The treaty's ink had barely dried before implementation began.
Iwagakure returned the captured Leaf Village ninja they'd brought to the negotiating table. Unfortunately, Obito Uchiha wasn't among them. Not that anyone doubted the Hidden Stone's honesty—they had no reason to lie, especially with the Leaf holding Roshi, the Four-Tails jinchuriki, alive and several Uchiha clan members in custody as proof of their good faith.
Obito Uchiha was dead.
The Third Hokage confirmed it personally. On February 15th, Hiruzen Sarutobi held a collective funeral for all the shinobi who'd fallen across the Iwagakure and Kirigakure battlefields. The Hidden Cloud casualties would wait until that conflict ended.
---
Hanekawa woke before dawn, roused by a knock at the door.
He dressed quickly and found Rin standing in the hallway, dressed in a black kimono and holding four bundles of white chrysanthemums. Her expression was subdued.
"Hanekawa," she greeted softly.
"Come in." He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "Thank you for getting the flowers."
Rin had grown accustomed to the gesture. She stepped inside, removing her clogs to reveal white socks.
Kurenai emerged from her room mid-yawn, still in her pajamas. Rin's eyes widened slightly—the domestic scene was unmistakable.
"Let's have breakfast at Teacher's place, then head to the memorial together," Hanekawa said. "Kurenai, go change into your black kimono."
"Right!" She hurried back to her room.
---
Tsunade was already waiting when they arrived, dressed in a black kimono that somehow made her look like a legendary widow. Hanekawa quickly suppressed that thought—cursing himself to an early grave wasn't ideal.
After a quiet breakfast, the four of them headed out.
They hadn't gone far when a familiar voice called out. "Lady Tsunade!"
Kushina appeared, with Minato close behind. Kakashi and Guy followed, all dressed formally for the occasion. No one felt much like talking.
The Konoha Memorial Monument was surrounded by layers of people—ninja and civilians alike. Hanekawa stared at the massive stone tablet, scanning the names until he found it.
Obito Uchiha.
He glanced at Kakashi, whose expression remained unreadable. The Nine-Tails Rebellion had happened because Obito overheard Kakashi muttering at this very monument about Kushina's delivery date. But Kakashi couldn't be blamed for not knowing Obito was alive—or capable of killing his own teacher.
Hiruzen took the stage, launching into a speech about the Will of Fire and heroic sacrifice. Two hours later, it was finally time to present flowers.
Hanekawa placed his chrysanthemums before the monument and stepped back. Rin's face was sad, but dry-eyed this time. She'd already grieved.
"Come to my place for lunch?" Kushina invited once the ceremony ended.
"We'd like that," Tsunade agreed.
---
While Kushina and Minato prepared food in the kitchen, Hanekawa turned to Kakashi and Guy. "How have things been?"
"Minato-sensei handled the negotiations, so Guy and I took a couple of missions," Kakashi replied.
"Just the two of you?" Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. Normally, they'd recruit a replacement for Obito by now.
"We found someone," Guy said, glancing at Kakashi. "But Kakashi said he wasn't strong enough."
"He wasn't," Kakashi stated flatly.
Hanekawa nodded thoughtfully. Yamato, he thought. The sole survivor of the Wood Style experiments—likely still with Danzo. Once the Hidden Cloud war ended, they could look into retrieving him. Yamato's strength was elite jonin-level, despite what people said. His only real weakness was limited chakra reserves.
"There's no rush finding the right teammate," Hanekawa said. "Better to wait than settle."
---
Half an hour later, the table was laden with food. After the customary hand-clasp, everyone began eating.
"Minato," Tsunade asked casually, "are you heading to the Hidden Cloud battlefield next?"
"The Hokage hasn't mentioned anything," Minato said with his characteristic smile. "I was hoping to stay in The Hidden Leaf a bit longer."
"With Lord Orochimaru at the Cloud battlefield, everything will be fine!" Kushina declared, pumping her fist.
Tsunade's expression darkened slightly. She remembered Orochimaru's involvement in the Wood Style experiments. He could have been a hero, she thought bitterly. But Sheng Shu's death changed everything.
She felt a tap on her thigh.
Looking down, she saw Hanekawa's hand. When their eyes met, she could read the concern there clearly. Her chest warmed. This little devil was always watching out for her.
---
The next two weeks blurred together in a routine of training and the ongoing Mist Village negotiations that had Tsunade perpetually worried.
By March, the weather had warmed. The grass was green, birds sang, and Hanekawa received an unexpected invitation.
