Th-This is... the Hokage Assistant...?
Eleven years old—the youngest Hokage Assistant in history?
More than three hundred pairs of youthful eyes widened as they stared fixedly ahead, toward the front of the open ground. A trace of doubt surfaced in their eyes, as though a certain image in their hearts was beginning to waver.
"Uh..."
At that moment, the ten teachers also stared blankly to the side, utterly at a loss.
"Lord... Lord Chiba..."
Even Teacher Yamada, renowned for his strictness and for never letting his emotions show, had a stiff expression and an embarrassed look on his face. He was bent over, his hands half-extended, caught in the awkward position of not knowing whether to reach out or not.
"Cough! Cough, cough! It's fine, I'm fine! Everyone, don't worry, I'm fine!"
Then, a voice came from the ground at an angle before Teacher Yamada.
All the students and teachers watching saw the reflection of a disheveled boy climbing up from the ground in their eyes.
An eleven-year-old boy with somewhat handsome features, dust-stained clothes, wind-tousled hair, and a rather sorry appearance.
Those words had come from this boy's mouth.
"I'm telling you... Kakashi!"
After getting to his feet, the boy known as the Hokage Assistant, Lord Chiba—Chiba himself—glared resentfully at the white-haired boy beside him, who stood with his arms folded.
"At least we made it in time."
The white-haired boy replied indifferently.
Behind the white-haired boy, the skinny boy wore a blank, poker-faced expression as he chewed on something, apparently still eating.
He did not acknowledge Chiba or speak up for him, looking as though this was perfectly acceptable.
"Heh..."
Seeing the two of them like this, Chiba could only sigh. He did not say anything more. At most, he had simply taken a fall and made an