Seeing the boys frantically rushing to the door, pushing past the girls who had lined up to welcome Hirohiko Uchiha, Chiba looked on in astonishment, forgetting to bite his bun.
'What's going on? Why such chaos? Have the boys lost their minds?' he wondered.
The girls were pushed and shoved aside, some even falling. One girl, standing with her hands on her hips, shouted, "What are you doing!? Hurry up and get a grip! Didn't you see someone got hurt?"
Then, a chorus of complaints from other girls followed.
However, the boys, fueled by enthusiasm, completely ignored the girls' complaints and continued to crowd the doorway.
"I'm sorry, please let me through," came a polite and distant voice from the crowd.
"The lady spoke to me! She spoke to me!" a boy exclaimed excitedly, sparking a chain reaction among the others.
"Miss, let me carry your bag!" another offered courteously.
"Miss, please accept this," another said, bowing and presenting a letter.
"Miss..."
The boys showed their admiration in various ways, with some even handing out love letters.
Chiba slowly took a bite of his bun, his eyes wide with surprise.
'Who is this person with such a significant presence, even referred to as a 'lady'? Is this really the world of Naruto? It feels like a scene from a romantic comedy,' he thought.
"I'm sorry, please move aside," the lady said, her tone turning colder. "I will not accept any form of love letter. Please take your letter back. And instead of trying to impress girls, you should spend more time practicing Ninjutsu. I dislike men who do not strive for self-improvement."
Her words, cold and sharp, pierced through the boys' defenses, striking their fragile hearts like a sword.
'Unbelievable! It's like a scene straight out of a comedy where everyone turns to stone!' Chiba mused.
In Chiba's eyes, it was clear: a group of boys frozen in shock, with metaphorical dark clouds looming over their heads.
Then, a young girl emerged from the crowd, her long, silky hair flowing down to her waist, gently swaying as she walked.
Her beautiful face was cold and aloof, her features delicate like a porcelain doll, and her pale eyes were particularly striking.
Chiba's eyes widened slightly. 'Isn't this Yukina?' he thought.
'She's in the same grade as me?'
Then, it hit Chiba.
'Of course, she's in our grade. This girl is ranked second in our grade, just behind the genius Ninja Hirohiko Uchiha, and is considered a prodigy with high expectations from the school.'
'One of the most promising candidates for early graduation!'
'No wonder she looked so familiar!'
Chiba blinked, suddenly realizing how absurd his solo endeavor to master the *Eight Gates* was.
'I don't even know who ranks first or second in my grade. In fact, I'm not familiar with any of my classmates. Did I really come to school just for the presence?'
'But seeing her now, it seems her injury must be healed.'
Chiba let out a sigh of relief and took another bite of his bun.
While Chiba observed Yukina Hyuga, she also noticed him. She paused as she was about to find a seat, giving Chiba a look.
At this moment, Chiba was taking a bite of the steamed bun when Yukina Hyuga showed a faint, almost imperceptible smile, then turned her head, found a seat in the center, and sat down.
To others, it seemed like she just glanced over randomly.
Yukina Hyuga took her seat, leaving behind a group of boys frozen in place.
Chiba was startled.
Yukina Hyuga's smile seemed to say, "That's great, you're okay."
Trying not to let his emotions show, Chiba's mouth curled up in a small smile. Then, he scolded himself for being silly, affected by a seven-year-old girl's gesture. It was truly embarrassing!
In his previous life, he had been bullied and lonely, finding solace only in animation. After reincarnating, he was isolated and neglected. Even though Chiba was a reincarnated individual, he was still a human being, a social creature, sometimes in need of others' care. A warm feeling surged in his heart.
However, Chiba quickly composed himself as the teacher entered and noticed the group of boys petrified at the classroom door. Finding it odd but with class about to start, he didn't dwell on it, simply stating, "Quickly go back to your seats, class is starting!"
At the teacher's command, the boys snapped out of their daze, each scrambling to find a seat, consciously avoiding sitting near Yukina Hyuga in the center. And Yukina Hyuga remained stoic, wearing a cold face, completely indifferent to being left alone.
With everyone seated, the teacher placed the textbook on the podium and announced loudly, "Today, we're doing sparring."
'Ninja sparrings?' Chiba thought.
Chiba, who was habitually preparing to doze off, suddenly perked up.
'Ninja sparring today? Wouldn't that mean no chance to sleep? What about the evening training? I haven't slept all night.'
Chiba's first thought was that this wouldn't work!
But then, reconsidering, he realized this was actually an excellent opportunity. If he wanted to become a key training target for the village, then wasn't sparring the perfect chance to stand out?
Now that Chiba had mastered three gates, if it came to physical skills, who in the Ninja academy could match him? Sparring was the perfect moment to showcase his abilities.
The teacher then announced, "Let's head to the playground."
Following the instructions, all the students got up and walked out in an orderly manner.
"Sparring... Ah, I have to ask my parents about some Jutsu when I get home!" a boy said, making a face.
"Yes, this time the Ninja training is likely to be dominated by Hirohiko and the Hyuga princess again."
"There's no point in competing, Hirohiko is bound to be number one again."
The girls were a little excited, eagerly anticipating the chance to see the handsome and victorious Hirohiko once more after their lively discussion.
While walking at the very end, Chiba frowned.
He remembered this was supposed to be the first sparring exercise, so why did someone say "this time..."? Could it have been done before?
Chiba tried to recall and realized he had no memory of any sparring exercise. At the same time, he remembered that he had tried to stay awake and learn the Three Basic Ninjutsu Technique in class... but seemed to have slept through the rest of the time.
Chiba pulled at the corner of his mouth, suddenly considering the possibility that he might have slept through a sparring session. Being inconspicuous, even the teacher might not have noticed his absence...
For this, Chiba could only offer a wry smile.
At that moment, Yukina Hyuga glanced at Chiba, and the veins from the corner of her eye to her temple slowly receded, exiting her *Byakugan* activation state.
'The amount of Chakra is average, but... that big hole...' she thought.
Yukina Hyuga withdrew her gaze and frowned.