32

After Haru finished having his fun with Nawaki, he went back to Mito's study room where he found her sipping her tea and waiting for him. Mito was her usual self and not much had changed over the years, although some signs of her aging were still present if you paid close attention. After Haru took his seat, Mito watched as he also poured himself some tea and asked, "Did you give Nawaki his present? I can hear him from here."

Haru simply nodded at her. Giving the pills to Nawaki was not solely his decision. He consulted Mito first to get her opinion. After some thought from both of them, they ultimately decided to give the pills to him. Unlike Tsunade and Nawaki, Haru took her opinion on a lot of stuff as he knew how intelligent and wise Mito was. Her current status did not just come from her strength; she was also a very thoughtful person. However, Mito wasn't interested in many village affairs and didn't interfere much which was why the Hokage still had an amiable relationship with her. Despite her strength, she wasn't power-hungry by nature.

Mito's ideas and opinions usually have a broader perspective which was the case with Nawaki. Both Haru and Mito acknowledged that Nawaki had undergone significant changes and with Orochimaru monitoring him he shouldn't be in much danger. Haru firmly believed that Nawaki shouldn't meet the same fate as in his memories. In truth he had doubts about Nawaki's death even considering his previous personality due to the education provided by the Senjus. The way Nawaki was raised made his death appear suspicious particularly since Haru had witnessed it himself. Even without his involvement Nawaki shouldn't die like that given his upbringing.

Mito looked at Haru and was very pleased with how he had grown up. Unlike her other grandchildren, Haru resembled her the most in how he approached difficulties. Regarding the pill, it had been on his mind for years, but he didn't rush to do it. Instead, he took his time and made sure it didn't interfere with his other responsibilities. Mito appreciated this trait in him as he was able to see the bigger picture and not just focus on the present.

Haru asked, "How are the side effect tests?" Mito handed him a scroll, and while Haru read the results, she explained, "The results aren't far from what you predicted. The pill has an incredible effect on the mind, boosting it and removing mental obstacles, allowing the user to perform tasks they couldn't before. In Nawaki's case, it should let him use the multiple shadow clone technique without mental fatigue." Haru agreed with her and waited for Mito to continue.

"However, the drawbacks are also significant. Mental fatigue persists after use, and a rest period is required." He knew this already; in the ninja world, everything has consequences. The pills can bypass some obstacles, but the fatigue remains. After use, the user needs a lot of sleep, making it dangerous in combat. An enemy could do serious harm if encountered afterward. Moreover, as the first version, it's hard and expensive to make. He sighed as he read the report, confirming his suspicions. To use it, the user needs high vitality and resistance, and the fatigue from the body working in overdrive is significant. A very small portion of people can use it and even then, results also vary among users. Haru noticed that people with more chakra can use it better, at least according to their small sample size.

Mito smiled at Haru's frustration and said with a chuckle, "Don't be greedy, Haru. Those results are already excellent for the first version. People have different potential, so the varying results are to be expected. Plus, it was originally made with Nawaki in mind, and currently, it serves him the best. But I'm sure that with time, it could be made better. However, don't forget that not all people need to be able to use it for it to be a success. You should focus on its power and safety, not its availability to the masses."

Haru concurred with this viewpoint. The power of the mind is immense. However, most of the time, it is restricted because the body cannot keep up with it. He was able to achieve something in the first place - he bypassed restrictions, such as mental fatigue, and found ways to delay them. Specifically, he did not make people suddenly smarter or give them better brains; instead, his work was focused on optimizing the user's hardware.

He considered his pill to be a type of software that required excellent body and chakra conditions to be effective. The user's body and chakra must already be in excellent condition in order to use it. Even for Nawaki, the pill's burden is significant, as he is still very young and has not fully developed. Since the results vary greatly among users and the benefits it would bring to weaker individuals are minimal, he did not plan to focus on its availability at this time.

After Mito saw that Haru understood what she meant, she smiled and said, "Nawaki is going to be on Orochimaru's team starting tomorrow." Haru looked at her curiously before she continued, "You already knew about this, but what about you? What do you plan to do?"

Unlike Nawaki, Haru wasn't going to be on a team under the supervision of a Jonin. He didn't need that since the benefits and experience he would gain from them would be minimal. This was especially true since he was already learning from Mito and Tsunade. Anyone else teaching him wouldn't bring him any improvement unless it was the Hokage himself. Even then, He wasn't interested in studying with him.

