190. Comforting Rin

Hanekawa closed his eyes.

Centered around him, the surrounding environment vividly appeared in his mind.

Under normal circumstances, the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura could only sense the position, number, speed, and features of targets.

But this time, it was different. He could even hear the nearby conversations of Konoha ninja.

The reason was the perk he had just obtained today.

A B-rank perk, "Sensory Special Jonin," which increased the effectiveness of sensory techniques by 100%.

Hanekawa’s thoughts stirred.

In his perception, Tsunade was getting closer.

The sound of her footsteps, her breathing, and even her heartbeat became increasingly distinct.

“Hanekawa, it’s time for a meeting,” Tsunade said as she entered the tent.

“Has the Hidden Stone Village made a move?” Hanekawa asked, opening his eyes.

Two days had passed since the capture of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi.

These two days had been remarkably calm—there hadn’t even been minor skirmishes.

It was as if the Hidden Stone Village had forgotten that one of their Jinchuriki had been captured.

“Just as you predicted, the Hidden Stone Village launched an attack on the Hidden Cloud Village,” Tsunade said without hesitation.

“How many troops?” Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

“Rough estimates suggest around 10,000 ninja,” Tsunade said, her tone tinged with surprise. “Onoki has gone all out this time.”

“But the Hidden Cloud Village won’t let him succeed,” Hanekawa said with a smile as he stood.

In the original timeline, the Third Raikage had died surrounded by 10,000 Hidden Stone ninja, but that didn’t mean the Hidden Stone’s losses were insignificant.

After that battle, the Hidden Stone Village seemed to lose its momentum, as if their morale had been completely crushed.

“With the Third Raikage still alive, it won’t be easy for Onoki to win,” Tsunade agreed with a slight nod.

“Has the Hidden Stone Village sent an emissary to seek peace with us?” Hanekawa asked as he followed her out of the tent.

“Not yet,” Tsunade replied. “But they’ve stationed a thousand ninja at the border of the Land of Earth to build defensive outposts. It seems they don’t intend to fight us.”

If they truly wanted to start a war, the battlefield wouldn’t be in the Land of Earth but in the Land of Grass.

After all, the Five Great Nations had an unspoken agreement to avoid battles on their own soil unless absolutely necessary.

The Hidden Stone’s invasion of the Land of Lightning was an exception to this.

“Lady Tsunade,” greeted a group of Jonin as she entered the main tent.

Hanekawa was somewhat surprised.

He had thought it would just be a small discussion about recent intelligence, but it turned out to be a full Jonin meeting.

Seeing Minato Namikaze, who had just returned from Konoha, Hanekawa quickly understood. This was likely to relay new orders from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

“Hanekawa,” someone called, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He noticed that the group of Jonin was greeting him.

Blinking, Hanekawa realized something: had he now achieved the same status as Tsunade?

In the ninja world, strength was respected above all else.

Hanekawa had captured the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, displaying power far beyond the average Jonin.

Coupled with the fact that he was Tsunade’s student and part of the Hokage lineage, his future was incredibly promising.

To them, Hanekawa’s status was nearly on par with Tsunade’s.

“Let’s begin,” Tsunade said with a small smile, noticing the situation.

She had watched Hanekawa rise to this level step by step, feeling both proud and gratified.

“Lady Tsunade,” Minato Namikaze stepped forward and said, “Roshi has been successfully escorted back to the Hidden Leaf Village.”

“Thank you, Minato,” Tsunade said with a nod before asking, “Did the old man give you any further instructions?”

“The Hokage has requested your return to the Hidden Leaf,” Minato explained. “The Hidden Mist Village has been restless recently, stockpiling a large amount of supplies.”

“Who will be in charge here?” Tsunade asked.

“While it seems the Hidden Stone won’t engage us directly, they’ve still left over a thousand ninja at the border of the Land of Earth,” Minato said. “The Hokage’s instructions are for me to stay in the Land of Grass as a precaution.”

The meeting lasted another half-hour, primarily discussing the handover of duties between Tsunade and Minato.

“Dismissed,” Tsunade said, waving a hand once everything was settled.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The Jonin dispersed, leaving only Hanekawa.

“We’ll head back to the Hidden Leaf after lunch,” Tsunade said to him.

“Understood,” Hanekawa replied. “I’ll inform Kurenai and Rin.”

“Good.”

