Talent System In The Naruto Universe

For ninjas, combat is a battle of intelligence.

Mei Terumi hadn't anticipated Hanekawa using Lightning Release and suffered a major setback because of it.

Her entire body went numb for an instant. By the time she regained her senses, she had already let go of the water whip.

Hanekawa seized the opportunity to free himself from the restraint.

Mei Terumi wasn't one to give up easily, though. She gritted her teeth, enduring the paralysis coursing through her body, and quickly retreated.

However, Hanekawa wasn't about to give her the chance to recover.

He stepped forward, raising his katana high.

The sharp glint of the blade sent a chilling premonition down Mei Terumi's spine.

Body Flicker Technique: Mist Flicker!

Mei Terumi's body accelerated suddenly, dodging the katana strike.

At this moment, she was extremely grateful she had deployed the Hidden Mist Technique earlier; without it, she would have already lost.

Water Release: Water Formation Wall!

Without a second thought, Mei Terumi pressed her hands to the ground, summoning a wall of water before her.

Hanekawa's katana sliced halfway through the water wall and got stuck.

Then came a flash of lightning.

The blade of the katana suddenly emitted a blinding burst of lightning.

Mei Terumi shuddered.

Not again!

She hastily stepped back, dreading another paralyzing shock.

The lightning intertwined with the blade tore through the water wall in an instant.

Hanekawa charged at her with an impassive expression.

Fire Release: Explosive Flame Flower!

Mei Terumi, realizing that water techniques would only backfire against lightning, switched to fire release instead.

Leaning back, she exhaled a massive fireball.

Though it resembled the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, its power was far superior.

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

Seeing Mei Terumi use Fire Release surprised him.

After all, in the original storyline, she predominantly used Water Release.

On further thought, though, it made sense. Her Boil Release was a combination of Water and Fire Release; she had to have mastered both.

Hanekawa glanced at her briefly, then charged forward without hesitation.

Superhuman Strength!

He clenched his left fist, gathering chakra. A sharp, jarring sound filled the air.

The massive fireball shattered upon impact with his punch.

Mei Terumi couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

This was her first time encountering someone this overwhelmingly strong.

The next moment, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Konoha Style: Willow!

Hanekawa's figure blurred in the mist, his katana creating countless afterimages as it danced in the wind.

Just as Mei Terumi attempted to evade, she found her body immobilized.

Genjutsu?

When did he cast it?

Before she could dispel it, a cold glint appeared before her eyes.

Hanekawa's katana tip pressed against her pale neck, its icy touch sending shivers through her.

Mei Terumi opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but no words came out.

She couldn't deny it—this time, she had lost completely.

"Why so quiet?" Hanekawa sheathed his katana.

Konoha Style: Willow was a fusion of genjutsu and swordsmanship.

The genjutsu element was a binding technique but didn't silence its target.

"You jerk!" Mei Terumi glared at him furiously.

"I was going to let you off, but since you insulted me, you'll have to pay the price."

Hanekawa reached toward her waist.

"PERVERT!" Mei Terumi's face turned beet red.

Hanekawa twitched his lips.

Add a "no way!" and it would be the classic tsundere trio line.

But her reaction only intrigued—no, motivated—him further to make her pay the price.

"Stop touching me!" Mei Terumi, now humiliated and furious, stammered, "I'll give it to you!"

"No need. I already have it."

Hanekawa extended his hand, revealing her wallet.

"Go to hell!"

At that moment, Mei Terumi broke free from the genjutsu and swung a punch at him.

"Ninjutsu suits you, but taijutsu? Not so much."

Hanekawa easily caught her wrist. Noticing her left hand moving, he seized that too.

Now both of Mei Terumi's hands were restrained, leaving her unable to attack.

Frustrated and humiliated, she lost her composure and bit down hard on Hanekawa's hand.

"Are you a dog?" Hanekawa was caught off guard by her sudden assault.

Reflexively, he yanked his hand back, leaving behind two rows of teeth marks.

But thanks to his no handsign Healing, the marks disappeared almost instantly.

"You're the dog!" Mei Terumi stood her ground, spitting angrily.

Her earlier impulsive action embarrassed her further, causing her face to redden all the way to her ears. She looked like a walking steam engine.

