The morning sun hadn't yet burned through the clouds when Hanekawa arrived at Tsunade's house. Kurenai hadn't come with him—she was home preparing lunch—but he wasn't alone for long.
Rin Nohara was already there, standing in the entryway with her dark red over-the-knee socks and that gentle smile of hers.
"Why are you here so early?" Hanekawa asked.
"Oh! Hanekawa." Rin turned, her eyes brightening. "I didn't have anything to do at home, so I thought I'd come help."
Great. Another person to watch me cook, Hanekawa thought, though he kept his expression neutral. "It's cold out there. Come inside."
He unlocked the door and stepped into the living room. Behind him, Rin carefully removed her shoes, holding the wall for balance. Hanekawa caught himself staring at the way her socks hugged her legs and quickly looked away.
Focus. She's six years old. Well, technically so am I. This is weird.
"Have you eaten breakfast?" he asked, his voice carefully casual.
"No." Rin looked almost embarrassed. "I was hoping... well, your cooking is really good."
Hanekawa nodded. "Sit down. I'll make something."
"Do you need help?"
He glanced at her hopeful expression and made a decision. "Actually, go wake up the teacher."
"Eh?" Rin's eyes went wide.
Hanekawa smiled and headed for the kitchen before she could protest. Behind him, he heard her take a shaky breath and head toward Tsunade's room.
"Teacher Tsunade!" Rin's voice carried through the house.
The door opened almost immediately. "Why is it you? Where's that little devil?" Tsunade's tone was distinctly unhappy.
"He's... he's in the kitchen..." Rin's voice trembled slightly.
There was a pause. When Tsunade spoke again, her tone had softened considerably. "I'll go wash up."
She's actually getting better with people, Hanekawa thought as he started preparing ramen. Character development in real time.
By the time Tsunade emerged from the bathroom, breakfast was ready. She sat down across from Rin, who looked considerably less nervous now.
"Your favorite," Hanekawa said, setting a steaming bowl in front of Tsunade. "Chicken ramen."
"Ah!" Tsunade picked up her chopsticks without hesitation, slurping noodles with absolutely no regard for her image.
Rin ate more delicately, her movements precise and elegant—a stark contrast to Tsunade's enthusiastic consumption.
"Where's Red?" Tsunade asked between bites.
"Making bento at home. We'll meet her at the village gate."
"Speaking of bento," Tsunade said, pausing to sip her broth, "this trip will probably take a while. Pack extra food. I'm not eating dry rations the whole way."
Hanekawa nodded. She's completely abandoned every ninja protocol she ever taught me. Perfect.
After breakfast, Tsunade pulled Rin aside to check her progress. Hanekawa settled onto the sofa with a scroll, studying the Yamanaka clan's secret perception technique—the Eye of the Mind.
He'd discovered something interesting about his C-Rank entry 'First in the Chunin Exam': the 100% comprehension bonus made A-level jutsu feel almost like B-level difficulty. What normally took a month to master, he could learn in half that time.
Not bad for a transmigrator with a system, he thought wryly.
At nine o'clock sharp, the three of them headed toward Konoha's main gate.
The caravan was already assembled—roughly twenty people, with a neat line of supply carts. Hanekawa counted them quickly. Ninja tools for the Hidden Rain, probably.
A middle-aged man with an oily smile approached as they arrived. "Princess Tsunade! What an honor. I'm Kido Ei, leader of this caravan. I've prepared two carriages for your team."
Tsunade nodded curtly. Not exactly warm, but Kido Ei didn't seem to mind the cool reception.
Hatake Sakumo's team was already positioned nearby. Hanekawa noticed Shizune looking confused as she watched the caravan leader fawn over Tsunade while largely ignoring Sakumo.
"Why is he so much more respectful to Lady Tsunade?" Shizune whispered to Asuma.
"She's a medical ninja," Asuma explained. "Plus, she has connections with the Land of Fire's Daimyo. He wouldn't dare offend her."
"But wouldn't he offend Sakumo?"
"He absolutely would," Asuma said quietly. "Because there's nothing we can do about it. There's an unwritten rule—ninjas can't harm their employers. Even if they wanted to, they're bound by contract."
After some discussion, the teams divided their duties: Tsunade's group would lead, Sakumo's would follow. Both would flank the caravan.
"This is my first time in a carriage," Hanekawa observed, looking around the interior as they began moving. The design was similar to costume dramas from his previous life, though simpler.
"Me too!" Kurenai sat beside him, immediately opening the window to peer outside with undisguised curiosity.
Rin sat across from them, quieter but equally interested.
"Stay alert," Tsunade reminded him.
"Yes, Teacher."
Hanekawa closed his eyes and began practicing the Eye of the Mind. The technique was still incomplete—he wasn't skilled enough yet—but even the partial effect was superior to his previous perception abilities. He could sense Tsunade's steady heartbeat, Kurenai's excited energy, and Rin's calm presence.
---
Two days of travel passed in a blur. On the third day, they crossed the border into the Land of Rain.
The change was immediate and stark.
"Once we enter Land of Rain, we can't rely on the same safety we had in Land of Fire," Tsunade ordered as they dismounted. "Everyone stays alert. Protect the caravan."
"Yes!" the team responded in unison.
Hatake Sakumo gave identical orders to his group.
The eight ninja donned raincoats and took positions around the convoy. Hanekawa stood atop one of the carts, eyes closed, using his perception technique while Uchiha Shisui provided cover.
"What a strange place," Shisui observed, looking at the metallic towers visible through the rain. "I've never seen buildings like this."
"It rains here constantly," Hanekawa said casually. "The architecture adapts."
"It's completely different from the Land of Fire," Shisui agreed.
Hanekawa's perception suddenly caught something. "There's someone ahead. No—not someone. A corpse."
Shisui's head snapped toward the direction Hanekawa indicated. His eyes widened. "What happened?"
"Refugees. Starvation, probably."
"The Land of Rain doesn't care for them?"
"How do you manage a country in perpetual chaos?" Hanekawa replied. "You don't."
Shisui was quiet for a moment. "What about Hanzo? The demigod? Shouldn't someone with that much power bring peace?"
Here we go, Hanekawa thought. He could sense the instability in Shisui's chakra—the beginning of something dangerous.
"Not all ninjas think like you do, Shisui," he said carefully.
The Uchiha's aura flickered dangerously for a moment before stabilizing. "The title of demigod means nothing," Shisui said quietly. "He only earned it because of his summon."
"With your talent, you'll surpass him soon enough," Hanekawa offered.
Shisui glanced at him. "You're more talented than me. What do you think we should do?"
Hanekawa considered the question seriously. "Become strong first. That's more pragmatic. In this world, strength is what matters. Only after becoming invincible can we talk about changing things."
It wasn't the idealistic answer Shisui wanted, but it was honest.
"I suppose you're right," Shisui said after a moment.
A notification appeared in Hanekawa's vision:
[C-Rank Talent Entry: 'Silver Tongue' - Effect Upgraded]
[Seal-Making Speed increased by 150% (cumulative)]
Hanekawa blinked at the text. Wait. Is that even possible? A 150% increase on top of previous bonuses?
He filed the question away for later analysis. For now, the rain continued to fall on the Hidden Rain, and somewhere in the distance, a demigod brooded in his tower, unaware that the future was already shifting around him.