August had arrived, and the summer heat in Konoha Village was in full swing.
"I'm heading to the hospital. See you all tomorrow," Hanekawa said, waving goodbye to Asuma Sarutobi and the others at the intersection.
After he left, Kurenai Yuhi, who had initially gone to Maruboshi Kosuke's house, reappeared.
"Kurenai, are you sure today is Hanekawa's birthday?" Asuma asked.
"Of course!" Kurenai lifted her chin proudly and said, "No one knows Hanekawa better than me!"
Asuma instantly felt like he had been force-fed a mouthful of affection and regretted asking the question.
What a tough pill to swallow!
Obito Uchiha wore an expression that suggested he wanted to escape but couldn't. He didn't particularly want to stay for Hanekawa's birthday celebration, but for Rin Nohara's sake, he had no choice.
"Let's get going," Rin said, glancing at Kurenai before suppressing her envy and heading toward Konoha's commercial district.
"What are you all planning to give him?" Might Guy scratched his head and said, "I have no idea what to get."
He had considered a green bodysuit but dismissed the idea since he'd already gifted one before.
"A book," Kakashi Hatake said, having already decided. "Hanekawa enjoys reading during class."
"Then I'll give a book too!" Might Guy's eyes lit up.
"Giving the same gift isn't great," Kakashi said, shaking his head.
"Really? Is that a problem?" Might Guy looked confused.
"Don't worry; we'll figure it out when we get there," Kakashi suggested, noticing Guy's indecision.
"Rin, what are you planning to get?" Obito suddenly had an idea. "I could pay for it if you'd like."
If he paid for it, it would count as his gift too.
"No way." Rin refused without hesitation. "How could I let you pay?"
"Then let's go to a gift shop and pick something," Obito suggested quickly.
"A birthday only comes once a year. We can't be careless about it," Rin said seriously. "And Hanekawa has helped us a lot."
Obito nodded reluctantly, knowing Rin would be upset if he argued further.
"Kurenai, what are you planning to buy?" Shisui Uchiha interjected, breaking up the conversation.
"Clothes!" Kurenai said with a smile. "I saw a kimono recently that would look amazing on Hanekawa!"
It was clear how close they were.
Rin bit her lip. Even if she wanted to buy clothes, she didn't know Hanekawa's size.
"I'm thinking of getting some medical ninja tools. Do you think he'd like them?" Shisui asked for advice.
"He'll love them," Kurenai said after some thought. "He goes to the hospital often, so he'll definitely use them."
"Good to hear." Shisui looked around and said, "I'll head to the ninja tools shop first. Let's meet outside Lady Tsunade's house in an hour."
Everyone nodded and watched him leave.
"We're at the bookstore," Kakashi pointed out, noticing the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore up ahead. "See you later."
He went straight inside and was immediately caught off guard.
A large poster at the entrance read:
"The bestselling author Black Beast will be adapted into a manga next month. Pre-order now!"
Beside the text were two elf-like women with pointed ears. One of them had dark skin, wearing a revealing outfit that made Kakashi's throat go dry.
The dark-skinned elf especially caught his attention—such an exotic beauty!
"Hey, kid, this book isn't for minors," a young female employee at the bookstore said, walking over.
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat.
So it's a book for adults, huh?
Curiosity filled his mind, but he pushed it aside.
"Looking for something?" the employee asked with a smile. "Tell me what you need, and I'll recommend something."
"I'm buying a book as a gift for a friend. He just turned ten," Kakashi explained.
"Is he a student at the Ninja Academy?" she asked, noticing the blade strapped to his back.
"Yes," Kakashi nodded.
"I have just the book for him." The employee turned around and returned shortly with a copy of The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja by Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya? As in the Sannin Jiraiya?" Kakashi asked, surprised.
"That's right," she replied with a smile. "A lot of ninjas are fond of this book."
"Then I'll take it!" Kakashi decided.
Kakashi Hatake didn't hesitate and bought it immediately.
The young woman's smile grew even brighter.
Finally, another book was sold from the piled-up inventory.
But she wasn't lying; she just omitted half the truth.
That is, aside from some ninja, no one bought the book at all. The sales were so poor that even the first print run didn't sell out.
