Talent System In The Naruto Universe-Chapter 170. Finger Massage

Land of Rivers.

A dense mist suddenly arose in a forest, accompanied by screams of anguish.

Moments later, the sound of something cutting through the air echoed.

Tsunade, Hanekawa, Kurenai Yuhi, and Rin Nohara arrived.

"We're too late," Tsunade muttered, her face grim as she caught the heavy scent of blood in the air.

"Six enemy ninjas remain," Hanekawa said with his eyes closed.

"Prepare for battle! Eliminate them!" Tsunade commanded sharply before vanishing into the thick mist.

Hanekawa followed closely, while Kurenai and Rin stayed behind.

This was a tactic their team had developed over the past week.

The reason was simple: whenever the Hidden Mist ninjas recognized Tsunade, they would try to flee.

That's when Kurenai and Rin would step in to block their escape.

---

Wind Release: Gale Palm!

Hanekawa formed hand seals and sent a blast of compressed wind chakra into the mist.

A third of the dense fog dissipated instantly, revealing three Hidden Mist ninjas.

Hanekawa had never displayed his Wind Release abilities before Tsunade, as it was something he had only started using this week.

After some thought, he decided that since he already had the persona of a genius, he might as well fully embrace it.

As expected, Tsunade wasn't particularly surprised.

After all, Hanekawa had already demonstrated proficiency in Water Release, Lightning Release, Fire Release, and Earth Release. Adding Wind Release seemed... reasonable.

"Enemy attack!" one of the Hidden Mist jonin shouted, only to freeze in terror as he caught sight of Tsunade.

"Run—"

He didn't even finish the word before Tsunade's punch sent him flying.

---

Hanekawa didn't worry about Tsunade. With her strength, there was no need for concern.

He drew his Thunderfire Sword and dashed toward three other ninjas hidden in the mist.

The sound of projectiles cutting through the air filled his ears as a hail of kunai flew toward him.

Dance of the Crescent Moon!

Hanekawa's figure blurred as two shadow clones emerged from the mist.

The clone on the left formed hand seals, raising a wall of water to block the incoming kunai.

Hanekawa leaped onto the water wall, propelling himself into the air.

His speed was incredible, and the Thunderfire Sword in his hand crackled with electricity.

One of the Hidden Mist chunin facing him turned pale, feeling an overwhelming sense of danger.

As he reached for a kunai, the Thunderfire Sword pierced his throat before he could react, blood spurting everywhere.

"Damn it!"

Another Mist ninja quickly formed hand seals, releasing a powerful jet of water from his mouth.

The water expanded midair, forming a massive water orb that hurtled toward Hanekawa.

Hanekawa had just withdrawn his sword when the water orb was already upon him.

He remained unfazed.

His shadow clone acted swiftly, forming seals.

Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!

The ground churned, creating a muddy swamp. A dragon's head emerged, spitting a ball of mud.

The mud bullet collided with the water orb, neutralizing it.

Body Flicker Technique!

Hanekawa disappeared from his position.

The Mist ninja panicked, scanning his surroundings.

He failed to notice the distortion in the air above him as a large clump of mud dropped from the sky, burying him alive.

A flash of lightning followed.

Hanekawa plunged the Thunderfire Sword into the mound of mud, causing blood to seep through the cracks.

He turned his gaze to the last Hidden Mist ninja, who fell to the ground with a muffled thud.

It was the work of Hanekawa's second shadow clone, which had used Konoha-Style: Willow.

Hanekawa dispelled his clones and looked toward Tsunade.

She wasn't far behind, having dealt with the other three Mist ninjas.

With that, all six Mist ninjas were dead.

As the mist dissipated, the bodies of the fallen were revealed—six Hidden Mist ninjas and four Konoha ninjas.

Hanekawa sighed and sheathed his Thunderfire Sword.

War was cruel. He had grown accustomed to the sight of fallen comrades.

"Hanekawa, are you okay?" Kurenai ran over, concern etched on her face.

"I'm fine." Hanekawa smiled, ruffling her hair.

Rin, who had been approaching, stopped abruptly upon witnessing the scene.

---

Tsunade silently examined the bodies of the four Konoha ninjas. After confirming they couldn't be saved, she launched a signal flare.

This was to notify a Konoha squad to retrieve the bodies and secure the outpost.

Half an hour later, eight Konoha ninjas arrived.

Without needing instructions, they carried away the bodies.

One team stayed behind to fortify the outpost, taking over the positions of their fallen comrades.

