Even though the massacre had taken place, it had nothing to do with the reserve little ninjas still attending the Ninja Academy. At most, their classmates suddenly discovered that one day, all the Uchiha children had vanished without a trace.
Most of the Uchiha children were rather solitary and didn't have many friends, but one of them was different.
"Sasuke-kun hasn't come to school for several days now!" Ino Yamanaka lay across her desk, scanning her classmates as she muttered under her breath.
Aside from the Hyuga Clan's Young Miss, all the girls in the class liked Sasuke Uchiha. They weren't old enough for romance yet, but cool, handsome boys were naturally far more appealing than troublemakers like Naruto Uzumaki.
Besides, ninja bodies tended to mature much faster, and their minds were no exception.
After turning down the chips Choji offered him, Shikamaru Nara, just like Ino Yamanaka, lounged on his desk. He said quietly, "Sister Lu Yu said something happened to the Uchiha family. Sasuke-kun probably won't be coming to school for a while. What a drag."
"Huh? Why didn't anyone in my family tell me?" Ino sprang to her feet. Luckily, it was break time. Otherwise, like Naruto Uzumaki, they would have been kicked into the hallway by an angry Iruka and made to stand there as punishment.
"Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch."
"You're so worked up that you'll spread the news everywhere. Then everyone will go visit Sasuke-kun at the hospital, and you won't have an advantage anymore. Crunch, crunch." Choji wasn't very concerned about Sasuke Uchiha. He only cared about the chips in his hands—and about his good friend.
"What! Sasuke-kun is at—mmph, mmph, mmph..." Ino Yamanaka's voice suddenly rose, and Choji hurriedly grabbed a big handful of chips and stuffed them into his friend's mouth.
The boys were unmoved, but the girls all turned around to look at Ino Yamanaka, who had made the noise. The most eager of them was Sakura Haruno, whose speed rivaled the Body Flicker Technique. In an instant, she appeared in front of Ino.
"Um, Ino, what did you just say happened to Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's tone grew exceptionally gentle as she tried to get something out of Ino. The two of them seemed to have returned to the days when they were childhood friends.
Ino, however, didn't budge. She was very good at keeping a secret.
"Um, it's nothing. I just suddenly started missing Sasuke-kun." Ino put on a straight face, pretending nothing had happened.
"Um... um..." A voice as faint as a mosquito's came from nearby. It wasn't until Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka had finished arguing that anyone noticed who had spoken.
Hinata Hyuga usually went unnoticed at the Ninja Academy. Sakura Haruno was better than her at theoretical knowledge, and no one could beat Sasuke Uchiha in practical combat. On top of that, Hinata didn't talk to people much and simply sat quietly in a corner.
"What is it, Hinata?" Having failed to get the information she wanted from Ino, Sakura Haruno went over to Hinata.
"Um, Sister Yue said Sasuke-kun is in the hospital." Seeing Sakura suddenly jump in front of her, Hinata shrank back and answered softly.
"What! Sasuke-kun is in the hospital?" Sakura finally got the information she wanted and cried out in surprise.
Sakura Haruno didn't have a friend like Choji who could stuff chips into her mouth to shut her up, so all the girls in the class found out about the news.
Soon, someone suggested they all go visit Sasuke Uchiha. Since everyone knew about it and everyone wanted to visit Sasuke-kun, they might as well go together.
"Big forehead! You're such an idiot!"
Only Ino was angry. She grabbed the empty chip bag Choji had left behind and kneaded it furiously, pretending it was Sakura Haruno's head. At first, she'd been the only one who could go visit Sasuke-kun, but now Sakura had let the whole school know.
Seeing how furious Ino was, Sakura realized she'd caused trouble and didn't dare provoke her again. She had been thinking of buying a few bunches of flowers at Ino's flower shop to give to Sasuke, but now she could only keep her distance.
"Hinata, are you going too?" she asked the girl beside her in a quiet voice.
"Um, even though... even though I really want to go with everyone, but..." Hinata Hyuga lowered her head. She didn't like Sasuke Uchiha the way the other girls did, but if a classmate was hurt, she definitely ought to visit him.
"Is Lord Hiashi not allowing you to go?"
Looking at the hesitant Hinata, Sakura Haruno immediately guessed the reason. Hinata came from a great ninja clan and had always been raised strictly. Her classmates had invited her to all sorts of activities more than once, but every time, Hinata had refused because of her father.
Gradually, Hinata had been shunned because of it.
Besides, this time they were going to visit someone from the Uchiha Clan. The two great clans had never gotten along particularly well.
"Y-yes. Father requires me to be home before sunset..." Hinata rubbed her fingers together and answered cautiously.
Sakura was one of the few girls who still talked to her. Hinata didn't want to lose her, too.
"It's all right if you don't go. But can you help me think about what kind of gift I should buy for Sasuke-kun?"
Sakura glanced at the girls surrounding Ino, all trying to order flowers from her, then turned back toward Hinata and asked softly, "Would you just come shopping with me for a little while after class? Only half an hour. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Visiting Sasuke-kun in the hospital wasn't as simple as going there, taking one look at him, and heading home. Girls, especially those who were thoughtful, would carefully choose gifts, write a little card with well-wishes, and might even want to have a few words alone with the patient.
The round trip alone would take at least two hours.
If that were the plan, Hinata definitely couldn't go. But if she only came along to browse the shops and pick out a gift, then went straight home afterward, Lord Hiashi wouldn't have any objections.
"Um, if it's only half an hour, I think... I think I can." Hinata Hyuga nodded.
If she only came home a little late, Father probably wouldn't say much. After all, he had asked her more than once to make more friends at school.
"That's great! After class, let's go to the shopping district together." With Hinata's agreement, Sakura Haruno finally beamed.
While talking to Hinata, she noticed that all the girls had already ordered flowers from Ino. If they all brought flowers to Sasuke-kun, then surely Sasuke would think more highly of her for buying him a different kind of gift.
And then, heh heh!
Sakura giggled to herself.