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"Hanekawa!"
Kurenai Yuhi asked in surprise, "Why are you back so early today?"
"I'm here to train with you."
Hanekawa patted her head and said.
"Then let's go!"
Kurenai happily grabbed his hand and started pulling him outside.
Girls grow up so fast.
Yuhi Shinku sighed and followed them out.
Hanekawa and Kurenai exchanged the seal of confrontation before starting their sparring session.
Both of them used genjutsu, so the fight didn't appear intense, but it was extremely dangerous in reality.
However, Kurenai was no match for Hanekawa and quickly lost.
"Lost again," Kurenai pouted, puffing out her cheeks.
"As a genjutsu ninja, you need to judge your opponent's intentions. Don't start with genjutsu immediately," Hanekawa said, helping Kurenai review their match.
Although genjutsu has its limitations, it can be a powerful weapon against ordinary ninja.
Mastering genjutsu won't necessarily make someone an elite ninja, but it will provide a reliable means of self-defense.
Hanekawa looked at Kurenai's serious expression and thought to himself, Should I give her a pair of Sharingan in the future?
But after some thought, he dismissed the idea. Her ruby-like eyes were already so beautiful; there was no need to replace them.
Suddenly, another thought struck him—a different way to boost her abilities. More chakra equals stronger jutsu, and genjutsu follows the same principle.
If he could find Kurenai a "power source" similar to a tailed beast, her strength would increase significantly.
"What are you looking at?"
Kurenai glanced around instinctively and asked, "Is there something wrong?"
"Just thinking you've gotten even prettier," Hanekawa said, snapping out of his thoughts with a smile.
"Really?"
Kurenai's eyes sparkled with joy as she asked eagerly, "Where?"
"Ahem!"
Shinku, standing nearby, couldn't hold back and cleared his throat to interrupt.
"Father, if you're not feeling well, you should go inside and rest," Kurenai said considerately, glancing at him.
"...?"
Shinku was stunned, his expression full of confusion.
His fists clenched.
He glared fiercely at Hanekawa.
"..."
Hanekawa felt completely innocent.
What did I even say?
"Let's continue training," Kurenai said, her determination renewed.
"Okay."
Hanekawa nodded.
Shinku's lips twitched.
What? Are you two just going to ignore me?
With a sigh, he turned and went back inside.
In the end, I'm the extra one here.
---
The next morning, Hanekawa arrived at Tsunade's house at 8 a.m. sharp, just as she had told him.
He knocked on the door and waited, but there was no response even after several seconds.
Just as he was debating whether to use the spare key, the door opened to reveal a drowsy Tsunade.
She was wearing a camisole nightgown, her smooth, bare shoulders glistening, and the fabric flowed gracefully down to her chest, where her curves became more pronounced.
"Sensei," Hanekawa said with a smile, holding out a gift. "Happy Birthday!"
"Birthday? Whose birthday?"
Tsunade, still half-asleep, instinctively asked.
She rubbed her eyes, and after a few seconds, it clicked—it was her birthday.
"Thanks," Tsunade said, taking the gift.
She finally understood why Hanekawa had been acting so unusually yesterday. This kid is surprisingly thoughtful.
"I'll make red bean rice," Hanekawa said, stepping into the house and heading for the kitchen.
In the ninja world, eating red bean rice on birthdays was customary, much like eating longevity noodles in his past life.
Tsunade shifted her gaze to the gift box and opened it.
Two items?
She glanced at the sake set first before picking up the bracelet.
The bracelet was silver, strung together with pearls and small locks, giving it a simple yet elegant appearance.
Tsunade remained silent for a few seconds before putting it on. She rarely wore jewelry, except for... She extended her hand and touched the necklace around her neck.
Without saying anything, she turned and went back to her room.
After changing into her clothes, she sat at the dining table, waiting.
Not long after, Hanekawa brought out the red bean rice.
"When's your birthday?" Tsunade asked.
"I don't know," Hanekawa replied with a shake of his head.
It was the truth.
He was a war orphan, taken in and trained by the Hidden Cloud Village before eventually being chosen as a spy. Birthdays didn't matter to him; he only knew he was seven years old.
Tsunade pursed her lips.
Seeing Hanekawa eating red bean rice alongside her, she said, "Then today will be your birthday too."
"Alright," Hanekawa replied after a brief pause.
The next second, he felt something warm placed in his hand.
"A gift for you," Tsunade said, picking up her chopsticks to taste the red bean rice. "It tastes decent."
Hanekawa looked down at the pendant necklace in his hand and fell into deep thought.
Can I refuse this?
This necklace was none other than the relic of Hashirama Senju, something Tsunade treasured deeply.
In the original story, Tsunade gave this necklace to three people, all of whom ended up dead, earning it the nickname The Death Necklace.
Hanekawa began to question whether his luck was strong enough to withstand this.
"Not satisfied?" Tsunade looked up at him, her expression unreadable.
"Satisfied!" Hanekawa quickly nodded.
He unfolded the necklace and placed it around his neck.
So fragrant.
Taking a deep breath, he could detect a faint, pleasant scent.
The necklace itself, of course, had no smell—the source was obvious.
"Take good care of that necklace. Don't lose it," Tsunade instructed, meeting his gaze.
"Of course not," Hanekawa replied, knowing this pendant was far more than just jewelry.
It was a chakra crystal containing Hashirama Senju's chakra, capable of suppressing the Nine-Tails.
More importantly, it held immense sentimental value for Tsunade.
Receiving this necklace meant he had earned her true recognition.
In other words, he now had free rein to do as he pleased in Konoha.
"Sensei, this bracelet looks amazing on you," Hanekawa said, noticing the one on her wrist and immediately complimenting her.
"Smooth talker," Tsunade said with a smile. "Eat up. After breakfast, we're heading to the casino."
"Yes, ma'am!" Hanekawa replied with exaggerated seriousness.
Tsunade chuckled, even more amused.
---
After breakfast, the two went to the casino.
Tsunade sat at the gambling table and casually pulled Hanekawa onto her lap.
Hanekawa, already used to it, leaned back against her, finding her lap a soft and comfortable cushion.
Tsunade didn't seem to mind, her focus entirely on the table, exuding a fierce determination.
She was ready for an all-day battle.
Hanekawa, on the other hand, fell asleep while watching.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself back at home—or rather, Tsunade's home.
"Afternoon already?"
He looked out the window to see the bright August sunlight streaming in.
Getting up, he walked into the living room.
"Awake?" Tsunade said, moving from the sofa to the dining table. "Today is our shared birthday. Come eat some cake."
She placed candles on the cake and lit them one by one.
"Blow out the candles and make a wish," she said, patting his head.
Hanekawa looked at her, a wave of emotion welling up in his heart. For once, he didn't tease her for always patting his head.
Taking a deep breath, he blew out the candles.
Both of them clasped their hands together, closed their eyes, and silently made their wishes.
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