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Haruto sat in his room, reflecting on the whirlwind of the past few weeks. After finishing his grueling training with Hisato, he found himself with a rare stretch of free time. Daichi was still off training intensely with Kushina, and Shisui was occupied with his clan duties. Sakumo had yet to return from his mission, leaving Haruto without a team to work with. Without his teammates around, Haruto had taken the opportunity to focus on a project he'd been mulling over for some time.

Initially, the training with Hisato had consumed his days, leaving him with little mental or physical energy for anything else. But now, with that behind him, Haruto realized he had a unique chance to focus on his own experiments. After a particularly intense workout, he found himself contemplating his next steps. His abilities had grown, but he needed to push further—not just in his physical training, but in other areas as well.

That's when it clicked. The idea of combining his knowledge of seals with poisons had been nagging at him for a while. He had learned so much from Hisato about precision and control, and now it was time to apply those lessons in a different context. He began experimenting with the idea of creating a seal that could release a corrosive poison—something that could incapacitate enemies in battle without the mess of a drawn-out fight. The concept was simple, yet dangerous: a seal that could use pressure and force to release a deadly mist capable of burning through flesh and lungs.

His initial attempts were basic, but the more he thought about it, the more complex his ideas became. The poison didn't need to kill—at least not immediately. The goal was to incapacitate, to cause enough damage that his enemies wouldn't be able to continue fighting. Chemical burns to the skin, eyes, and lungs were what he aimed for. Painful, debilitating, and destructive. The more he worked on the concept, the more he realized how practical and devastating it could be in the field.

Haruto had spent most of his mission money on supplies to further his experiments. When he first tried to gather the ingredients he needed, the shop owner had brushed him off, dismissing him as just a kid. Frustrated, Haruto had turned to Tsunade for help. Once she intervened, the shopkeeper had quickly changed his tone, and Haruto was able to buy everything he needed. The thought still irritated him, but at least he had his supplies.

His room now looked like a makeshift lab. Scrolls with complex seal formulas were strewn across the floor, next to bottles of corrosive ingredients he'd carefully sourced. The once tidy space had turned into a chaotic workshop, and he knew it wouldn't be enough for long. His room was too small, too exposed. If he really wanted to make progress, he'd need a larger, more secure area to work. That, however, was a problem for another day.

For now, Haruto's focus was on the seal in front of him. He carefully etched the formula onto the scroll, his hand steady as he concentrated on the design. He wanted the seal to work similarly to an explosive tag, but instead of a detonation, it would release a mist of corrosive poison. His idea was to use compressed chakra to create enough pressure for the poison to spread over a large area, incapacitating anyone caught within range.

It was delicate work, but Haruto had learned patience through his training with Hisato. Each line of the seal needed to be perfect. One mistake, and the whole thing could fail—or worse, explode in his face. He was meticulous, methodically layering the formula to ensure it would activate correctly.

As he worked, he couldn't help but think about how much he had changed. Before, he wouldn't have even considered creating something so dangerous. But this world had hardened him. He understood now that to survive as a shinobi, he needed to stay ahead, to be willing to go further than others. The thought didn't bother him as much as it once had. In fact, it felt almost natural now.

His experiments weren't just about power—they were about survival. The more tools he had at his disposal, the better his chances of staying alive in this unforgiving world. And while some might see his work as ruthless, Haruto knew that in the end, it was about protecting himself and those he cared about. That was all that mattered.

The next week and a half followed a similar pattern. Haruto sent a shadow clone to the hospital each day while he stayed in his room, working on perfecting the seal. His clone would handle any questions he had for Tsunade or the medical team, disappearing once it gathered the information and giving Haruto the answers he needed. It was an efficient system that allowed him to focus entirely on his project.

Every day, Haruto pushed himself harder, testing different variations of the seal and experimenting with the poison. He spent hours refining the formula, making adjustments to ensure the poison was corrosive enough without being too volatile. The seal's design also required constant tweaking, as Haruto wanted it to be versatile enough to be used in battle without risking his own safety.

By the end of the week and a half, Haruto had made significant progress. The seal was nearly complete, and while it wasn't perfect yet, he knew he was close. The idea of using pressure to spread the poison over a large area was working, and Haruto could already envision how devastating it would be in the field.

He leaned back, wiping sweat from his brow, and surveyed the room. His makeshift lab was still cluttered, but it had become a space where real progress was being made. Haruto couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The work was hard, but it was paying off. He was getting closer to creating something that could give him a true edge in battle.

As he looked over the various scrolls and ingredients scattered around him, Haruto felt a strange sense of calm. He had changed—there was no denying that—but he wasn't running from it. This was the path he had chosen, and he would see it through to the end.

One way or another, he would succeed.