[Sorry for the delay in update friends, IRL stuff happening.]
[~1500 Words]
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Location: Cliffside Training Grounds – Late Afternoon
The sun hung low on the horizon, casting golden light across the ocean's surface as salty waves crashed against the rocky cliffs below.
Wind tugged at the edges of Haruki's shirt as he stood barefoot on a flat, open plateau just above the waterline. A few training logs stood scattered, some cracked and burned from past sessions.
Across from him stood Luffy—shirt off, hat tied behind his neck, grinning like a child about to jump into trouble.
"You sure about this?" Haruki asked, stretching his arms loosely.
"Yup!" Luffy cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna WIN today! You're going down, ninja-boy!"
Haruki sighed. "Let's see what your rubber tricks can do this time."
Makino watched from a nearby bench up the hill, sipping a bottle of juice as the two prepared.
Haruki's hands blurred through seals.
`Suiton: Mizurappa!´ (Water Release: Water Trumpet)
A torrent of pressurized water shot from his mouth, fast and sharp like a battering ram.
Luffy grinned and rubberized his body, arms stretching out to slam into the ground and launch himself skyward. He flipped once in the air.
"Gomu Gomu no—BALLOON!"
His stomach inflated, and the water blast splashed across his rounded belly with a whoosh, spraying mist everywhere.
Haruki raised an eyebrow. "You've got creative counters."
"Thanks!" Luffy twisted mid-air and shot down like a bullet. "Gomu Gomu no AXE!"
Haruki sidestepped cleanly, flipping back.
His hands sealed again. `Water Clone Jutsu.´
Poof—poof—poof.
Three clones leapt out, surrounding Luffy before he landed.
"Wha—!?" Luffy bounced off one, twisted around, and sucker-punched the second, only for the third to sweep his legs from behind, sending him spinning into a puddle.
"Too slow," Haruki said from behind, voice calm.
Luffy recovered fast and rolled to his feet, grinning with excitement.
"This is FUN!"
Haruki smirked. "Then don't blink."
`Suiton: Water Bullet!´
A condensed orb of water blasted toward Luffy, but before it even hit—
`Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!´ (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)
—Haruki weaved seamlessly into Fire Release, unleashing a rapid volley of flaming shuriken behind the water shot.
Luffy punched the water bullet aside, but as he stepped forward, a fireball singed past his cheek.
"Whoa—!"
He ducked the next one, but two clones intercepted from opposite flanks, forcing him to twist mid-spin to dodge.
Haruki landed behind him, chakra gathering in his hand. He didn't need full techniques to threaten.
Luffy turned rubber again and launched a wild "Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!"
But Haruki substituted instantly—Poof!—replaced by a driftwood log.
Luffy blinked. "AGAIN with the log?!"
Luffy was panting now, chest rising and falling. His rubber arms sagged.
Haruki, in contrast, barely looked winded. His eyes sharpened—his chakra perfectly cycled.
"Still not enough," Haruki said.
"Then come at me with everything!" Luffy grinned wide. "No more holding back!"
Haruki didn't smile.
His hands moved—faster this time.
`Suiton: Wild Water Wave.´
A pressurized stream spiraled out, but Haruki simultaneously spun and sealed.
`Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!´ (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique)
Fire wrapped itself around the water stream in an elemental helix, a spinning vortex of boiling mist and raw force.
"WOAH—" Luffy crossed his arms, bracing—
BOOOOM!
The blast hit the cliffside behind Luffy, launching him through the air. He tumbled like a skipping stone before landing in a crash of dust and mist.
The training plateau fell silent.
Makino raised an eyebrow and sipped her drink. "That might've been a bit much."
Haruki walked slowly toward the crater.
Luffy's head popped out of a pile of dirt, hat now covering his whole face.
"...That was… AWESOME!"
Haruki extended a hand. "You okay?"
Luffy took it with a grin. "Yup! Still alive!"
Haruki hauled him up and gave a rare, faint smile. "Then tomorrow, we train again."
As Luffy laughed and fell into the grass again, Haruki stepped away, the ocean wind brushing his face.
