The gates of The Hidden Leaf came into view, and Kurenai couldn't help but sigh. "I'm finally home."
No matter how impressive the outside world looked, nothing compared to home. The Land of Water and Land of Grass paled in comparison to the Land of Fire's prosperity.
"Do we need to register?" Rin glanced at the nearly five hundred ninja marching behind them.
"Not necessary," Tsunade said, waving a hand dismissively. "We're returning victorious. The Hokage won't require paperwork."
"Lady Tsunade!"
A chorus of voices erupted as a welcoming committee emerged from the village. Leading them was Hiashi Hyuga, which made sense—many Hyuga clan members had participated in the campaign. But Tsunade recognized his true purpose went deeper than mere courtesy. She resigned herself to the inevitable greetings.
The village entrance erupted into controlled chaos.
"Rin!" A man and woman suddenly appeared before Rin, who immediately broke into a radiant smile. "Mom! Dad!"
Hanekawa and Kurenai exchanged polite greetings with Rin's parents, whom they'd met before.
Ten minutes later, after nearly five hundred ninja had been welcomed home, Tsunade finally called out, "Let's move into the village!"
The streets were lined with both ninja and civilians. Cheers erupted as they passed.
"Hanekawa!"
Kurenai elbowed him. "I think people are calling your name."
He listened carefully and spotted a group waving frantically—former Academy classmates and patients from Konoha Hospital. Among them was Uzuki Yugao, jumping up and down as she shouted his name.
Hanekawa waved back, and their enthusiasm intensified.
"It's amazing how many people already know him," Rin said, a note of admiration in her voice. She'd always seen Hanekawa as her goal—a powerful medical ninja to aspire toward. As the gap between them widened, her feelings had evolved into genuine respect.
"He's incredible!" Kurenai added with a smile, genuinely happy for him. Though she noticed her own fame had faded considerably. Without her connection to Tsunade and Hanekawa, most people probably didn't know her name.
"You won't fall behind," Hanekawa assured them. "Both of you will become elite jonin."
Given their training under Tsunade and his influence, both girls had developed far beyond their original potential. It was only a matter of time.
They reached the Hokage Building, and the welcoming crowds dispersed.
"Everyone's worked hard," Tsunade announced to the assembled ninja. "Go home and rest. I'll explain your rewards to the Hokage personally."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade!" they chorused, eagerly rushing off to reunite with their families.
"Let's see the old man," Tsunade said, turning toward the building.
Hanekawa and the others followed.
---
BANG.
Tsunade kicked the Hokage's office door open. Hiruzen merely smiled—he'd heard the cheers and expected this.
"I didn't arrange this welcome," he said calmly. "It was entirely spontaneous."
Half true, Tsunade thought, but didn't press the issue.
"Your team has made extraordinary contributions defeating the Hidden Mist Village—"
"Skip the pleasantries," Tsunade interrupted. "What's the actual situation?"
Hiruzen smiled at her directness. "Rewards will take several days to distribute fairly among so many ninja. We also have pensions to arrange for those who fell."
Tsunade nodded. Processing nearly five hundred ninja's compensation was complex work.
"However," Tsunade said, "Hanekawa's reward needs to be immediate."
"Oh?" Hiruzen's eyes gleamed with interest. "What does he want?"
Hanekawa had been the campaign's architect—discovering the Hidden Mist Village's headquarters had essentially won the war. Beyond that, his personal strength had shocked even Hiruzen. Single-handedly defeating Kushimaru of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen demonstrated genuine jonin-level capability.
For someone his age, descended from the Hokage line, trained by Tsunade... Hiruzen couldn't help but feel satisfaction. His own reputation would rise alongside this prodigy's.
"Lord Hokage," Hanekawa said respectfully, "I'd like to learn composite ninjutsu."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Composite ninjutsu requires mastery of many different techniques first. It's quite difficult."
Tsunade casually tossed him a scroll. "The battle report with Kushimaru. Read it."
Hiruzen unrolled it, his expression shifting to surprise as he read. Even from the written description, his experience allowed him to reconstruct the actual combat.
"Pity," he sighed. "If I were twenty years younger, I'd take you as my apprentice."
His three legendary students—Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—were undeniably powerful. Yet none had inherited his true legacy: the Monkey King Summoning Contract and his Five Elements Composite Ninjutsu.
