Chapter 119. The Uchiha Clan’s Invitation

Chapter 119 - 119. The Uchiha Clan’s InvitationTwo days passed in the blink of an eye. Hanekawa didn't follow Tsunade to the casino but instead trained in Water Release with Kurenai Yuhi. At this point, he had already unlocked Chunin-level attributes for Wind, Water, Lightning, Earth, and Fire. However, to advance to the Special Jonin attribute, he needed to raise his proficiency to mastery level. Previously, he had primarily focused on Lightning Release, so the B-rank attribute "Special Jonin in Lightning Release" was the furthest along, already at 80%. Aside from Lightning Release, Water and Earth Release took priority, as they were essential for synthesizing Wood Release. Even though it was Yamato's version of Wood Release, it was still Wood Release. --- A new day began. Hanekawa and Kurenai headed to Tsunade's house together. Rin Nohara had arrived early and was already waiting. After breakfast, the four of them moved to the open area outside the house. "Kurenai, Rin, train on your own. If you have questions, ask me," Tsunade said before turning to Hanekawa with a smile. "You, come with me." "Understood," Kurenai and Rin replied in unison, though their curiosity was piqued. They wondered what Tsunade and Hanekawa were up to. Hanekawa, however, knew all too well what was coming: a beating. Time to honor the legendary "Pressure Resistance King." "Ready?" Tsunade stood across from Hanekawa. "Let's begin when you're ready." "Yes, sensei," Hanekawa said, taking a deep breath. Body Flicker Technique! Without hesitation, he used full speed right from the start. A blur darted forward, and in an instant, Hanekawa was in front of Tsunade. Super Strength! He clenched his fist and swung it directly. "Not bad," Tsunade remarked, casually stepping back and raising her leg for a kick. Hanekawa couldn't follow her movements at all. Before he knew it, his body was flying backward. Midair, he reacted quickly, channeling chakra to his legs, stabilizing himself upon landing. She's incredible! Hanekawa thought. If Tsunade hadn't held back, that kick could have ended him. Even with his enhanced Body Flicker Technique and speed attribute, unrivaled among Chunins, he was no match for a Jonin. "Come at me," Tsunade said, gesturing with her fingers. Hanekawa charged forward again. Earth-Shattering Step! He stomped hard, cracking the ground into a web-like pattern. Tsunade dodged easily, even flicking his forehead in a teasing manner. The massive force made Hanekawa take two steps back, his head buzzing. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So she had been holding back with those forehead flicks before! Shaking his head to clear it, Hanekawa resumed the fight. Tsunade stepped forward with a simple straight punch aimed at his face. Leaf Strong Whirlwind! Hanekawa twisted his body into a spinning back kick. Fist and leg collided, and both took half a step back. "Who taught you that?" Tsunade asked, surprised. "It was Might Duy, Might Guy's father," Hanekawa replied. "He's not a Jonin, is he?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She had occasionally visited the Ninja Academy and met Might Guy, but she had no impression of Might Duy, a mere Genin. "He's a Genin, but he's very skilled," Hanekawa explained. "Is that so?" Tsunade smiled. "This taijutsu is decent, but it's not exceptional." "He knows the Eight Gates," Hanekawa said as he dodged another of her attacks. "The Eight Gates?" Tsunade's expression shifted to surprise. "That demanding taijutsu? Someone actually mastered it?" "Yes," Hanekawa confirmed, narrowly avoiding her deadly kick. "How peculiar," Tsunade said, throwing another punch. "Are you lying to me? If someone had mastered the Eight Gates, they'd be famous." Bang! Hanekawa failed to dodge this time and took the punch squarely. Grimacing, he said, "Because no one teams up with him, he can't take on missions." "That's a thing?" Tsunade paused, refraining from another attack. "Yes," Hanekawa said, rubbing his bruised shoulder with a grin. "When you become Hokage, you should give him a chance. He won't disappoint you." "Why are you bringing up me becoming Hokage again?" Tsunade said, cracking her knuckles with a cold smile. "Seems like I need to beat it out of you!" She closed the distance in an instant, initiating another round of combat. Kurenai and Rin watched, stunned. "Did he make Tsunade-sensei angry?" Rin swallowed nervously, worried for Hanekawa as the intense sparring looked like a real fight. "No," Kurenai said after observing for a moment. "Tsunade-sensei is clearly holding back." "True," Rin said, recalling Tsunade effortlessly killing Grass Village Jonin, Sungen, with one punch. There was no way Hanekawa could exchange blows with her if she were serious. It was definitely just training. Still, the intensity of the training would leave injuries. Rin made a mental note to heal Hanekawa afterward. In the three months they had been on the same team, she realized she hadn't once used her medical ninjutsu on her teammates. "Take a break," Tsunade said cheerfully. "Yes," Hanekawa replied. Compared to Tsunade, Hanekawa looked utterly disheveled. His whole body ached, giving him