Chapter 2. A New Beginning

He sat stiffly on the sofa in the living room, dressed in a black bodysuit and a green Jonin vest, exuding an air of seriousness. Hanekawa recalled that Shinku had tragically perished during the Nine-Tails' rampage. "Sit," Shinku said with a slight nod. "Thank you, Uncle Shinku," Hanekawa responded politely. "You'll be staying here from now on. I will teach you genjutsu," Shinku explained after a brief pause. "This is an order from the Hokage." Hokage? Hanekawa pondered the term. Could this be related to the "Innate Full Soul" trait? "Huh?" Yuhi Kurenai, who was listening in, asked with curiosity and surprise, "Why?" "Hanekawa is naturally suited for genjutsu," Shinku replied. After receiving the notification from Sarutobi Hiruzen, he had personally checked Hanekawa's abilities and confirmed this. "Even better than me? Didn't you say my genjutsu talent was outstanding?" Kurenai asked, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed out in indignation. Her delicate face, wearing an expression of defiance, looked adorably fierce. Hanekawa couldn't help but chuckle. In the original story, Kurenai was portrayed as strong-willed, which was evident from her preference for drinking sake and vodka. "Kurenai, you're already a student at the ninja academy. How can you compare yourself to Hanekawa?" Shinku coughed lightly and countered. He wasn't lying to Kurenai, but even among geniuses, there were levels of disparity. "Isn't he a student, too?" Kurenai asked, momentarily stunned. "Not yet," Shinku replied, recalling the information Sarutobi Hiruzen had given him. "He hasn't been exposed to any ninja training or knowledge." "I see," Kurenai said, turning to look at Hanekawa. Her first impression was that he was extraordinarily attractive, almost like a meticulously crafted doll. "Alright then!" Kurenai suddenly raised her voice, patted her chest, and declared, "From today on, I'll take care of you!" Her confident, big-sisterly demeanor paired with her doll-like face made her look irresistibly cute rather than commanding. If Shinku hadn't been there, Hanekawa would have been tempted to reach out and pinch her cheeks—they looked so soft. But how should he address her? Big Sister Kurenai? Little Yuhi? Both options sounded like something out of an elderly social group. Shinku gave a fatherly smile. Shifting his gaze from Kurenai to Hanekawa, he said, "Let's eat first, and then I'll teach you some basic ninja knowledge." "Won't Hanekawa go to school?" Kurenai asked instinctively. "He will," Shinku answered. "The Hokage has already arranged it. He'll join your class as a transfer student." "Yay!" Kurenai cheered in excitement. To her, having Hanekawa as her little brother meant added prestige whenever they were out together. Hanekawa fell into silent contemplation. Who else might be in the same class as Kurenai? The timeline of the original story was a bit muddled, making it hard for him to be sure. After dinner, Hanekawa followed Shinku to the small courtyard outside the house. Kurenai tagged along as well, claiming it was to consolidate her basics, though she was clearly more interested in witnessing Shinku's talent. "The first lesson for a ninja is chakra refinement," Shinku explained, standing opposite Hanekawa and introducing the concept of chakra. According to The Book of Formation, chakra is the combination of physical energy and mental strength, forming the foundation for using taijutsu. The chakra extracted by a ninja is converted from physical energy into neutral chakra. Through the use of hand seals, this chakra can be guided and processed, undergoing changes in both nature and form, ultimately releasing ninjutsu. "Is there anything you don't understand?" Yūhi Shinku asked, looking at Hanekawa's serious expression. Refining chakra is something taught at the ninja academy, but many students learn it in advance—especially those from ninja clans or those whose parents are ninjas. Training early undoubtedly gives them an advantage in the academy. Take Hatake Kakashi from Yūhi Kurenai's class, for instance. While others were learning the Three Basic Techniques, he was already studying Earth Release. Aside from his talent, the key reason was his father, Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, who ensured he lacked no resources. "No," Hanekawa shook his head and replied. "Then give it a try," Yūhi Shinku said with some anticipation. "Usually, refining chakra takes about a month, but for a genius, it can take as little as three days." "I did it in three days!" Yūhi Kurenai quickly raised her small hand, her eager demeanor making sure Hanekawa wouldn't overlook her. Could she really be a genius? Thinking about it carefully, Yūhi Kurenai actually was. Her mediocre battle record was simply due to the bad luck of facing a few monsters. But let's be honest—against someone like Uchiha Itachi, over 99% of ninjas wouldn't stand a chance. In short, Yūhi Kurenai was a normal kind of genius. Hanekawa exhaled and began controlling the energy produced by his 130 trillion cells along with his inherent mental energy. In the original work, mental energy was described as the accumulation of training experience. However, due to Hanekawa's "Innate Full Soul" attribute, he came with a significant amount of mental energy. "That was fast!" Yūhi Shinku suddenly raised an eyebrow and exclaimed in surprise. Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What was fast?" Yūhi Kurenai didn't react immediately. "He's already refined his chakra," Yūhi Shinku said, her tone carrying a hint of excitement. "How is that possible?" Yūhi Kurenai stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded. Refining chakra in three days was considered genius-level. Refining it in three seconds—what would you even call that? A monster, perhaps. At that moment, Hanekawa's body trembled slightly as a surge of excitement welled up inside him. Before he could rejoice over successfully refining his chakra, something new emerged: [New Trait Acquired.] [E-Rank Talent Trait: Ninja.] [Trigger Condition: Successfully Refined Chakra.] [Effect: Increases chakra refinement speed by 10%.] [Note: Two synthesis paths available.] [Path One: Combine E-Rank Traits Three Basic Techniques and E-Rank Ninja Tool Throwing to synthesize D-Rank Trait Ordinary Genin.] [Path Two: Combine E-Rank Traits Three Basic Techniques, E-Rank Ninja Tool Throwing, and E-Rank Trait Top Student of the Academy to synthesize C-Rank Trait Genius Genin.] Hanekawa roughly understood how the system worked. The conditions for triggering new traits seemed to depend on his actions. This meant he could try different actions in the future—there might be surprises waiting for him. Based on the description, some special traits could evolve through synthesis. The "Ninja" trait was clearly one of those. The system offered two synthesis paths, which was more freedom than he'd expected. Without a doubt, the Genius Genin trait would be far superior to Ordinary Genin. However, dominating the ninja academy would be a significant challenge—especially with someone like Hatake Kakashi in their cohort. Still, it wasn't impossible. Hanekawa wasn't planning on being just another ordinary person. Starting small doesn't count as cheating. After all, he was a man with cheats! Hanekawa exited his meditative state and looked at Yūhi Kurenai, pausing momentarily. At this moment, the little girl resembled a wilting eggplant, her slightly curly long hair seeming to droop. So cute. "Congratulations, Hanekawa," Yūhi Shinku said with a beaming smile. Hanekawa had been assigned to her by Sarutobi Hiruzen, and with such talent, their family's future seemed secure.