"Mmh? Hoshiyomi? Who's that?"
From Tsunade's tone, Mito could already tell this wasn't one of the Academy teachers—which only made her more curious. Had she been wrong in assuming this pen-spinning was some kind of instructional method? Was it just a random game a child invented?
Hearing Grandma Mito ask about Hoshiyomi, Tsunade perked up with enthusiasm. She launched into a choppy, rapid-fire recounting of the past two days—her first impressions, the bet, Hoshiyomi's skill with the pen. The usual scatterbrained way a child explains things, but Mito understood enough.
"Gekkō Hoshiyomi... I can't say I'm familiar with that family name…"
But from Tsunade's story, this boy did seem… interesting. Intrigued, Mito gave a soft clap.
In the next instant, an ANBU wearing a beast-themed mask appeared silently before her.
Without turning her head, Mito said calmly,"Look into a boy named Gekkō Hoshiyomi. Bring me everything you can find."
The masked ANBU bowed respectfully before vanishing into the thick greenery of the Senju compound.
This wasn't unusual. In truth, Uzumaki Mito was still the true authority behind the Hokage's title. Officially, the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—sat in the chair, but most of the actual decisions still passed through Mito's hands. He was a Hokage in name; she was the one pulling the strings.
Once she gave the order, Mito turned back to Tsunade, smiling as she gently pinched her cheek.
"So… do you really want to beat this Hoshiyomi boy?"
Tsunade's big eyes lit up—then dimmed just as quickly.
"Of course I do! But no matter how I try, I just… can't seem to get it."
Mito chuckled at the girl's frustration. She lifted Tsunade onto her lap, just as she had when teaching her hand seals, and took the pencil gently from her small hand.
She gave it a few slow spins, gradually increasing speed, until the pencil was dancing skillfully across her fingers.
Tsunade's eyes sparkled.
"Yes! That's it! That's exactly how he spins it—Grandma, teach me!"
Mito smiled, then softly said,"Be patient. You're not failing because your fingers aren't nimble—it's because you haven't learned to control your strength."
She paused before continuing,"You inherited Hashirama's natural strength from birth. That's your blessing—but also your obstacle. You're too strong, and because of that, you can't fine-tune your control."
Mito had originally intended to wait until Tsunade was older to begin chakra control training, but this pen trick? It was perfect. A playful way to introduce the basics.
"And this will also be how you beat Hoshiyomi."
Tsunade blinked.
"Chakra control… for pen spinning?"
Mito raised a finger. "Tell me, Tsuna—can you balance a pencil on your fingertip?"
Tsunade tilted her head.
"Of course not!"
"Wrong. You can—if you use just a bit of chakra and very delicate control."
As she spoke, Mito focused her chakra into her fingertip. A gentle blue glow shimmered there. Then she placed the pencil upright on her finger.
It stood perfectly balanced.
No matter how she moved her hand, the pencil didn't wobble an inch.
Tsunade's jaw dropped in awe.
Then Mito lowered the pencil and gave her granddaughter a flick on the forehead.
"Try it. Once you can balance a pencil this way, using chakra to control the pen while spinning will be simple."
With that, she left the room.
But the moment the door closed behind her, Mito's gentle grandmotherly aura vanished. What replaced it was the imposing pressure of Konoha's true matriarch.
The ANBU was already waiting outside. Even beneath his mask, sweat was beginning to bead on his skin.
Mito took the file from his hands, motioned for him to leave, and opened it slowly.
On the first page was a photo of Gekkō Hoshiyomi, followed by his Academy records.
A faint, intrigued smile played at the corner of Mito's lips.
Meanwhile, in a forest clearing outside Konoha…
Hoshiyomi and Sakumo were both catching their breath after a long sparring session. Hoshiyomi gulped down water from a canteen, glanced at his system log, and smiled.
"Three more experience points... You really are a freak, you know that? If I didn't have my bloodline limit, I wouldn't stand a chance."
Sakumo simply wiped down his blade. "There's still a long way to go."
Hoshiyomi shook his head.
"You're seriously no fun, man. You never act like a kid."
Off to the side, Jiraiya opened his eyes from a chakra refinement exercise."Whew! Man, thank the Sage for your notes, Hoshiyomi. If I didn't have those, I'd probably still be flailing around trying to extract chakra."
Unlike the other two, Jiraiya had started from scratch—today was the first time he'd successfully refined chakra. But thanks to his ridiculous stamina and innate talent, catching up to the class wouldn't be a problem.
Seeing that everyone was about done for the day, Hoshiyomi grinned.
"Since this is our first training session together, how about we go finally try that ramen I owe you?"
Truthfully, he just wanted an excuse to check out the newly opened ramen shop. It had popped up two days ago and looked suspiciously familiar.
It was called Teuchi Ramen—and its location and name left little doubt in Hoshiyomi's mind.
It has to be the predecessor to Ichiraku Ramen…
At the mere mention of ramen, both Sakumo's and Jiraiya's stomachs growled in unison.
They didn't hesitate—straight to Teuchi Ramen they went.
As soon as they pushed through the curtain, a delicious aroma hit them like a wave.
Unable to contain himself, Hoshiyomi shouted toward the kitchen:
"Three large bowls of ramen, please!"
"Coming right up!"
A cheerful voice called back. A burly uncle disappeared into the kitchen.
While they waited, Hoshiyomi took a good look around. The décor was simpler than the Ichiraku Ramen he remembered, but that was to be expected—it was still early days.
Before long, the chef returned carrying three steaming bowls of ramen.
"Here you go! Three large bowls—enjoy!"
At the same time, a friendly woman carrying a baby on her back handed them chopsticks and condiments.
"We're still celebrating our grand opening, so everything is 40% off! If you like the food, come visit again!"
Hoshiyomi nodded gratefully, then asked with genuine curiosity,
"Auntie, how old's your baby? What's his name?"
She smiled,
"This baby's name is Teuchi, he's only seven months old. We named this place after him."
Author's Note:
This chapter gave a bit more spotlight to Mito—because frankly, a legend like her deserves far more attention than the original manga ever gave.
As for Tsunade's "pen spinning" technique… let's just say those who know, know.
Also, the idea of Mito holding actual power in Konoha during this period feels completely reasonable—and in later chapters, I'll explore this more from Hoshiyomi's perspective as he gradually uncovers the hidden workings of the village.