After finishing their regular classes, which usually end around 3 p.m., the students of the ninja school have some free time to either practice their clan's secret techniques or work on their own skills.
The training classes, similar to extracurricular clubs or interest classes in Hideki's previous life, are scheduled afterward.
By coincidence, the school day had just ended, and there was still a bit of time before the training classes began. Some students, uninterested in the upcoming training, had already grabbed their backpacks and were heading home or making plans to meet up with friends and practice or play together.
But more students gathered in small groups, discussing which training course to take next.
"I'm going to check out the Ninja Tool specialization class. I heard Mr. Fuma is really good at teaching."
"Not for me, I'm from the Nara clan, so I have to go to the tactics class, which is really troublesome."
"Then I'll take a floral arrangement class later. I heard that class is only for girls... hehe."
"That's nonsense! Don't you know that class only admits girls?"
"What? Then why did I spend my holidays perfecting my floral arrangement knowledge?"
A burst of laughter erupted among the group, and the surrounding air was filled with joy.
Follow-up classes, tactics, medical classes, and coding courses… Everyone was discussing and comparing the pros and cons of various training courses, trying to find the one that suited them best.
Because as long as they perform well in these training courses, they will be prioritized for placement in the corresponding department after graduation.
Compared to the precarious life of an ordinary ninja, a stable job in a department with secure income is, of course, more appealing.
It seems that even the ninja world cannot escape the law of organizing the universe's end.
However, it is worth noting that, among the many training courses mentioned, hardly anyone was paying attention to the newly opened puppet class.
It seemed like nobody even knew it existed.
In fact, indifference is the opposite of love, not hatred.
The bad reputation puppetry had earned over time in Konoha made everyone unconsciously ignore its existence, and they didn't even know where to take classes.
Even students interested in puppets would find it hard to decide to visit the puppet classroom under such circumstances.
At that moment, a sudden explosion of surprised shouts came from the door of the 4th-year Class A.
The students, discussing around, immediately turned their attention and gathered to see what was going on.
As a result, no one could resist looking away once they saw what was happening.
A small black cat had suddenly appeared at the door of the classroom, surrounded by several girls.
The cat was crouching obediently on the ground, occasionally raising its little paws to push away the hands reaching for it. It was still meowing softly, and its cuteness immediately captivated everyone.
"Wow, what a cute kitten!"
Nohara Rin, who had just left the classroom, took a quick glance and was instantly charmed by the tiny black cat.
But soon, her expression turned a bit worried as she murmured, "This kitten isn't afraid of people. It must have an owner. I wonder if it's lost..."
However, her thoughts were interrupted by Uchiha Obito, who had also come over to join the fun.
"Rin, I didn't know you liked cats."
Obito said with a flattering smile on his face.
"To be honest, we have a lot of cats in the Uchiha clan, and they can all do backflips. How about you come over to my house someday?"
Nohara Rin smiled sweetly and replied, "Alright, thanks, Obito."
When Obito heard this, his body stiffened, and he looked like he was in a state of bliss.
Asuma, who was standing nearby with his hands in his pockets and surrounded by a group of younger students, also made a remark upon seeing this. He leaned over to Yuhi Kurenai and said coolly:
"Hong, my monkey can do backflips too. Want to come to my house and see?"
"Monkeys doing backflips... What's so impressive about that?"
Kurenai looked at Asuma with a look that seemed to say, "Are you kidding me?"
Unlike Rin, who was friendly with everyone, Kurenai Yuhi, who was still in the phase of controlling her appearance, generally only showed kindness to handsome boys.
Though Asuma was rich, powerful, and had status, he was far from being handsome! But that's just how Asuma came across.
As the Hokage's son, he was used to being showered with praise.
Thus, Yuhi Kurenai, who had never thought much of him, felt that she was the real deal and not fake, and found him to be an interesting person.
— Of course, this all assumed you have the good looks of Hong...
At that moment, the girls let out another collective exclamation.
It turned out that, while no one was paying attention, the small black cat, which had been obedient, suddenly ran out of the circle of girls.
Those who thought the cat would disappear immediately sighed in disappointment.
But to their surprise, the small black cat ran towards a nearby set of stairs and stopped again, blinking its large eyes.
Naturally, everyone was excited, but this time they didn't dare to be careless and tiptoed toward the little black cat.
But as soon as they got close, the small black cat jumped down the stairs.
"Hey, wait!"
All the girls became anxious and hurriedly followed, only to find the small black cat crouching at the bottom of the stairs, meowing a couple of times every so often.
"This little cutie is playing with us?"
"I think it's more like asking us to follow it."
After a brief discussion, the girls decided to follow the little black cat to see where it was leading them.
Many of the boys followed along, either because they liked the cat, were curious, or just wanted to join in on the fun.
At that moment, everyone seemed to have forgotten something very important...
The small black cat began to lead them through the teaching building.
Along the way, their group grew larger. Some of them liked the little black cat, some were curious, and others just followed along with the crowd...
Eventually, the black kitten led them out of the teaching building, across the playground, and to a large storage shed that hadn't been used in quite some time.
When they saw the little black cat sneak inside through the slightly ajar door, everyone who had followed didn't stop halfway and went inside after it.
As soon as they entered the door, they were shocked to find that the once cluttered storage room was now empty, with only a small platform at the far end of the room.
The little black cat was now sitting on the platform, calmly licking its fur.
Everyone followed and started discussing why the cat had brought them here, in front of the platform.
Before they could reach a conclusion, the door to the storage room suddenly slammed shut.
The nearest student rushed over to check, but no matter how much they pulled or pushed, the door wouldn't open.
Just when everyone was feeling uneasy, a white cloth fell over the door, revealing a line of words already written on the wall:
"Welcome to the Puppet Classroom!"
At the same time, the bell for the elective course rang...
All the small ninjas couldn't help but look at each other, a terrible suspicion rising in their hearts:
"Why does it feel like… we've walked right into a trap?"