That's right. Focus on training and achieving the goal. With the determination in my mind, I headed toward the classroom. Finally, I would meet the main cast after being away from them to train with Guy-sensei in the training ground.
I was ready. I stood in front of the classroom and knocked, opening the door. Everyone's gaze focused on me, making me feel nervous. Some boys and girls already sat down and waited, while others were still chatting with their friends.
"Good afternoon. My name is Rock Lee. Please take care of me."
I bowed slightly and announced my name, hoping to get the introduction part done and over with. The kids began whispering among themselves, and a boy raised his hand.
"You are that guy, right? The kid who ran around the village? Are you not wearing that green jumpsuit anymore?"
He had a bored face and the aura of a smart boy. I instantly recognized him. Nara Shikamaru, the genius that had a dream but lacked motivation.
And there was a reason behind his question.
During my time training under Guy-sensei, he made me do various things, including running around the village a few times. I didn't remember how many times I had run, but it was enough to be known by everyone.
"Yeah, I am that guy. And you are the one who slept all the time. Right, Nara-san?"
"Tch, don't call me that. Just call me Shikamaru. I am tired of having people call me honorific."
Shikamaru clicked his tongue and looked away. He didn't like to be called by his last name, and it didn't help that he was from a well-known clan. Then sitting a bit away from him was Ino and Choji, both of whom waved at me.
"Hey, Lee-kun. I have seen you before. You're a hard worker, right?"
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Yamanaka-san. Akimichi-san."
"Hahaha, no need for the honorific. Just call me Choji. We are going to be friends, after all. But I won't share my chip with you."
"That's right. But Sasuke-kun is still cooler than you. Don't hope too much!"
Choji and Ino were still the young brat they were. It was obvious that the latter still had a crush on Sasuke. I could see a pink-haired girl trying to stay sane and not shout in the corner of my eyes.
"Don't bother with them, Lee. Those two are a handful. Come, sit here."
"Thanks, Shikamaru." I smiled and took a seat beside him.
"I have been curious. Did you really do those things people said about you?"
"About what?"
"Running around the village." Shikamaru looked at me suspiciously, and I smiled awkwardly.
"Well, sort of. I am training."
"Troublesome."
I could see him sighing. He didn't seem interested in training, and was probably the type that didn't care about the world and preferred to laze around.
It was just his personality. There was nothing wrong with that. Also, the boy hadn't met Asuma-sensei, who would motivate him to work hard, so I could only pray that he would change.
Just as I thought about that, shrill screams echoed in the class.
"AAAAAA! IT'S SASUKE!"
"OH MY GOD!"
"MY HEART!"
A black-haired boy came, and the girls in the class suddenly went crazy. Just as I remembered, the girl's attention was focused on the young Sasuke. He had this cool and mysterious aura, and his dark-colored eyes only added to his appeal.
"Oh, that is Uchiha Sasuke."
Shikamaru sighed as he introduced the boy.
"He is the most talented boy in Konoha. A genius, if you will. Though his fan is a bit troublesome."
"Yeah."
I looked at the girls fawning over Sasuke, and a thought came to my mind. He looked pretty normal right now, but how would he be in the future? There was just a few weeks at best before his clan got massacred.
Maybe I should warn him, or should I not?
Just as Shikamaru said, it was troublesome. I might got along well with this lazy genius, but Sasuke and I had never talked to each other.
"Well, let's not bother with him for now." Shikamaru commented, which I very much agreed.
Following that, the rowdy class became unbearably loud for me. I had to plug my ears with my fingers and endured it. But that changed into a sudden silence when a blond-haired boy entered the class.
Everyone gasped in surprise.
"What is he doing here?"
"Is he enrolled? He is a troublemaker, though."
"Why is the fox monster allowed to enroll? He is not qualified."
I could hear the boys whispering, and I frowned. Naruto, the protagonist of this story. The way the class acted around him was so different from when Sasuke entered. They only thought of him as a nuisance. A vessel for a monster that almost destroyed the village a few years ago.
Even I could feel the hate and fear inside them.
But Naruto did nothing wrong. His parents even saved the village by sacrificing themselves.
At this moment, I wondered whether Sandaime Hokage made the right decision for not giving extra care to this boy or not. Or maybe, Danzo was the one who prevented him? I didn't know. Masashi Kishimoto made it so vague that everyone on the internet was divided.
Oops, putting that aside, our teacher had arrived. As expected, it was Iruka-sensei. His face looked tired, but he had a smile on his face as he greeted the class.
"Alright, everyone. Settle down."
The class went quiet, and then the lesson began.
"Good. Now, we are going to start our class. As you can see, we have some new students here."
Iruka-sensei smiled and pointed his finger toward us, the new student. I had the same smile on my face, but unlike me, Naruto had a wide grin. He seemed to be excited for his first class.
Not that it didn't excite me. I was looking forward to the combat class. Would it be fun?