"Hanekawa!"
Asuma's voice carried a note of surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, obviously." Hanekawa sighed. "It's not easy tracking down you guys."
With Sakumo's team constantly deployed on harassment and reconnaissance missions, they were rarely at the village headquarters. Hanekawa had needed to ask Tsunade for their location, only to learn they'd just returned today.
"No way," Asuma laughed, a hint of pride in his tone. Years of war had tempered the rebellious teenager he'd once been, though he still enjoyed showing off in front of old friends. "Our team's handling some pretty important assignments now."
"Sounds like you've gotten stronger," Hanekawa observed with a smile. "Want to spar?"
"Ah? No, no!" Asuma's smile froze as he quickly waved him off. "I don't have time! Maybe next time!"
His strength had surpassed that of an average chunin by now, and a few more years would see him promoted to jonin. But Hanekawa's progress was inhuman by comparison. Asuma wasn't stupid enough to volunteer for a one-sided beating.
"Really?" Hanekawa asked, genuinely curious. "You used to love sparring with me."
"That was the past!" Asuma said defensively, clearly suspecting some ulterior motive. "I'm a mature ninja now. No need for that sort of thing."
"What's unnecessary?"
Shisui Uchiha stepped forward, with Shizune following behind him. She'd grown into her role as Tsunade's assistant—short black hair, standard combat uniform, the same composed demeanor.
"Perfect timing!" Asuma's eyes lit up. "Hanekawa's looking for a sparring partner, and you're way more his level than me!"
Shisui blinked, clearly caught off-guard.
"You have no idea how strong Shisui is now," Asuma said with genuine awe. "I can't touch him."
He went on to describe how their team had been ambushed by Hidden Cloud forces, including the Two-Tails jinchuriki. Just when things looked dire, Shisui had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan and, working with Sakumo, had managed to seriously wound the jinchuriki.
Shisui's gaze shifted to Hanekawa, a flicker of interest crossing his face. He'd never beaten Hanekawa in all their years growing up—and now, with his newfound power, he was curious how the gap had changed. Hanekawa had captured the Four-Tails alive and killed the Third Mizukage, proving his strength beyond question. But before they fought, Shisui didn't think he'd lose.
"We can discuss sparring after we handle what I came for," Hanekawa said, not refusing. He wanted to see exactly how strong Shisui had become. Only that strength would help him keep the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee in check.
"What's going on?" Asuma asked curiously.
"I need to speak with Uncle Sakumo about this," Hanekawa said carefully.
Asuma's face fell. "...? Why can't I hear it? I'm the Hokage's son."
"He'll fill you in when the time comes," Hanekawa replied diplomatically.
"Where is he now?"
"He went to submit a mission report. Should be back soon," Asuma said, unable to hide his frustration.
"The teacher's back," Shisui observed, spotting Sakumo approaching in the distance.
"Hanekawa, it's been a while." Sakumo greeted him warmly, then his expression shifted to something more serious. "What brings you here?"
"I need to talk to you about something," Hanekawa said directly.
"Come inside." Sakumo gestured toward the tent, his tone grave.
The two of them stepped inside, leaving Asuma, Shisui, and Shizune to wait outside.
"Uncle Sakumo," Hanekawa began without preamble, "I need you to support Teacher at tomorrow's jonin meeting."
Sakumo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Support her? For what?"
As one of the battlefield commanders in the Land of Snow, he was well aware of Tsunade's current position—competent enough, but not particularly influential, with mostly unimportant assignments.
"She's preparing to make a move," Hanekawa explained carefully. "The details will become clear soon enough."
He couldn't exactly say they were planning to seize Orochimaru's power. That bordered on treason, regardless of the justification.
"I see. That's no problem," Sakumo agreed without hesitation.
The reason was simple: he owed Tsunade and Hanekawa an enormous debt. When his mission had failed years ago and he'd faced severe consequences, they'd personally traveled to the Fire Nation capital and resolved the situation. More importantly, he didn't believe Tsunade would do anything harmful to the village.
"Thank you, Uncle Sakumo," Hanekawa said, genuinely relieved. He'd been confident Sakumo would agree, but there was always the possibility of complications.
They chatted briefly before leaving the tent together. Asuma, Shisui, and Shizune immediately crowded around them with expectant expressions.
"You'll find out tomorrow," Sakumo said with an enigmatic smile. "I won't keep you any longer. Go on and chat."
"Mysterious," Asuma muttered sarcastically.
"Senior Hanekawa, shall we spar now?" Shisui asked eagerly.
"I want to watch!" Asuma exclaimed.
Shizune's expression betrayed her interest as well.
"Somewhere quiet," Hanekawa said, turning to lead the way.
The others followed quickly.
Half an hour later, as they reached an isolated clearing, Asuma couldn't help but ask, "We're going this far?"
Shisui seemed thoughtful, as if he'd anticipated Hanekawa's caution.
"This should do," Hanekawa said, closing his eyes to use his sensory abilities and confirm no one was nearby. "Asuma, Shizune—keep watch. Don't let anyone approach. And no matter what happens here, this stays between us."
Shisui had the Mangekyō Sharingan. Hanekawa might have access to Wood Style or Lightning Chakra Mode. Better to be safe than sorry about exposure.
"What?" Asuma looked confused.
"Hanekawa's right," Shisui said, understanding immediately. "We'll be using techniques we'd rather keep hidden."
"Got it," Asuma nodded, catching on. "Probably secret jutsu."
