Shinji and Yakumo had completed another S-rank mission, and, just as expected, they became the focus of discussion among the students at the Ninja Academy.
What made it even more exciting was that their mission hadn't been some secret operation they couldn't talk about. They had captured an Upper Rank demon, one that had risen to prominence in the Shinobi World in recent years. The buzz around them had reached a whole new level.
"What was Upper Moon Five like?"
"Did he really have words carved in his eyes?"
"I heard those Upper Ranks eat people! Yakumo, is that true?"
"Was Upper Moon Five strong?"
Their classmates crowded around Yakumo, peppering her with questions.
Yakumo didn't put on airs. She told them everything she was allowed to share.
When they heard Yakumo describe Upper Moon Five as being two or three stories tall, the students gathered around her let out a chorus of gasps.
Elsewhere on the grounds,
Neji, Tenten, Rock Lee, and the others gathered around Shinji, asking him about the battle to capture Upper Moon Five.
"That's pretty much what happened."
Shinji smiled as he recounted the capture of Upper Moon Five.
Now that the village had captured an Upper Rank demon, the live-subject trials for the Aging Agent could finally resume.
Tenten and Rock Lee kept asking questions, while Neji listened quietly nearby.
A closer look would have revealed that Neji wasn't as unconcerned as he seemed. His slightly perked ears gave him away.
After Shinji had answered all their questions, Tenten suddenly looked at Haku and Karin beside her in confusion. "Huh? Aren't you two curious at all? You haven't asked a single question."
"Uh..."
Haku and Karin exchanged a glance.
They really weren't curious. After all, they were the ones who had driven Upper Moon