The girl was dressed in dark, slightly oversized clothes that made her figure appear somewhat frail. She rested her chin in one hand, her short black hair hanging loosely by her ears, and stared out the window at the rising morning sun with a look of utter exhaustion.
Honestly. She said she would take good care of me for Uncle's sake... but then she got that drunk, made a fuss until the middle of the night, and in the end, who knows who was taking care of whom?
The black-haired girl yawned, looking weary. As the image of a certain blonde figure in a messy state from the night before flashed through her mind, she couldn't help but complain internally with resignation.
"Hello, classmate. May I ask if this seat is taken?"
A gentle, clear voice drifted over.
Hearing the sound, the girl turned her head. She seemed still immersed in her own thoughts, her eyes holding the hazy look of someone just snapping back to reality.
She looked at Shinichi, then glanced at the empty seat beside her. Her face showed no particular expression as she nodded lazily, her voice soft and light: "Mm, whatever."
"My name is Higashino Shinichi. What about you, classmate?"
"Shizune," she replied listlessly, her voice so faint it seemed to drift in the air. She lifted her eyelids slightly to glance at Shinichi again.
This unremarkable classmate had a smile that was unexpectedly comforting, like non-aggressive morning sunlight. However, that bit of warmth quickly dissipated; her mind was currently filled with another troublesome matter.
The moment she thought about how that drunk woman would wake up and turn the house into a chaotic mess again, leaving her to clean up the aftermath upon her return, Shizune felt a dull throb in her temples. It made the classroom before her and this new deskmate seem a bit surreal.
Shizune?
Right, I remember Shizune and Kakashi are of the same age and graduating class.
It seems this is indeed a good thing.
The corners of Shinichi's mouth curved slightly. He gazed peacefully toward the podium, awaiting the teacher's arrival, but due to this unexpected discovery of Shizune as his new deskmate, he had new ideas in his heart.
A few minutes later, the teacher still hadn't appeared. The classroom door was pushed open with a loud bang, and a figure rushed in hurriedly, bringing with him a gust of warm wind.
The newcomer had dark skin and a physique clearly sturdier than other children his age. His face was covered in sweat, as if he had run all the way there.
He panted heavily for a few moments, his eyes beneath thick brows quickly scanning the classroom. Finding that the only empty spot left was at the three-person desk near the window in the top right corner, he strode over with large steps without hesitation.
"Whew, made it!" He plopped down into the empty seat next to Shinichi, letting out a long breath before grumbling with some dissatisfaction: "Seriously, Teacher Chen pays no attention to the time. It's only the first day and..."
Halfway through his sentence, he seemed to realize he hadn't greeted his new deskmate yet. He turned his head abruptly, revealing a set of white teeth and a bright smile devoid of any gloom: "I'm Ishizuka Ryu. Just call me Ryu! What's your name?"
Ryu?
A certain meme flashed through Shinichi's mind, but he didn't show it on his face, returning a friendly smile: "Higashino Shinichi. You can call me Shinichi."
As he spoke, he sized up Ishizuka Ryu's sturdy build and the "Teacher Chen" he had inadvertently mentioned just now. Forming a guess in his heart, he asked seemingly casually: "Ryu, looking at your build, you must be good at Taijutsu?"
"I wouldn't say that!" Ishizuka Ryu waved his hand. His smile held a frank self-deprecation, but his eyes were shining brightly: "Rather than saying I'm good at it, it's more like I only know this. I only got in because of the supplementary exam for Taijutsu. My master always says people who can't use Ninjutsu can't be ninjas and tells me to give up, but I'm determined to prove him wrong. I'll show him that one can become an excellent ninja even if they only know Taijutsu."
"What do you think, Shinichi?"
"Of course. Taijutsu itself is a remarkable path, one that can even create miracles."
Shinichi's tone was sincere, without a hint of falsehood, because Taijutsu truly could create miracles—Might Guy was the best example.
"Ahahahaha, well said! Miracles! Yes, exactly, miracles!" Hearing this, Ishizuka Ryu's smile widened, clearly pleased. He then spoke enthusiastically: "By the way, Shinichi, are you interested in Taijutsu too? Your frame looks pretty sturdy. Want to spar sometime? Teacher Chen always says actual combat is the best practice!"
It really is you!
Only knows Taijutsu, Teacher Chen...
Combining these two key pieces of information, Shinichi understood clearly. This sturdy boy with the brilliant smile and slightly rash air was likely the disciple mentioned by Master Chen—the one who never appeared in the anime but existed in Master Chen's stories as the student who only knew Taijutsu and died in the Third Great Ninja War.
Though these thoughts surfaced in his mind, on the surface he simply nodded with a smile: "Of course I'm interested. If there's a chance in the future, please guide me."
On the far right, Shizune, who had maintained a low profile, seemed disturbed by this sudden burst of enthusiasm next to her. She silently glanced at the two who were chatting happily, pursed her lips almost imperceptibly, and buried her chin back into the crook of her arm, radiating an aura of isolation.
On the platform, the homeroom teacher finally appeared, and the classroom gradually quieted down.
The homeroom teacher began the routine speech, introducing school discipline, the curriculum, and so on.
Shinichi sat with proper posture, his gaze fixed on the podium, appearing to listen attentively. Internally, however, his mind was racing.
He was pondering how to deal with these two deskmates—or more accurately, how to connect with the people standing behind them through these two deskmates.
One was Chen, the ninja hailed as Konoha's strongest Taijutsu user, nicknamed the Strongest Taijutsu User. If he could make contact with that Teacher Chen through Ishizuka Ryu, even getting just a little bit of guidance would be of immeasurable benefit for solidifying his foundation, expanding his horizons in Taijutsu, and even building a potential Taijutsu persona in the future.
The other was Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin and hailed as Konoha's strongest medical ninja. Chakra control, medical ninjutsu, Monstrous Strength, and even the Senju clan... she was another incomparably precious treasury.
Ishizuka Ryu and Shizune represented the "keys" to opening these two treasuries.
Just as I said before, this is a good thing!
Shinichi's focus returned to the podium. Below the platform, pairs of eyes looked on with anticipation, ignorance, or excitement, while deep within Shinichi's clear eyes lay a deep sea of calm calculation.
Soon, the morning classes ended amidst the homeroom teacher's explanations and the varied thoughts of the new students. It was time for the lunch break.
Streams of people began to pour out of the classrooms, converging in the corridors and on the paths leading to the playground. The sounds of chattering and playful noise filled the space once again.
Shinichi walked unhurriedly with the crowd, his gaze calmly sweeping over face after face—some strange, some familiar.
It was in this flow of students leaving school that, for the first time within the academy, he clearly saw those "acquaintances" who had previously only existed in his memory.
Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara...
These names that would shine in the ninja world of the future were currently just ordinary children mixed in the crowd. Shinichi's gaze swept over them indifferently, not lingering on any single one of them for a second longer.
Even Obito Uchiha, who would stir up monstrous waves in the future, could not draw the slightest extra attention from him.
At this moment, his eyes had room for only one person. His gaze, as if drawn by an invisible magnet, instantly pierced through the noisy crowd and locked precisely onto that figure with silver-white hair.
Kakashi!