After lunch, Hanekawa returned to his tent.
Wood Style. He'd been thinking about little else since Tsunade handed him the scroll that morning.
He settled onto the carpet and carefully unrolled the ninjutsu scroll, finding the section on Wood Style: Birth of the World of Trees. The diagrams were intricate, the chakra flow patterns complex. He'd barely begun studying when he heard footsteps on the carpet.
Without looking up, he knew. "Teacher."
Tsunade appeared in his peripheral vision, bare feet padding across the woven mat. She settled down nearby, close enough to see the scroll but not crowding him.
"Learning Wood Style isn't simple," she said. "I'll watch. Ask if you get stuck."
Hanekawa felt something warm settle in his chest. She wasn't just watching—she was worried. If something went wrong, she'd be there to catch him.
"Thank you, Teacher."
He returned to the scroll, acutely aware of her presence. Tsunade rested her chin on her hands, her gaze fixed on him. A faint smile played at her lips as she watched, though her eyes grew distant—lost in thought about something he couldn't quite place.
Probably wondering why I asked her not to leave, Hanekawa thought, keeping his focus on the ninjutsu.
Wood Style was a kekkei genkai—a bloodline limit. That alone made it brutally difficult. But Birth of the World of Trees? That jutsu had two major hurdles.
First: releasing massive amounts of chakra instantly. That required lightning-fast refinement and mobilization. The prerequisite was simple—you needed chakra reserves that dwarfed normal ninjas.
Second: controlling the entire forest once created. One mistake, and you'd have a jutsu that couldn't distinguish friend from foe.
Fortunately, Hanekawa had all three requirements covered. His medical ninjutsu training, his genjutsu studies, his Elemental Techniques—they'd all honed his chakra control to a razor's edge. Now came the breakthrough.
Night fell. The camp quieted as exhausted ninjas returned from their missions. Patrols would keep watch against Hidden Cloud infiltrators, but the worst of the day's tension had passed.
Hanekawa closed the scroll and exhaled slowly. Learning this would take time. The question was whether the Hidden Cloud—or Danzo—would give him that time.
Probably not, he thought. But it doesn't matter.
He'd already shown Tsunade his Wood Style. She trusted him completely now. Even if she discovered he was a spy, she'd probably just laugh it off.
A rhythmic sound pulled him from his thoughts. Tsunade was asleep, her breathing deep and even. She'd probably gotten bored watching him study and drifted off.
Hanekawa grabbed a blanket and draped it over her. Tsunade's eyelashes fluttered, but she didn't wake. Instead, she relaxed deeper into sleep, pulling the blanket closer.
He hesitated for just a moment, then reached out and gently touched her golden hair.
Payback, he thought with a small smile, remembering all the times she'd ruffled his head. Though I'm not done yet.
He stood and slipped outside.
---
The camp fire crackled, casting dancing shadows across the gathered ninjas. Dinner was being prepared—a luxury when you had a secure base camp.
"Hanekawa."
He turned to find Nohara Rin approaching, the purple markings on her face barely visible in the firelight.
"How's Root?" he asked.
"Still in their base camp. No movement."
Hanekawa touched his chin thoughtfully. "Good. That means we still have time."
"Time for what?" Rin tilted her head, confused.
"Training." He smiled. "Have you eaten?"
"We had dinner with Kurenai earlier. We didn't want to wait."
Smart. No point going hungry when the main group's cooking is available.
"Thank you for your patience. I'll cook tomorrow," Hanekawa promised, reaching out to pat her head.
Rin's face flushed. She lowered her gaze and became very still. "O-okay."
Hanekawa withdrew his hand. "Get some rest."
He walked toward the river outside the camp, where he spent the next half hour preparing two bento boxes. One for himself, one for Tsunade—in case she woke hungry. He sealed them carefully and set them aside.
Then he found an open clearing, far from prying eyes.
Eye of the Mind.
Once he'd confirmed he was alone, Hanekawa began forming hand seals.
"Wood Style: Birth of the World of Trees!"
Halfway through, he frowned. His chakra mobilization was too slow—it couldn't keep pace with his hand seals. The release fell short of the standard required.
First attempt. Expected.
He tried again. And again. Two hours passed as the night deepened around him. His body ached, his chakra reserves depleted, but he pushed through. Wood Style wasn't something you mastered in a single night.
Finally, exhausted, he headed back to the tent.
Tsunade was awake, her eyes open and watching the entrance.
"You've been gone a long time," she said.
"Practicing Wood Style." Hanekawa settled down across from her. "I haven't told anyone yet. I want to surprise the Hidden Cloud later."
Tsunade's expression sharpened. "You're planning to fight the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee?"
"It was impossible before. But with Wood Style?" Hanekawa paused. "I think it's possible now."
