The girl was wearing a slightly oversized dark-colored dress, which made her look rather thin.
She rested her chin on her hand, her short black hair hanging casually by her ears, and looked wearily at the rising sun outside the window.
"Honestly, she even said she would take good care of me on behalf of my uncle… yet she got herself that drunk again and caused chaos until the middle of the night. In the end, who is taking care of whom?"
The black-haired girl yawned, her face full of fatigue. In her mind flashed the messy image of a certain blond figure from last night, and she couldn't help but complain helplessly in her heart.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?"
At this time, a gentle and clear voice came through.
The girl turned her head at the sound, seemingly still lost in her own thoughts, her eyes still a little dazed as she came back to her senses.
She glanced at Shinichi, then at the empty seat next to her, her face expressionless. She simply nodded lazily and said softly, "Um, whatever."
"My name is Shinichi Higashino. What's yours, classmate?"
"Shizune."
Shizune responded weakly, her voice so soft it seemed to float in the air. She slightly lifted her eyelids and glanced at Shinichi again.
This unremarkable classmate had a surprisingly pleasant smile, like the gentle morning sunlight.
But that warmth quickly dissipated as she was now preoccupied with another unpleasant matter.
The thought of that drunk woman making a mess at the house when she woke up and having to clean it up when she got back made her temples throb. Even the classroom in front of her and her new deskmate next to her seemed a little unreal.
Shizune?
That's right, he remembered Shizune and Kakashi were the same age and in the same grade, just in different classes.
It seems to be a good thing indeed.
Shinichi's lips curled slightly as he calmly looked towards the podium, waiting for the teacher to arrive. However, his mind was filled with new thoughts due to the unexpected discovery of Shizune as his new deskmate.
A few minutes later, the teacher still hadn't appeared.
But then, the classroom door was pushed open with a bang, and a figure rushed in, bringing with it a slightly dry breeze.
The newcomer had dark skin, was noticeably more robust than other children his age, and was covered in sweat, as if he had run there.
He took a few deep breaths, his eyes under his thick eyebrows quickly scanning the classroom.
He found that there was only one empty seat left in the three-seater by the window in the upper right corner, so he strode over there without hesitation.
"Thank goodness, I made it!"
He plopped down in the empty seat next to Shinichi before letting out a long sigh of relief, then muttered with some dissatisfaction, "Honestly, Master Chen is so careless about time, it's the first day of school..."
He seemed to realize halfway through his sentence that he hadn't greeted his new deskmate yet, and abruptly turned around, revealing a set of white teeth in a bright, untroubled smile: "My name is Takashi Ishizuka, just call me Takashi! What's your name?"
Takashi?
A certain thought flashed through Shinichi's mind, but he didn't show it on his face, and instead gave a friendly smile: "Shinichi Higashino, you can call me Shinichi."
As he spoke, he glanced at Takashi Ishizuka's sturdy physique and the Master Chen he had casually mentioned earlier, and with a guess in mind, he casually said, "Takashi, judging from your appearance, you should be skilled in Taijutsu?"
"Not really!"
Takashi Ishizuka waved his hand, his smile carrying a hint of frank self-deprecation, but his eyes were sparkling: "Rather than saying I'm good at it, it's more accurate to say that this is all I know. I only got in by passing the Taijutsu entrance exam. My master always said that people who can't use Ninjutsu can't be ninjas and advised me to give up on that idea, but I'm determined to prove him wrong. Even if I only know Taijutsu, I can still become an excellent ninja."
"What do you think, Shinichi?"
"Of course, Taijutsu itself is a remarkable path, capable of even creating miracles."
Shinichi's tone was sincere, without a trace of falsehood, because Taijutsu can truly create miracles, and Might Guy is the best example.
"Hahahaha, that's so well said! A miracle! Yes, a miracle!"
Upon hearing this, Takashi Ishizuka's smile widened, clearly pleased. He then said with great interest, "Speaking of which, Shinichi, are you also interested in Taijutsu? I see you have a pretty sturdy frame. How about we spar sometime? Master Chen always says that real combat is the best practice!"
It really is you!
All you know is physical skill, Master Chen...
Once the two important pieces of information were combined, Shinichi immediately understood that the burly, dark-skinned boy with a bright smile and a bit of recklessness in front of him was probably the disciple who was unable to perform Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, but existed in Master Chen's words as someone who only knew Taijutsu and died in the Third Shinobi World War.
The thought crossed his mind, but he simply smiled and nodded: "Of course I'm interested. I hope to have the opportunity to guide you in the future."
The silent one on the far right, who had been relatively inconspicuous, seemed disturbed by the sudden surge of atmosphere beside her. She glanced at the two people chatting happily, made a barely audible sound, and then buried her chin back in her arms, exuding an aura of introversion.
On the stage, the homeroom teacher finally appeared, and the classroom gradually quieted down.
The homeroom teacher began with a routine speech, introducing school rules, curriculum arrangements, and so on.
Shinichi sat upright, his gaze fixed on the podium, seemingly listening attentively, but his mind was already racing.
He pondered how to interact with his two deskmates, or more accurately, how to connect with the people behind them through these two deskmates.
One was Chen, hailed as the strongest Taijutsu user in Konoha and nicknamed the Leaf Dragon God.
If he could get in touch with that Master Chen through Takashi Ishizuka, even if it were only to receive a bit of guidance, it would be of immeasurable benefit to solidifying his foundation, broadening his Taijutsu perspective, and even shaping his future persona in Taijutsu.
Another is Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, hailed as the strongest Medical Ninja in Konoha. Chakra control, medical Ninjutsu, superhuman strength, and even the Senju clan... All of it was another incomparably precious treasury.
Takashi Ishizuka and Shizune represent the keys to unlocking these two treasure troves.
As he said before, this is a good thing!
Shinichi's mind returned to the podium. Below the podium, pairs of eyes looked expectant, bewildered, or excited, 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 freshmen's varied emotions, and it was lunchtime.
People began to pour out of the classrooms and converge in the corridors and on the path leading to the playground, filling the space once again with the sounds of chattering and laughter.
Shinichi walked slowly with the crowd, his gaze calmly sweeping over the faces that were either unfamiliar or somewhat familiar.
It was amidst the flow of people leaving school that he saw clearly for the first time those familiar faces 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 Shinobi World in the future were just ordinary children mixed in with the crowd at the moment.
Shinichi's gaze swept over them indifferently, without lingering on any of them for even a second longer.
Even Obito Uchiha, who would one day cause a massive upheaval, did not attract his attention in the slightest.
At this moment, he could only see one person. His gaze, as if drawn by an invisible magnet, instantly pierced through the noisy crowd and precisely locked onto the silver-haired figure.
Kakashi!