168

After getting back to his apartment, Haruto wasted no time. Despite the long hours of sparring with Daichi and Shisui, and the in-depth fūinjutsu training with Kushina, he still felt restless. His body hummed with energy, and the need to push himself further was undeniable. He changed into his training gear and threw himself into an intense session, working until his muscles screamed in protest. It was only then that he felt the familiar sense of exhaustion that came with accomplishment.

Once he finished, he returned to his kitchen, making a large meal. Though his appetite was ravenous, he ate with careful restraint. He needed to refuel, but not overload himself. After the meal, Haruto sat cross-legged and absorbed the memories from the shadow clone he had left at the hospital. The flood of information surged through him, but one moment stood out: a conversation with Tsunade.

Though he hadn't seen Shizune, Tsunade had been at the hospital, offering insights into a roadblock Haruto had hit in his medical training. Her advice had been precise and sharp, cutting through the fog of confusion he'd been struggling with. It allowed him to see where his chakra manipulation had been falling short in certain medical techniques. That clarity had been exactly what he needed to push forward.

But Tsunade hadn't stopped there.

"I need all my best tomorrow," Tsunade had told him with a knowing smirk. "Especially my newest protégé."

Haruto had blinked, caught off guard by the title. "Protégé?"

Tsunade crossed her arms, grinning. "Well, of course. I don't just teach anyone, you know. Besides, the Hokage is visiting the hospital tomorrow. I need my team looking sharp. You've got talent, kid. Don't make me regret calling you that."

Haruto had grinned in response. "I didn't know I'd been promoted to 'protégé' status. Or are you just setting me up as a distraction so the Hokage doesn't ask too many questions?"

Tsunade had laughed, the sound short and sharp. "If I wanted to throw someone under the bus, it'd be Shizune, not you."

The playful banter had left Haruto feeling both more confident and more challenged. Tsunade didn't compliment lightly, but she also didn't tolerate mediocrity. He had to live up to her expectations.

Back in the present, Haruto leaned back against the wall, reflecting on what tomorrow would bring. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was coming to inspect the hospital. Haruto had seen the Hokage twice during his academy days, delivering the Will of Fire speech to his class. Each time, the words had resonated with him, reminding him of Konoha's philosophy and the importance of protecting the village and its people. But beyond those speeches, he hadn't had any direct contact with the Hokage.

He wondered what it would be like to meet the man up close. The Hokage had seemed much younger back then, compared to the stories of the war-worn Sarutobi that came later. The wars had aged him, no doubt. The Third Shinobi War had taken a toll on everyone, especially those who carried the village on their shoulders.

As Haruto stretched out on his bed, letting his body relax after the day's exertions, his mind wandered to his current obsession: explosive tags. Specifically, the idea of improving them. The standard explosive tags were effective, no doubt, but Haruto couldn't shake the feeling that there was room for innovation. Drawing on knowledge from his past life, he wondered if he could make the explosive tags even more dangerous.

In the world he came from, explosives were often designed with precision, not just brute force. That got Haruto thinking—what if, instead of the typical large explosion with a wide radius, he could create a more concentrated explosion? One where the blast radius was much smaller, but the power of the explosion was compressed, focused into a single point. Such an explosion could be devastating, capable of punching through stronger defenses or dealing precise, lethal damage in a contained area.

The idea intrigued him. If he could create a seal that compressed the blast, channeling all of its power into a smaller space, the destructive force could be exponentially greater. It wouldn't be about blowing up large areas, but about delivering massive force in a tight, concentrated radius—like a bullet instead of a bomb.

Haruto grabbed a pen and some paper and began sketching out his ideas. He thought about how the chakra could be manipulated within the tag, sealing the explosive energy in layers that compressed it instead of allowing it to spread outward. It would take precise chakra control, but if he could layer the seals correctly, the result would be a compact, devastating explosion that could tear through armor or fortified structures with ease.

His hands moved quickly, scribbling down theories and ideas, piecing together the mechanics of the explosive tag. The key, he realized, would be in regulating the chakra release. Too much, and the tag would lose its compression and explode too wide. Too little, and the explosion wouldn't have enough force to be effective. The perfect balance of chakra flow, combined with the correct sealing technique, could make all the difference.

Haruto considered layering fūinjutsu techniques that would suppress the initial blast, keeping the energy locked in until the last possible moment. Once released, the explosion would have nowhere to go but forward, like a pressure cooker finally letting loose.

He smiled to himself, excited by the possibilities. If he could pull this off, it would be a significant improvement over the standard explosive tag, and potentially give him a unique edge in combat. Instead of large, unpredictable blasts, he could deploy focused, tactical explosions designed to maximize damage in specific areas.

Satisfied with his initial sketches, Haruto sat back, feeling a surge of excitement. Tomorrow, he'd need to focus on his responsibilities at the hospital and prepare for the Hokage's visit. But tonight, he had planted the seeds for something that could revolutionize his approach to combat.

With these new ideas swirling in his mind, Haruto stretched out on his bed, his thoughts still racing. The concentrated explosive tag was only the beginning. If he could master this technique, there was no telling what else he could achieve with fūinjutsu and chakra manipulation. And he was determined to stand out, not just to impress Tsunade or the Hokage, but to prove to himself that he could innovate and push the boundaries of what a shinobi could accomplish.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but Haruto was already looking ahead, eager to see where his ideas would take him next.