Hanekawa soon met Shinku Yūhi. He sat on the living room sofa, stern-faced and dressed in a black bodysuit paired with a green Jōnin vest, exuding seriousness. Hanekawa recalled that Shinku had tragically perished during the Nine-Tails' attack.
"Sit," Shinku Yūhi instructed with a nod.
"Thank you, Uncle Shinku," Hanekawa replied politely.
"You will live here from now on, and I will teach you genjutsu," Shinku continued, pausing briefly. "This is the Hokage's order."
Hokage? Hanekawa mused. Could it be because of the 'Innate Full Soul' entry?
"Huh?" Kurenai Yūhi, who was listening in, asked with surprise and curiosity, "Why?"
"Hanekawa is naturally suited for genjutsu," Shinku explained. After receiving the notification from Hiruzen Sarutobi, he had checked Hanekawa and found it to be true.
"Better than me? Didn't you say my genjutsu talent was strong?" Kurenai asked, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed in defiance. Her delicate face was adorably fierce.
Hanekawa couldn't help but laugh. In the original work, Kurenai's personality was strong, her fondness for shochu and vodka evidence of that.
"Kurenai, you're already a student at the ninja academy; how can you compare to Hanekawa?" Shinku coughed lightly, retorting. He wasn't lying, but even among geniuses, differences exist.
"Isn't he a student?" Kurenai asked bluntly, taken aback.
"Not currently," Shinku replied, recalling the information from Hiruzen Sarutobi. "He hasn't been exposed to ninja knowledge at all."
"I see." Kurenai turned to look at Hanekawa. Her first impression was that he was very good-looking, intricately crafted like a delicate doll.
"Alright then!" Kurenai suddenly raised her voice, patting her chest. "From today on, I'll take care of you!" Her big sister demeanor, paired with her doll-like face, was just cute.
If Shinku weren't present, Hanekawa might have reached out to pinch her cheeks—they must be very soft. But how should he address her? Sister Kurenai? Little Red? That sounded more like a senior citizens' group.
Shinku showed a fatherly smile. His gaze shifted from Kurenai to Hanekawa. "Let's eat first, then I'll teach you some basic ninja knowledge."
"Isn't Hanekawa going to school?" Kurenai asked instinctively.
"He will," Shinku replied. "The Hokage has already arranged for him to join your class as a transfer student."
"Yay!" Kurenai cheered, excited. To her, Hanekawa would be her little brother, and having him around was impressive.
Hanekawa pondered. Who were the ninjas in Kurenai's class? The timeline in the original work was chaotic, so he wasn't sure.
After eating, Hanekawa followed Shinku to the small courtyard outside. Kurenai tagged along, under the pretense of reinforcing her basics, but she was really curious about Hanekawa's talent.
"The first lesson for a ninja is chakra extraction," Shinku began, explaining the concept of chakra. The "Book of Formation" states that the mixture of physical energy and mental strength is called stamina, the basis for using taijutsu. Chakra is non-elemental chakra converted from stamina and can be guided and processed through hand seals, involving changes in chakra nature and form, ultimately releasing ninjutsu.
"Is there anything you don't understand?" Shinku asked Hanekawa seriously.
Chakra refinement is taught at the Ninja Academy, but many students start early, especially those from ninja clans or with ninja parents. Starting early gives them an advantage, just like Kakashi Hatake in Kurenai's class. While others learned the basic three techniques, he was already studying Earth Release. Besides talent, his father, Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha, provided him with ample resources.
"No," Hanekawa said, shaking his head.
"Then give it a try," Shinku said with anticipation. "Generally, refining chakra takes a month, but a genius only needs three days."
"I did it in three days!" Kurenai quickly interjected, raising her small hand, eager for Hanekawa's notice. Could she really be a genius? Reflecting, Kurenai indeed was. Her challenges were due to encountering a few monsters. But against a monster like Itachi Uchiha, over ninety-nine percent of ninjas would be helpless. In short, Kurenai was a normal genius.
Hanekawa exhaled, controlling the physical energy generated by his 130 trillion cells and his inherent spiritual energy. In the original work, spiritual energy refers to the accumulation of training experience. But due to his innate full soul attribute, Hanekawa naturally had abundant spiritual energy.
"That was fast!" Shinku suddenly raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"What was fast?" Kurenai asked, not immediately understanding.
"He has already refined chakra," Shinku said, excitement in his tone.
"How is that possible?" Kurenai was stunned, turning to stone. Refining chakra in three days is genius, but what do you call someone who does it in three seconds? That's simply a monster.
At this moment, Hanekawa's body trembled with excitement. Before he could relish the joy of refining chakra, a new entry appeared.
[New entry acquired.]
[E-level talent entry: Ninja.]
[Trigger condition: Successfully refine chakra.]
[Effect: Increases chakra refinement speed by 10%.]
[Note: Two synthesis paths available.]
[First path: Combine with E-level entries Three Basic Techniques and Ninja Tool Throwing to synthesize D-level entry Ordinary Genin.]
[Second path: Combine with E-level entries Three Basic Techniques, Ninja Tool Throwing, and E-level entry Top of Ninja Academy to synthesize C-level entry Genius Genin.]
Hanekawa grasped the system's logic. The conditions for triggering new entries were mostly based on his actions. So in the future, he could try different actions, hoping for surprises. According to previous explanations, certain special entries could be synthesized. 'Ninja' was clearly such an entry, and the system provided two synthesis paths, offering more freedom than he imagined.
Undoubtedly, the effect of 'Genius Genin' would surpass 'Ordinary Genin.' But dominating the Ninja Academy is challenging, especially with Kakashi in class. However, it's not without hope, and Hanekawa doesn't want to be ordinary. A little cheat doesn't count as cheating. After all, he's a man with a cheat!
Exiting his meditative state, Hanekawa looked at Kurenai and was momentarily stunned. The little girl now resembled a wilted eggplant, her slightly curly long hair drooping. Adorable.
"Congratulations, Hanekawa," Shinku said with a beaming smile. Hanekawa was someone Hiruzen Sarutobi had placed with him, and with such talent, their family had a promising future.
(End of chapter)