16

2 years later, in Konoha, the village was still bustling with energy and life much like it was a couple of years ago. However, it was evident that the population had grown since then. With the naked eye, one could see that the number of kids in the village had increased. This ripple effect had spread throughout Konoha, largely due to the period of peace that followed the first Shinobi World War.

it was very different In the Senju residence,as Mito's study was dead silent . Mito sat there with an expressionless face, but Kazuki, who had been with her the longest, knew that this was the calm before the storm. Nawaki sat across from Mito, his face dripping with sweat and his tense body language revealing his nervousness. He knew that he had gotten himself into serious trouble, and the punishment awaiting him would be severe.

Finally, Mito broke the silence and asked Nawaki, "I assume you already know why I called you here, Nawaki." Nawaki nodded his head with difficulty but remained silent, lacking the courage to speak. Mito waited for a few minutes before asking again, this time in a colder tone, "Why are you suddenly silent? That's not like you. Come on, explain yourself. I'm waiting."

Nawaki knew he had no way out, so he said with a very small voice, "Well, Grandma, I... I just used a shadow clone to go to school in my place." His voice became smaller and smaller, almost inaudible at the end.

Mito asked, "Since when did you start doing this, Nawaki? I assume this is not your first time." Nawaki became more flustered and shook his head vigorously, saying, "No, no, Grandma, I swear this is the first time. Usually, my main bo..."

He realized he had revealed more information and tried to change the subject, but Mito wouldn't allow it. "Usually what, Nawaki?" she demanded. "You better tell me everything yourself because if I send Kazuki to investigate, your punishment will be far worse."

In reality, what Nawaki did was not that serious. While training in Haru's secret training ground that day, he had sent a shadow clone to school in his place. When the clone dispersed, he realized that the teacher should have figured it out and that the news would soon reach Mito's ears. He hurried back to the clan, and a few meters away, Kazuki appeared behind him. Nawaki knew he was in big trouble, and Kazuki took him straight to Mito's study.

Nawaki braced himself before speaking. "Grandma, I wasn't doing anything bad, and it really was my first time. I knew everything that was being taught, so I just sent the clone to school while I trained. I wasn't being lazy."

Nawaki was truthful, as he always went to school, but Haru had taken leave for a few days, claiming to be sick when, in reality, he was busy with some research. Nawaki didn't want to go to school without Haru, as it would be too boring, so he decided to train and let the clone attend those boring classes instead.

Mito looked at Nawaki's face and knew he wasn't lying, but that didn't mean she would let him go. "Then what did you mean earlier? In the past, did you use shadow clones to train?"

"Well, after the shadow clone disperses, it gives you all the experience from what it did in the day. It has helped me a lot with training," Nawaki replied, trying his best to make it appealing to Mito so he wouldn't be punished.

Mito quickly understood Nawaki's new application, but she also saw far beyond it. She furrowed her brow and said, 'Wait, Nawaki, how many clones did you use, and how long have you been doing it?'

Mito's tone became more serious, as she knew that the longer a clone stayed, the greater the mental strain it would cause after dispersing. From what Nawaki said, he used the clone for the entire school day. Before Nawaki could respond, Mito was already in front of him, checking on him. 'Kazuki, quickly call a medical ninja from the clan immediately,' she said.

Kazuki nodded before she disappeared. In the meantime, Mito looked at Nawaki. As his grandmother, Mito knew him best. She knew that the chance that Nawaki discovered this application of the shadow clone was very small. She preferred to believe that it was that smart disciple of hers who had discovered it. So she asked, 'Did Haru teach you this, Nawaki?'

Nawaki's face paled, and it was all the answer Mito needed. She made a secret sign, and suddenly a ninja in a mask appeared. 'Bring me Haru immediately,' Mito said.

Nawaki looked shocked, then said, 'No, it was me. It has nothing to do with Haru. Why are you bringing him into this?'

Mito looked at her loyal grandson, feeling proud of the bond between the two. She knew that to Nawaki, it was like he had betrayed his best friend. So she said, 'Nawaki, the way you are using that technique could be very dangerous. You need to be checked, and if Haru is also using it, we need to check him too. Don't be stubborn. This could be very dangerous for Haru.'

