The public explanation session put the table back in the center of the classroom.
Once the table was moved back, everyone in the classroom actually spoke a little less than usual. The blackboard had been wiped clean, and the ledger sat beside the lectern. The Gray Booklet, the vacant classroom booking form, and the sheet hidden between the pages were all in transparent evidence bags, laid out in order. The Academic Affairs Director had not come. Iruka, Mizuno, and Mizuki had.
Mizuki stood by the door without jostling for a spot. He was neatly dressed today, even his cuffs smoothed flat, as though he wanted to erase every crease anyone might seize on before they had the chance.
Naruto sat in the second row, his palms hot, but he did not shrink back as he used to. Che sat diagonally behind him, while Sasuke sat a little farther forward. Kiyo and Morita Yu had been seated to one side, neither too close to the lectern nor too far from it. Everyone was present. Even a few children from other classes who had helped carry the materials had stayed, peering in from outside the door.
Iruka spoke first. "Today, we'll discuss only three things: advice, records, and the booking form. For each one, we'll start with where it came from."
Mizuki nodded. "All right."
Instead of explaining himself first, he reached for the sheet of advice he had written for Naruto. The moment he unfolded it, the classroom went quiet. Yesterday, those few lines had still been circulating in private. Today, laid out before everyone, they immediately took on a different flavor.
"Imagine yourself as someone everyone sees." "Lower your voice so others find you more reliable." "When practicing, first grasp the version of yourself you most want others to acknowledge."