The stadium was nearly empty by the time Hanekawa made his way down from the competitors' platform. Most of the spectators had already filtered out—including the heavy hitters like the Third Hokage and Uchiha Fugaku. Might Guy had been carted off to Konoha Hospital by his father after passing out, which left the stands looking oddly sparse.
Hanekawa scanned the remaining crowd and quickly spotted Tsunade, Minato, and Kushina waiting near the upper seating.
"Hanekawa! Over here!"
Kushina waved enthusiastically, her red hair practically glowing in the afternoon light. He climbed the stairs toward them, already bracing himself for whatever came next.
"Congratulations on first place," Minato said warmly, offering a genuine smile.
"Thank you." Hanekawa turned to Tsunade, studying her expression. Okay, so... nothing? Really?
Tsunade rolled her eyes at him—apparently his face was an open book.
"You two chat," Kushina announced, linking her arm through Minato's. "We'll get out of your way. Don't want to interrupt the teacher-student bonding moment." She dragged Minato away before either of them could protest, leaving Hanekawa alone with his mentor.
"Well done," Tsunade said, her tone turning serious. "But don't let it go to your head. Chunin is just the beginning."
Hanekawa held out his hand expectantly. "So... what's my reward?"
"No."
Tsunade raised her hand and tapped his palm lightly. "What reward do you expect for passing the Chunin Exam? You only used your full strength once during the entire thing. I'd be generous just not punishing you."
His gaze drifted downward—purely by accident, he told himself—and lingered for a moment on her chest before he caught himself. Oh no. Did I just—
The system notification appeared anyway.
Triggering keyword confirmed.
"You're cheating," he said, forcing his eyes back to her face. "Aren't you worried I'll find a different teacher?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously, her fists clenching. "You can try."
"Ahem—I was just joking!" Hanekawa said quickly, speaking from the heart now. "There's no female ninja in all of Konoha prettier than you. I'd never switch."
Tsunade laughed, the tension breaking instantly. "You little brat. I'll let it slide this time." Mainly because that actually worked, she thought with amusement. Apparently flattery about beauty never gets old, no matter who you are.
"Thank you, Teacher. So about that reward...?"
"What do you want?" Tsunade asked, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "You're getting old, but you still look like a kid."
"Then why do you still treat me like one?" he asked, his mouth twitching.
"Because I'm your teacher," she said, her smile widening.
"Right. Teacher." He sighed.
Tsunade studied him for a moment, her heart doing something strange in her chest. From this close, he really was annoyingly good-looking. Before she could overthink it, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead.
Hanekawa froze. His vision filled with white—the color of her skin, her hair—and he found himself momentarily disoriented.
"There," Tsunade said, turning away. "A lucky kiss to help change your fortune. Now let's go home."
She pursed her lips as she walked, feeling that odd sensation again. I've kissed his forehead before. Why does this feel different?
"Teacher," Hanekawa called, catching up to her. "Isn't that reward a little... easy? No actual gift?"
"It's not a big deal. Why would I prepare a gift?" Tsunade snorted. "Besides, you can't exactly return a kiss."
"Actually, I could," he said without thinking.
Tsunade stopped dead and turned to look at him, a dangerous smile spreading across her face. "You dare?"
"I absolutely dare!" Hanekawa shot back, bristling at her tone.
Tsunade blinked, that strange feeling returning. She quickly suppressed it and kept walking. "Come on, keep up."
"Why are you walking so fast?" he asked, jogging to catch up.
"I'm hungry!" she snapped.
Ah, the legendary combination of poor and perpetually starving, Hanekawa thought. And Tsunade is definitely still broke.
"What would you like to eat, Teacher?"
"Meat," she said without hesitation.
"No problem. I promise you'll be satisfied."
---
Back at home, Tsunade transformed into full relaxation mode. She kicked off her high-heeled sandals, padded barefoot into the living room, and collapsed onto the sofa with a satisfied sigh.
Hanekawa carefully placed her shoes on the rack, then glanced back at the sofa. From his angle, he could only see her legs stretched out and the pale soles of her feet turned outward. Right. Focus. Kitchen. Now.
"I'll start cooking," he announced, heading to the kitchen.
Since she wanted meat, he decided on tempura—a safe choice that was hard to mess up. Thirty minutes later, the aroma of fried shrimp and vegetables filled the apartment.
"That smells incredible," Tsunade said, appearing at the dining table. She nodded with satisfaction.
You smell better, Hanekawa thought, catching the faint fragrance that always seemed to surround her. He found himself staring at her face—the flawless skin, the sharp features. Is this what the Yin Seal does? Some kind of perpetual beauty preservation?
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
"That's probably Jiraiya," Tsunade said, dropping her smile. "He's likely here to say goodbye."
Hanekawa opened the door to find the white-haired Sannin grinning at him. "You did well in the Chunin Exam, kid. You've got the makings of a great ninja—reminds me of myself back in the day!"
"Weren't you the one who got beaten by Orochimaru and ran away screaming?" Tsunade's voice carried from the living room.
"Slander!" Jiraiya protested, though his face flushed. "It was Orochimaru who got beaten and fled!"
"Really? Should we call him and ask?" Tsunade took a bite of tempura, completely unbothered.
"No need to bother the man when he's so busy," Jiraiya said quickly, pivoting. "Is that tempura? Looks amazing."
"Hanekawa made it," Tsunade said casually.
"You're a good apprentice," Jiraiya said, glancing at the boy. "You remind me of Minato."
"Not really," Tsunade said, shaking her head. Minato's like the perfect student. Hanekawa's the troublemaker who somehow always lands on his feet. And honestly? I prefer the latter.
"At least you can both cook," Jiraiya conceded.
Hanekawa sat down and ate quietly while the two Sannin caught up. He had nothing to contribute to their reminiscing.
"So what brings you here?" Tsunade eventually asked.
"Nothing serious," Jiraiya said. "I'm leaving tomorrow, so I wanted to say goodbye."
"Of course you are," Tsunade said flatly.
"It's for the peace of the ninja world," Jiraiya continued earnestly. "I'm searching for the signs of the prophecy—"
"Stop," Tsunade interrupted. "Stop talking about your mysterious child of prophecy that you don't even know where to find."
"I'll find him!" Jiraiya declared with absolute conviction.
Tsunade said nothing, but her expression suggested she had opinions she was choosing to keep to herself.
After Jiraiya left, Hanekawa was washing dishes when Tsunade leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching him.
"Do you think there's really such a thing as a child of prophecy?" she asked.
"Do you believe in it, Teacher?" he countered, not looking up.
"No," Tsunade said with a slight laugh. "If I did, I'd be out there searching like Jiraiya."
"Then I don't believe in it either."
"That's not what I asked," Tsunade said, unable to help herself. "Why are you being so evasive? I've never seen you this obedient before."
"I'm always obedient," he protested, drying his hands. He turned to face her. "My honest opinion? It's better to rely on yourself than to depend on others."
Tsunade paused, something shifting in her expression. "That's... actually a good point. I like that."
"It's because you taught me well," he said smoothly.
"Smooth talker," she said, but she was smiling. "As a reward, you're coming to the casino with me this afternoon."
"That's a reward for me?" he asked incredulously.
"If I say it's for you, it's for you," Tsunade said, stretching her leg to block the doorway. "And if you don't agree, you're not leaving this kitchen today."
Is she seriously using that rule again? Hanekawa remembered the last time she'd trapped him in a room with an impossible condition. "Let's go," he said quickly.
"That's what I thought," Tsunade said, satisfaction written all over her face.
---
In the depths of Root headquarters, Danzo Shimura stood watching a young boy practice Wood Style jutsu. Wooden pillars erupted from the ground, bending into protective arches around him.
Hashirama's Wood Style, Danzo thought, his eyes gleaming with desire. The power of the God of Shinobi himself. A shame I can't have it yet.
The boy—Yamato, though Danzo still thought of him as Kabuto—had been subjected to countless experiments. None had succeeded without rejection. It was... frustrating.
A Root operative appeared and knelt. "Lord Danzo, the Chunin Exam results."
Danzo opened the scroll and immediately felt a spike of regret. First place: Hanekawa.
I should have just taken him when I had the chance, he thought bitterly. What could Sarutobi Hiruzen have done? Kill me? Unlikely.
He continued scanning the rankings, noting that Might Guy had placed second. Unexpected. Interesting.
Danzo's mind was already working through possibilities. Perhaps it was time to make contact with the boy. If he could be recruited into Root...
The possibilities were endless.