Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's office…
The Third Hokage gazed solemnly at the crystal ball in front of him, while Iruka stood beside him, guilt etched across his face. Although the incident of Hinata and the others collapsing had little to do with him directly, the fact that he hadn't noticed their worsening condition gnawed at his sense of responsibility as their instructor.
"Iruka, there's no need to blame yourself. This is the path those children chose."
The crystal ball's image was of Hinata and her group. A heavy sigh crossed the Third's weathered features. Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata—each had an extraordinarily delicate position within Konoha.
When he'd heard the three had collapsed and been hospitalized, he'd been genuinely alarmed.
Fortunately, the diagnosis turned out to be chakra exhaustion and physical overexertion—nothing life-threatening.
"But Lord Hokage, their methods are too reckless…"
Iruka couldn't quite finish the sentence. After all, the extent of their injuries was testament to how fiercely those three had committed to becoming stronger.
"You know as well as I do—if you want strength, you have to pay the price."
The Third shook his head and deactivated the crystal ball. The old Kage's sharp gaze locked onto Iruka.
"Besides… I can tell there's something else you're holding back."
"Ah… well… actually…"
Caught red-handed, Iruka hesitated before reluctantly pulling a small book from his ninja pouch and placing it before the Third. "Um… I think those three might be involved in…"
"Hm?"
As the Hokage picked up the book, his eyes instantly froze. Then—with a loud SLAM—he smacked the desk and stood up.
"So it's them!!"
"Eh? What is it, Lord Hokage? What do you mean 'them'?"
Iruka jumped at the outburst. The book in question was none other than the first volume of Fox's Tale, which Hinata had oh-so-kindly "gifted" him.
Iruka's original intention had simply been to discreetly inform the Hokage in hopes he might look out for Naruto—after all, they were still children. It was possible they were being manipulated by some shady merchant.
"This cover! This summary! No doubt about it—it's the same bestselling picture book series I saw featured in the newspaper last week!"
Holding the book up like evidence in court, the Third's eyes sharpened as he looked at Iruka. "Where did you get this? According to the paper, this volume was released in limited quantities across the entire Fire Country!"
"Ah… that… Hinata gave it to me. But Lord Hokage, please take a closer look—the protagonists here, they look suspiciously like Naruto and Sasuke, don't you think?"
Iruka tried to bring the conversation back to the issue at hand. But with a dismissive wave, the Hokage cut in firmly:
"Don't worry. I've already dispatched people to investigate this series. I just didn't expect to get an actual copy from you today."
"L-Lord Hokage, Naruto and Sasuke are still just kids. They must've been tricked into this. Please, I beg you to look into the situation carefully!"
Iruka's face paled. His immediate assumption was that the Hokage planned to shut the series down, especially if Naruto and Sasuke were being used as the models for male and female leads. In that case, it made sense he'd start an investigation.
"Relax. They're still kids. We won't blame Naruto or Sasuke for this. Don't worry. Now, I have matters to attend to."
The Third didn't even lift his eyes from the book. The firm, bureaucratic tone signaled the conversation was over. Iruka could only nod awkwardly and excuse himself from the office.
---
"Hinata, Sasuke, Naruto—you have been granted a three-day medical leave. During this time, you are absolutely forbidden from continuing this reckless training. Understood?"
Iruka sighed heavily. His tone was strict, but the look in those three kids' eyes made it clear: they wouldn't listen.
Though healing jutsu had mostly repaired the damage to their hands, the very fact they'd required such treatment was proof they'd failed that stage of training. True growth only came when one endured the pain and let their body recover on its own.
Still, the body remembered pain. Their hands would be a little tougher next time. A little more skilled. The hospital visit might have been unexpected, but at least now they had three guilt-free days to rest—no need to worry about Iruka chasing them for skipping class.
Hinata flexed her right hand, observing the movement of her slender, white fingers. Though rougher than before due to all the training, her hands still looked delicate—hands any girl would envy. She didn't care much how they looked though. All that mattered was what they could do.
"Geez, Iruka-sensei is so annoying. I'm not a kid anymore! And besides, I'm finishing this training no matter what!"
Naruto huffed, hands behind his head. Beside him walked a cold-faced Sasuke. As proud as he was, even he couldn't deny it—he had been bested by that high-voltage iron sand pot.
And worst of all… he'd ended up in the hospital beside the dead-last. Unforgivable shame.
"Sasuke-kun! Please wait!"
A voice rang out behind them—Sakura and Ino, each holding a bento box. Their eyes were fixed squarely on Sasuke.
"Um… Sasuke-kun, I made you lunch. You just got out of the hospital, so… please accept it."
They approached in perfect sync, bent slightly at the waist with both hands extended, offering their lovingly prepared lunches. Clearly, they'd been deeply worried about him while he was hospitalized.
But when Sasuke turned to look at them, his obsidian eyes held no joy—only a flicker of wounded rage. The kind of prideful fury that burns when one feels pitied.
"I have no interest in you… or your lunches. If you've got this much time on your hands, go practice your damn jutsu."
His voice was ice. Without another word, he turned and walked off.
Naruto scratched his head, clearly upset but unsure what to say.
"Alright, Naruto, you head off too. I'll catch up later."
Hinata grabbed his collar and casually flung him away like trash. With a chill running down his spine, Naruto covered his mouth and scurried off.
Ino slowly straightened, her pretty face clouded with heartache. Sakura remained frozen mid-bow, hands still holding the untouched bento. Her body trembled slightly, and silent tears dripped from her bangs onto the ground below.
Tears that could soak stone, yet never reach the frozen heart of the boy she adored.
"Sakura…"
Ino's expression twisted with sympathy. They were rivals, yes—but in this moment, they were simply two girls who understood each other's pain.
"I just… felt so helpless. Watching Sasuke collapse… and I couldn't do a thing…"
Sakura slowly straightened, tear tracks lining her cheeks. But her pain wasn't from rejection. It was from self-blame.
"Hmph. You're right. If things had gone worse, Sasuke might've died."
Hinata's white eyes sparkled with malicious delight. "And just because he survived this time doesn't mean he will next time."
"You—!"
Clatter! Sakura's lunchbox hit the ground. With fire in her eyes, she grabbed Hinata by the collar, lifting her slightly off the ground.
"Why are you doing this to him?! If it's just about money, you don't have to push him so hard!"
"Wrong question, Sakura. I'm not hurting him. He's not strong enough yet. That's why he's suffering."
Hinata grabbed Sakura's wrist and squeezed.
Crack! The sound was sickeningly sharp.
With a scream, Sakura collapsed to the ground, clutching her broken wrist. Ino rushed in, spreading her arms in defense.
"Wait! Hinata, that's enough!"
"Relax. It was just a response to her little outburst. We're ninja, remember? I'm no saint."
Hinata waved her finger and reached into her pouch, pulling out two scrolls. "This one's the Healing Jutsu. One thousand ryo. And this one—Mystical Palm. An A-rank technique. Cost me thirty thousand. Not cheap."
She tossed them at Sakura's feet.
"You want to help Sasuke? Then learn these. Not only can you heal his injuries, but you can even help accelerate his training. If you're really serious, drop your makeup and flower-arranging hobbies. Become someone who actually matters."
Hinata took a step back, eyes gleaming with cruelty.
"Whoever learns it first gets to be by Sasuke's side. Let's see who's more determined. Later~"
As Hinata disappeared, Sakura and Ino stared at the scrolls on the ground.
Without a word, they each reached for one.