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Chapter Title: Seals and Strength

Haruto made his way back to his apartment, his bag packed full of scrolls on fūinjutsu given to him by Kushina. His heart was practically racing with excitement. He had spent years learning what he could on his own, and now he had access to real, intermediate-level material straight from an Uzumaki. This was a goldmine for someone like him, especially with his Two Minds ability. He could already feel his comprehension sharpening as he anticipated diving into the new scrolls.

But first, as much as he wanted to, Haruto knew he couldn't neglect his physical training. He already had a clone at the hospital working on medical ninjutsu under Tsunade's watchful eye, but his own routine still required the usual afternoon workout. Daichi was waiting, of course, always ready to push himself alongside Haruto.

The workout was intense, just like the morning had been, but Haruto thrived in that intensity. It was in moments like these, where every muscle burned and screamed for relief, that he felt most alive. His body, conditioned to the extreme from his past life and enhanced by his current stamina, pushed past limits with ease. By the time they were done, both he and Daichi were drenched in sweat, but the satisfied grin on Daichi's face said it all. They had done good work.

After another large meal to refuel, Haruto found himself back in his apartment, finally alone with the scrolls that had been teasing him all day.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Haruto spread the scrolls out in front of him, the intricate designs and notations capturing his attention immediately. He rolled up his sleeves and dove into the first scroll, an intermediate-level text that focused on chakra flow within sealing arrays.

His Two Minds ability kicked in right away, allowing him to process the information at a speed that most would struggle to comprehend. One mind worked through the theory, understanding the intricate balance of chakra needed to maintain a seal's stability. The other mind focused on how he could practically apply the knowledge, visualizing seals in action, how chakra pathways would need to flow, where the strengths and weaknesses of different arrays lay.

"This makes sense," Haruto muttered to himself as he deciphered an especially complex seal structure, a satisfied grin forming. The more he read, the more the scrolls opened up to him, like unlocking a code.

The scrolls covered everything from temporary holding seals to more advanced barrier techniques that could be used in combat or defense. Some were destructive in nature, designed to explode or trap targets, while others were meant for containment. His mind raced as he envisioned what he could do once he mastered these seals. They weren't just tools—they were extensions of his strategic thinking, offering him ways to control the battlefield and manipulate outcomes without ever needing to directly engage in a fight.

With his dual-mind ability, Haruto found that he could analyze both the theoretical and practical sides of the seals simultaneously. It was like running two simulations in his head at once, allowing him to see not only how the seal worked but how it might fail or how it could be improved.

Hours passed like minutes as Haruto devoured the knowledge in front of him. With each new scroll, his understanding of fūinjutsu grew exponentially. He could feel the power in these seals, how even the smallest symbol, when properly placed, could contain or destroy incredible amounts of energy. He was becoming more adept at seeing the layers within layers, the genius of how fūinjutsu worked, and why it was such a coveted skill.

This was no longer just about mastering a technique—it was about mastering control. Haruto could sense the potential for his long-term goals with medical enhancements using fūinjutsu. He'd need to break down these foundational techniques first, perfect them, and then apply them in ways others hadn't imagined yet.

As the night crept in, Haruto's focus didn't wane. He was deep into the material, the scrolls unfolding like stories, revealing deeper layers of power with each page. The exhaustion of the day had long faded from his mind as he continued to dive deeper into the world of fūinjutsu.

Haruto's concentration was abruptly broken when his clone returned, causing a small flicker of frustration to pass over him. He had been so absorbed in his study of fūinjutsu that the sudden influx of memories felt like a jolt. Shaking it off, Haruto entered his hyper focus mode, pulling the information from the clone's experiences with ease.

The memories hit him all at once, and he sifted through them quickly. His clone had spent the entire day at the hospital, continuing with medical work and even receiving personal guidance from Tsunade herself. Haruto's heart skipped a beat as he realized just how much time she had spent on him. She'd given him detailed tips and tricks on the basic medical jutsu that he had been practicing, highlighting small nuances that had completely escaped him before.

In the clone's memory, Haruto could see himself performing the techniques over and over, each time slightly better but still, as Tsunade had pointed out, bound by his self-imposed limitations. He thought he had "mastered" the techniques, but in reality, he had simply refined them within a narrow scope. Tsunade's advice was subtle but clear: his approach to mastering the jutsu was too rigid, too defined by his own understanding of how they should work, not how they could work.

As the memories fully settled in, Haruto felt a wave of realization wash over him. He had been limiting himself. In his desire to perfect techniques, to achieve efficiency and precision, he had inadvertently boxed himself in. He'd been like a frog at the bottom of a well, only seeing the small patch of sky above and thinking it was the entire world. The thought struck him hard, and for the first time in a while, Haruto felt like he had been underestimating his own potential.

"Tsunade wasn't just teaching me the techniques," Haruto muttered to himself, the weight of the lesson sinking in. "She was showing me how to break free from the boundaries I've set. To think beyond the textbook definition."

The words "free-thinking" echoed in his mind. He had always prided himself on his analytical abilities, his Two Minds ability allowing him to juggle complex information, but perhaps he had been too rigid in applying it. He needed to push beyond the rules he had placed on himself. There was more to learn than just the steps. The techniques were only the starting point. Mastery was about creativity, about adaptability—using them in ways that hadn't been thought of before.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He had been humbled, and that was good. This was a breakthrough moment, one that could shape how he approached everything going forward—not just medical jutsu, but his entire path as a shinobi. He wasn't going to limit himself anymore. The world was much bigger than the bottom of the well.

"Time to stop thinking so small," Haruto whispered, his eyes gleaming with renewed determination. "I've got a lot more to learn… and a lot more to create."

With that thought lingering in his mind, Haruto leaned back, the weight of the lesson settling into his bones. He wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. There was so much more to explore, and he was ready to dive in deeper.