Chapter 138: C138
It was still early enough in the evening when Haruto left the hospital, so after a grueling workout, Haruto returned to his apartment, his body drenched in sweat and his muscles burning with the satisfaction of hard-earned progress. The physical strain was something he relished; it allowed him to clear his mind, to refocus, and to hone the edge that set him apart from others. But even as he prepared his carefully balanced dinner, his thoughts were elsewhere, circling around something that had become impossible to ignore.
Last night, everything had changed.
When his Tier 2 chakra sensitivity had unlocked, it had been like a curtain lifting on the world around him. The upgrade from the system hadn't just sharpened his ability to sense chakra; it had elevated it to a level that allowed him to track even the subtlest differences in flow and density. Every shinobi's chakra left a distinct mark, a footprint in the air, and with his newfound awareness, Haruto could track them like never before.
He didn't just sense one presence—he sensed them all.
Every chakra signature around him had become clear: the people in nearby buildings, shinobi passing by on the street, even the civilians with minimal chakra. He had memorized it all, the precise location of each presence locked into his mind like a mental map of his surroundings. The ability to catalog every subtle fluctuation in chakra felt like seeing through a new lens—one that granted him a tactical advantage he hadn't fully appreciated until now.
But within that web of chakra signatures, one stood out.
It had been there last night, this morning, and again tonight. The same signature, in the same spot, watching. It had an unnerving consistency, barely detectable to most but now crystal clear to him. Haruto's photographic memory allowed him to recall the exact locations of the chakra signatures from the last 24 hours. The fact that it hadn't moved was suspicious enough, but combined with his cognitive gifts from the system, Haruto now knew this wasn't random.
Whoever it was, they were watching him.
However, Haruto knew that gathering information was normal in the world of shinobi. People were always watching, listening, collecting data. It didn't necessarily mean anything malicious—sometimes, it was just routine. He wasn't surprised by the fact that someone was keeping tabs on him; he was more curious about how often they were doing it. Was this just a temporary surveillance, or was it a constant, round-the-clock observation?
Only time would tell.
Haruto's mind raced with possibilities. Was it an ANBU operative? Someone keeping tabs on him for the Hokage? Or worse—Root? The idea of Danzo's shadow organization watching him left a bitter taste in his mouth. Haruto had heard the rumors, the whispers of children being taken into Root without a choice, groomed to become emotionless tools for the village. Was he already on their radar?
He stood by the window, peering through the blinds, his eyes fixed on the building across the street. From the outside, it looked perfectly ordinary, like every other dull structure in the village. Nothing about it seemed remarkable. But Haruto's chakra sensitivity told him otherwise. Someone—or something—inside was watching him. Quietly. Consistently.
The feeling of being watched wasn't unusual in a village of shinobi, and Haruto knew better than to jump to conclusions. It wasn't necessarily sinister, but it was something he needed to pay attention to. Was this just a standard observation, or was it more? Was it something temporary, or was he under constant surveillance?
The fact that he couldn't answer these questions bothered him.
He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening slightly. He hated the idea that someone had likely been watching him for much longer than he realized. If his system hadn't enhanced his sensory abilities, they could have been doing it for days—weeks even—and he'd been oblivious. The thought sent a wave of irritation through him.
But Haruto wasn't about to make a rash move. Whoever it was, they hadn't expected him to notice. And if he played his cards right, he could gather more information without tipping them off.
He turned away from the window, his mind already working through the possibilities. He needed more information—more data before he could act. There was no sense in confronting the watcher if he didn't have a plan.
First things first, he thought, as he made a quick hand seal.
Haruto released the shadow clone he had left to study fūinjutsu earlier in the day. The memories surged back to him in an instant—the intricate seals, the knowledge of how they worked, their potential. There was a lot to unpack, and it was clear that mastering fūinjutsu would take time, but the progress he was making was solid. He could feel himself inching closer to understanding its deeper complexities.
But tonight, fūinjutsu wasn't the priority.
Haruto formed another hand seal, creating a new shadow clone. He assigned it a task: focus on genjutsu defense. He'd been meaning to test how genjutsu would interact with his Two Minds ability and how he could improve his resistance. But there was one more thing.
"Keep an eye on the building across the street," Haruto muttered to the clone. "See if anything changes."
The clone nodded and got to work immediately, its role clear. It would experiment with genjutsu defense strategies while also keeping tabs on the signature that had been watching him. Haruto's mind was too active to let the mystery go unsolved, but he couldn't afford to act blindly.
As he settled into bed, Haruto let out a slow breath, his muscles still humming from the workout, his thoughts racing. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had been watched for far longer than he knew. The idea was unsettling, but there wasn't much he could do yet.
His system had granted him great power, but power wasn't enough if you didn't know how to use it. This watcher—whoever they were—had managed to go unnoticed by him for a time. It was a mistake he wouldn't make again. Haruto had learned from his previous life that the key to victory wasn't brute strength; it was strategy, patience, and understanding your enemy before they understood you.
All he could do now was wait, gather information, and plan. Whoever was keeping tabs on him, they would reveal themselves in time. And when they did, Haruto would be ready.
For now, though, he let sleep take him, knowing that his shadow clone was keeping watch.
Tomorrow, he would be a step closer to uncovering the truth. In the world of shinobi, there were no coincidences.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone