Kage Rock
As the fierce battle at the Ninja Academy gradually came to an end, the F4 members, who were already an impatient bunch, arrived early at Kage Rock, which had been completed the previous month.
Sarutobi Hiruzen paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, muttering to himself.
Koharu couldn't stand it any longer. She wearily pressed a hand to her forehead, a hint of nervousness on her face as well. "Hiruzen, could you stop pacing? You're making my head spin! I've thought it over very carefully, and we haven't done anything wrong lately. Just relax!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't seem to take Koharu's advice to heart and kept pacing as before. At last, Homura, who had been silent all this time, couldn't hold back any longer. "Exactly, Hiruzen. Just settle down for a bit! I wasn't nervous at all, but seeing you like this has got me worked up too. Just look at Danzo. He's been quiet the whole time and hasn't said a word."
Hearing Mitokado Homura say that, Qile suddenly burst out laughing. His unexpected laughter instantly broke the tense atmosphere.
"You've still got the nerve to laugh? I shouldn't have let you come along! You insisted on tagging along! Everyone knows Lord Tobirama..." Sarutobi Hiruzen yelled angrily at Qile.
"Hiruzen!" Koharu's voice rose sharply.
"Watch your words!" Mitokado Homura quickly warned him too.
Even without their reminders, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly realized that he had almost said something inappropriate. He hurriedly shut his mouth, swallowing the rest of his sentence.
"Oh? Why'd you stop all of a sudden? Go on, keep talking!" Qile prodded him with a mischievous grin.
He knew perfectly well what Sarutobi Hiruzen had almost blurted out, and why everyone present had become so nervous.
But Qile couldn't care less about any of that.
Faced with Qile's provocation, Sarutobi Hiruzen merely glared at him before falling silent.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped talking, Qile quickly lost interest. He shifted his gaze to Danzo instead.
The corner of his mouth lifted as he teased, "Big Sister Koharu! You're the only one of us who knows Medical Ninjutsu. Why don't you go take a look at Danzo and see if he's been dead for a while? That'd explain why he hasn't said a word! Hahahaha..."
Koharu shot Qile an exasperated look. "Of all times, you just have to cause trouble! Behave yourself!"
With that, she quickly reached out and pulled Qile into her arms. Then she mercilessly ruffled his hair.
"Ow! Hey, hey, hey!" Qile struggled in Koharu's arms, his face full of protest. "I'm a proud member of the Uchiha Clan! How can you treat me like this? Let go! Let go right now!"
And so, a lively scene unfolded atop Kage Rock.
Qile struggled to escape Koharu's clutches, while Homura stood beside Mito, enjoying the show. Sarutobi Hiruzen, grinning mischievously, kept urging Koharu to rough him up even more and seemed tempted to join in himself. On the other side, Danzo appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, though he'd been gone for quite a while! Only Yeling stood quietly, wearing a gentle smile.
Just as the scene was growing chaotic, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out. "Looks like you're all still full of energy!"
At the sound of that voice, the noisy group fell silent at once.
"Teacher Heye!" The four members of F4 greeted the speaker in unison, behaving themselves.
Teacher Heye was tall and handsome, with short black hair fluttering in the breeze and a smile that never left his face.
He looked like a cheerful and kind man.
He laughed heartily before speaking. "Hahahaha! Starting today, I won't be your teacher anymore! Strictly speaking, perhaps I was never really your teacher in the first place. I was just... uh... what's that word again?" Senju Heye seemed to get stuck halfway through, looking a little awkward. He rubbed his chin, trying to think of the right word.
Qile, who was fixing his hair, suddenly offered, "Substitute teacher?"
"Right, right! That's the word!" Senju Heye's eyes lit up. He nodded in relief, then bent down and lightly bumped his right hand against Qile's in approval.
But when Senju Heye said this, all four members of F4 froze. Their eyes widened as they stared at him in astonishment, as if they couldn't believe what they'd just heard.
It was understandable, really. When the teacher who had been with you all this time suddenly announced that he wouldn't be your teacher anymore, anyone would be stunned.
Senju Heye said with a smile, "Even though I won't be your teacher from now on, if you run into any problems or trouble later and think I can help, just come find me!"
He tapped his wrist twice, then continued, "Well, it's about time. I'll see you again next time! Keep working hard from now on!"
None of the four members of F4 spoke first. The news had hit them far too hard.
In the silence, a voice that sounded unbearably smug and annoying suddenly rang out. "Yoo-hoo! Your teacher doesn't want you anymore~~~~"
Almost at the same time, the four of them exchanged glances, instantly understanding one another.
The next second, one of them shouted angrily, "This is unbearable! Get him!"
"Hey! How dare you four lay a hand on me? My clan head is Madara Uchiha! The Asura of the Ninja World! Hey! Who's pulling my pants down? Hey! Who the hell is flicking my—"
"Wrong~~~~"
Before you continue