Chapter 89. Youth!

Chapter 89 - 89. Youth!After finishing her takoyaki, Kurenai Yuhi put away her lollipop and resumed training her Water Release techniques. She wanted to chat with Hanekawa longer, but Maruboshi Kosuke was nearby, so she felt embarrassed to slack off. Hanekawa, on the other hand, didn't train. His Konoha-Style Swordsmanship had already reached a proficient level; the rest would depend on time and practice. However, beyond Konoha Style: Willow, there was another ultimate move in the style—Crescent Moon Dance. But it required the Shadow Clone Technique, which he hadn't learned yet. Watching Kurenai train, Hanekawa began thinking about her future. How did she manage to learn the Water Release techniques of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju? Normally, without significant merit or connections, such techniques wouldn't be accessible. Was it because Tsunade became Hokage? His thoughts wandered before quickly focusing on a plan for the next two months of training. First on the list was medical ninjutsu. He needed to take some time to practice at Konoha Hospital to increase his proficiency. Additionally, practicing medical ninjutsu would help him build connections—a necessity if he wanted to become Hokage one day. Next were Earth Release and Lightning Release. He had already reached Chunin-level proficiency in Wind Release, Water Release, and Fire Release, but he hadn't begun training in these two elements yet. Lightning Release would be easy to learn—he could ask Tsunade for scrolls. As for Earth Release, he'd likely need to exchange ideas with Kakashi Hatake. Finally, there was taijutsu. A C-rank skill entry, "Taijutsu Chunin", was a prerequisite for synthesizing the B-rank entry "Lightning Body." The issue was that Hanekawa didn't have a natural talent for taijutsu. Who in Konoha has the best taijutsu skills? The name Might Guy surfaced in his mind. Though Guy's "youthful" personality was a bit eccentric, he was undoubtedly the best candidate to help refine his taijutsu skills. Just then, a series of text lines appeared before Hanekawa's eyes: [C-Rank Talent: Novelist (Acquired)] [Trigger Condition: Publish three best-selling novels.] [Effect: Memory retention increased by 30%.] [Note: Can be combined with B-Rank "Renowned Novelist" and C-Rank "Manga Artist" to synthesize the B-Rank "Master of Doujin."] "...What?" Hanekawa was baffled. Something seemed wrong. The 30% memory boost was certainly nice, but the synthesis path was full of absurdities. Master of Doujin? And manga artist? I don't know the first thing about drawing! That's as crazy as asking a high schooler to fight Sukuna! However, upon closer inspection, Hanekawa realized he didn't need to draw the manga himself. "Well, that makes it manageable." He thought for a moment and decided he'd have to ask Tsuchibashi for help. The simplest and most time-efficient method would be to adapt his published novels into manga. Glancing at the sky, Hanekawa estimated there were still two hours left in the training session. He decided to stay and wait for Kurenai but didn't remain idle. Instead, he moved to a corner to practice his Lightning Release. The sun dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a vibrant orange glow. "Goodbye, Uncle Kosuke!" Hanekawa waved as he and Kurenai left for home. "Was Roran fun?" Kurenai, holding his hand, asked with a bright smile. "It was pretty interesting." Hanekawa skipped over the dangers, focusing instead on the wonders of the Dragon Veins and the puppets. "Ah, what a shame," Kurenai said wistfully. "I wish I could've seen it myself. It must've been incredible." Hanekawa's heart stirred. If she went there, she'd meet her future self. The idea of young Kurenai meeting the older Kurenai was amusing to think about. "We're home!" Kurenai pushed open the door and called out cheerfully. We? Yuhi Shinku poked his head out and immediately spotted Hanekawa holding Kurenai's hand. His face darkened. This brat... Finishes a mission and immediately starts getting close to my daughter, huh? "Good evening, Uncle Shinku." Hanekawa greeted him with a smile. "Hmm." Shinku gave a faint nod and said, "Go wash up for dinner." --- The next morning, Hanekawa woke up early. He got dressed and headed to Konoha's bookstore. As usual, since he arrived early, there were no customers. Searᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You're just in time." Tsuchibashi smiled as soon as he saw Hanekawa. "Another new book project?" Hanekawa chuckled. "I was just about to talk to you about something." "No, it's not about a new book," Tsuchibashi said, shaking his head. "It's an order from the Raikage." "What kind of order?" Hanekawa's expression turned serious. This is good—he seems loyal, Tsuchibashi thought, nodding inwardly before explaining. "We've been tasked with identifying the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki." "Does this mean... war is coming?" Hanekawa asked, feigning surprise, though he was genuinely taken aback. Jinchuriki were a village's most powerful asset. Identifying them early provided a significant strategic advantage—usually in preparation for war. "I'm not sure," Tsuchibashi said grimly. "Whether there will be war or not is up to the Raikage." "I understand." Hanekawa began recalling the events of the original series. He couldn't remember the exact timeline but knew that Kurenai and Asuma Sarutobi would become Chunin before the Third Shinobi