Haru looked at Mito seriously and said, "I plan to continue working at the hospital." Mito listened and agreed. Haru had already been working there for some time and had developed many valuable connections. Now that he was of age, he should be able to work his way up easily. However, Mito knew Haru very well and suspected that there was something else he wanted to do. She waited for him to continue. Haru noticed her silence, and his eye twitched a little. Mito knew him best, so she said, "Grandma, I want to work with Kazuki." Mito was still smiling, but her eyes sharpened at Haru's words, and she looked at him deeply. Then she said, "Do you know what that means, Haru?" He, of course, knew, but he still nodded at her, showing his determination to do it.

Seeing this, Mito didn't agree but spoke very calmly. "Haru, I know that you are a very intelligent kid. You should understand the kind of work Kazuki is doing. Those tasks are very difficult, and they cannot be known to most people. Once you get yourself involved, you cannot back out. Kazuki is the chief of the Senju Clan Hidden Guards, and their responsibility is not only to protect the clan but also to perform various tasks that cannot be done openly. That's why they're called 'hidden.'"

Haru wanting to be a part of them with his current status doesn't make sense. By doing so, he is already making it clear about what his future would be and closing many doors for himself. Mito wasn't pleased with it, so she said, "You should think more carefully, Haru. This decision can have many consequences for your future. With me here, you can take your time and think carefully, okay?"

Haru smiled, already anticipating Mito's response. Nonetheless, he stood firm in his decision and replied, "Grandma, I understand the consequences, but you know me. I'm not cut out for working with children. The missions involved are not conducive to my growth. You're also aware of my skill set. I'm highly qualified for such tasks, be it with the Hidden Guards or ANBU. Nevertheless, I prefer to work with the clan."

Mito let out a sigh of frustration, knowing Haru's stubbornness too well. She acknowledged that he had likely assessed all possibilities based on his character. However, as his grandmother, she was still uncomfortable with his choice. "Why don't you work in the hospitals instead? Do you really need to involve yourself in such matters?" she asked.

Haru chuckled in response to Mito's question. He thought that with her ability to sense emotions, she would understand his character well and recognize that he was better suited to working in the shadows. She had been observing him for the past few years, so he found it amusing that she wasn't accepting of his decision. While Haru recognized that Mito's judgment may be clouded as his grandmother, he knew that if she wasn't related to him and based on his abilities alone, she would be the first to recommend him for such work.

Haru chose not to answer Mito's question and instead just looked at her. Mito let out a frustrated sigh as she watched him being stubborn. She understood his silence and realized that even though he was suited for working on the dark side, he didn't have to do it if he didn't want to.

Haru noticed Mito's unhappy expression and explained, "Grandma, I am not comfortable with the idea of working on a team. You know me better than anyone, and it is difficult for me to build relationships with strangers. Besides, I am the most suitable candidate among us three for this job. I genuinely enjoy it, and I am the only one capable of handling it. Moreover, this job will contribute significantly to my growth, and I am confident that Kazuki can teach me more than most Jonins. It makes perfect sense from all angles."

Mito was speechless and thought for a while. In her heart, she knew that he was right. Then she played her final card, "All that you have said is alright, but you have to know that once you walk this path, you can't really be in power openly. The village needs a bright image for a lot of people in power. This road is filled with darkness, even in the clan. If you take this, you should be prepared to be in it for the rest of your life."

Haru nodded his head, agreeing with her. Being the Hokage really needed a person with the right image, but that wasn't his goal from the beginning. So he just replied, "If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you."

Upon hearing Haru's response, Mito realized that he had already made up his mind and wouldn't change it, so she gave up and sighed before saying, "Kazuki." Kazuki appeared behind her and said, "Yes, Mito-sama?" Mito looked at her and said, "Haru is in your care from now on." Even Kazuki was surprised by this, but she understood that since Mito had said it, there was no reason for her to ask anything else. She looked at Haru with deep eyes and said, "Haru-kun, I hope you won't mind what I'm going to say. Once you are part of the Hidden Guard under my command, I will treat you as such. No other identity matters to me." Haru just hummed. He knew Kazuki's personality and wasn't expecting anything less from her. With this, his fate was sealed for the next couple of years.