Talent System In The Naruto Universe

The village of Kirigakure was silent under the night sky.

"Seriously? Is he insane?!"

Terumi Mei shot up from her bed, her voice filled with frustration.

She had just dreamed of Hanekawa again, replaying the memory of him stealing her wallet.

"That bastard!"

Clenching her fists, she punched her blanket angrily.

From a young age, Terumi Mei had been a prodigy, always standing out as one of the best. She had never suffered such a humiliating defeat.

What made it worse was being bested by someone her own age.

Her mind wandered to the intel she had read about Hanekawa earlier that day.

His specialty was medical ninjutsu, not swordsmanship or genjutsu. And yet, she had lost to his sword skills.

Biting her lip, her face flushed with anger, Terumi Mei made a vow.

I'll get my wallet back no matter what!

---

The next morning, the chirping of birds filled the air outside.

Hanekawa sat up and stretched lazily.

He had slept wonderfully last night. The past few days of camping in tents couldn't compare to the comfort of a bed.

"Home is the best," he muttered, getting dressed and heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

"Good morning," Kurenai greeted, stepping aside to make room.

"Good morning," Hanekawa replied, taking his place beside her to brush his teeth.

Nearby, Yūhi Shinku glanced at them and felt a headache coming on. Holding his bowl of ramen, he said flatly, "Breakfast is ready."

Not long after, the three of them sat around the table.

"Hanekawa, when's your next mission?" Kurenai asked suddenly, her expression full of concern as she picked up her chopsticks.

"No idea," Hanekawa replied, shaking his head. "Sensei didn't say anything."

Knowing Tsunade, he figured it wouldn't be until next month. She had already spent a week on this mission, which must have seriously cut into her gambling time. She was probably holed up at a casino by now.

"Kurenai," Shinku interjected, "your main focus right now should be your studies."

He didn't want her going on missions, mainly because he didn't think she was ready.

"I know!" Kurenai pouted, clearly displeased.

"It's okay," Hanekawa reassured her. "Once we graduate, there'll be plenty of opportunities."

"That's true," Kurenai nodded, her mood improving.

Shinku, however, was left speechless.

Does my opinion even matter anymore?

"But…" Kurenai hesitated, a hint of worry crossing her face. "I heard we'll be assigned to different squads after graduation."

"It's not a problem," Hanekawa said with a smile. "My teacher is Tsunade. I'll ask her to make arrangements."

"Really?" Kurenai's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Of course," Hanekawa said confidently.

"That's great!" Kurenai exclaimed, her voice brimming with joy.

Shinku cast a sidelong glare at Hanekawa.

This kid thinks way too far ahead.

But on second thought, having Kurenai on Hanekawa's team would be beneficial. After all, his teacher was Tsunade.

---

After breakfast, Hanekawa and Kurenai headed to Maruboshi Kosuke's home.

With an hour left before class, they decided not to waste any time. Hanekawa drew his katana and continued practicing the Konoha-style: Willow technique.

"See you later, Uncle Kosuke!"

The two of them finished their training and made their way to the ninja academy.

"Kurenai," Hanekawa tapped her shoulder, "can I borrow that water-style training scroll Uncle Kosuke gave you?"

"Of course," Kurenai handed him the scroll without hesitation. "Are you planning to learn water-style techniques?"

She remembered Hanekawa's chakra nature was lightning and fire, not water.

"I ran into a water-style ninja in the Land of Water," Hanekawa explained. "The fight was pretty rough, so I want to study up."

"When I learn water-style jutsu, I'll help you beat her!" Kurenai declared, waving her tiny fists.

"Sounds good," Hanekawa said with a grin.

---

At the classroom, Sarutobi Asuma greeted them cheerfully, still grateful for the barbecue Hanekawa had treated him to the day before.

"Oh, Hanekawa, here!"

Kurenai rushed to her desk and pulled out a notebook, handing it to him.

"Thanks," Hanekawa said, a little surprised but not refusing the gesture. He didn't really need it, but he appreciated the effort.

"Ugh, disgusting!" Asuma muttered, feeling like he'd just been force-fed dog food.

"Got a problem?" Kurenai shot him a sharp look.

Asuma quickly sat down, hiding his face.

Two against one? No way I can win.

Hanekawa took his seat and casually flipped through the notebook. It was clear that Kurenai had put in a lot of effort; her handwriting was neat, and her notes were very detailed.

"Hanekawa," Nohara Rin's voice called out.

"What's up?" Hanekawa asked, glancing at the notebook she was holding. "Do you need help with something?"

"This is…" Rin hesitated, her words faltering as she noticed the notebook in front of Hanekawa. Someone else had beaten her to it.

"Never mind," Rin said softly, shaking her head before turning to leave.

"What was that about?" Hanekawa scratched his head, feeling a bit puzzled.

---

The bell rang, signaling the start of class.

Eichirō stepped into the room, closely followed by Uchiha Obito, who rushed in and skidded to a stop.

"Sorry, teacher!" Obito blurted out, kneeling dramatically.

"Just take your seat," Eichirō said with a sigh, walking to the podium. "Open your textbooks. Today, we'll cover communication codes."

Hanekawa set aside Kurenai's notebook and took out another book—not the textbook, but the water-style training manual.

Terumi Mei had dropped a 30% boost to his water-style affinity, so he couldn't let it go to waste.

Moreover, learning water-style ninjutsu was a prerequisite for synthesizing wood-style techniques.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached.

