187

Haruto arrived at the training grounds early, feeling a mixture of excitement and trepidation. His muscles still ached from the previous day's workout, but the soreness only fueled his determination. This was day two of Hell Week with Hisato, and after yesterday's brutal training session, Haruto knew he needed to be ready for whatever the grizzled, one-eyed jonin had in store for him. If he had learned anything from their first encounter, it was that Hisato was relentless.

Hisato stood at the far end of the field, his peg leg planted firmly in the dirt, his face as expressionless as ever. The man's scarred face and weathered demeanor hadn't softened overnight, and Haruto had no illusions that today would be any easier than yesterday.

"Back again, kid?" Hisato grunted. "Thought I might've scared you off yesterday."

Haruto just nodded, his bag packed full of food. He wasn't going to repeat yesterday's mistake of showing up unprepared. The first day, he hadn't brought anything to eat, and by midday, he was practically running on empty. Hisato had noticed, of course, but offered no sympathy. The old man had pushed Haruto to his breaking point, making him sprint, dodge, and fight against a barrage of genjutsu until Haruto could barely stand. He wasn't about to let that happen again.

This time, Haruto came prepared. His bag was stuffed with food—enough to keep his energy levels up between drills. Hisato glanced at the bag and sneered slightly, though there was a glimmer of something else in his eye, something resembling approval.

"Good," Hisato grunted. "At least you're smart enough to learn from your mistakes."

With no more words exchanged, the day began. Hisato launched into a series of brutal exercises, pushing Haruto's body to the limit. Every muscle in Haruto's body screamed for relief, but he pressed on, his mind set on breaking through his limits. Sprinting back and forth across the training grounds, Haruto dodged shuriken that Hisato hurled at him with unerring accuracy, forcing him to stay sharp. The old man seemed to take pleasure in keeping Haruto on edge, never allowing him to settle into any rhythm.

By midday, Haruto was drenched in sweat, his legs burning from exertion. But this time, he was ready. The moment Hisato gave him a brief window of respite, Haruto dropped to the ground and tore into the food he had brought with him. Rice balls, protein snacks, and fruit—all were devoured in minutes as Haruto tried to replenish the energy he had spent in the morning session.

Hisato watched, his single eye narrowing in disbelief as Haruto continued to stuff his face with food. "How much can you eat in the middle of a workout?" the old man muttered under his breath, though Haruto could hear the incredulity in his tone. Hisato had seen plenty of shinobi train hard, but he had never seen anyone eat as much as Haruto did—especially during such intense physical activity. The kid was a bottomless pit, shoveling food down his throat between drills like it was nothing.

By the time Haruto finished, Hisato grunted. "You eat like a damned Akimichi."

Haruto just smirked between bites. "It keeps me going."

With his energy restored, Haruto launched himself back into the grueling training. Hisato wasn't about to let up. He switched gears, moving from pure physical drills to a mix of mental and physical challenges. The old man cast genjutsu over Haruto repeatedly, each illusion more complex than the last. One moment Haruto was sprinting through the training grounds, and the next, he was trapped in a burning building, the smoke choking him as flames licked at his skin.

But Haruto had been prepared for this. His two-mind ability gave him a natural edge in resisting genjutsu, allowing him to maintain a heightened awareness even when his mind was under assault. It didn't make the illusions any less taxing, but Haruto shattered them quickly, his focus sharp as ever. The tier 2 cognitive ability that enhanced his mental resilience combined with his two-mind technique meant that Haruto could break out of genjutsu faster than most shinobi his age. But Hisato wasn't impressed—not yet.

"Not bad," Hisato said after Haruto broke free from a particularly difficult genjutsu, "but if you can't maintain it under extreme conditions, it's useless."

Hisato proceeded to cast illusions over Haruto at random intervals, keeping him constantly on edge. Every time Haruto's guard dropped, another genjutsu slammed into his mind, forcing him to break free while maintaining his physical drills. Hisato was pushing Haruto not just physically, but mentally, testing his ability to handle multiple challenges at once.

By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, Haruto's body was screaming for rest. His muscles ached, his mind felt frayed from the constant barrage of genjutsu, and even with his tier 2 stamina, the strain was starting to show. But Haruto didn't give up. Every time Hisato cast another genjutsu, he shattered it, refusing to let the old man see any sign of weakness.

On the third day, Haruto adjusted his strategy. He started bringing even more food with him, knowing that the only way to keep up with Hisato's relentless training was to keep his energy levels high. The old man pushed him harder with each passing day, increasing both the intensity of the physical drills and the complexity of the genjutsu. Haruto found himself trapped in elaborate illusions where the ground gave way beneath him or the sky turned to fire. His two-mind technique allowed him to break the illusions quickly, but the constant mental strain was exhausting.

Hisato couldn't believe how much the kid was eating. Every few hours, Haruto would stop, pull out more food, and devour it as though he hadn't eaten in days. The Akimichi clan had a reputation for eating massive amounts of food, but Haruto was giving them a run for their money. What amazed Hisato even more was how Haruto's body seemed to handle it. Despite the constant eating, the kid remained lean and agile, his muscles defined from the brutal training regimen.

Each day followed a similar pattern. Hisato would push Haruto to his limits, combining physical exertion with mental challenges designed to break his concentration. Haruto, in turn, adapted. He ate between every session, using the food to fuel his recovery and keep his energy up. Even with tier 2 stamina, the constant drills were taking a toll, but Haruto's two-mind ability and cognitive enhancements kept him from breaking under the pressure.

By the end of the week, Haruto was exhausted, both mentally and physically. His body ached, and his mind felt like it had been put through a grinder. Despite the relentless training, Haruto knew he was getting stronger. His resistance to genjutsu had improved, and his stamina allowed him to recover faster than most. But Hisato's methods were pushing him in ways he hadn't expected.

As Haruto dragged himself home, his body heavy with fatigue, Hisato watched him leave the training field. The old man leaned on his peg leg, his one good eye glinting with something akin to respect. He wouldn't say it out loud, but Haruto had impressed him. The kid had taken everything he had thrown at him and still came back for more. Hisato had never had to push a genin this hard before, and yet, Haruto kept going, refusing to break.

"Maybe he's got what it takes," Hisato muttered to himself, though he wouldn't admit it to Haruto anytime soon. There was still a long way to go, but the boy had potential—more than Hisato had initially given him credit for.