"Let's begin," Hanekawa said, taking a stance across from Shisui.
Shisui's eyes flickered, three magatama appearing as he drew his sword and swung it in one fluid motion.
Uchiha Style: Sword Jumping Flame!
Chakra transformed into burning breath, a flaming blade streaking forward.
Simultaneously, Shisui's body vanished.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Hanekawa's hands moved through seals. A wall of water erupted before him, intercepting the flaming blade in a hiss of steam and mist.
In the fog, Shisui materialized behind him.
Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!
Three successive slashes created three flaming blades that shot forward at blinding speed.
Before they could connect, the ground rose beneath Hanekawa, a giant stone hand emerging to catch the flames. Deep charred marks scored its palm.
Shisui leaped upward, his sword descending toward Hanekawa's neck.
Clang!
Hanekawa spun, his Thunder and Fire Sword blocking the strike. He lifted with force, and Shisui's expression shifted slightly as he felt the tremendous strength.
He backstepped, his three-magatama Sharingan spinning.
Genjutsu: Sharingan!
Hanekawa froze in place.
Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!
Shisui seized the opportunity, spitting three fire dragons that rolled across the clearing with intense heat.
Sweat beaded on Hanekawa's forehead—then his body dissolved into water.
His B-rank entry Seven Attributes Special Jonin granted him 100% resistance to Yin Release, allowing him to break free from illusions instantly.
The three dragons lost their target and dissipated into the distance.
Shisui's eyes focused, and he thrust his sword toward the puddle of water.
Big Whirlwind in Konoha!
Hanekawa reformed and kicked at Shisui's wrist. Rather than take the hit head-on, Shisui twisted, raising his sword to slash at Hanekawa's thigh.
Hanekawa stepped back, his movements becoming fluid and unpredictable.
Konoha Style: Ryanoo!
His Thunder and Fire Sword created a blur of shadows, filling the air with cutting edges.
"This technique won't work on me anymore," Shisui said calmly, his three-magatama Sharingan easily piercing through the illusion.
A cold gleam flashed.
Hanekawa's Thunder and Fire Sword appeared in the phantom with an impossibly complex trajectory—under normal circumstances, Shisui should have been trapped.
But he wasn't in a hurry. His sword found a tricky angle and knocked Hanekawa's blade cleanly away.
The sound of clashing steel echoed continuously as they transitioned into pure swordsmanship.
Hanekawa felt genuine pressure. In the past, he'd suppressed Shisui through superior speed and strength. But the Sharingan negated speed advantages—at least his normal speed.
At least I still have other options, he thought.
"Hanekawa's incredible," Asuma muttered, watching the exchange.
"But Shisui's different now," Shizune said quietly. "Before, he would've been overwhelmed by now."
"True," Asuma agreed. "With those eyes, Hanekawa's movements are completely readable."
"I still think Hanekawa will win," Shizune said after a moment's consideration.
"They haven't shown their real strength yet," Asuma observed. "The real fight's about to start."
A sharp metallic ring cut through the air.
Shisui was driven back several steps, his wrist aching from the impact. He shook it out, feeling the dull throb.
"I can barely keep up with your movements even with the Three-Magatama Sharingan activated," Shisui said with genuine admiration. "Senior Hanekawa, you're incredible."
Technically, his Mangekyō Sharingan was far superior to a standard three-magatama, yet he was still struggling to match Hanekawa's pace. No wonder he'd captured the Four-Tails alive and killed the Third Mizukage.
"Hanekawa-senpai," Shisui's tone became serious. "Have you heard of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"I've heard something about it," Hanekawa admitted.
"Then you've probably guessed what I'm about to show you."
Shisui's expression grew solemn. The three magatama in his eyes suddenly began to spin, twisting and reforming into shuriken shapes.
"This is the Mangekyō Sharingan—the final form of the Sharingan," he explained slowly. "But my eye technique is... special. I can't use it directly in combat."
Hanekawa's eyebrows rose. Kotoamatsukami.
The technique worked by directly invading the opponent's mind without their awareness, permanently and completely rewriting their consciousness. Its only drawback was an extremely long cooldown period—though some sources suggested the cooldown differed between his left and right eyes.
Hanekawa was curious whether Kotoamatsukami could affect him. His A-rank entry Lurker allowed him to falsify memories, and while memory and consciousness weren't identical, they were closely related. It was possible the entry would provide some protection.
"Please," Hanekawa said, meeting Shisui's gaze. "Show me."
Even without using Kotoamatsukami, the Mangekyō Sharingan represented a massive power increase. Fortunately, his B-rank entry Seven Attributes Special Jonin granted him Yin Release resistance, so he wasn't completely defenseless against genjutsu.
Illusion: Mangekyō Sharingan!
Shisui's eyes shimmered, and an invisible mental wave crashed into Hanekawa's consciousness.
Despite his preparation, Hanekawa found himself controlled for half a second—long enough for Shisui to vanish.
He raised his eyes, searching for his opponent.
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Without thinking, Hanekawa's hands flew through seals.
Walls of water began rising around him—but Shisui arrived before they completed, materializing directly in front of him.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Hanekawa opened his mouth and unleashed a water dragon that collided with Shisui, who transformed into a phantom.
The technique's name suddenly crystallized in Hanekawa's mind: Illusion Teleportation.
A genjutsu-based movement technique.
The spar continued, both fighters pushing harder, neither willing to concede ground.