They didn't need to. Tsunade focused on medical ninjutsu. Jiraiya had inherited Mount Myōboku's sage arts. Orochimaru, despite having the greatest ninjutsu talent, had become obsessed with forbidden experiments after Rope Tree's death.
All three had contracts with the three great summoning sites and no use for the Monkey King.
But Hanekawa... Hiruzen felt this boy was born to inherit his mantle.
"Absolutely not!" Tsunade's voice cut like steel. "Even if you were twenty years younger, Hanekawa would still be MY student!"
"Merely a thought," Hiruzen coughed diplomatically.
"Don't even think it!" Tsunade snapped, her face flushing slightly.
Interesting, Hiruzen thought with an internal smile. She really does care about this one.
"Stop wasting time," Tsunade said irritably. "Give him the scrolls."
Hiruzen retrieved two scrolls without further comment.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Hanekawa said, accepting them.
"Composite ninjutsu isn't simply mixing two techniques together," Hiruzen explained. "It requires compatible chakra attributes. If you encounter difficulties, come see me."
"Understood."
Hanekawa understood the concept well enough. Composite ninjutsu was like a simplified bloodline limit—combining attributes to create enhanced effects. Where bloodline limits achieved complete fusion of two attributes into something entirely new, composite ninjutsu merely used one attribute to enhance another. Wind assisting fire, for example.
The advantage was flexibility and accessibility. Bloodline limits combining three attributes—called bloodline eliminations—were extraordinarily rare. Only Ōnoki's Dust Release was widely known, demonstrating how difficult such fusion was.
Composite ninjutsu, however, could combine up to five attributes. Hiruzen's Five Elements Composite Ninjutsu surpassed most bloodline limits in raw power.
"Why only two?" Tsunade demanded.
Hiruzen struggled between laughing and crying. Why does my teaching authority feel so worthless?
"Two is sufficient for considerable study," he replied. "Once mastered, return for more."
He'd always been generous with genuine talent. This particular genius was from the Hokage lineage—practically family. Similar to how he'd allowed Minato Namikaze early access to the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Hanekawa said quickly.
Generous indeed, he thought. Though he recognized the real reason: his identity. As Tsunade's student and Hokage-descended, he was one of them. An Uchiha with identical achievements might not receive such favor.
"That concludes our business," Hiruzen said. "If the Hidden Stone moves aggressively, you'll support Minato."
"Understood," Tsunade agreed without hesitation.
With Jiraiya away and Orochimaru handling the Hidden Cloud, the Hidden Stone fell to her. Fortunately, Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique made coordinated defense manageable.
"Rest well. You've earned it," Hiruzen said warmly.
They departed.
---
At home, Shinku was cleaning when they arrived. "You're back. I started tidying—the dust accumulated over half a month."
"We'll help!" Kurenai immediately grabbed brooms, handing one to Hanekawa.
Within thirty minutes, the house gleamed.
Hanekawa settled onto the sofa and unrolled the two scrolls.
The first: Earth Dragon Flame Flow—adding fire attributes to Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet, transforming mud projectiles into flame projectiles.
The second: Thunder Water Dragon Bomb—adding lightning to Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet, creating an electrified water dragon.
He decided to prioritize Thunder Water Dragon Bomb. His water and lightning techniques were stronger than his earth techniques. While his Earth Style progress bar exceeded seventy percent, his Earth Style languished at fifty percent.
Too many jutsu, he reflected. Still haven't mastered Lightning Style Chakra Mode or the Hundred Healings Technique.
But time was on his side. He was young.
His thoughts drifted to the original timeline's Third Ninja World War. After the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's defeat, the Hidden Mist Village wouldn't surrender completely. Next year—or possibly sooner—they'd attack again, likely with the Three-Tails jinchuriki under Uchiha Madara's control.
The Kannabi Bridge incident would trigger Obito's awakening. Madara would implant the Three-Tails into Rin, leading to tragedy.
But things are different now, Hanekawa thought. The timeline might accelerate. I need to prepare Rin. If she learns the Spirit Transformation Technique, even if captured, she could escape and warn us.
He glanced at Kurenai and Rin, both of whom had grown considerably under Tsunade's tutelage.
Time to accelerate their training further.
---
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