Talent System In The Naruto Universe

After finishing their tea, Hanekawa and Sakumo Hatake returned to their tents.

A moment later, Tsunade lifted the tent flap and walked in.

"Sensei," Hanekawa greeted, noticing her damp hair and realizing what she had just been doing.

"Mm," Tsunade replied, sitting on the carpet. She pulled out a towel and prepared to dry her hair.

"I have a better way," Hanekawa said, standing up and approaching her.

Under the light, he could faintly see the moisture on her fair skin.

"What? Did you bring a hairdryer?" Tsunade asked, slightly amused.

"I did, but without electricity, it's useless," Hanekawa replied, extending his hands as chakra surged. He transformed it into fire-release energy.

In an instant, the temperature rose, and his hands seemed to become heat lamps.

"When did you learn fire release?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Had some free time, so I learned it from Shisui," Hanekawa casually replied. Since he had a fire attribute, it wouldn't give him away.

"This is the first time I've seen someone study so broadly... no, the second," Tsunade mused, then asked, "Do you know who the first was?"

"The Hokage," Hanekawa answered after some thought.

Senju Hashirama was famous for his wood release, Senju Tobirama for his water release and forbidden techniques, and Hiruzen Sarutobi for mastering all five elemental releases.

"Correct," Tsunade nodded slightly, smiling. "You seem more suited to be the old man's student."

"Then... should I leave?" Hanekawa tilted his head and asked.

"Not a chance," Tsunade said confidently. "If you leave, who'll cook for me?"

"So you didn't want a disciple—you just wanted a chef?" Hanekawa teased.

"Exactly, kid," Tsunade admitted with a laugh, unable to hold it in.

Hanekawa's eyelids twitched. As Tsunade laughed, her body trembled, and he noticed droplets of water sliding down her delicate neck into a perilous depth.

Before long, her damp golden hair had dried.

Feeling inspired, Hanekawa reached out and patted her head, saying earnestly, "All done."

"Thanks," Tsunade said, brushing her hair back over her shoulders. "Time to sleep; we've got a long journey tomorrow."

"Mm," Hanekawa replied, happily pulling back his hand.

She thanked me for patting her head.

A win-win—no, I won twice!

Hanekawa climbed into his sleeping bag and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Tsunade glanced at him, a faint smile on her lips, before closing her eyes.

---

The next three days were spent traveling, with the group only coming together to chat at night.

By the fourth morning, they finally reached the Land of Demons.

"The meeting point is the Priestess's Temple in the Land of Demons," Tsunade said, checking a scroll. "We'll be working with ninjas from other villages on this mission, so avoid conflict as much as possible."

"With you and Uncle Sakumo here, they wouldn't dare cause trouble," Hanekawa said with a grin.

"You sure know how to talk," Tsunade said, flicking his forehead before continuing ahead.

What Hanekawa said was true.

After two ninja wars, the Five Great Villages had accumulated significant grudges.

However, despite the animosity, they typically maintained restraint. With Tsunade and Sakumo's reputations, no one would be foolish enough to provoke them.

The Land of Demons was a unique country without a ninja village, relying instead on its priestess.

In the original story, the priestess possessed immense power, essentially functioning as a sealing ninja.

Half an hour later, Hanekawa saw the Priestess's Temple nestled in a valley.

At the temple gates, a group of armored samurai patrolled.

However, samurai had become outdated in the ninja world. Except for the samurai of the Land of Iron, who could use chakra, most were just physically strong ordinary people.

"We're Konoha ninjas, invited to assist," Tsunade said, presenting the commission scroll from the priestess, Miroku.

"Please follow me," the samurai who stopped them said, bowing slightly. "I'll take you to see Her Highness the Priestess."

He turned and began leading them toward the temple.

"Hey! Thief!"

As Hanekawa ascended the steps, a familiar voice suddenly called out.

Turning his head, he saw a stunning young woman, though her delicate face was full of anger.

"First of all, I'm not 'hey,'" Hanekawa said, shaking his head. "Second, I'm not a thief."

"You stole my wallet—how are you not a thief?" Mei Terumi demanded, her face dark with fury.

"That wasn't theft; it was spoils of war," Hanekawa corrected. "You lost to me. Taking your wallet is perfectly normal."

"I didn't lose!" Mei gritted her teeth. "If it weren't for your teacher interfering, the one who would've lost is you!"

"Really?"

Hanekawa chuckled and said, "Then wait for me. After I meet the shrine maiden, I'll come back and defeat you."

"You jerk!"

Mei Terumi trembled with rage at his dismissal. As one of the most talented young shinobi in Kirigakure, she had never been treated this way, not even by Zabuza Momochi.

Hanekawa glanced at her briefly, unimpressed, and then followed Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake into the shrine.