`Switching between Water and Fire chakra had totally drained him... it's not just technique—it's rhythm. Tempo. Control.´
`My chakra reserves are growing. So is my speed. If I can keep refining my elemental transitions… I'll surpass Chūnin limits soon.´
`And yet... Luffy keeps catching me off guard.´
`Not with skill, but with instinct. His unpredictability feels like a different energy. One I can't read with my Sharingan alone.´
`I need to understand this world's power system fully.´
`Devil Fruits. The flow of this sea. There's more to unlock here. I can feel it.´
He exhaled slowly and looked back at the water.
`But until then... this training will make sure I never fall behind again.´
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Location: The Next Morning – At Makino's Tavern
The warm scent of baked bread and sweet citrus drifted through the tavern kitchen as Makino gently folded the last piece of fabric and smoothed it flat. The early morning light filtered through the wooden shutters, bathing the room in a golden hue.
Resting across her table was a carefully arranged set of freshly cleaned and mended clothing: a full Konoha Chūnin uniform, brought back to life with hours of needlework and care.
The standard-issue green flak jacket lay over a navy-blue, long-sleeved undershirt, its many compartments now securely patched and reinforced. The matching navy-blue pants were neatly pressed and folded, the cloth flexible and worn in all the right places. Fingerless gloves, Fingerless shinobi sandals, and a cleaned set of scrolls and kunai holsters completed the ensemble.
She ran her hand along the flak jacket's shoulder padding and paused at the faint outline of an old stitched tear—one she hadn't been able to erase completely.
"He's been through hell in this."
But now, it was whole again.
Haruki stepped through the back entrance of the tavern, fresh from his morning meditation. His black undershirt clung with sweat, his towel draped over one shoulder.
Makino met him with a gentle smile. "Your clothes are ready."
Haruki blinked, then looked down at the perfectly laid-out uniform on the table.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, slowly, he stepped closer and touched the shoulder of the flak jacket. "You… mended this?"
"I reinforced the seams, patched the back, and cleaned everything. That old sash was beyond saving, though." She smiled lightly. "You'll need a new one."
Haruki picked up the jacket, rubbing the fabric between his fingers. His fingers running over the Uzumaki spiral symbol.
"This was the last thing I wore before everything fell apart…"
He looked up at her.
"Thank you, Makino." He whispered gently.
She tilted her head. "You're welcome."
He turned toward the back and began slipping into the uniform piece by piece—undershirt first, the padded pants next, then the boots and gloves. With calm, practiced ease, he strapped the kunai pouch around his thigh and clipped his scrolls to the back of the flak jacket. Finally, he tugged the green vest snug across his chest, its weight familiar.
Just as Haruki re-entered the tavern hall, now fully dressed, the front door slammed open.
"MAKINO! I SMELLED BREAD!" Luffy bellowed, charging in like a storm.
He skidded to a stop, eyes going huge as he caught sight of Haruki.
"WHOOOOAAAAAA!"
He pointed dramatically. "You look like a MILITARY NINJA GUY! Like—like a real one! With scrolls and knives and—THOSE POCKETS! Do those hold traps?!"
Haruki blinked. "They hold things that could hurt you."
Luffy gasped louder. "EVEN COOLER!"
He raced up to Haruki, circling him like a whirlwind, tugging at the flak jacket, inspecting the kunai holsters. "Can I hold one? Just one? I promise I won't stab anyone except maybe that seagull that stole my fish fry!"
Makino leaned against the doorframe, amused. "Absolutely not."
"Awwww…"
Haruki sighed but allowed the excitement to linger. He hadn't felt this kind of energy—this sense of belonging—since his academy days.
He adjusted the last strap on his glove and stood tall.
Makino gave him an approving glance. "That suits you."
Haruki nodded. "Thank you. Feels like forever since I wore this."
And with Luffy bouncing around him like an overly excited puppy, shouting about "ninja missions" and "Shadow Shuriken Jutsu," Haruki couldn't help the quiet smile that touched the corner of his mouth.
For now, he wasn't just a stranger in a foreign world.
He was a Shinobi.
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