Chapter 187. Victory and a New Trait

Chapter 187 - 187. Victory and a New TraitTsunade carried Hanekawa, channeling her chakra into his body through her hands. After a careful circulation, she exhaled in relief. Just as Hanekawa had said, his chakra was severely depleted, but he hadn't sustained any injuries during the battle. However, this didn't mean there was no danger. Chakra, a mix of physical and spiritual energy, could lead to extreme exhaustion when nearly drained. If completely depleted, it could result in death. Fortunately, Hanekawa wasn't at that critical point yet. Suddenly, Tsunade's body tensed. She instinctively looked down to find Hanekawa with his face nestled against her curved chest. The warm breath he exhaled against her skin sent strange sensations coursing through her. A complicated expression crossed Tsunade's face. She felt like she was sinking into a dangerous abyss, yet she didn't resist the feeling much. Silently, she made her way back to the Konoha base camp. --- Hanekawa wasn't actually asleep. Leaning against the soft, elastic "pillow," his head spinning, he couldn't drift off no matter how tired he was. Just then, three lines of text appeared before him, catching his attention. [A-Rank Talent Trait: Flower Fruit Mountain] [Trigger Condition: Defeat the Four-Tails, Son Gokū.] [Effect: Automatically learn Lava Release.] Hanekawa's heart stirred. "What a treasure!" he thought. Under the same amount of chakra usage, Kekkei Genkai were far more powerful than regular jutsu. The reason was simple: Kekkei Genkai combined two nature transformations. Lava Release, a fusion of Fire and Earth elements, manifested as magma. Having just fought Roshi, Hanekawa was well aware of Lava Release's formidable power. Thanks to the system, he could now use Lava Release too. It was an undeniably huge gain. The downside was that Konoha lacked any Lava Release techniques. The upside? Iwagakure had plenty. In the original series, ninja who used Lava Release included Roshi, Kurotsuchi, and Dodai, with two of them hailing from Iwagakure. Additionally, Naruto Uzumaki could use Lava Release after absorbing the Four-Tails' chakra, but that was a special case. Now that Roshi had been captured alive, Konoha had two options: 1. Extract Lava Release techniques from his mind. 2. Use him as leverage to trade with Iwagakure for more Lava Release techniques. As for how Hanekawa could suddenly use Lava Release, he could always chalk it up to being a genius. He could claim that the battle with Roshi had inspired him, and with his mastery of Fire and Earth Release, he'd managed to create Lava Release on his own. Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others wouldn't doubt him—they'd see it as a boon. After all, it meant Konoha now possessed Lava Release Kekkei Genkai, which could be passed down either genetically or through teaching. The former didn't require talent but relied on luck, while the latter demanded exceptional talent. Either way, having potential was better than none at all. Hanekawa's thoughts wandered. If defeating the Four-Tails granted Lava Release, then defeating other tailed beasts might yield their respective techniques too. For example, Magnet Release from the One-Tail or Boil Release from the Five-Tails. But that was a distant goal. Hanekawa had only defeated Roshi due to the double Water Release buffs from his "Rain God" and "Water Release Special Jōnin" traits. His Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Wind Release lacked such bonuses, making it impossible to defeat other tailed beasts for now. Suddenly, Hanekawa murmured, "Not entirely impossible." He remembered that the Two-Tails, Matatabi, also used Fire Release. If he ever encountered the fully-transformed Yugito Nii, he wouldn't need to worry much. "Maybe Tsunade and I will be sent to the Kumogakure battlefield later," he thought. If that happened, he could look for an opportunity to defeat Yugito Nii and gain Fire Release buffs. Opening his eyes, Hanekawa found himself staring at a snowy valley. His current angle was simply too perfect. Unfortunately, his time admiring the "snowy mountain" was cut short. Tsunade had returned to the Konoha base camp. As the ninja stationed there greeted her, she shook her head slightly, signaling them to forgo formalities. "Get some rest." She entered her tent and placed Hanekawa gently on a carpet. "Sensei." Hanekawa grabbed her hand, saying, "Stay safe." "Iwagakure's forces have suffered a major defeat. Only scattered remnants remain—there's no real danger." Tsunade looked down at him with a smile. "Mm." Hanekawa released her hand and closed his eyes. Exhaustion overtook him. In Tsunade's arms, he'd been forcing himself to stay awake. Now, as soon as he shut his eyes, he fell into a deep sleep. Tsunade stared at him for a few seconds, then