Outside Tsunade's house, Hanekawa moved through a series of hand seals. The ground beneath him rippled and transformed, a massive dragon head erupting from the earth. It opened its maw and fired a dense mud projectile that exploded against a nearby tree with tremendous force. The trunk snapped like kindling.
Hanekawa nodded, satisfied. Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet—a solid B-rank technique he'd mastered in about a week.
Then his body went rigid.
Information flooded his mind in a torrent—memories from his shadow clone in the Hidden Cloud, every detail crystallizing in his consciousness. The training methods for Lightning Style Chakra Mode. The sparring matches with the Yugito. All of it, perfectly preserved.
Good.
A smile crossed his face. The mission had been a success. Not only had he obtained the Lightning Style Chakra Mode training, but he'd also gathered valuable intelligence. The Hidden Cloud hadn't cut ties with him afterward, which was... interesting. They probably had no choice. Without Hanekawa's help, Chiyo's poison was incurable, and breaking with him meant breaking with Tsunade. Going after Chiyo directly was even more impossible.
"Hanekawa!"
He turned at the familiar voice. Tsunade stood in the doorway, stretching languidly. Her movements were fluid, graceful—the kind of casual elegance that came from absolute confidence in one's own strength.
"Coming!" He jogged over.
"Practicing Earth Style again?" she asked, watching him approach.
"Yeah. I'll start dinner soon—"
"Not yet." Tsunade shook her head. "The ANBU just delivered a message. The Old Man wants to see us at the Hokage Building."
Hanekawa's interest piqued. "A mission?"
"No idea." Tsunade yawned. "He just said to come by."
"Then why drag me along?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You still want to be Hokage, don't you?"
Here we go. "I want to be Hokage after you," he corrected carefully.
"Then you wait." She smirked. "Maybe I'll step down if I'm in a good mood one day."
"You seem to be in a good mood now," Hanekawa said with a slight grin. "How about we just take over the Hokage Building right now?"
Tsunade flicked his forehead hard enough to make him wince. "And get tortured by ANBU? I don't think so."
"You'd protect me," he said, catching her hand before she could pull away.
Tsunade's breathing hitched. She stared at him for a moment, then turned away sharply. "Stop wasting time. The Old Man's waiting."
Smooth, Hanekawa. Real smooth.
They walked toward the Hokage Building, making small talk about dinner. Tsunade kicked the office door open without bothering to knock—a move that immediately drew a sharp rebuke.
"Tsunade, you have no respect for protocol whatsoever!"
Danzo Shimura stood near the Hokage's desk, his single eye fixed on her with obvious disapproval.
"And you have no right to criticize me," Tsunade shot back without hesitation.
"Hiruzen!" Danzo's voice took on a demanding edge. "With her attitude, how can she properly receive the Hidden Sand delegation?"
Tsunade's eyebrows shot up. "Receive a delegation? Since when?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained calm, his pipe smoke curling lazily. "Pakura from the Hidden Sand is arriving today. She holds considerable influence and is a strong candidate for the next Kazekage. Konoha should send someone of appropriate status."
"Let me handle it," Danzo said flatly. "I'm more than capable—"
"No." Hiruzen's tone left no room for argument. "You're needed elsewhere, Danzo. Tsunade and her team will manage the reception."
Danzo's jaw tightened. "This is a mistake, Hiruzen. You'll regret it."
He turned and left, his footsteps heavy with barely suppressed anger.
Hanekawa filed that away. Danzo was clearly frustrated about something beyond just the delegation. The man's ambitions were showing cracks.
"Pakura will arrive in about an hour," Hiruzen continued, as if the interruption hadn't happened. "Prepare yourselves accordingly."
"This is such a hassle," Tsunade muttered.
"It's necessary," Hiruzen replied. "The Hidden Sand has suffered significant losses in their conflict with the Cloud. They'll be seeking allies. This alliance could prove valuable—especially given recent developments."
"The Land of Rain incident?" Tsunade asked.
"Precisely. We eliminated a thousand Hidden Cloud elite forces. The Hidden Sand knows this. If we can coordinate with them against the Cloud, we distribute the pressure. It's strategic necessity."
Tsunade nodded, understanding the calculus immediately. "Fine. I'll do it."
---
Root Base
Danzo slammed his fist against the stone table, the impact leaving a small crack.
Treated like a tool. Discarded when inconvenient.
He'd served the village for decades. He'd built Root from nothing, created soldiers that could rival any jonin. And yet Hiruzen still looked at him like he was a liability to be managed.
Power. I need more power.
