Zhen Shu returned after the lunch break.
He had told no one when he left, only pressing his workbook down on the desk with a corner of paper sticking out. When Kiyo noticed he was gone, he thought Zhen Shu had gone to wash his hands by the sink. By the time they finished their rice balls and Zhen Shu's seat was still empty, Hayama's expression changed.
"Do you think he went to ask about the list again?" Kiyo whispered.
Morita Yu glanced at the door. "Most likely."
Keisuke stood up, then sat back down. Che saw his knee move as though he were about to chase after him. In the end, he only laid his wooden sword across the desk, his hand resting on an old crack in its hilt.
"Don't go after him?" Che asked.
Keisuke looked outside. "He'll think we look down on him."
That was exactly right. Che nodded and stayed where he was.
The classroom was a little stuffy in the afternoon. Cicadas had just begun chirping outside the windows, their calls intermittent. When Takuya came in, he swept a glance over Zhen Shu's empty seat and said nothing. He simply had them go over that morning's Wind Fire Line again. Halfway through, Zhen Shu entered from outside.
His cuffs were grayer than they had been that morning. There were no injuries on his face, only reddened ears. It was not the flush of running. It looked more like someone had scraped him raw with words.
Takuya stopped writing. "Where did you go?"
Zhen Shu stood in the doorway. "The Konoha Police Force."
The classroom fell silent at once.
Takuya looked at him. "Did you get anything?"
Zhen Shu's lips moved. "Half an answer."
"Come in."
Zhen Shu returned to his seat. Hayama wanted to