"Kurenai, what's going on?"
Anxious, completely anxious, Asuma Sarutobi asked hurriedly.
Kurenai blinked, not understanding why he reacted so dramatically. They hadn't known each other for long, and due to her young age and naivete, she simply considered him a friend.
She didn't realize how impactful her previous words were. It was enough to make Asuma feel a surge of insecurity.
"It's like this—"
Kurenai briefly explained the situation of Hanekawa coming to live with her family.
After hearing this, Asuma was so frustrated that he practically trembled.
'The culprit turned out to be my old man (Sarutobi Hiruzen)?' he thought, referring to the Hokage with a slightly disrespectful term due to their strained relationship.
Asuma, being a rebellious kid, didn't want to live in the shadow of his father and often clashed with him.
"Asuma?"
Kurenai noticed his change in demeanor and asked, "Why is your face red?"
"Oh, nothing," Asuma Sarutobi said, forcing a smile to try and regain his composure.
"We're going to be late; let's go."
Kurenai didn't think much of it and started walking forward.
Asuma followed behind her, his eyes occasionally drifting towards Hanekawa.
Hanekawa's mouth twitched slightly. Asuma was staring at him intensely, reminding him of a meme.
I will spy on you forever… forever and ever... jpg.
"Asuma, I'm going to take Hanekawa to the teacher's office. You can go back to the classroom first."
When they arrived at the Ninja Academy, Kurenai said.
"I can take him!"
Asuma Sarutobi volunteered quickly.
"No," Kurenai refused, "This is a task my father gave me."
"But…"
Asuma Sarutobi still wanted to argue, but Kurenai had already turned around and left with Hanekawa.
'No!'
He looked at their retreating figures and subconsciously clenched his fist.
'Damn Hanekawa!'
Asuma seethed internally.
_______________
Teacher's office.
Hanekawa handed the admission letter to a young ninja. According to Kurenai's introduction, his name was Yamamoto Eiichiro, and he was a Chunin.
"Hanekawa-san, welcome to Class A, Year 1," Eiichiro said with a polite smile. As Sarutobi Hiruzen's special student, he knew he had to treat Hanekawa with respect.
"Thank you, teacher."
Hanekawa greeted him politely.
Eiichiro nodded slightly.
'He doesn't seem like a troublesome student,' he thought.
"Kurenai, you can go ahead," Eiichiro told her. "I'll take Hanekawa to the classroom."
"Okay."
Kurenai gave Hanekawa a quick wave and left.
"This is your first-year textbook," Eiichiro said as he picked up a stack of books from the table.
Hanekawa counted them and found there were seven books in total. The top book was titled "Chakra Concept Explanation and Refining Techniques."
"There are still a few minutes before class starts; you can take a look around," Eiichiro suggested.
"Okay."
Since there was limited time, Hanekawa just glanced at the titles. "Shurikenjutsu," "Will of Fire," "Ninja Code," "History of Konoha," etc. It seemed to cover a broad range of topics.
Hanekawa remembered that in his previous life, he had read analyses of Chunin Exam written tests that included questions on various subjects, including history, ethics, and even basic science.
Although theoretically, only the Three Body Techniques were required for Genin graduation, the Ninja Academy curriculum was quite comprehensive.
Ding-a-ling.
The class bell rang.
"Let's go."
Eiichiro picked up a book and walked out.
Hanekawa hurried to follow.
They soon arrived at Class 1A.
Eiichiro walked up to the podium. Hanekawa stood at the door waiting, but he had already been noticed by many of his new classmates, who were looking at him with curious eyes.
Some of the girls seemed particularly interested.
Hanekawa immediately spotted Hatake Kakashi. With his distinctive silver hair and mask, he was hard to miss.
In the original work, Kakashi graduated from the academy at the age of five, became a Chunin at six, and a Jonin at thirteen, a testament to his exceptional talent.
He would later become the student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the teacher of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
The seat to Kakashi's left was vacant, while the seat to his right was occupied by a little girl with short brown hair, a gentle face, and distinctive purple markings on her cheeks: Nohara Rin. The vacant seat was likely reserved for Uchiha Obito, the future antagonist.
"Ahhhh!"
At this moment, a scream echoed through the classroom.
Hanekawa subconsciously turned his head and saw a little boy about his age.
He was wearing a green tracksuit, a common style for young ninjas in training, and orange goggles perched on his forehead, his face flushed, and he was charging at full speed.
"Get out of the way!"
The little boy saw him and shouted.
Hanekawa took a step back.
The little boy rushed into the classroom. He stopped, but because he was moving too fast, he stumbled forward, flailing his arms to regain balance before finally falling to the ground.
"You're late again, Obito," Eiichiro said, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, teacher," Uchiha Obito said, quickly scrambling to his feet. "I wasted time helping an old lady cross the road."
"Give me a different excuse next time," Eiichiro said, unimpressed. This was a common excuse Obito used.
"I'm telling the truth."
Uchiha Obito insisted.
"Go to your seat," Eiichiro instructed, not believing the excuse.
'Who helps old ladies cross the road every day?' he thought to himself.
"Rin."
Uchiha Obito sat down in his seat and called out to Nohara Rin.
"Good morning, Obito," Nohara Rin said softly.
"Hey." Uchiha Obito grinned foolishly.
"Before class starts, I have something to announce," Eiichiro said, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.
Everyone suddenly fell silent. The more perceptive students had already guessed that it was related to Hanekawa.
"From today on, Hanekawa-san will be attending classes with us. Everyone, please give him a warm welcome." Eiichiro said and clapped.
There was applause in the classroom, but some people didn't applaud, such as Asuma Sarutobi. He looked at Kurenai clapping excitedly nearby and felt a pang of jealousy.
"This new classmate is quite good-looking," a little girl with short black hair sitting behind Nohara Rin whispered to her.
"Rin, what do you think?" Uchiha Obito asked, suddenly alert.
Nohara Rin noticed his expression and hesitated for a moment. She did think Hanekawa was handsome, but she knew that saying it aloud would upset Obito.
"Looking good is useless; strength is the key," Hatake Kakashi said coolly.
"Stinky show-off!" Uchiha Obito retorted, stung by the word "strength." He often felt insecure around Kakashi, believing that Rin admired Kakashi's abilities more than his own.
"I think Kakashi is right!" Might Guy, an energetic young boy with thick eyebrows and a bowl cut in the front row, suddenly turned around, flashing a wide grin and giving a thumbs up.
"Alright, now let's have Hanekawa-san introduce himself," Eiichiro said, raising his hand to interrupt their chatter.
==============
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