The girl named Inuzuka Meiko didn't seem like much of a talker. She glanced at Higashino Shinichi once, then paid him no more attention, content to stroke her beloved dog's head. She was the complete opposite of her future fellow clan member, little Kiba Inuzuka.
Hyuga Tokuma, on the other hand, waved at him. "Hey, Makoto. Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Tokuma. Muta."
"Mm!" Aburame Muta replied, gave Higashino Shinichi a serious look, and said nothing more.
It wasn't that he had anything against Higashino Shinichi. He was simply that kind of person. In all their years as classmates, Higashino Shinichi had never heard him say more than a few complete sentences to anyone.
At the same time, you could spot him at every class activity, quiet as a post. But if you greeted him, he'd always answer promptly.
That was just how their clan was. They produced introverts in droves.
Seeing the rival he'd always wanted to beat, Hyuga Tokuma teased, "You finally decided to graduate, huh? I thought you'd stay in school for all six years."
"If circumstances allowed, I wouldn't mind staying a few more."
"School can't make us stronger quickly. Only by becoming full-fledged Ninja can we get enough training. So, Makoto, after graduating a year late, are you still the monster who never gave me a chance to win?"
Higashino Makoto looked surprised. "You aren't thinking of challenging me right now, are you?"
"Of course not. Do you think I'm that bad at reading the room? But maybe we can find out during this war who kills more enemies."
"Tokuma!"
"Yeah?"
Higashino Makoto looked him squarely in his nearly all-white eyes. "War isn't a game. More than killing enemies, I hope you and everyone else make it through safely."
Hyuga Tokuma fell