NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: 8. Come to My Room After School
Beep, beep, beep.
The nerve-wracking sound pierced Hanekawa's mind.
Reaching out a hand, he broke free from the confines of his blanket and turned off the alarm clock.
The technology in the ninja world was oddly advanced—computers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and, of course, alarm clocks.
He glanced at the time: 6:00 AM on the dot.
Though he was curious to see what Konoha looked like at 4:00 AM, he was still a kid and needed sufficient sleep.
Hanekawa changed into his workout clothes and stepped outside.
His plan was to run for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how he felt.
Diving straight into intense training after a long period of inactivity was akin to flirting with death.
Having such a promising start to his journey, he didn't want it to last only three days.
He began jogging along the street.
Since it was early, the streets were nearly empty, offering no obstacles.
As time passed, his breathing grew heavier, sweat poured down his face, and even his vision started to blur.
At that moment, a green light flashed in his eyes.
Startled, Hanekawa instinctively glanced over.
Big mistake!
Legs flailing mid-air?
He steadied himself and realized it was Might Guy running upside down.
"You're running too?"
Might Guy asked excitedly, his face lighting up as though he'd met a kindred spirit.
In the ninja world, taijutsu practitioners were considered the lowest tier, often ridiculed.
This sentiment was evident in how Might Guy's father, Might Duy, was treated—a man who single-handedly defeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, yet remained a Genin.
Hanekawa nodded weakly, too out of breath to respond.
"You look familiar," Guy said, blinking. Suddenly, recognition dawned on him.
"You're the new transfer student from yesterday! Uh… what's your name again?"
"Ha... Hanekawa," Hanekawa replied, struggling to breathe.
"What was that?" Guy leaned closer, not catching it.
"Hanekawa!" Hanekawa raised his voice.
At that moment, he finally understood how Kisame Hoshigaki must have felt.
"Nice to meet you, Hanekawa! I'm Might Guy!"
Guy flashed his trademark gleaming smile. "Just call me Guy!"
"Uh-huh."
Hanekawa nodded slightly and said, "You go on ahead. I'm taking a break."
His exhaustion had reached its peak, and there was another reason—his system had triggered a notification.
"Alright," Guy said, not pressing him further.
He waved goodbye enthusiastically.
Of course, the real reason was that Hanekawa wasn't his "eternal rival."
If it had been Kakashi, Guy would have pushed him to his absolute limit.
"What kind of alien physique is that?" Hanekawa muttered, watching Guy continue running on one hand.
Collapsing onto the steps of a nearby building, Hanekawa wiped his sweat and brought up the system interface in his mind.
[E-Rank Talent: Sturdy Physique (Unacquired)]
[Trigger Condition: Achieve the minimum physical standards of a Genin.]
[Current Progress: 1%.]
Since it was described as the "minimum standard," it clearly didn't refer to someone like Naruto Uzumaki as a Genin.
Hanekawa felt the trigger condition wasn't particularly hard—just required consistency.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, he closed his eyes to rest.
"Hanekawa! I'm back!"
Might Guy's booming voice interrupted his break.
Opening his eyes, Hanekawa saw him doing frog jumps nearby.
He chuckled and waved back.
After Might Guy left, Hanekawa got up and started running toward Kurenai Yuhi's house.
By 7:00 AM, the streets were beginning to come alive with activity.
Hanekawa passed by the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore, the location where he was supposed to meet the Kumogakure ninja. However, he avoided going in to prevent any complications.
While passing a takoyaki shop, he thought of Kurenai and decided to buy a box of Takoyaki
When Hanekawa returned home, he ran into Shinku Yuhi, who was just opening the door.
"Did you go running?"
Shinku looked at the panting, sweat-drenched Hanekawa with surprise.
So young yet so hardworking?
With his Yin Release talent, this boy is destined for greatness.
"Good morning, Uncle Shinku," Hanekawa said, catching his breath. "My body's weak, so I'm running to get stronger."
Just then, a nearby door opened.
Kurenai Yuhi stepped out, barefoot on the carpet, her hair a mess. She yawned and asked groggily, "Why are you up so early?"
"Kurenai, you should learn from Hanekawa," Shinko said sternly. "Stop sleeping in all the time."
"Huh?"
Kurenai blinked and looked around, still a little dazed.
She looked just like a sleepy kitten who had just woken up.
"I got you some takoyaki," Hanekawa said with a smile, handing her the box.
For a moment, he felt like he had become the "perfect kid" from someone else's family.
"Wow, you're such a thoughtful little brother," Kurenai said, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the octopus balls.
"…?"
Shinku's expression turned subtle.
He felt like a cheeky kid was trying to steal the cabbage he'd grown.
Must be my imagination, Shinko thought, shaking his head.
They're just kids. What am I even thinking?
"This is just to thank you for lending me your study notes," Hanekawa explained earnestly.
"Nom nom," Kurenai mumbled through a mouthful of takoyaki. Though her words were incoherent, her adorableness made up for it.
After breakfast, Hanekawa and Kurenai headed to the ninja academy together.
"Hanekawa, did you finish your homework from yesterday?" Kurenai asked, glancing at him.
"Are you planning to copy it?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not!" Kurenai said, crossing her arms. "I meant if there's anything you didn't understand, I can help you."
"There is, actually," Hanekawa replied smoothly, having already figured out her personality.
"Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll explain it to you," Kurenai said, a smug smile on her face as her eyes narrowed in satisfaction.
As they walked, Hanekawa asked her questions.
Having joined the academy two months late, there were many problems he could only guess at.
Three long answers, pick the shortest. Three short ones, pick the longest.
Eichiro, their teacher, understood Hanekawa's situation and wouldn't blame him for guessing.
"Got it?" Kurenai asked, licking her lips.
"I think so, but not completely," Hanekawa admitted with a grin.
"That's normal at first," Kurenai said with the wisdom of an old sage. "Come to my room after school, and I'll teach you properly."
No, please don't, Kurenai! Hanekawa thought, smiling awkwardly.
When he returned to his seat, he greeted Shizune and opened his system panel.
[E-Rank Talent: Top Student (Unacquired)]
[Trigger Condition: Rank first in the theory class for the first semester.]
[Current Progress: 1%.]
Hanekawa rubbed his chin.
This must've activated because of my recent study session with Kurenai.
However, he couldn't help but wonder what being a "top student" would mean in the ninja world.
After all, in the original story, Sakura Haruno was a brilliant student, but before training under Tsunade, she was mostly a liability.