Hanekawa watched Kurenai practicing her genjutsu, but his real focus was on the system glowing before his eyes.
He had collected three separate genjutsu entries, which meant they could now merge into a new one.
[D-Rank Talent Entry: Genjutsu Novice][Trigger Condition: Possess three different genjutsu entries][Effect: All genjutsu techniques increase in power by 30%][Note: Mastering additional genjutsu may allow advancement to the C-Rank Entry: Genjutsu Chūnin]
By the standards of the shinobi world, a student who could use the Three Basic Techniques (Clone, Transformation, Substitution) qualified as a genin.
Hanekawa had now mastered three genjutsu techniques. The title of "Genjutsu Novice" was, in every sense, well earned.
A flat 30% boost in power meant that in actual combat, he already held a massive advantage. He might even be able to match a normal Sharingan user head-on.
The only thing that left Hanekawa unsettled was how… underwhelming this entry felt. Almost perfunctory, as though he could already see the ceiling of this path. It was essentially the same route Kurenai's father had walked.
But when he thought about it more carefully, it wasn't so unreasonable.
In the shinobi world, no matter how strong genjutsu became, could anything truly surpass the Mangekyō Sharingan?
The genjutsu path, for him, was likely just a stepping stone. Ninjutsu and taijutsu were where the real ceiling lay. Unless, of course, the system suddenly decided to hand him a pair of Sharingan.
Once his stamina had returned, Hanekawa excused himself and went to the small grove just outside.
Right now, his chakra reserves weren't enough to support training in higher-level jutsu. Better to let the foundation catch up first.
He stopped in front of the wooden practice posts and pulled out a senbon needle he'd prepared beforehand.
Senbon — slender, needle-shaped ninja tools — were the third most common throwing weapon after kunai and shuriken.
Hanekawa flicked his wrist. The senbon whistled through the air and struck the target dead center.
Like shuriken, they were hand-thrown projectiles, and the throwing methods weren't too different.
A pleasant Sunday passed in training.
By evening, he looked at the "Seven Ninja Tools" entry and the rapidly rising progress bar. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips.
Monday morning.
Class 1-A's room was already buzzing with chatter.
Since lessons hadn't started yet, students were paired off in groups, gossiping and trading stories.
Kurenai rested her chin in her hands, feeling restless and annoyed.
Beside her, Sarutobi Asuma was rambling endlessly about what he'd done over the weekend. She had no interest in listening.
Her gaze drifted, almost unconsciously, toward Hanekawa.
He was sitting at his desk, absorbed in a book, expression serious. So serious that she didn't dare interrupt him.
In her memory, from the very day he enrolled, Hanekawa had always been like this — hardworking, focused, disciplined.
It was the total opposite of her.
If she tried reading for more than half an hour, her mind would wander. A passing breeze, a shifting shadow — everything distracted her.
She found herself staring at him in a daze.
Her little junior really was… kind of handsome.
She had already given up on surpassing him, but her "big-sister boss" dream still lived on. A person needed dreams, after all — otherwise they'd just be a salted fish.
Asuma noticed the direction of her gaze. His cheerful expression froze, then twisted.
Him again! That damn Hanekawa brat!
Asuma's teeth clenched, and his brows furrowed. He couldn't just let Hanekawa keep stealing the spotlight.
"Hey, Kurenai," Asuma said, lifting his chin with smug pride. "I learned a Wind Release ninjutsu yesterday."
At the Academy, any student who could use ninjutsu beyond the Three Basics was instantly considered a prodigy — especially since they'd only been in school for two months.
In fact, in the entire class, only Hatake Kakashi could rival him.
Asuma was already imagining Kurenai's reaction, his grin spreading until it was nearly villainous.
"What's so great about that?" Kurenai asked absently.
The grin on Asuma's face froze.
Wasn't that impressive? You can't even compliment me once?
"Hanekawa learned three genjutsu yesterday," Kurenai said, her voice full of pride. It sounded like she was the one who'd mastered them.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Asuma nearly fell out of his chair.
Exaggeration was one thing, outright fabrication was another. Nobody could learn three genjutsu in a single day!
"You don't believe me?" Kurenai raised an eyebrow, half mocking, half smug.
"Of course not," Asuma shot back. "Lies are punished by swallowing three thousand senbon, you know."
As the Hokage's son, trained personally by elite jōnin, Asuma's standards were higher than anyone's. There was no way Hanekawa had done it. Clearly, Kurenai had been tricked by that conniving brat.
"One moment," Kurenai said with a cool smirk.
She stood and walked toward Hanekawa.
But when she stopped in front of him, hesitation struck. Would she be bothering him?
"What is it?" Hanekawa lifted his head and met her eyes.
Kurenai pressed her lips together, then explained the situation.
"A small matter," Hanekawa said lightly.
He had been so absorbed in training these last few days that he had almost forgotten about Sarutobi Asuma — and their agreement to duel three months from now.
Why wait three months? Why not today?
He had just obtained "Thrown Weapon Mastery" and "Genjutsu Novice." His hands were itching for a real fight.
Even if Kurenai hadn't said anything, he would have found a way to push the duel forward.
"Asuma," Hanekawa said, sliding into Kurenai's vacated seat.
"What?" Asuma snapped, eyes sparking with challenge.
Nearby, Mizuki perked up and leaned in, eager for gossip.
"I want to move our duel up," Hanekawa said calmly. "How about today?"
"Move it up?" Asuma blinked, then his face twisted in fury.
This was blatant disrespect! After just one week, Hanekawa thought he stood a chance? Dream on!
"After class, then!" Asuma crossed his arms, his voice full of bravado. "Hope you don't cry when you lose!"
Hanekawa nodded slightly.
He traded a look with Kurenai, then returned to his desk.
For him, the duel was secondary. His real priority was still acing the written exams to trigger another system entry.
Luckily, with the memory of an adult spanning two lives, memorization was far easier for him than for the other children.
"Tch!" Asuma ground his teeth. Hanekawa's calm, detached attitude stung him like a slap.
Couldn't he at least show some respect? Did he not even qualify as a rival?
Fine. After school, he'd crush Hanekawa completely. Maybe then he could win Kurenai's admiration back.
"What is it, Kakashi?" Rin Nohara asked, noticing where his gaze had wandered. She followed it — straight to the new transfer student, Hanekawa.
"They're going to duel after class," Kakashi said evenly.
His eyes sharpened. Man, you've caught my interest.
Hanekawa had only been at the Academy for a week, and already he was challenging Sarutobi Asuma. That was unexpected.
And Asuma wasn't weak — even Kakashi would need effort to put him down.
There was something familiar in Hanekawa's aura. A whiff of a kindred spirit.
"How do you know they're fighting?" Obito Uchiha asked skeptically.
"I heard them," Kakashi replied without inflection. "A ninja's senses should be sharp. Isn't that obvious?"
"You bastard!" Obito snapped, visibly rattled. "Let's take this outside, right now!"
"No interest," Kakashi said coolly.
"Obito," Rin sighed, quickly stepping in to keep the peace. "Class is about to start. Don't."
"Hmph. Fine — for Rin's sake, I'll let you off today," Obito muttered, puffing his cheeks before turning away.