By the time the words "observation group" finally appeared, the chalk dust at the blackboard had yet to settle.
The Academic Affairs Director did not put the matter off until after class, nor did he keep a few people in a small room to discuss it again. He called the entire class back to the classroom and posted the roster he had recopied the night before beside the blackboard. A new column had been added, labeled "In-person confirmation." A short blank space followed each name, as though it gave the students a place to make their own mark.
The classroom was quiet.
Even those who usually loved whispering dared not speak. Everyone knew something had happened in the records room yesterday, but no one knew just how serious it was. Naruto sat with his fingers pressed against the corner of his desk, without shouting first as he usually did. His eyes stayed fixed on the new roster beside the blackboard, as if he feared someone might move it away the next moment.
Iruka stood at the front of the classroom and first looked over the students.
"The documents we found yesterday have been confirmed to have problems," he said. "The retest roster, seating changes, empty classroom bookings, and some temporary group assignments were all altered without public confirmation."
Quiet gasps spread through the classroom.
Some turned to look at Naruto; others instinctively glanced at Sasuke. Sasuke sat straight-backed, his face expressionless. Che kept his eyes lowered, as though studying the grain of his wooden desk, but he was actually watching the edges of the paper beside the blackboard. The new paper was whiter than the old one, its pins were straight, and its corners showed no signs of having been pressed down again.
*At least this sheet was clean for