Talent System In The Naruto Universe

"You all did great today. Let's go for some barbecue!"

Yūhi Shinku said, barely suppressing his urge to laugh aloud, his mouth twitching as he spoke.

Hanekawa glanced at him, tempted to say, Just laugh already. Your mouth is practically crooked.

"Barbecue!"

Kurenai's ruby-like eyes sparkled with excitement as she exclaimed, "I want beef!"

Just as the three of them stepped out of the school gates, they encountered an unexpected visitor—Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade,"

Yūhi Shinku greeted hurriedly.

"I'm here for Hanekawa,"

Tsunade said bluntly.

"Hanekawa, you should go with Lady Tsunade,"

Yūhi Shinku said with a knowing tone.

"Kurenai and I will head back first."

"Huh?"

Kurenai was clearly unhappy with Tsunade's interruption.

She looked reluctantly at Hanekawa but ultimately followed Yūhi Shinku and left.

"…"

Hanekawa's expression turned odd.

Something about Yūhi Shinku's phrasing felt off.

"You're certainly popular with the girls,"

Tsunade remarked casually, noticing Kurenai's behavior.

I'm popular with the boys too, Hanekawa thought. Just earlier, three of them were arguing over who got to… beat me up.

He then asked, "Lady Tsunade, what can I do for you? Are we heading to the gambling den?"

"No,"

Tsunade shook her head, then asked, "I heard you defeated Kakashi?"

You already know? News travels fast.

Hanekawa realized it was probably because Kakashi's reputation was too significant.

"It's all thanks to you, Lady Tsunade,"

Hanekawa replied humbly.

Defeating Kakashi hadn't been about the Konoha-style swordsmanship; it was due to the 30% strength boost he had received.

Once he gained an initial advantage, the momentum became unstoppable.

"What does this have to do with me?"

Tsunade scoffed lightly. "Sometimes, you're too humble for a kid."

"Then I won't be humble. Lady Tsunade, is there a reward for getting first place?"

Hanekawa extended his hand with a cheeky grin.

Having spent so much time with Tsunade, he knew she wouldn't mind a little joke like this.

Despite her violent demeanor, she was incredibly soft-hearted—at least emotionally.

"Your reward is becoming my student,"

Tsunade said abruptly.

Though it had been Hiruzen Sarutobi's suggestion, she didn't mind taking him on as a disciple.

Over the past two months, she'd come to understand Hanekawa well. He was a mature, steady genius who also happened to be adorable and good-looking.

His only flaw was that his talent in medical ninjutsu didn't match his proficiency in genjutsu.

But he had a solid foundation, advancing step by step without skipping any fundamentals.

Of course, what mattered most to Tsunade was that she liked him.

"Huh?"

Hanekawa was caught completely off guard, his face showing pure surprise.

Is this real?

He had assumed he'd only have a chance to apprentice under her after acquiring a Yang Release affinity, but it had happened much sooner than expected.

"What? You don't want to?"

Tsunade turned to him, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a hint of menace.

"I want to!"

Hanekawa felt that even a second of hesitation might result in him being eaten alive.

"That's better,"

Tsunade said with a satisfied smile before reaching out her hand.

Hanekawa instinctively leaned back in a tactical retreat but couldn't avoid her patting his head.

"Let's go home,"

Tsunade said, her grin growing wider.

Hanekawa nodded with a resigned look.

Great. Now that I'm her student, my status has automatically dropped. I'll probably have to endure her constant head pats from now on.

Moments later, they arrived at Tsunade's home.

Hanekawa, having been there multiple times before, was no longer curious.

He walked into the living room and asked, "Sensei, what are we learning today?"

For the past month, he had been focusing on the basics—enough to hold his own against a koi fish in a battle.

"Come here."

Tsunade headed straight for the kitchen, stopping at the doorway.

"...?"

Hanekawa looked at her with a growing sense of foreboding.

"Today, I'm going to teach you how to cook,"

Tsunade said with a cheerful smile.

Be a normal person, will you? I'm just a kid!

Hanekawa suddenly understood why Shizune became a housekeeper, secretary, and maid in the original story.

"The first lesson of being a ninja: self-reliance."

Tsunade raised a pale finger, still smiling.

What an excuse. You're just lazy.

Still, cooking wasn't a problem for Hanekawa. In his previous life, he cooked often. However, the cuisine in the ninja world was Japanese-style, which had some differences.

"Let's start with something simple—tamago yaki,"

Tsunade suggested after some thought.

"Tamago yaki? I can do that,"

Hanekawa said as he rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen.

Tamago yaki was essentially a rolled omelet—cooked eggs rolled up and topped with sauce.

"Oh?"

Tsunade said with interest. "Go ahead, then. I'll watch."

She didn't doubt him much, as Hanekawa often showed more maturity than kids his age.

"Alright."

Hanekawa stepped onto a small stool and began his performance.

"Do you cook often?"

Tsunade noticed how skillful he was.

"I'm an orphan,"

Hanekawa replied casually.

Tsunade froze for a moment, falling silent.

She stepped closer and said, "Let me handle it."

"Put it down."

Hanekawa frowned. "In the kitchen, I'm in charge."

The last thing he liked was someone interfering while he was cooking.

"You brat, trying to rebel against me on your first day?"

Tsunade flicked his forehead but ultimately retreated to the doorway.

She crossed her arms, watching Hanekawa busy himself in the kitchen. For the first time in a while, she felt a sense of domestic comfort.

Having a student isn't so bad. Now I have a legitimate excuse to slack off.

"It's done!"

Hanekawa presented a plate of tamago yaki. The rolled omelet resembled sushi.

"Hmm, not bad,"

Tsunade said, picking up a piece and taking a bite.

Just then, three lines of text appeared before Hanekawa's eyes, making him freeze in surprise.

An unexpected reward?

[E-Rank Talent: Chef]

Trigger Condition: First time cooking.

Effect: Increases food's flavor by 10%.

It's useful, but not very much.

Hanekawa wondered if the next level was "Master Chef" or "God Chef." Would the effect cause… explosive reactions?

He glanced at Tsunade's curvaceous figure and couldn't help but gasp.

Coach—no, System—I want to learn this.

"One plate of tamago yaki isn't enough."

Tsunade took off her jacket and tossed it to him. "Go wait outside. I'll make another dish."

Hanekawa swiftly caught the warm jacket and turned to watch Tsunade cook, feeling that something seemed off about the scene.

Will it taste okay?

Then he remembered a flashback from the original story, where Tsunade cooked for Nawaki.

Nawaki's reaction after eating it was as if he'd been poisoned.

No, please, no!

Hanekawa suddenly felt despair creeping in.

Wait.

A glimmer of hope appeared in his mind—he recalled that Tsunade's roasted chicken had turned out pretty decent.

But roasting and stir-frying were two entirely different things.

Holding the tamago yaki, Hanekawa walked into the living room, sat at the dining table, and anxiously awaited his fate.

"Here's some tempura. Try it."

Soon, Tsunade appeared with a dish.

Fried food?

Hanekawa's spirits lifted as he picked up a piece of fried shrimp, chewed a few times, and his eyes lit up.

"This is really good,"

he said.

It wasn't Michelin-star quality, but the relief of surviving a potential culinary disaster made it taste even better.

Tsunade nodded slightly.

She was skilled at frying and roasting, but stir-frying? That was another story entirely.