"Not worth the trouble. Here."

Hanekawa tossed her wallet back nonchalantly.

As a bestselling author, he didn't care for her small change.

"You…" Mei Terumi caught the wallet, momentarily stunned.

Hanekawa, meanwhile, sheathed his katana and walked away.

"Well done!" Kakashi Sakumo praised. "You brought great honor to Konoha."

The duel itself wasn't remarkable, but considering Hanekawa and Mei Terumi's statuses, it carried weight.

Especially since Mist Village's elites—Ao, Bi, Kenbei—had witnessed it.

That was equivalent to giving them a serious blow to their confidence.

"Not bad," Tsunade said with a faint smile as she ruffled Hanekawa's hair. "You didn't disappoint me."

She had been worried when she saw the Hidden Mist Technique being used earlier.

Fortunately, Hanekawa handled it well, defeating Mei Terumi decisively.

To be precise, his strength had grown significantly, especially in using Lightning Release.

Tsunade noticed that his timing with Lightning Release was impeccable, perfectly countering Mei Terumi's Water Release.

When she initially agreed to teach him Lightning Release, she didn't expect him to use it so effectively.

She had assumed he was just learning it out of curiosity, but his skill with it was on par with his swordsmanship and genjutsu.

"Let's go," Tsunade said as she glanced at the priestess standing nearby. "Please lead the way."

"Of course."

The priestess bowed slightly and led them to their assigned rooms—three in total.

After they left, the three Jonin from Mist Village exchanged uneasy glances as they finally processed what had happened.

"She actually lost?" Kenbei muttered, feeling utterly humiliated.

He had just been brimming with confidence in Mei Terumi, only for her to suffer a crushing defeat moments later.

"You can't blame Mei Terumi," Ao sighed. "If it were us at her age, we likely wouldn't be able to defeat Hanekawa either."

Bi wanted to argue but found himself unable to refute the point.

"Mei Terumi isn't lacking in skill—she's just short on experience and intelligence," Kenbei added, trying to console himself.

"We can't let her lose confidence," Bibi said, looking worriedly at Mei Terumi, who remained frozen in place.

He feared that the loss would deal a heavy blow to her morale, potentially derailing her growth as a prodigy.

"Mei Terumi," Ao called out as he walked up to her.

"I'm fine." Mei Terumi cut him off, stuffed her wallet back into her pouch, and turned to leave.

The three exchanged looks before hurrying after her.

Their rooms were located to the right of Konoha's accommodations, just before the ones assigned to Iwagakure.

"Mei…" Ao began again, but before he could finish, there was a loud bang.

Mei Terumi had slammed her door shut and entered her room.

She sat on the bed for a moment before lying back, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling with her eyes closed.

A few minutes later, she bolted upright, fuming.

"That jerk! Why did he return my wallet? Does he think I'm not worth stealing from?!"

Meanwhile, Hanekawa didnt heard her outburst.

He opened his window and found himself face-to-face with three unfamiliar ninjas.

They wore earth-colored headbands and attire, and their forehead protectors clearly identified them as being from Iwagakure.

Hanekawa nodded politely to acknowledge them, then casually shut the window.

"He's a Konoha ninja," the priestess explained.

"Why is such a brat here?" an irritable young man asked.

His name was Hiraito, a Jonin from Iwagakure.

"Who else from Konoha is here?" asked a more composed youth.

This was their team leader, Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, and father of the future Fourth Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi.

"Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake," the priestess replied.

Kitsuchi narrowed his eyes.

Both names carried significant weight in the ninja world, but he wasn't overly concerned.

After all, this was just a mission, not a battlefield. Having such skilled allies could only be seen as a good thing.

Without further questions, the three Iwagakure ninjas followed the priestess to their rooms.

---

As night fell, Hanekawa, having finished dinner, pulled out a medical text—or more accurately, a poison manual.

This book had once belonged to Chiyo, the legendary puppeteer of Sunagakure. It was a spoil of war taken during the Second Shinobi World War when Sakumo Hatake had killed her son and daughter-in-law.

The manual contained numerous recipes for poisons.

Crafting and countering poisons were far more complex than medical ninjutsu.

Hanekawa's progress in his "Master Poisoner" skill was only halfway complete, despite it being a B-rank specialty.

