Talent System In The Naruto Universe

Hanekawa opened Terumi Mei's wallet.

The first thing that caught his eye was a stack of money.

He counted: a total of 2,700 ryō.

Aside from the money, there were two hot spring discount coupons and a bottle of blue nail polish.

Hanekawa smirked.

The future Mizukage sure is broke.

---

"Lady Tsunade," the spy handed over the intelligence he had stolen from Kirigakure.

"Good work," Tsunade said with a slight nod.

She casually put it away and sat down across from Hanekawa.

"Most freshly graduated ninjas freeze up during their first encounter with enemies, but not you. Instead, you were busy flirting with a little girl," Tsunade remarked, glancing at Terumi Mei's wallet.

"Flirting? What are you talking about?" Hanekawa replied seriously. "I was just teaching a defeated kunoichi a lesson."

"That little girl is likely one of Kirigakure's geniuses," Tsunade said with a chuckle. "Next time you meet her, it might be your turn to be taught a lesson."

"That won't happen," Hanekawa replied, putting away the wallet.

"Oh?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "So confident, are you?"

"It's because I have an excellent sensei," Hanekawa said with utmost seriousness.

Tsunade froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. She reached out and flicked him hard on the forehead.

"Am I wrong?" Hanekawa protested, feeling wronged.

"You're not wrong," Tsunade replied, crossing her arms. "But... don't get cocky."

"Yes, Sensei," Hanekawa said, his eyelid twitching slightly.

Tsunade's crossed-arm stance only added strain to her outfit, and Hanekawa couldn't help but feel the urge to lend a hand to ease her burdens.

"You handled the fight well this time," Tsunade said with a small smile, praising him.

"Is there a reward, then?" Hanekawa asked, immediately pushing his luck.

"I'll reward you by letting you treat me to barbecue," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes.

This kid really needs a beating every three days.

"How is that even a reward?" Hanekawa muttered.

"What's that? You don't want to?" Tsunade clenched her fist threateningly.

"I do, I do!" Hanekawa quickly conceded.

"Don't move." Tsunade suddenly thought of something. She placed her hand on his forehead.

Hanekawa blinked in confusion, unsure of what she was doing.

A soft surge of chakra flowed from her palm.

"Looks like you're not injured," Tsunade said after a moment, retracting her hand.

"Thank you, Sensei," Hanekawa said, a little surprised.

"In battles, hidden injuries are common. If they aren't treated promptly, they could affect your growth," Tsunade warned. "You might not grow taller."

Not growing taller would be bad enough, but not growing up at all would be worse.

Hanekawa smiled and said, "With you as my teacher, that definitely won't happen."

Tsunade looked at him and felt a slight flutter in her heart.

That handsome face paired with such a smile was truly hard to resist.

"Smooth talker," Tsunade huffed, looking away. "I wonder how many girls you're going to break the hearts of in the future."

"What do you mean by 'break hearts'?" Hanekawa protested. "Sensei, that's slander."

Time passed as the two chatted.

The overlooked spy finally understood why Tsunade had been sent to escort him.

It's just babysitting! I'm an afterthought!

Knowing the truth, he felt tears well up in his eyes.

By nightfall, he was even more bewildered and shocked.

He had a tent to himself while Hanekawa and Tsunade shared another tent.

---

The next afternoon

The sun shone brightly over Konoha's gates.

"Finally, we're back!" the spy shouted excitedly the moment they reached the village.

He had been a spy in Kirigakure for six years.

Three years turned into another three years, and he thought it would never end.

"Let's go report the mission," Tsunade said, feeling indifferent. She was more interested in heading to the gambling hall.

After registering at the gate, the three entered the village.

Hanekawa thought of Kurenai and the others, wondering how they had fared during the past few days.

---

Hokage's Office

Tsunade kicked the door open without ceremony.

The spy stood there dumbfounded.

Hanekawa, on the other hand, was unfazed—he was used to it.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind: When Tsunade becomes Hokage, will I get to kick doors open too?

But on second thought, he'd probably get himself killed for it.

More likely, he'd end up like Danzo, constantly butting heads with Tsunade in an endless cycle of "you regret, I am Hokage."

"Tsunade!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi jumped in surprise and took a deep puff of his pipe to calm himself.

"The mission's complete. Hand over the reward," Tsunade said as she approached. "And check if there are any new geniuses in Kirigakure."

"Why do you want to know that?" Hiruzen asked as he tossed her a passbook.

It was the reward for a B-rank mission: 160,000 ryō.

"Not enough. I need extra compensation," Tsunade said, shaking her head. "We encountered Jūzō Biwa."

"Jūzō Biwa? What happened?"

Hiruzen's expression turned serious.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were Kirigakure's elite, known for their strength and status.

Tsunade recounted the events briefly.

"I see," Hiruzen said, his tone softening. "The girl you mentioned must be Terumi Mei."

He opened a drawer and pulled out two files.

Tsunade skimmed through them quickly. One was Terumi Mei's, and the other was Momochi Zabuza's.

