A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Early that morning.
Yakumo got up early, left the Kurama Clan Lands, and headed for the Ninja Academy.
She had walked this route countless times. Around the corner was the Hyuga Clan compound; beyond the long street lay the Aburame Clan compound.
After crossing a few more commercial streets, she could see the Ninja Academy building in the distance.
"Isn't that the Kurama Clan's heiress?"
"Yakumo, you're up early!"
"Lady Yakumo!"
Everyone she passed along the way greeted her, and Yakumo responded politely.
In the past, neither the shinobi nor the ordinary villagers she met on this route paid her any particular attention.
After all, the Kurama Clan had long since fallen into decline. So even though Yakumo was the eldest daughter of the Main Family and the clan's future leader, she had attracted little notice.
But ever since word got out that she had awakened the Red Dragon Eye, become Tsunade's apprentice, and successfully endured the First Hokage cells transplant surgery, her standing had risen at a visible, astonishing pace.
The Kurama Clan's reputation had risen along with hers.
Before long, Yakumo arrived at the Ninja Academy.
As she crossed the training ground, her classmates greeted her one after another. Even when she happened to run into one of the Academy's teachers, they spoke to her with the utmost courtesy and respect, treating her like a colleague of equal standing rather than a student.
Shion spotted Yakumo and hurried over. "Yakumo, want to train with me today? Even Shinji says my Taijutsu is improving really fast!"
Yakumo glanced at Shinji, who was following behind Shion. She felt a flicker of eagerness, but quickly suppressed it.
She knew it wouldn't be fair to challenge Shinji again right now. So she looked