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Haruto woke up early, stretching his tired muscles as the first rays of light filtered into his room. His body was sore, but it was the kind of soreness that came from progress. He grinned, knowing there was still a lot of work ahead.

As part of his routine, he quickly absorbed the memories from the shadow clone he'd left studying fūinjutsu overnight. The memories flowed in, his hyperfocus kicking in to process the knowledge. His clone had made solid headway with the scrolls Kushina had given him, diving deeper into mid-level techniques. There was still much to learn, but the progress was undeniable.

He shook off the grogginess, knowing he had another intense day ahead. Today was a free day since it was the weekend, but Haruto had plans to train with Daichi. Shisui wouldn't be joining them—he had clan training today—so it was just going to be the two of them pushing themselves to the limit.

Before heading out, Haruto adjusted his weighted seal, increasing it to 4.5 for walking around. He usually fluctuated between 3 and 4 during training, but he liked keeping it higher during the day to challenge his body even when he wasn't actively sparring. The weighted seal had become a staple of his routine, allowing him to constantly push himself beyond what his body would normally be capable of.

After eating a light breakfast, Haruto met up with Daichi at their usual spot. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting long shadows over the village. Daichi was already waiting for him, stretching and preparing for their workout.

Haruto greeted him with a nod, and the two of them dove right into it—no words, no small talk. It was all business today.

They started with two hours of intense conditioning drills, pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. Haruto kept his weighted seal at 4 during the workout, feeling the strain on his muscles as he performed his exercises. The burn was something he relished—it was proof that he was getting stronger, faster, better. He and Daichi worked side by side, driving each other to keep going even when the exhaustion started to set in.

Haruto could tell Daichi had been upping his game lately. Daichi had started incorporating the Hidden Mist Jutsu into his training, using it often to improve his combat awareness without relying on sight. Haruto guessed Daichi was probably trying to prepare himself for future spars with Shisui, who had the upper hand with his Sharingan. Training in the mist forced Daichi to rely on other senses, sharpening his instincts and making him a more formidable opponent.

What Haruto found though was he was an absolute cheat in the mist with his new tier 2 chakra sensitivity. His ability to sense chakra within the mist made it almost too easy to predict Daichi's movements. He could sense everything, from the faintest shifts in Daichi's chakra to the very movements he was trying to conceal. It gave him a huge tactical advantage, but Haruto quickly turned it off.

This ability would be incredibly useful in actual combat, no doubt, but Haruto didn't want it to become a crutch he always relied on. He was determined to sharpen his other senses and instincts too, without falling back on his chakra sensitivity. The last thing he wanted was to become overconfident in his new ability, only to be caught off guard when it wasn't available.

After conditioning, they switched to two hours of tactical sparring and drills. Haruto kept his chakra sensitivity off during these matches, testing his regular reflexes and awareness. He used his Two Minds ability to split his focus between physical combat and analyzing Daichi's movements. The added challenge of not relying on his chakra sensing forced him to focus more, and the workout became that much harder, but he knew it was the right way to grow.

Haruto's weighted seal fluctuated between 3 and 4 during the sparring, depending on the intensity of their exchanges. He and Daichi went back and forth, their teamwork getting sharper with each drill. Even though Daichi was without his Sharingan-using teammate today, Haruto pushed him to keep his edge, forcing him to rely on the combat skills he'd been working on through their sessions.

As they trained, Haruto thought about his to-do list. Between sensor training and figuring out the full extent of his chakra sensitivity, there was still so much to cover. And then there was genjutsu. He'd been delaying it for a while now, and it gnawed at the back of his mind.

It wasn't that Haruto didn't appreciate the value of genjutsu or strategy in general—he enjoyed outsmarting opponents. In fact, he was good at it. But if he were being honest, it wasn't his favorite form of combat. There was something far more satisfying about direct confrontation. In his past life as an MMA fighter, Haruto had always preferred striking and ground-and-pound over more subtle tactics. Grappling and submission techniques were part of his arsenal, and he was proficient, but nothing beat the clarity of a well-timed punch or a devastating kick to the body.

Genjutsu, with its cerebral nature, felt similar to those grappling exchanges. It was tricky, methodical, and required a level of patience that sometimes didn't fit his style. While he didn't find it boring per se, he didn't get the same thrill from it. Still, Haruto knew better than to neglect a vital skill, especially in the shinobi world where a well-executed genjutsu could be the difference between life and death.

Even with his Two Minds ability giving him natural resistance to genjutsu, Haruto knew he couldn't rely on that alone. If anything, it made him more aware of his weaknesses. It had helped him avoid being trapped a few times, but he needed more than just a trick up his sleeve. He needed a solid foundation in genjutsu defense.

"Can't avoid it forever," Haruto muttered under his breath as they continued sparring.

He'd already experienced the natural resilience his Two Minds ability granted him—it made it harder for others to trap him in illusions, but it wasn't an impenetrable defense. A skilled genjutsu user could still find ways to break through, and Haruto had no intention of letting that be a weakness.

Haruto grimaced. It was time to change that. He needed to start prioritizing his genjutsu defense, whether he liked it or not. Even if the concept of playing mind games didn't thrill him like a full-on brawl, he knew it was a crucial part of being a complete shinobi.

After several rounds of sparring, both of them were drenched in sweat. Daichi collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. "Man, you don't stop, do you?"

Haruto smirked, wiping sweat from his brow. "You know how it is. You've got to push your limits."

Daichi rolled his eyes, still catching his breath. "Yeah, yeah. You sound like you're channeling Guy."

Haruto laughed, stretching his arms over his head. "Hey, if it works, why not?"

The truth was, even though Haruto preferred more direct, aggressive tactics, he knew it was time to tackle his weaknesses head-on. Genjutsu training was going to be on the horizon soon, whether he liked it or not.

With their training session finished, Daichi stood up and stretched again. "You want to grab some food? After all that, I could eat a whole ox."

Haruto chuckled, knowing that he could eat just as much. "Sounds good. Let's head out."