"Almost there. But even if your recovery is strong, don't show off too much. Rest when you feel close to your limit—don't pass out like today," Sharly said.
"Am I really that resilient? Does everyone have this kind of stamina?" Naruto thought for a moment, then asked a question that made Sharly want to punch him.
"Since you've recovered, come with me. I'll teach you some rehabilitation exercises," Sharly said, restraining the urge to hit him, and stood up, heading outside.
Soon, Sharly looked on with satisfaction as Naruto followed her instructions.
Compared to teaching him theory, guiding him through these physical exercises was much easier. Naruto's physical talent far exceeded his intellectual grasp.
As for whether making Naruto stronger would have a big impact on the storyline… Sharly didn't think it mattered at all, because he barely remembered the plot anyway.
Moreover, ever since a certain person named Li appeared in this world under the "Shen Dou" story, the plot had already changed. Trying to strictly follow a story he could hardly recall was essentially pointless.
Sharly thought the most valuable use of those memories was to judge people's personalities—for example, Iruka. Why seek out Iruka instead of a gentle teacher like Mizuki? He already knew Iruka's nature; as his student, he had no real danger of being harmed, so he could be at ease.
The same went for Kai. Sharly knew Kai respected people who worked hard. Even without Sharly's presence, asking Kai for physical training probably wouldn't have been refused. With Sharly there, there was no need for the other person to design or plan anything—it was straightforward.
In fact, only they could make Sharly feel completely at ease. They were Iruka's students and passionate people like Metkai. Sharly had no intention of turning to anyone else.
For example, even though Kakashi knew the person was good, approaching him with a quirky childlike personality might not have earned his attention. And even if he did notice, full trust wouldn't come easily. Seeking out Kakashi would have been exhausting and unproductive, far less practical than going to Iruka or Metkai.
These insights were treasures in the library of human knowledge. As for the storyline—if you remember it, great; if not, no worries. As long as your abilities were strong enough, there was nothing to fear.
"All right, that's enough for today, Naruto. Remember to train every day," Sharly clapped her hands to get his attention.
"Yeah! I'll do my best!" Naruto said eagerly. "So, will you come back again, Sharly?"
"What are you coming here for? Want me to hit you?" Sharly teased.
"Not impossible," Naruto replied with a grin.
"All right, I'll check in on your training when I have some free time," Sharly finally agreed after thinking it over.
"Awesome!" Naruto cheered.
Shaly cast a glance at Naruto and didn't invite him to join her and Sharly in the training area. It was technically a public training field—never crowded—but usually it was just him and Sharly staying until the end.
So Naruto really wasn't suited for that place.
Naruto looked up at the sky and rubbed his stomach. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he turned to Sharly: "Sharly, I'll treat you to something delicious!"
"…Something delicious?" Sharly thought of instant noodles and felt a sudden sense of dread.
"My treasured, special edition pork-bone instant noodles!"
"I knew it…"
Shaly smacked his forehead. After all that effort, he was treating her to instant noodles.
Still, Shaly stayed. After all, while it was just instant noodles, it was Naruto's most precious stash. More importantly, he had already told his mother he might not return to eat them, so he had no worries. Seeing Naruto happy, he naturally couldn't be disappointed.
After eating the instant noodles, Sharly spent a long time realizing… they were actually quite tasty!
Chapter 32: Conflict
Lately, Shaly felt a bit like Alexander. Naruto's progress was astonishingly fast. Under his guidance, the opponents fully leveraged Naruto's incredible resilience.
Basically, every training session pushed him to the limit, which drastically improved his physical condition.
Sharly watched Naruto's progress and wondered: had she accidentally unleashed a monster?
However, Naruto's improvements soon slowed. The initial gains had been too dramatic. Later, as his body improved across the board, the benefits continued but at a slower pace.
Even at a slower rate, he was still far ahead of ordinary people.
Naruto's physique was already far better than that of Xiao Li. Sharly clicked her tongue, thinking that if this continued, his physical ability alone would make him formidable.
She wanted to check on Naruto but noticed his usual seat was empty. He must be getting used to being late again.
Suddenly, a figure burst into the classroom, running straight toward Sharly.
"Ino, what's wrong?" Sharly asked in surprise. Ino was normally a refined young lady, not someone bent over a desk, panting heavily like this.
"Sharly… something's wrong. I just came from the restroom and saw Naruto being bullied by upperclassmen," Ino gasped.
Shaly's expression changed. He was in a shadow clone state and couldn't intervene—but he still asked, "Where?"
"In the forest behind the school playground," Ino replied quickly.
There? Sharly wondered why Naruto would be there, then realized he was probably late again and had tried a shortcut, getting caught by the bullies.
