Naruto: Tsunade's Disciple

The morning theory class ended, and it was time for the ninja tool throwing class, which Hanekawa had been looking forward to.

Under Eichiro's guidance, the group arrived at the training grounds.

The ninja tool throwing class was divided into two sessions.

The first session involved Eichiro explaining the key points.

The second session was hands-on practice for everyone.

Hanekawa listened attentively.

After all, this directly impacted how quickly he could unlock new entries.

In contrast, Sarutobi Asuma already had a good grasp of ninja tool throwing techniques even before enrolling.

As the Hokage's son, he had a private tutor who was a special Jonin.

Aside from Kakashi Hatake, Asuma was confident he could beat any student in the class.

But...

Sarutobi Asuma stared at Hanekawa and Kurenai Yuhi, his face full of frustration.

Why?

He had been here first!

Jealousy burned within Sarutobi Asuma.

In the past, Kurenai Yuhi always stood by his side, but today, she was standing next to Hanekawa.

"Hey! I've got an idea!"

Sarutobi Asuma thought of a way to win Kurenai back.

It was simple—defeat Hanekawa.

In the ninja world, the most important rule was that the strong were respected.

Besides, the gap between him and Hanekawa was significant.

Victory was guaranteed.

"Now, let's begin the ninja tool throwing practice."

Eichiro set up a row of wooden stakes as he spoke. "I'll point out anything you do wrong."

"Teacher, I'll go first!"

Sarutobi Asuma raised his head proudly and said loudly.

After speaking, he shot Kurenai a "watch me perform" glance.

Hanekawa was reminded of a phrase: a cock among roosters by watching him.

At that moment, Sarutobi Asuma was a walking explosion of testosterone.

But Kurenai didn't understand his signal and instead looked confused.

Thud, thud, thud!

With a smooth flick, Sarutobi Asuma's three kunai all hit the bullseye.

He turned around, grinning triumphantly at Hanekawa, but then froze.

Kurenai was bowing her head, quietly talking to Hanekawa.

"Not bad!"

Eichiro applauded as he spoke.

But Sarutobi Asuma felt no joy.

The excitement belonged to them; he had nothing.

Could it be that his plan had failed? Impossible!

"Thank you, Kurenai," Hanekawa said after receiving some private tips from her.

As for Sarutobi Asuma's three bullseyes, no one was surprised—he was the Hokage's son, after all.

Hanekawa approached a wooden stake nearby.

Using the techniques Kurenai had taught him, he threw his kunai.

It hit the target, but it was still some distance from the bullseye.

"That's it?"

Sarutobi Asuma, who had been watching closely, couldn't help but comment.

"Keep it up!"

Kurenai clenched her small fists and encouraged him.

"..."

Seeing this, Sarutobi Asuma was fuming.

Why?!

Bro, he was losing his cool.

The ninja tool throwing class ended.

Hanekawa's progress bar had already reached 10%.

For E-rank ninja tool throwing, mastering shuriken and kunai basics wasn't too difficult.

"Kakashi! Let's have a youthful duel!"

A green blur flashed past Hanekawa.

He instinctively looked up and saw Might Guy.

In the original story, this giga chad nearly ended the story with one kick using the Eight Gates.

Though his behavior and personality were... unique.

"Next time for sure!"

Kakashi Hatake used the Body Flicker Technique to make a quick escape.

After enrolling, Hanekawa's extraordinary abilities caught Might Guy's attention, and he was soon entangled with him.

At first, Hanekawa was intrigued and sparred with him a few times.

But Might Guy was like an indomitable cockroach, endlessly energetic and inventing new ways to challenge him daily.

How could he possibly endure that?

"What incredible speed!"

Might Guy's eyes lit up as he smiled brightly. "As expected of my eternal rival!"

Watching the scene of Guy chasing him as he tried to escape, Hanekawa was reminded of his own plan to train his body.

However, training with Might Guy? He couldn't handle it—mentally or physically.

Might Guy, who mastered the Eight Gates to perfection, had unrivaled taijutsu talent in the ninja world.

If Hanekawa followed his training methods, he felt that within a week, Kurenai would be weeping over his grave.

"Hanekawa!"

Sarutobi Asuma stepped in front of Hanekawa. "I challenge you to a duel!"

The idea had just been inspired by Might Guy.

"Asuma," Kurenai said disapprovingly, "isn't this bullying?"

She had previously thought well of Asuma, but now she felt he was being unreasonable.

Hanekawa had only been exposed to ninja knowledge for two days and was essentially no different from an ordinary person.

"I... I didn't mean it that way!"

Realizing the problem, Asuma quickly clarified. "I can wait until the end of the term to duel!"

Love had completely clouded his judgment.

In the original story, Sarutobi Asuma was a decent person, but right now, he was acting out of rebellion.

Still, he couldn't be entirely blamed—kids are reckless by nature.

As for this duel, it was a perfect opportunity.

Hanekawa had just obtained his system; how could he let himself be underestimated?

Moreover, Sarutobi Asuma was an excellent benchmark to measure against an average prodigy.

"No problem," Hanekawa agreed.

The end of the term was roughly three months away.

With his system, if he still couldn't defeat a six-year-old Sarutobi Asuma, he might as well find Tsunade and bash his head against a wall.

Kurenai hesitated, her face full of worry.

"Excellent!"

Sarutobi Asuma was thrilled, entirely oblivious to Kurenai's changing attitude toward him.

After setting the duel date, Hanekawa felt a renewed sense of motivation.

That evening, after dinner, he headed to a small grove near his house to continue his training.

At night, after a bath, Hanekawa lay on his bed and opened his system interface.

After a night's training, the progress bar for "Ninja Tool Throwing" had increased by another 5%.

At this rate, he estimated he could unlock the entry within a week.

However, the current issue was the lack of entries.

Hanekawa decided to start physical training the next morning to unlock more entries as soon as possible.

It would be far more motivating to see his progress bar filling up.

In addition to physical training, he planned to focus on mastering the Three Basic Jutsu and chakra control.

Thinking about his future plans, Hanekawa fell into an exhausted sleep.

---

"Hanekawa... Hanekawa..."

In the quiet of the night, a faint voice echoed.

Hanekawa sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes.

What was going on? Who was summoning him in the middle of the night?

Suddenly, the voice ceased.

"...?"

Instinctively, Hanekawa looked out the window.

Under the moonlight, faint chakra lines formed a string of words.

"Sunday morning at 9 o'clock, meet at the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore."

The message lasted only a few seconds before the chakra dissipated completely.

Hanekawa's heart raced.

This must be a Cloud Village ninja contacting him!

Finally, was it time for undercover agents to meet?

Though... the location being a bookstore and not a rooftop didn't quite fit the vibe.

Hanekawa wondered who the Cloud Village ninja would be.

When it came to Cloud Village, the figures he remembered most were the Raikage and Samui, who rivaled Tsunade in 'strength'.