"You know where your classroom is, right?" Kawaki asked lazily, not bothering to stand up.
"I'll ask for directions."
Kakashi's reply drifted back to Kawaki as he walked away.
Along the way, he asked a staff member and successfully reached the classroom door.
The nameplate clearly read "Instructor Shū Suzuki's Class."
Kakashi glanced up briefly, confirmed the room number, then stepped inside confidently.
At this time, not everyone had arrived yet—there were less than ten people in the classroom.
Kakashi scanned the room but didn't spot any familiar faces.
It seemed like Kurenai and Gai hadn't shown up yet.
His arrival didn't attract much attention, so he casually chose a back seat in the corner.
He rested his cheek in one hand and let his mind go blank.
This action, however, drew the attention of a few girls.
One of them was a girl with purple markings on her cheeks.
Despite being from a regular civilian family, she felt incredibly lucky to have been accepted into this class, which was mostly made up of students from ninja clans.
Just as she gathered the courage to approach Kakashi and introduce herself, someone appeared beside her.
"Hi, I'm Obito."
"Obito Uchiha."
"Can I sit here?"
A boy wearing red goggles approached Rin Nohara. His face showed a hint of nervousness.
Clearly, he had worked up quite a bit of courage just to come over and talk to her.
"Hello, I'm Rin Nohara."
"It's nice to meet you."
Rin smiled warmly, looked away, and gestured for Obito to sit down.
At the same time, she abandoned her plan to go speak to Kakashi.
After all, they'd be classmates—they would definitely meet sooner or later.
"Were you looking at that guy just now?"
Obito pointed toward Kakashi but was quickly stopped by Rin's hand.
"No, I was just randomly looking around—getting a feel for everyone, my future classmates."
Rin was afraid that Kakashi might notice Obito pointing at him; that would've been very rude.
"That's Kakashi Hatake over there."
"The eldest son of the Hatake family, and the principal is his uncle."
Obito kept rambling on. As someone from the Uchiha clan, he actually knew quite a bit about Kakashi.
"So does that mean the Hokage is his aunt?"
Rin's eyes lit up. Her dream was to become a strong ninja like Tsunade.
"That's right."
Obito was still pretty innocent and didn't suspect Rin of being opportunistic. Besides, Rin really was just sincerely admiring Tsunade.
"Someday, I want to become a great ninja like Hokage-sama too!"
Rin excitedly expressed her aspirations.
"You totally can!" Obito smiled happily and cheered her on.
Soon after, the two got caught up in conversation, and their friendship was off to a great start.
Kakashi didn't have to wait long before he saw Kurenai enter the classroom.
Before he could even call out, Kurenai had already spotted him.
She happily bounced over and plopped down beside him.
"You came pretty early."
Kurenai pulled out a piece of candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into Kakashi's mouth.
"Not really. I just don't like sleeping in."
Kakashi placed the candy in his mouth. He definitely wasn't someone who tolerated being late anymore.
"Hehe~ I almost couldn't wake up this morning."
"Dad carried me."
Kurenai admitted shyly.
"You lazybones."
Kakashi gave her nose a playful pinch, his face filled with affection.
Not long after, Gai entered the classroom as well.
His form-fitting green suit instantly drew everyone's eyes.
Gai didn't seem nervous at all as he strode confidently to the front.
"My name is Gai. I'll definitely become a great ninja one day."
"Feel free to challenge me!"
With that, Gai struck his signature pose—thumb raised and flashing his dazzling smile.
Needless to say, everyone now knew who he was.
Pleased with himself, Gai strutted back and plopped down beside Kakashi and Kurenai.
"What do you think? Wasn't I awesome just now?"
Eager for some praise, Gai turned to his friends.
"Gai, you were truly amazing."
Kurenai was genuinely impressed by how bold Gai was in front of everyone.
Kakashi, however, simply sighed and buried his face in his hand. He was completely speechless when it came to Gai.
"That wasn't impressive at all."
"Kakashi, when should we start our first duel after entering the academy?"
Gai eagerly invited Kakashi, generously letting him pick the time.
"Fight your old man."
"I don't have time."
Kakashi flatly refused without any politeness.
"Then I'll wait until you're free."
Gai had already expected this, but there wasn't even a trace of disappointment on his face.
"For now, the score is 20:0."
"Gai, you still need to work harder."
As their referee, Kurenai had every result memorized.
Whatever Gai could do, Kakashi could match—but the reverse wasn't true.
At present, the outcome of their duels was never a surprise.
"I will defeat Kakashi."
No matter how many times he failed, Gai never lost his confidence to challenge again.
He clenched his fist and vowed fiercely.
At those words, Kakashi shot Gai a glance.
He said nothing, yet somehow it felt like he said everything.
"What look was that just now?"
That look got under Gai's skin, so he retaliated by reaching over to tickle Kakashi's side.
The usually aloof Kakashi suddenly cracked.
With only Kurenai between them, the three devolved into a mess of laughter and shoves.
They only quieted when the teacher stepped into the room.
Ohhh—
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"Ahem～"
At the teacher's cough, the rowdy class fell dead silent.
Not out of obedience, but because the teacher looked terrifying.
He limped on one leg, a jagged scar carving across his face.
Only one eye was open.
His lone eye sweeping the room, the teacher finally spoke.
"My name is Instructor Suzuki, a retired Chunin."
"For the next few years, you'll be learning about ninja knowledge and skills under my guidance."
"Most of you come from ninja families. I hope none of you will disappoint me."
Instructor Suzuki's deep voice rumbled through the classroom. Some kids were too scared to even make eye contact.
This was also Kawaki's decision, allowing retired ninjas to contribute their remaining energy.
It not only provided them with a respectable job but also ensured the children received proper guidance.
Those were valuable lessons soaked in blood.
"We will do our best."
Most of the children didn't dare to respond, with only a few whispering replies.
Among them, Gai's voice was the loudest, making Kakashi next to him quickly cover his ears.
Gai genuinely admired this teacher; his passion was already surging.
"Louder, I can't hear you!"
Instructor Suzuki boomed loudly. He was determined to live up to Kawaki's expectations.
"This is your instructor calling! We will do our best!"
The sudden shout startled everyone, making them respond in unison, shouting loudly.
"Good."
"Now, each of you give a brief self-introduction so we all can get to know one another."
Instructor Suzuki nodded approvingly at the children's response. Courage was also an essential quality for a ninja.
Without waiting for Instructor Suzuki to call on them, the children began introducing themselves one by one from left to right in the first row.
When it was Kakashi's turn, he gave him an extra glance.
He was Sakumo's son—the top student in the class at the moment.
Although Kawaki had said there was no need to treat him differently, Suzuki still gave him slight preferential treatment.
It wasn't favoritism—it was simply human nature.
In terms of status, Sakumo had once been his superior officer.
In terms of gratitude, this job had been personally arranged by Kawaki.
For both emotional and rational reasons, he felt genuine goodwill toward the Hatake family.
After every child had finished introducing themselves, Instructor Suzuki moved on to the next segment.
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