Just as Mizuki slipped the form into the Gray Booklet, Che happened to pass the Academic Affairs Room.
He had only come to deliver the exercise books. Kiyo had left his by the training field, and Morita Yu refused to make a second trip for him. In the end, the three of them played rock-paper-scissors, and Che lost. Kiyo said this proved fate had faith in him. Che said fate needed its eyes checked.
The door to the Academic Affairs Room stood half closed.
From inside came the rustle of pages, along with Mizuki's voice.
"Naruto's imaginative responses are stronger than expected. His control is just poor. With the right approach, he'll improve quickly."
Che didn't recognize the other voice. It probably belonged to a Recorder from the Office of Academic Affairs.
"Iruka-sensei recommends continuing to build stability in the basics."
Mizuki chuckled. "Iruka is too cautious with him."
Che stopped outside the door, the exercise books resting against his thigh. Wind blew past the window, and through the gap in the door, he could see a patch of gray cover at the corner of the desk. That booklet was thicker than the old one in the East Corridor. There was no name on its cover, only a small Ninja Academy stamp.
Mizuki slipped yesterday's record sheet inside, leaving one corner of the paper exposed.
"Sasuke Uchiha's performance is stable. Uchiha Che's control leans conservative; suspected of holding back." Mizuki continued, "These two need to be considered separately. Sasuke falls within his clan's expectations. Che may not."
Che's fingers lightly brushed the edge of the exercise books.
Suspected of holding back.
That phrase was far more troublesome than "observant." Mizuki wasn't just watching Naruto. He was watching him, too. Worse, the man knew exactly how to choose his words when