Before morning lessons, the wooden notice board at the Ninja Academy entrance swayed gently in the wind.
The board was badly weathered, its edges swollen from rain. Several notices were nailed to its face. The top one listed this week's coursework, while beneath it was a newly posted registration sheet: students from each clan were required to have their guardians provide an additional signature confirming basic training, especially matters related to Fire Release instruction.
Kiyo leaned in to look for a long while, half an unfinished rice ball hanging from his mouth. "This doesn't look like a notice. It looks like an IOU posted by a debt collector."
Morita Yu nudged his rice ball farther from his mouth. "Swallow the rice first, then you can pass judgment on the notice board's life."
Che stood behind them, his gaze resting on the words "each clan."
The words themselves were ordinary, but the ink was fresh. Fresh ink on old paper always carried a faint shine that did not quite belong. The words from behind the paper window last night floated back into his mind: Itachi, the Konoha Police Force, they couldn't keep relying on a few children to prove themselves to outsiders.
The registration sheet was not aimed solely at the Uchiha. Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Inuzuka, Aburame—every child from a clan with its own training traditions had to get an additional signature. Yet Che still felt as if that sheet had looked one extra time in the Uchiha's direction.
"You don't look like someone who ate breakfast," Kiyo said, tilting his head toward him.
Che came back to himself and touched his face. "I ate. I'm just a little embarrassed because the notice board was staring at me."
"The notice board was staring at you?"
"It might think I tried really