"Rin, don't laugh—this time I'm serious!"

  Hanekawa had barely stepped into the classroom when Obito's voice cut through the morning chatter.

  "Serious about what?" Kakashi asked, not bothering to look up from his desk.

  Thanks to Hanekawa's patient explanations over the past week, most of Kakashi's resentment about his father had finally started to dissolve. The shift was subtle but noticeable—less edge in his voice, fewer cold silences.

  "Good morning, Hanekawa, Kakashi, and Kurenai," Rin said brightly, her smile warm and genuine.

  Obito's expression flickered. He blinked, as if recalibrating. Why did she greet Hanekawa first? He shook his head, dismissing the thought. It's just a greeting. Nothing more.

  "Rin was just telling us that there's a new Uchiha student enrolling this year," Obito announced, his chest puffing out slightly. "And he's stronger than Kakashi."

  Rin's lips curved into a barely suppressed smile.

  "He's definitely stronger than Kakashi," Obito emphasized, as if repetition would make it true.

  Kakashi's expression didn't change. "You said the same thing about Uchiha Tekka last year."

  "Tekka?" Obito scoffed. "He couldn't last a minute against this guy. Our clan leader says he's a rare genius—appears once in a decade. He's at least as talented as me."

  There it is, Kakashi thought dryly. The moment he added that last part, I stopped believing him.

  "What's his name?" Rin asked, genuine curiosity lighting her eyes.

  "Uchiha Shisui!"

  Obito announced it like a proclamation. "You'll all hear about him soon enough!"

  Hanekawa's attention sharpened at the name.

  Shisui. The prodigy who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan before Itachi. The one who earned the title "Instant Soul Shisui" during the Third War. The one who—

  His thoughts were interrupted by the classroom door sliding open.

  "Brother Obito?"

  A young Uchiha with sharp eyes and an unexpectedly polite demeanor stepped inside. His gaze swept across the room before landing on Hanekawa. "Is that Hanekawa?"

  Obito's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

  "That's him," Kurenai said, pointing. "Why? What do you need?"

  "Thank you, senior," Shisui said with a respectful bow that made Kurenai's face light up. Being called "senior" for the first time clearly pleased her.

  Shisui approached Hanekawa directly and extended a sealed letter. "This is a challenge from Uchiha Tekka. However..." He paused, his expression earnest. "I'm the one who actually wants to meet you, Hanekawa-senpai."

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  Hanekawa took the letter, studying the young Uchiha with renewed interest. So he's not just talented—he's got manners. That's not typical for the clan.

  "Why the indirect approach?" Hanekawa asked, opening the letter to scan its contents.

  "I wanted to be respectful," Shisui explained honestly. "And I wasn't sure you'd accept a direct challenge from someone you don't know. This way seemed... safer."

  Smart kid. Hanekawa nodded slowly. "I'll be there."

  "Thank you, senpai." Shisui's relief was visible. "I won't take up any more of your time. See you tomorrow."

  He left as quietly as he'd arrived.

  "Is he really Uchiha?" Kurenai asked, bewildered. "I thought they were all supposed to be arrogant and impossible to talk to."

  "Not all of them," Hanekawa said thoughtfully.

  "Why would Tekka go through all that trouble?" Kurenai pressed. "Writing a formal challenge letter just to get you to show up?"

  "Probably because he's afraid I'll send Kakashi instead," Hanekawa said with a slight smile.

  Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Tekka can't even beat Kakashi. Why would he challenge you and ask for a beating?"

  They chatted for a few more minutes before Eiichiro's voice called the class to order. Class 3-A filed out in neat formation toward the assembly grounds.

  The Third Hokage stood at the podium, his aged face serene. Hanekawa noticed Hiruzen's eye twitch slightly when his gaze found Tsunade in the crowd—a micro-expression of resignation that lasted less than a second. But the Hokage's voice remained steady as he launched into his speech about the Will of Fire.

  Halfway through, Tsunade simply stood up and walked away, pulling Hanekawa with her.

  The envious stares of his classmates followed them off the grounds.

  "Happy now?" Tsunade asked once they were clear of the crowd.

  "Always happy to see you, Teacher," Hanekawa replied smoothly.

  "Smooth talker." Tsunade's lips curved upward. "Where should we go?"

  "Anywhere but the casino," Hanekawa said pointedly.

  Tsunade's expression shifted instantly. Her hand came up and flicked his forehead with practiced precision. "You're no fun."

  "It's the first day of school," Hanekawa said, catching her wrist before she could strike again.

  "And?" Tsunade let him hold her hand, amused by his earnestness.

  "And you should at least pretend to care about that," he finished lamely.

  Tsunade's eyes lit up with mischief. "Fine. Let's go to Kushina's place."

  Hanekawa's stomach sank. She's just moving the casino to a different location. That's not better—that's just creative rule-breaking.

  But before he could protest, something else surfaced in his mind. "Teacher, I have a question."

  "What?" Tsunade pulled him toward the village streets.

  "It's about Kakashi. He came to see me this morning, asking about his father." Hanekawa chose his words carefully. "About the rumors surrounding Hatake Sakumo's death. Do you think there's more to the story?"

  Tsunade's pace slowed. Her expression hardened, and her hand unconsciously tightened around his.

  "There's definitely something fishy about that whole situation," she said quietly.

  Hanekawa could practically see the gears turning behind her eyes. She was already connecting dots, already suspecting the same person he did.

  "Danzo," she muttered, more to herself than to him. "That bastard couldn't stand Sakumo's popularity. Couldn't stand the idea of someone else becoming Hokage."

  "Can you ask the Third about it?" Hanekawa ventured.

  Tsunade was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "I'll talk to the old man when I get a chance. For now..." She glanced down at him with a slight smirk. "Let's not let this ruin the day. Kushina's making dumplings."

  Hanekawa sighed. At least there's food involved.

  As they walked through the village, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were standing at the edge of something larger. Shisui's arrival, Kakashi's questions about his father, Tsunade's immediate suspicion of Danzo—the pieces were moving on the board whether he wanted them to or not.

  So much for keeping things relaxed and invincible, he thought wryly.

  But at least Tsunade was taking it seriously. That was something.