However, Jiraiya's second novel, Icha Icha Paradise wasn't bad, though it did seem to borrow heavily from 'Sword of Thunder and Fire'
Meanwhile, the other three arrived in front of a gift shop.
They were Rin Nohara, Obito Uchiha, and Might Guy.
Kurenai Yuhi had gone to a clothing store to buy something else.
Asuma Sarutobi left mysteriously without revealing what gift he was buying and didn't join the group.
"Rin, what are you planning to buy? I need some inspiration."
Obito Uchiha suddenly remembered that Rin hadn't mentioned her choice of gift.
"A pen," Rin replied without hesitation.
She often sought advice from Hanekawa, who sometimes wrote out answers by hand.
Besides, as a student, a pen was an essential item.
"Oh, I see."
Obito secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
A pen sounded like a fairly ordinary gift, not too personal.
"Then I'll get a notebook!"
Obito exclaimed excitedly, reasoning that pens and notebooks went hand in hand.
"Sure," Rin nodded slightly and walked into the nearby stationery shop.
Obito quickly followed her.
"Wow! So many gifts!"
Might Guy exclaimed in awe as soon as he entered the gift shop.
He didn't usually have many friends, and Kakashi Hatake didn't care much for gifts.
This time, he had overheard that Hanekawa's birthday was coming up, so he decided to participate.
For him, shopping in a gift store was a first.
"Hello," the shop assistant greeted him. "Looking for anything in particular?"
"Do you have anything... youthful?" Might Guy asked eagerly.
"Youthful?" The shop assistant pondered for a moment and soon brought out several cherry blossom-themed items. "These gifts are perfect for a girlfriend."
"Huh?" Might Guy froze and quickly clarified, "It's not for a girlfriend."
"???" The shop assistant's eyes widened in disbelief. "B-Boyfriend?"
"No, it's for my classmate's birthday," Might Guy replied, puzzled by her reaction.
"I'd recommend some sports gear," the shop assistant said, suppressing her urge to comment, her smile unwavering.
"That's perfect!" Might Guy's eyes lit up. "I can challenge Hanekawa to a youthful sports duel!"
What's wrong with your version of youth?
The shop assistant couldn't help but grumble internally.
After some searching, Might Guy bought a tennis ball set.
An hour later, everyone who had bought gifts gathered at the training ground outside Tsunade's house.
Since Hanekawa hadn't returned yet, they weren't in a rush and continued their training.
When Tsunade returned with a large cake, they finally wrapped up their practice and went inside the living room.
"This kid sure is popular," Tsunade remarked with a smile as she watched everyone hiding behind the sofa.
Yesterday, they had approached her, saying they wanted to surprise Hanekawa for his birthday.
Naturally, Tsunade didn't refuse and agreed to help them out.
Night fell.
Hanekawa left the Konoha hospital.
Today had been a bit busier than usual—he had performed an extra surgery, which delayed him.
"Sensei is probably hungry by now," Hanekawa thought, quickening his pace with a small smile.
Having lived with Tsunade for almost four years, he was long accustomed to their daily meals together.
"Not home yet?" Hanekawa noticed that the lights were off in the house and was a bit surprised.
However, Tsunade occasionally came home late from gambling, so it wasn't entirely unusual.
Hanekawa took out his key and unlocked the door.
Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow, his face showing a hint of alertness.
At that moment, the lights turned on—not the overhead lights but the glow of candles.
"Happy birthday, Hanekawa!"
Kurenai Yuhi, Rin Nohara, and the others surrounded a cake and shouted in unison.
"Thank you," Hanekawa said, momentarily stunned.
His heart warmed as a smile spread across his face.
"Make a wish and blow out the candles," Tsunade said with a smile.
Seeing this scene, she was quite pleased. It reminded her of Hashirama Senju's ideals.
Perhaps Hanekawa could achieve them once he became Hokage.
"Alright."
Hanekawa stepped forward, clasped his hands together, made a wish, and then blew out the candles in one go.
"Let's eat cake first."
Tsunade, in a rare show of diligence, took out a knife and cut the cake, distributing it among everyone.
After the cake, it was time for the gift exchange.