Tenmura—the blacksmith who'd helped forge his Thunder-Fire Sword—was hosting a hundred-day celebration for his newborn daughter, Tenten. The date was set for March 9th.
The twelve little strong ones are finally starting to appear, Hanekawa mused. Next will be Neji, probably around July when Hizashi's wife gives birth.
But the celebration was still weeks away. Right now, he had something more pressing: his wager with Mei Terumi.
After two months of intensive study, he'd finally mastered the Dissolution Style: Dissolving Monsters Technique.
The Mist Village's temporary compound.
Hanekawa greeted the young guard at the gate—they'd become familiar over the past two months—and headed inside. Rumors had circulated about him and Mei, though she'd quickly shut those down.
He knocked on her door.
It opened. "Come in," Mei said coolly.
"Actually, come out with me," Hanekawa replied.
"Where? Why?" Suspicion flickered across her face.
"I want to show you a jutsu."
Her eyes widened. "You didn't... you couldn't have learned the Dissolution Style: Dissolving Monsters Technique?"
"Only one way to find out," Hanekawa said, turning to leave.
Mei followed, her usual composure shattered. Two months. He'd learned her bloodline limit in just two months. The thought made her palms sweat and her confidence crumble. But worse was the thought of what she'd promised if she lost.
No. I can't think about that.
---
At the training ground, Hanekawa formed hand seals. Chakra gathered in his throat, transforming into orange-red acid that sprayed out like water. The ground beneath it melted into deep pits.
Mei's body swayed. She took an involuntary step back, hoping desperately this was a genjutsu. It wasn't.
"How is this possible?" she whispered. "A genius who can master bloodline limits so easily..."
"Did I win?" Hanekawa asked, walking closer.
"You... you won," Mei managed, each word painful.
"Then come to my place. Time to settle the bet."
"What are you—" Mei started, alarmed.
"To fulfill your promise," Hanekawa said simply. "Unless you want to back out?"
"Of course not!" she snapped through gritted teeth.
---
Back at the house, Kurenai was at Tsunade's training in water-style jutsu, so they had privacy.
Hanekawa retrieved the outfit he'd purchased weeks ago and handed it over.
Mei's eyes went wide. The black and white maid dress was frilly enough, but the cat ears attached to the headpiece and the collar made her face go pale. "What is this?" she demanded, pointing at the accessories. "Why would a maid outfit have cat ears?"
"Cat-eared maid," Hanekawa explained calmly. "A classic aesthetic."
"You pervert!" Her voice trembled with rage. "I've never heard of any such thing! This is—you're—"
"A bet's a bet," Hanekawa said. "There's a room where you can change."
"Bastard!" Mei snatched the outfit and stormed into the bedroom.
Hanekawa settled onto the sofa to wait.
Thirty minutes passed. No sign of Mei.
"Hey!" he called out. "If you don't come out, I'm coming in!"
The door opened.
Hanekawa's breath caught.
Mei emerged in the black and white maid dress, her long reddish-brown hair unbound and cascading down her back. White silk sleeves covered her wrists, and a black collar circled her neck. The cat ears sat perfectly on her head. Black silk stockings ran up her slender thighs, disappearing beneath the short skirt, with decorative black and white leg rings visible above them.
"Well?" she asked coldly. "Finished staring?"
"You look amazing," Hanekawa said honestly.
"The bet was for one day," Mei said sharply. "Not a lifetime. Once you've seen enough, I'm done."
Hanekawa smiled. "Actually, the bet was that you wear the maid dress for a full day."
Mei's face went white. "No. Absolutely not. Not a full day."
If it was just for Hanekawa to see, she could endure it. But a full day meant others might discover her. Kurenai. Tsunade. The thought of her reputation—a genius from the Hidden Mist, paraded around in a cat-eared maid outfit—was unbearable.
"You promised," Hanekawa said, his expression playful. "Are you breaking your word?"
"I—" Mei stopped herself, frozen.
"I have a solution," Hanekawa said, snapping his fingers. "Payment in installments."
"What?" Confusion crossed her face.
"Twenty-four hours divided into twenty-four days," he explained with a grin. "One hour per day."
Mei's eyes widened in horror as she understood his meaning. "You shameless—!" She wanted to die. Wearing the outfit once had been humiliating enough. Now he wanted her to do it twenty-four times?
"Your choice," Hanekawa said casually. "One full day, or one hour a day for twenty-four days."
Mei's hands clenched into fists, her mind racing through the impossible options before her.