Talent System In The Naruto Universe-Chapter 196. The Third Mizukage Goes to War

As June arrived, summer descended upon Konoha.

Hanekawa squinted at the glaring sunlight and yawned. Walking through the streets, he soon arrived at Konoha Hospital.

He wasn't there to perform surgery, but rather to carry out a task Tsunade had delegated to him—teaching Rin Nohara the Mystical Palm Technique.

After over three years of training, Rin had become a proper Chūnin and had mastered most basic medical ninjutsu. It was now time for her to learn more advanced techniques, starting with the Mystical Palm Technique.

Tsunade, however, wanted to avoid the responsibility and instead hit the casinos, leaving the task to Hanekawa. Since Rin was interning at the hospital, Hanekawa decided to conduct the training there.

"Hanekawa!"

Rin came running up to him.

Hanekawa's eyes lit up.

She was wearing a nurse's uniform.

Unfortunately, she had only thrown it over her regular clothes, not changed into the full uniform. Beneath the hem, her usual outfit and dark red over-the-knee socks were still visible.

"How long have you been waiting?" Hanekawa asked, noticing her bright smile.

"Just a few minutes," Rin replied. "I just got here myself."

"Why are you dressed like that today?" Hanekawa asked as they walked into the hospital side by side.

"I'm still young. If I don't wear the nurse's uniform, some patients don't trust me," Rin admitted, her eyes filled with a hint of longing. "I'm not as famous as you, Hanekawa."

"Don't worry," Hanekawa said, patting her head. "In time, you'll prove yourself and earn their trust."

Standing at around 140 cm tall, Rin's small stature made it easy for him to reach her head.

"Were you like this when you started?" Rin asked, her cheeks tinged pink but not resisting his gesture.

"Yep," Hanekawa said with a smile. "Back then, some patients even asked to have me replaced."

"Really?" Rin's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why would I lie?" Hanekawa explained. "It was the same issue—you're too young."

Rin suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie. So even geniuses faced similar struggles.

"Let me teach you a trick," Hanekawa said, stopping in front of his office.

"What is it?" Rin tilted her head, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"When introducing yourself, just mention that you're Tsunade's student," Hanekawa said, casually opening the door.

"But I'm worried my inexperience might reflect poorly on her," Rin said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, let Sensei handle it," Hanekawa said dismissively. "Besides, the patients might even feel happier."

"Huh?" Rin looked puzzled.

"Because normally, they wouldn't get a chance to see her," Hanekawa said with a laugh. "If they do, they'll be thrilled."

"I see." Rin quickly understood.

In Konoha, Tsunade wasn't just a renowned figure but also the most skilled medical ninja. Seeing her would reassure any patient, no matter how severe their condition.

"Alright, let's start learning the Mystical Palm Technique," Hanekawa said, his tone turning serious.

"Yes!" Rin immediately focused.

The Mystical Palm Technique was an A-rank medical ninjutsu. Although difficult to learn, it was extremely practical and a staple for medical Jōnin. Mastering it was a major step toward becoming a top-tier medical ninja.

Rin knew the importance of this technique and devoted herself wholeheartedly. To her, this marked the threshold between entry-level proficiency and mastery.

Hanekawa spent three days explaining the theory, and on the fourth day, they moved on to practical application.

Their practice subject wasn't a human, of course, but the classic training tool—fish.

"If you have any questions, just call me," Hanekawa said before heading outside to the garden beside his office to practice Wind Release.

Rin stared at him for a few seconds, her cheeks flushing slightly before she turned back to the fish in front of her.

Mastering the Mystical Palm Technique would bring her closer to Hanekawa's level.

Taking a deep breath, she focused and placed her hands over the fish.

Time passed, and soon it was dusk.

"That's enough for today," Hanekawa said, walking back into the office.

"Almost done!" Rin gritted her teeth, her hands pressed together as she continuously channeled chakra.

Her pale face flushed slightly, and sweat beaded on her forehead.

Hanekawa approached and stood beside her.

A few minutes later, Rin couldn't hold on any longer and had to release the chakra.

She stood in place, panting heavily.

Hanekawa casually grabbed a tissue from the desk and gently wiped away Rin Nohara's sweat.

Rin's eyes widened in surprise.

Feeling his soft and careful movements, the blush on her face deepened, spreading all the way to her ears.

"Th-thank you..." Rin stammered awkwardly.

