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Haruto sat cross-legged in the training field, surrounded by the scrolls Tsunade had given him. The crisp morning air swirled around him, though Haruto barely noticed. His focus was solely on the texts before him, his shadow clone a few feet away, mirroring his intense concentration.

Before leaving, Tsunade had handed him the scrolls with a warning. "I'll check in with you in a few days," she said, calculating how long it would take him to absorb the complex material. "Don't rush—this isn't a technique you can master quickly."

She expected him to be fully occupied for six to seven days. But she had underestimated him.

The depth of the material was staggering, but Haruto was more than ready. His tier 2 cognitive upgrade granted him photographic memory and advanced comprehension, and with his two-minds ability and shadow clones working in sync, he could process twice the information. The pace at which he consumed the material would have shocked most shinobi. Tsunade's meticulous breakdown of her enhanced strength technique, blending chakra theory and biological science, fascinated him on a profound level.

Hours passed, and Haruto paused only to summon another shadow clone. The first scroll was already imprinted in his mind. Tsunade's explanations of chakra manipulation, muscle stimulation, and chakra-release timing were far more than just instructions—they were a roadmap to power, a clear path to mastery. As he read, everything clicked together like perfectly aligned puzzle pieces.

"This technique isn't about raw strength," Haruto mused. "It's about precision, chakra efficiency, and perfect timing."

Setting the scrolls aside, he took a deep breath. His body, like his mind, needed to be pushed. It was time for his conditioning workout—a necessary balance to the intense mental exercise.

Haruto activated the weighted seal he had long since mastered, feeling the familiar pull of resistance. He immediately dropped into explosive pushups, his muscles engaging with precision. The workout was relentless—jump squats, lunges, and core exercises, each performed with the control and power that came from years of training and enhancements. The strain barely registered. His stamina, enhanced by the upgrades, allowed him to push further than most shinobi could imagine.

After the workout, he inhaled a protein-packed meal—meat, eggs, and vegetables—to refuel. Meanwhile, his clone continued studying the scrolls, methodically committing every detail to memory.

By mid-afternoon, Haruto absorbed the clone's knowledge. Every intricate chakra manipulation strategy, every anatomical diagram Tsunade had drawn—it was all seamlessly integrated into his mind. His two-minds ability allowed him to process the information at an inhuman pace, reflecting on how the principles tied together in ways no normal shinobi could fathom.

Day Two

The following day started just like the first. Haruto awoke before dawn, his muscles still tight from the previous day's training, but his enhanced recovery ensured that the soreness didn't hold him back. His workout was as grueling as ever, pushing his body beyond its perceived limits. Every explosive movement was calculated, aimed at building the kind of strength necessary to match the legendary force of Tsunade.

After another hearty meal, Haruto returned to the scrolls. His shadow clone had already been reading through the night, allowing him to pick up where he left off. As he absorbed the memories, his understanding of the technique deepened further.

Tsunade had left nothing to chance. Every aspect of her technique was meticulously detailed—chakra flow, muscle structure, and how to maximize power efficiency in each strike. But Haruto's inquisitive mind went even further. If this technique required such immense output, how did the body recover after each strike? How could he ensure his muscles wouldn't fail mid-battle?

"Is this similar to lactic acid buildup?" Haruto wondered aloud. "Or more like ATP depletion?"

His medical knowledge from his past life surfaced, allowing him to see the parallels between chakra manipulation and human physiology. It wasn't just about brute force; it was about maintaining that force while minimizing physical strain. The more he read, the more doors of understanding opened.

By midday, Haruto paused for another intense workout, maintaining his rigorous conditioning regimen. He made sure to eat well after, ensuring that his body stayed in peak condition for the demands ahead.

As the evening approached, Haruto absorbed his clone's accumulated knowledge once more. His understanding of the technique had grown almost instinctive. He could visualize how to integrate it with his unique abilities—his lightning affinity, his expert chakra control, and the advantage of his dual-mind processing. The more he studied, the clearer the pathway to mastery became.

Despite having learned nearly all the scrolls' contents by the second day, Haruto continued to review the key sections. Mastery wasn't just memorizing—it was about understanding every nuance and being able to apply it flawlessly.

Day Three

On the third day, Haruto was in the middle of his afternoon workout when Tsunade arrived. She had expected to find him still immersed in the scrolls, not drenched in sweat from yet another grueling training session. She stood there quietly, observing as he completed a final set of explosive pushups.

"You've been training hard," she remarked, watching him with narrowed eyes. "Shouldn't you be focusing more on the scrolls? You only have a month to master this."

Haruto finished his set and stood, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I've already committed them to memory," he said calmly. "I'm going over key sections to refine my understanding."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, now truly intrigued. She had known Haruto was diligent, but what she saw before her was something extraordinary. Most shinobi wouldn't have been able to finish even a fraction of the material in three days, let alone supplement it with such intense physical training. She hadn't expected him to progress so fast, certainly not in just a few days.

Inwardly, Tsunade marveled at his pace. This level of focus… I expected him to need at least six or seven days to even grasp the basics. But here he is—already moving beyond that. Her respect for his work ethic deepened. Haruto's potential was becoming clearer by the minute.

Instead of pressing him further, she simply said, "Well, let's see if your effort's paid off. Show me what you've learned from the scrolls."

Haruto's eyes lit up in anticipation. This was the moment he had been preparing for.