Talent System In The Naruto Universe-Chapter 192. Drunken Tsunade

A new day had begun.

Hanekawa woke from his slumber, stretched lazily, and felt incredibly comfortable.

On the battlefield in the Land of Grass, although there were tents, he had to sleep in a sleeping bag while fully clothed for combat readiness. Naturally, it couldn't compare to the comfort of sleeping at home.

But today, he wasn't at Kurenai Yuhi's house—he was at Tsunade's.

The reason? Tsunade had drunk far too much last night.

By the time dinner was over, it was already late. And since he was accompanying her to the casino the next day, he decided to stay over at her place.

Hanekawa put on his clothes, went to the kitchen, and made himself a cup of hot milk.

Milk was good for easing the effects of drinking the day after.

"Sensei!"

Hanekawa called a few times from the door to her room. When there was no response, he opened the door directly.

Since he had carried Tsunade to her room last night, the door wasn't locked. She had only taken off her teal-green jacket.

However, the sight that greeted him made his eyes widen.

Tsunade was fast asleep on the bed, but her clothing had come undone, possibly because she was uncomfortable while sleeping.

Hanekawa froze for a few seconds before stepping back out of the room and closing the door.

He shook his head, but his mind was flooded with vivid images of snowy peaks and crimson plum blossoms.

"Sensei!"

After regaining his composure, he knocked harder on the door.

"I hear you! Stop shouting!"

Tsunade was startled awake and instinctively opened her eyes.

Frowning, she pressed her hand to her forehead. Even in her groggy state, the lingering effects of the alcohol were still there.

Using her Yin Seal, she quickly dissipated the dull ache.

When she glanced down, she froze.

Thinking back, she realized she must have loosened her sash while she was asleep.

"I knew that brat wouldn't have the guts," she muttered to herself.

Tsunade got out of bed, grabbed the black sash, and tied her sleeveless top securely.

As she approached the door, her expression stiffened.

She suddenly remembered hearing someone call her while she was half-asleep, followed by the sound of the door opening.

The only other person in the house was Hanekawa.

A rare sense of embarrassment welled up inside her.

In the past, she could brush it off, saying Hanekawa was just a kid. But now, he was taller than her.

Tsunade took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and opened the door slowly.

"Good morning, Sensei," Hanekawa said, handing her the cup of milk.

But looking at her still brought back memories of the striking view from earlier.

"Mm."

Tsunade accepted the milk, took a few sips, and headed to the bathroom.

Seeing the prepared toothbrush, her thoughts felt chaotic.

Under normal circumstances, she should have decisively rejected any closer interactions and maintained a proper distance. But she didn't.

She couldn't bring herself to do so with Hanekawa.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she decided not to dwell on it. She would take things one step at a time.

Though her personality was typically decisive, when it came to being Hokage and her relationship with Hanekawa, she hesitated.

The reason was simple—she cared too much.

When Tsunade finished freshening up, Hanekawa brought two bowls of ramen to the table.

"Sensei, which flavor do you want?" Hanekawa asked with a smile.

"Beef," Tsunade replied casually after glancing at the options.

"Then I'll have tonkotsu ramen."

Hanekawa sat across from her and handed her a pair of chopsticks.

"After breakfast, you should go home and rest," Tsunade said while stirring her ramen.

"I'm going with you to the casino," Hanekawa said, pointing to his forehead. "After all, you've already paid me in advance."

Tsunade blinked.

She quickly remembered what he meant—the kiss on the forehead from before.

"Oh," she responded coolly, though her heart trembled slightly.

It was a strange, subtle feeling, one she couldn't quite describe.

When breakfast was over, Hanekawa took the dishes to the kitchen.

Tsunade returned to her room and put on her teal-green jacket with the "Gamble" kanji printed on it.

Once Hanekawa finished washing the dishes, the two left the house together.

But they soon ran into trouble.

Their fame had grown too much.

Last night, the streets were quiet when they returned, but now, with so many people around, they were quickly surrounded.

Tsunade and Hanekawa couldn't just leave abruptly, so they greeted everyone one by one.

What should have been a few minutes' walk took them half an hour to reach the casino.

"Lady Tsunade, you may be Konoha's hero, but don't expect us to hold back when we take your money at the tables!"

The gamblers around the table suddenly spoke up.

Although Tsunade was already famous before, her reputation now was even greater—she was a true hero of Konoha.

"Stop wasting time!"

