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[Konoha2] Chapter 97: A Gift, A Home!
🕑 Added 2025-07-03 16:38:32 +0000 UTCAfter sending Nawaki home with a wood clone, Hajime returned to his training.
He still needed to continue developing Blade Storm.
He had to keep practicing Wind Release.
Wood Release needed work too.
In addition, there were Earth and Water Release techniques to train.
He left those to his clones, while his true self took out a scroll and immersed himself in studying sealing techniques.
Most especially—Sage Art: Shisekiyōjin (Great Sage Gate / Demonic Gate of the Illusory World).
It was still uncertain whether Sage Mode alone could suppress the fully transformed Nine-Tails.
But as for the other eight Tailed Beasts… it should be more than enough, right?
...
Time flew by.
Before he knew it, the New Year had arrived.
That day, heavy snow blanketed the village.
Tsunade and the others hadn’t returned yet. After his usual morning training, Hajime started shopping for New Year goods. Afterward, he made his way to the place where Uzumaki Kushina was being housed.
But he didn’t approach carelessly. Instead, he found the ANBU guarding the area.
Coincidentally, it was Captain Ōtora leading the team.
“Apologies. Without orders from the Third Hokage, no one is allowed to approach,” Ōtora said respectfully. Despite being firm, he spoke politely—he clearly respected Hajime.
Hajime nodded. “Understood.”
“But there shouldn’t be a problem if you deliver this New Year’s gift for me, right?”
He handed over a gift bag.
Ōtora glanced at it with some hesitation.
Hajime smiled. “You can open it and inspect it if you’d like.”
Ōtora quickly replied, “Forgive me, then!”
He took the bag and looked inside. It held a gift box and a scroll.
He opened the gift box first—it was a clay figurine of a smiling face.
Then the scroll…
“You can check that as well,” Hajime offered.
Ōtora immediately bowed again before unrolling it. He gave it a quick scan, then hurriedly rolled it back up, utterly shocked.
An S-rank Genjutsu!
Ōtora was an experienced ANBU jōnin. He had seen a lot—but he’d never even heard of an S-rank Genjutsu before.
And the name of the technique was completely unfamiliar.
Could it be… just like the Rasengan, a jutsu developed by Hajime himself?
Ōtora was inwardly stunned, but Hajime simply bowed and said, “I’ll leave it in your hands.”
With that, he leapt away.
“Captain,” another ANBU appeared beside Ōtora, watching Hajime’s retreating figure. “Wasn’t this guy supposed to be extremely domineering?”
“They say he does the dirty work Root wouldn’t dare touch.”
“Yet he seems awfully polite today.”
Ōtora gave his subordinate a calm glance. “Because he took off his mask.”
Taking off the mask meant he hadn’t come as a member of Root.
The subordinate looked confused at that.
Ōtora didn’t bother to explain. “Keep your guard up. I’m going to see the Third Hokage.”
...
Less than ten minutes later, Ōtora returned and personally delivered the gift to Uzumaki Kushina.
The moment Kushina received it, her face lit up with joy. “As expected, Hajime Senpai didn’t forget me!”
She first opened the gift box, pulled out the clay figurine, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
The clay figure's expression was exaggerated.
Then Uzumaki Kushina discovered the secret—lifting it up, she found another smaller clay figure underneath it, with a different, silly expression. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter again.
Layer after layer, the clay figures got smaller and smaller, each with funnier faces, until Kushina was laughing so hard her stomach hurt.
But in the midst of her laughter, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. Hugging the nesting dolls tightly in both arms, she whispered, “Thank you…”
After a while, Kushina gently put down the figures and unrolled the scroll.
“As I thought, it’s a jutsu.”
“A genjutsu…?”
She read carefully, then her eyes widened in shock. “It can be used… to hypnotize the Nine-Tails?!”
...
After delivering the gift to Kushina, Hajime went to Tsunade’s house and brought Nawaki over to spend New Year’s Day together.
The two of them had, by now, practically become master and disciple in everything but name.
“Big bro, with all these dishes, can you really handle it?” Nawaki asked while helping him wash the vegetables.
Hajime had prepared so many ingredients, it looked like he was about to cook a truly extravagant feast.
Hajime replied in a deep and meaningful tone, “Nawaki, as a man, there is no such thing as ‘can or can’t.’”
“You must be able. You must succeed.”
“After all, you wouldn’t want anyone to doubt whether you can become Hokage, right?”
Nawaki felt that made perfect sense and nodded with a smile. “Then sis is going to be really lucky in the future.”
“You have no idea how awful her cooking is…”
When he mentioned Tsunade’s cooking, Nawaki’s face scrunched up—clearly he'd been through some traumatic meals.
Hajime chuckled, “Then you’re in for a treat. Come over whenever you want to eat.”
Nawaki’s eyes lit up and he grinned, “Then I won’t hold back!”
Though there was about a five- or six-year age gap between them, the two got along like brothers and were having a great time.
Tsunade had rushed back from the battlefield to spend New Year’s with her brother. When she saw the note Hajime had left, she followed it here—and was met with a heartwarming scene that made her heart skip a beat.
“Sis!”
Nawaki, carrying a dish out from the kitchen, spotted her standing at the door and cried out in surprise.
Hajime, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, followed him out. Seeing the travel-worn Tsunade, he smiled warmly, “Perfect timing. Join us.”
Tsunade nodded, completely unfazed. She strode forward boldly, rolled up her sleeves, and said, “Let me help out!”
But Nawaki’s face instantly turned pale. He hurriedly grabbed her arm and said nervously, “Sis, um… you’re still dirty, and you smell kinda sweaty. Maybe you should take a shower first?”
Tsunade sniffed herself—and sure enough, there was a bit of a smell.
Then she looked up and saw Hajime watching her. Her cheeks flushed slightly. With a light snort and a smack to Nawaki’s head, she vanished in a flash.
As soon as she left, Nawaki let out a long breathThat was close!
...
Half an hour later.
Hajime, Tsunade, and Nawaki clinked their cups together. “Happy New Year!”
Tsunade drained her sake in one gulp, feeling the weariness from the battlefield wash away.
Hajime took a small sip. Nawaki, of course, had juice.
The three chatted casually while enjoying the food.
“These dishes are pretty good.”
“Sis, they’re seriously delicious!”
“…Are you saying mine aren’t?”
“N-no! That’s not what I meant… By the way, sis—I’ve mastered the Rasengan!”
“Really?”
Tsunade was surprised. It hadn’t even been that long.
Seeing her disbelief, Nawaki put down his chopsticks, stepped aside, extended his right hand, and supported it with his left wrist.
In the next moment, a swirling blue Rasengan formed instantly.
Tsunade was stunned—it was that fast?
She looked to Hajime. He smiled and said, “Nawaki’s got talent. And he worked really hard.”
“He went without sleep or rest for days.”
Nawaki dispersed the Rasengan, scratching his head with a grin. “Big bro Hajime taught me really well. I learned so much from him.”
He glanced at his sister and added, “I think Big Bro Hajime is even more amazing than Big Bro Jiraiya.”
Tsunade thought about it—and nodded in agreement.
Right now, Hajime really was more impressive than Jiraiya.
After all, just his mastery of Wood Release alone was astounding.
(End of Chapter)
