Time flew by, just like... well, never mind. In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
Friday, October 24.
After their outdoor training that afternoon, Hanfu took his little brother home first. Anko and the other four went to buy food, while Ito Ni went home to get the sushi. They agreed to meet an hour later by the big river, two miles east of the village.
On the way home, Hayate trailed behind Hanfu with a serious expression, not saying a word.
Hanfu found it a little strange. Usually, at this time, his little brother was full of energy, chattering and bouncing along the way. Why was he so quiet today?
So Hanfu asked, "Hayate, did your teacher scold you today?"
"No!"
Hayate gave a little huff, then stopped and turned to look at Hanfu with an earnest expression. "Big brother, the teacher assigned homework at the end of class today."
Hanfu's heart gave a jump, but his expression remained calm. He smiled and asked, "So you're unhappy?"
Hayate nodded, then shook his head. "Big brother, today the teacher taught us about throwing kunai. The assignment was to write a three-hundred-word reflection."
Hanfu chuckled twice and kept walking. "Let's get home first. I have to go to a classmate's birthday party later."
Hayate wouldn't let it go. He hurried a few steps and glared at Hanfu. "Big brother, I asked around. First graders' reflections are three hundred words, and second graders' are five hundred. The reflections I've written these past few days about chakra cultivation, the Three Body Technique, Ninja Tool Throwing, the Great Fireball Technique, and everything else were all five hundred words, and some were even eight hundred! Those were actually your assignments, weren't they, big brother? Big brother, say something!"
Hanfu kept his head