In comparison, his "Medical Special Jonin" progress was much faster.

He estimated he could achieve mastery before finishing his fifth year of training. However, other areas like genjutsu, Water Release, and Lightning Release would take much longer to advance to the same level.

After all, he had spent a lot of time practicing medical ninjutsu at Konoha Hospital.

Just as he became immersed in the manual, a knock at the door startled him.

Hanekawa paused, confused.

Could it be Tsunade? But they had just eaten together.

He put the book down and went to the door.

When he opened it, he was surprised to find Mei Terumi standing there, her face dark and stormy.

"Another spar?" Hanekawa asked, glancing at her. "No matter how many times we fight, you won't beat me."

"..."

Mei Terumi gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with anger as she forced out two words: "It's not!"

"Not?"

Hanekawa blinked in confusion and asked, "Then why are you here? To chat?"

"Take this!"

Mei Terumi extended her hand, holding her wallet.

"...?"

Hanekawa glanced at the wallet, then at Mei, hesitant to speak.

Was there something wrong with this girl?

"Take it!" Mei demanded coldly. "I'll win it back in the future! I don't need you returning it to me!"

Hanekawa finally understood her thoughts.

As a genius—and the future Fifth Mizukage—her pride was undoubtedly immense.

While Hanekawa had no intention of insulting her by returning the wallet (he simply didn't need the money), he decided not to argue.

"Thank you." Hanekawa nodded after a brief pause and accepted the wallet.

Considering his current Water Release talent, only Kurenai Yuhi and Mei Terumi had dropped relevant traits.

Kurenai's contribution was an accident, so she didn't count. Mei Terumi's talent was undoubtedly superior.

In other words, she would likely become a Jonin before Kurenai.

When that time came, Hanekawa could defeat her again to upgrade his Water Release talent. Accepting the wallet also gave him a valid reason for their next encounter.

"Want to come in and sit?" Hanekawa smiled. "I could make you some tea to calm your anger."

"No!" Mei glared at him.

He had a decent face, but why did he give off such an irritating vibe that made her want to punch him?

"You're missing out—it's Hokage tea."

Hanekawa's smile widened. Watching a beautiful girl fume was an amusing pastime for him.

Ahem. He clarified to himself that he wasn't a pervert—just an admirer of beauty.

"What's the big deal?" Mei scoffed, irritated by his smugness. "I've got Mizukage tea!"

"I don't believe you."

Hanekawa paused for a moment, then added, "Unless you let me taste it."

Mei stared at him, dumbfounded.

Does this guy have no shame?

"Come in." Hanekawa smirked, baiting her. "Or are you too scared?"

"Why would I be scared?" Mei snorted coldly and strode into his room without hesitation.

She sat at the table without ceremony, then noticed the open book lying on it.

"...?"

Mei's face twisted in confusion.

The book was open, and a quick glance revealed it was all about poisons.

A shiver ran down her spine as a chilling thought occurred to her.

Is he planning to poison me under the guise of tea?!

"You know I'm a medical ninja, right?" Hanekawa noticed her expression change and spoke casually.

Mei froze, then remembered he was Tsunade's student, specializing in medical ninjutsu rather than swordsmanship, genjutsu, or Lightning Release.

Her fists clenched unconsciously, the sting of defeat settling deeper in her chest.

Everyone knew medical ninjas weren't typically skilled in combat, yet she'd lost so miserably.

"So, where's the tea?" Hanekawa set the book aside and held out his hand.

Mei snapped out of her thoughts and pulled out a packet of tea.

She hadn't lied—it was indeed the same tea the Third Mizukage often drank, though she had obtained it from Elder Genji.

"Wait, I'll brew it," Mei said, suddenly recalling her earlier suspicion.

What if he was planning to poison her?

"Fine by me." Hanekawa shrugged.

He watched Mei prepare the tea, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise.

Could this be the legendary art of tea-making?

"You seem pretty skilled at this," Hanekawa commented with genuine curiosity. "You don't look like the type to sit down and enjoy tea."

"If you don't know how to speak properly, then don't speak!" Mei snapped, tempted to kick him in the face.

"Don't be so aggressive." Hanekawa shook his head. "Careful, or you'll scare off any potential suitors."

