Naruto, What's the point of being Hokage without you!

It was still as soft and faint as the buzzing of a mosquito.

"Hinata, you saw it too, didn't you..."

Ino did not turn around, letting out a soft sigh.

Hinata stepped forward and nodded.

"Actually, I can understand it. Sakura's heart is completely occupied by Sasuke right now..."

Ino said, "I know..."

"Liking someone is certainly fine, but the premise is..."

"You shouldn't hurt others or get in their way..."

"The current Sakura isn't just hurting Naruto; she's actually hindering Sasuke as well. But she seems unable to realize it, or perhaps, she just doesn't want to."

Hinata also looked thoughtful.

"It seems like something truly terrifying happened to Sasuke..."

"His current state is definitely not right..."

Ino didn't know the full details regarding the Uchiha Clan, but as the eldest daughter of the Yamanaka Clan, she had vaguely sensed something.

Hinata felt the same.

"No, it's more than that. Past experiences already made Sasuke cold, but today, he seems to have become even worse..."

"I don't know what happened."

Ino shook her head, then seemed to think of something.

"If I had to guess, it likely has something to do with Naruto again."

Hearing Naruto's name, Hinata's heart trembled instantly.

"Na, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, you couldn't have missed it, right?"

"Even though he always acts like he looks down on Naruto, Naruto is the person Sasuke cares about the most..."

Hinata nodded gently. As someone who kept her eyes on Naruto, she had naturally noticed this long ago.

"It... it really is true..."

"Because, even though he always speaks with mockery, Naruto-kun is the only person Sasuke will actively initiate a conversation with..."

Ino sighed, "Perhaps that's because of the traits they both share..."

Hinata was silent for a moment before saying sadly.

"Is it loneliness..."

Ino's heart stirred. She had always felt something similar, but it wasn't until Hinata said it out loud that she truly understood.

"As expected of Hinata, your heart is truly delicate..."

"The loneliness those two share is something we cannot comprehend."

"Only they themselves can find some solace in each other..."

"What a complex emotion. I fear that even they themselves don't fully understand it."

At that moment, Naruto's figure appeared before Hinata's eyes, heading toward her in the morning sunlight.

"Naruto-kun..."

"I... I sincerely hope that one day, you will be able to escape your loneliness..."

Ino looked back and also spotted Naruto.

She watched the young girl standing in the morning sun, hands clasped tightly together, silently praying for Naruto, and couldn't help but feel moved.

"Naruto, oh Naruto..."

"You have no idea how lucky you are, you guy..."

Naruto walked up, feeling smug about how much more proficient he was becoming at Dual-Tasking.

He hopped over with a brilliant smile, greeting Hinata and Ino.

"Good morning!"

"Hinata, Ino!"

Hinata's face turned red instantly, and she lowered her head, whispering softly.

"Mo, morning, Naruto-kun..."

Ino burst into laughter.

"That guy has already run off!"

Hinata looked up and realized that Naruto had indeed already hopped away into the distance.

She did not mind, however, and continued to wear a gentle smile.

"Is that guy Naruto really that great?"

Watching Hinata's expression, Ino could not help but feel incredibly curious.

She decided to observe that guy properly...

Naruto was in a great mood.

Because on his way to the Ninja Academy, he discovered that his Dual-Tasking ability had improved significantly.

He was now fully capable of reviewing his academic subjects while doing a weighted handstand.

Although the injury on his leg had yet to heal.

His constitution was already more than capable of enduring it; he could even hop and skip around without fear.

He decided to continue practicing Dual-Tasking before class, striving to turn the Chakra Refinement Technique into a passive skill. That way...

Whether he was studying or training, his body would be able to refine chakra spontaneously.

By then, his chakra reserves would inevitably reach an unimaginable level.

Thinking of this, Naruto's eyes shone, as if he could already see his brilliant future.

Ignoring the pain and fatigue in his body, Naruto arrived at his seat, took out his textbook to study, and began refining chakra silently.

On the other side, Sasuke Uchiha, who was already training, saw Naruto arrive. He immediately frowned, clenched his fists, and pushed himself even harder.

He had barely slept all night.

He was exhausted now.

Yet, seeing Naruto suddenly gave him strength and ignited his fighting spirit; all pain and fatigue were swept away, and he immediately resumed his training!

The two sat at opposite ends of the room.

But the other students in the class could all sense two inexplicably powerful and terrifying auras erupting from them as poles, surging outward and crashing down, oppressing everyone...

It was terrifying!

Originally, it was just Naruto grinding alone; he was the dead-last, so it didn't matter if he grinded.

But now...

Even the so-called genius Sasuke Uchiha had started grinding too!

How could this be?!

One had to know that, usually, Sasuke Uchiha would never push himself this hard at the Ninja Academy.

He was the type to work hard secretly in private...

But now...

Someone better than you is working harder than you!

Then...

What is the point of us working hard?!

Many students instantly let go of their worries and went back to lying flat and slacking off...

Of course, not everyone thought that way.

In the end, quite a few were forced to join the grind...

So, when Iruka walked into the classroom, he instantly sensed an inexplicable, tense atmosphere.

"This class is getting stranger and stranger..."

Naruto, who was no longer mischievous and was working with frightening intensity...

Sasuke Uchiha, who was originally cold and indifferent, disdaining everything, but was now working just as desperately...

And Hinata, who followed in Naruto's footsteps, along with Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and others who were forced into the grind...

On the contrary, the original top student Sakura had been absent-minded lately, and had even skipped class yesterday, which was unprecedented.

Iruka could not help but scratch his head.

Was this some kind of inverted genjutsu world?

However, seeing Choji still munching on snacks and Shikamaru fast asleep, Iruka finally felt at ease.

Thank goodness, these two were still performing consistently...

"Ahem, class begins now!"

Iruka gave the order.

Naruto opened his eyes, a confident smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Knowledge Absorption

Activate!

Dual-Tasking...

Open!

Although it was still Dual-Tasking, the difference from just a moment ago was...

Previously, his energy had been more inclined toward the Chakra Refinement Technique.

But now, it was more inclined toward Knowledge Absorption.

Regardless, he was becoming increasingly proficient with this new ability...

The interval had already extended from the original three-minute pause to five minutes.

"Five minutes, huh?"

"Although that's not a short amount of time, it's still a long way from my goal..."

"I must make it last longer!"

Naruto gritted his teeth and once again entered the state of Dual-Tasking.

He was completely unaware that Ino Yamanaka, who was incredibly curious about him at this moment, was observing him with the scrutiny of a microscope...

"Four minutes and fifty seconds..."

Ino silently calculated the time, her eyes lighting up.

"Just as I thought!"

"Another five minutes or so..."

"That guy Naruto pauses every five minutes, then re-enters a state of total concentration, staring intensely at Iruka's lecture. That level of focus is almost perverse, just like Sakura staring at Sasuke or Hinata staring at Naruto..."

"No wonder Naruto has made such great progress these past few days..."

"But why does he have to pause every five minutes or so?"