Hanekawa turned his head and locked eyes with Eichirō.

Blinking, he calmly continued reading the water-style training manual as though nothing had happened.

"..."

Eichirō opened his mouth but hesitated.

Are you seriously NTR'ing me right in front of my face?

No matter how hard he stared, Hanekawa didn't show even the slightest hint of regret.

Defeated, Eichirō gave up.

Time passed, and soon it was the end of the school day.

Previously, Hanekawa had trained alongside Sarutobi Asuma, Hatake Kakashi, and Yūhi Kurenai. However, since he began focusing on learning the Konoha-style: Willow technique, he had temporarily separated from them.

Later, he had even roped Kurenai into learning water-style ninjutsu with him, splitting them into two training groups.

Today was no different, but Hanekawa had heard an interesting piece of news from Sarutobi Asuma.

Apparently, Uchiha Shisui had joined their training group and sparred with Kakashi every day.

This unexpected development was a ripple effect of Hanekawa's actions—a butterfly effect that didn't exist in the original story.

---

As Hanekawa and Kurenai walked down the street, a voice suddenly called out to them.

"You two kids!"

They turned to see a man dressed in a white chef's uniform approaching them.

"I'm Teuchi, the chef of Ichiraku Ramen," the man said, handing them two coupons. "Our restaurant officially opens next month, and we're offering discounts. Please stop by!"

"Thank you," Hanekawa said, accepting the coupons. "We'll definitely come."

As a fan of the original series, Hanekawa couldn't miss the grand opening of Ichiraku Ramen. He also wanted to taste the ramen that Naruto Uzumaki loved so much.

---

A new week began.

Hanekawa woke up early, determined to practice water-style techniques on his own. Dressed in his usual workout clothes, he jogged down the empty streets.

"Hanekawa!"

Suddenly, Tsuchibashi appeared and grabbed his arm. "Finally, I found you!" he said, visibly excited.

"What's up, Uncle Tsuchibashi?" Hanekawa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did Kumogakure send new orders?"

"It's about the new book!" Tsuchibashi said, clutching his chest dramatically. "You've gone so long without releasing one! Do you know how much money we've lost?"

Hanekawa nearly wanted to retort,

Do you even remember that you're supposed to be a spy?

Oh wait, I'm the same, so never mind.

Hanekawa, an orphan, had no emotional ties to Kumogakure. His life and friends were all in Konoha.

As for his status as a spy, it was useful for now, so he kept it. But if it ever became a liability, he wouldn't hesitate to abandon it.

With his current position and reputation in Konoha, even if Kumogakure accused him of being a spy, Konoha would likely dismiss it as baseless slander.

Of course, if Kumogakure offered him the position of Raikage, he wouldn't turn it down.

"Does your friend have a new book?" Tsuchibashi asked eagerly.

"I'll check with him when I get back," Hanekawa replied after some thought.

"When will you let me know?" Tsuchibashi complained. "You haven't been to the bookstore in months! Don't make me wait that long again."

"Tomorrow," Hanekawa said, suppressing a smirk.

Why do you look like a heartbroken housewife?

"Alright, I'll wait," Tsuchibashi said, relieved.

As Hanekawa jogged away, he pondered ideas for a new book. Soon, inspiration struck.

He decided to release a treasured epic from his previous life: Black Beast ('Kuroinu', 18+ visual novel in Steam)

In his past life, he had even bought a figurine of Celestine.

---

At the Third Training Ground.

Hanekawa arrived early, and since it was a Sunday, the place was completely empty.

Standing in the middle of the field, he exhaled deeply and formed hand seals.

Water Style: Wild Water Wave!

Chakra gathered in his throat, but... nothing came out. Instead, he ended up coughing violently, choking on the water.

The attempt had failed.

Undeterred, Hanekawa rested briefly before trying again.

[E-rank Ninjutsu: Water Style—Wild Water Wave.]

[Trigger Condition: Successfully perform the technique.]

[Effect: Automatically master the technique at a proficient level.]

After an hour of practice, Hanekawa unlocked a new entry.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he decided to call it a day. He knew that to synthesize wood-style techniques, he would need to master water-style ninjutsu to a high level, possibly that of a jonin. It wasn't something that could be rushed.

For now, his priority was perfecting Konoha-style: Willow.

---

April arrived quickly.

Ichiraku Ramen.

"Wow! Look at all the people!" Kurenai exclaimed, marveling at the long line outside the shop.

Hanekawa frowned slightly.

That's quite a crowd.

Scanning the line, he counted over thirty people waiting.

"Hanekawa!"

A familiar voice called out, and he turned to see Kushina Uzumaki waving excitedly.

"Kushina-nee!" Hanekawa greeted her with a smile. "Minato-senpai."

"Wait a second," Minato Namikaze said, puzzled. "Why do you call her 'nee-chan' and me 'senpai'?"

"Because Hanekawa likes me more," Kushina said with a smug look, glaring at Minato.

Minato could only sigh in defeat.

Hanekawa, of course, simply didn't want to call Minato "big brother."

That term stirred up some... unfortunate imagery for him.

"Hanekawa!"

At that moment, Sarutobi Asuma's voice rang out. He was accompanied by Kakashi, Rin, and Obito.

"Hanekawa! Kakashi!"

Might Guy appeared as well, running upside down on his hands as he called out to them.

"Hanekawa sure is popular," Minato said, sounding both amused and impressed.

-

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