"This is odd. Harumiko isn't here today. Did she oversleep? This is really strange!" Hiroshi whispered, gazing at the empty seat beside him.
"My heart feels heavier and heavier. I have so much on my mind, more than ever before. There are still things I haven't dealt with, it's so frustrating!" Hiroshi looked out the window, a troubled smile playing on his lips.
The pressure on Hiroshi was undeniably greater than ever before. He had to handle everything himself, not only his own strength issues but also the looming Nine-Tailed Fox's attack on Konoha, which was his biggest source of stress.
"Regardless, everything else pales in comparison. What's truly stressing me out is the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack on Konoha in a few days. The worst part is I can only save one person, and I don't know who to choose!" Hiroshi felt like he was going to lose his mind.
Ideally, Hiroshi wished he could save them both—that would be the best outcome. But his current abilities only allowed him to save one, a fact that pained him deeply.
However, Hiroshi had earned the ability to save at least one person through his own hard work. If he hadn't strived to improve his strength, he wouldn't be able to save anyone at all.
"I've done everything I can. Whatever the outcome, it will be a result of my efforts, and that's enough for me," Hiroshi said, a smile returning to his face.
Time was incredibly short; the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack on Konoha was rapidly approaching. The times, they were a-changin'.
"Oh no, class is about to start, and Harumiko still isn't here! This is really strange. Did she call in sick?" Hiroshi said, his brow furrowed as he looked at the clock at the front of the classroom.
Second by second, the time ticked away, and when the teacher finally entered the classroom, Harumiko was still absent.
"This is truly strange. What's going on with Harumiko today? Why hasn't she come to class yet? There are only two possibilities: she overslept, or something came up and she informed the teacher," Hiroshi thought to himself, his brow furrowed as he watched the teacher enter the classroom.
Helplessly, Hiroshi shook his head and turned his gaze towards the classroom door.
"Alright everyone, let's begin class. First, let's do roll call!" The teacher announced loudly from the teacher's desk, addressing the students in the class.
"Michiya."
"Present."
After hearing Michiya's response, the teacher looked up at her before continuing with the roll call.
"Hanabi."
"Present."
"Rai."
"Present."
"No, it's almost Harumiko's turn, and I still don't know if she's absent or just late. What am I going to do?!" Hiroshi worriedly watched the classroom door.
The teacher proceeded down the list, calling out Harumiko's name.
"Harumiko."
Upon receiving no response, the teacher called her name again.
"Harumiko! Harumiko! Is she not here today?"
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