Tsunade exhaled deeply, a smile spreading across her face. “Finally, we can go home.”

Life on the battlefield was mentally exhausting, with constant vigilance and occasional battles. It couldn’t compare to the comforts of the Hidden Leaf.

Especially since she couldn’t drink or gamble here, which made it all the more unbearable.

"Indeed," Hanekawa said with a sigh, "there's no place like home."

"I just want to lie on the couch and sleep," Tsunade said, her expression relaxed.

"Just sleep at home?" Hanekawa teased with a smile. "Aren't you planning to head to the casino instead?"

"You brat! You're talking too much!" Tsunade stepped forward, flicking his forehead in annoyance.

"Ow!" Hanekawa winced, then muttered, "Sensei, if you keep this up, no one's going to want to accompany you to the casino."

Tsunade paused for a moment, then leaned forward, lightly pressing her forehead to his, before stepping back.

Hanekawa was stunned.

"Will that convince you?" Tsunade asked, keeping her composure despite the strange feeling in her heart.

"Absolutely!" Hanekawa quickly grabbed her hand. "Since it's an order from you, I have no choice but to accompany you!"

"Let go." Tsunade snorted lightly.

"I wonder how long we’ll stay in Konoha," Hanekawa said, changing the subject without releasing her hand.

"That depends on when the Hidden Mist decides to make a move," Tsunade replied, glancing at their joined hands but not pulling away.

"True," Hanekawa said, recalling the events of the original timeline. "This time will definitely be more troublesome."

Not only would there be more ninja, but Uchiha Madara's interference would complicate matters further.

To awaken Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara had manipulated numerous Hidden Mist ninja, including the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.

Hanekawa felt certain that both he and Rin Nohara would become targets for Madara.

Fortunately, the elder Madara's strength was far from his peak, and Hanekawa's own abilities were no longer weak. He wasn't so easily used as a pawn in Obito's awakening.

"It's just the Hidden Mist Village," Tsunade said with a small laugh. "They're not as troublesome as the Hidden Cloud. This time, we should thank the Hidden Stone for easing the pressure on us."

Among the Five Great Nations, the Hidden Sand and Hidden Mist were the weakest.

The Hidden Sand struggled with harsh environments and had only one tailed beast.

While the Hidden Mist had two tailed beasts, their internal policies of bloody rule had led to countless ninja dying at the hands of their own.

Hanekawa thought about Mei Terumi.

Would he meet her this time?

"Let's go." Tsunade pulled her hand away and left the main tent.

Hanekawa didn’t follow immediately. Instead, he headed to the tent shared by Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara.

Since Obito's disappearance, Kurenai had been worried about Rin and decided to stay with her.

Hanekawa knocked on the tent.

"Come in," Kurenai’s voice called.

Entering, Hanekawa glanced at Rin, noticing her improved complexion.

"Hanekawa!" Kurenai greeted him energetically.

"I'm here to let you know—we’re heading back to Konoha this afternoon," Hanekawa said with a smile.

"That’s great!" Kurenai exclaimed with joy.

Rin’s eyes lit up at the news. Returning home was something she was looking forward to.

However, the thought of Obito, now missing, quickly dimmed her spirits.


---

That afternoon, at the gates of the Konoha base:

"Kakashi," Rin said, looking at Kakashi Hatake, who had come to see them off. "Let me know if there’s any news about Obito."

"I will," Kakashi nodded firmly.

"Take care of yourself," Rin said with concern.

"Kakashi, Guy, see you next time," Hanekawa said, waving as he turned to leave.

The four of them traveled east, entering the Land of Fire by nightfall.

"We’ll rest here for the night," Tsunade announced. Despite wanting to return to Konoha quickly, she understood the importance of pacing.

"What do you want to eat?" Hanekawa asked as he set up the tents and brought out cooking utensils.

"Do you have octopus?" Kurenai asked, already seated at the makeshift dining table.

"Where would I get octopus now?" Hanekawa rolled his eyes. "If you want some, I'll make it for you when we get home."

"Alright," Kurenai said, sticking out her tongue at him.

"And you, Rin?" Hanekawa asked, turning to her.

"Anything is fine," Rin said after a moment of hesitation. "Everything you make is delicious."

"And what about me?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow as Hanekawa began cooking without asking her.

"I already know what you like, Teacher," Hanekawa said without turning around.

"…" Tsunade hesitated, but in the end, she said nothing. She simply watched him cook, lost in thought.


