"Teacher, I'm heading out now. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

  Hanekawa stood at the entrance, slipping on his shoes. He paused, then glanced back. "Don't forget to look at the gift I gave you."

  "Yeah, yeah." Tsunade waved a hand dismissively from the sofa, her voice lazy.

  The door clicked shut behind him.

  The living room fell silent. Tsunade's smile faded gradually. She'd grown accustomed to Hanekawa's presence—his absence left an odd emptiness in its wake.

  She sat up and retrieved the birthday present he'd left earlier.

  Inside was a necklace. Or rather, an anklet.

  "What kind of weird gift is this?" Tsunade muttered, shaking her head. Her lips curved slightly despite the complaint.

  The anklet was pure silver—simple, elegant, unmarked by unnecessary decoration. Hanekawa had clearly considered her identity as a ninja; no bells, no flashy ornaments that might compromise stealth.

  She pulled it out and examined it. The craftsmanship was solid.

  Tsunade raised her left leg, propping her foot on the sofa's edge. She leaned forward, her fitted clothes straining against her curves as she fastened the anklet around her ankle. The silver caught the light, complementing her fair skin perfectly.

  She stood and took a few barefoot steps across the floor. Silent. Unobtrusive. It didn't interfere with her movement at all.

  "Not bad," she admitted.

  She didn't take it off.

  ---

  Hanekawa arrived home to find Kurenai barreling toward him, her small bare feet pattering against the wooden floor.

  "Come on! Come inside with me!" She grabbed his hand and pulled.

  "What's going on?" Yuhi Shinku's voice came from the living room, his tone cautious.

  "He's going to try on the clothes I bought him!" Kurenai announced, dragging Hanekawa toward the bedroom.

  She never bought me clothes, Shinku's expression seemed to say. The corners of his mouth twitched in barely suppressed despair.

  Hanekawa opened the gift box to find a gray and black kimono.

  The ninja world retained much of its Japanese heritage, and kimonos were part of that tradition. But Hanekawa had never worn one before—they were impractical for combat, too cumbersome. Ninjas only wore them for celebrations.

  He found the instruction manual inside and changed quickly, emerging from the room in the formal garment.

  "It's beautiful!" Kurenai's eyes shone as she examined him carefully, clearly pleased with her choice.

  Shinku glanced over, and his expression softened with something bittersweet. Just a kid, his look seemed to say, though his eyes glistened slightly.

  "Thank you." Hanekawa reached over and ruffled her hair. "I really like it."

  "Hehe!" Kurenai beamed. After all, she'd chosen it specifically for him to wear.

  "Alright, that's enough." Shinku couldn't watch anymore without interrupting. "It's late. Time for a shower and bed."

  "Okay." Hanekawa nodded. He'd spent the evening at Tsunade's birthday party and practiced afterward—it was indeed getting late.

  He'd always maintained an early bedtime. No point carrying stress into tomorrow.

  The night passed in silence.

  ---

  Summer morning arrived early, warm sunlight spilling across the earth.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Hanekawa walked through the streets, feeling the warmth on his skin. Soon, he reached Tsunade's house and knocked.

  The door opened to reveal Tsunade's curvaceous silhouette. She'd just woken up—her golden hair was messy, sticking up like a cat's fur.

  Hanekawa's eyes immediately dropped to her ankle.

  The silver anklet gleamed against her fair skin, adding an undeniable allure.

  "Go cook," Tsunade said, closing the door behind him as she headed toward her closet.

  She stripped off her pajamas without ceremony and pulled on fresh clothes. By the time she finished washing up, breakfast was ready.

  Hanekawa sat at the dining table, chopsticks in hand, and casually opened his Ability System.

  Two months had passed since school started. In that time, he'd obtained two new entries.

  [D-Rank Talent Entry: Earth Style Genin]

  [Trigger Condition: Possess three Earth Style entries]

  [Effect: All Earth Style techniques increase in power by 30%]

  The three Earth Style techniques came from Hatake Kakashi. They'd made an exchange—Hanekawa taught Lightning Style in return for Earth Style instruction. Kakashi had focused on his family's swordsmanship instead of pursuing Lightning Style, so the trade benefited them both.

