Class Reunion!

Saturday afternoon.

Hyuga Bin arrived at the gathering place at the agreed time.

By the time he arrived, nearly all of his classmates had come as well.

Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Tobitake, Kurenai Yuhi, Sarutobi Asuma, Nohara Rin, Sawaki Minobu...

Including Hatake Kakashi, who had graduated early, a total of twenty people attended this class reunion.

Compared to the thirty who had graduated, there were now eleven fewer people. Of the eleven who had not come, some were still carrying out missions at the border, while others had already died on the battlefield.

After paying the gathering fee, Hyuga Bin greeted everyone.

Once the greetings were over, everyone gathered into groups to chat.

Naturally, there were varying degrees of closeness between classmates.

For example, Sarutobi Asuma stayed glued to Kurenai Yuhi's side.

Hyuga Bin, meanwhile, gathered with Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin.

Sawaki Minobu flitted between two or three male classmates.

Only after everyone had arrived did Sarutobi Asuma, the organizer of this gathering, step up as host and give a speech.

It had to be said that, as the Hokage's son, Sarutobi Asuma was quite the speaker.

Just a few words from him stirred up a round of teasing from the crowd below.

By dusk, the gathering and fun between old classmates came to an end, moving into the dinner segment Hyuga Bin had been looking forward to most.

For the sake of liveliness, they were having hot pot for dinner.

On the way to the hot pot restaurant, Hatake Kakashi moved close to Hyuga Bin. "Bin, didn't you say everyone had to put on a performance? Why hasn't anyone mentioned it?"

His relationships with the other classmates were all fairly ordinary, so throughout the gathering, he had stayed with Hyuga Bin, Nohara Rin, and Uchiha Obito.

"It's still early. Once we get to the hot pot restaurant, we'll start performing one by one." Hyuga Bin patted Hatake Kakashi on the shoulder, signaling for him not to worry.

Hatake Kakashi immediately had the feeling that Hyuga Bin had fooled him. He promptly left Hyuga Bin and found Uchiha Obito. "Obito, what performance did you prepare this time?"

"Ah... I'm going to perform washing my hair while standing on my head." Uchiha Obito said, suppressing a laugh.

Since Uchiha Obito was only a Chunin, his self-control was not as strong as a Jonin's. He nearly burst out laughing from that one sentence alone.

"Obito, are you really going that far?" Hatake Kakashi froze upon hearing the words "washing my hair while standing on my head."

After thinking it over carefully, Hatake Kakashi still felt that something was off. He ran over to ask Nohara Rin again, "Rin, do we have to perform at this class reunion?"

After the first time, Hatake Kakashi was clearly smarter the second time around.

"Mm, I'm planning to sing a song." Nohara Rin smiled and asked Hatake Kakashi in return, "Kakashi, what are you performing?"

"I'm reciting poetry." Hatake Kakashi had clearly believed in the performances.

After asking two people in a row, both of whom said they were performing—and one of them was Nohara Rin, whom he trusted most—Hatake Kakashi no longer doubted Hyuga Bin.

What he did not know was that Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito had been bribed by Hyuga Bin yesterday.

At dinner time, before the dishes were served.

Hyuga Bin took the initiative to stand up and smilingly got things started with the classmates present.

"For this class reunion, Kakashi will be the first to perform. He'll recite a few poems for everyone and cultivate our sentiments. Let's give him a round of applause."

"Clap, clap, clap!"

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Amid the scattered applause, Hatake Kakashi took a deep breath, stood up, and began reciting poetry.

"..."

"Stealing another man's wife, thrilling and delicious, like eating blowfish..."

"Hahaha..."

When Hatake Kakashi recited this senryu about adultery, the crowd burst into laughter.

"I never expected Kakashi to have a side like this."

After Hatake Kakashi finished reciting his poems, everyone applauded again.

In the past, Hatake Kakashi had been a genius in everyone's eyes.

And genius meant distance, meant not fitting in.

Now that Hatake Kakashi had shown a "down-to-earth" side and even recited adultery poetry, it naturally brought him closer to everyone.

As for Hatake Kakashi, the star of this performance, once he had finished reciting, he realized that Hyuga Bin, Nohara Rin, and Uchiha Obito had jointly set him up.

He was truly glad that he had the habit of wearing a mask. Otherwise, it would have been so embarrassing that he would have wanted to crawl into a hole.

As the dishes were served, the truly lively part of the gathering had only just begun.

Since they had booked a private room, not only would they not be disturbed or watched, but the twenty underage ninja present could also secretly drink a little rice wine.

Several of the female classmates, including Kurenai Yuhi and Nohara Rin, drank a little as well.

With everyone in high spirits, they began a drinking game.

Perhaps because reciting poetry had freed his nature, Hatake Kakashi also joined in with everyone.

Half an hour after the meal began, the entire private room had already become a noisy mess.

Uchiha Obito sat to Hyuga Bin's left, while Hatake Kakashi sat to his right.

Both were beginners at drinking, and after only a couple of cups, their faces were flushed red. Hyuga Bin, an old drunkard, had not even begun to feel the effects of the alcohol.

With nothing else to do, Hyuga Bin began teaching Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Obito how to play "Fifteen, Twenty."

After Sarutobi Asuma, the organizer of this gathering, had gone around clinking cups with each classmate and chatting for a few words, he returned to his seat. His burning gaze settled on Kurenai Yuhi, who was chatting with Nohara Rin.

"Everyone, sorry for the trouble, but could you please quiet down for a moment?"

"It's rare for us all to be together today. I want to ask everyone to bear witness for me. There are some things in my heart that I want to tell someone..."

(A new character, Mei Terumi, has been added. Everyone can go send her some hearts.)