Tobirama felt uncharacteristically emotional.
"I need to strengthen myself further," he muttered, not out of weakness, but cold self-awareness. "In every aspect. Personal strength… resource acquisition… world development. None can fall behind."
Efficiency. That was the crux of it. Without it, no amount of diligence could compensate for the brutal pace.
Three months had passed. And yet he clenched his jaw, he still felt as if he were standing in the same place, worn thin.
Too many things required his direct intervention. Delegation wasn't always an option, not in the face of accelerating complexity.
"Exponential growth requires delegating tasks to others," he addressed the artificial assistant through gritted teeth. "Optimize the next generation."
Though technology had improved drastically, allowing many prior tasks to be simplified or even automated, the path forward still demanded personal attention. If he didn't handle it himself, the chain of progression would snap. There was no other way.
Ryan, sitting silently across the round table, observed Tobirama for a moment. Despite his typically blunt nature, admiration rose unbidden in his chest.
This man…
In Ryan's world, things had evolved so far that his systems could generate over 500 development points in a single day. Automation. Integration. Seamless infrastructure.
And yet, Tobirama, without advanced tools or assistants, had kept pace.
He caught up, Ryan realized with something akin to disbelief. He actually caught up.
He had assumed his rate of growth was untouchable, impossible for anyone else to match. But Tobirama had not only followed, he had overcome adversity without any external support.
Every single inefficiency, Ryan thought, he corrected by hand.
He glanced at his system interface, which displayed toolkits, performance enhancers, project queues, and acceleration modules.
Tobirama had none of that. And yet…
Ryan let out a quiet breath. "Senju and Uchiha really do have monsters among them," he murmured.
He straightened his posture. He couldn't afford to grow complacent, not even with his current lead.
Just because I'm ahead now doesn't mean I'll stay there.
Tobirama's relentless pursuit echoed like a silent warning: They're all chasing you. They're not giving up.
Under such pressure, mediocrity wasn't an option. Laziness wasn't a luxury. Not when others were clawing forward with nothing but willpower and grit.
At that very moment, the chat group's interface flickered to life, its mechanical voice cutting cleanly through the silence.
[Selection complete!]
[Third Place: Seventh Hokage Uzumaki Naruto's World!]
A beat of silence. Then
"Yattaaa!!" Naruto exploded with joy, practically punching the air. "Let's go! Finally back in the top three!"
He beamed, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Man, that was way too close. I thought we were gonna fall out completely this time."
He exhaled deeply, a sigh of pure relief escaping him.
Last round, they had almost slipped into fourth. The margin had been razor-thin, mere decimal points separating them from the next competitor.
"I've been stressing about it all month," he admitted. "Even had a dream where I dropped to sixth. Not funny, dattebayo!"
But despite his elation, a quiet voice crept into his thoughts.
Still too careless.
When he had first entered the conference rankings, his world had soared to second place. Back then, they'd had momentum, strategy, and energy. His starting score had been phenomenal.
But now?
I got overtaken… and haven't caught back up since.
He clenched his fists under the table, the smile still plastered on his face for the others to see.
Gotta reflect. Gotta do better. Can't just be happy being "back in the top three."
His mind, like the others at the table, was already preparing for the next round.
Naruto still remembered it clearly.
The first time he entered this inter-world conference, the development score of his world had soared to an impressive 1,500 points.
Back then, that number had stunned everyone.
In comparison, most of the other Hokage worlds had started with just a few hundred points. For Naruto's world to open with a score several times higher than the rest, it was only natural that he'd taken the lead from the start.
It hadn't surprised anyone.
But, Naruto thought now, if my world hadn't taken the lead back then…
That would've meant something had gone seriously wrong.
He exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair as he sat at the round table. "Phew. Still managed to cling to third," he muttered to himself, visibly relieved.
"That means... nothing major's gone wrong in the world yet," he added under his breath. "But I've really gotta pick up the pace from now on."
His mind drifted back to his duties in the Hokage office. Reading through stacks of reports, checking border patrol rosters, and reviewing supply chains. It was mind-numbing work. And he'd definitely slacked off more than once.
"I'd get bored, you know? Started chatting in the group just to pass the time," Naruto admitted sheepishly, mostly to himself.
Looking back now, it felt careless. While he was goofing off or taking breaks, others had been grinding away without pause.
Still, compared to some others, he had been putting in a decent effort.
"At least I'm not as bad as Tsunade..." he muttered.
After discovering the world of One Punch Man, Tsunade had gone all in, dragging back crates of game consoles and arcade machines, then vanishing for days to play.
Sometimes, she even forgot to handle basic diplomatic reports.
Naruto shook his head, half amused, half exasperated.
That's what true slacking looks like.
But of course, no one called her out. She kept her public image clean, and most didn't realize how little she was doing behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Hokage group had begun murmuring among themselves, reviewing the updated rankings.
"As expected," Sasuke said coolly, arms crossed as he glanced at the scoreboard, "Naruto's world still clings to the top rankings."
Naruto puffed up his chest with a wide grin. "Heh! What can I say? That's what happens when you're a hard-working Hokage!"
