Zhou Hao was stunned for a brief moment.
But very quickly, he understood.
It wasn't difficult to comprehend at all.
In the past, Seido High School Baseball Team rarely received much attention. Every tournament brought sudden exposure, and whenever fame arrived overnight, players' mental states inevitably fluctuated.
This had always been Coach Kataoka's greatest concern.
But the current Seido High School Baseball Team was completely different.
They were national champions.
And, going forward, they were almost certainly the top seed in every major tournament.
Under these circumstances, being watched by everyone was only natural.
It was unavoidable.
Simply trying to avoid media attention wouldn't solve the problem anymore.
What the team needed to learn—starting now—was how to face it calmly.
Moreover, this was only the Spring Tournament.
There was still some distance to go before the Summer Tournament.
Although that period wasn't long, it was long enough for the players of Seido High School Baseball Team to gradually adapt to their new identity.
This also meant that the team's selection standards had quietly changed.
From now on, it wouldn't be just about skill.
Whoever could remain composed under the spotlight—
Whoever could maintain stable performance in front of reporters and cameras—
That person would have a better chance of becoming a starting player for Seido.
And because this fame wasn't the kind that erupted overnight, but instead accumulated over time, it would be far easier for the players to adjust their mentality.
"It's changed. Everything is different now."
Zhou Hao wasn't the only one who sensed it.
Many players on the Seido High School Baseball Team had already noticed the shift.
Their current position was no longer comparable to the past.
Naturally, the demands placed upon them had changed as well.
After successfully advancing to the quarterfinals, the entire team was in high spirits.
The previous games—especially the dominant victory over Kasuga Ichiko High School—had injected everyone with confidence.
They felt unstoppable.
From now on, they would face every challenge with a commanding posture.
Of course—
That also meant the upcoming matches would be far less relaxed.
Tokyo itself was already a brutal battleground.
And the Spring Tournament merged East Tokyo and West Tokyo, turning it into a true knockout war.
The further they advanced, the more terrifying their opponents would become.
Just like now.
Even though the Seido players were brimming with confidence—
Even though they believed they could defeat anyone—
When they saw the name of their quarterfinal opponent, their expressions still darkened.
Ichidai Sankou High School.
One of the three great powerhouses of West Tokyo.
A nationally recognized elite team.
And Seido's long-standing archrival.
"We're facing them again…"
"Just thinking about this matchup makes my blood boil."
Even during ordinary practice games, clashes between the three West Tokyo powerhouses attracted reporters.
Let alone now—
A Spring Tournament quarterfinal.
One could easily imagine how massive the attention would be.
"Their fall tournament record wasn't bad either."
"They almost took down Inashiro."
"And Manaka… their Ace probably hasn't reached his final form yet."
As they discussed the upcoming battle, the players' focus sharpened.
The collision between titans made even spectators' hearts race.
For those about to step onto the field—
The pressure was immeasurable.
"Since we've inherited our seniors' bats…"
No one needed to finish the sentence.
Everyone understood.
They had to go all out.
They had to crush their opponents completely.
During this period, Zhou Hao's daily life had been unusually calm.
So calm that it felt… stagnant.
His strength had clearly reached a bottleneck.
And no matter how hard he trained, he couldn't push past it.
Zhou Hao understood this perfectly.
Growth always has bottlenecks.
Before reaching one, improvement comes quickly.
Especially in the early stages, even the slightest progress can feel transformative.
But once strength reaches a certain level—
Further advancement becomes extremely difficult.
Take pitching speed as an example.
A beginner might go from 100 km/h to 120 km/h in a short time.
Correct their form.
Improve core strength.
Train diligently.
And the speed naturally rises.
But what about a pitcher who already throws 150 km/h?
Trying to add another 20 km/h?
The answer was obvious.
99.99% impossible.
At that level, even increasing velocity by one or two kilometers was unimaginably difficult.
It had almost nothing to do with effort anymore.
It depended entirely on talent.
As a player with a cheat-like system, Zhou Hao theoretically shouldn't have encountered such a bottleneck.
As long as he could acquire new abilities—
His strength should have continued to skyrocket.
When he first joined Seido, he had been nothing special.
He hadn't even been able to firmly establish himself in the Second String.
But after awakening the Sharingan, everything changed.
His growth exploded.
Promotion to the First String.
Becoming a regular.
