Picnic

Beishan was a small hill near Senju Park, a little over fifty meters tall. Its trees were sparse, making it a great spot for a picnic.

By the time Hanfu reached the place, guided by his memories, it was already half past four.

But it was the end of summer, and the sky wouldn't grow dark before six.

"Woof! Woof!"

The little puppy Shiromaru's barks drifted faintly through the trees halfway up the hill. Hanfu followed the sound and soon found Anko, Inuzuka Sa, Iruka, Izumo Kamizuki, and Kotetsu Hagane.

"Hanfu, over here!"

Inuzuka Sa waved.

"Looks like I'm not late." Hanfu walked over and saw Izumo Kamizuki gathering branches, Kotetsu Hagane trying to start a fire, and Anko putting the red bean paste they'd bought into an iron pot.

Red bean paste was basically red bean porridge. You could eat it right after buying it, but heating it up a little and adding some sugar made it even sweeter.

For girls like Anko and Inuzuka Sa, who loved desserts, it was the most delicious thing imaginable.

Of course, besides the red bean paste, Anko had bought other food, like takoyaki, beef balls, and red bean balls. And, well... they were all balls!

Hanfu couldn't help complaining. "Anko, you could at least have thought about us guys."

He had put a thousand yen toward the food, after all.

"I did buy you boys some meatballs!"

Anko said matter-of-factly, "I even asked the shopkeeper to add chili to the beef ones. Hmph! Hope they burn your mouths off!"

"But that's still not enough for four of us," Hanfu said helplessly.

"These branches should be enough, right?"

Izumo Kamizuki piled the dead branches he'd gathered beside Kotetsu Hagane and asked, "Huh? You still haven't got the fire going?"

"Ah, the branches seem a little damp," Kotetsu Hagane replied.

"It'll be easy once we learn Fire Release Ninjutsu." Iruka formed Hand Seals with an air of expertise and shouted, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Pfft!

Iruka spat out a few drops of saliva.

Inuzuka Sa and Anko stepped back with disgusted expressions. "Iruka, that's so gross!"

"Heh, sorry, sorry," Iruka said with an embarrassed smile.

"The Great Fireball is a Fire Release Ninjutsu of the Uchiha Clan. I hear it's pretty difficult to master." Kotetsu Hagane was clearly interested in ninjutsu too.

"Can that genius Uchiha in our year use it?" Izumo Kamizuki asked.

"Of course Shisui can!" Inuzuka Sa immediately exclaimed. "Shisui's a genius!"

"You might not believe this, but I can use the Great Fireball Technique too," Hanfu said modestly.

"I don't believe you. It's an Uchiha Clan jutsu." Inuzuka Sa had turned into a full-fledged fangirl, and the little puppy Shiromaru barked at Hanfu twice.

"Although the Great Fireball Technique was created by the Uchiha Clan, other ninja can learn it as long as they know how to train in it," Iruka said.

The Uchiha Clan had plenty of Fire Release Ninjutsu. Aside from those that were extremely difficult to master or required the Sharingan to perform, techniques like the Great Fireball had spread outside the clan to some extent.

It was like the Shadow Clone Technique, created by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju to gather intelligence. It had spread to other countries and hidden villages; there was no way to keep it under wraps.

On the other hand, even if the Hyuga Clan were willing to teach others the Gentle Fist, no one else would want to learn it. The technique needed the Byakugan to reach its full potential!

"Even so, Shisui's Great Fireball is the strongest!" Inuzuka Sa declared proudly, her chin raised.

"Hanfu, why don't you give it a try?" Kotetsu Hagane had given up on starting the fire.

Hanfu narrowed his eyes and gauged the Chakra he'd refined inside his body, then promptly refused. "My Great Fireball is for fighting. How could I use it to start a fire? I won't do it. Absolutely not."

"I've figured it out. You can't do it!" Anko said.

"I just want to spend time with you as an ordinary person. I really can't reveal any more of my trump cards," Hanfu said with a sigh. "I'm afraid I'll discourage you all."

"Would you all be quiet?!"

A hoarse, impatient female voice suddenly rang out from the top of the hill. "You brats, do you even know what this place is? Who gave you permission to picnic here?"

Hanfu and the others exchanged glances.

From her tone, you'd think this place belonged to her.

Wait, belonged to her?

Senju Park was right near this hill!

The Senju Clan?

Could it be Tsunade, one of the Sannin?

Hanfu's heart pounded, and his adrenaline surged.

But when a stooped old woman in her fifties or sixties came down the hill, her hair dry and dull, her face covered in wrinkles, Hanfu's heart sank.

It was only Konoha Year 43. The Sannin were in their prime; Tsunade couldn't possibly look that old.

But could it be a Transformation Technique?

Hanfu studied her discreetly. Her hair was the same color as Tsunade's, but it was hard to tell what her figure looked like with her back hunched.

Hanfu frowned, still unable to be sure.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. We're students from the Ninja Academy," Anko said politely. "Sorry for disturbing you."

"Mm, at least you have manners."

The old woman nodded slightly, then spoke in a tone that brooked no argument. "But picnicking here could easily start a forest fire. Go down to the foot of the hill!"

"Understood. We'll leave right away. Thank you, ma'am!" Anko said, then directed everyone to pack up the meatballs, red bean paste, and dead branches before heading downhill.

Once they were gone, a slender figure slowly emerged from behind a tree.

Orochimaru stood with his arms crossed, an odd, inscrutable smile on his lips. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "They're just a bunch of brats. Why disguise yourself?"

The old woman, with her dry, dull hair, wrinkled face, and hunched figure, slowly straightened up. She passed her hands lightly over her face, and the wrinkles quickly disappeared. Her dull hair regained its bright golden sheen.

She was none other than Tsunade, one of the Sannin!

"What do you know!" Tsunade huffed.

"Heh."

Orochimaru teased her in an oddly mocking tone. "You didn't happen to owe money to a gambling house and worry those brats were luring you out to collect, did you?"

He'd actually figured it out?!

Tsunade flushed, then flew into a rage and swung a punch at him.

Boom!!

At the foot of the hill, Hanfu and the others suddenly heard a thunderous crash from above, like an earthquake.

"What happened?" Iruka looked around. "Was that an earthquake?"

"How could there be an earthquake here?" Anko said. "Probably just a rock falling on the hill."

"We've been up to the top before. There weren't any rocks there," Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki said.

"Then I don't know," Anko said casually. "Come on, quit dawdling. Let's get that fire going!"

"Right, right."

While everyone got busy, Hanfu gazed up at the hill, lost in thought.

"Hanfu, what are you spacing out for? Come help!" Iruka called.

"Wait, I'm going up to take a look." Hanfu's eyes lit up as he ran toward the hill.

"Hanfu?"

Iruka, Anko, and the others watched him in confusion.

"Is he worried about that old woman?" Inuzuka Sa said with a smile. "Hanfu's such a kind person."

"Woof! Woof!" The little puppy Shiromaru was always quick to answer his little master, and he was striding ever farther down the path of being a devoted sycophant.

Thanks to readers Shen Zhi Wang Hai, Zan Lu Ta, and Zi Mi Kui for their generous rewards.