Naruto's changes brought a little amusement to Ryosuke's otherwise quiet life.
Other than training, there was not much that interested him now.
Even interacting with those future pillars of Konoha in the class did little to stir his interest.
Compared to Naruto, who had been influenced by him and exposed to the darker side of things early on, everyone else aside from Sasuke seemed a little too childish.
Whether in strength, personality, or behavior, they all seemed somewhat immature.
Of course, that immaturity was only relative to this world.
Still, despite his interest, Ryosuke always kept his distance from Naruto.
And after Naruto realized what his existence meant to the village, he too began keeping his distance from Ryosuke, no longer taking the initiative to approach him as he once had.
He knew that getting too close to Ryosuke would only harm him.
Because Ryosuke was a member of the Hyūga Main Family and represented the Hyūga Clan.
But keeping their distance did not mean they never interacted.
Sometimes it was after a day, sometimes after a week, but Naruto would always find an opportunity to confide in Ryosuke and share his progress with him.
Ryosuke could tell that Naruto was truly too lonely.
Compared to the carefree Naruto who would shamelessly squeeze into crowds in the original story, this Naruto clearly had no desire to spend too much energy on socializing. He placed greater importance on improving himself.
And that meant that, even now, Ryosuke remained his only friend.
Of course, because of Ryosuke, Hinata treated Naruto fairly well too...
"This time... Hinata should win, right?"
Within the noisy Training Ground, thick with the smell of sweat, there was only one place no one dared approach.
Thanks to the benefits Naruto brought him, Ryosuke did not have to squeeze