Then a core player.
Now—
Zhou Hao had already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Even his Spiral Ball had reached Level Three.
Under these conditions, his strength inevitably hit a ceiling.
He was already powerful enough.
Breaking through further—even slightly—was incredibly difficult.
And the system behind his abilities seemed to be linked to another world.
That other version of him had already become a terrifying existence in the ninja world.
A man with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
A master of Rasengan at its peak.
Such a figure—
How could he be weak?
Apart from Kage-level monsters, who could stand against him?
The next step for that version of him was clear:
Kage-level.
Zhou Hao had once eagerly awaited that evolution.
If he could break through—
He was confident he could dominate the national stage alone.
But—
The system had gone silent.
It had been a long time since it issued any new missions.
Zhou Hao tried to rely on pure training to improve.
But the difficulty was overwhelming.
So much so that, from the outside, he appeared to have stagnated.
Coach Kataoka and the team's directors had noticed.
But they didn't interfere.
Zhou Hao's situation mirrored that of countless baseball prodigies.
They rose rapidly.
Then hit a wall.
He could use the Sharingan to learn countless breaking balls.
But those didn't truly elevate his core strength anymore.
They only expanded his arsenal.
Coach Kataoka and Manager Ota clearly believed Zhou Hao had reached his personal limit.
Whether he could advance further—
Only Zhou Hao himself could figure it out.
Or perhaps, with physical maturation, the breakthrough would come naturally.
Just as everyone held this belief—
Just as Zhou Hao quietly prepared for the battle against Ichidai Sankou—
A familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
At first, Zhou Hao thought he was hallucinating.
After all, it had been far too long since he'd heard it.
[Host has already become an outstanding Jonin.]
Zhou Hao froze.
An outstanding Jonin…
That much was true.
But why was the system suddenly stating this?
[As a qualified Jonin, in addition to performing high-level missions, the Host must also take responsibility as a leader and guide.]
The moment he read the second line—
Zhou Hao understood everything.
This was about leading newcomers.
In the ninja world, Jonin weren't just elite fighters.
They also served as instructors.
They guided Genin, taught them, and shaped their growth.
Like Team Seven.
Now—
Zhou Hao had reached that stage as well.
[System Mission: Squad Leader Jonin]
[As a high-ranking member, the Host bears responsibility to guide new recruits.]
[Please select the number of recruits to lead.]
[One person. Two people. Three people. Multiple people.]
[The higher the admiration value obtained, the better the reward.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
Even without knowing the reward—
Zhou Hao's heart surged with excitement.
His strength had stagnated for too long.
This mission was exactly what he had been waiting for.
Even though the outside world already called him the number one high school baseball player—
Zhou Hao himself wasn't satisfied.
If he were truly that strong—
How could they have lost the Autumn Tournament?
Strength always comes first.
Luck is uncontrollable.
Only strength guarantees victory.
Having finally been given a new path forward—
How could Zhou Hao let it slip?
"Multiple people."
The more admiration he earned, the greater the reward.
At this moment, even something as small as stamina +1 would matter.
Just as he made his decision, voices drifted over from the first-year recruits.
They still hadn't been allowed to play real baseball games yet.
Don't be fooled by the fact that two first-years had already joined the First String—
The team's training system hadn't changed.
For the first month, new recruits focused almost entirely on physical conditioning.
The gap between middle school and high school was massive.
Especially in a national powerhouse like Seido.
Without sufficient physical foundations, they couldn't even keep up.
Only after this phase would they touch real baseball training.
Even so, every year's welcoming match ended in complete defeat for the rookies.
That was reality.
Zhou Hao felt a twinge of regret.
If Furuya and Oshima were still among the first-years—
The welcoming match would have been very interesting.
But regret was meaningless.
This mission had arrived.
He wouldn't miss it.
Zhou Hao stepped forward, walking directly toward the first-year team.
They were practicing simple catch drills.
To Zhou Hao, this scene felt ordinary.
But to everyone else—
It wasn't.
The moment he stood up, countless gazes locked onto him.
Even as teammates—
Even after playing alongside him—
Zhou Hao still felt dazzling.
He carried an inexplicable gravity.
Now, as he approached the rookies—
Confusion spread among the players.
Why was their Ace suddenly heading toward the first-year team?
And at that moment—
A new chapter for Seido quietly began.