---

"Alright, dinner’s ready!" Hanekawa announced half an hour later, bringing the food to the table. "Everyone gets their favorite dish."

Tsunade glanced at her plate—it was tender chicken, just as she liked it.



She asked curiously, “Where did you get the chicken from?”

“I asked Minato-senpai to buy it,” Hanekawa replied with a grin. “This is a one-of-a-kind chicken in the ninja world, having been transported with the Flying Thunder God Technique.”

Tsunade couldn’t help but laugh.

“And what about my octopus?” Kurenai crossed her arms, looking displeased.

“Well, the Land of Grass doesn’t sell octopus,” Hanekawa said with a shrug. “Nothing I can do about that.”

“Fine,” Kurenai said, shifting her gaze to the dish in front of Rin. “Why is hers a dessert?”

“Strawberry Mochi,” Hanekawa explained. “We can eat it after the meal.”

“That makes sense,” Kurenai said, tilting her head. “I remember Rin likes strawberries.”

“Thank you,” Rin said shyly, touched by the thoughtfulness.

“It’s nothing,” Hanekawa said nonchalantly. “Food is meant to bring joy to those who eat it.”

Rin froze for a moment, then suddenly realized: Is he worried about me because of Obito’s disappearance?

A wave of gratitude welled up in her heart.


---

After dinner, Hanekawa picked up the dishes and walked to a nearby stream. A few minutes later, he had cleaned everything and stored them in a sealing scroll.

As night fell, with nothing else to do, Hanekawa began practicing the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

He had been too busy with battles and sensory techniques recently, so his progress on the technique had been delayed.

Besides the Strength of a Hundred Seal, he was also over halfway through mastering the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

If he worked hard, he might master both before heading to the Hidden Mist battlefield.

Hanekawa’s current goals were the Strength of a Hundred Seal, Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and Special Jonin-level proficiency in Wind Release.

Once he completed these, he could focus entirely on obtaining a Wood Release keyword.

The reason was simple: Wood Release held extraordinary significance for Konoha.

If Hanekawa could wield it, his position in the village would be unshakable.

Even if the Hidden Cloud accused him of being a spy, no one would believe it.

Suddenly, Hanekawa’s senses picked up footsteps outside his tent—heading away.

It sounded like Rin.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Hanekawa got up and left his tent.

He quickly spotted a familiar figure.

Rin was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees, her whole demeanor tinged with melancholy.

“Are you worried about Obito?” Hanekawa sat down beside her, speaking softly.

“Yeah…” Rin admitted with a slight nod, surprised but not denying it.

“Want to talk about it?” Hanekawa asked, turning to look at her.

Under the moonlight, he could clearly see her fair face and neck, and he caught a faint, delicate fragrance.

“I’ve always thought of Obito as a naughty little brother…” Rin began hesitantly, meeting his gaze with a slight tremble in her heart.

Hanekawa didn’t interrupt, listening quietly as she poured out her thoughts.

Her feelings for Obito aligned with what he knew from the original timeline—there wasn’t any romantic affection.

If anything, Rin had a slight admiration for Kakashi instead.

“Maybe crying would make you feel better,” Hanekawa suggested gently after a moment.

Rin bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Even though Obito was officially missing, the chances of him surviving were slim.

After all, his body had been severely injured—half of it paralyzed.

Even if the Hidden Stone had captured him, could they save him? And if they did, wouldn’t he be crippled?

These thoughts overwhelmed Rin, and she instinctively clung to Hanekawa’s arm, crying harder.

Hanekawa froze for a moment before reaching out to gently stroke her head.

What could he say? She truly was kind and gentle, though fate had been cruel to her in the original story.

He didn’t know how long had passed, but Rin finally seemed to realize what she was doing.

As she inhaled the faint scent of Hanekawa and felt his soothing touch, her face flushed crimson.

“T-Thank you…” she stammered, letting go of his arm and scooting back a little.

Hanekawa pulled out a tissue, leaning forward to gently wipe the tears from her face.

Rin froze, her entire body stiff, unsure of what to do.

In no time, her neck and ears turned red as well.

Hanekawa couldn’t help but think she resembled a strawberry cake—pale with a blush of pink, utterly adorable.

“I… I…” Rin’s voice trembled, her pupils shaking as her reflection captured Hanekawa’s warm smile.

Her heartbeat sped up uncontrollably.