroom.
Hanekawa was just about to turn around when his eyes widened in shock.
"Huh?"
Feeling a sudden chill, Tsunade froze mid-movement, instantly sobering up.
She realized she had forgotten to close the door before taking off her shirt.
A flow of chakra surged, and the door shut with a loud bang.
Tsunade pressed her forehead, feeling a mix of awkwardness and embarrassment in her heart.
Sitting in the bathtub, she let out a long sigh.
Thankfully, it was just her back that had been seen.
But even so, the incident stirred ripples in her heart that had long been calm.
Tsunade realized something—she had started to take Hanekawa's presence for granted. That's why such a thing had happened.
"Sensei," Hanekawa's voice came from outside.
"W-What is it?" Tsunade's heart tightened, and she instinctively responded.
"Your pajamas," Hanekawa said.
"Just leave them at the door," Tsunade said with a light cough, adding, "You can go home now. See you tomorrow."
"Alright," Hanekawa replied, setting the pajamas down. "Goodbye."
Well, that wasn't a loss, Hanekawa thought as he walked under the streetlights, the image of that brief glimpse still fresh in his mind.
Her figure—curvaceous yet elegant—left a lasting impression. Using a term from his past life, her back seemed perfect for cupping therapy.
When he arrived home, Hanekawa raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Hanekawa!"
The door opened to reveal Yūhi Kurenai, her face glowing with joy.
"Sensei said we have the next two days off," Hanekawa said as he stepped inside, removing his shoes.
"I was just thinking of visiting Uncle Kosuke. Want to come with me?" Kurenai tilted her head and asked.
"You go ahead first," Hanekawa said after some thought. "I need to drop by Sensei's place first and then notify Rin."
"Okay!" Kurenai nodded enthusiastically.
"You seem to be in a great mood," Hanekawa said with a raised eyebrow. "Did something good happen?"
"No," Kurenai said softly, glancing down. "Maybe it's just less boring with you back."
"Is Uncle Shinku not home?" Hanekawa asked suddenly, realizing something.
"I'm home!" A voice rang out from inside the house.
"…?" Hanekawa turned to Kurenai with a questioning look.
"I-I'm going to take a bath!" Kurenai stammered before dashing off.
Hanekawa met Yūhi Shinku's gaze and immediately felt a cold sweat form.
---
The next day, after making breakfast for Tsunade, Hanekawa headed to Nohara Rin's house.
He had been there once before; it was quite an ordinary home.
Rin was the quintessential civilian ninja, with no family-inherited jutsu or bloodline limits.
But before he reached her house, he spotted her.
"Hanekawa?" Rin looked surprised. "Is there an urgent mission?"
"No," Hanekawa shook his head. "I just came to inform you that we have two days off. You don't need to go to Sensei's place."
"Is that so?" Rin hesitated, looking conflicted.
While she appreciated having a break, she preferred spending her time training.
"Going to the Konoha Hospital?" Hanekawa guessed her thoughts.
"Huh?" Rin was momentarily confused.
"The best place to learn medical ninjutsu is Konoha Hospital," Hanekawa explained with a smile. "I could use an assistant anyway."
"Thank you, Hanekawa!" Rin's face lit up with excitement.
She knew Hanekawa was already recognized as an attending physician at the hospital, qualified to select an assistant.
For him to choose her, it wasn't because of her skill level in medical ninjutsu but likely due to their camaraderie as teammates.
"It's nothing," Hanekawa said nonchalantly.
The two soon arrived at Konoha Hospital.
"Hanekawa-sama!"
People greeted him warmly along the way.
In the ninja world, respect was simple: the strong commanded it.
This was especially true in Konoha Hospital.
Here, one's level of medical ninjutsu determined their standing.
Currently, Hanekawa was second only to Tsunade and Yakushi Nono in the field of medical ninjutsu.
Following closely behind him, Rin was visibly nervous.
She glanced at Hanekawa, momentarily dazed.
Confident and powerful, he truly was dazzling.
Hanekawa suddenly stopped, and the next moment, he felt a soft body bump into him.
"S-Sorry!" Rin quickly stepped back, her face turning red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
She hadn't expected him to stop so suddenly, nor did she realize she had been lost in thought.
"It's fine," Hanekawa said, smiling as he reached out to pat her head, amused by her cute, flustered expression.
Rin bit her lip, avoiding his gaze.
"Come in," Hanekawa said, opening a door.
"This is my office."
Previously, he had shared an office with Yakushi Nono, but as his reputation grew, he was granted his own private space.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Rin exclaimed.