  The second entry was unexpected.

  [D-Rank Talent Entry: Intermediate Chef]

  [Trigger Condition: Cooking skills achieved mastery]

  [Effect: Deliciousness increased by 30%]

  Its only real benefit was earning Tsunade's praise. Though a 30% improvement in taste was hardly negligible—the effect was obvious enough.

  After breakfast, they headed to the Hokage Building.

  They'd barely stepped inside when Hanekawa spotted Hatake Sakumo.

  "Uncle Sakumo." Hanekawa greeted him with a nod.

  "Ah, it's you two." Sakumo's face brightened. "Long time no see."

  "Here to see the old man?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

  "Yes." Sakumo nodded. "Lord Hokage said he has a mission for me."

  That's odd, Hanekawa thought. Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade on the same mission? What kind of difficulty level is that?

  "Looks like we're on the same assignment," Tsunade said with an amused chuckle. "I'm curious what this is about."

  "Must be serious trouble," Sakumo replied, catching on.

  The three of them climbed the stairs to the Hokage's office.

  Tsunade kicked the door open without ceremony.

  Sakumo blinked in surprise. He was a by-the-book ninja—such disrespect toward authority was foreign to him.

  "You're here." Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even glance up, speaking gently as always. He was used to it by now.

  "What's the mission?" Tsunade asked bluntly.

  "A request from Miroku, the priestess of the Land of Demons." Hiruzen pulled out his pipe, about to light it.

  Tsunade snatched it away. "There are children present. You can smoke after we leave."

  She glanced at Hanekawa pointedly.

  Hiruzen smacked his lips and nodded in defeat.

  Hanekawa's mind raced. The priestess of the Land of Demons? In the original timeline, there was a theatrical mission involving a priestess named Shion—but that was the next generation. Her mother, Miroku, had died sealing a monster.

  Wait. Is this happening now?

  "According to Priestess Miroku, the demon possesses power capable of destroying the ninja world," Hiruzen continued. "This is classified as S-Rank. You'll be going."

  "Why not send Minato?" Tsunade frowned. "His sealing techniques are perfect for dealing with exotic monsters."

  "Minato's in the Land of Lightning," Hiruzen replied. "I've sent word. He can use his Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive if needed."

  "Something happening in the Hidden Cloud?" Sakumo's expression turned serious.

  "Some complications." Hiruzen didn't hide it. "We've detected the boy who inherited the name 'A' at our border."

  The Hidden Cloud's tradition was unique—each generation's strongest ninja inherited the name "A," destined to become the next Raikage.

  "I see." Sakumo nodded in understanding. The future Fourth Raikage's appearance at the border was no casual visit.

  Hanekawa's mind shifted into overdrive. The AB combination. This must be their trial run before the Third Ninja War. The Third Raikage was probably testing Konoha's strength through his successors.

  "Minato is merely a contingency," Hiruzen continued. "His presence isn't essential. The priestess claims she has a method to seal the demon. You simply need to protect her."

  "Understood," Sakumo agreed.

  Tsunade, however, looked hesitant.

  "Additionally, Priestess Miroku has requested aid from other villages. Both the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Mist have agreed to assist," Hiruzen added, noticing Tsunade's expression. "Even if the demon is powerful, it's no match for the tailed beasts. Don't worry excessively."

  "Just in case—give me two ANBU teams," Tsunade said, her eyes flicking toward Hanekawa.

  "Tsunade, you need to learn to let go," Hiruzen chuckled. He was actually pleased by this display. The stronger the bonds, the less likely she'd abandon Konoha.

  "Don't be ridiculous!" Tsunade slammed her hand on the table. "Two ANBU teams. No exceptions."

  "Easy!" Hiruzen quickly retrieved his pipe, checking it for damage with obvious relief.

  Two ANBU teams meant eight operatives—four per team.

  "Take them," Hiruzen finally conceded, waving his hand. "Just return promptly. Don't waste time on this."

  He felt that Sakumo, Tsunade, and Minato together could start a war. Sending them after a monster seemed like overkill.