There Was Only One School in Konoha, So How Could There Be a Transfer Student?

A few days later, one morning, Teacher Ibuki stood at the front of the classroom, looking a little more serious than usual.

"Quiet down. I have an announcement."

The classroom gradually fell silent, and the children all looked up at him.

Teacher Ibuki cleared his throat. "We're getting a new classmate today."

Whispers immediately rippled through the classroom.

"A new classmate?"

"Joining us now?"

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

Shin-chan tilted his head and poked Uchiha Toru beside him.

"Xiao Che, how come we're getting a new classmate?"

Uchiha Toru thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know. There's only one Ninja Academy in Konoha. I've never heard of anyplace else."

"Then where did he come from?"

"Maybe he came from another village?" Uchiha Toru wasn't sure, either. "But people from other villages don't usually transfer to Konoha..."

As the two of them whispered, Teacher Ibuki nodded toward the door.

"Come in."

The door opened.

A boy walked in.

He was a little taller than most of the kids in class. He wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt and green shorts, and his clothes were neat and tidy.

What stood out most was the glistening string of snot hanging beneath his nose. It swayed back and forth with every step.

The classroom fell silent for a second.

Then someone snickered.

But the boy seemed not to hear them at all. His expression didn't change as he walked straight to the front of the classroom and stood beside the podium, facing everyone.

"Introduce yourself," Teacher Ibuki said.

The boy nodded and spoke.

"My name is Adai."

His voice was flat, without the slightest inflection.

And that was it.

The classroom fell silent again for two seconds.

Teacher Ibuki waited a moment. When he realized the boy really wasn't going to say anything else, he gave a small cough. "Uh... Adai, where do you live, and what are your hobbies?"

"Another Place."

"What place?"

"Faraway Place."

Teacher Ibuki's mouth twitched.

Whispers started up again.

Shin-chan's eyes settled on the swaying string of snot.

"Xiao Che."

"Hmm?"

"His snot is really long."

Uchiha Toru glanced over and nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Could it run into his mouth?"

"Probably... not?"

"What if it does?"

Uchiha Toru pictured it and shuddered. "Don't say that."

At the podium, Teacher Ibuki gave up on asking more questions. He scanned the classroom, looking for an empty seat.

Adai also looked around, his gaze passing over one unfamiliar face after another.

"Adai, you can sit back there for now." Teacher Ibuki pointed to the seats behind Shin-chan's row.

Adai nodded and walked over slowly.

As he passed Shin-chan, he glanced down.

Shin-chan happened to look up, and their eyes met.

They stared at each other for a second.

"Hi there." Shin-chan waved at him.

Adai paused, but didn't respond. He simply looked away and continued on, taking a seat in the back row.

Teacher Ibuki began the lesson.

Today's topic was the basics of using Chakra. They'd already covered some of it last time, so this lesson was a review with a little more depth.

After a while, he suddenly stopped and looked toward the back row.

"Adai, do you understand what I just explained?"

Adai looked up at him.

"Yes."

Teacher Ibuki was a little surprised.

The boy had just arrived, and the lesson wasn't even over. How could he already understand it?

"Then tell me, what's the basic principle behind Chakra extraction?" Teacher Ibuki decided to test him.

Adai stood up and answered expressionlessly. "Chakra is produced by combining Body Energy and Mental Energy. The ratio varies from person to person and can be adjusted through training."

Teacher Ibuki was stunned.

The answer was completely correct.

"What's the most important thing when controlling Chakra?"

"The most important thing is stability. No matter how much Chakra you extract, if you can't control it steadily, you can't use it effectively. Stability depends on keeping Mental Energy and Body Energy in balance."

Adai's voice remained flat.

"Also, different Chakra natures require different methods of control. It's not recommended to attempt nature transformation before mastering the basics of Chakra control."

The classroom fell silent.

Teacher Ibuki opened his mouth, unsure what to say.

Who was this kid...?

He glanced at the transfer papers in his hand. They only said that Adai had "studied at home," with no other information.

"Ahem." Teacher Ibuki cleared his throat twice. "Very good. Adai has a solid grasp of the material. You can sit down."

Adai nodded and sat down, his gaze drifting briefly toward the front row.

The kid in Red Clothes was slumped over his desk, looking ready to fall asleep.

The bell rang.

The classroom came alive with chatter.

A few curious classmates gathered around Adai, hoping to talk to him.

"Adai, did you really study at home before?"

"Yeah."

"Where do you live?"

"Far away."

"Are your parents ninjas?"

"I don't know."

After a few questions, everyone realized that talking to Adai was like squeezing toothpaste from a tube. He answered one question at a time, never spoke unless asked, and every answer was painfully short.

Even harder to know what to say about was the string of snot hanging beneath his nose. It kept swaying back and forth, but never dripped.

Someone couldn't help asking, "Aren't you going to wipe your nose?"

Adai looked down at the snot beneath his nose, then looked up and said expressionlessly, "No need."

"W-why not?"

"It'll go back on its own."

Everyone around him fell silent.

They watched the snot in silence, waiting to see how it would "go back on its own."

They waited a while.

Then they waited some more.

The snot still hung there, swaying back and forth, showing no sign of going anywhere.

Someone began edging backward.

"Um... I just remembered I have something to do..."

"Me too. I have to use the bathroom..."

"Let's go together..."

Before long, a circle of empty space had formed around Adai.

He didn't seem to mind. He just sat there, gazing ahead, no one knew what he was thinking.

The dismissal bell rang.

Shin-chan stretched, stood up, and packed his things. As he turned around, he glanced back.

His eyes met Adai's.

They stared at each other for another second.

Shin-chan blinked. "Your name's Adai, right?"

"Yeah."

"Your nose." Shin-chan pointed beneath his own nose. "Do you have a cold?"

Adai shook his head. "No."

"Then why does it keep running?"

Adai was silent for two seconds.

"I don't know."

Shin-chan tilted his head and thought for a moment, then pulled a crumpled tissue from his pocket and held it out.

"Here."

Adai stared at the tissue, stunned.

Shin-chan held it out a little farther. "Want to wipe your nose?"

Adai slowly reached out and took the tissue.

"Thanks."

Shin-chan had already turned and run toward the door.

"See you tomorrow."

Adai stood where he was and looked down at the tissue in his hand.

It was crumpled and warm.