"Director, are you heading out?"
Hanekawa had barely stepped through the orphanage doors when Yakushi Nonō rushed past him, already halfway down the path.
She paused, turning back with a look of mild surprise. "Hanekawa? What brings you here on a Sunday?"
"Just thought I'd visit," he said, holding up the picture books in his hand. "Figured I'd bring the kids something."
Nonō's expression softened into a gentle smile. "You're a thoughtful one."
"It's the least I can do. Everyone here takes good care of me." Hanekawa shrugged, keeping his tone light and sincere—the perfect balance for a six-year-old orphan.
"Well, don't let me keep you." Nonō adjusted her bag. "I'm heading to Konoha Hospital for a meeting. Lady Tsunade just returned to take over as director."
Hanekawa's eyes lit up with genuine interest. "Tsunade? The legendary Sannin?"
"The very same."
"Could I come along?" The question came out eager, perfectly natural. "I've always wanted to meet her."
Nonō considered this for a moment, then shook her head. "Not today—the meeting is administrative. But I'll bring you by next Saturday if you'd like."
"That works," Hanekawa said, suppressing his disappointment. At least I know she's in the village now.
After Nonō left, Hanekawa spent the afternoon with the orphanage children, distributing picture books and playing until the sun began to sink lower in the sky. As he walked back through Konoha's streets, his mind was already working through the problem.
Tsunade was here. But he still lacked Yang Release talent—the physical counterpart to his Yin Release. The E-Rank entry "Strong Body" might be synthesizable with Yang Release as one of the components. He'd been exercising consistently for the past week, and his progress bar for "Strengthen Your Body" had already reached 60%. Another week, maybe less if he pushed harder.
One problem at a time, he reminded himself.
"Hanekawa!"
He looked up to find Kurenai dangling from a tree branch, her small feet swinging in the afternoon sunlight. He'd somehow ended up back at the Yuhi residence without consciously deciding to come here.
"What are you doing up there?" he called.
Kurenai dropped down with practiced ease, landing in front of him with her hands on her hips. "You went out and didn't bring me anything?"
Hanekawa coughed. "No money."
Okay, I forgot. But saying that would be worse.
Kurenai's expression shifted from indignation to realization. Right—he was an orphan. No income. She bit her lip, clearly wrestling with something, then suddenly thrust a small pink wallet into his hands. It had a cute rabbit pattern embroidered on it.
"Here!" she said, her face turning red as she spun away.
Hanekawa opened the wallet to find a stack of bills inside. His stomach twisted uncomfortably. Great. Now I'm taking money from a six-year-old girl.
He caught up to her in two quick strides and gently grabbed her wrist, pressing the wallet back into her small hands. "I can't take this."
"Why not?" Kurenai looked up at him, confused and a little hurt.
"Because you're not rich," he said simply. "And I'll figure something out."
Besides, if I start living off a beautiful child's money, where does that end? And the Yuhi clan isn't exactly rolling in wealth like the Hyuga or Uchiha.
Kurenai's expression shifted to something between disappointment and respect. Hanekawa reached out and ruffled her hair before she could dodge—which she tried to do, but not quite fast enough.
"What were you waiting for me for, anyway?" he asked, changing the subject smoothly.
"My father wanted to see you," Kurenai said, still pouting slightly but recovering quickly. "Come on."
Inside the Yuhi home, Kurenai's father—Yuhi Shinku—was waiting in the living room. He studied Hanekawa with the careful eye of a skilled instructor.
"How is your chakra refinement progressing?" he asked without preamble.
Hanekawa stood and demonstrated the technique he'd been practicing, cycling chakra through his meridians with careful precision.
Shinku nodded approvingly. "Excellent. Your proficiency is nearly matching Kurenai's, and she's had almost six months of practice."
Kurenai made a small huffing sound at this, clearly torn between pride in Hanekawa's progress and frustration at being compared to him. Her father noticed her expression and smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair—a gesture she neatly sidestepped.
"Your chakra control has reached the required standard," Shinku continued, straightening up and clearing his throat slightly. "You're ready to begin learning genjutsu."
Hanekawa felt a spark of interest ignite in his chest. Genjutsu wasn't flashy like ninjutsu or direct like taijutsu, but it was devastatingly effective against unprepared opponents. And if he could master it...
"Genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu form the three pillars of ninja combat," Shinku explained, his tone taking on the cadence of a teacher warming to his subject. "However, few specialize in illusion techniques. The barrier to entry is steep—it requires both talent and mental discipline."
He said this with obvious pride. In all of Konoha, few could match his expertise in genjutsu. The Uchiha clan was the exception, but that was a different matter entirely.
"Are you a genjutsu specialist, Uncle Shinku?" Hanekawa asked, playing the role of curious student perfectly.
"Indeed I am," Shinku confirmed, clearly pleased by the question.
"Teach us!" Kurenai practically bounced with excitement. "I want to learn right now!"
Shinku's face froze for just a moment—a father's expression of mild shock at his daughter's sudden enthusiasm—before he recovered with a warm smile.
So much for the sweet, obedient daughter, Hanekawa thought with amusement. She's already planning how to beat me.
He couldn't help but smile. At least one of them was honest about their competitive nature.