Early the next morning, Ruichi arrived at the Konoha Ninja Academy holding Qin's hand.
Qin had changed into a brand-new outfit today. The long hair she usually left loose was tied into a neat ponytail, making her look bright and energetic.
Still, her body was stiff as a board. The small hand gripping Ruichi's was damp with cold sweat.
"Relax. Breathe." Ruichi chuckled and gently pinched her cheek. "Don't look like you're heading to an execution. Just think of this place as a slightly bigger playground."
Qin pursed her lips and whispered, "But… I heard it's really strict here…"
"Strict, my foot." Ruichi rolled his eyes. "I started skipping classes in my first year—cough, I mean, I did independent extracurricular activities—and I still graduated just fine."
"Ruichi? What are you doing back at school, you little troublemaker?"
A teacher bumped into them and looked at him in surprise.
"Long time no see, sensei. This is my sister, Qin Chui. I'm here to help her enroll."
"Oh, welcome, welcome." The teacher leaned toward Qin and lowered her voice. "Study hard. Don't end up like your brother, sleeping in class or climbing over walls to skip lessons…"
"Ah—sensei, we're in a hurry to finish the paperwork. Please excuse us!"
Ruichi grabbed Qin and fled as if escaping for his life.
"Pfft…" Qin giggled, her nervousness easing quite a bit.
The enrollment process itself was uneventful.
With money smoothing the way, the chūnin instructor in charge was particularly friendly.
After delivering Qin to her classroom and watching her look back every few steps before finally taking a deep breath and walking inside, Ruichi felt a weight lift from his chest.
Sending Qin to the Ninja Academy wasn't just about teaching her skills—it was also about securing her future.
The Academy instructors were responsible people. If anything happened while he wasn't around, Qin would still have someone she could rely on.
And there was an unexpected bonus.
Ruichi recalled the class roster he had glimpsed earlier.
Neji Hyuga, Tenten, and Rock Lee… Qin actually ended up in that class.
He rubbed his chin, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously.
Nice. Even better if I can get on good terms with Tenten and learn a thing or two about doing business.
…
After leaving the school gate, Ruichi didn't head off right away. Instead, he used Earth Release to form a rocking chair beside the gate and lay back, waiting for his "prey" to come to him.
He needed to see Hinata Hyuga.
The afternoon sunlight was warm. Ruichi squinted lazily.
The Uchiha… the Third Hokage… Danzo… What a headache. Why can't you people fight your own battles instead of dragging me into it? Huh?
Three short figures snuck out of the Academy gates—a blond with spiky hair, a chubby kid, and a boy with pineapple-shaped hair.
"Oh? What a coincidence," Ruichi greeted lazily.
"Wah!" All three jumped, only now noticing him.
"Brother Ruichi! What a coincidence! Hahaha…" Naruto Uzumaki scratched his head awkwardly.
"Seriously, don't scare people like that. It's bad for your heart," Shikamaru Nara complained, patting his chest.
"Hey, I was lying here perfectly fine. You didn't see me—how's that my fault?"
Choji Akimichi smiled warmly. "Brother Ruichi, long time no see. That mission must've been rough, right?"
"It was okay. I scraped by." Ruichi waved it off. "Oh right, the stuff you got for me last time came in handy. Really effective. How about I treat you all to barbecue tonight?"
"Barbecue!" Choji's eyes lit up instantly.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "You're being generous for once… You're not planning to rope us into more trouble, are you?"
Ruichi put on a wounded expression. "Shikamaru, where's your trust? I helped you a lot last time—consider this a thank-you gift."
"Me too! I wanna go!" Naruto shot his hand up.
"Sure," Ruichi nodded. "Meet me by the river this evening, my usual fishing spot."
Watching the trio bicker as they walked away, Ruichi lay back down to wait for school to end.
The faint sound of lectures drifted out on the breeze, making his eyelids grow heavy…
He was jolted awake only when the dismissal bell rang and students poured out of the gates in small groups.
He stood quickly and scanned the crowd, soon spotting a timid figure.
Hinata.
Hinata Hyuga was walking home with her head down when she heard a noise. Startled, she looked up.
"Brother Ruichi?"
"I need your help with something," Ruichi said straight away. "Is it convenient?"
"Huh? W-what is it?"
"Someone used genjutsu on me during a recent mission. I broke free, but I'm not sure if there are lingering effects. Could you use your Byakugan to check?"
"Mmm—mm!" Hinata nodded vigorously, her face serious. "Byakugan!"
As she formed the hand seals, veins bulged faintly at her temples. Her pale eyes focused intently on Ruichi.
Her gaze swept over him, carefully examining every detail.
"Brother Ruichi's chakra flow is very smooth. Nothing abnormal. But…"
She unconsciously stepped closer, peering more intently.
"…Maybe I'm mistaken? It feels like you even have chakra pathways within your bones."
She's thorough… even checked the bone meridians. No abnormalities, so I should be fine.
Though Ruichi wasn't worried about Hinata spreading rumors, he still changed the subject.
"Ahem, that's nothing to worry about. As long as there's no residual genjutsu, it's fine. More importantly, I want to ask you something."
Hinata deactivated the Byakugan—and only then realized she was almost in his arms.
"Ah—!"
A blush surged from her neck to the top of her head, practically steaming.
She stumbled back, covered her face, and turned aside.
"Uh…" Watching the flustered "steam princess," Ruichi still decided to test his luck. "Do you know about the Bamboo Clan in the Land of Fire?"
Hinata stayed like that for a moment, thinking. "I think… Father mentioned them. The Kaguya Clan has some dealings with the Hyuga."
"I see. Do you know roughly where they are? If it's confidential, just pretend I didn't ask."
"It's not a secret." Hinata shook her head. "There's a village called Bamboo Cutter Village in the northern Land of Fire, near the Land of Hot Springs. I've never been there, though… but I can ask Father when I get home!"
"Then I'll be counting on you," Ruichi smiled. "I'll treat you to something tasty another day. I've been experimenting with new desserts—you'll probably like them."
At the mention of "just the two of us," Hinata's face, which had just calmed down, turned red again.
"I—I'll get the information."
She spun around and ran off as if fleeing. After a few steps, she glanced back, then ran even faster, her face burning.
Ruichi watched her retreat and stroked his chin.
"I was planning to treat everyone to barbecue… but never mind. She gets shy around crowds. I'll treat her separately."
As for whether this would draw the Hyuga clan's attention—if it wasn't secret information, it shouldn't be a problem. And there wasn't a better option anyway.
If it weren't for the Uchiha mess… sigh.
Stretching lazily, Ruichi headed toward the market.
After all, he still had to prepare for tonight's barbecue.