The classroom fell silent as Obito's face turned crimson. Rin quickly intervened, gently taking back the notebook with an apologetic smile.

  "Um... Obito, let Hanekawa explain. You go ahead and take care of things."

  "I—it's not that I don't understand," Obito stammered, his neck stiffening as he forced out the words. "It's just... too simple. I'll figure it out on my own later."

  The excuse hung in the air like a failed jutsu.

  Kurenai's laugh rang out from across the classroom, bright and unforgiving. She'd been paying attention to Hanekawa the whole time—of course she had—and caught every word. Shizune and the others nearby joined in, their giggles spreading like wildfire.

  Only Asuma didn't laugh. His expression darkened as he watched Obito slink back to his seat. That could've been me, his eyes seemed to say. The weight of unrequited feelings was a heavy burden for a six-year-old.

  Hanekawa's mouth twitched slightly. I'm not responsible for this. I'm just here to teach geometry.

  "I'm sorry," Rin said softly, her cheeks flushed as she returned to her seat. "He's... well, he's like that sometimes. But he's a good person, really."

  "It's fine," Hanekawa replied smoothly. "Let's continue."

  He wasn't worried about Obito causing trouble. The kid's current strength didn't allow for much, and besides, Rin was still alive—a fact that changed everything about this timeline. If anything, Hanekawa hoped Obito would eventually challenge him. A good fight might unlock that Fire Style talent he'd been eyeing.

  The real problem was Madara and Black Zetsu. They were probably already circling Obito like vultures, waiting for their moment.

  After class, Hanekawa exchanged quick goodbyes with Kurenai and headed toward Tsunade's house. His "Seven Ninja Tools" entry was sitting at 98% completion. One solid training session and he'd hit the synthesis threshold.

  He paused as he passed the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore. The line of customers stretched out the door, all eager to grab the latest releases. Not bad, he thought, watching the steady stream of buyers. His novels were selling well. Very well.

  The money was already piling up, and he had plans for it. A proper blade. His wooden sword was fine for practice, but actual combat demanded something with real bite. Chakra-infused metal would be ideal—expensive, but worth every ryo. In the original timeline, only a handful of ninja like Asuma carried such weapons, usually as gifts from the Hokage himself.

  Hanekawa stroked his chin. I'll need to forge something myself. Can't exactly ask Shinku for the funds.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The walk to Tsunade's house was familiar by now. The sprawling estate sat between Hokage Rock and Konoha Hospital, a remnant of the First Hokage's era. He knocked on the door.

  No answer.

  Gambling again, he guessed. Or possibly at the hospital. But given Tsunade's priorities, the former was more likely.

  Hanekawa moved to the open courtyard and drew his wooden sword. Time to grind. He began running through Konoha-style swordsmanship forms, working on precision and speed. The style had two devastating techniques he'd eventually need to master: Maruboshi Kosuke's "Konoha Style: Willow" and the "Crescent Moon Dance" used by Hayate Gekko and Uzuki Yugao.

  The Willow was locked behind its creator's legacy. But Crescent Moon Dance? That one was learnable—once he got strong enough and mastered the Shadow Clone Technique to execute it properly.

  A tremor ran through the ground.

  Hanekawa spun around just as Tsunade appeared, her expression dark as a storm cloud. She crushed the stones beneath her feet with each step, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in the earth.

  "When did you get here?" she asked, her scowl softening slightly at the sight of him.

  "A few minutes ago," Hanekawa said. "I was thinking—if you're free tomorrow, we could hit the casino. I don't have anything scheduled."

  He'd likely unlock the "Seven Ninja Tools" entry today, so a half-day break wouldn't hurt.

  Tsunade blinked, then reached out and flicked his forehead. "I like gambling, but I'm not going to drag a kid along just because he asks nicely."

  Sure you're not, Hanekawa thought, watching her walk toward the house. That's totally why you came to get me during class.

  He didn't voice this. Tsunade's fist was faster than his mouth.

  "Come on inside," she called, already kicking off her shoes at the doorway. She balanced on one leg, her other foot raised as she peeled away the shoe, her movements casual and graceful. "We'll finish today's lesson, then we can plan our casino run."

  Did you learn that mood swing from Shizune?

  An hour later, they were elbow-deep in their usual study method—dissecting a chicken with surgical precision, learning anatomy through hands-on practice. It was unconventional, but effective.

  Hanekawa's body suddenly went rigid. Text bloomed across his vision:

  ---

  [E-Rank Talent Entry: Seven Ninja Tools - ACQUIRED]

  [Trigger Condition: Introduction to the seven types of ninja tools]

  [Effect: Increase power of all ninja tools by 10%]

  [Synthesis conditions met for D-Rank: Ninja Tool Mastery. Synthesize?]

  ---

  Without hesitation, Hanekawa accepted.

  ---

  [D-Rank Talent Entry: Ninja Tool Mastery - ACQUIRED]

  [Trigger Condition: Synthesis of E-Rank entries "Seven Ninja Tools" and "Ninja Tool Throwing"]

  [Effect: Increase arm strength by 30%. Ninja tool attacks gain 8x magnification effect.]

  ---

  What?

  Hanekawa's eyes widened. He'd expected the arm strength boost, sure. But an eight-fold magnification effect? That was absurd. That was game-breaking.

  If this scales properly... I could throw a kunai from eight hundred meters away.

  He looked down at his hands, then back at the notification, barely suppressing a grin.

  Oh, this is going to be fun.