316. The Secretary's Work

Night fell.

After dinner, Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin, and the others didn’t linger and soon took their leave.

Uchiha Shisui looked around, his mind heavy with thoughts, before finally returning to the Uchiha clan’s compound.

Normally calm and collected, he found himself unsettled by Hanekawa’s mention of rebuilding the Shinobi Sect. But more than that, he was filled with anticipation.

The Sage of Six Paths was a legendary figure.

And now, Uchiha Shisui was being asked to follow in his footsteps and establish the Shinobi Sect. It was hard not to feel excited.

After all, the purpose of the Shinobi Sect was to bring peace to the ninja world—an ideal that aligned perfectly with his own.

But unfortunately, Hanekawa hadn’t elaborated, only dropping a brief hint.

As for how to actually do it, Shisui had no idea.

Tonight, for Uchiha Shisui, would undoubtedly be a sleepless one.

Hanekawa, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly concerned.

The reason he hadn’t explained further to Shisui was that the idea had come to him on the spot, and he wasn’t entirely sure how to articulate it yet.

About the concept of a university, he had some knowledge in his mind, but it wasn’t yet a complete system.

But in the ninja world, even an incomplete system was more than enough.

After all, the ninja academies weren’t exactly high-level institutions to begin with.

Besides, in a world where strength ruled above all, even if problems arose, he could always use his power to stabilize the situation.

Hanekawa needed time to draft a proper plan before discussing it further with Uchiha Itachi.

The importance of education was undeniable, and it had to be handled carefully.

After seeing off Nohara Rin and the others, Hanekawa returned to his room.

Yuuhi Kurenai and her father, Yuuhi Shinku, had nothing to do, so they sat in the living room watching TV.

But Kurenai seemed distracted.

Her mind was occupied with thoughts she shouldn’t be having—thoughts that were both thrilling and dangerous.

Like whether Hanekawa would sneak into her bed again tonight.

She felt it was highly likely.

In her mind, Hanekawa was a bad guy who always took every opportunity to take advantage of her.

Now that he’d finally gotten what he wanted, once or twice definitely wouldn’t be enough.

As she thought about it, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

She told herself that the summer night was just too hot, making her feel uncomfortably warm.

"If you don’t want to watch TV with me, you can go find Hanekawa."

Yuuhi Shinku spoke without even looking up.

A father knew his daughter best.

From the start, he’d noticed that Kurenai couldn’t sit still, fidgeting constantly as if she had restless energy.

Clearly, her mind wasn’t on the TV—and where it was, went without saying.

Kurenai’s face turned even redder at his words.

She hadn’t expected her father to say something like that.

"Hanekawa is working," she replied hesitantly.

"You’re the Hokage’s secretary," Yuuhi Shinku reminded her. "His work is your work too."

"That’s right!"

Kurenai’s eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up, bare feet padding softly as she hurried toward Hanekawa’s room.

"She’s really grown up now…"

Yuuhi Shinku sighed, watching her go.

But he didn’t object.

Hanekawa was far too outstanding and powerful—someone like that as a son-in-law was something he had no reason to refuse.

Besides, even if he did refuse, it wouldn’t matter.

With Kurenai’s personality, if he rejected it, she’d probably run off with Hanekawa the very next day.

__

Hanekawa was drafting a plan for rebuilding the Shinobi Sect.

Originally, he’d considered simply modifying the existing ninja academy system, but the more he thought about it, the less suitable it seemed.

After all, having just a university wasn’t enough—there needed to be elementary and secondary schools as well.

Hanekawa’s idea was to extend the graduation age for ninja.

Normally, students graduated from the ninja academy at twelve.

But what could a twelve-year-old really do?

Aside from serving as cannon fodder, they were practically useless.

Geniuses like Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi were rare exceptions.

And even they were only prodigies in combat—their actual knowledge was limited, leaving them skilled only in fighting and killing.

In a unified ninja world, traditional shinobi like that would lose much of their purpose.

Because their strength wouldn’t be needed as much.

Of course, that didn’t mean abolishing ninja altogether.

Maintaining a certain number of shinobi to preserve peace would still be necessary.

Footsteps approached.

Though Kurenai tried to move quietly, Hanekawa’s sharp hearing picked her up easily.

He smiled but pretended not to notice, continuing to write.

Soon, he felt a soft warmth press against his back.

"Guess who?"

Kurenai leaned over him, her body pressing against his back as her hands covered his eyes.

The chair Hanekawa sat in wasn’t like the Hokage’s seat—it had no backrest.

