Is there anyone normal in this class?

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

One shuriken was not enough; Sasuke immediately followed up with a Fire Style jutsu.

"Clang!"

Kaoru Hinoji was quick; the long staff on her back was in her hands in an instant, and with a light tap, she knocked Sasuke's shuriken away.

Sasuke's fireball followed closely behind, but Kaoru showed no intention of dodging. She gripped her long staff tightly, seemingly prepared to disperse the flames with it.

"Bang!"

"Everyone, stop!" With a loud shout, a heavyweight jonin instructor—Choza Akimichi—made his entrance.

In a single instant, Choza first used his palm, enlarged by the Partial Multi-Size Technique, to intercept Sasuke's Great Fireball Technique, then used his other hand to grab Kaoru's staff, preventing her from attacking.

"Regardless of the reason you started fighting, you are not allowed to use force inside the Ninja Academy!" Choza's words were forceful and full of vigor.

Sasuke and Kaoru both stopped fighting instantly. Sasuke tightened his fists, seemingly wanting to rush over and have a grand battle with Kaoru, but after glancing at Choza, he refrained from making a move.

"Kaoru, apologize to Sasuke." Choza released Kaoru's staff.

At this moment, Kaoru looked like a wronged little girl. She glanced at Sasuke, lowered her head, and muttered, "I'm sorry." Then, as if she had just been rejected after a confession, she ran out of the classroom, crying as she ran, "I'm not going to be a ninja anymore!"

Yashui felt a headache coming on. What kind of personality did his teammate have? Just a moment ago, she had been overbearing, looking like she was ready to beat Sasuke to the ground at any second. In the blink of an eye, she had turned into a teenage girl. He really couldn't tell which one was her true self.

Choza watched Kaoru flee the classroom and scratched his head.

"Sasuke, it was our class's Kaoru Hinoji who was in the wrong just now. Please be magnanimous." For a jonin to personally bow and apologize to a graduate like Sasuke was not something every jonin would do.

Under the circumstances, it wouldn't do for Sasuke to be ungracious. He was forced to accept that incredibly hasty "apology."

With the matter resolved, Choza led Yashui and Hachiko out of the classroom.

Earlier, when Kaoru mentioned the Uchiha, Yashui's eyes had felt a stinging pain again. But compared to before, it had improved quite a bit. Perhaps it was because he had grown accustomed to this pain.

Choza did not go looking for Kaoru; instead, he took Yashui and Hachiko to a barbecue restaurant.

"Boss, the same as last time!" As soon as he entered the door, Choza shouted loudly.

"Coming right up! Choza, one more time and you'll get a free feast. Make sure to come back next time!" The owner of the barbecue restaurant was very polite and attentive to Choza.

Choza was evidently a regular here.

After finding a four-person table, everyone sat down. Choza sat on one side, while Hachiko and Yashui sat on the other.

"Um... Teacher. Should we not go look for Kaoru? What if she dies or something?" Hachiko couldn't help but ask.

Hachiko looked like a very typical girl. She was always concerned about others, but when it came to actually expressing herself, she would feel very shy. When she didn't say anything, everyone would surely think she was a very nice girl.

But once she opened her mouth, she would always say something shocking. Now, Yashui finally understood why Hachiko sat alone in the back corner of the classroom. Because of her way of speaking, she was destined to have trouble getting along with others.

"Don't worry about her." Choza wiped the sweat from his forehead; he seemed quite accustomed to Kaoru suddenly running off.

The barbecue hadn't arrived yet, and there was only a glass of plain water in front of each of them. The three of them were meeting for the first time, and they couldn't think of any topics to discuss with each other.

For a moment, the atmosphere was agonizingly awkward.