His thoughts drifted to Yamato—to Wood Style, that legendary kekkei genkai. If he possessed that ability, Hiruzen's authority would mean nothing. With Wood Style, he could become Hokage himself.
A knock interrupted his spiraling thoughts.
"Enter."
A Root operative stepped inside, presenting a sealed letter with both hands. "A message from Hanzo of the Rain Village, Lord Danzo."
Danzo opened it and read. His expression darkened with each line.
The letter was an accusation: Danzo was a traitor, secretly supporting the Akatsuki organization to destabilize the Land of Rain. Hanzo demanded an explanation.
"Bastard!" Danzo crumpled the letter. "Who does he think he is?"
The irony wasn't lost on him. He had been supporting Akatsuki—but only recently, and only because Tsunade had suggested it. He'd only learned about the arrangement after Konoha eliminated the Cloud's thousand-man force.
In Danzo's mind, there was only one explanation: Tsunade was positioning herself for greater power and influence. The Akatsuki support, the alliance with the Hidden Sand—it was all part of her plan to become Hokage.
He pulled out fresh paper and began writing a response to Hanzo. If the Akatsuki organization grew too powerful, Tsunade's reputation would skyrocket. He needed to eliminate that threat before it became unstoppable.
---
Konoha's Main Gate
Hanekawa stood beside Tsunade, watching the road. The morning air was crisp—March was warming up, though winter's chill lingered.
Nara Shikaku stood nearby with eight jonin, clearly here to handle the actual negotiations. Hiruzen had been smart enough to know that Tsunade's talents lay elsewhere.
"They're coming," Shikaku announced.
A group of Hidden Sand ninjas approached—sixteen total, led by a woman in a backless black dress. Her hair was styled elegantly, pinned up with a decorative comb, with two locks framing her face. She moved with practiced grace.
Pakura.
"Princess Tsunade," she said warmly, extending her hand. "It's an honor to meet you."
"The journey must have been difficult," Tsunade replied, shaking her hand firmly. "Welcome to The Hidden Leaf."
Pakura introduced her delegation—four jonin and twelve chunin. Hanekawa recognized two of them: Maki, who would become Gaara's mentor and the Kazekage's right hand, and Yura, whose name he filed away for future reference.
"How is Chiyo?" Tsunade asked suddenly. "I heard she fought the Third Raikage."
"Grandmother Chiyo is well," Pakura said smoothly. "She's managing affairs in the Hidden Sand, but she asked me to convey her regards."
Regards. Hanekawa almost smiled. The two women had poisoned and counter-poisoned each other during the Second War. "Regards" was probably the politest way to describe their relationship.
"Let's go," Tsunade said. "We've prepared food and drink. Follow me."
As they walked, Pakura's eyes found Hanekawa. "Is this Hanekawa?"
Tsunade's lips curved slightly. "You know of him?"
"The Hidden Sand has heard much about your apprentice. Talented. Powerful. The finest of Konoha's younger generation." Pakura smiled. "We have no one quite like him."
"He still has much to learn," Tsunade said, though her tone suggested otherwise.
Hanekawa remained quiet, listening. The Hidden Sand's situation was precarious—they needed allies more than they needed pride. The Second War had ended only recently; old grudges wouldn't disappear overnight.
Interesting timing, he thought, watching Pakura. With Rasa injured, the succession is wide open. Wonder if she's positioning herself.
But that wasn't his concern. Not yet, anyway.
---
The Dinner Table
Once seated, Pakura got down to business.
"The Hidden Sand came hoping to form an alliance with Konoha," she said, picking up her chopsticks. "The Hidden Cloud's aggression is a threat we share. We hope The Hidden Leaf will stand with us."
"An alliance is always welcome," Tsunade replied casually, selecting a piece of chicken. "But we'll need to discuss terms."
"Of course." Pakura seemed relieved that Tsunade hadn't outright refused. "The details can be worked out with your strategist."
Tsunade glanced at Shikaku. "Handle it after dinner."
And just like that, the formal negotiations were delegated. Tsunade returned to her meal while Pakura and Shikaku began the preliminary discussions.
Hanekawa ate quietly, thinking about the larger picture. The Hidden Cloud's ambitions. The Hidden Sand's desperation. Danzo's obvious frustration. The Akatsuki organization growing in the shadows.
Too many moving pieces, he thought. And I'm still just a kid playing with jutsu.
But that was fine. He had time. And unlike everyone else at this table, he had the Ability System.
One step at a time.
He took another bite of food and listened to the negotiations unfold around him.