Hokage, no one knows better than me how to cultivate talent.

But for the entire class, Naruto sat quietly in his seat and did not do anything that violated classroom rules.

On the contrary, he was always the first to raise his hand whenever Iruka asked a question. Even if Iruka didn't call on him to answer often, or if most of his answers were wrong, he wasn't discouraged. He would just scratch his head, smile, and raise his hand again for the next question.

During class, Iruka even secretly pinched himself. If it weren't for the pain, he would have thought he was under a spell.

He recalled the look in Naruto's eyes when he walked into the classroom before class, a look that seemed both expectant and tinged with guilt.

Iruka withdrew his gaze and slowly walked down the stairs.

His feelings for Naruto were always complicated.

To say I hate it wouldn't really be accurate.

He rationally knew that Naruto himself was not at fault; the fault lay with the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him.

When that disaster happened, Naruto was just a newborn baby who knew nothing and did nothing. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be blamed.

But whenever he thought of the fire that night, his parents' bodies, and the empty house when he woke up the next day, he couldn't look at Naruto with a normal heart, but he also couldn't really hate him.

This contradiction is stuck in my heart, indescribable and inexplicable, like a tangled mess that can't be untied.

Iruka sighed and quickened his pace toward the office.

Inside the classroom, students were leaving one after another.

"Ugh, Iruka-sensei's lectures are so boring, they can't compare to Akisui-sensei at all." Yamanaka Ino slumped onto the table and complained listlessly. She had been daydreaming in class all day and almost fell asleep several times. It wasn't that she disrespected the teacher, it was just really too boring.

"Yeah, I think so too. Akisui-sensei's lectures are like storytelling, and a class goes by in the blink of an eye. Iruka-sensei is too stiff, like an emotionless machine." The girl next to me nodded and echoed this as she packed her bag.

On the other side of the classroom, around Uchiha Sasuke's seat, as usual, a group of girls surrounded him.

"Sasuke-kun, let's go to the food court together tomorrow night?" A girl clasped her hands together in front of her chest, blinked, and asked expectantly.

"Sasuke-kun, let's go home together!" Another girl leaned forward, a sweet smile on her face.

Uchiha Sasuke didn't even raise his head.

He slowly stuffed the last book into his bag, zipped it up, then stood up and said coldly, "No, I won't waste my time on something so meaningless."

After saying that, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked straight toward the classroom door, where the girls automatically made way for him.

However, just as his figure disappeared through the doorway...

"Wow, Sasuke-kun is so handsome..."

"Exactly, that cool, aloof look is so awesome!"

"It was worth it even after being rejected!"

The girls covered their burning cheeks, their eyes sparkling, showing no sign of discouragement at being rejected.

Naruto was filled with envy when he saw Sasuke being fawned over by everyone. He wished he could live such a life!

In the last row of the classroom, Nara Shikamaru looked at Akimichi Choji, who was sleeping soundly next to him, with a sense of helplessness.

Choji lay sprawled on the table, his face contorted by his arm, a small puddle of drool escaping from the corner of his mouth. He seemed to be having some sweet dream, occasionally smacking his lips.

"Choji." Shikamaru gently shook him.

no response.

"Choji, get out of class is over."

Still no response.

Shikamaru sighed and used his trump card: "Dinner's ready."

"Eat?" Choji Akimichi sat up abruptly, his eyes not fully open, already muttering, "Eat what? Eat what?"

Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his forehead.

A figure suddenly flashed past the window, and Kiba Inuzuka flipped out the window, barking like a dog as he landed.

The classroom emptied out, and the sounds of laughter and chatter gradually faded away.

Naruto didn't rush to leave. After everyone had left, he picked up a broom from the corner and began cleaning.

After tidying up the equipment, Qiu Shui did not return to the office, but went straight upstairs to the classroom of Class 1, Grade 4.

He planned to visit Naruto and tell him about the training.

"Teacher Qiushui!"

A crisp sound rang out at the entrance of the teaching building.

Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura were competing to see who could walk out of the school building first, but at this moment they didn't care about winning or losing. Their eyes lit up and they quickly went to meet her.

Sakura Haruno followed, a similarly delighted smile on her face.

"Sigh, teacher, why didn't you come to class today?" Ino sighed, her tone carrying a slight complaint. "The other teachers' classes are so boring, I almost fell asleep."

As she spoke, she exaggeratedly yawned.

Sakura Haruno nodded vigorously beside her, expressing her deep agreement.

Qiu Shui smiled gently and explained, "There's nothing I can do. Although I'm your homeroom teacher, I also have classes for other classes to teach. Besides teaching, I also have a lot of other work-related matters to handle."

Disappointment was visibly evident on the faces of Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno.

The two of them thought to themselves simultaneously: "If only the school could have Teacher Qiushui substitute for us every day..."

Qiu Shui: Listen to me, thank you.

"Teacher, we'll be going now!"

Ino and Sakura waved goodbye, then turned and ran towards the school gate.

Qiu Shui stood there, watching them leave, then turned and continued walking towards the fourth-grade classroom. When he reached the door, he immediately saw Naruto and Hinata cleaning.

Hinata, however, kept her head down and kept a distance from Naruto.

Naruto happened to look up and saw Shusui standing at the door. His eyes lit up, and he ran up to Shusui and said, "Sensei Shusui, what brings you here?"

Qiu Shui leaned against the door frame and said, "I've come to let you know where tomorrow's training will be."

Naruto was about to ask

"Gurgle."

A loud sound came from his stomach.

Naruto's smile froze on his face.

He scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.

He only has an hour for lunch break, so there's no time to go home for a meal; when he goes to the store, the shopkeepers frown as soon as they see him, and some even kick him out.

The bottle of milk and the cup of noodles he ate in the morning had long been digested, and he spent the entire afternoon hungry.

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Qiu Shui was about to say something when a message popped up in front of her.

[Daily Task: Invite SSS-rank high-quality talent Uzumaki Naruto to enjoy a delicious meal at Ichiraku Ramen]

[Task Rewards - Awarded based on a comprehensive evaluation of task completion]

Qiu Shui was slightly taken aback, and said, "It just so happens that the teacher is going to eat soon, so let's eat and chat at the same time."

Naruto suddenly looked up, his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing, but he couldn't utter a word for a long time. After several seconds, he finally stammered, "R-really?"