Shizune's Reflection
Shizune leaned against the doorframe of the hospital's training room, arms crossed as she watched Haruto arrive right on time, as he had every morning for the past ten days. It was almost eerie how punctual he was, arriving just as the hospital opened its doors and quietly setting up to practice his chakra control exercises.
It wasn't unusual for academy students to show some early enthusiasm when they were given a new challenge, but Haruto was different. Most kids would waver, become distracted, or lose interest after a few days. But Haruto? He showed up, day after day, and immediately dove into the most basic medical ninjutsu exercises without a word of complaint or frustration.
At first, he had struggled, as she had expected. The exercises required precision chakra control, something that took even skilled shinobi time to master. Haruto, however, had methodically approached it with a calm, almost meditative focus. She had watched him go through the motions—attempting to focus chakra into his palm, directing it into a small area, then trying to refine the flow.
For days, he had little success. She wasn't surprised; medical ninjutsu wasn't something most people could pick up easily, let alone a boy who hadn't even graduated from the academy. Still, there was something different about his persistence. He never seemed discouraged, never complained about his lack of progress. He just kept working.
It had taken her weeks to even get this far when she was first learning.
But Haruto was special.
On the morning of the seventh day, Shizune had come into the training room, ready for her usual round of quiet observation, when something caught her eye. Haruto was once again working on the most basic medical chakra flow, trying to focus his chakra into the palm of his hand as usual. Except this time, something was different. His chakra control—though shaky—was visibly improving.
He was attempting something more advanced: the Mystical Palm Technique.
Shizune's eyes widened, her arms unfolding as she stepped forward to get a closer look. Haruto's brow was furrowed in concentration, sweat beading on his forehead as he directed chakra to his hands. He was trying to use the chakra to heal a small cut on a fish placed in front of him, but the energy was unsteady. It fizzled out before he could complete the technique.
Still, the fact that he had gotten to this point so quickly was… astounding.
Shizune shook her head slightly, in disbelief. It had taken her weeks to reach that level, and she had been much older than him when she started. For Haruto to attempt the Mystical Palm Technique after just a week of training—it was unheard of.
She had expected him to be talented, yes, but not to this degree. Not at this pace.
Over the next few days, she continued to watch him. He showed up like clockwork, practiced without interruption, and never once goofed off or caused a distraction. In fact, he didn't speak much at all. He simply absorbed the material, quietly dedicating himself to mastering the exercises. His focus was impressive, and though his attempts at healing were still rudimentary, he had managed to stabilize his chakra flow enough to make meaningful progress.
He was 100% focused.
Shizune couldn't help but be impressed by his work ethic. She saw plenty of promising students in the hospital, but none with the same relentless dedication as Haruto. There was no arrogance or overconfidence—just a quiet, unshakable determination. And for a boy as young as he was, that was something special.
On the tenth day, she found herself observing him more closely, her initial skepticism giving way to admiration. He had a natural aptitude for chakra control, sure, but what stood out most was his sheer perseverance. Every failure seemed to drive him harder, pushing him to refine his techniques further.
He was bound for something greater, that much was clear.
As the morning's session came to a close, Shizune watched as Haruto packed up his materials and headed out for his afternoon training, as he did every day. She lingered in the training room for a moment, thinking back over the last two weeks.
At first, she had assumed he was just another student who would burn out after realizing how difficult medical ninjutsu truly was. But now? Now she was fairly confident the hospital was about to gain a new, dedicated volunteer.
Shizune smiled softly to herself as she closed the door behind her. Haruto was proving himself to be far more than just an ordinary academy student, and she couldn't wait to see how far he would go.