---

  Tsunade woke to the dull throb of a hangover.

  She pressed her forehead, grimacing. As a ninja, she could have burned away the alcohol with chakra, but she never bothered—hangovers were a small price for a good night of drinking. She glanced down at herself. Her clothes hung half-open, revealing pale skin that rose and fell with each breath. She'd apparently passed out mid-undressing last night.

  She didn't care. Living alone had its perks.

  A fragrance drifted from the living room—something savory and warm.

  Tsunade tensed, chakra gathering at her fingertips before she caught herself. She opened the door to find Hanekawa setting out breakfast like he owned the place.

  "Good morning, Lady Tsunade," he said cheerfully, waving. "I brought you breakfast. And a gift."

  Tsunade's eyes narrowed at the rice balls on the table, then at the large bag sitting on the floor. "What's this about?"

  "Salmon rice balls," Hanekawa said casually. "A bit pricey, but they taste amazing."

  "That's not what I meant." Tsunade picked up a rice ball and took a bite, studying him. "Why are you here?"

  "I used the 600,000 ryō you gave me yesterday to buy gifts," he explained. "Since it's the first real money I've ever had, I wanted it to mean something."

  Tsunade paused mid-chew. This kid.

  "So you're giving it to me?" she asked, licking her lower lip.

  "I only have four people I'm close to in the Leaf Village," Hanekawa said smoothly. "The Director, Uncle Shinku, Kurenai, and you. I wanted to thank you all."

  He spent 300,000 ryō on gifts for me, Shinku, and Kurenai, Tsunade realized. And probably another 300,000 for the orphanage and that Yakushi.

  This kid was going to break hearts. Probably already was.

  "Have you run out of money?" she asked, reaching for a second rice ball.

  "Yes," Hanekawa admitted. "But you don't need to give me more."

  Tsunade's lips curved into a smile. "I wasn't planning to. I meant we're going to the casino after you eat."

  Hanekawa's expression darkened. She's using me as a luck charm. Again.

  "I have school," he said flatly, standing up. "Go gamble on your own."

  "Goodbye, little one," Tsunade called after him, grinning at his obvious irritation.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  ---

  At the school gate, Asuma Sarutobi was waiting.

  "You're late," he said with a snort.

  Hanekawa didn't take the bait. Asuma was just a rebellious kid, not a genuine threat like some of the others. And as for Kurenai—well, that was mutual.

  "I'm challenging you during the final exam!" Asuma declared, eyes blazing with determination.

  "Anytime," Hanekawa said sincerely. Consider it a gift to myself.

  Asuma looked confused by the response but stormed off anyway, muttering threats.

  Before Hanekawa could enter the classroom, a familiar voice stopped him.

  "Morning."

  Kakashi Hatake stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.

  "Morning," Hanekawa replied.

  "I'm graduating early," Kakashi said without preamble. "Before I do, I want to spar with you."

  The genius prodigy wants to fight me? Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. "Sure. I'm looking forward to it."

  He had nothing to lose either way. Win or lose, it was all experience.

  Kakashi nodded and walked away, leaving Hanekawa to wonder what had prompted the challenge.

  ---

  In class, Hanekawa opened his medical textbook without bothering to hide behind it. He'd stopped pretending to pay attention weeks ago.

  Their teacher, Eiichiro, spotted him immediately but said nothing. There wasn't much he could do—Hanekawa had Tsunade backing him, and that changed everything.

  "How did you manage this?" Shizune whispered from the next desk, genuinely curious.

  "Tacit understanding between men," Hanekawa said without missing a beat.

  In other words, I took the back door.

  Shizune didn't believe him for a second.

  After class, Obito appeared before Hanekawa could even stand up. He'd clearly waited until Rin left for the bathroom.

  "I want to challenge you!" Obito announced proudly. "During the final exam!"

  Great. Everyone wants a piece of me. Hanekawa kept his expression neutral. "Sure."

  "I'll definitely beat you!" Obito's confidence was absolute. He could use ninjutsu—most first-graders couldn't. That gave him an edge in his mind.

  "Good luck," Hanekawa said mildly.

  Obito left, practically vibrating with excitement. Hanekawa sighed. Three challenges in one morning. This is going to be interesting.

  ---

  After school, Hanekawa went to the orphanage.

  Yakushi Nonō's eyes widened when she saw the stack of 300,000 ryō on her desk. "Where did you get this?"

  "Lady Tsunade won it," Hanekawa said simply.

  "What?" Nonō's expression shifted to something between gratitude and concern. "You don't have to lie to me, Hanekawa."

  Damn. She saw right through that.

  Hanekawa remained silent, unsure how to explain without sounding ridiculous.

  "This really is from Lady Tsunade," he finally said, meeting her eyes. "I promise."

  Nonō studied him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. The orphanage needed the money too badly to refuse, and she knew Hanekawa wouldn't lie about something this important.

  ---

  Time moved quickly. By the end of March, the Ninja Academy was in full exam season.

  The sixth-graders had their graduation exams. The other grades had theory tests on day one, practical tests on day two. The week was chaos—students everywhere, teachers stressed, the whole building buzzing with nervous energy.

  Hanekawa sat through his theory exam without breaking a sweat. Medical knowledge, ninja history, chakra theory—he'd absorbed it all weeks ago.

  The practical exam would be more interesting.

  He wondered which of his challengers would face him first.