11. Kurenai’s Wallet

"Director, are you heading out?"

Hanekawa had just arrived at the orphanage when he saw Nono Yakushi hurrying toward the exit.

"Hanekawa?"

Nono paused, slightly surprised, and asked, "Why are you here? Is there something you need?"

"Nothing in particular. It's Sunday, so I thought I'd visit the orphanage," Hanekawa said, shaking the picture books in his hand. "I also brought some gifts for the kids."

"That's thoughtful of you."

Nono gave him a gentle smile.

"This is nothing," Hanekawa replied, shaking his head. "Everyone here has been so kind to me."

"Then go see them," Nonou said, patting his head. "I need to head to Konoha Hospital."

"Are you performing surgery?" Hanekawa asked casually.

Nono juggled multiple roles—director of the orphanage, an operative of the Root division, and a doctor at Konoha Hospital.

For her to be involved, it was unlikely the patient was an ordinary ninja.

"No, it's for a meeting," Nono said after a pause. "Lady Tsunade has returned to the hospital; she's the hospital director."

"Lady Tsunade?"

Hanekawa's eyes lit up. "Can I go with you? I'm a big fan of hers and have always wanted to meet her."

As one of the legendary Sannin, Tsunade was a role model for many ninjas. Saying he admired her wouldn't raise any suspicion.

"Today's a meeting, so it wouldn't be appropriate," Nono said after thinking for a moment. "Next Saturday, I'll take you to meet her."

"Alright," Hanekawa said, temporarily suppressing his curiosity.

"I'll be off then. See you next time," Nono said, withdrawing her hand before heading to Konoha Hospital.

Hanekawa watched her leave, lost in thought.

So Tsunade really is in Konoha at this time.

Unfortunately, he only had an affinity for Yin Release, not Yang Release.

His Yin Release affinity stemmed from the mental strength he gained upon recovering his past-life memories.

But Yang Release? That was tied to physical strength.

Hanekawa suddenly recalled the E-rank ability Robust Physique he hadn't acquired yet. One of its synthesis methods might just lead to a Yang Release affinity.

Regardless, it was worth a try. After all, training the body wouldn't hurt.

After a week of training, his Robust Physique progress bar had already reached 60%.

Another week of effort should be enough to unlock it.

Maybe even less, considering his training durations were gradually increasing.

After entering the orphanage, Hanekawa handed out the picture books to the children and played with them for a while before taking his leave.

Walking through the streets, he pondered when Kabuto Yakushi would arrive at the orphanage.

Although the exact timing wasn't mentioned in the original story, it was certain to be after the Third Shinobi World War.

A sense of urgency surged within him.

The Shinobi World War was no small threat—even Kage-level ninjas fell in battle.

"Hanekawa!"

A voice called out from above.

Hanekawa looked up to see Kurenai Yuhi's swinging feet, glowing white under the warm sunlight.

Before he realized it, he had wandered back to Kurenai's house.

Outside her house were two trees—one a locust tree, and the other also a locust tree.

"What are you doing up there?" Hanekawa asked.

Kurenai Yuhi put on her shoes and leaped down from the tree.

Landing gracefully in front of Hanekawa, she extended her hand.

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow, locking eyes with her in a silent standoff.

"You went out and didn't bring me anything?" Kurenai placed her hands on her hips and declared, "Unacceptable!"

"No money," Hanekawa coughed lightly, replying.

In truth, he had simply forgotten.

Kurenai froze, suddenly remembering that Hanekawa was an orphan with no source of income.

"H-here!"

She shoved a wallet into his hands, turning her head to the side, her face tinged with a faint blush.

The wallet was pink, adorned with a rabbit-pattern design.

Hanekawa blinked in surprise and instinctively opened it. Inside was a stack of cash.

His stomach suddenly felt uneasy.

While freeloading off a pretty girl seemed tempting, his pride wouldn't allow it.

More importantly, Kurenai wasn't wealthy herself.

If it were the Hyuga or Uchiha clans, he might have considered it. But the Hyuga family's little heiress hadn't even been born yet.

As for the Uchiha clan, if they had a little girl like Kurenai, perhaps half the drama in the series could've been avoided.

Still, he realized he needed to find a way to earn some money soon.

"No need," Hanekawa said, grabbing Kurenai's wrist and returning the wallet.

"Huh?"

Kurenai tilted her head, blinking in confusion, looking adorably clueless.

Something stirred in Hanekawa's heart. He reached out and patted her head.

Kurenai instinctively leaned back, but she didn't dodge in time and could only glare at him.

"You still haven't told me why you were up there," Hanekawa said, smoothly changing the subject.

After ruffling her hair twice, he withdrew his hand.

Not bad. Smooth and silky.

"My dad wants to see you," Kurenai said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Where is he?"

Hanekawa stepped into the house and started changing his shoes at the entrance.

"I'll call him."

Kurenai tucked the wallet away and hopped off to fetch her father, Shinku Yuhi.

A moment later, the two returned to the living room.

"Hanekawa," Shinku began directly, "how is your chakra refinement coming along?"

Hanekawa stood up and demonstrated.

"Impressive," Shinku said with a pleased smile. "Your proficiency is almost on par with Kurenai's."

Hanekawa had only been practicing for a week, while Kurenai had been at it for nearly six months. His progress was astonishing.

Kurenai let out a small huff, visibly annoyed but unable to refute the statement.

Shinku found his daughter's reaction adorable. He reached out to pat her head, but she jumped back, dodging perfectly.

"Well, your chakra control is now decent enough. You can start learning genjutsu," Shinku said, clearing his throat to mask his slight embarrassment.

Genjutsu training, huh? Perfect timing.

Hanekawa's eyes lit up.

While genjutsu might lose its effectiveness later on, it was still quite useful against regular ninjas.

Kurenai also perked up, her expression growing serious. This was her chance to surpass Hanekawa and assert herself as the leader.

"Genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu are the three core skills of a ninja," Shinku began with a hint of pride, "but few specialize in genjutsu."

He tilted his chin up slightly, looking quite pleased with himself. "That's because genjutsu is the hardest to master and requires exceptional talent."

In front of his daughter, he wanted to show off a little.

And he wasn't lying. In all of Konoha, there were few who understood genjutsu better than he did.

Well, apart from the Uchiha clan.

"So, Uncle Shinku is a genjutsu specialist?" Hanekawa asked, playing along.

"Indeed, I am," Shinku said, smiling broadly.

"Hurry up and teach us," Kurenai urged impatiently.

Her sole focus now was mastering genjutsu as quickly as possible, defeating Hanekawa, and reclaiming her position as the boss.

Shinku froze, his face stiffening slightly.

Is this really my sweet, thoughtful little girl?