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Under the large 'Yakiniku Q' sign in Konoha, the smell of grilled meat permeated the air, indicating the restaurant's booming business.
"I'm here."
As Anko Mitarashi slowly lifted the Japanese curtain, she immediately shouted excitedly to the group in the private room, acting as if she was already familiar with everyone.
The wooden private room was already filled with quite a few people. The most noticeable was Asuma Sarutobi, who looked more mature. He had a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. When he looked up and saw the newcomer, his dark eyes froze for a moment before he feigned disdain and scoffed, but the competitive spirit in his eyes was obvious.
As Anko Mitarashi lifted the curtain and excitedly shouted, she immediately walked over to Kurenai Yuhi. Behind her, Uchiha Yoru came into view.
When Uchiha Yoru stepped through the curtain, everyone was momentarily stunned. His height had now reached around 1.8 meters.
His enhanced physique seemed to have developed into a lean, muscular build.
He still wore his usual cold expression, dressed in a pure white kimono and black pants. His chest was slightly open, revealing eye-catching muscles. Dark arm guards covered his forearms and extended to his hands, and a purple rope belt was tied around his waist, with a straight ninja sword horizontally inserted.
"Tch! Still as flashy as ever, Uchiha Yoru."
The one who said this was naturally Asuma Sarutobi, as the two had never gotten along since childhood. When he saw Asuma grumbling, Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying, "Can't help it, I've been growing a lot lately."
Asuma Sarutobi snorted coldly, but he couldn't deny that he was envious. After all, his father's genes made height an issue for him. Fortunately, he was already 1.7 meters tall, but seeing Uchiha Yoru still made him feel a twinge of envy.
Next to Asuma Sarutobi were his usual lackeys, Kawazu Tetsu, Kamizuki Izo, and Ebisu. Even among classmates, there were their own cliques.
"Red, did you miss me?"
Anko Mitarashi smiled confidently, but there was a hint of awkwardness in her eyes. After all, she had taken on her friend's fake boyfriend for 150,000 ryō, which was embarrassing, even if it was just pretend.
Kurenai Yuhi, facing Anko, smiled gently and raised her glass, saying, "Red, you haven't changed a bit."
It was as if nothing had happened between the two best friends. Uchiha Yoru also sat down next to Kurenai with a calm and confident smile, showing no signs of awkwardness. After all, those who played politics never got embarrassed.
"Hey, sorry we're late."
At that moment, the curtain was lifted, and Maito Gai scratched his head apologetically as he greeted everyone. He then quickly returned to his energetic state and shouted excitedly, "Come on, I brought Kakashi this time."
Sure enough, behind Maito Gai, Kakashi looked at everyone with a indifferent expression, nodding slightly in greeting. But his lifeless demeanor immediately dampened the atmosphere of the reunion.
"Ha-ha, come on, Kakashi, sit here."
Maito Gai, full of energy, pulled Kakashi down to sit. Kakashi was dressed in ANBU armor, looking lifeless, clearly still struggling with his inner demons.
Maito Gai, Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Kawazu Tetsu, Kamizuki Izo, Ebisu, Kurenai Yuhi, Anko Mitarashi, and Uchiha Yoru—nine classmates gathered, and the atmosphere was somewhat subdued. But despite the group's efforts, there was a sense of nostalgia in everyone's eyes.
No one mentioned the other classmates who couldn't make it. Those who could come had come; the others were either on missions or had already fallen in battle.
Although they were from the same class, their ages were not all the same. During the war, special treatment was given to those with talent, and the resources allocated to their class were different.
After all, in times of war, things never proceeded as planned. Their class was a gathering of geniuses, and those with talent were prioritized for training to avoid wasting their potential on missions.
(Kakashi, though a dead-last, had already mastered Fire Release, making him much stronger than ordinary ninjas.)
"Ha-ha, come on, it's rare for us to gather like this."
It was Maito Gai, with his thick-skinned enthusiasm, who livened up the atmosphere. He didn't notice the sadness in the others' hearts over the missing classmates, and his energetic demeanor made everyone smile, except for Kakashi.
Uchiha Yoru also glanced at Kakashi Hatake inconspicuously, calculating that this was the time when Kakashi had given up hope and fallen into darkness, making him vulnerable.
Kurenai Yuhi chatted with Kurenai like old friends, but she also had complex emotions, hoping her mission wouldn't encounter too many obstacles.
Asuma Sarutobi occasionally glared at Uchiha Yoru, clearly still harboring animosity from childhood, which had now escalated to political and family factors.
As for Kakashi Hatake, his lifeless demeanor meant he only came because Maito Gai had dragged him along. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come, looking completely disinterested and unable to care about the changes in his classmates.
Kawazu Tetsu, Kamizuki Izo, and Ebisu, all civilian ninjas, had been Asuma Sarutobi's followers since school and remained so. It was difficult for civilians to rise to prominence, so their early wisdom and their parents' guidance had saved them decades of detours.
Among the nine, only Maito Gai was genuinely happy. After all, the casualty rate for ninjas, especially during the Third Great Shinobi War, was high. It was a cause for celebration that so many classmates could gather. Of course, he also had a personal agenda, which was to bring Kakashi out of his darkness.
"Ha-ha, I heard you've become a Jounin, Yoru. You're the second Jounin in our class after Kakashi. But I won't give up; the third Jounin will definitely be me, Maito Gai!"
The enthusiastic Maito Gai laughed heartily, and when he saw Uchiha Yoru, he gave his trademark thumbs up and flashed his bright, white teeth.
Encouraged by Maito Gai, Uchiha Yoru, who rarely showed any awkwardness, felt a bit uncomfortable, as not everyone could ignore Maito Gai.
"Tch, becoming a Jounin doesn't make you a Jounin," Asuma Sarutobi sneered, clearly mocking. His three lackeys nodded in agreement.
After all, Uchiha Yoru had become Orochimaru's disciple, returned to the village to lead the Police Department's Seventh Squad, and then became a Jounin. Compared to Kakashi, who had become a Jounin through pure merit and achievements, Uchiha Yoru seemed to have relied on his connections, naturally making others resentful.
(End of Chapter)