Nawaki stayed still this time, not saying anything. Then, Kazuki returned with a medical ninja from the clan, who promptly began examining Nawaki. After a couple of minutes, Haru was brought to the study. Mito looked at him, but didn't say anything as she was waiting for the medical results. She was very angry in her heart - she had always assumed that Haru was the stable and more mature one. She never expected him to do something like this, even if he had discovered the usage of the shadow clones technique. He should have come to her and let her help him test for and figure out the dangers. She sighed, as she had never imagined Haru bringing her this sort of trouble.

After Haru entered the room, he saw Nawaki being checked and noticed Mito's silent and frosty expression. He could guess what had happened, but chose to remain silent and wait for the results.

After a while, the medical ninja finished and informed Mito that Nawaki was in good health. Mito calmed down slightly and then instructed the ninja to also examine Haru. Haru looked at Nawaki, who avoided his gaze, with a face full of regret and shame. Haru smiled slightly at him before the ninja began the examination. After finishing, the ninja gave the same results as before and then left the room with Kazuki, leaving Mito, Nawaki, and Haru behind.

Haru didn't wait for Mito to speak. 'Master, I'm sorry,' he said. 'I knew what I did was wrong.' He knew that acknowledging his mistake was the correct way, especially since he noticed that Mito was no longer as angry as before. Mito looked at Haru with an apologetic look and her tone softened a little. 'Are you sure?' she asked. 'I thought you had forgotten that you have a master. Why didn't you discuss it with me? To be honest, I'm very disappointed in you."

Haru looked into Mito's eyes and saw the worry in them. He couldn't help but feel guilty towards her. After all those years with her, she was far more than a master to him. She was more like a grandmother. As his memories from his previous life began to fade, Haru drew closer to Mito's warmth and kindness towards him. He knew that she treated him as Nawaki, and even if he thought he was not a sentimental person and was able to live alone, his time in the Senju clan showed him another part of himself. Haru liked the feeling of being loved and taken care of, so Mito's disappointment affected him more than he thought.

Haru took a deep breath to regain his composure before speaking. "I'm really sorry, master, but please let me explain first," he said, looking at Mito with pleading eyes. After seeing her nod her head, he continued, "When Nawaki was having trouble learning the shadow clone technique, I helped him. During the process, I tested the technique in multiple scenarios to explore its various uses, with the goal of giving Nawaki a better example to use in actual combat. By accident, I discovered its use in accelerating training. One time I let one of my shadow clones read a book in my place to see if Nawaki would figure out it wasn't me, to test its ability to disguise. After that, I discovered that I got the reading knowledge from the clone, so I tried it in multiple trainings, but I always used it safely and never made more than one clone at a time. After several days of research, I found the most effective way to use it with the least side effects on the body. Then, I told Nawaki about my findings, and we tried it. It brought better results to Nawaki as he has more chakra than me. According to my research, Nawaki can currently use three clones as it's his limit in both mental and physical ability. I also designed a proper schedule for it. After the clone disperses, it's best to take a nap to minimize mental fatigue, and we made supplements to minimize side effects on the body."

Mito listened to Haru and couldn't help but think that in the end, he was still as cautious as ever. But she was also shocked at how much calmness and intelligence he possessed. She sighed and said, "Well, I'm thankful to hear that, but it still doesn't mean what you did was correct. As your master, I can help you a lot in this kind of research. You are still very young, Haru, and no matter how smart you are, you are still only eight years old. You seem too confident in your knowledge, and you still don't know everything. Any mistake in researching ninjutsu can harm you a lot. As your master, it's my responsibility to help you take many detours while keeping you safe."

Before Haru could respond, Nawaki said with tears on his face, "It's all my fault, Grandma. When Haru told me we should tell you, I wanted to surprise you with my improvement so that I could make you proud." His voice cracked from crying. Mito looked at the two boys before she sighed and hugged them both in her arms, saying, "You two stupid kids, why do you want to grow up so fast? Let this old woman enjoy raising you a little more, okay? I'm sure the time for you to grow up naturally will come. Have you already grown bored of me?" Nawaki and Haru both shook their heads as Mito's smile filled the room, the warmth of her affection lifting the mood and bringing a sense of comfort to the space. Her eyes glinted with tenderness, and the lines on her face softened as she gazed at her two grandsons, filled with pride and affection.