And since Kurenai was wearing pajamas, it was easy for him to feel the curves of her body, especially the weight resting against him.

"A little greedy kitten," Hanekawa chuckled.

"I’m not greedy at all! Why call me that?" Kurenai protested, confused.

"Not greedy?"

Hanekawa grabbed her wrists and gently pulled, seating her on his lap.

"Of course not," Kurenai huffed, shifting slightly to nestle more comfortably against him. "I don’t even eat that much of your cooking."

"You spent an extra half hour eating this morning," Hanekawa teased.

"I didn’t even have breakfast this morning—oh, you jerk!"

Kurenai finally realized what he was referring to.

Her face flushed red, and she glared at him, kicking her legs slightly to bump her heels against his shins in protest.

Hanekawa’s response was simple.

He reached down and gripped her smooth thighs, giving them a firm squeeze.

Instantly, her body went limp.

"Weren’t you watching TV with your dad?" Hanekawa asked, idly stroking her legs.

"It was boring," Kurenai muttered, still shooting him a glare—though she didn’t push further on his earlier joke.

After last night, banter like that was just playful flirting between them.

If anything, she wanted to be even greedier.

Because that feeling of fullness had been intoxicating.

Unfortunately, her stamina just wasn’t up to it yet.

"What are you writing? Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow?"

Kurenai glanced at the documents on the desk and blinked. "You’re really rebuilding the Shinobi Sect?"

"I already gave Shisui his task. Of course it’s real," Hanekawa murmured, leaning down to nuzzle against her neck, breathing in her faint scent.

"That tickles…"

Kurenai shivered as his warm breath brushed her skin.

Hanekawa smiled and left a light kiss on her pale throat.

"…Why do you want to rebuild the Shinobi Sect?" Kurenai asked, trying to ignore the tingling sensation.

"For peace in the ninja world," Hanekawa said casually.

"I don’t believe that."

Kurenai pouted.

"You’re adorable."

Hanekawa leaned in and caught her lips with his.

Kurenai froze for a second before eagerly kissing him back.

Hanekawa’s hands didn’t stay still.

They slid up from her plush thighs, eventually coming to rest over her heart.

Kurenai was wearing pajamas—traditional yukata-style, but thin and loose.

  

Hanekawa could clearly feel the softness and warmth of her skin in his palm.

"Ha... Hanekawa..."
Kurenai looked up at him.

There was a glimmer in her eyes, and paired with her flushed cheeks, she looked especially charming.

"Aren’t you worried your father might find out?"

Hanekawa asked with a teasing smile.

"I... I’m sure you’ll figure something out..."
Kurenai answered, breathless, her face flushed.

After all, he had already proven himself earlier that morning.

"You really are... quite the little troublemaker."

Hanekawa couldn’t help but laugh.

"I am not!"

Kurenai pressed her legs together nervously.

She wasn’t about to admit anything like that.

"This is all your fault."

She felt a twinge in her chest as she murmured.

"If that’s how you feel, I suppose I owe you an apology,"

Hanekawa said, holding her gently, his fingers brushing against her smooth skin.

Kurenai felt a bit overwhelmed under his intense gaze, her chest still aching lightly.

Her thoughts were hazy; she wasn’t sure how to respond.

But Hanekawa knew what to do.

He leaned in, kissing her heated cheek.

The warmth in the room seemed to rise.

Kurenai instinctively tightened her grip around her waist tie.

As her robe slipped off, a refreshing coolness replaced the heat.

"Ha... Hanekawa..."
She whispered softly, her breath warm and fragrant.

Her arms wrapped around his neck on their own.

Before he could answer, she mirrored his action, brushing her lips against his cheek like a cat.

Feeling her gentle touch, Hanekawa responded by lifting her into his arms.

The room light went out.

Soft sounds echoed in the quiet.

Clothes fell to the floor.

Kurenai’s eyes widened in surprise.

She clung to Hanekawa like an octopus, wrapping her limbs around him to avoid falling.

"How are you doing?"
Hanekawa asked, supporting her gently as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I... I’m fine..."
She exhaled deeply.

"Will you admit now that you're a little troublemaker?"

Hanekawa teased, looking into her flushed face.

"I’m not... not at all..."
She said, body tense.

Her legs showed a bit of strain, trembling slightly.

"Let’s see how long you can keep saying that."

Hanekawa chuckled, pulling her close.

She felt his warmth at her chest, clearing her head a little.

She instinctively glanced down—and in that moment, her pupils contracted, her expression a mix of shock and confusion.

With Hanekawa's support, she moved with more ease and strength than before.

