Expanding His Arsenal
The months of intense training, study, and practice had begun to pay off for Haruto in ways he could feel with every sparring session, every mission, and every moment he spent perfecting his skills. His progress in fūinjutsu was steady, though mostly limited by the knowledge available at the hospital and the academy's first-level library. But where fūinjutsu was still a work in progress, other basic jutsu had become second nature to him.
He had already mastered the Clone Jutsu to the point where he could create multiple clones without breaking a sweat. It was something he had spent countless hours refining, practicing control, and learning to keep the clones stable and efficient in both movement and appearance. The Substitution Jutsu, which had once frustrated him with its intricacies, now came to him with ease. His speed, timing, and chakra management had all improved dramatically.
But Haruto wasn't content with just mastering the basics. With his Tier 2 Cognitive Ability, he was able to think deeper and more strategically about how each jutsu worked, breaking them down into their core components and experimenting with variations. The academy's first-level library, though limited, had given him access to a few other jutsu that he had started to incorporate into his training regimen.
The first jutsu he had been focusing on lately was Transformation Jutsu. This technique, while not as flashy as combat-oriented ninjutsu, had its uses. Infiltration, deception, and avoiding detection were key components of a shinobi's skill set, and Haruto knew that mastering Transformation Jutsu was essential for blending in when necessary. But unlike other students who merely learned to shift their appearance into someone else, Haruto approached it with the same intensity he did everything else—down to the smallest details.
Instead of merely changing his outward form, Haruto had worked on perfecting the subtle nuances of the transformation: voice modulation, mimicking mannerisms, and adjusting his body's proportions and weight distribution to match the person he was transforming into. He didn't want to just create a surface-level disguise; he wanted to become the person he transformed into.
It wasn't easy. While many of the academy students could manage a basic transformation, it took intense concentration and chakra control to nail the finer points of the technique. Still, Haruto's persistence was showing results. His transformations were becoming more seamless, and he was able to maintain them longer without chakra drain.
Another jutsu Haruto had taken an interest in was the Body Flicker Technique. The technique allowed the user to move short distances at incredible speed, appearing almost as if they had teleported. It was a high-speed movement jutsu that relied heavily on chakra control and timing. Though it wasn't commonly used by academy students, Haruto had found some basic scrolls that explained the principles of the technique in the library.
He had practiced the Body Flicker relentlessly. At first, the rapid acceleration left him disoriented, his body struggling to keep up with the burst of speed. But as he continued, using his Tier 2 stamina and recovery ability to push through the physical strain, he began to get the hang of it. Now, Haruto could disappear from sight for brief moments, reappearing several meters away before his opponent even registered his movement.
He still wasn't perfect at it, but it was coming along faster than he expected. It wasn't a flashy jutsu, but in a fight, the ability to close gaps or escape an attack could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Haruto understood its value, even though it required perfect timing and precise chakra control. Every time he used it, he found new ways to integrate it with his taijutsu movements, combining it with strikes or evasive maneuvers to give him an edge in battle.
Then there was the Exploding Tag Jutsu, a basic but useful tool in a shinobi's arsenal. Haruto had learned how to properly place and detonate exploding tags, using them to create distractions or set traps for opponents. But he wasn't content with the normal use of the jutsu—he had started experimenting with placement techniques, trying to figure out how to make the explosions more precise, more devastating.
By placing tags in harder-to-see spots or combining them with clones to misdirect his opponents, Haruto was learning how to turn what seemed like a simple tool into a powerful strategy. The more he practiced, the more creative he became with the timing and placement, often envisioning how he could use them in combat situations.
One afternoon, after a long day at the academy, Haruto found himself alone in a secluded training ground just outside the village. The sun was low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the trees as he stood at the center of the clearing. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his weighted seal around his body, though it had become familiar to him now. His body moved fluidly under the increased pressure, muscles adapting as he prepared for another round of training.
Today, he was combining all the techniques he had been practicing. Clones, Substitution, Transformation, and even the Body Flicker. He set up several targets around the training ground—mannequins representing enemies or obstacles. Each one was placed in a different position, some hidden behind trees, others out in the open.
Haruto started with a simple clone jutsu, creating two identical versions of himself. The clones spread out across the clearing, positioning themselves strategically as Haruto remained still, gathering his chakra.
The first attack came from a throwing kunai—one of his clones had picked up a kunai and hurled it at one of the targets. At the same moment, Haruto activated his Body Flicker, disappearing from sight just as the kunai struck the target. He reappeared on the opposite side of the field, throwing his own kunai toward another target.
The clones worked seamlessly with him, each one acting independently but in coordination with his movements. When one clone was destroyed, Haruto quickly substituted himself with a nearby log, appearing behind the next target and landing a strike before disappearing again with another flicker of movement.
He moved like a shadow through the clearing, a blur of motion as he combined all of his techniques into a single fluid display of shinobi skill.
By the time the training session ended, Haruto was exhausted, but the sense of accomplishment was undeniable. His Tier 2 stamina had carried him through the physical strain, while his cognitive abilities allowed him to stay sharp even as the session wore on.
As he stood alone in the fading light, Haruto reflected on his progress. The basic jutsu he had once struggled with were now part of his arsenal, each one refined and practiced to near perfection. But he knew there was still more to learn—more ways to combine these techniques, more opportunities to push his limits.
And though he had much farther to go in mastering fūinjutsu, the skills he had already honed would be the foundation for everything to come.
Haruto smiled to himself, feeling the weight of the day's training settle into his muscles. He wasn't just learning the basics anymore—he was building his future as a shinobi, one jutsu at a time.