"It's nothing." Hanekawa withdrew his hand and smiled. "You worked hard today. Go home and rest well."

"Um..." Rin hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "I'd like to treat you to dinner!"

"No need to go through the trouble," Hanekawa replied with a shake of his head. "How about coming with me to Sensei's house for dinner instead?"

"I..." Rin lowered her head and said in a barely audible voice, "I... I wanted to thank you personally."

"Oh?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. "So, where should we eat?"

"What do you feel like eating?" Rin, feeling a sense of relief, asked with a touch of excitement in her voice.

"How about Ichiraku Ramen?" Hanekawa suggested after a brief thought.

"Huh?" Rin froze for a moment, surprised. "Just ramen? Isn't that... too simple?"

"The point isn't what we eat." Hanekawa reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "Let's go."

Rin's heart skipped a beat.

The point isn't the food? Then... is it the company?

Following behind Hanekawa, she felt as if her mind was spinning.

When they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, Hanekawa immediately placed his order. "One bowl of char siu ramen, please."

"Hanekawa?" Teuchi, the owner, came out of the kitchen, his face lighting up with surprise and joy.

"...?" Hanekawa looked confused. Why is he so excited to see me?

The reason became clear soon enough.

"Ayame, come out quickly!" Teuchi turned and called loudly. "Your idol is here!"

A small, black-haired girl, who looked no older than a few years, came running out.

She looked up at Hanekawa, covered her mouth with her hands, and gasped in awe.

Ayame?

Hanekawa suddenly remembered—this was Teuchi's daughter.

Though her appearances in the original story were limited, she still left a strong impression as a supporting character, much like her father.

Interestingly, she was one of the few people who had seen Kakashi Hatake's face.

"Big Brother Hanekawa!"

Ayame ran up to him enthusiastically and introduced herself. "I'm Ayame! My favorite ninja is you!"

"Thank you." Hanekawa smiled and extended his hand.

Ayame's eyes sparkled as she eagerly clasped his hand with both of hers.

"Tonight's on me," Teuchi said cheerfully. "Order whatever you like, my treat."

"That's too generous," Hanekawa said, momentarily taken aback.

"No worries." Teuchi glanced at Ayame and added, "Just come by often in the future."

"Alright then." Hanekawa stopped being polite, picked Ayame up, and seated her on a stool. "Get her a bowl of ramen too."

"Coming right up," Teuchi said, heading back into the kitchen.

"Big Brother Hanekawa, you're even more handsome than the rumors say!" Ayame exclaimed excitedly.

"Rumors?" Hanekawa asked curiously.

Rin listened to their conversation and couldn't help but think about how popular Hanekawa was.

"Ramen is ready!" Teuchi soon brought out three bowls of ramen.

"Itadakimasu!" Hanekawa clapped his hands together, took in the rich aroma, and picked up his chopsticks.

After finishing their ramen, Rin and Hanekawa left Ichiraku Ramen under Ayame's reluctant gaze.

"I need to head back to cook for my teacher. See you tomorrow." Hanekawa glanced at the sky and said.

"Alright. See you tomorrow." Rin nodded.

After parting with Rin, Hanekawa walked toward Tsunade's house.

On his way past the Hokage Rock, he suddenly stopped.

Lava Release and Wood Release...

He had been planning to leverage his "genius" reputation to pretend he had synthesized a kekkei genkai.

Perhaps now was the right time. He'd start with Lava Release. Once Tsunade got used to that, she'd be more accepting when he revealed Wood Release later.

Changing course, Hanekawa headed to the Hokage's office, not to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi, but to borrow books from the Anbu about kekkei genkai synthesis.

"Why are you so late today?"

Hearing the sound of the door, Tsunade got up and leaned against the wall at the entrance, asking.

"Rin invited me to dinner to thank me for teaching her the Mystical Palm Technique," Hanekawa answered honestly.

"She's still so polite," Tsunade said with a shake of her head.

"She's the normal one," Hanekawa said, stopping in front of her. "Unlike you."

"What did you just say?" Tsunade's expression darkened. "Do you have a death wish, brat?"

With that, she lifted her bare foot and stepped on his foot, her cold and soft sole barely making contact before pulling away.

"Ouch!" Hanekawa glanced at her delicate feet and said, "I'll go cook."

"Hurry up!" Tsunade huffed. "I'm starving!"

"Yes, Sensei."

Hanekawa quickly headed to the kitchen. To save time, he used Fire Release directly for cooking.

