"Thinner… thinner… focus on light refraction… chakra… angle of incidence…"Naruto yanked at his hair in frustration, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. He felt as though his head would split in two."This is absolutely impossible!" he shouted, pacing the classroom in a frenzy. "If this continues, I'll go insane before I even get stronger!""Please, Host… I need help!" he muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with desperation."…I understand," came the calm reply from the system, almost sympathetic in tone.Naruto took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Okay, okay… this time, I'll focus on listening to the lecture first, and then see if my body can move on its own. Let's try this… now!""Activate… Knowledge Absorption!"Instantly, Naruto's mind sharpened to a razor focus. Every word Iruka-sensei wrote on the board was absorbed with astonishing clarity. His efficiency skyrocketed, and for the first time, he felt the lecture actually make sense.But… something was missing. His chakra did not begin to refine on its own."Please, Host… I'm trying!" Naruto gritted his teeth and tried again. He formed the hand seals, activating the Chakra Refining Technique, and then, with careful timing, attempted to enter Knowledge Absorption simultaneously. Yet, as before, his chakra flow was quickly interrupted, breaking the rhythm he had fought so hard to establish.But in that fleeting interruption, Naruto noticed something intriguing. The Chakra Refining Technique did not stop immediately when he shifted into Knowledge Absorption; instead, there was a brief delay—just enough to hint at a possibility."Aha! That must be it!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes gleaming with sudden realization. "Divided Attention… that's what I just did!""Please… I can do this!" he muttered fiercely. "I will succeed!"He tried again, this time relying on instinct. Naruto entered the Chakra Refining state first, and then allowed his mind to slip naturally into Knowledge Absorption. He did not consciously force the transition; instead, he tricked his own brain into cooperating.To his delight, it worked. This time, while his mind fully engaged with the lecture, his body continued refining chakra almost automatically. Even more impressive, the chakra refinement lasted a few moments longer than before."There's a way! I've found it!" Naruto shouted, almost laughing with joy. He began experimenting more aggressively.From being able to perform this dual processing for just a fraction of a second, Naruto gradually increased it to several seconds. Then, ten seconds. Then dozens of seconds. By the end of the lesson, he could maintain Divided Attention for a full minute—a feat he had once considered impossible."If this continues," he said to himself with a grin, "I might actually turn the Chakra Refining Technique into a completely passive skill. As long as I can breathe, my body will keep moving on its own. I can cultivate chakra day and night…""Isn't this… a perpetual motion machine?!" Naruto laughed, his eyes sparkling as he imagined the possibilities. His heart swelled with excitement as visions of his future training raced through his mind.Iruka-sensei, observing from the front of the classroom, shook his head with a sigh. "That Naruto kid… I praised him for a few days, and now he's completely lost in his own world again. Must be that… 'battlefield' of his emotions earlier this morning." He chuckled softly, shaking his head before silently exiting the classroom after announcing the end of the lesson.The classroom erupted into noise. Students whispered and argued, many pointing at Naruto and Hinata, obviously still affected by the events of the morning. But Naruto was oblivious. He was fully immersed in the world of Divided Attention, experimenting with the limits of his dual-processing ability.Hinata, standing quietly to the side, felt a mix of emotions. She had never been the center of attention, and the sudden focus of her classmates made her uneasy. Not all of it was friendly, either—some whispers were cruel or mocking.Yet, as she glanced at Naruto, diligently refining chakra while simultaneously absorbing the lecture, a warmth filled her chest.Naruto-kun… is this what he faces every day? she thought, concern and admiration mingling. I can't even imagine how lonely and difficult it must be… and he still keeps improving…Her respect for him deepened. Naruto's mind was resilient, strong enough to shrug off petty whispers, criticism, and teasing. More than that, his dedication to self-improvement was unwavering. A faint smile tugged at Hinata's lips. The gloom she had felt that morning dissipated, replaced by determination to keep moving forward in her own life.Meanwhile, Ino returned to the classroom, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Two tears clung to her delicate cheeks as she dragged herself back to her seat. She collapsed onto her desk, burying her face in her arms, soft sobs escaping. Sakura, however, had not yet returned, leaving a lingering sense of tension in the room.By the end of the school day, Naruto's Divided Attention had improved dramatically. Under the influence of Knowledge Absorption, he could now maintain the Chakra Refining Technique for a full three minutes. Three minutes might seem short to some, but for this level of concentrated, dual-task effort, it was extraordinary.With this breakthrough, Naruto realized he could briefly exit Knowledge Absorption, reactivate the Chakra Refining Technique, and immediately re-enter Knowledge Absorption before the system's Lightning Release "baptism" could intervene. In other words, he could effectively maintain continuous Divided Attention indefinitely.Dual-Core Uzumaki Naruto! he thought proudly.The result was astonishing. His training efficiency increased several times over, and he could still keep up with his academic lessons. Previously, Naruto had only been able to train in fragmented periods—breaks, lunch, or after school. Now, he had effectively gained an entire day's worth of training in a single lesson. His chakra reserves increased by nine points in one day—equivalent to two or three normal days of effort.On his way home, he didn't even need the system's reminders. Instead, he eagerly ran through frog jumps with weights while continuing the Chakra Refining Technique. Naruto had completely immersed himself in self-improvement, momentarily forgetting the events of the morning.After everything with Sakura Haruno, most people would have been anxious, worried, and desperate to reconcile. Naruto, however, had only one goal: training, improving, and pushing himself further. Yet, a small flicker of emotion remained whenever he saw Hinata.He smiled brightly at her from across the way. "Hinata!"Hinata turned, her face instantly flushing a deep crimson. "Na-Naruto-kun…" she stammered softly, barely able to meet his gaze.Naruto walked alongside her, shoulder to shoulder, as the dim sunset painted the sky in warm hues. "About this morning… thank you," he said, scratching his head sheepishly.Hinata shook her head quickly. "It's… it's okay, really."Naruto paused, tilting his head with curiosity. "But Hinata… I've always wondered… why did you protect me?"The question caused a shock to ripple through her small body. "ACCORDING TO ME… I don't know," she admitted shyly, voice barely above a whisper. "It's… like my body was moving on its own…"For Hinata, confessing something so personal was nearly as daunting as declaring love. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, but he nodded thoughtfully, considering the parallel with his own experience of Divided Attention."Sometimes… these things really do happen," he said softly, smiling. Hinata's relief was palpable. She exhaled quietly, comforted by his understanding and lack of judgment."Okay, Hinata… I'm going home now. See you later." Naruto waved with his signature grin, then bounded away with his frog-like leaps, disappearing into the glow of the setting sun.Hinata brushed the wind-tousled hair from her face and watched him go, a quiet joy blossoming in her chest. Today had not only been a test of strength and courage, but also a moment of personal growth—for Naruto, for herself, and for the bond forming quietly between them.In that instant, Hinata felt a little braver than before, emboldened not just by her own actions, but by the unwavering determination of the boy she admired. For both of them, today was a small yet significant step toward greater courage, deeper trust, and the endless pursuit of growth.---
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)