But sometimes, the more intense something is, the quicker it burns out.

Several minutes later, Kurenai finally gave in—admitting she might be a little troublemaker after all.

And not only that, she proved she wasn’t as stubborn as she claimed.




Of course, she was also punished—her throat felt tight and uncomfortable.

"Get some rest," Hanekawa said as he used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to arrive in Kurenai’s room.

"You pervert," Kurenai muttered weakly.

Hanekawa didn’t mind the comment—after all, he’d gotten his way.

On his birthday, he had managed to achieve both goals.

Snapping back to reality, Hanekawa noticed Kurenai had already fallen sound asleep.

He shook his head, thinking about what to do next.

When he thought about it, there were still quite a few tasks waiting for him.

And with that, Hanekawa disappeared on the spot.

His night was very busy—he first visited Tsunade’s home, then the Ōtsutsuki Kaguya residence.

By the time everything was finished, it was already the next day.

Fortunately, with his Ōtsutsuki body, even staying up all night didn’t affect his energy.

The time was now 9 a.m.

Kurenai slowly opened her eyes.

She glanced around but didn’t see Hanekawa.

Looking out the window and seeing how bright it was outside, she panicked.

It’s already this late?

Kurenai quickly got up and changed.

Yesterday had been her birthday, so taking the day off from the Hokage’s office was understandable.

But being late again today would be bad—after all, as the Hokage’s secretary, she should lead by example.

“Dad?”
She opened the door and froze as she saw Yūhi Shinku.

“I thought you left with Hanekawa for the Hokage’s office?”
Shinku asked in confusion.

“I… I forgot something, so I came back for it,”
Kurenai replied, her face red as she hurriedly added,
“I’m heading there now!”

“...?”
Shinku looked like he wanted to say more but stayed silent.

It was obvious she had lied—she had just come out of her room.

"Argh!"

Kurenai groaned in frustration. "It’s all that guy’s fault!"

She just wanted to find a hole and hide in it.

She rushed all the way to the Hokage’s office and pushed the door open.

She was about to speak when she saw Hanekawa sitting at the desk, writing with a serious expression.

Seeing him so focused, her heart softened, and she instinctively walked more quietly.

She hesitated for a moment and was about to leave when—

“Kurenai.”

Hanekawa looked up at her. “You’re just in time. I have a task for you as Hokage’s secretary.”

“What’s the task?”
Kurenai stepped forward confidently. “Leave it to me!”

“It’s what I mentioned last night—rebuilding the Shinobi Sect.”
He handed her a scroll.

Kurenai opened the scroll and read through it.

There were only four items listed:

1. Choose a piece of land in the Hidden Leaf Village to build the Shinobi Sect using the ninja academy as a model.


2. Select experienced special jōnin and jōnin to serve as instructors.


3. Divide the school into seven departments based on the seven chakra natures.


4. Students graduating from the current academy this year will automatically become students of the Shinobi Sect.



“So the Shinobi Sect is a new ninja school?”
Kurenai asked, puzzled. “But why are you recruiting twelve-year-olds? Aren’t they already genin?”

“In today’s Hidden Leaf Village, we don’t need that many genin out doing tasks,”
Hanekawa explained. “The goal of the Shinobi Sect is to raise the overall strength of genin and chūnin.”

Of course, there was something he didn’t say out loud—
The true purpose of the Shinobi Sect wasn’t just about strength, but knowledge.

His plan was for students to attend the ninja academy for six years, then study at the Shinobi Sect for another six years.


At age 18, they’d graduate and contribute to the rebuilding of the ninja world.

“I see,”
Kurenai said, her expression clearing.

Since the Third Great Ninja War, the ninja world had been in a peaceful era.

Especially in the Hidden Leaf Village, many genin had nothing to do but run errands.

Instead of wasting time on E-rank or D-rank missions, it was better for them to continue their education in the Shinobi Sect.

Kurenai had been a genin once—she knew how dull that time could be.

Even if it was meant to familiarize them with the village and missions, it wasn’t very effective.

“I’ve already put Shisui in charge of rebuilding the Shinobi Sect,”
Hanekawa added after a moment. “You can coordinate with him.”

“What if the Uchiha clan wants to interfere?”
Kurenai asked seriously.

“Reject them,”
Hanekawa said calmly. “If they insist, go find Tsukihime.”

The Shinobi Sect was destined to become the future ninja university.

It couldn’t be controlled by a single clan like the Konoha Police Force was.

“Understood!”
Kurenai nodded firmly.

“You’ve truly become a reliable secretary now,”
Hanekawa said with a smile.