In less than ten minutes, the dishes were served.

"What are you looking at?" Tsunade asked, slightly surprised.

"How to fuse Earth Release and Fire Release," Hanekawa replied casually.

"Are you trying to learn Lava Release?" Tsunade recalled the Lava Release techniques he had previously asked for.

"Yes," Hanekawa nodded. "Lava Release has considerable power, so I'm seeing if I can combine it."

"That's not so easy," Tsunade said with a slight frown, cautioning him. "Instead of this, you'd be better off learning the Third Hokage's combination techniques."

"I'm already working on that," Hanekawa explained. "I still need to improve my Wind Release."

Tsunade thought for a moment but said nothing more. Hanekawa was always decisive in his choices, so she didn't worry too much.

"I'll do the dishes," she said after dinner, noticing that Hanekawa was still engrossed in his book. To his surprise, she took the plates and went to wash them.

After finishing the dishes, Tsunade returned to the living room.

She leaned slightly forward, lowering her head to glance at the book in Hanekawa's hands.

After a moment, she rubbed her temples and asked, "Do you really think you can learn Lava Release this way?"

It seemed impossible to her. If Lava Release could be learned like this, it wouldn't be a kekkei genkai.

"I don't know," Hanekawa replied reflexively, only to be greeted by a certain "burden" in his view. He blinked a few times.

"Then why are you even trying?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.

"I don't have anything better to do," Hanekawa said, patting the spot on the couch beside him. "Sensei, do you want to help me?"

"Fine," Tsunade said, sitting down. "I'm a jonin, after all. I know a thing or two about nature transformations."

Listening to her explanation and catching the faint fragrance she carried, Hanekawa felt that this was a great decision.

---

Two weeks later.

Two Hanekawas stood outside Tsunade's house.

One hand was generating Earth Release chakra, and the other, Fire Release chakra. Under their coordinated control, the two chakra natures slowly began to merge.

Not far away, Tsunade watched with a strange expression.

Is this actually working?

She had never seen anyone attempt to synthesize a kekkei genkai like this before.

However, just as the chakra fusion reached halfway, it destabilized and split apart in opposite directions.

Another failure?

Even so, it was a noticeable improvement from earlier attempts.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind broke the silence.

An Anbu ninja, Haru, appeared before them.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked sharply.

"The Third Mizukage is leading 5,000 Mist Village ninja toward the Land of Rivers," Haru reported in a low voice. "The Hokage has ordered you to depart immediately. You don't need to meet with him—3,000 ninja are already being mobilized."

Tsunade had been expecting this.

"So the Third Mizukage is leading the charge personally? Looks like this isn't a minor skirmish but a decisive battle," she mused.

"Have all the ninja gather at the village gate. We leave in two hours," Tsunade instructed.

"Understood," Haru replied, disappearing instantly.

"So much for the peaceful days," Hanekawa said, dismissing his shadow clone.

His method of training was improvised, though it wasn't entirely without merit. Given the difficulty of mastering Lava Release, he figured he could stretch it out for another month or two before announcing its successful synthesis.

"Go inform Rin and Kurenai," Tsunade said, looking at him.

She had quite enjoyed the past two weeks of discussing Lava Release with Hanekawa.

"Got it," Hanekawa replied. "I'll go now."

Rin was at Konoha Hospital, her Mystical Palm Technique barely at an entry-level stage, while Kurenai was at home practicing Water Release.

After delivering the messages, Hanekawa went on a large-scale shopping trip, knowing the war was likely to be lengthy.

5,000 Mist Village ninja—defeating them alone would take quite some time.

Konoha dispatched 3,000 ninja, and the Sand Village sent another 2,000, making a total of 5,000.

The Sand Village ninja arrived first.

Two days later, Konoha's forces reached the Land of Rivers and joined up with them.

The one greeting them was none other than Chiyo.

The elder and advisor of the Sand Village, Chiyo was one of its finest puppet masters and also skilled in medical ninjutsu, taijutsu, and sealing techniques.

"Princess Tsunade," Chiyo said, approaching with a neutral expression. "Greetings."

"Granny Chiyo," Tsunade responded with a faint smile. "Still as healthy as ever, I see."

The two had clashed during the Second Shinobi World War in a battle of poisoning and antidotes, leaving their relationship strained.

Not to mention the fact that Sakumo Hatake had killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law.

_

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