the illusion that it might fall apart at any moment. "Hanekawa!" Rin Nohara quickly ran over. "Let me heal you," she offered eagerly. This kid is really popular, Tsunade thought. She had planned to heal Hanekawa herself but decided to let Rin take over. It would also be a good opportunity for Rin to practice her medical ninjutsu. "Thank you," Hanekawa said, noticing Rin's hopeful expression. He didn't have the heart to refuse her. "Where does it hurt?" Rin asked excitedly. Finally, she had a chance to be useful! "My arm," Hanekawa said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal faint bruises. "Got it!" Rin raised her hands and activated her healing technique. Warm chakra enveloped Hanekawa's arm, creating a slight tickling sensation that was more soothing than uncomfortable. "Maybe I should learn medical ninjutsu too?" Kurenai Yuhi mused from a distance, briefly considering the idea. However, she quickly dismissed it—learning genjutsu and Water Release already consumed all her energy. "Hanekawa is such a freak," Kurenai muttered under her breath. She struggled to balance just two disciplines, yet Hanekawa excelled in so many. If that wasn't freakish, what was? Shaking her head, Kurenai returned her focus to training. "That's enough, thank you," Hanekawa said, stopping Rin from continuing. "You don't have to be so polite... Oh, sorry!" Rin realized something, her face turning red as she quickly walked away. "...?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what Rin had misunderstood, but the girls in the ninja world always seemed so mature for their age. The real reason Hanekawa stopped her was that he was already healing. Thanks to his B-level ability, "Markless Healing," his body's self-healing was boosted by 150%. Only his arms, which bore the brunt of his exchanges with Tsunade, had visible bruises. --- In the afternoon, Hanekawa resumed his sparring—or more accurately, his beatings. Still, it wasn't all for nothing. He not only gained battle experience but also improved his taijutsu proficiency. With Tsunade's help, Hanekawa felt he could unlock the B-level attribute "Special Jonin in Taijutsu" much sooner than expected. "That's terrifying," Shisui Uchiha muttered as he arrived and caught sight of Hanekawa sparring with Tsunade. Although Shisui had made significant progress in kenjutsu under Sakumo Hatake's guidance, he still couldn't compare to Hanekawa. Watching for a while, Shisui thought, If I were in his place, I wouldn't last this long, even with my Sharingan activated. Tsunade's speed was so overwhelming that a single-tomoe Sharingan would be utterly useless. Determined, Shisui resolved to train even harder. --- Half an hour later, Hanekawa and Tsunade stopped. "Lady Tsunade," Shisui called respectfully as he approached, holding out an invitation. "The clan leader asked me to deliver this to you." "So Mikoto's child is named Itachi?" Tsunade said as she opened the invitation and glanced at it. "Tell Fugaku I'll be there on time." "Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shisui nodded. He quickly cone over to Hanekawa. "What is it?" Hanekawa asked curiously. "Hanekawa-senpai, there's one for you too," Shisui said, handing over another invitation. Tsunade raised an eyebrow and took back her own invitation. At Hanekawa's age, it was unusual for the Uchiha clan to send him an invitation. The most likely reason was to curry favor with her—or perhaps the Hokage faction. Hanekawa hesitated briefly before accepting the invitation. The contents were simple: an invitation to attend the hundred-day celebration of Itachi Uchiha's birth. In the ninja world, there were no one-month celebrations, only hundred-day celebrations, which were significant milestones for newborns. Hanekawa's expression turned odd. He had no real connection to the Uchiha clan. This invitation was clearly a political gesture aimed at Tsunade or the Hokage faction. Itachi was just a newborn, and the celebration wouldn't take place for another three months. Hanekawa put away the invitation and said, "I'll attend with my Sensei." "Understood," Shisui said with a smile. "I'll inform the clan leader." With that, he turned and left. "You're quite clever," Tsunade remarked, glancing at Hanekawa. "I learned from you, sensei," Hanekawa replied with a grin. "Praising me won't get you out of training," Tsunade said with a sly smile. "Let's continue." "Yes, ma'am," Hanekawa sighed. -- As July ended, August arrived, marking Hanekawa's twelfth birthday. Compared to Itachi Uchiha's upcoming hundred-day celebration, his birthday was much less eventful. Most of his friends were away on missions, so few could attend. After August came September, and the Uchiha clan's compound began bustling with activity. Unlike previous celebrations, this hundred-day feast included many non-Uchiha ninjas. The reason? The shifting attitude of Konoha's leadership, led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, particularly toward Shisui and Obito Uchiha. __ New entry: This Danzo Is Weird Patreon.com/rashta Be a member so you can read: New. 250 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird 1. 250 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete)