The students of Class A lined up against the school building wall. The first day of classes had taken an unexpected turn, and now the whole class, including Shikaku and Minato, found themselves at the punishment station.
Shikaku, reluctantly dragged by Chōza and Inoichi, muttered, "What a drag," under his breath.
Minato, on the other hand, had decided to join the group on his own initiative, not wanting to be left alone in the classroom.
Nawaki, always optimistic, tried to lift everyone's spirits. "Come on, guys! Someday we'll look back and laugh at this. It'll be a nice memory!"
However, his smile faltered momentarily. "Though... this might be a blot on my path to becoming Hokage..."
Chen, leaning against the wall with a mocking smile, couldn't help but intervene. "Oh, Nawaki, do you really think you could become Hokage? How adorable."
Nawaki's face turned red with anger. "What did you say?! Of course, I'll be Hokage! Just you wait!"
While Nawaki ranted, Chen turned to Mikoto, his voice softening. "Mikoto-chan, thanks for speaking up for me to the teacher. You're a true friend."
Mikoto blushed deeply, lowering her gaze. "It was nothing, Chen. But... could you not draw so much attention to me?"
Chen smiled, enjoying Mikoto's shyness. But his attention soon shifted to Hizashi, who was watching him warily.
"Hey, Hizashi," Chen said, his voice suddenly cold. "If you don't want trouble, you'd better give me some money. You know, for ratting me out."
Hizashi paled, his hands trembling as he took out his wallet. "H-here... ten thousand Ryo..."
Hiashi, observing the scene, exploded with anger. "Hizashi?! What do you think you're doing?!"
Chen interjected with an innocent smile. "Oh, Hiashi-sama, your brother is just lending me some money. Right, Hizashi?"
Hizashi, trembling, nodded quickly. "Y-yes, brother. It's just a loan."
Hiashi, frustrated and furious, walked away from the group, his fists clenched at his sides.
Nawaki watched the scene with a mix of awe and envy. "Wow, Chen. I wish I could get money that easily."
Chen looked at Nawaki with disdain. "Aren't you the sole Senju heir? You should be swimming in money."
Nawaki sighed, pulling out a small frog-shaped purse. "My sister takes all my money. I barely have enough for a bowl of ramen..."
Chen's expression softened slightly. "That's tough, man. Maybe you should learn to manage your money better."
Before the conversation could continue, teacher Kuri returned, his face a mixture of exhaustion and helplessness.
"Alright, class," he said with a sigh. "You can go back to the classroom. But I warn you, if something like this happens again, the consequences will be much more severe."
As the students trudged back to the classroom, Kuri couldn't help but feel a bittersweet relief. Jian was fine, avoiding major complications with the Uchiha clan. However, the tension among the students from important clans was palpable, and he knew he would have trouble controlling them.
Chen, the last to enter, gave Kuri an enigmatic smile. The teacher felt a shiver run down his spine. Something told him this year was going to be very troublesome.
…
The afternoon sun streamed through the classroom windows as teacher Kuri, with a tired sigh, addressed his students. "Alright, class, listen up. Lessons will officially start tomorrow. Today we'll focus on the Academy's rules."
As Kuri talked about the consequences of future incidents, casting meaningful glances at certain students, most of the class had already tuned out. Shikaku snored softly with his head on his desk, while Chōza discreetly munched on a bag of chips.
When the bell rang, a collective sigh of relief swept through the classroom. Chen lifted his head from his desk and smiled charmingly at Mikoto. "Mikoto-chan, would you like to grab a bite to eat?"
Before Mikoto could respond, Nawaki appeared as if by magic. "I want to come too!"
Chen, far from being annoyed, broadened his smile. "In fact, why don't we all go? I know an excellent barbecue restaurant."
The mention of food made Chōza's eyes sparkle. "Count me in!"
Even Hiashi and Hizashi, after exchanging a glance, nodded in agreement.
The group headed to the restaurant, where Nawaki, with an air of importance, requested a large private room. To everyone's surprise, the restaurant owner, upon seeing Chen, offered a 70% discount.
"Fifty plates of grilled meat and vegetables, please," Chen ordered nonchalantly.
Inoichi whistled, impressed. "That's a lot of food, though Chōza eats a lot, isn't that too much?"
Chen smiled mysteriously. "I know exactly how much we can eat. There won't be any waste."
When the food arrived, Chen began devouring plate after plate with a voracity that left his companions slack-jawed. Even Chōza seemed like a moderate eater in comparison.
Mikoto, worried, leaned towards Chen. "Chen, if you don't have enough money, I can help you pay..."
Chen paused his eating for a moment, swallowed everything in his mouth, and looked at Mikoto with a warm smile. "Don't worry, Mikoto-chan. I have more than enough to cover... I mean, to pay for this meal."
Mikoto's face turned bright red, and she quickly lowered her gaze to her plate, trying to hide her shyness.
Night had fallen when they finally left the restaurant, with full stomachs and high spirits.
Chen bid farewell to Mikoto and Nawaki with a cheerful wave before joining Hiashi and Hizashi for the walk back to the Hyuga residence.
The journey was tense and silent. Hiashi maintained a stoic expression, refusing to look at Chen, while Hizashi walked with tense shoulders, casting nervous glances at his brother now and then.
Upon reaching the entrance to the Hyuga compound, Chen stopped. "Well, this is where we part ways. It's been a pleasure, as always," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Hiashi simply grunted and entered without looking back. Hizashi, on the other hand, gave a small bow before following his brother, fear still visible in his eyes.
Chen watched them walk away, his expression unreadable in the twilight. Then, with an almost imperceptible sigh, he turned and headed towards his own home.
________
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