Spring had arrived, and the second semester of the Ninja Academy's fourth year had begun.
Lin Chuan was rather excited that day. He got up early, ate breakfast, and headed to school.
After all, he hadn't seen those cute female classmates who would cry for ages after a single pinch in two and a half years. He actually missed those kids.
When he entered the classroom, everyone's attention turned to him. Even the girls stopped paying attention to Sasuke and stared straight at him.
"Oh my god, Lin Chuan's here for class?"
"I'm not dreaming, am I? Lin Chuan really came to class..."
"Chuan?" Seeing Lin Chuan appear, Sasuke involuntarily clenched his fists, then quickly relaxed them. Even with Lin Chuan here, there was no point anymore.
"Chuan, you're back?" Naruto shouted as soon as he saw Lin Chuan at school. He had already seen Lin Chuan yesterday, and the satisfaction of knowing before everyone else flashed across his face.
"This guy's coming to school? Things just got interesting again." Shikamaru couldn't help smiling at the noticeably more tanned Lin Chuan.
Lin Chuan returned to his seat in the back row. Everyone studied him with surprise, curiosity, and confusion, eager to know where he had been all this time.
However, once Iruka entered the classroom, all those gazes shifted to him, and everyone began the day's lessons.
As the morning lessons began, Lin Chuan started his unwavering routine of chakra control training. Even during the two-plus months he had trained with Maruboshi Kosuke, he had set aside time every day to practice controlling his chakra.
His gains from more than two years in Root included a whole set of skills, two ninjutsu he had picked up for free, and that lousy chakra blade. He would have to make do with