Naruto: Tsunade's Disciple

"Whose adorable little child is this?"

Tsunade asked with a faint smile, adding, "Yours, Nono?"

As for Hanekawa's wandering gaze, she didn't seem to mind.

He was just a child, after all—no reason to get upset.

If it had been Jiraiya, he would have already been on the receiving end of her punch.

"His name is Hanekawa. He's one of the kids from the orphanage," Nono Yakushi explained gently.

"Hanekawa?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "The one who defeated Asuma?"

Nono instinctively glanced at Hanekawa.

While Asuma Sarutobi was the Hokage's son, it wasn't likely that news of a children's duel would spread far, so she had no idea.

"I just got lucky," Hanekawa replied with a modest smile.

Nono was taken aback.

She now understood why Hiruzen Sarutobi had intervened to wrest Hanekawa away from Danzo's hands.

It was worth it.

But this realization also brought concern.

The more exceptional Hanekawa became, the less likely Danzo would give up on him.

"So, what brings you here with this little guy?" Tsunade asked with a chuckle.

"Hanekawa is a big fan of yours and wanted to meet you," Nono said while patting Hanekawa on the head.

"A fan of mine? But you're a genjutsu user," Tsunade said, curious.

'A fan of your mountains' Hanekawa thought. But he couldn't possibly say that out loud.

"I think medical ninjas are amazing," he said instead. "They can save lives."

"Really?" Tsunade paused, her expression softening. Then, she sighed. "Studying medicine won't save the shinobi world."

'Are you Hashirama reincarnated' Hanekawa thought, wanting to quip but not knowing how.

"Anything else you'd like to say, kid?" Tsunade asked, stretching lazily. "I need to see a patient soon."

Hanekawa hesitated but eventually shook his head.

What could he say? Drop to his knees and declare her his foster mother?

His current connection to Tsunade was only thanks to Nono Yakushi.

Though Hanekawa wanted to learn medical ninjutsu, outright asking to be her disciple would be overstepping.

In the shinobi world, power and background mattered.

At this moment, Hanekawa had two potential paths:

1. Demonstrate exceptional Yang Release aptitude.

2. Have enough wealth to gain leverage and perhaps become Tsunade's creditor.

But for now, neither option was within reach.

"Well then, until next time," Tsunade said with a wave, turning to leave.

---

"Director," Hanekawa asked, feigning curiosity, "does Lady Tsunade often perform surgeries?"

"She does," Nono nodded. "But she rarely handles minor injuries."

Hanekawa's thoughts raced.

This meant she likely didn't have hemophobia.

In the original story, Tsunade developed hemophobia after witnessing Dan Kato's death. Without that event in this timeline, her fate had shifted.

While he didn't know the exact reason, Hanekawa was certain that as he grew stronger, he would uncover the Sage of Six Paths' secrets and understand the changes in story.

For now, Tsunade remaining in Konoha was a blessing. If he displayed remarkable Yang Release talent, it would inevitably draw her attention.

If she were still a wandering gambler as in the original story, he'd have no opportunity to approach her.

Hanekawa's determination to apprentice under Tsunade wasn't just admiration but a survival strategy.

Staying in Konoha required security, and while Hiruzen Sarutobi had taken an interest in him, it wasn't enough.

If Danzo ever chose to act ruthlessly, Hanekawa wouldn't stand a chance.

He needed another layer of protection.

Besides Hiruzen, the only others in Konoha who could counter Danzo were the Three Legendary Sannin:

Orochimaru: A dangerous villain. Becoming his disciple could very well lead to ending up as a test subject.

Jiraiya: He only took in "children of prophecy" and already had Minato Namikaze as a student.

This left Tsunade as the best choice. She was highly respected, powerful, and the most important, single.

"Director, can you teach me medical ninjutsu?"

Hanekawa looked at Nono Yakushi and asked.

"Medical ninjutsu?"

Nono's expression showed surprise.

Was this because he admired Tsunade?

"You're still young. You should focus on mastering genjutsu first," Nono advised.

"Genjutsu doesn't require much effort," Hanekawa shook his head and replied, "I can learn three genjutsu techniques in a day."

"…?"

Nono was stunned.

Is he even human?

She already knew Hanekawa had excellent Yin Release talent, but she hadn't expected it to be this exceptional.

No wonder he was able to defeat Asuma Sarutobi.

"Being a medical ninja isn't as straightforward as being a genjutsu ninja. Before learning medical ninjutsu, you need a strong foundation of knowledge," Nono explained, pulling out a scroll. "But since you're eager, you can give it a try."

Geniuses always receive special treatment. If he succeeded, it would be great; if not, he could still excel as a genjutsu user.

"Thank you, Director!"

Hanekawa let out an instinctive sigh of relief.

This ninja world still had plenty of kind-hearted people.

Hanekawa opened the scroll, and the first thing he saw was the table of contents.

He flipped a few pages, still finding nothing but the index. Confused, he asked, "Where's the main text?"

"This is a catalog of medical textbooks you need to study," Nono explained.

"Ah?"

Hanekawa looked up in disbelief.

It wasn't a single book but an entire list of books? And this was supposed to be an introductory foundation?

He finally understood why people joked that "encouraging others to study medicine invites divine punishment."

"You can come to the Konoha Hospital to read these books whenever you have time, or borrow a few to study at home," Nono said with a gentle smile, patting his head.

"…"

Tsunade's words echoed in Hanekawa's mind: Studying medicine won't save the shinobi world.

Fine, he thought. I'll do this for the kids.

After saying goodbye to Nono, Hanekawa borrowed two medical textbooks and left the Konoha Hospital.

With so many books, there was no rush. He decided to start with the simplest ones.

---

[E-Rank Talent Entry: Fleet-Footed (Not Acquired)]

Trigger Condition: Speed reaches the peak level of an average Genin.

Current Progress: 30%

The E-Rank entry Fleet-Footed was a prerequisite for synthesizing the C-Rank entry Inborn Strength.

Its trigger condition was straightforward: running.

Since Hanekawa had been running consistently for two weeks, his progress had already reached 30%.

With the stamina recovery boost from the E-Rank entry Robust Physique, he estimated he'd meet the condition soon.

After stretching his limbs, Hanekawa prepared to start running.

---

The streets were already bustling with people, making it unsuitable for running.

After a moment of thought, he headed north to Konoha's Fourth Training Ground.

The training ground was public, and as Hanekawa scanned the area, he spotted a familiar figure: Kakashi Hatake.

But Kakashi wasn't training ninjutsu or exercising; instead, he was sparring with a white-haired man.

Sakumo Hatake?

Hanekawa thought to himself.

In Konoha, there was another ninja unafraid of Danzo: Sakumo Hatake.

At this time, Sakumo's reputation surpassed that of the Legendary Sannin, second only to Hiruzen Sarutobi. His name struck fear across the shinobi world as the "White Fang of the Leaf."

But in two or three years, he would tragically take his own life after a failed mission.

Hanekawa chose not to disturb them and began jogging around the edge of the training ground.

_______

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