Tejima Shinichi pushed open the door to Classroom 301.
The scene inside came into view.
The classroom was large, yet it seemed crowded at the moment.
A dense crowd stood scattered throughout the room. At a rough glance, there were at least a hundred and fifty people.
Most of them stood in groups of three or five, their forehead protectors varied in style, marking them as ninjas from different villages.
The air was filled with the hum of hushed conversations, mixed with an almost imperceptible tension.
His arrival immediately drew quite a few gazes.
In a corner by the window, the trio from Sunagakure almost simultaneously looked over.
Temari's brows furrowed instinctively.
Kankuro's expression turned somewhat unnatural, and he even unconsciously took half a step back, as though he could still feel the suffocating sensation of having his neck strangled that day.
"It's that guy..."
Gaara's hollow eyes locked onto Tejima Shinichi.
After arriving in Konoha, they had learned with only a little inquiry about Tejima Shinichi's identity—the Top Student whom the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had exceptionally taken as a disciple, a monster of Konoha's new generation who possessed overwhelming strength even before graduation.
Elsewhere, a young man with round-framed glasses and gentle silver hair also noticed the movement at the door.
Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses. His gaze behind the lenses swiftly swept over Tejima Shinichi, and the friendly smile on his lips seemed to deepen subtly for an instant.
"The Third Hokage's disciple...!"
"Shinichi!"
Just then, a voice called out.
Yamanaka Ino hurried over from one side of the crowd with a smile on her face, waving enthusiastically, completely unaware of the complicated gazes directed their way.
Behind her followed a languid-looking Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji, who was intently chewing on potato chips.
"Ino." Tejima Shinichi