"Let's head back," Tsunade said as she scanned the area before turning to leave.

Hanekawa, Kurenai Yuhi, and Rin Nohara quickly followed behind her.

---

As soon as they returned to camp, Nara Suzaku approached.

"Lady Tsunade, a lot of intelligence has just arrived from the Hidden Leaf Village," he reported.

"Send it to my tent," Tsunade replied casually.

Hiruzen Sarutobi regularly dispatched ANBU to deliver intel, so Tsunade was accustomed to receiving updates. However, after witnessing the deaths of comrades today, her mood was sour, and she didn't feel like going to the main tent to review the information.

"Understood," Nara Suzaku nodded before leaving.

"You two, get some rest," Tsunade said to Kurenai and Rin before walking into her tent.

---

"Tsunade-sensei..." Rin hesitated, worry evident in her tone.

"It's nothing serious," Hanekawa reassured her before stepping into the tent.

Lifting the entrance flap, he blinked at the scene inside.

Tsunade was sitting on the carpet, slumped over a low table.

The way her clothes pressed and stretched against her frame made Hanekawa pause for a moment. Then, he stopped in his tracks and stood quietly.

---

After half a minute, Nara Suzaku arrived, handing a file to Hanekawa.

"Thank you," Hanekawa said, taking the file and entering the tent. He sat across from Tsunade.

"Read it to me," Tsunade said lazily, glancing at him.

Hanekawa nodded slightly and opened the file. The first glance made his heart jolt, but he suppressed his surprise and began to read:

"Orochimaru acted recklessly and fell into a trap set by the Hidden Cloud Village, resulting in over a hundred casualties."

"What's the situation?" Tsunade immediately sat upright, her expression tense. Her sudden movement caused her clothes to shift slightly, drawing Hanekawa's attention for a moment.

He quickly handed her the file. Tsunade began to read, her brows furrowing deeper with each line.

---

Hanekawa, meanwhile, found himself lost in thought.

Was Orochimaru's mistake intentional or accidental?

The report detailed an incident two days ago where Orochimaru discovered the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, traveling alone. Leading a team of ninjas, he pursued her but fell into an ambush.

The Fourth Raikage, A, and Killer Bee launched a ferocious attack. Although Orochimaru and his team managed to escape after a fierce battle, they suffered heavy losses, with over a hundred ninjas killed.

The Uchiha clan bore the brunt of the casualties, as Orochimaru had taken a significant number of Uchiha ninjas with him. Among the dead were four Uchiha jonin.

This detail raised suspicions in Hanekawa's mind.

As a fan of the original story, he was well aware of Orochimaru's obsession with the Uchiha clan and the Sharingan, eventually even teaching Sasuke Uchiha.

---

"How could Orochimaru make such a blunder?" Tsunade muttered after finishing the report, her brows tightly knit.

"The battlefield is unpredictable. No one can guarantee success," Hanekawa said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"That's true, but Orochimaru is a seasoned veteran. He shouldn't have been this reckless," Tsunade sighed. "Losing over a hundred ninjas at once is a significant blow to the Hidden Leaf Village."

If it had been a hundred genin, the impact wouldn't have been as severe, but among the casualties were many jonin.

"The Hidden Cloud Village is not like the Hidden Mist or Hidden Sand. Their ranks are filled with powerful shinobi," Hanekawa remarked, attempting to console her.

Regardless of the reasons, Orochimaru had indeed suffered a loss.

In contrast, Tsunade had just defeated Biwa Juzo and Kurosuki Raiga.

In the first round of their unspoken rivalry, Tsunade had clearly come out on top.

Although Tsunade had no intention of competing with Orochimaru, that didn't mean the village elders or the clans felt the same.

The Uchiha clan, having suffered heavy losses, was likely already suspicious of Orochimaru.

---

"You're right," Tsunade said, collecting herself. "The Hidden Cloud's strength rivals that of the Leaf. Struggling against them is to be expected."

"What's the Hokage's response?" Hanekawa asked after a moment's thought.

He hadn't read the entire file, focusing only on the details about Orochimaru before handing it to Tsunade.

"Danzo volunteered to lead the ANBU and headed to the Land of Frost," Tsunade said with a cold snort. "That old schemer never gives up!"

"Danzo?" Hanekawa's eyes narrowed.

Could this reckless move have been Danzo's suggestion?

Hearing of Tsunade's victories over Biwa Juzo and Kurosuki Raiga might have made him anxious.

After all, Orochimaru had options—he could choose not to become Hokage.