"Impossible!" Mei retorted without hesitation. "There are enough people chasing me to form a line from the Hidden Mist Village to Konoha!"

Well, that might actually be true, Hanekawa thought.

In the original timeline, Mei Terumi never married—not because she lacked suitors but because her standards were impossibly high.

Hanekawa recalled that she seemed to favor guys like Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha.

"I often brew tea for the elders," Mei admitted with a deep breath as she poured him a cup.

"Smells great." Hanekawa took a sniff before downing the tea in one gulp.

"You're wasting it by drinking it like that!" Mei exclaimed, unable to hold back her criticism.

"I'm no tea connoisseur," Hanekawa said as he casually pulled out a packet of tea. "Here, this is Hokage tea. Consider it a gift."

Mei hesitated for a moment.

"Relax—it's not poisoned," Hanekawa teased with a chuckle.

"I know that!" Mei grabbed the tea and shot back defiantly, "As if you'd dare!"

"By the way, doesn't your village have a genius named Zabuza Momochi? Why didn't he come along?"

Hanekawa placed the empty teacup in front of Mei Terumi and asked, "Didn't he come?"

Mei poured him another cup of tea and frowned. "No, his personality is terrible, not a team player."

Hanekawa nodded slightly.

During graduation, he slaughtered all his classmates—how could someone like that fit in?

That said, the ninja world was undeniably twisted.

Zabuza Momochi's bloody rampage had no consequences; instead, he became a ninja and even joined the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

By comparison, the Hidden Leaf Village seemed like paradise—as long as you weren't an Uchiha or caught the Hokage's attention.

"Does your village have any geniuses stronger than you?" Mei asked after sipping her tea, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"As of now, no," Hanekawa replied after some thought.

If Obito Uchiha or Shisui Uchiha awakened their Mangekyo Sharingan, then it would be a different story.

Mei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Losing to the strongest genius in Konoha was something she could accept.

"Alright, I should get going," Mei said, placing her teacup down after about half an hour.

"See you tomorrow," Hanekawa waved her off.

Mei gave a slight nod.

This guy is tolerable when he isn't being a jerk.

She reached the door but suddenly remembered something. Turning back, she said, "Don't lose the wallet I gave you. I'm coming to get it back."

"Of course." Hanekawa smiled. "I'll keep it close to me at all times."

"..."

Mei froze, her face reddening slightly before she snapped, "Pervert!"

"…?"

Hanekawa looked confused.

Weren't you the one who said to keep it safe?

Sigh. Women.

With a loud bang, Mei slammed the door shut.

Hanekawa shook his head, tidied the table, and returned to his book.

The tea had refreshed him, so he felt energetic enough to read.

---

Time passed, and it was soon midnight.

In the valley outside the Shrine of the Priestess, under the moonlight, a horde of puppets appeared, stacked densely like a terracotta army.

Moments later, a young man stepped forward—Yomi.

In the original story, he excelled at dark medical ninjutsu.

Everyone knows anything labeled "Yomi (Underworld)" tends to be unusual—like the Yomi… cough nevermind.

Yomi's dark medical ninjutsu was more akin to a stimulant, capable of drawing out a ninja's hidden potential to unleash power far beyond their natural limits.

Of course, the side effects were severe.

Yomi stared at the shrine and raised his hand.

The puppets immediately moved, swarming toward the building in a flood.

"Enemy attack!"

The patrolling samurai quickly noticed the approaching horde and shouted an alarm.

But their cries were quickly replaced by screams.

The sheer number of puppets overwhelmed them in an instant.

While the battle was brief, it was enough time for the ninjas to react.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart!

Ao dashed to the shrine's forefront and slammed his hands onto the ground.

Chakra surged, and the earth rose to form a towering wall nearly 8 meters high, blocking the puppets outside.

At that moment, Bi, Kenbei, and Mei Terumi swiftly climbed to the top of the wall.

The three simultaneously formed hand signs, unleashing torrents of water like a torrential downpour upon the puppets below.

Hundreds of puppets collapsed in mere seconds.

"Something's wrong," Bi said grimly.

The fallen puppets quickly stood back up, even those shattered into pieces somehow reassembled themselves.

Finally, Bi understood why High Priestess Miroku had referred to them as an "undying army."

__

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