Tsunade had been itching to start gambling for a while.

Fortunately, the gamblers in the casino only cared about money and didn't gather around to gawk like ordinary villagers.

Hanekawa's lips twitched.

The saying, "Fame brings trouble," truly made sense.

He snapped back to reality and sat beside Tsunade, pulling out a ninjutsu scroll.

However, it wasn't the Five-Element: Grand Continuous Bullet Technique given by Hiruzen Sarutobi the day before; instead, it was the Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere.

In the original story, Danzo Shimura had used this Wind Release ninjutsu.

It was an enhanced version of the Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere, with a learning difficulty rated at B-level.

Hanekawa didn't practice the Five-Element: Grand Continuous Bullet Technique for a simple reason—he wasn't skilled enough.

To be more precise, his Wind Release level wasn't high enough.

His Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water Releases had all reached the "Special Jonin" level, but his Wind Release was still at the "Chunin" level.

Hanekawa planned to achieve "Special Jonin" proficiency in Wind Release before learning the Five-Element: Grand Continuous Bullet Technique.

The morning passed quickly.

Hanekawa closed the scroll.

He had memorized the training method for the Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere and only needed to practice it.

With his various skill bonuses, anything below A-level ninjutsu posed no challenge to him.

At best, he could learn it in a day or two; at worst, it would take a week.

Only S-level and high A-level techniques could take up more of his time.

Hanekawa turned his head toward Tsunade.

She looked excited, intently focused on the gambling table.

Indeed, beautiful people look good no matter what they do.

Hanekawa admired her for a moment before leaning closer and saying, "I'm heading back for a bit to grab you a bento."

Tsunade instinctively turned her head and saw his handsome face up close, her heart skipping a beat.

She quickly looked away and said, "Go ahead."

Hanekawa stood up and left the casino.

"Hanekawa?"

A familiar voice called out from his left.

"Teacher Eichiro, long time no see."

Hanekawa stopped in his tracks, surprised.

"It really is you!"

Eichiro beamed with a wide smile. "Our great hero of Konoha!"

"Teacher Eichiro, no need to be so formal," Hanekawa said with a shake of his head. "No matter what, I'm still your student."

"It's my honor to have been your teacher!" Eichiro said with deep emotion.

This was indeed the case.

At the academy, he had a unique kind of joy.

Hanekawa had become an idol to the majority of students, and Eichiro, being his former teacher, became their go-to source for learning about their hero.

Additionally, thanks to Hanekawa, Eichiro's career in the academy had progressed smoothly.

"Did you just finish school?" Hanekawa asked with a smile.

"Yes, I just finished the morning classes," Eichiro replied with a nod. "I didn't expect to run into you as soon as I left the academy. My students would be so envious if they knew."

"It's not that exaggerated," Hanekawa said modestly.

"You're a graduate of the ninja academy and still so young. To those kids, you're practically a legend."

Eichiro chuckled. "These days, they love hearing me tell stories about you."

"What kind of stories? About how I used to sleep in class?" Hanekawa asked with a playful blink.

"About how you listened attentively in class," Eichiro said with a laugh. "They don't have your talent, so I have to promote your diligence. Don't be mad!"

"Why would I be mad?" Hanekawa said, entirely accustomed to this kind of narrative.

After all, in his previous life, many business tycoons' autobiographies were filled with exaggerated tales.

"By the way, how long are you staying this time? Are you free next month?"

Eichiro suddenly remembered something and said, "If you're available, I'd like to invite you to speak at the graduation ceremony."

"Me?" Hanekawa was taken aback. "Isn't that the Hokage's role?"

"Because of the frequent wars lately, he's been busy and declined the speech," Eichiro explained. "I think you're perfect for it. You have the strength, the reputation, and they all like you."

Hanekawa felt a bit strange.

Was this what it meant to return home in glory?

"I'm not sure how long I'll stay," Hanekawa said after some thought. "If I'm still in Konoha in March, I'll do it."

"It's a deal!" Eichiro said excitedly.

Inviting Hanekawa to speak would undoubtedly make him stand out at the ninja academy.

Most importantly, it would highlight his connection to Hanekawa, which was highly beneficial for him.

For example, colleagues or superiors who had some friction with him would change their attitudes out of respect for Hanekawa's reputation.

"Just come find me when the time comes."

Hanekawa had no idea what Eichiro was thinking, nor would he care even if he knew.