"Sharly, should we go find a teacher?" Ino suddenly remembered. She hadn't informed a teacher yet. Seeing the situation, she thought of Sharly and ran toward her.
"Then you go find Iruka-sensei," Sharly decided, then got up and dashed out of the classroom.
Ino, thinking of where Iruka-sensei might be, ran toward the office. The first period wasn't Iruka's class, but his office was still likely there.
Shikamaru rose from his desk, frowning. He'd heard what Ino said. Naruto being bullied? That was troubling.
Luckily, Ino was already heading to Iruka-sensei. Shikamaru sighed but decided to go check anyway.
"Choji, Kiba, our classmate is being bullied," Shikamaru told them.
Choji was quietly eating snacks, showing no reaction. Kiba slammed the desk in anger: "What?! Who dares bully my classmate? Where?"
"Over at the playground. Naruto is being bullied," Shikamaru said calmly.
"Naruto…" Yao hesitated. She had no real connection to him, and her family had told her to avoid him.
"Even if you're not close, you can't let someone else bully him! Let's go!" Motivated, Yao dashed out.
Shikamaru glanced at the classroom and clicked his tongue. Though Choji's voice had been loud, few others were willing to respond. Most thought it was just Naruto's problem.
Shikamaru sighed. The plan had limited success. He had hoped Yao would encourage others, but that didn't fully work. At least Yao was taking action.
"Choji, let's follow," Shikamaru said, grabbing Choji and heading out.
Choji didn't resist. He bore no grudge against Naruto and often stood by him, so helping was natural. Naruto's punishments usually came from being late, whereas Choji's were for eating snacks in class…
Unbeknownst to Shikamaru, as they left the classroom, Sasuke looked back briefly, thought for a moment, slid his hands into his pockets, and followed slowly.
Not just Sasuke—Shino, with sunglasses and half his face covered, silently followed as well.
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata interlaced her fingers, worried. Seeing no one else notice, she got up and ran toward the playground.
Shaly had no idea. The moment he left the classroom, he dissolved his shadow clone and transmitted the news of Naruto being bullied to his main body.
Although Sharly had recovered more chakra from contact with the clone and the training area wasn't far from the school, it still took some time.
Shaly clenched his fists, eyes flashing. The audacity to bully him… no, a good friend! They were practically courting death. Sharly sprinted toward the school.
Naruto, after training late the night before, felt tired. When he woke, it was already late. He grabbed a piece of bread, drank some milk, and ran toward the school.
Even so, he was still going to be late and took a shortcut. Running through the woods toward the road, he nearly collided with someone.
No collision occurred, but both were startled.
"Sorry!" Naruto apologized first, then realized time was short and wanted to leave.
The person, seeing him, relaxed, patting his chest—but then recognized him and a flicker of malicious thought crossed his mind.
"What? I thought someone was recklessly running here. And it's you… a freak. Not surprising."
Naruto stopped, turned, and glared at the man, eyes blazing: "I'm not a freak!"
"Haha, if you weren't a freak, that would be strange. Haven't you heard the adults call you that?" the man sneered.
His friends laughed too, clearly familiar with the rumors.
Freak… freak…
Their mocking faces and words made Naruto grit his teeth. Maybe he shouldn't act, but he couldn't help it.
Even if he was late, even if he got beaten again, he couldn't stand by!
He charged forward—but alone and younger than the others.
Even with days of training under Sharly, he still couldn't surpass upperclassmen two to three years older.
Soon, he was thrown to the ground, mocked by the surrounding students.
"This is all your power, freak? Not so strong after all!"
"Everyone come see! This is the village freak! I've already beaten him~"
Chapter 33: Ninja School Fight
Once again, Naruto instinctively protected his vital areas as fists and kicks rained down on him.
He was used to it—attacked, mocked, and left uncared for.
No one sympathized. Some adults even enjoyed it. Because the adults didn't stop the bullies, they acted arrogantly.
After the beating, they felt no guilt. They laughed, compared themselves, and boasted.
During this time, human nature was laid bare. Adults' teachings were especially important to children's growth.
Because the adults tolerated Naruto's bullying, this scene unfolded—but it wasn't the story's end.
Naruto had grown used to it. The beating passed quickly, but he would surely be late again.
Most of his tardiness was due to oversleeping, though sometimes accidents on the way to school caused delays, especially crossing main roads.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
A shout rang out. Naruto's heart skipped. He turned toward the voice.
Kiba Inuzuka appeared in view, and it seemed someone was behind him.
Despite the pain, Naruto's eyes shone brightly. He stared for a long moment and then realized…
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