I Really Don't Have a Single Drop Left... / T0 Combat Power! Naruto, Raised on Healthy Milk!

"Caught the studying bug, huh?!"

Chapter 4: I Really Don't Have a Drop Left...

After a ten-minute break between classes, Naruto's chakra had increased by a full three points!

On top of that, his Chakra Refinement Technique had grown more proficient. It was now at 58, which meant his chakra extraction efficiency would increase significantly as he continued training.

At long last, class began, and Naruto finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was already drenched in sweat.

However, when he saw Teacher Mizuki stride into the classroom, all he felt was despair.

"Today, we'll continue studying chemistry..."

Naruto: "...Aaaaaah!"

"Why do ninjas have to study chemistry?!"

Though he howled inwardly at the heavens, Naruto had no choice but to open his eyes wide again and force himself to focus completely...

Fortunately, after learning his lesson in the previous class, it didn't take him nearly as long to get into the zone.

But his mental strength and stamina were gradually reaching their limits...

If the previous class had been a living hell...

Then this one was the real deal.

Still...

To avoid Baptism of Lightning Release, Naruto pushed himself to the limit and held on.

[You focused completely on listening in class for the first time. Your mastery of [Chemistry] has increased. Proficiency +3. Current proficiency: 19!]

Naruto: "...It only went up to 19?"

"So it was only 16 before?!"

"That's even worse than physics..."

With such clear numbers in front of him, Naruto became even more aware of his dead-last status.

Naruto's astonishing transformation had finally caught everyone's attention.

In truth, even as the class dead last, Naruto had always been impossible to ignore.

Both the worst student and the top student drew attention.

The ones no one noticed were the students who scored sixty.

And Naruto also had the special identity of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Though the children didn't know the details, they'd picked up on the adults' unusual attitude toward Naruto and been subtly influenced by it.

But keeping their distance from him didn't mean they failed to notice him...

On the contrary, whether he was the old Naruto, lazy and unserious, skipping class and playing pranks every day, or the new Naruto, suddenly paying attention in class and even seizing every break to train, he'd always had everyone's eyes on him.

"What's with Naruto?"

"He suddenly seems like a completely different person."

"Could a monster have possessed him?"

"Shh, don't say stuff like that. Last time I said that, Dad scolded me..."

"Did something happen to him?"

"Maybe he got dumped?!"

"Could be. He's always liked Sakura, but Sakura only has eyes for Sasuke..."

"And with how rough Sakura is with him, it wouldn't be surprising if he got upset..."

"I see..."

Sakura Haruno had naturally noticed Naruto's change too.

Listening to everyone's chatter, she couldn't help frowning.

"Could Naruto really be doing this because of me...?"

"Should I go comfort him?"

"Hmph, forget it. He'll get the wrong idea. I don't want him thinking he has a chance..."

With that, Sakura went back to Sasuke's side.

However...

The person who was most concerned about Naruto was actually Sasuke Uchiha.

His cold, unsmiling face showed no sign of emotion.

But inside, his thoughts were in turmoil.

"What the hell is Naruto up to?"

"Does a dead last like him really think he can turn things around?"

"Damn it... I'm not going to lose to someone like him..."

"I still have to... kill that man!"

"How can I slack off here?!"

A figure hidden in blood and darkness appeared in Sasuke Uchiha's mind. As the figure abruptly turned around, a pair of blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan blazed with a terrifying, ferocious light!

Sasuke's whole body began to tremble. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Shut up!"

Sasuke Uchiha finally lost his patience and snarled at Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, and the other girls.

"Sasuke-kun..."

Sakura and the others jumped. Seeing the frightening expression on his face, they didn't dare ask any questions and could only back away in disappointment.

"Sakura, what's wrong with Sasuke...?"

Ino Yamanaka asked with a pale face, her voice full of worry.

"How should I know? And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Don't forget, we're rivals now!"

Ino made a face at her.

"You've already lost, big forehead!"

"Piggy Ino!"

Sasuke Uchiha glanced at them in annoyance, then...

He immediately started training too.

"Huh? Sasuke-kun's training too!"

"He's already a genius. Does he still have to work this hard?"

"Or is it because of Naruto...?"

"No, it can't be. Sasuke-kun's so amazing. How could someone like Naruto affect him?"

"Exactly! They're worlds apart!"

Sasuke Uchiha ignored them and immersed himself in training.

Hearing the commotion, Naruto couldn't help glancing over. When he saw what Sasuke was doing, his eyes widened in surprise...

"That bastard Sasuke is training too?"

"Ha! Maybe he saw how hard I was working and got scared I'd catch up to him?!"

"That's definitely it!"

[Warning: Baptism of Lightning Release countdown: 5...4...3...]

"Aaaaah! You don't have to remind me! If that bastard Sasuke is working this hard, then I'll have to work ten times harder than him—no, a hundred times harder!"

Naruto immediately returned to training.

The two of them faced off from afar. They hadn't said a word to each other, yet they were already locked in a fierce rivalry...

For a moment, everyone in the classroom could feel the strangely oppressive yet heated atmosphere.

It was as if fierce, scorching currents of electricity were shooting from Naruto and Sasuke, intertwining and crashing into each other...

After enduring eight classes that seemed to last forever, along with every break in between, Naruto finally reached the end of the school day.

But he wasn't getting any rest.

[The host is about to head home. The journey is an opportunity to train your Taijutsu strength. Please return home by doing weighted frog jumps!]

Naruto: "...F-frog jumps?"

"Weighted frog jumps?!"

"Give me a break!"

"I really can't go on..."

[Baptism of Lightning Release countdown: 5...4...3...]

"Aaaaah, fine! I'll jump! I'll do it, okay?!"

Naruto had no choice but to cram his textbooks and practice ninja tools into his backpack, sling it over his shoulders, and assume the posture of a hero marching to his death...

Then he squatted down!

"Hm?"

Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and all the other students and teachers at the Ninja Academy stared at Naruto in astonishment...

What, what was wrong with that guy?

Had he completely lost his mind?

Why was he working so damn hard...

Only Iruka-sensei looked at the scene with an immensely pleased smile.

"Naruto... It's good to work hard, but don't overdo it..."

Elsewhere.

Watching Naruto's figure recede as he did weighted frog jumps, a boy with a bowl cut and thick eyebrows stood in front of a classroom one year above theirs. His eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists tightly!

At the same time.

A short-haired girl with pale eyes silently gazed after Naruto, her hands clasped as she prayed for him.

"Naruto-kun... G-go for it..."

Chapter 5: T0 Combat Power! Naruto, Raised on Healthy Milk!

"501, 502, 503..."

With his backpack on, Naruto struggled forward under the weight, as if squeezing the last bit of strength out of his body.

He was already drenched in sweat, and his legs no longer felt like his own.

He'd been mentally and physically battered at the Ninja Academy, and now, after finally getting out of school, he still had to frog-jump his way home with a weighted pack!

I, Naruto, am carrying a burden no one my age should have to bear!

He complained to himself, but still didn't dare slack off for even a moment.

That "Baptism of Lightning Release" was just too intense...

Once was enough to make sure he'd never want to go through it a second time...