Naruto was dozing off at his desk.
At this moment, he had to admit—Ninja Kuma was a far better teacher than Iruka.
The difference wasn't just because Iruka had to manage an entire class while Ninja Kuma focused solely on him. No, it was something else entirely.
If Ninja Kuma were teaching this class, things would be very different.
Before long, only the children of the great ninja clans would be able to keep up, while the rest would likely end up blindly chasing the dream of becoming Hokage, parroting the Will of Fire without truly understanding the fundamentals.
Under Ninja Kuma's guidance, however, every student would have mastered the basics of being a ninja with an ironclad foundation.
Following the chakra extraction lessons, the next step was strengthening one's spiritual power.
In the ninja world, spiritual power played a crucial role.
Genjutsu, for instance, was essentially a mental attack that disrupted chakra flow. The most well-known genjutsu—excluding those tied to bloodline limits—was the Bringer-of-Darkness Jutsu, created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
It was specifically designed to counter the Uchiha clan's formidable genjutsu abilities, particularly their Sharingan-based illusions.
"Meditation?"
Naruto closed his eyes.
A familiar sensation washed over him, and before long, he entered a meditative state.
For the Uchiha clan—renowned for their exceptional mental strength—meditation was a necessity.
Not far from him, Sasuke had also entered meditation with practiced ease.
As expected, children from great ninja clans had already mastered this skill.
However, many students didn't take meditation seriously.
Among the entire class, only three people were fully focused on their meditation practice:
Sasuke Uchiha.
Naruto Uzumaki—who had unlocked the Sharingan using the power of the Mori Mori no Mi.
The Byakugan Princess herself, Hinata Hyuga.
The rest? They had never bothered to learn.
Since the benefits of meditation weren't as immediately noticeable as chakra training, most ignored its importance.
At that moment, Ino—who had initially wanted to whisper something bold to Naruto—noticed both he and Hinata sitting with their eyes closed in deep meditation.
Her eyes darted around.
After a moment of hesitation, she sighed and decided to join in as well.
Though she had never taken meditation seriously before, she had been taught the practice since childhood.
And just like that, she entered a meditative state within seconds.
Nearby, Choji nudged Shikamaru.
"Hey, look at them—Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata are taking meditation way too seriously. Isn't it boring?"
Shikamaru, resting his chin in his hand, yawned.
"Choji, you should be the last person saying that. Meditation is mandatory in both our clans. We've been practicing it since we were kids—more seriously than they ever have."
He lazily gestured toward Hinata.
"Hinata always follows the teacher's instructions to the letter. Unless Naruto himself told her not to, she'd probably even write a 10,000-word essay if assigned one."
Then he pointed at Naruto.
"As for him? No one ever taught him this stuff. Unlike us, he had to figure it out on his own."
After finishing his explanation, Choji pulled out a bag of potato chips and continued snacking.
RING! RING! RING!
The school bell rang, signaling the end of class.
Naruto slowly emerged from his meditative state, taking a moment to feel the changes within him.
Sure enough, meditation strengthened his spiritual power.
More importantly, he noticed a faint heat around his eyes.
"So, improving mental strength enhances the Sharingan too?"
From this day forward, meditation would become a permanent part of his daily training.
Suddenly, a cute face popped up right in front of him.
"Naruto," Ino said curiously, "meditation doesn't show obvious benefits. That's why Shikamaru and Choji only do it occasionally. But you seem really into it."
She grinned confidently.
"I'm great at it! If you have any questions, just ask me."
"Me too…"
A soft voice joined the conversation.
Naruto turned to find Hinata fidgeting with her fingers, looking both shy and eager.
She was clearly asking, What about me?
Naruto smirked.
"You?"
Hinata gave a small nod.
He thought for a moment before replying.
"Just eat well and train hard. Your Byakugan is already incredibly powerful."
She blushed, looking slightly disappointed.
Sensing this, Naruto quickly changed the topic.
"Of course, if you're interested in mastering fine chakra control, you can learn from Ino—she's a genius at it."
That one sentence instantly brightened both girls' moods.
A short distance away, Sakura turned when she heard Ino's laughter.
She blinked.
Ino was grinning happily, while Hinata clung to her, looking just as cheerful.
For a moment, Sakura felt lost.
She glanced back at Sasuke.
As always, he sat with his arms crossed, exuding an aura of aloofness that practically screamed stay away.
Just as she sighed—
Wait!
Did Sasuke-kun just glance at me?!
Sakura's face turned red.
'I knew it! He totally likes me—he's just too shy to show it!'
Her heart raced as she giggled to herself.
Soon, it was time for dismissal.
Before Iruka could even finish speaking, Choji suddenly leapt to his feet.
"MEAT!!!"
His sudden outburst startled Iruka.
"Alright, alright—class dismissed. See you all this afternoon!"
Naruto stretched and got up as well.
After a full morning of training, he felt different.
A new sensation coursed through him, but he wasn't sure what it was just yet.
One thing was certain, though—
Meditation worked.
And he was going to keep doing it.
When Naruto opened his eyes, the world around him felt different again.
It wasn't as drastic as when he had fully digested Uchiha Shisui's nutrients, but the change was noticeable. His five senses had sharpened, enhancing his perception in ways he couldn't quite describe.
Because of his words, Ino and Hinata had joined him in meditation.
A loud voice suddenly pulled them out of their concentration.