reached out to gently pat his head before leaving the tent. "Lady Tsunade," Minato Namikaze greeted her as he approached. He possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, allowing him to return to the Konoha base camp ahead of others. Along with him were Shibi Aburame and a few others. "Is Hanekawa alright?" Minato Namikaze asked with concern. He and Kushina Uzumaki had long regarded Hanekawa as a close junior. "He's fine, just overused his chakra," Tsunade replied with a shake of her head. "That's incredible!" Minato couldn't help but exclaim. "Capturing the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki, Roshi, alive and without injuries!" "We seniors are truly humbled," Shibi Aburame chimed in. If Hanekawa had defeated Roshi using a Kekkei Genkai, it could be attributed to his strong bloodline. But since he used the basic Water Release, it was purely a matter of talent. "No need for excessive praise," Tsunade said, her lips curving slightly as she suppressed her pride. "The priority now is to drive Iwagakure out of the Land of Grass completely." "Yes!" Minato and Shibi responded in unison. "Have you found Obito?" Tsunade suddenly asked. After all, Obito Uchiha was a member of the Hokage's faction, and she couldn't ignore his situation. "No," Minato sighed. "They've searched every corner of the collapsed cave but still haven't found him." "Then he's likely been captured by Iwagakure," Tsunade said with a slight nod, her expression turning cold. "Let's go! Let's give Iwagakure a final send-off!" --- Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato transported Tsunade and Shibi Aburame to Iwagakure's main base. The base had already been overtaken by Konoha's forces, but the battle was not over. Iwagakure's remaining forces were retreating toward the Land of Earth as they fought. "Try to take them alive," Tsunade instructed after some thought. In most cases, capturing enemies alive during a war was impractical due to the difficulty. But with Konoha holding an overwhelming advantage, it was feasible. The more Iwagakure ninja they captured, the higher the potential rewards, especially with the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki, Roshi, as a bargaining chip. Konoha would face the enviable problem of having too much leverage. All of this was thanks to Hanekawa. None of Konoha's ninjas, including Tsunade and Minato, had ever considered capturing Roshi alive—it had seemed impossible. But Hanekawa's strength had made it a reality. After this battle, his name would undoubtedly spread across the ninja world. However, this thought gave Tsunade a slight headache. The greater Hanekawa's fame, the greater hers would be, as his teacher. Even though she wasn't proficient in Water Release, Hanekawa's mastery of so many of Tobirama Senju's techniques was thanks to her. Tsunade couldn't shake the feeling that if she wished for it, she could become Hokage the next day. She quickly dismissed the idea as absurd and refocused on rescuing people. As Konoha's top medical ninja, her skills saved many lives. Meanwhile, Minato alone was more than enough to deal with Iwagakure's ninja. --- Time passed. Tsunade suddenly raised an eyebrow, looking up to see a group returning to the camp. It wasn't Minato but the Obito Uchiha search team, including Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara. Tsunade approached and immediately guessed the result upon seeing Rin's reddened eyes. "Tsunade-sensei," Kurenai greeted her. "You've done well. Go rest," Tsunade said with a nod, sparing them further words. The disappearance or death of a comrade was always the hardest to bear. However, with Obito missing rather than confirmed dead, there was still hope. "Tsunade-sensei, where's Hanekawa?" Kurenai asked, glancing around nervously. Rin, upon hearing this, also raised her head. Obito's disappearance already had her worried, but if something happened to Hanekawa too, she wouldn't know how to cope. "He's fine, just exhausted. He's resting at the Konoha camp," Tsunade explained. Kurenai and Rin both breathed sighs of relief. "Let's head back to the Konoha camp," Kurenai said to Rin. "Okay." Rin nodded. "What about you, Kakashi and Guy?" Kurenai asked. "We're staying!" Kakashi gritted his teeth. "Obito must be in Iwagakure's hands, and we're going to get him back!" "Don't worry," Tsunade reassured them. "Hanekawa captured the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki, Roshi. We'll definitely be able to exchange him for Obito." "What?!" Kakashi was stunned. Guy jumped in shock. He had witnessed the terrifying power of the Tailed Beast Bomb up close. The idea that Hanekawa had managed to capture such a fearsome foe alive was beyond belief. Kurenai and Rin stood frozen, equally astonished. "Capturing a Jinchūriki alive—can that even be real? How are we supposed