"You have great potential too," Hanekawa said, pouring her a glass of water. "Becoming an attending physician is definitely within your reach."
"Thank you."
Nohara Rin paused for a moment before speaking, "I'll do my best."
"I've already informed the nurse on duty. Patients will be sent to us shortly," Hanekawa said, sitting across from her. "All we need to do now is wait."
"What… what do I need to do?" Rin asked nervously. "I've never performed surgery before."
"I'll guide you when the time comes," Hanekawa reassured her with a wave of his hand. "It'll mostly involve basic medical ninjutsu like healing techniques, anesthetics, and stopping bleeding."
"I see."
Rin let out a quiet sigh of relief.
These foundational medical jutsu were things she had learned but rarely used since her teammates were so strong that opportunities for her to step in were few and far between.
Now, she finally had the chance.
Determination filled her face.
She knew she was only here as an assistant because of connections, and she couldn't afford to embarrass Hanekawa.
"Hanekawa-sama," a nurse appeared at the doorway not long after. "Your patient has arrived."
"Let's go," Hanekawa said as he stood.
Rin quickly followed behind.
---
Time passed quietly, and before long, it was dusk.
"How do you feel about today?" Hanekawa asked, glancing at the setting sun through the office window.
"It was an interesting experience," Rin said earnestly. "I feel like I learned a lot."
"Good. Let's call it a day," Hanekawa said, stretching as he got up.
"Ha-Hanekawa," Rin hesitated, then asked shyly, "Can I treat you to dinner?"
"No need to waste money," Hanekawa said with a shake of his head. "Let's go to Sensei's house; I'll cook."
"…"
Rin opened her mouth to say something but eventually nodded in agreement. Still, she couldn't help but feel a slight sense of disappointment for some reason.
---
Two days flew by.
When the break ended, Tsunade assigned them an A-rank mission.
This time, there were no unexpected incidents or encounters with a large number of Amegakure ninjas. The mission went smoothly.
With the mission complete, February arrived.
Hanekawa finished training the Heart's Eye technique and mastered a new A-rank skill.
Feeling that his sensory ninjutsu was sufficient for now, he shifted his focus to Water Release training.
The condition for obtaining the B-rank trait "Water Release Specialist" required mastering nine Water Release jutsu to the proficient level.
He already had five.
By his estimate, he could acquire the trait within two months, as Water Release was the technique he used most frequently.
---
In the clearing outside Tsunade's house:
Water Release: Water Bullets!
Hanekawa weaved hand signs, releasing a series of water bullets from his hands.
The bullets struck the tree trunks with precision, piercing deeply like real projectiles.
"Who's there?"
Hanekawa sensed something and called out.
After completing his Heart's Eye training, his sensory abilities had improved significantly, even when not actively using the technique.
The next moment, a figure wearing a frog mask appeared.
"The Hokage orders Lady Tsunade to attend a Jōnin meeting at the Hokage's office," the ANBU ninja announced.
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.
Something big must have happened.
A Jōnin meeting was rare since it involved all Special Jōnin and Jōnin, who were usually busy with missions.
"I'll inform Sensei right away," Hanekawa replied with a slight nod.
"Thank you."
The ANBU ninja disappeared without a trace.
"Sensei," Hanekawa called out as he entered the living room. "There's a Jōnin meeting. You need to go now."
"A Jōnin meeting?" Tsunade looked surprised. "Is it about Kumogakure making a move?"
"Not sure."
Hanekawa felt it was unlikely to involve Kumogakure, as he hadn't received any notifications from his contact, Tsuchibashi.
Could it be about the Third Kazekage?
Wait, where's my reward?!
As an undercover agent, Hanekawa couldn't help feeling annoyed at the thought.
"Let's go," Tsunade said, standing up.
"Huh?" Hanekawa was momentarily stunned. "I'm going too?"
"You're my student. Why wouldn't you?" Tsunade said with a chuckle. "Besides, with your skills, you're more than qualified to attend a Jōnin meeting."
"Alright then."
Hanekawa was curious to find out what the meeting was about.
If it was indeed related to the Third Kazekage, he would need to have a word with Tsuchibashi about his reward.
---
Tsunade and Hanekawa arrived at the Hokage Tower's meeting room.
They were among the last to arrive; the room was already more than half full.
"Lady Tsunade," the Jōnin greeted her one after another.
As for Hanekawa, he was mostly ignored, though no one objected to his presence or questioned his qualifications to attend.
A few minutes later, Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the room.
He glanced briefly at Hanekawa before speaking, "The meeting begins now."
__
New entry: This Danzo Is Weird
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