War. That means I have two or three years left. He clenched his fists. I need to grow stronger. When the Third Shinobi War breaks out, there will be no avoiding it. "Finding out who the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki is may be important, but what's even more critical is that you don't get exposed," Tsuchibashi warned. It seemed the directive wasn't mandatory. Hanekawa immediately felt relieved. When the time came, he could simply brush it off with a half-hearted effort. "What about that new book you mentioned?" Tsuchibashi's demeanor changed instantly, becoming comically shrewd, as if being a spy was just his side job. "There's no new book," Hanekawa replied, shaking his head. Then he asked, "Have you ever thought about adapting novels into manga?" "Manga?" Tsuchibashi fell into deep thought. "Manga is more expensive to produce than novels and doesn't sell as easily." "But don't you think that my—uh, my friend's—three novels would only truly shine in manga form?" Hanekawa suggested persuasively. "You know, you might be right!" Tsuchibashi's eyes lit up. The thought of seeing ninja girls, elven queens, and mermaids come to life in vivid illustrations filled him with excitement. While novels were great, they couldn't compete with the visual impact of manga. "Let's start with one!" After a few moments of hesitation, Tsuchibashi finally made up his mind. Hanekawa sighed in relief. At least he'd taken the first step. Though he still had no idea what the B-Rank entry "Master of Doujin" would actually do. "Well then, Uncle Tsuchibashi, I'll leave it to you. Looking forward to the good news." Having accomplished his goal, Hanekawa didn't linger. He still had to find Might Guy. After leaving the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore, he headed toward the outskirts of the village. Hanekawa had some knowledge of Might Guy's training routines. In the mornings, Guy typically trained by running laps around the village on his hands or doing frog jumps. Climbing a tree, Hanekawa activated "scope" technique to scan the area. A moment later, he spotted two green-clad figures. Body Flicker Technique! With a burst of speed, Hanekawa caught up to them. "Hanekawa?" Might Guy's eyes sparkled as he saw him. "Let's have a youthful race!" "I..." Hanekawa's face changed slightly, but it was too late to stop him. "Seeing you both so full of energy, I can't lose either!" Might Duy, hearing the word "youth", seemed to awaken something deep within him. "Guy! Let's burn with the flames of youth!" "Yes, Father!" Tears welled up in Guy's eyes. "We'll add another hundred laps today!" "..." For the first time, Hanekawa felt like pulling his hair out. Can you at least hear what I was going to say?! "Faster! Faster!" Might Guy seemed to have boundless energy, speeding away in an instant. Left with no choice, Hanekawa chased after them. Lap after lap. After running a hundred laps around Konoha, Might Guy was panting heavily, drenched in sweat. He instinctively looked at Hanekawa and was utterly shocked. Hanekawa still looked completely unfazed. "Shall we take a break?" Hanekawa asked, noticing Guy's expression. He could keep going because of his "cheats": the C-Rank entries "Swift as the Wind" and "Strong and Sturdy". The former doubled his speed, while the latter doubled his stamina recovery rate. Additionally, he had the C-Rank entry "Lightning Release: Chakra Activation", which increased his defense, attack, and speed by 50% when active. Even without activation, it still significantly enhanced his physical baseline. "Guy, did you see that?" Might Duy suddenly gave a thumbs-up. "Even though Hanekawa is the top student in the academy, he still works so hard. Can you give up?" "Never!" Guy's spirit reignited as he shouted, "I will never give up!" His slowing pace suddenly picked up again. "..." Hanekawa felt like coughing up blood. Watching the two green-clad figures disappear into the distance, he had no choice but to chase after them again. Another thirty laps around the village. This time, Might Guy finally reached his limit. He was still young and far from the powerhouse he'd become in the original series. "Father!" Collapsing onto the ground, Guy cried out, tears streaming down his face. "I failed!" "No, you didn't!" Might Duy hugged him tightly and exclaimed, "Having such an amazing classmate shows you're not wasting your youth! I'm proud of you!" Sitting nearby, Hanekawa twitched at the corners of his mouth. So this is what it feels like to have your style suppressed. No wonder they were called the Green Beasts of Konoha. "Hanekawa!" Once Guy had cried enough, he looked up and said, "Let's compete again next time!" "Let's try something different," Hanekawa finally got his chance to speak. "How about a taijutsu match tomorrow?" "Of course!" Guy grinned, his teeth gleaming brilliantly. "It would be an honor to spar with you!" "Guy!" Might Duy's body trembled as he exclaimed, "You've done it! Your hard work has earned the recognition of the academy's best student!" "Yes, Father!" Guy choked back tears and hugged his father, both of them crying rivers. "..." Hanekawa pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling utterly drained. (Poll: Fat 4ss or fat t1ts?) - This is the ranking based on how good the novel is) Patreon.com/rashta Be a member so you can read: 1. 200 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 530 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)