The tent fell silent as Tsunade considered her next move.
"Minato, check the other outposts. I want to know everything the Hidden Cloud is doing."
Minato nodded without hesitation. A moment later, he vanished.
"Hanekawa, help me with the wounded."
Hanekawa moved through the injured shinobi with practiced efficiency, his hands glowing with healing chakra. Two hours passed before Minato reappeared.
"How does it look?" Tsunade asked immediately.
"Strange," Minato admitted, his brow furrowed. "The Cloud ninjas received orders to retreat. All of them. Back to their camps."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Orders? From who?"
"Likely the Fourth Raikage himself," Minato said thoughtfully. "Though I'll admit, it's unusual. A, from what I understand, isn't the type to retreat without reason."
"Send more scouts," Tsunade decided. "I want eyes on their movements at all times."
"Already done."
"Good. Let's head back to camp."
---
That evening, Hanekawa created a shadow clone near the river while practicing water jutsu. The real Hanekawa remained behind, eyes closed, feeling the flow of chakra through the water around him.
Better safe than sorry, he thought. If the Hidden Cloud decides to get creative, losing a clone beats losing the real me.
He lost himself in practice, cycling through water techniques until his muscles burned. Thirty minutes in, a notification appeared.
---
[B-Rank Talent Entry: Water Style Specialist]
[Trigger Condition: Master nine Water Style techniques]
[Effect: All Water Style ninjutsu power increased by 100%]
[Note: Further mastery may advance to A-Rank Water Style Master]
---
Hanekawa exhaled slowly. One down, two to go.
He began forming seals for earth techniques. The work was methodical, repetitive, meditative. By the time darkness fell completely, he'd made solid progress.
---
Back in the Hidden Cloud camp, Mabui had called an emergency meeting.
"Where's Hanekawa?" she asked, her dark eyes scanning the room.
"He's staying in Konoha," Samui said quietly, repeating what Hanekawa had told her. "He wanted time to think."
A's jaw tightened. "Is he defecting?"
"No," Mabui said calmly. "He's renegotiating terms."
"Renegotiating?" A's voice rose. "He's a Hidden Cloud ninja. He doesn't get to negotiate."
"Actually, he does." Mabui's tone didn't change. "A genius like Hanekawa would be welcomed anywhere. The Hidden Cloud needs him more than he needs us right now."
A slammed his fist on the table. "This is unacceptable!"
"The Third Raikage has been poisoned," Mabui continued, ignoring his outburst. "Our priority is saving him. Everything else comes later."
Samui's stomach twisted. She hadn't wanted things to escalate this far.
"Will he come back?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Mabui said with certainty. "He asked for conditions, which means he wants something we have. He'll return."
"When he does, I'm settling this," A growled.
"First, we save the Raikage," Mabui said. "Samui, meet him outside the camp when he arrives. The fewer people who know about this, the better."
---
Two days later, Hanekawa's shadow clone arrived at the Hidden Cloud.
The village itself was breathtaking—perched atop a mountain so high the clouds seemed to brush against the stone. Thunder rumbled constantly in the distance, and the air crackled with residual lightning chakra.
"Stop right there!"
A figure materialized in front of him—a tall girl with beige braids and claws that looked disturbingly sharp.
"Yugito, stand down!" Mabui called out sharply.
"Why should I?" The girl—Yugito—snarled. "Isn't this genius supposed to be so great? Why doesn't he dodge?"
Hanekawa smiled. "Because I'm just a shadow clone, little wildcat. Attacking me would be pointless."
Yugito's eyes flashed with fury. "Who are you calling—"
"Yugito." Mabui's voice cut like a blade. "The Raikage is waiting."
The girl glared at Hanekawa one last time before stalking away.
Samui blinked. That's not the Hanekawa I know.
Under Mabui's guidance, they reached the Third Raikage's chamber. The man lay on a hospital bed, his massive frame looking diminished by illness. Hanekawa unwrapped the bandage on his abdomen.
The wound was unmistakable—a knife mark, blackened and oozing with poison that smelled of decay.
Chiyo's work. An upgraded formula.
Hanekawa wrapped a drop of blood in his chakra and analyzed it. Definitely her poison. But modified. No wonder the Cloud's medical ninjas are stumped.
"Can you cure it?" A demanded from the doorway.
"Yes," Hanekawa said. "Everyone out. I need to operate."
"We stay," A said flatly.
"You leave," Hanekawa replied, meeting his gaze without flinching. "Or the Raikage dies. Your choice."
A's face darkened with rage, but Mabui placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let him work, A."
Two hours later, Hanekawa emerged.
"The Third Raikage will recover fully," he announced. "He'll need medicine for two more days, but the poison is neutralized."
The relief in the room was palpable.
After the initial flurry of activity settled, the Third Raikage requested Hanekawa's presence alone.
"You saved my life," the old man said, his voice still weak but steady. "Name your reward."
Hanekawa didn't hesitate. "Lightning Style Chakra Mode."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"Absolutely not," A snarled. "That's a secret technique of the Raikage lineage only."
"Hanekawa, that's not possible," Mabui said carefully. "Choose something else."
"The Third Raikage still has poison in his system," Hanekawa said calmly. "He needs medicine for two more days. I could simply... observe the training method during that time."
Yugito's eyes widened in outrage. "You dare—"
"I dare," Hanekawa said, his voice soft but edged with steel. "I saved your Raikage's life. I think that earns me the right to ask."
A took a step forward, murder in his eyes.
"Lord Raikage values fairness," Hanekawa continued, addressing the old man directly. "I've earned this reward. The question is whether you'll honor that."
The Third Raikage stared at him for a long moment. Finally, he sighed.
"I promise you," he said quietly. "You'll learn the Lightning Style Chakra Mode."
A's face turned purple with rage, but he said nothing. The Third Raikage had spoken.
Hanekawa smiled. One more S-Rank entry incoming.
---