Danzo, however, had no such luxury.

Being Hokage was his only goal, and Orochimaru was his only chance.

Hanekawa stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Now that he thought about it, Danzo truly was formidable—arguably the strongest Wind Release user in the Hidden Leaf Village.

In addition to being skilled in sealing techniques, Danzo was even capable of using Izanagi, a visual jutsu resembling a resurrection technique.

Truly, when pushed to the edge, people could achieve anything.

In the original story, there was no mention of Shimura Danzo participating in the Third Shinobi World War—only that he had collaborated with Hanzo, leading to Yahiko's death.

But now, to secure his position, he was working relentlessly.

---

"The Hidden Cloud situation is going to give Orochimaru a headache," Tsunade said as she put down the file. "We need to locate the Hidden Mist Village's main base as soon as possible."

"They're too mobile at sea," Hanekawa said, recalling the failed attempts from the past week. "It's difficult to pin them down."

"Such a hassle," Tsunade muttered, rubbing her temples.

"Should I give it a try?" Hanekawa suggested cautiously.

While the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan was excellent for reconnaissance, it wasn't as effective on water due to their lack of water-style techniques. Many times, the Mist ninja would detect them long before they entered the Byakugan's range.

Hanekawa, however, was different. He could move freely in water and had even learned the Water Body Flicker Technique from Hanzo, allowing him to blend seamlessly with water.

Moreover, with his Water Release Specialist title boosting his abilities, Hanekawa was confident that his water-style ninjutsu ranked among the top ten in the Hidden Mist Village.

And if he ventured out during rainy days, he could activate the Rain God bonus, doubling his water-style power. At that point, he believed he could rank in the top three.

---

"Absolutely not!" Tsunade rejected him without hesitation.

She knew Hanekawa was the most suitable candidate, but the mission was too dangerous. A single mistake could lead to him being surrounded.

She couldn't bear to take that risk. She had already lost her younger brother Nawaki and refused to lose Hanekawa too.

"Sensei," Hanekawa said, holding her hand. "I'm strong enough to escape if discovered."

"What if you encounter the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Tsunade asked, staring at him.

"Even then, I'll be fine," Hanekawa replied nonchalantly. "I have the Yin Seal. I can hold out against their attacks for at least half an hour."

"Shut up!" Tsunade snapped, glaring at him.

"What's the point of holding out for half an hour if it's still a death sentence?"

"Half an hour is enough for you to come save me, Sensei," Hanekawa said with a grin. "What I mean is that we go together."

Tsunade paused, taken aback.

If they went together, the mission would still be risky, but it wouldn't be life-threatening. As Hanekawa said, she could always intervene in time.

"You—" Tsunade began but stopped as she met his determined gaze.

She pressed her lips together, hesitating.

---

After a moment, she relented.

"We'll go together tomorrow," Tsunade said slowly, her tone complex. This boy had truly grown up.

"Alright!" Hanekawa nodded firmly.

It was a gamble, to be sure, but with his current abilities, he thought it was worth taking.

Of course, his primary motivation was to help Tsunade secure her place as Hokage. Taking down the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would give her a significant advantage over Orochimaru.

---

Tsunade suddenly noticed that Hanekawa was still holding her hand, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

She hesitated for a moment but didn't pull her hand away.

"The ocean is vast. Finding them won't be easy," Tsunade said seriously. "Don't rush things. Take your time, even if it means going slow."

She worried that Hanekawa might act recklessly and fall into a trap or ambush.

"I understand," Hanekawa replied, blinking.

Noticing that Tsunade didn't seem to mind him holding her hand, he decided to push his luck. He gently squeezed her delicate fingers and traced circles on her palm.

"...?" Tsunade glanced at him instinctively.

This little brat... How dare he take liberties?

"Sensei," Hanekawa said, feigning innocence. "I know a massage technique to relieve finger fatigue. Would you like to try it?"

"What kind of technique?" Tsunade asked after a pause.

"Just spread out your hand," Hanekawa said with a playful arch of his brow.

Tsunade extended her hand, her five fair fingers slightly apart, revealing her smooth and tender palm.

So beautiful... Hanekawa thought as he took her hand.

Using his thumbs, he gently pressed and kneaded her palm.

Tsunade's heart fluttered slightly but soon realized he didn't know what he was doing.

She could easily tell the difference between a skilled massage and random pressing.

Still, his strength was just right, and the sensation was comfortable.

So, she let him continue.

(1.000 Power Stones, LFG)

_

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