Chapter 25 - Ch.025 Ongoing Training and a Drink

[~950 Words]

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Over the following days, the once-quiet clearing behind the clinic became a makeshift training ground—echoing with the sound of impact, the hiss of flame, and Luffy's constant "Oww!"s.

Each morning began the same: Haruki stretching silently under the early dawn, his expression focused and composed, while Luffy yawned loudly beside him, half-awake and usually tangled in his own limbs.

Taijutsu came first—grinding repetitions of Konoha's body discipline drills. Luffy groaned through stance work, counter-movements, and balance training while Haruki demanded constant improvement in form and reaction.

Then came agility exercises: Haruki used Body Flicker and substitution jutsu´s to launch sneak attacks, dodge counters, and push Luffy's spatial awareness to the limit. Luffy quickly learned not to blink.

By afternoon, Haruki would train alone—his sessions becoming more intense by the day.

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"

"Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!"

Flames tore through the air in precise, blistering arcs as Haruki practiced over and over, burning through targets of straw, driftwood, and stone.

He flipped through his mother's jutsu scrolls each night—now smudged and worn—studying her annotations and corrections. Every technique she had left behind, he trained to perfection. His Chūnin-level jutsu were now second nature.

But that wasn't enough.

Haruki had begun pushing into mid-Jōnin-level techniques—longer-range fire streams, dual-hand seals, multi-target tracking, and advanced mobility combinations between substitution, clone use, and timed strike precision.

When his chakra ran low, he meditated.

When his body ached, he pushed it further.

Every moment alone was spent increasing his chakra capacity—a slow, agonizing process of expanding the coils through repeated exhaustion and recovery.

He breathed through the pain.

"More. Always more."

By the Tenth day, even Luffy—who recovered faster than any human Haruki had seen—started staring at Haruki's late-night fire drills with slack-jawed awe.

"Man… you train like my Grandpa on ten cups of coffee," Luffy mumbled, lying face-down in the grass.

Haruki didn't reply. He just exhaled… and formed another string of seals. His Hatred burning through his Sharingan.

`I may be a Chūnin by strength…

But that won't be enough here.

Not for who I plan to become.

Not until Konoha get´s what coming to them´

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Location: That Evening – Makino's Bar

The golden light of dusk filtered through the modest streets of Foosha Village, casting long shadows and bathing the town in a warm, orange glow.

Seagulls called in the distance, and laughter echoed from the small tavern nestled at the corner—Makino's place, the heart of the village's calm social rhythm.

Haruki stepped inside, fully recovered now—bandages gone, posture straighter, his eyes calm but ever-watchful. He wore a simple black shirt and dark pants, his forehead protector tucked neatly in his belt like a relic from another world.

Makino glanced up from behind the counter just as she was drying a glass.

"Well, well…" she said with a bright smile. "Look who finally decided to come drink like a proper adult."

Haruki slid onto one of the bar stools, glancing over the bottles on the shelf behind her. "Figured I earned it after training Luffy."

She leaned forward playfully, tilting her head. "Are you even old enough to drink?"

Haruki raised an eyebrow. "I've been killing since I was twelve. Drinking is the least of my problems."

Makino blinked, her smile faltering for just a heartbeat—before softening again, touched with something gentler. "...That's not how most people prove they're grown up, you know."

"I'm not most people," he replied, dryly.

"No kidding," she muttered, then turned and reached for a bottle of sake, pouring him a small ceramic cup.

The clink of the cup on the bar was followed by her resting her elbow beside it. "Strong stuff. Careful, tough guy. It bites back."

Haruki gave her a sideways glance and took the drink in one go.

He barely flinched.

Makino arched a brow. "Show off."

"I've had worse," he said, setting the cup down.

She smiled, folding her arms now, studying him more seriously. "You really do look better. I was worried, back when we found you. You were pale, bruised all over, and half-dead."

"Wasn't my best day," he admitted. "But thanks to you and your herbs, I didn't bleed out."

Makino leaned her weight on one hip, her green eyes narrowing with amusement. "You're welcome. Though honestly, I think the only reason you pulled through so fast was that ridiculously stubborn will of yours."

Haruki gave a faint, almost amused snort. "Stubbornness runs in my clan."

"I bet your mom had to drag you back from training by the ear."

He looked down into his empty cup. "…She tried. She lost every time."

Makino caught the quiet in his tone, and softened again. "You miss them."

He didn't answer.

She didn't press.

Instead, she poured him another cup, gentler this time.

"Alright, ninja-san. No more heavy talk. Just drink. And maybe teach Luffy how to not trip over his own feet tomorrow."

Haruki smirked faintly. "You're asking for the impossible."

She winked. "So are you. Wanting peace and quiet in this village."

Haruki took the second cup in hand, eyes flickering toward the window as laughter drifted from outside.

"…Guess I'll adapt."

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