After leaving the Hokage's office, Sakumo Hatake let out a sigh.
Scolded again.
He walked silently down the street, lost in thought.
What's the most important thing for a ninja?
According to the ninja code, it's the mission.
But Sakumo couldn't bring himself to abandon his comrades for the sake of a mission. That was his principle, his unwavering resolve.
Fine, let them talk. In the end, I completed the mission and saved my comrades. I have no regrets.
"I'm back, Kakashi," Sakumo called out as he opened the door to his home, composing himself.
But there was no reply from Kakashi. Sakumo paused, slightly puzzled.
What's going on?
He walked into the living room and saw Kakashi sitting on the couch, looking downcast.
Did he lose to Hanekawa again?
How peculiar.
In Sakumo's eyes, Kakashi's abilities had already surpassed that of an average genin. A bit more experience, and he could easily become a chunin.
And the rigorous training plan Sakumo had tailored for him over the past two months was intense to the extreme.
"Kakashi, what's wrong?" Sakumo asked, taking a seat across from him.
"…," Kakashi hesitated before recounting what had happened.
"Super strength?" Sakumo was surprised.
Mastering super strength was no ordinary feat—it was a high-level technique. For Hanekawa to possess such an ability was truly beyond his expectations.
"Kakashi," Sakumo said with a reassuring smile, "are you going to give up after just one defeat?"
"Of course not," Kakashi replied firmly.
"That's my son," Sakumo said, nodding in approval.
"Then, should I graduate early?" Kakashi asked after a moment of hesitation. "The school curriculum is no longer of any use to me."
"You made a promise to Hanekawa, and you should honor it," Sakumo said after a brief pause. "I have an idea—train with Hanekawa."
To be honest, Sakumo wasn't keen on Kakashi graduating so early. At just five years old, Kakashi was still very young.
"Will he agree?" Kakashi asked, a little doubtful.
"He will," Sakumo replied confidently. "I'm a good judge of character."
---
Hanekawa carried a tray of tempura out of the kitchen.
Tsunade hadn't returned yet.
As he worried about the food getting cold, the sound of the door opening caught his attention.
Hanekawa walked to the entrance and saw Tsunade changing her shoes.
She bent slightly, the weight of her... burdens causing her clothing to shift precariously.
Hanekawa swallowed hard.
This woman's entire body is a walking art.
"Sensei," Hanekawa said, stepping forward to take her tea-green jacket.
"How's school going?" Tsunade asked, patting his head before heading to the dining table, where the aroma of food greeted her.
"Same as usual," Hanekawa sighed.
"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked, picking up her chopsticks. "Something bothering you?"
"Not really," Hanekawa replied, sitting across from her. "It's just that the Hokage sure knows how to talk."
Tsunade burst into laughter at his remark, clearly amused.
Hanekawa shot her an annoyed look.
"Don't worry," Tsunade said, smiling as she tried to console him. "You'll get used to it after a few more times."
"If you can't console someone, don't even try," Hanekawa grumbled, picking up a piece of fried shrimp and shoving it into her mouth to shut her up.
Tsunade didn't hold back at all. She bit into the chopsticks, using her tongue to roll the shrimp into her mouth.
Hanekawa stared at the now saliva-slick chopsticks in silence.
"I haven't used this pair," Tsunade said casually, switching chopsticks with him. After swallowing the shrimp, she added, "Your cooking keeps getting better. Not bad—keep it up."
Thank the cheat skill for that, Hanekawa thought.
Cooking for Tsunade every day had been steadily increasing his progress bar. His E-rank skill "Chef" was nearly at D-rank.
"Take the day off the day after tomorrow," Tsunade said suddenly, as if remembering something. "I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where to?"
Hanekawa asked curiously.
Tsunade had never interrupted his school schedule before, no matter how urgent something was. This was the first time.
"You'll know when we get there," Tsunade replied casually.
Hanekawa noticed she seemed a bit distracted, which made him even more curious, but he didn't press further.
After dinner, it was time for their daily training session.
"Sensei, when can I learn super strength?" Hanekawa asked, recalling the lie he had told Kakashi earlier that day.
"Super strength requires a high level of physical conditioning," Tsunade said, walking up to him. "Stand still. Let me check your development."
What kind of statement is that? Hanekawa thought, but he stood obediently nonetheless.
Tsunade reached out, pinching and prodding his shoulders, arms, and thighs as if assessing his physique.
After finishing, she paused for a moment in thought. "You're still a bit lacking."
"So I can't learn it yet?" Hanekawa felt a pang of disappointment.
The destructive power of super strength was immense. In the original series, its performance was on par with, if not stronger than, a standard Rasengan.
"Aside from physical strength, super strength also requires exceptional chakra control," Tsunade explained. "Let's focus on improving your chakra control first."
Hanekawa froze for a moment.
Thanks to his training in medical ninjutsu, his chakra control was already far superior to others his age. Classic exercises like tree climbing and water walking were a breeze for him.
But he hadn't realized super strength demanded such a high level of control. No wonder Shizune, despite training under Tsunade for so long, hadn't mastered the Yin Seal or super strength.
"How should I train?" Hanekawa asked.
"Tree climbing," Tsunade said as she headed outside.
"Tree climbing?" Hanekawa followed her. "That's way too easy for me."
"This tree," Tsunade said, pointing at a nearby tree. "Climb it."
Hanekawa shrugged and approached the tree.
Focusing his chakra, he directed it to his feet and began walking steadily up the trunk.
"Hanekawa, watch out for kunai," Tsunade called out.
Before he could react, two kunai came flying toward him.
Seriously? Hanekawa's face tightened as he quickly dodged.
"There's more," Tsunade said with a grin, tossing four kunai this time.
Despite his quick reflexes, one of the kunai struck his thigh, causing him to lose his balance and fall off the tree.
The kunai were made of wood, so while they didn't cause injuries, they still hurt when they hit.
"Only one try and you're giving up already?" Tsunade teased, her face full of amusement.
"Again!" Hanekawa stood up, brushing himself off.
At least let me manage seven attempts!
By the end of the night, Hanekawa was battered and bruised, but thanks to their medical ninjutsu skills, he was back to normal in no time.
---
The new day began with the first lesson of the second grade: the Substitution Jutsu, one of the Three Basic Jutsu.
"The Substitution Jutsu is essentially an illusion technique," explained Eichiro-sensei from the front of the classroom. "You prepare a replacement in advance, such as a log or wooden plank, and use it to evade an attack as quickly as possible, shrouded in mist."
Hanekawa, despite never having practiced the Three Basic Jutsu, mastered it almost instantly thanks to his excellent chakra control.
The same couldn't be said for most of his classmates, who struggled to keep up.
For many genin, the Three Basic Jutsu—Transformation, Clone, and Substitution—might be the only techniques they ever master, often taking them the entire six years of their academy training.
But such genin rarely survived long. Most ended up as expendable cannon fodder.
The harsh reality of the ninja world was truly unforgiving.
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