After finishing her takoyaki, Kurenai tucked away her lollipop and returned to practicing her Water Style jutsu. She'd wanted to chat with Hanekawa longer, but with Maruboshi Kosuke watching, she felt too self-conscious to slack off.

  Hanekawa, meanwhile, wasn't practicing.

  He'd already mastered Leaf Style swordsmanship to a proficient level—the rest would come with time. But there was another technique in the Leaf Style arsenal called Crescent Moon Dance that required the Shadow Clone Technique, which he hadn't learned yet.

  He watched Kurenai work through her forms and found his mind drifting to her future self. How had she learned Water Style jutsu from the Second Hokage? Normally, that kind of knowledge required exceptional merit or connections. Was it because Tsunade became Hokage?

  Hanekawa's thoughts scattered, and he refocused on planning his training for the next two months.

  First: medical ninjutsu. He'd need to spend time at Konoha Hospital to increase his proficiency and build connections. Connections were essential if he wanted to become Hokage.

  Second: Earth Style and Lightning Style. He'd already reached Chunin-level with Wind, Water, and Fire, but these two remained untouched. Lightning Style would be straightforward—he could get scrolls from Tsunade. Earth Style meant he'd have to approach Kakashi.

  Third: physical training. The C-Rank entry "Taijutsu Chunin" was one of the conditions for synthesizing the B-Rank entry "Thunderbolt Body." He didn't have a natural talent for hand-to-hand combat yet, but he knew who could help.

  Might Guy.

  The man was eccentric, sure, but undeniably the best taijutsu specialist in the village.

  A notification flickered across his vision.

  [C-Rank Talent Entry: Novelist (Acquired)]

  [Trigger Condition: Own three best-selling novels]

  [Effect: Memory increases by 30% from current baseline]

  [Note: Combining with B-Rank Novelist and C-Rank Manga Artist creates B-Rank Book Master]

  Hanekawa's eyebrows shot up. A 30% memory boost was solid, but the synthesis method was absurd. What even was a "Book Master"? And he knew nothing about manga—asking him to draw comics was like asking a high school student to fight a demon king.

  Then he reread the requirements. He didn't have to draw it himself.

  That works, he thought. Tsuchihashi can adapt the novels into manga.

  He glanced at the sky. Training would wrap up in two hours. Rather than leave, he decided to wait for Kurenai.

  While he waited, he practiced his Lightning Style jutsu, watching the electricity dance across his palms as the sun painted the sky orange and red.

  "Uncle Kosuke, goodbye!" Kurenai called out, waving as she jogged over to Hanekawa.

  They walked home hand in hand, Kurenai chattering about Loulan. "Is it really that amazing?"

  "Pretty incredible," Hanekawa said, glossing over the life-threatening parts and focusing on the dragon veins and puppets. "The architecture alone is worth seeing."

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  "Lucky," Kurenai sighed. "I wish I could see it someday."

  That would be interesting, Hanekawa thought. Meeting your future self.

  "We're home!" Kurenai announced, pushing open the door.

  Yuhi Shinku appeared from the hallway, and his expression darkened the moment he saw them holding hands.

  Oh no.

  "Uncle Shinku," Hanekawa greeted smoothly.

  "Wash your hands. Dinner's ready," Shinku said curtly, his jaw tight.

  ---

  The next morning, Hanekawa arrived at the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore early. The shop was empty, as usual.

  "Perfect timing," Tsuchihashi said, smiling. "I was hoping you'd stop by."

  "Actually, I wanted to talk to you too," Hanekawa replied. "But first—what's this about instructions from the Raikage?"

  Tsuchihashi's expression turned serious. "Find out who the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is."

  Hanekawa's surprise wasn't feigned. A Jinchuriki was a village's ultimate trump card. Knowing their identity in advance would be a massive strategic advantage—the kind that could shift the balance in a war.

  "Is war coming?" he asked carefully.

  "I don't know," Tsuchihashi said quietly. "Only the Raikage decides that."

  Hanekawa's mind raced through the timeline. The Third Shinobi World War would start in a few years, after Kurenai and Asuma passed the Chunin Exam. He had time, but not much. Once the war started, there'd be no hiding.

  "Finding the Jinchuriki is important," Tsuchihashi continued, "but staying hidden is more important. Don't take unnecessary risks."

  Relief washed over Hanekawa. This wasn't a direct order—he had flexibility.

  "Right. About that new book idea," Tsuchihashi said, his mercenary side suddenly emerging. "What were you thinking?"

  "Not a new book," Hanekawa said. "What if we adapted one of my friend's novels into manga?"

  "Manga?" Tsuchihashi's eyes went distant. "They're expensive to produce. Harder to sell."

  "But imagine the visual impact," Hanekawa pressed. "Female ninjas, elf queens, mermaids—all brought to life. The novels are good, but manga would be something else entirely."

  Tsuchihashi's eyes lit up. "You know what? Let's try it. Just one, to start."

  Hanekawa suppressed his smile. "Great. I'll leave you to it, then. I have somewhere to be."

  ---

  He found Might Guy and his father doing handstand laps around the village perimeter.

  "Hanekawa!" Guy's face lit up. "Let's have a youth race!"

  Before Hanekawa could respond, Might Duy's eyes blazed with fervor. "Guy! Burn your youth!"

  "Yes, Dad! One hundred extra laps!" Guy shouted, tears streaming down his face.

  This is a mistake, Hanekawa thought as they took off.

  Round after round, they circled Konoha. Hanekawa kept pace effortlessly, thanks to his entries—"Fast as the Wind" doubled his leg strength, "Strong and Robust" doubled his physical recovery, and "Lightning Chakra Activation" boosted his overall stats by 50%.

  After a hundred laps, Guy was gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. He stared at Hanekawa in shock.

  "Should we rest?" Hanekawa offered.

  "Kay, did you see?" Might Duy suddenly raised his thumbs up, tears streaming down his face. "Even though Hanekawa is the strongest in the academy, he still works so hard! Can you give up?!"

  "Never!" Guy shot to his feet, reinvigorated.

  No, Hanekawa thought. No, no, no—

  They ran another thirty laps.

  Finally, Guy collapsed. "Dad... I failed..."

  "No!" Might Duy embraced him, voice booming. "It's an honor to have such an amazing classmate! I'm so proud!"

  Hanekawa sat down, twitching slightly. He'd just experienced the full force of Might Guy's eccentricity—and it was overwhelming.

  "Hanekawa!" Guy called out, wiping his tears. "Let's have a taijutsu match next time!"

  "Actually," Hanekawa said carefully, "how about we schedule that for tomorrow? A proper training session?"

  "Of course!" Guy grinned, his teeth impossibly white. "It's an honor!"

  Might Duy suddenly trembled. "Guy! Your hard work has been recognized by the strongest student in the academy!"

  "Yes, Dad!" Guy hugged his father, both of them crying.

  Hanekawa held his forehead, feeling utterly defeated.

  What have I gotten myself into?