A Journey to the Ninja Academy

Shin-chan, pulling Ai's sleeve, ran across two streets before finally slowing down.

Ai was panting, and the hem of her kimono was lifted slightly by the wind, revealing white tabi socks underneath.

Her hair was a little disheveled, with a few stray strands sticking to her cheeks, but she didn't stop to fix it.

Back in the capital, the court tutors told her a thousand times, "Your Highness, please pay attention to your demeanor." Walk slowly, take small steps, keep your back straight, and keep your head upright.

She had never run in the street in a kimono before, nor had she ever had her hair like that.

She looked down at her sleeve, which Shin-chan had tugged at and wrinkled, and suddenly smiled.

Shin-chan turned around and looked at her from ahead. "What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing," Ai smoothed out her sleeves. "Let's go."

Shin-chan -chan nodded and continued walking forward.

Unbeknownst to them, the moment they left the Nohara House's house, the Anbu had already made their move, and a dark figure vanished silently from the rooftop.

When the news reached the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage was drinking tea. He put down his teacup, remained silent for two seconds, and then stood up and walked to the window.

"Notify the Anbu to increase security around the school."

The Anbu behind him knelt on one knee. "Yes."

"Inform all teachers that we have a distinguished guest visiting today."

"Yes."

When the teachers at the Ninja Academy received the notification, their expressions were all quite interesting.

Teacher Ibuki glanced at the mirror on the wall, where he saw a Young Teacher with messy hair. He took a deep breath and began to tidy himself up.

As soon as Shin-chan arrived at school, he saw a long red carpet laid out in the distance, stretching from School Entrance gate all the way inside. Several people, dressed in neat clothes, stood on both sides of the red carpet.

One of them was the gatekeeper, who usually dozes off, but today he stood ramrod straight with his eyes wide open.

He stopped, tilted his head, and looked for a couple of seconds. "Who got married?"

Ai, panting behind, paused for a moment upon hearing this. "What?"

"A red carpet," Shin-chan pointed, "A red carpet is only laid out for weddings."

Ai followed his finger and looked in that direction, then remained silent for a moment before saying, "That's for welcoming distinguished guests."

Who is the distinguished guest?

Ai looked at him without saying a word.

Shin-chan blinked. "It's you?"

Ai nodded.

Shin-chan said "Oh," and then stepped onto the red carpet.

The security guard opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again, and could only try to wink at Shin-chan.

"Uncle, what's wrong with your eyes?"

The security guard coughed once, then simply Closed eyes, pretending he couldn't see.

As Ai watched Shin-chan swagger Earth Flow the red carpet, with Shiro following at his feet, its tail wagging, she suddenly felt that the red carpet didn't seem so grand after all.

She followed and stepped onto the red carpet.

Back in the capital, she had walked the red carpet before. At that time, guards stood on both sides, followed by maids and matrons. Every step she took had to be carefully measured.

I've never felt so relaxed.

Shin-chan stopped at the classroom door, turned around and looked at her. "We're here."

Ai nodded and followed him inside.

The classroom was silent for a second, then erupted.

Who is it?

"What a beautiful kimono."

"She's also very beautiful."

"He came with Shin-chan."

Teacher Ibuki's lesson was rather disjointed.

He stood on the podium, his hand holding the chalk trembling slightly.

I always felt that one gaze was particularly different.

Teacher Ibuki wiped the sweat from her brow and continued lecturing, but halfway through, she suddenly couldn't remember what the next step was.

He stood frozen on the podium, the chalk hanging in mid-air.

Shin-chan yawned downstairs.

"Teacher, are you nervous?"

Teacher Ibuki blushed slightly. "No."

"Then why are you wiping your sweat?"

"Because it's hot."

"It's very cool today."

Teacher Ibuki took a deep breath, deciding to ignore him and continue her lecture, but her eyes couldn't help but dart towards Ai.

The girl sat next to Shin-chan, her hands on her knees, her back straight, listening attentively to his lecture.

When the bell rang, Teacher Ibuki breathed a long sigh of relief, as if she had been rescued.

Before he even left the classroom, he heard hurried footsteps in the hallway.

The door was pushed open.

The woman at the head of the group was a middle-aged woman dressed in a formal kimono, her hair neatly combed, and her back straighter than Ai's.

Two young women followed behind her, carrying things in their hands.

The noise in the classroom suddenly subsided, and everyone looked towards the door.

The middle-aged woman walked in, her gaze sweeping across the classroom before finally settling on Ai. She quickly walked over and bent down in front of Ai.

"Your Highness, the carriage to pick you up has arrived."

Ai stood up and glanced at Shin-chan.

I'm leaving.

Shin-chan blinked. "Oh."

The middle-aged woman frowned, a hint of displeasure in her eyes as she looked at Shin-chan, but she said nothing.

Ai walked outside.

As she reached the door, the two young women came to greet her. One helped her fix her hair, and the other smoothed out the wrinkles on her kimono. Their movements were quick and practiced, as if they had done it countless times.

Ai stood there, motionless.

Her hair was combed back to its original shape, the wrinkles in her kimono were smoothed out, and she was once again the graceful princess.

She turned around and glanced at Shin-chan.

Shin-chan- chan was lying face down on the table, seemingly uninterested in anything.

"Shin-chan," she called to him.

Shin-chan looked up. "Hmm?"

"I'm very happy today," Ai said, turning and leaving.

A new carpet had been laid out in the corridor sometime during the day, stretching from the classroom door all the way to the school gate.

Ai walked slowly on the carpet, her back straight, a stark contrast to the girl Shin-chan had dragged along by the sleeve that morning.

She walked to the carriage, Kuroiso stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and reached out her hand.

Ai stepped onto his palm and sat steadily into the carriage.

The curtain was drawn, obscuring her face.

On both sides of the street, the villagers of Konoha watched from afar, discussing among themselves.

"Who is that? A nobleman from the Land of Fire?"

"Did you go to the Ninja Academy today?"

What are you going there for?

Who knows?

The carriage gradually disappeared into the distance.

The red carpet is still there, but it's empty, stretching from the School Entrance all the way to the street.

Several heads were huddled together by the classroom window, looking out.

"Let's go, let's go."

"What a huge carriage!"

"And there are guards."

Shin-chan lay on the table, not looking at it. He wasn't interested in the carriage or the guards.

Soon, Shin-chan was surrounded by people.

"Shin-chan, Shin-chan, did you bring that princess with you?"

"Um."

How did you meet?

"At the Dango Shop yesterday."

"..."

Obito stood outside the crowd and didn't move closer.

He glanced at Shin-chan, who was surrounded, and then at Rin, Shizune, and Hong beside him; they were standing together talking.

When did they become so close to Shin-chan?