"Then I have my first mission for you. In exchange for you developing your own first fire release jutsu, you will get my knowledge on performing alchemy without any transmutation circles."
Haurto's eyes widened.
He focused his mind's eye on the mission card and immediately saw a new mission on the scroll that unfurled.
===
Mission Aim : Create your own Fire Release Jutsu
Mission Assigned By : Edward Elric
Mission Reward : Knowledge of Seal less jutsus.
===
Haruto was overjoyed.
'So I get to clap my hands like Hashirama and perform any jutsu I want!?'
'Isn't that epic!?'
'No… wait… it only says knowledge of Seal Less jutsus… that can mean that I only get knowledge of how to perform them and I still have to build up the skill to perform them on my own…'
'But I already know how right…? You just forgo hand seals and move the chakra to the right tenketsu…? Or is the reward something deeper?'
'Still… just the fact that I can do it in the future is enough to motivate me!'
"It seems that you're ready to create your own jutsu. I shall watch over you as you do so and try and help you as best as I can in between. But don't count on me too much, after all, you're the one that has to create the jutsu."
Haruto nodded.
With all the discussions settled for the night, Haruto went to the washroom before bed, not just to relieve himself but to also create a clone that could train inside the bathroom while he slept so that he could improve his strength faster.
The clone continued practicing the leaf concentration exercise and by morning, Haruto's clone could hold the leaf on his palm for about an hour. An improvement of about half an hour, but still far from the four hour mark stated in the textbook.
Haruto woke up with a fresh start the next day. Dispelled the clone, digested the gains from the overnight training and took a cold shower to get over the fatigue.
At the same time, right before going to work, Haruto tested something else with the help of his clone.
The clone knew what Haruto had created it for so it didn't ask any questions and simply closed its eyes, and a few seconds later, Haruto heard a new voice inside his head, his own voice.
'I can also enter the Template Inventory Space.'
'Good job… for now continue training while I am in the R&D department, I will be back during the evening to digest my gains again.'
The clone nodded and continued training the leaf concentration exercise while Haruto left for the R&D department.
Haruto arrived at the office rather quickly and was surprised to find his research area expanded. Several new computers were placed on his expanded desk, along with a thirty two giga bytes pen drive to transfer data from one computer to another.
On the computers was the data he had requested, the digitized bills and receipts for the last month from the entire department along with the scanned copies of the receipts.
Haruto cracked his knuckles and his neck before beginning with renewed vigour.
"Let's begin."
***
"No way! Does Haruto-kun have a Kekkei Genkai?" Kushina asked with some excitement, jumping in her place like a golden retriever. After all, the stronger Haruto was the easier it would be for him to take down Danzo, Uchiha Obito and Madara, their goal.
"Even my brother's fire wasn't as hot as this when it started out… it is bound to be a kekkei genkai." Izuna stated with a frown at the thought that someone was better than his brother.
"Making fire is a kekkei genkai?" Hashirama asked with confusion, "Madara's fire could melt rocks and turn sand into glass when I last fought him… wait… Madara's still alive… so he might've gotten even stronger again…"
Hashirama went back to sitting in a corner and drawing circles on the floor in depression.
Tobirama looked at Haruto sleeping and frowned slightly, "There was no kekkei genkai like that among the families of Konoha during the Warring states period… but there was one family in the Land of Wind… Scorch Release if I recall correctly…"
"You're suggesting he's from Sunagakure?" Mito caught on, her lips twitching slightly.
"Even Hiruzen's suspicious about the boy… or why else would he put four ANBU on work to watch him continuously?" Tobirama explained his reasoning. "From the ANBU around him at all times we know that he can't be a clean Konoha shinobi."
"What if the Monkey put them there to protect Haruto? Maybe he came to the same conclusion as we did, that the boy's being targeted by Madara and wants to save the boy?" Mito asked.
But Tobirama shook his head, "No that's not possible. We only came to that conclusion because we knew that Madara was alive. I doubt Hiruzen has that information. If he did, the Uchiha's relations with the village wouldn't be as good as they are right now. Even if people don't like them they still bear with them, but if word got out that Madara was still alive, people would constantly fear that the Uchiha would betray the village and run away."
"Hmm…" Sakumo at this point frowned and added in his own opinion, "I think they are there to protect the boy. I recognise the formation they are using, it is a formation I taught the ANBU members when on guard duty. I don't know why that's the case, but I think it is."
"Is that so…" Tobirama instantly fell quiet, trying to contemplate why Hiruzen would think of protecting some random civilian orphan in the village so heavily.
After a while of thinking, Tobirama finally said something, "It has got to be to do with the inherently evil Uchiha…"
Izuna's eyes turned red and a mangekyo sharingan opened within it!
"I dare you to say that again Tobirama Senju!!!!"
"Hmpf! Inherently evil Uchiha, all you know is how to kill your loved ones."
Izuna slashed with his hand while Tobirama blocked. Except, at the very last second, when Tobirama's hands were about to catch Izuna's hand slash, Hashirama kicked his behind.
"Brother!!!!!"
"You deserve it Tobi… go reflect on your actions…"
***
'Jigen's body is unsuitable for the Kama mark…'
'His body is slowly growing weak and his mind stale… If this keeps on any longer I might have to abandon Jigen's body and cultivate a new body for the kama mark.'
"Jigen-sama… I heard there was a devil in Konoha… are you going to exorcise it?"
"A devil? In Konoha? Do you know anything more about it?" Jigen asked the merchant who had an ear out for all interesting information.
"I heard that the Kurama family's daughter has been possessed by a demon. Apparently it sucks away all chakra from her and has made her body frail and weak."
"I see… Thank you for letting me know… this must be the Buddha's will. I will make sure that the devil is exorcised or sealed away for good so that the girl is set free for the rest of her life."
'Konoha?'
'The Land of Fire?'
'That place was close to the place the first tree was planted…'
'I wonder if I can control Jigen to take him to the remnants of the first tree… perhaps I can absorb some strength from it and improve my control over Jigen before implanting the Kama mark on someone else.'
'If not… I will have to pick a better target in Konoha… maybe that girl who's weak and possessed by the devil… I'll cure her and take over her body by planting the kama mark on her.'