Six-Person Small Group

The next morning.

The entrance to Konoha Ninja Academy was packed with new students and their parents, leaving no room to squeeze through.

"So many people!"

Gekko Hayate stood outside the crowd, gazing at the sea of people with excitement.

"Hayate, you'll be going to school here from now on. Are you happy?" Keiko asked with a smile, looking down at him.

"Mm, I'm happy!" Gekko Hayate nodded excitedly.

Hanfeng stood beside them, lazily looking around.

In the Original Work, there was a large tree across from the Ninja Academy entrance, with a swing hanging from one of its branches. But right now, the tree was only a sapling, so small it was easy to overlook.

If I cut this tree down, would that count as changing history?

Hanfeng's gaze was full of malice.

Just then, a fair-faced little brat strolled over from the distance. When he saw Hanfeng, he waved excitedly and called, "Hanfeng, over here!"

At the sound of that voice, Hanfeng's memories came flooding back.

Well, would you look at that...

Hanfeng turned and waved with a smile. "Long time no see, Iruka!"

That's right. The boy approaching was Umino Iruka, the teacher of Naruto, Sasuke, and the rest of Konoha 11!

"Feng-chan, now that your classmate is here, why don't you go on ahead with him?" Keiko said with a smile.

She knew that new-student registration wouldn't be over in just a few minutes. And as a Second Year Student, Hanfeng didn't need to attend the New Student Enrollment Ceremony. So rather than have him waste time waiting around, she thought it would be better for him to head inside early and spend more time with his classmates.

"Okay, I'll head in first. Bye!" Hanfeng waved and walked toward Iruka.

"Remember to wait for Hayate after school. Don't forget!" Keiko called after him.

"Got it." Hanfeng waved without turning around.

"Bye, big brother!" Gekko Hayate called.

"Hanfeng, is that your little brother?"

After rejoining Hanfeng, Iruka couldn't help complimenting him. "He's so cute."

"Yeah, his name's Hayate. He's only cute while he's little, though. You should see how ugly he gets when he grows up." Hanfeng waved dismissively. "Iruka, let's head inside. If we wait any longer, it'll be even more crowded."

"Sure."

Iruka nodded, and the two of them began squeezing their way along the edge of the crowd. Once they made it into the playground, there was suddenly plenty of space.

Hanfeng carefully surveyed his surroundings, matching them against his memories. Before long, he'd gotten a clear picture of the school's facilities.

"Hanfeng, Anko came to see me a few days ago. She said we should go on a picnic together after school today. Do you want to come?" Iruka walked along with his hands clasped behind his head, swaying as if he were out for a stroll, looking rather carefree.

"A picnic, huh?"

Hanfeng narrowed his eyes. He remembered that they used to go on picnics quite often. But they always gave Anko the money and let her buy all the food, so every picnic ended up with the same standard sweets: dango and red bean soup.

"No, I'll pass."

Hanfeng shook his head without hesitation. He liked strong flavors, especially sour and spicy ones. He could eat sweets once in a while, but he couldn't stomach them as a proper meal.

So he turned her down with righteous conviction. "I have to take Hayate home after school. I don't have time."

"Oh, I see. Then I won't go either." Iruka grimaced. "I really don't want to eat dango and red bean soup again! Hanfeng, Anko invited us to a picnic during Summer Holiday, too, and she bought the same sweets every time. How much does she love dango and red bean soup? I hate sweets! I like ramen—ramen! I'm so jealous of you. You can use training as an excuse to turn Anko down, but I can't. Sigh."

As they walked, Hanfeng tilted his head and studied him, his eyes faintly glowing.

"Hanfeng, what are you staring at?" Iruka asked, puzzled. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, I just feel like you're a little different from how I remember you," Hanfeng said with a smile.

"Remember me? We were only apart for one Summer Holiday. Hanfeng, you aren't sick, are you?"

As he spoke, Iruka couldn't help reaching out to feel Hanfeng's forehead.

But at that moment, an enormous force slammed into them from behind, sending them sprawling in opposite directions.

"Long time no see, Hanfeng-kun!"

Mitaraishi Anko stood with her hands on her hips, slightly out of breath, smiling brightly at them. "Iruka, were you picking on Hanfeng just now?"

"Anko, you really are way too reckless," Iruka complained.

"Hmph."

Anko gave a little huff, then turned to Hanfeng and narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Hanfeng, let's go on a picnic after school today to celebrate our long-awaited reunion!"

"No, I'm not going." Hanfeng shook his head. "I have to take my little brother home. I don't have time."

"Fine. The picnic fee is five hundred," Anko said, holding out her hand for the money.

"Huh?"

Hanfeng stared blankly at her. "Anko, I said I'm not going."

Anko nodded. "You still have to pay for the picnic even if you aren't going."

"Why?" Hanfeng gave her a sideways look.

"Because you weren't around during Summer Holiday, so we never had enough money for the picnics." Anko looked aggrieved. "There wasn't enough dango or red bean soup."

"You've got some nerve. Didn't you end up eating all of it?" Hanfeng rummaged through his memories and grumbled, "Keep eating like that, and you'll be a ball before you're even thirty."

"If I get fat from eating dango and red bean soup, I can live with that," Anko said happily.

"..."

Hanfeng couldn't find a single thing they agreed on, so he turned and ran.

"Hanfeng, wait up!"

Iruka hurried after him, remembering to call back over his shoulder, "Anko, um, I actually have something to do after school, too, so sorry, I can't come to the picnic."

"You little rats! You obviously just don't want to go on a picnic!"

Anko flew into a rage and chased after them, claws out.

Hanfeng was in Class 8, which had thirty students. It was almost eight o'clock, and his classmates were trickling into the classroom at the last minute.

"Did you see Lord Hokage?"

"Yeah, I did. Sigh, I thought Lord Hokage only came to give a speech when our year started, but he showed up again this year."

"Then you might be disappointed. I heard from the upperclassmen that Lord Hokage comes to the school to give a speech every year when the new students enroll."

"How can that be?"

"So our year isn't special at all, then?"

The students entering the classroom chatted among themselves. As they talked about the Third Hokage's speech at the entrance, they found their seats and sat down.

Hanfeng and Iruka sat in the last row. Both propped their chins on their hands, expressionless, watching the empty classroom slowly fill up.

Anko stood beside them, leaning on the desk with both hands, but kept her eyes fixed on the classroom door.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She waved and called, "Izumo, Kotetsu, Sasha, hurry over!"

In Class 8, Hanfeng, Iruka, Anko, Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, and Inuzuka Sa always played, did activities, and went on picnics together. They were the Six-Person Small Group.

When Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, and Inuzuka Sa heard Anko calling, they immediately ran over.