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Haruto sat on his bed, the weight of the recent revelations about Hisato still heavy in his mind. His sensei, Sakumo, had just left after questioning him about the old man's betrayal. It was still hard to process that the man who had trained him had also been a traitor to the village. But Haruto knew there was nothing he could do about it now. With a sigh, he created a shadow clone to continue working on his seal and poison experiments while he lay back on his bed. Tomorrow, he would train again—nothing was going to stop that.

The next morning, Haruto woke up early, had a big breakfast, and made his way to the training grounds. Daichi was already there, stretching and limbering up for their spar. Haruto hadn't seen Daichi in a while, and it looked like his teammate had something new to show off.

"You're back," Haruto greeted with a grin.

"Yep, been training hard," Daichi replied, a smirk on his face. "You ready for this?"

Haruto raised an eyebrow. "Guess we'll find out soon enough."

They didn't waste any time setting the terms: no killing blows, but Haruto's chakra scalpel would count as a win if it connected. Even though it would be in its semi-activated state, it could still do damage. They squared off, ready for a serious, no-holds-barred spar.

Daichi made the first move, charging in with surprising speed. Haruto met him head-on, their strikes and blocks coming fast and sharp. Daichi had definitely gotten quicker and stronger—his taijutsu had improved. But Haruto's own skills had grown as well, and he countered Daichi's punches with precision. As they exchanged blows, Haruto could tell Daichi had learned some new tricks.

Without warning, Daichi leaped back and flashed through a series of hand seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Five clones appeared around Haruto in an instant, and they spread out, surrounding him from all angles. Haruto grinned. So, that's your new trick?

He quickly tossed a smoke bomb to the ground, the thick cloud of smoke enveloping the area. Haruto immediately activated his sensory chakra, allowing him to detect the movements of the clones within the smoke. With a flicker of movement, he dodged a punch from one of the clones and quickly dispersed it with a precise strike.

Two more clones came at him from the side, but Haruto was ready. Substituting himself with a log just in time, he reappeared behind one of the clones, delivering a quick jab with his chakra scalpel, dispelling it in a puff of smoke. But Daichi was relentless, continuously creating more clones and sending them at Haruto.

The fight grew more intense as Daichi summoned water bullets, forcing Haruto to dodge and weave between attacks. Haruto kept his distance, pulling out dulled shuriken and using his Lightning Ball Jutsu as a ranged attack to disperse some of the clones. But Daichi was smart—he never allowed himself to be alone, always hiding among his clones, keeping the pressure on Haruto.

Even with his sensory abilities, Haruto couldn't immediately tell which Daichi was the real one. But as the fight wore on, something caught Haruto's attention. One of the Daichis was taking fewer risks, avoiding the more aggressive moves that the other clones were attempting. That was the real Daichi.

Haruto flickered to the side, deflecting a shuriken thrown by one of the clones, but his eyes remained locked on the cautious Daichi. He knew now. It was time to make his move.

As the smoke cleared and only two Daichis remained, Haruto focused. With a subtle shift in his chakra, he cast a quick genjutsu. The real Daichi hesitated for just a split second, his perception momentarily distorted. That was all Haruto needed.

In a blur of movement, Haruto closed the distance and thrust his chakra scalpel forward, stopping it just inches from Daichi's throat.

"I win," Haruto said, his voice calm and steady as he locked eyes with his friend.

Daichi's eyes widened in surprise. "What—how did you figure it out?"

Haruto grinned, stepping back and deactivating the scalpel. "You kept making clones, but one of them was always playing it safer. That's how I knew which one was the real you."

Daichi let out a groan but couldn't help laughing. "Man, I thought I had you. I didn't even realize I was holding back."

"You did well," Haruto admitted. "But next time, don't be so cautious. You almost had me a few times."

Daichi wiped the sweat from his brow, still catching his breath. "Yeah, next time. I'll definitely have something new for you."

As they stood there, Daichi's eyes lit up with renewed determination. "Genjutsu too, huh? Well, next time, you won't catch me off guard. I'll be ready."

Haruto smirked. "We'll see about that."

With the spar over, the boys weren't quite finished yet. They both knew there was still plenty of energy left, so they pushed themselves through an intense workout, each movement driving them closer to their limits. Afterward, drenched in sweat but satisfied with their efforts, they headed back to Haruto's apartment for lunch. Haruto's thoughts were still on the fight, his mind already formulating ways to improve for the next round.