"If your Wood Style reaches even one-third of Great-Grandfather's power, you could take down the Eight-Tails," Tsunade said thoughtfully.
One-third? Hanekawa's mouth twitched. I'd be lucky to have one-tenth of Hashirama's reserves.
But with the Yin Seal unlocked, the Strength of a Hundred technique could bridge that gap. The real problem was gathering and mobilizing that much chakra quickly enough.
"It's a good opportunity," Tsunade continued, her voice taking on a harder edge. "To use their own tricks against them. My patience with Danzo has reached its limit."
She sat up, the blanket falling away. "After we take down the Fourth Raikage or Killer Bee, we move against him. Once we have a decisive victory, the war's as good as won. No need to worry about fallout."
"What exactly are you planning, Teacher?" Hanekawa asked carefully.
"That depends on when you master Wood Style." Tsunade smiled, but there was steel in her eyes. "Once you have it, we capture Danzo. I guarantee no one will dare interfere."
Hanekawa nodded slowly. "Give me another half month."
"Done." Tsunade agreed without hesitation. "I have things to prepare anyway."
"Like what?"
"Like sidelining Orochimaru, just like you suggested." Tsunade rubbed her forehead. "Why do I feel like I've boarded your ship?"
Hanekawa blinked. She's really going through with it.
It made sense strategically. Weaken Orochimaru's influence, eliminate Danzo, consolidate power. But it was risky. If they failed to take down the Raikage or Killer Bee, Konoha would tear itself apart.
"Teacher, you trust me that much?" he asked quietly.
"I trust that you won't let me fail," Tsunade said simply. She rolled her eyes. "Besides, if I don't move against Orochimaru first, he'll cause problems while we're dealing with Danzo. Better to neutralize him preemptively."
Hanekawa understood. But he also understood something else: Orochimaru had been coveting Wood Style for years. The moment he revealed it, he'd become a target.
But that's a problem for later.
"I'm hungry," Tsunade announced, changing the subject.
Hanekawa retrieved the bento boxes and used a small Fire Style flame to warm them. Tsunade accepted hers without comment, but he caught the way her eyes lingered on him as she ate.
She was gambling. Trusting him completely. If this failed, her reputation would shatter. She might lose the Hokage position entirely.
But she was doing it anyway.
"You don't need to overthink this," Tsunade said, as if reading his mind. "Just master Wood Style. Leave the rest to me."
After she finished eating, Hanekawa asked, "Do you need help with your plan? My relationship with the Hyuga clan is solid."
"Unnecessary." Tsunade stood, brushing crumbs from her clothes. "Your allies are my allies."
"I'll talk to Sakumo," Hanekawa said. "If we're capturing them alive, we'll need Shisui's help."
Tsunade considered this, then nodded. "Fine. But be careful."
"I will, Teacher."
She paused at the tent entrance. "Why not sleep here instead of leaving?"
"I'm not used to sleeping with two people," she said, and there was something almost vulnerable in her voice before she masked it. "See you tomorrow."
After she left, Hanekawa returned to studying the Wood Style scroll. The night was still young. No point wasting it.
---
July faded into August.
On the second day of the new month, Hanekawa made his way to Tsunade's tent early in the morning.
"You really have no shame," Tsunade yawned, emerging from her sleeping bag. "Don't you know how to knock?"
"Because I know you're strong enough to sense me coming," Hanekawa greeted cheerfully. "Good morning, Teacher."
"What's so urgent?" Tsunade stretched, clearly uncomfortable in her clothes and sleeping bag. "It's barely dawn."
"Have you forgotten what day it is?"
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Your birthday."
"Our birthday," Hanekawa corrected gently.
"I don't care about birthdays," Tsunade said dismissively. "They just mean I'm getting older."
"Come with me anyway."
He took her hand and led her out of the tent. Tsunade followed, withdrawing her hand once they were moving, but she didn't resist. Her confusion grew with each step.
After half an hour, they reached a secluded clearing.
"No one around," Hanekawa confirmed, using his Mind's Eye to scan the area. He formed the hand seals, his movements precise and controlled.
"Wood Style: Birth of the World of Trees!"
The ground trembled. Trees erupted from the earth, growing at impossible speed. In moments, a lush forest surrounded them—a pocket of green in the middle of nowhere.
Tsunade's breath caught. She stared at the forest, her lips parting slightly.
She'd seen this jutsu before. Decades ago. When Hashirama Senju was still alive.
Memories flickered across her face—old joys, old sorrows, old losses. Finally, her gaze settled on Hanekawa.
"Teacher, how do you like this birthday present?" he asked, grinning.
Tsunade felt her heartbeat quicken. For the first time in years, she felt something she'd thought long dead: genuine happiness.
She laughed—a real, unguarded laugh—and reached out to ruffle his hair.
"This birthday," she said softly, "is very meaningful."