"Hn," Sasuke responded, one brow twitching slightly. "You mean between all your ramen breaks and chatroom gossip?"
Naruto pointed a finger at him indignantly. "Oi! I multitask, dattebayo!"
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, sipping sake from a small cup she definitely wasn't supposed to have during official briefings. "Multitasking, huh? Is that what we're calling napping in the Hokage office now?"
Naruto flushed. "C'mon, Granny Tsunade! I do the paperwork! …Eventually."
"By hand?" she asked, smirking.
"Well… no. Shadow clones."
"Mmm. Thought so."
Off to the side, Kakashi turned a page in his book without looking up. "Efficient delegation. Very Hokage-like."
Sasuke shot Kakashi a sidelong glance. "You're not even paying attention, are you?"
"I'm listening," Kakashi replied lazily. "I just choose peace."
Minato, watching the exchange fondly, gave a soft chuckle. "He really does take after Kushina."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked.
"She used to argue just like this. Loud, relentless, and somehow… always winning."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, laughing. "Guess it runs in the blood."
Tsunade folded her arms, smirking. "No wonder you wore her out in the womb."
"That explains so much," Sasuke said flatly.
Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "Jealousy's not a good look on you, Sasuke!"
"Hn."
The scoreboard still glowed above the table, showing the updated rankings. The tension in the room remained even through the banter.
"Still," Tsunade said more seriously, "you've been developing your world longer than the rest of us. Decades ahead. I'd expect nothing less."
"Yeah…" Naruto's tone sobered slightly. "But that's no excuse to get lazy. I almost dropped out of the top three last time."
Sasuke gave a rare nod of approval. "At least you know it."
"Hey, when your best friend's always trying to one-up you, it kinda keeps you on your toes!"
"'Trying'?" Sasuke raised a brow.
"...I said what I said!"
Minato smiled softly again. "You've both come a long way."
Kakashi closed his book with a quiet snap. "And if we keep this up, the rest of us might finally get a word in."
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Naruto grinned. "C'mon, Kakashi-sensei, join the fun!"
"No thanks," Kakashi said, already flipping to the next chapter. "I prefer watching you all burn out while I enjoy my retirement."
The voices blended together, a mixture of admiration and disappointment.
Every meeting began the same way: all eyes on the top three.
Between fourth and twelfth place, the rankings didn't carry much weight. Everyone below third place still received the same guaranteed rewards, equal in content, with no distinction in value.
But the top three? That was different.
Special privileges came with those spots.
The first-place world could choosethree out of five rare, high-grade rewards, tailored boosts that could significantly accelerate progress.
Second place received two. Third got one.
That disparity alone was enough to stoke envy every round.
The rewards could mean new bloodlines, territory expansions, resource injections, or even new jutsu blueprints. For any Hokage, these were critical assets.
So when the rankings were announced, disappointment was tangible among those who missed the cut.
Madara scoffed as he leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing at the scoreboard.
"Tch… What happened to us this time?"
Hashirama rubbed the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. "We were so close... I really thought we'd cut this time!"
"You thought?" Madara's voice dripped with disdain. "You spent half the quarter planting flowers around your village. I told you to focus on defensive infrastructure."
"They were medicinal flowers!" Hashirama protested. "Besides, the villagers liked them!"
Road to Ninja Tsunade sighed heavily, her voice tinged with sharpness but also weariness. "Guess it's another wait till next round…"
She glanced at her own scoreboard stat, eyes twitching slightly. "And why is my world's stress index so high? I swear it's those blasted alternate-universe brats stirring up chaos again."
"You're the one who brought back arcade machines and forgot to regulate public spending," Madara muttered without looking at her.
"Oh, like your 'eternal empire' plans were any better?" she shot back.
Madara grunted. "At least I had a vision."
"And zero basic infrastructure. You built statues before roads."
"They were monuments to unity!"
Hashirama raised a hand gently. "Everyone… let's just calm down."
"No." Madara folded his arms, fuming. "I will not be calm. We lost to Naruto. Again."
"Hey, don't knock it!" Naruto piped in from the other side of the table. "That's the power of friendship and ramen!"
"Oh gods, kill me," Madara muttered under his breath.
Tsunade leaned forward, her tone less biting now. "Well, at least the interval between meetings got shortened again. Only three more months till the next one."
Hashirama beamed. "That's true! We've got another shot soon!"
Madara snorted, though a hint of competitiveness flickered in his eyes. "Next time, I'll crush you all."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Here we go again…"
Their voices carried varying shades of regret and resolve.
Just then, the system voice of the chat group rang out again, clear and resonant in everyone's minds:
[Would you like to showcase world progress?]
Naruto's eyes lit up immediately.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward. "Yeah, let's show 'em!"
As his voice echoed through the round table, the group interface pulsed to life. On the floating screen above the center, the display began:
[Commencing world development Showcase — World: Uzumaki Naruto]
The Hokage leaned in. Even Tobirama adjusted his posture, curious.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. Naruto, who had been grinning, grew serious and folded his arms.
"Time to remind everyone," he said, "why we're still in the top three."
---
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