"Hanekawa."
Kurenai Yuhi handed over a delicate gift box and reminded him, "Open it when you get home."
She wanted to see him try on the new clothes herself.
"Got it."
Hanekawa curiously glanced at the box before putting it away.
"Let's have a tennis match tomorrow!"
Might Guy presented a tennis racket with great excitement.
"Thanks," Hanekawa said, though the corner of his mouth twitched.
Wasn't this gift just an excuse for you to play?
"This is for you," Kakashi Hatake said, handing over a book.
"...?"
Hanekawa looked at Tales of Gutsy Ninja and was speechless.
This novel by Jiraiya was something he had skimmed through long ago, but from a modern perspective, it was... hard to praise.
"Hanekawa, thank you for all your guidance," Rin Nohara said earnestly.
"And here's my gift!"
Obito Uchiha interrupted before Hanekawa could respond, quickly handing over his present.
Finally, it was Asuma Sarutobi's turn. He didn't say much, only stating, "You'll definitely like it."
Since most of the gifts were wrapped in boxes, Hanekawa didn't know what they were yet.
Shisui Uchiha, however, skipped the wrapping and gave him a set of medical ninja tools.
"See you tomorrow."
An hour later, the birthday party ended, and everyone said their goodbyes.
"You've got some pretty great friends," Tsunade said with a smile.
"They really are."
Hanekawa agreed as he cleaned up the table.
"What wish did you make this year?"
Tsunade crossed her arms and teased, "Don't tell me it's the same as last year."
"You guessed right, but there's no prize."
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Making the same wish every year—does that even count as a wish anymore?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes and said, "That's more like a curse."
"If the curse works, that's fine by me."
Hanekawa didn't seem to mind.
"You really want me to become Hokage that badly?" Tsunade asked, confused.
"If you become Hokage, I can walk around the village like a king. No one would dare mess with me!"
Hanekawa cleared his throat and grinned.
"Dream on!"
Tsunade raised her hand in annoyance and flicked his forehead.
"Huh? So it's not possible?"
Hanekawa blinked innocently.
"Just you wait!"
Tsunade stood up, clearly exasperated.
"Depends on my mood!"
"Sensei."
Hanekawa suddenly produced a gift box as if by magic and said, "Happy birthday."
Tsunade froze for a moment.
Taking the box, she said, "I didn't prepare a gift, so I'll make up for it with this."
She bent down and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Huh?"
Hanekawa was caught off guard by the sudden move.
It wasn't until she left that he realized what had happened, a look of regret crossing his face.
Too fast! He didn't even have time to react.
How frustrating!
At least it wasn't on his forehead this time, so nothing bad should come of it.
After washing the dishes, Hanekawa returned to the living room.
Sitting across from Tsunade, he laid out all the gift boxes.
Unboxing them was a joy—especially when it felt like opening mystery boxes.
"Remember to take tomorrow off," Tsunade suddenly said.
"Take the day off?"
Hanekawa, while unwrapping Rin's gift box, asked, "Is there a new mission?"
"Yeah," Tsunade explained. "The ANBU came by earlier to inform me that the old man has a task he wants me to handle."
There are two types of missions for ninjas:
One involves picking assignments from the mission hall.
The other is a direct assignment from Konoha's leadership, particularly the Hokage.
The latter is generally non-negotiable.
"They didn't specify the details," Tsunade added casually. "Since it's your birthday, I didn't rush to meet the old man."
"A task for you probably isn't suitable for me, right?"
Hanekawa noted that Rin's gift included not just a pen but also a fragrant sachet.
"We'll see tomorrow," Tsunade said with a slight nod. "If it's too difficult, I'll turn it down."
"Sensei, aren't you worried about angering the Hokage?"
Hanekawa couldn't help but laugh.
"Who cares?"
Tsunade replied confidently. "Jiraiya roams around all the time, and no one says a thing to him."
"You've got a point!"
Hanekawa agreed with a grin.
He now understood why Hiruzen Sarutobi had so little authority over Tsunade.
It wasn't just her personality—he had failed to establish himself as both a teacher and a Hokage.
The phrase a crooked stick leads to a crooked shadow seemed to fit perfectly here.
-
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