Rikusei caused quite a stir when he returned to the Ninja Academy.
So much so that, during the break, transfer students from other Hidden Villages came all the way from different floors just to catch a glimpse of the legendary disciple shared by Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha Rikusei.
The transfer students quietly stood in the hallway, sizing him up, while students from other classes who knew him crowded into the classroom and surrounded his seat.
From the back row, Naori gazed at him with a smile in her eyes. A familiar figure had appeared once more in the seat that had stood empty.
At last, the emptiness in her gaze was filled. The figure standing tall amid the crowd looked even broader and more upright than before.
"Hmph."
Mao, sitting beside Naori and feeling ignored, gave a soft, disgruntled snort. She blinked resentfully, her gaze shifting back and forth between Naori and Rikusei.
Why had Naori started acting so strangely as soon as Rikusei came back? Mao couldn't understand it at all.
At the next desk, the listless Nara Karin turned her face toward Mao and gave her an exasperated look. Then she let out a long sigh at the noisy classroom, laid her head on her desk, and treasured the precious time she had to rest.
The next class was Taijutsu Class. A little rest was all the more reason to make the most of it.
At the end of Taijutsu Class, Kaku asked Rikusei and Naori to stay behind. He reminded them that the clan meeting would be held that evening and told them not to forget to attend.
Time slipped by in a flash. The clear ring of the bell echoed across the schoolyard, leaving Rikusei, who had been away from school for so long,