---

  "First place, Hanekawa."

  Eiichiro couldn't help but praise him. "Hanekawa's progress since entering school has been remarkable. Everyone should learn from his dedication."

  Kakashi Hatake's fist clenched involuntarily.

  It was just a physical training exercise—nothing significant—yet he still felt the sting of losing. He'd always been first in every aspect of their class. Always.

  "What?!" Might Guy threw his hands up in frustration. "If I hadn't gotten sick right before the finish line, I would've won!"

  But he didn't seem too bothered. Physical training was trivial compared to finding a new rival. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

  "Kakashi lost?" Obito Uchiha looked genuinely devastated. "That's not fair! Kakashi can only lose to me!"

  Rin Nohara blinked, studying the boy who somehow looked composed despite the sweat dripping down his face. She'd been watching his progression with growing curiosity. How was a ninja from a civilian background so strong? He'd defeated Asuma, outrun both Kakashi and Guy... Could a true genius emerge from outside the established clans?

  Her thoughts drifted to Minato Namikaze, who'd been taken as a disciple by Jiraiya himself.

  "It's just physical training," Asuma Sarutobi muttered through gritted teeth, looking like he wanted to disappear into the ground.

  "Hanekawa, you're amazing!"

  Kurenai jogged over and dropped beside him, breathing hard. She tucked her sweat-dampened hair behind her ears, revealing her fair forehead. "That was incredible!"

  Hanekawa nodded weakly. He'd pushed himself to his limits to surpass both Kakashi and Guy, and now he was paying the price. Still, the rush of success was intoxicating.

  Two entries and a month of grinding. I'm finally competitive. He grinned internally. The system is absolutely broken.

  Of course, that's just for running. Combat's a different story.

  ---

  After school, Hanekawa asked Kurenai to head home while he turned north toward the training grounds. He'd spent enough time at the fourth training ground to know the area well. Beyond it lay the famous Forest of Death—that legendary woodland created by the First Hokage's Wood Style jutsu.

  Footsteps echoed behind him.

  He turned to find Kakashi approaching.

  "Training?" Hanekawa asked.

  Kakashi nodded curtly. "Extra practice. I don't like losing."

  "Same," Hanekawa replied.

  He couldn't exactly explain that he needed to grind his progress bar with explosive tags. People would think he was insane—or just stupidly wealthy.

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  They continued past the fourth training ground together. Kakashi watched curiously as Hanekawa ventured deeper into the forest but didn't ask questions. Instead, he began his own warm-up run.

  Thirty minutes later, Hatake Sakumo appeared, still in his mission gear.

  "Why the extra training today?" he asked Kakashi, surprised.

  "Warm-up," Kakashi said flatly, unwilling to admit he'd lost to Hanekawa. But he had to acknowledge—silently—that his father's instincts about the boy were sharp. Hanekawa's growth rate was... concerning. Not that it mattered. Kakashi would still come out on top in the end.

  ---

  The Forest of Death lived up to its name. Dense canopy blocked out most daylight, turning afternoon into twilight.

  Hanekawa's eyes lit up when he found a clearing—a wide riverbank with plenty of open space.

  He pulled out a detonating tag and tossed it down.

  The explosion carved a shallow pit into the earth, the soil blackened and scorched. He frowned. The 300-ryo tag was weaker than a basic Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu. Cheap goods really weren't worth the money.

  He checked his progress bar. One percent increase. At least the system counts it.

  Hanekawa settled into a rhythm, detonating tag after tag, watching the landscape transform into a cratered wasteland. It reminded him of playing with firecrackers as a kid during New Year's—except now he had money and no time for nostalgia.

  The ground grew increasingly uneven. Heat shimmered in waves.

  "Which bastard?!"

  A roar split the air.

  Hanekawa turned toward the voice and spotted a young red-haired woman storming toward him, her expression shifting from fury to something gentler when she noticed his age.

  "What are you doing?" she asked.

  "Practicing with detonating tags," Hanekawa said, blinking innocently.

  "Detonating tags?" She huffed. "No wonder I didn't catch any fish."

  Oh. Right. Hanekawa glanced at the river. His explosions had scattered every fish for miles.

  "Wait," he said. "Let me fix that."

  He walked upstream, found a new school of fish, and casually tossed a tag. The explosion sent several unconscious fish floating to the surface.

  "Come here!" he called, waving her over.

  "You're clever," the red-haired woman laughed, shaking her head. "Using an explosive tag to fish. Though I'm pretty sure one tag costs more than all these fish combined."

  She made a casual gesture, and chakra wove itself into a net. With practiced ease, she scooped the fish into a bucket.

  Terrifying chakra control, Hanekawa thought, his mouth twitching slightly.

  Red hair. Special significance in the ninja world. He had a pretty good idea who this was.

  "What's your name, kid?" she asked, settling the bucket down.

  "Hanekawa."

  "Kushina Uzumaki." She shook the bucket with a bright smile. "There's way too much here for one person. Want to join us?"

  Us? Minato Namikaze?

  As someone who'd been a fan of the original series, there was no way he'd pass this up.

  "Sure," Hanekawa said.

  "Follow me then!"

  Kushina led him through the forest. Minutes later, they emerged at a small clearing where a blond young man was tending to a cooking fire.

  "Minato! Look!" Kushina beamed, holding up the bucket. "I'd say three or four pounds!"

  Who asked? A memory surfaced—his neighbor back home, always stopping by to brag about his catch. One time the guy caught a seven or eight pound fish and walked around the entire neighborhood showing it off.

  "That's the smell of a detonating tag," Minato said, sniffing the air.

  "Expert," Kushina grinned. "He blew them up with explosive tags."

  Minato took the bucket and began cleaning the fish with practiced efficiency. Kushina pulled Hanekawa aside, launching into a rapid-fire monologue about everything and nothing. She talked constantly, barely pausing for breath, and Hanekawa found himself with absolutely no opportunity to contribute.

  So this is what meeting canon characters is like, he thought, settling in to listen. At least the view's nice.