These two were the newest geniuses of Kirigakure, already showing remarkable strength at a young age.

Tsunade handed the files to Hanekawa casually.

"Let's do this. Your mission is now upgraded to A-rank," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after some thought. "I'll also add 300,000 ryō to your reward."

"That works," Tsunade agreed, stopping her negotiations there.

After reading through the files, Hanekawa handed them back to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The information was mostly what he already knew, though it was more detailed than in the original timeline.

"You two chat. I'm done here," Tsunade said, grabbing her money and heading out.

"Hanekawa, let's go."

Unlike her, Hanekawa gave a polite farewell to Sarutobi Hiruzen before hurrying after her.

"Thankfully, Hanekawa hasn't picked up his teacher's bad habits," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with relief.

The spy, standing off to the side, pretended not to hear.

---

"Sensei!" Hanekawa stopped Tsunade, extending his hand. "Where's my share of the money?"

"You're too young. I'll hold onto it for you," Tsunade replied with a cheerful smile.

"Not a chance," Hanekawa said flatly.

Only my mom used to say things like that, and I won't fall for it again.

"Tch, you little brat," Tsunade grumbled, handing him 200,000 ryō. "Don't waste it."

"I should be saying that to you," Hanekawa retorted as he tucked away the passbook.

The next moment, he froze, sensing a dangerous aura.

Swallowing nervously, he turned to see Tsunade walking toward him with a dark expression. She loomed over him like a legendary giant woman, ready to swallow him whole.

"Sense—" Hanekawa barely managed to speak before a large shadow engulfed him.

Tsunade pulled him into a crushing hug and unleashed her "Iron Fist of Love," playfully roughing up his hair.

"Sensei..." Hanekawa said, utterly defeated.

There was no escaping her grasp, as the weight of "Snow Mountain" pinned him down.

"Next time, it won't be so easy," Tsunade said, finally letting him go after she had her fill.

"Understood," Hanekawa replied half-heartedly.

"You should rest now," Tsunade said after a moment of hesitation.

She had originally planned to take him gambling, but after considering how tired he was from two days of traveling, she decided to let him off the hook.

"Goodbye, Sensei," Hanekawa said, waving as he left.

The mission had taken nearly a week to complete, and he found himself missing Kurenai.

A week doesn't seem long, but it feels like ages.

Glancing at the sky, Hanekawa figured it was about time for the Academy to let out.

After some thought, he headed toward the school.

---

The dismissal bell rang, and students poured out of the building like they were fleeing a disaster.

"Rin!"

Uchiha Obito ran up with a grin. "Want to grab some ramen together?"

"I need to go home and study," Nohara Rin hesitated for a moment before declining.

"Is that Hanekawa?" Kakashi Hatake's surprised voice came from nearby.

Rin instinctively looked up.

In the distance, a familiar figure caught her eye.

He's back? Rin's heart fluttered, and a joyful smile spread across her face.

But someone beat her to it.

"Hanekawa!"

Kurenai Yuhi ran over immediately.

"Hmph," Sarutobi Asuma muttered, annoyed.

"I wonder what kind of mission Hanekawa went on," Kakashi said enviously.

He also wanted to go on missions, but his father, Sakumo Hatake, was too busy to take him. The only way for him to start was to graduate early, though he had promised to wait until Hanekawa graduated first.

"It must've been some simple D-rank mission," Uchiha Obito said sourly.

"Hanekawa, when did you get back?" Kurenai asked, panting as she came to a stop.

"Just now," Hanekawa said, patting her head and smoothing down her windblown hair.

"Hanekawa," Rin and the others approached.

Kurenai's face turned red as she realized something, her cheeks flushing.

"I heard from Kurenai that you went on a mission to the Land of Water," Kakashi said, looking him up and down. "Did you encounter any ninjas from Kirigakure?"

"I ran into a big shot," Hanekawa said with a smile. "Jūzō Biwa, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Everyone gasped.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were famous, even among the younger generation.

"Impossible!" Uchiha Obito said, incredulous. "You met him and survived?"

"That's because my sensei is even stronger," Hanekawa replied with a shrug.

He wasn't lying. With Tsunade's strength, defeating Jūzō Biwa wasn't too difficult. Even with additional Kirigakure ANBU members, the outcome would have been the same.

But Hanekawa had been a burden. Tsunade had prioritized his safety and avoided unnecessary risks.

Uchiha Obito's eyes filled with jealousy.

Damn it! So what if Tsunade's your teacher?

My future teacher will definitely be someone just as incredible!

"No wonder Lady Tsunade is so respected," Rin said, her expression filled with admiration.

"Let's go! I'll treat you all to barbecue," Hanekawa said, pulling out his passbook. "I made a lot of money on this mission."

"Then I'm going to eat until you're broke!" Asuma said without hesitation.

Hanekawa thought to himself, Wait until you meet a student named Chōji Akimichi. Then you'll understand what it means to truly go broke.

Obito turned green with envy.

Rin, weren't you going home to study? Why are you going too?

-

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