After all, in this ninja world, strength is everything.

All these messy interpersonal relationships had nothing to do with him.

As for helping Eichiro, it was simply because he found his teacher to be a decent person who had been diligent and responsible when teaching him.

After bidding farewell to Eichiro, Hanekawa returned to Tsunade's house.

He prepared two bento boxes and then went back to the casino.

"Here."

Hanekawa casually handed a bento box to Tsunade.

"Thanks."

Tsunade accepted the box and, while eating, continued placing bets.

In fact, it wasn't just her who was so engrossed; most of the other gamblers were the same. Some didn't even bother eating lunch.

Gambling truly ruins people.

Hanekawa shook his head.

When he becomes Hokage, he plans to shut down all the casinos.

If Tsunade wants to gamble, he'll use a carrot-and-stick approach.

After finishing his meal, Hanekawa packed up his bento and was about to take out a new Wind Release ninjutsu scroll to study when he suddenly froze.

Thanks to his A-level title "Flower Fruit Mobil ntain," he now had access to Lava Release, though he didn't yet have any corresponding jutsu.

But there was a possibility—he thought of the Rasengan.

In the original story, Naruto Uzumaki had used Sage Art: Lava Release Rasenshuriken.

Hanekawa didn't know Sage Mode or Rasenshuriken, but he could combine Lava Release chakra with the Rasengan to create Lava Release: Rasengan.

Using a Kekkei Genkai with the Rasengan was undoubtedly feasible since Magnet Release: Rasengan already existed in the original story.

As Hanekawa's power grew, the non-elemental Rasengan had become insufficiently powerful.

However, by incorporating Lava Release, the Rasengan could once again become a powerful tool for him.

In theory, it was simple—just replace the non-elemental chakra with Lava Release chakra to perform the Rasengan.

Hanekawa set aside the idea for now and continued studying the Wind Release ninjutsu scroll.

As for Lava Release: Rasengan, he planned to experiment with it at home.

Evening arrived.

After gambling all day, Tsunade finally felt satisfied.

She looked at the winnings on the table and smiled contentedly.

"Hanekawa, we should..."

Tsunade was about to suggest going for a drink but suddenly remembered what had happened that morning and stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong, Sensei?"

Hanekawa looked up, puzzled.

"We're done here. Let's head back."

Tsunade packed up her winnings and left the casino.

After dinner, Hanekawa returned home.

To his slight surprise, Tsunade didn't drink that night.

"I'm hungry, Hanekawa," Kurenai said, looking at him pitifully.

Only four of them had returned to the village this time, while Asuma had stayed behind in the Land of Grass.

"I bought you some takoyaki."

Hanekawa pulled out the takoyaki and handed it to her. "Have this as a snack; I'll cook something for you right away." freeweɓnovel.cѳm

"Hanekawa, you're the best!"

Kurenai accepted the takoyaki excitedly.

Since it was just for one person, Hanekawa made a simple tempura dish.

"You bought a newspaper?"

Hanekawa noticed a newspaper on the table—it was the same one he'd bought earlier that day.

"Yeah," Kurenai nodded slightly. "I had lunch with Rin at her place and picked it up on the way."

"How do you feel about it?" Hanekawa asked with a smile.

"Next time, I want to participate too!"

Kurenai clenched her fists in determination.

The newspaper had only highlighted Tsunade and Hanekawa, leaving out Rin and her.

It made sense since they hadn't fought alongside them at the time.

"You'll get your chance," Hanekawa reassured her. "Once your Water Release reaches my level."

"That sounds impossible," Kurenai muttered, stunned.

Although both had studied Tobirama Senju's Water Release techniques, the difference in talent led to vastly different results.

"No worries, I'll give you special training," Hanekawa said, patting her head.

"Okay!"

Kurenai's spirits lifted, and she returned to her usual self.

After dinner, the two went outside to the training ground.

Kurenai practiced her Water Release while Hanekawa focused on developing the Lava Release: Rasengan.

He stretched out his hand, channeling chakra and converting it into Lava Release chakra, gathering it in his palm.

A searing heat surged as if molten lava was spinning in his hand.

Hanekawa frowned and quickly backed away.

The molten lava scattered, corroding the ground and emitting plumes of smoke.

Clearly, his first attempt had failed.

But Hanekawa wasn't discouraged.

After all, mastering a Kekkei Genkai wasn't something that could be done in one try.

_

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