Bright blue skies scattered with a few white clouds.
Shikamaru sat on the rooftop of the academy, perched on a water tank, staring dreamily into the sky. A light breeze swirled around him, bringing a sense of lazy comfort.
"There you are," a voice broke through his thoughts.
Shikamaru looked down to see Choji waving his chubby hand, having appeared below without Shikamaru noticing.
"Hey, Shikamaru, lend me some money?"
"What for? More snacks?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yep! What else?" Choji grinned.
"Only you would think that way," Shikamaru muttered, shaking his head with a chuckle. With a half-resigned, half-fond expression, he jumped down, reached into his pocket, and handed Choji a few coins.
"Thanks, Shikamaru!" Choji's eyes crinkled as he gave a huge smile.
"What are you buying this time?" Shikamaru asked.
"Potato chips!" Choji exclaimed, raising his arms in excitement.
As they walked down from the rooftop, Choji, now holding a fresh bag of potato chips with pure contentment, stopped just outside the convenience store with Shikamaru. Shikamaru couldn't resist pointing out, "All you think about is food. Are you even ready for Iruka-sensei's test this afternoon?"
Choji thought for a moment, scratching his head. "First, gotta fill my stomach," he said with a satisfied sigh, ripping open the chip bag and holding it out to Shikamaru.
Shikamaru took one and popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "This flavor is great!" Choji said proudly, pleased with his choice.
"Yeah." Shikamaru nodded, noticing a group of slightly older kids with shinobi headbands walking by into the academy.
"Aren't those… freshly graduated Genin?" Choji observed.
"Next year, that'll be us," Shikamaru replied.
"Ninja, huh…" Choji muttered as he stuffed another handful of chips into his mouth, looking a bit worried.
"What a drag…" Shikamaru sighed, turning to walk away. But he ended up bumping into someone standing right behind him.
"Sorry, sorry," he muttered, taking a couple of steps back out of habit—then he froze.
The person he'd bumped into was a young man in his twenties with a stern face and an intimidating presence, looking down at Shikamaru from above.
"Apologies," Shikamaru said again, nodding as he nudged Choji away.
"That guy looked scary, didn't he?" Choji whispered as they walked off.
"Yeah… a bit," Shikamaru replied.
They soon put the incident behind them, Choji munching happily on his chips and offering them to Shikamaru now and then.
...
Afternoon. Yamanaka Flower Shop.
Golden light spilled into the shop, casting a soft glow on the corner of the counter where Ino was leaning, absently arranging a sunflower.
So I got turned down… she thought, fingers brushing over the delicate petals.
A shadow blocked the light, and Ino looked up to see a figure standing in the doorway.
"Welcome!" She quickly collected herself, putting on a cheerful smile.
The man stepped inside, and when Ino saw his face, she paused, struck by his appearance.
He looks familiar… and so handsome.
"Are you looking for a flower for yourself, or maybe a gift?" she asked, her smile growing.
The man's gaze roamed the shop, pausing on the sunflower she'd just been holding.
"That one," he said, nodding.
"Oh, that one's mine," Ino replied hastily.
"Not for sale?"
"...I mean, I guess I could part with it," she said, dropping her eyes. It's not like it matters now, she thought, her smile wavering. She had taken such care of that flower, hoping to give it to someone—but he had rejected it.
She handed the sunflower to him. "Would you like a different pot for it?"
"This one's fine," he replied, though he didn't take it from her.
"Alright," Ino said. "Just keep it somewhere sunny and water it every couple of days."
"How much?"
"Ten ryo should do it."
He hesitated at the unusually low price before reaching into his pocket and setting a larger bill on the counter.
She turned to get his change from the drawer, but when she looked up, the shop was empty, the sunflower and the mysterious man both gone.
Ino hurried outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but he was nowhere in sight.
This feels oddly familiar, she thought to herself.
"Oh, that's who he was…" she whispered, finally remembering where she'd seen his striking face before.
Looking down at the generous payment still in her hand, she chuckled. "Is he… rich?"
She shook her head, putting the money away and returning to the counter.
Ren, meanwhile, walked down the street holding the sunflower.
Ino-Shika-Cho, he mused, they don't seem like troublesome kids.
But how exactly does one become a good teacher?
...
As he approached his street, he heard a familiar voice.
"Ren!"
He looked up to see Tenten in her usual pink, sleeveless qipao top, her hair styled in twin buns, and a bright smile lighting up her face as she waved. She was proudly wearing her new shinobi headband.
"I graduated, Ren!" she called, running up to him and pointing at her headband with excitement.
"Is that so?" He placed a gentle hand on her head, his face softening with a rare smile. "Congratulations."
"Thanks!" Tenten stuck her tongue out playfully.
"Have you met your team and instructor yet?" he asked.
Her face fell, and she let out a sigh. "The team's fine, but my instructor…"
Images of her overly enthusiastic Jonin, clad in green tights and sporting outrageously thick eyebrows, flooded her mind, and she could only shake her head.
"My teammates are alright, but my Jonin… well, let's just say he's… eccentric."
Ren nodded, guessing who it was. "He may turn out to be a great teacher."
"Maybe," Tenten sighed, not sounding convinced. "At least my teammates seem normal."
"Who's on your team?" Ren asked, remembering what he'd heard about her new teammates.
"There's one at the top of the class, and one… at the bottom," Tenten explained. "The top student is Hyuga Neji—lots of girls in class have a thing for him, but honestly, he's just okay," she added, shrugging as if to dismiss the notion.
"Hmm." Ren simply nodded.
"Oh, Ren, why do you have a sunflower?" Tenten asked, her eyes finally noticing the flower in his hands.
"I just bought it at the flower shop. If you like it, it's yours," he said, handing it over.
"Really?" Tenten's eyes lit up, and she accepted it with delight. "I'll take great care of it!"
Ren watched her with a gentle smile as she cradled the sunflower, a smile spreading across her face.
Genin teams…
His thoughts drifted, pulling him back to memories of his own graduation, his own Genin days.
San, Haruka…
Perhaps it was time he tried to become a decent teacher, just as someone had once been for him.
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