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Haruto woke up with a jolt, his body tensing as he remembered what he had forgotten the day before. "Oh, crap," he muttered to himself. I completely forgot to see Kushina yesterday! Between the intense 3 vs 1 challenge and the celebratory BBQ that followed, the whole thing had slipped his mind. Can that even happen? How did I forget about her? He groaned inwardly, quickly swinging his legs out of bed and running through his morning routine.

As he splashed some water on his face to wake up fully, he recalled the promise Daichi had made to Kushina about meeting up, and a fresh wave of anxiety hit him. Kushina wasn't just anyone—she was Kushina Uzumaki, the Red-Hot Habanero, known for her explosive temper. If she thought he stood her up… Well, Haruto didn't want to think about what could happen.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he entered his hyper-focus state, absorbing the memories from his clone that had been working through the night on the Thunder Scalpel. It wasn't ready yet, but there had been some promising progress. There's real headway, but it's still not quite there, he thought as the feedback from his clone's experiences fully synced with his own memories.

With a sigh, Haruto made another clone before leaving, assigning it to continue practicing the Thunder Scalpel. He stretched his shoulders, shook out his legs, and prepared to head to training. The sun hadn't even risen yet, but that was normal for him and his team. They always trained early, and Kushina wasn't expecting him until the afternoon, which gave him some breathing room.

As he left his apartment, Haruto spotted Daichi already waiting for him near the entrance. The Uzumaki had his arms crossed and was sporting his usual grin.

"Morning, Daichi," Haruto began, but his teammate quickly raised a hand, cutting him off with a smirk.

"Don't worry, man, I've got you covered," Daichi said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I told Kushina you ate so much BBQ that you got sick. Figured that was better than the truth—that you probably snuck off to train like the obsessive maniac you are."

Haruto blinked, processing the sheer relief that washed over him. Daichi covered for me? He hadn't even thought about what he'd say to Kushina later, but Daichi had already saved his neck. "Thanks, Daichi. I really owe you for that."

Daichi waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, but just make sure you don't miss this afternoon. Trust me, you do not want to stand her up again. You thought she was pissed yesterday? If you don't show up today, she'll come find you herself."

Haruto grimaced. He could picture it all too clearly: Kushina storming through the village, red hair blazing, and demanding to know why he didn't show up. "Not a chance I'm missing it. I'll be there."

"Good." Daichi laughed, crossing his arms. "Because I've got no more excuses left. You're on your own if she comes after you next time."

Haruto chuckled along with him, but there was a slight unease beneath the surface. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect from his meeting with Kushina, but he knew he couldn't afford to blow her off again.

The two of them began walking toward the training grounds in the early morning light, their steps in sync as they mentally prepared for what was sure to be another grueling day of training. The streets were still quiet, with only a few early risers going about their business. The peaceful morning air helped settle Haruto's nerves, reminding him that he still had time before the inevitable confrontation with Kushina.

As they neared the training grounds, the sounds of faint rustling met their ears, and they spotted Shisui already waiting for them, perched on a low rock as if he had been there for ages. Haruto raised a hand in greeting, but he could tell from Shisui's expression that they were in for a tough session.

Their sensei, Sakumo, hadn't arrived yet, but that was par for the course. He liked to watch them from a distance sometimes, only revealing himself when he felt the moment was right. Today would likely be no different.

"So," Daichi began, breaking the brief silence as they approached Shisui, "are we ready to get our asses kicked again today?"

Shisui smirked slightly, always composed but never missing the chance for a small quip. "I'd say we're better prepared today, but yeah, probably."

Haruto laughed quietly at the banter. Despite all the intense training, there was something refreshing about having teammates who could roll with the punches. And today, they'd need every ounce of that resilience—especially if Sakumo had something new in store for them.

As they all stood together, waiting for their sensei, Haruto allowed himself a moment of calm. He'd deal with Kushina later. For now, his focus was on the upcoming training, on his teammates, and on becoming the shinobi he had set out to be.