C150

As the team left the mission office, Sakumo turned to them with a nod. "Good work today. We'll meet tomorrow at the mission hall for another C-rank mission. Rest up."

Daichi and Shisui exchanged quick goodbyes before heading off in separate directions. Haruto lingered a moment, adjusting his pouch of ryō, feeling the weight of the recent mission's rewards settle in. Just as he was about to walk away, Sakumo called out, "Haruto, walk with me."

Haruto knew this was coming. Great. He had been too precise in his estimate of the bandits. He mentally scrambled to find a way to explain it without blurting out "I can see chakra because of my system." That wouldn't go over well. No way was he going to become a research experiment or have Danzo creeping around him with interest. No, thank you.

They walked a few steps in silence before Sakumo finally asked, "Seventeen bandits. You were very specific. Want to tell me how you came to that number?"

Haruto took a deep breath, preparing for the moment. Think fast. "Well, I definitely didn't just see chakra signatures popping up in front of me, if that's what you're thinking," Haruto blurted out, half joking, half hoping that Sakumo wouldn't dig too deep.

Sakumo looked at him, one eyebrow raised, clearly waiting for the actual explanation.

Haruto sighed. "Okay, fine. I… I'm a sensor."

Sakumo's eyebrow stayed raised. "A sensor?"

"Yeah," Haruto said quickly, nodding. "You know, sensing chakra and all that. I've been able to feel people's chakra for a while now."

Sakumo's curiosity was clearly piqued. "When did you train in sensing techniques?"

Haruto hesitated for a moment. "Uh… I didn't exactly train for it. I kind of… read about it. Back at the hospital, you know, when I had a lot of time on my hands. I went through some D-rank ninjutsu books. There was this section about how sensors can detect chakra signatures. So, I figured I'd give it a try, and it just clicked. Now I can feel chakra around me."

Sakumo looked like he was considering this. Haruto quickly continued, not wanting to give his sensei time to poke holes in the story. "And I have a photographic memory. Whatever I read, I remember perfectly. So, I pretty much memorized everything in those D-rank books. Combine that with sensing chakra… and, well, there you go. Seventeen bandits."

Sakumo gave him a long, considering look. Haruto's heart raced as he mentally prepared for more questions. But to his relief, Sakumo just nodded slowly.

"You're holding a lot back, Haruto," Sakumo said, his voice calm but firm.

Haruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I figured people were already giving me weird looks with the whole medical ninjutsu and fūinjutsu thing. If I added 'sensor' to the list, well… that's a lot to process for a kid my age."

Sakumo chuckled lightly. "You're not wrong. Skills like yours tend to attract attention—sometimes the wrong kind. You've been smart to keep it quiet, but just know that you'll eventually need to trust your team with these things."

Haruto relaxed a bit, glad Sakumo wasn't pushing too hard. "I know, I know. I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Sakumo resumed walking, his expression softening. "Haruto, you're talented—no doubt about it. But talent without caution can lead to trouble. This village has many eyes, and the more you grow, the more those eyes will be on you. Be careful, but don't be afraid to rely on the people around you when the time comes."

Haruto nodded, taking the advice to heart. As they neared his apartment, Sakumo turned to leave. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's another mission. We'll see how you handle it."

Haruto smiled faintly. "Yeah. Thanks, sensei."

Sakumo disappeared into the evening streets, leaving Haruto standing at the entrance of his building. The conversation had gone better than expected, but his sensei's words stayed with him.

He chuckled to himself as he entered his apartment. Not bad, he thought. At least I didn't have to explain the whole 'I can see chakra thanks to my system' thing. That would've been a nightmare.