"Is that Hanekawa?"

A young man appeared behind Mei Terumi. "Konoha seems to take this mission very seriously, sending both Sakumo Hatake and Tsunade."

"Senior Ao," Mei Terumi took a deep breath and confirmed, "It's him."

Ao, later known in the series as the White Eye Killer, was a powerful Kirigakure shinobi who obtained a Byakugan during the Third Shinobi War. At this point, however, he was a skilled jonin with no such reputation yet.

"During the mission, keep it professional," Ao reminded her.

"I know," Mei said, clenching her fists. "It'll just be a fair sparring match. Konoha won't have any reason to object."

"Good." Ao was confident in her judgment. Mei, chosen by the elders as a potential Mizukage, had been trained not only in combat but also in diplomacy.

---

Inside the Shrine Hall

"Welcome, representatives of Konoha."

The shrine maiden, Miroku, greeted them warmly.

"Lady Miroku," Tsunade stepped forward. "What's the current situation?"

Miroku sighed and began explaining. The previous shrine maiden had sealed the demon spirit Moryo and its undead army, but a group of rogue ninja known as the Cult of Ryūchi had released it.

"Moryo remains incomplete. For its full freedom, it must kill me," Miroku explained gravely. "Meanwhile, it's gathering its undead army."

Hanekawa recalled the original series, where the shrine maiden's power was linked to Moryo's. Their fates were intertwined in a deadly balance.

"When Moryo emerges, I'll need your help escorting me to the Land of Marshes," Miroku continued. "There, a stronger seal left by previous shrine maidens can restrain its physical form."

"And the spirit?" Sakumo asked.

"The spirit will be sealed back in the Land of Demons," Miroku replied. "This separation minimizes the risk of its return."

What she left unsaid was that performing the seal would cost her life.

Hanekawa thought of Minato Namikaze. If he were here, perhaps the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan could save her life. But Minato always seemed to arrive too late in critical moments.

"I've prepared accommodations for you," Miroku concluded. "Please remain vigilant. Moryo's forces could strike at any time."

---

When they exited the shrine, Mei Terumi was still waiting, her face dark with frustration.

"Youngsters these days sure have energy," Sakumo joked.

"They're just causing trouble," Tsunade snorted.

"I didn't do anything," Hanekawa said innocently but couldn't help feeling amused at teasing Mei.

"Fight me!" Mei demanded coldly, stepping forward.

"Alright, here works."

Hanekawa walked to the open plaza in front of the shrine.

"Mei Terumi and Zabuza Momochi are the most promising talents of Kirigakure," Sakumo remarked. "Let's see how strong they are."

Tsunade was also curious. The strength of a shinobi village was often gauged by its new generation.

Not far away, Ao, along with two other Kirigakure jonin, Bi and Kenbei, watched the scene unfold.

"I heard Mei lost to Hanekawa before," Kenbei remarked.

"Not exactly," Ao corrected. "Their fight was interrupted by Tsunade and Juzo Biwa."

"Hanekawa is Tsunade's student—a medical-nin. He can't win against Mei," Bi said confidently.

Kenbei nodded. "Especially since Mei has been developing her Boil Release."

The Boil Release, a combination of water and fire chakra, was an advanced kekkei genkai that required both exceptional talent and deep mastery of elemental jutsu.

---

"Begin!"

Mei's expression was serious as she activated a jutsu, cloaking the area in thick fog.

Hanekawa frowned slightly. Without Byakugan, the mist was indeed troublesome.

---

From within the mist, a water dragon roared toward him.

Hanekawa immediately used Body Flicker Technique, turning into a blur and closing the distance between them. He saw Mei's surprised expression but quickly realized it was a water clone when his blade struck.

Behind him, Mei appeared silently, wielding a water blade aimed at his back.

With a loud clang, Hanekawa's blade intercepted hers.

"How did you know?" Mei asked, shocked.

"Because you're predictable," Hanekawa replied with a smirk.

"Idiot!" Mei glared at him, angered by his mockery.

"You're too slow."

Hanekawa dropped his sword and formed a quick sequence of hand seals.

Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!

Mei froze, trapped in a terrifying illusion of her parents' deaths.

---

Just as Hanekawa was about to finish the spar, a whip of water coiled around his body. The Mei before him vanished in a puff of smoke—it was a shadow clone.

"Who's the idiot now?" Mei smirked, tightening the whip.

"Still you," Hanekawa replied calmly, his hands sparking with lightning.

Water conducted electricity, and the Chidori Current spread through the whip in an instant. Mei was hit, her hair standing on end and her movements paralyzed.

Fortunately, her strong ninja physique kept her from collapsing entirely.

"You…" Mei gritted her teeth, barely able to stand, but the fight was clearly over.

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