That Resounding Slap! Please Vote with Monthly Tickets!!!

"[Knowledge Absorption]!"

"Activating entry ability..."

"[Distraction-Dual-Use]!"

Naruto activated both entries at once, instantly feeling as if he had split into two clones. His left and right brains divided the work with incredible clarity: not only could he understand the textbook in front of him perfectly, but his Chakra Refinement Technique was barely affected!

"Th-this is incredible!"

Naruto's eyes shone with delight.

This meant he had a whole extra day's worth of time compared to everyone else!

My future is looking bright!

Only then did Naruto rise, pleased as could be, and get ready to head home.

The system's requirement of frog jumps with weights and studying on the way home was no longer much of a challenge for him.

But just as he was setting off with more enthusiasm than ever before...

"Naruto."

"Ah—!"

Startled by the sudden interruption, Naruto nearly fell over.

He turned around and saw a face that was both incredibly familiar and a little unfamiliar.

"Sa... Sakura-chan?!"

Sakura Haruno had a broad smile on her face, but Naruto found it a little frightening.

Even stranger...

Earlier, he had punched Sakura. The old him would probably have been terrified, desperately trying to apologize and beg her to forgive him...

But now, he had already forgotten all about it.

Still, seeing her face again brought it all back to him.

"W-what do you want? I already apologized, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura Haruno leaned in close, as if she wanted to see right through Naruto.

"I'm not here about that."

"Th-then why...?"

"I want you to tell me what's happened to you..."

"What exactly is going on with you?!"

"...Huh?!"

Chapter 39: That Resounding Slap! Please Vote with Monthly Tickets!!!

Sakura Haruno had never been this curious about Naruto before.

Because...

For some reason, the guy she had always looked down on had become the focus of the entire class!

Hinata was one thing, but now even Ino and Sasuke were paying so much attention to him...

There had to be a reason!

She moved closer, her eyes almost level with Naruto's face.

Under her questioning, Naruto's expression changed at once.

"Sakura-chan..."

"You're really close..."

"N-no, but... I can't tell her what happened to me!"

"Whether I want to tell her or not, Big Brother System won't even let me say it!"

He plastered on a smile and frantically waved his hands, his head backing away of its own accord.

"Sakura-chan, n-nothing happened to me..."

Sakura Haruno didn't believe him, of course.

With her hands on her hips, she pressed him further, inspecting him carefully from every angle.

"Don't try to fool me."

"Naruto, I know what you used to be like. People can change, but not this suddenly, and not this much!"

"Tell me, what did you do?"

"Why are Hinata, Ino, and even Sasuke-kun paying so much attention to you?"

"Hm?!"

Naruto's thoughts stirred. He scratched his head and instinctively glanced around.

"D-do they?"

"Hinata, Ino, and... that Sasuke guy?"

"Are they all paying attention to me?"

"How come I didn't know...?"

Sakura Haruno snapped, "Stop stalling. What secret are you hiding?"

"Tell me!"

If Sakura had been this interested in him before, Naruto would have been over the moon.

But now, not only was he unable to reveal his secret, more importantly...

The system had started issuing a warning.

[The host has been dismissed from school. Please immediately continue training on the way home, or you will be subjected to the Baptism of Lightning Release!]

[Warning, countdown: 5...4...]

Remembering how terrifying Lightning Release was, Naruto hurriedly backed away from Sakura Haruno.

"Ahhh—!"

"Sakura, I really can't tell you, and I... I have something urgent to do!"

"Bye!"

Naruto took off running, but Sakura Haruno refused to give up.

"Stop, Naruto! Explain yourself!"

She reached out to grab him by the collar.

But...

[Countdown: 3...]

Naruto was already sweating profusely. The terrifying Lightning Release could strike at any moment.

Even though he actually wanted to talk with Sakura a little longer...

He knew what mattered most.

[2...]

"S-Sakura... can we talk next time?"

"I-I really don't have time!"

[1...]

"No!"

Sakura Haruno suddenly reached out to grab Naruto's arm...

At this critical moment, Naruto had no other choice.

"Let go!"

In his panic, Naruto couldn't help shouting as he swatted her hand away.

Smack—

The sharp crack not only knocked Sakura Haruno's arm aside, but continued with unstoppable force and struck her across the face!

Five finger marks appeared instantly on her fair cheek, and a searing pain shot through her!

"Ah—!"

She cried out, clutching her aching cheek as tears welled in her eyes.

But Naruto seemed not to notice at all.

Without the slightest hesitation, he crouched down and began frog-jumping his way home...

[0.]

Thankfully, Naruto made it just in time and narrowly escaped disaster at the last moment.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly noticed his fingers hurt a little, too.

"I think I hit something just now..."

Naruto looked back and saw Sakura standing motionless, one hand over her cheek, two streams of tears rolling down her face...

"N-no way?!"

"Did I hit Sakura again?!"

Naruto's expression grew terribly conflicted. He wanted to turn back, but the system's warning wouldn't let him off.

"S-Sakura-chan..."

He gritted his teeth, but in the end he turned around and continued his training.

"I'll have to apologize next time..."

"Ahhh, what a mess!"

At that moment, someone gently patted the crying Sakura on the shoulder.

Her mind in turmoil, she whipped around.

"Sasuke..."

"Iruka-sensei?"

The scene she had imagined never came.

When she turned, she found Iruka-sensei looking at her sternly.

"Sakura, come with me for a moment."

Sakura Haruno wiped her tears and nodded as she followed him, though her cheek still throbbed.

"Damn Naruto..."

Cursing him inwardly, she followed Iruka-sensei to the office.

Iruka-sensei had her sit across from him and studied her with a scrutinizing gaze.

"What's going on, Sakura?"

"You've seemed distracted lately. Yesterday you even skipped class, and your grades have been slipping..."

"Has something happened?"

Sakura Haruno was one of the top students in the class, so Iruka had clearly noticed the change in her.

"Iruka-sensei, I..."

She shook her head, then closed her mouth.