"Oi! Lunchtime!"
Choji's shout broke the silence. Ino was about to say something to Naruto, but before she could, Shikamaru unexpectedly smacked Choji on the head.
"Why are you getting so worked up? But… you're right. I'm hungry too."
Choji scratched his head awkwardly, then turned to Shikamaru in confusion.
"Wait a second. Why were you meditating too?"
Shikamaru, realizing he had been caught, rubbed his nose and looked away. A slight blush crept onto his face.
"Naruto said meditation is just as valuable as any other kind of training. I spent the whole morning trying it out, and… he's right. My mental strength improved, and I feel like I understand things more clearly now."
He glanced at his friend.
"You should meditate more often, Choji."
"Sure—" Choji grinned, "—as long as there's meat involved… and Naruto's cooking!"
The group walked out of the classroom, chatting and joking along the way.
"Yo~ Naruto-kun!"
A loud, energetic voice rang out.
"I'm feeling pumped! So fired up!"
"Who wants to come with me to Naruto's house and do some handstand training?"
Smack!
A crisp slap landed on Lee's face.
Tenten sighed, shaking her head.
"Rock Lee, how many times do I have to tell you? Stop trying to drag Naruto into your insane training routines!"
Then a horrifying thought flashed through her mind.
"If Naruto ever starts wearing the same outfit as Guy-sensei… Ahhh!"
A visible shudder ran down her spine.
Even Ino looked disturbed by the thought.
Hinata, usually calm and reserved, clenched her fists slightly.
"Humph. As the heir of the Hyuga clan—"
Neji's voice cut through the tension.
"Neji, are you coming?"
He blinked in surprise.
Naruto… was inviting him?
He had been dragged here by Lee, expecting to observe from the sidelines, but now Naruto was directly asking him to join.
Naruto smiled.
"Even a genius who works hard needs to relax sometimes. The right balance between training and rest will lead to the best results."
Neji hesitated.
"But—"
"Brother Neji…"
Hinata's soft voice interrupted him.
She looked up at him with determined eyes, her fingers gripping the hem of her sleeve.
"I brought some extra pocket money. We can buy milk and snacks."
Encouraged by Naruto's gaze, she mustered her courage and gave Neji a warm smile.
For a brief moment, he was stunned.
"…Alright."
And just like that, two more people joined their lunchtime gathering.
Naruto admired Neji.
Unfortunately, in the original timeline, Neji had been burdened with a tragic fate.
His death was proof that Naruto's so-called ideology of "breaking fate" had its limits.
The Hyuga prodigy, who was once shackled by destiny, had ended up sacrificing himself…
And ironically, it was this very sacrifice that ensured the future of the Hyuga clan.
Because of Neji's death, Hinata was never marked with the Caged Bird Seal, and Hanabi became the next head of the family.
Naruto couldn't help but think back to a certain legend, where the only surviving Hyuga was from the main branch.
Neji worked just as hard as Rock Lee.
His bandaged hands were proof of his dedication.
And yet, despite all his talent and effort, he had lived his life trapped in a metaphorical cage.
"Alright, let's go!"
Shikamaru, surprisingly energetic, was the first to start walking.
After lunch, Ino and Shikamaru insisted on making meditation part of their daily training routine.
Tenten, who had been skeptical at first, became extremely interested when she heard about Tsunade's Yin Seal.
The excitement in her eyes rivaled even Ino's.
When they returned to class in the afternoon, Neji still seemed dazed.
Lady Hinata… actually eats that much?
More importantly…
Has she been training on an empty stomach all this time?
Neji knew exactly how painful hunger could be.
And yet, he had never realized that Hinata—his kind-hearted cousin—had been enduring the same suffering, simply because she never used her full strength.
At times, she was even punished by being denied meals.
But now, as he watched her chatting casually with Ino and Tenten, something felt different.
She was no longer the timid girl who only stood in the shadows.
For the first time in a long while, Neji felt a sense of disbelief.
His gaze drifted toward Naruto.
Something about him… wasn't as simple as it seemed.
That afternoon, almost the entire class meditated alongside Naruto.
Even those who didn't take it seriously at first forced themselves to sit through the session.
The results spoke for themselves.
Rock Lee, in particular, was bursting with excitement.
He nudged Neji, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Neji, I can feel it! Just for a moment—I could sense the chakra inside me! I think I can finally control a little bit of it!"
He clenched his fists.
"Next time, I will defeat you!"
Smack!
This time, the one who slapped Lee wasn't Neji.
It was their teacher.
"Sleeping in class is bad enough," the instructor scolded, rubbing his temples, "but disrupting others on top of that? Go stand outside."
The classroom erupted into laughter.
Even Neji, who rarely smiled after his father's death, found the corners of his lips twitching upward.
Meditation had many benefits.
But for Naruto, there was something far more important.
Strengthening his mental power meant he could now attempt something new.
That night, after school, Naruto lay in bed and closed his eyes.
Slowly, he reached out with his mind, focusing on the depths of his own consciousness.
Layer by layer, he passed through unseen barriers—until finally…
A dark, cavernous space unfolded before him.
A massive pair of red eyes flickered open.
"Heh…" Naruto smirked.
"Hey, Kurama, have you been sleeping well all these years?"
A deep growl rumbled through the air.
Naruto leaned in slightly, his voice teasing.
"When do you plan on paying rent?"
...
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