to understand that?" "Wait!" Kurenai Yuhi asked anxiously, "Tsunade-sensei, are you absolutely sure Hanekawa is okay?" She couldn't believe that after capturing a Tailed Beast, Hanekawa remained completely unharmed. "Why would I lie to you?" Tsunade replied with a smile. "If you don't believe me, just go back to the Konoha camp and see for yourselves." Searᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That's a relief!" Rin Nohara said, her hope reignited. "If Hanekawa is fine, we'll definitely get Obito back!" "Yeah," Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy nodded, feeling reassured. "You should go check on Hanekawa," Tsunade instructed. "I still need to tend to the wounded." "Understood," they all answered in unison. The group returned to the Konoha camp. --- "Hanekawa hasn't woken up yet. You should all get some rest; I'll stay and watch over him," Kurenai said to Rin, her tone filled with concern. To Kurenai, Obito Uchiha was just a classmate, someone whose focus was solely on Rin, Kakashi, and Hanekawa, with no regard for her. Their relationship was lukewarm at best. But Rin was different—after all this time together, they had become close friends. "I'm fine," Rin replied, feeling warmth in her heart. Knowing that Obito might still be alive had eased her worries somewhat. Though she was still uneasy, it wasn't enough to make her despair. After the others left, Kurenai stepped into the tent. Sitting cross-legged on the carpet, she rested her chin on her hands and tilted her head as she stared at Hanekawa. So nice to look at. I can't stop looking! A smile crept onto her face. --- After some time, Hanekawa slowly opened his eyes. "Hanekawa, how are you feeling?" Kurenai quickly leaned closer. With one hand pressed on the carpet, she gazed down at him with genuine concern. "Feeling great," Hanekawa replied with a smile, his eyes lingering on her pretty face. If it were Tsunade, his gaze would likely have been elsewhere. "That's good!" Kurenai patted her chest in relief. "You have no idea how worried we were!" "Now I do. Thank you," Hanekawa said, sitting up and patting her head. "No need to be so formal," Kurenai replied, her cheeks slightly red, her tone a bit awkward. "I'll cook for you later to show my gratitude," Hanekawa teased with a smile. "That sounds great!" Kurenai's eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. "It's been so long since I've had your cooking!" "Now that we've defeated Iwagakure, we should be heading back soon," Hanekawa said, absentmindedly twirling a lock of her soft hair around his finger. "Yeah." Kurenai suddenly thought of something and asked, "You captured the Four-Tails. Will Iwagakure just let this go?" "Hard to say," Hanekawa replied after a brief pause. "It depends on what Iwagakure decides to do." The capture of the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki, Roshi, wasn't part of Iwagakure's plan. Their initial goal had been to cause chaos and lower Kumogakure's defenses. Now, the situation was awkward for them. To recover Roshi, they had two options: 1. Reinforce their forces, defeat Konoha, and capture key figures like Minato or Tsunade. 2. Wait until the war ended and negotiate for Roshi's return in exchange for something valuable. "Never mind. It doesn't matter what they do—we have the upper hand," Hanekawa said as he stood up. "Have Rin and Kakashi returned?" "They're back, but they still haven't found Obito," Kurenai said with a shake of her head. "Everyone's feeling pretty down." Of course, they couldn't find him. Hanekawa was certain that Madara Uchiha had taken Obito. The two were probably in some dark corner plotting the Moon's Eye Plan to destroy the ninja world. "Let's go check on them," Hanekawa said, taking Kurenai's hand and leading her outside. When he saw Kakashi, he was momentarily stunned. Both of Kakashi's eyes were normal—completely different from the original timeline where he had Obito's Sharingan implanted. Hanekawa pondered for a moment and concluded it must be the butterfly effect he had caused. By taking Rin as his teammate, the sequence of events that led to Obito donating his Sharingan and Kakashi receiving it never occurred. Moreover, the situation in the cave must have been different from the original story. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? Without the Sharingan, Kakashi's body wouldn't suffer the same burden, allowing him to potentially grow as strong as his father, Sakumo Hatake. However, without the Sharingan's abilities—especially Kamui—it would be hard for him to play a major role in the final battles. In summary, this strengthened Kakashi in his regular state but limited his ultimate potential. _ Patreon.com/rashta 1. 330 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) 5. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird