22

Since Haru figured out his training plan, he started right away. In the next couple of days, you could see him in a daze on the training ground, standing motionless for a couple of minutes before making a move. Then he would shake his head and return to his daze. If someone who didn't know him saw him, they would assume that he was just playing around and daydreaming instead of training seriously. However, those in the Senju clan had known Haru for a long time, so no one disturbed him, not even Nawaki and Mito.

Haru found learning new techniques to be very easy with his excellent control over his body. He could learn them in as little as two days without a challenge. However, what he didn't anticipate was how difficult it would be to merge them into his own style. Learning a technique was one thing, but incorporating it into his own moves proved to be a completely different story.

Haru found that some of the taijutsu he learned had a different approach to fighting than his own. Even if he added one or two moves that seemed to suit him, they weren't very practical and made his fighting stiff, affecting his rhythm. His once fluid and fast style became awkward and riddled with flaws. He was certain that if he fought like this, any experienced ninja would be able to find several flaws within just five minutes of watching him.

Despite the difficulties he faced, Haru refused to back down. He knew that his efforts were not in vain, and that once he succeeded, the results would be amazing. Moreover, his failures allowed him to identify some of his flaws, which was a valuable lesson in itself.

After a week of repeated failures, Haru began to get the hang of it. and realized that if he wanted this experiment to succeed, he would need to create a new technique altogether. Trying to merge the new techniques with what he already had proved to be ineffective and time-consuming. The taijutsu he based his attempts on was not his own in the first place; it was tailor-made for its creator's needs. Of course, this is the case for almost every technique. However, if Haru wanted to adjust and evolve it for his own use, it would take a lot more time and energy. He wasn't even sure how much more powerful it would be. Therefore, it was better to start from scratch and create something of his own. This way, he could tailor it to his fighting style and bring out its full strength.

Of course, creating a new technique would also require time, so Haru decided to start by creating a basic version and perfect it as time went by. Luckily for him, it wasn't as difficult with his solid foundation, and it wouldn't take him long. Of course, its power wouldn't be strong initially, but Haru wanted to start with the basics and evolve it with different styles. It was like a skeleton, and he would flesh it out little by little until it was complete.

While Haru was busy with his own work, Mito was also occupied. Despite her status, she did not try to force the Hyuga clan to give her a simplified version of their soft fist technique. This was not something the Senju clan would do, nor was it something Mito would personally do. She knew that if she were to take a clan secret ninjutsu by force, she would immediately make most of the clans in Konoha her enemies. Even if they didn't say anything directly, they would surely make the Senju clan their target. Such behavior would be very foolish, and Mito would not engage in it. Instead, she spent the past few days negotiating with the Hyuga clan. Her demands were not unreasonable, and she was confident that they would agree. At the moment, they were just haggling over the price. Once she had set her baseline price, she let Kazuki take over. She trusted Kazuki, who was an excellent negotiator, to be able to bring the price down even further.

After another week, they finally finalized the deal. In exchange for a jounin from the branch family to come and teach Haru, the Hyuga clan received some ready-made seals and medical materials. Once everything was settled, Mito breathed a sigh of relief and rested. Despite Kazuki handling most of the negotiations, Mito still attended some meetings with the Hyuga head and elders. While the price they paid wasn't high, it was because the Hyuga clan didn't lack money or resources. As a clan with a long history, what they wanted was a better relationship with the Senju and Mito. Currently, the Senju clan was still the strongest in Konoha, and with Tsunade already making a name for herself as one of Konoha's geniuses and being the Hokage's disciple, in the eyes of most of the upper echelon of Konoha, there was a good chance she would become the next Hokage. Her status as the princess of Konoha alone would also bring her a lot of support. From that perspective, the Hyuga's behavior made a lot of sense.

The next day, Haru was summoned to Mito's study. It was obvious to him what she wanted since the Hyuga clan had been guests in their house for the past couple of days. Once he arrived, he couldn't help but show his excitement. Seeing the look on his face, Mito knew that he had guessed correctly, so she didn't beat around the bush and said, "I heard you have been quite busy lately with your training. I think you should make some time. Starting tomorrow, you will have two hours of taijutsu training. As our agreement was to teach you alone, you will train in an individual training ground. You can ask Kazuki to show you the way."

Haru looked at Mito for a while, not knowing what to say. He knew that she didn't like to meddle with other clans and had kept both herself and the Senju clan in a very neutral position over the years. The increased frequency of visits by the Hyuga clan to the Senju clan's house would have made it apparent to the rest of the village that the two clans had grown closer. He wasn't sure if Mito liked this, but in the end, she did it for him. He was at a loss for words until he looked into Mito's gentle eyes and resolved his mind. He said, "Grandma, I will do my best." Mito smiled at her new title but didn't say anything, just nodding her head at him.

From this moment on, Haru was part of Mito's family and the Senju clan as a whole. His feelings for them changed from just gratitude; they were now his family and his clan, and he would do everything he could to protect them until the moment he died. All the barriers that he kept between him and the Senjus had shattered. Since he was using the Senju resources and status for his own benefit, he should also give back. From now on, Mito was his grandmother first, then his master. What she did and was willing to do for him could no longer be considered only under her status as his master.

Seeing Haru's confidence, Mito's heart warmed. She turned to Kazuki, who was beside her, and said, "Once I am no longer here, the clan will be in your hands until Nawaki and Haru grow up. After Nawaki, Haru will be second in command. Make sure to let everyone inside and outside the clan know that." Kazuki nodded, her thoughts drifting to what the future would hold for the clan with Haru and Nawaki.

Neither Kazuki nor Mito mentioned Tsunade, as her character made it clear that being a clan head was not a viable option for her. While Nawaki still had the chance to be trained as the next head due to his young age, Tsunade was seen as a hopeless case by both Mito and Kazuki. They did not want her to take on the responsibility. Even if it was selfish, they wanted her to remain carefree and pursue her dreams and ambitions without any burdens. They believed that the Senju clan should be her wings and not her prison. In the end, it seemed that the First Hokage was not the only one who had spoiled her, as everyone had played a part in her upbringing in their own way.