Naruto found himself sitting at the back of the classroom, with Hinata on his left and Kiba and Shino on his right.
An emerald pool, a faint yellow glow, and Hinata's and Hanabi's faces flashed through Naruto's mind. But those memories seemed to lie behind frosted glass, rapidly blurring as the utterly lifelike classroom before him took their place.
"Hey, Naruto!"
A slightly boisterous voice rang out beside his ear, accompanied by a bump against his shoulder.
Naruto turned and saw a familiar face leaning toward him.
Kiba Inuzuka sported his trademark spiky hair, his face carrying a curious, slightly mischievous grin. Beside him lay his Ninja Dog, Akamaru, still a puppy, with his tongue hanging out.
"What are you spacing out for? Whose name are you going to write for Iruka-sensei's question?"
Kiba nudged Naruto with his elbow and waggled his eyebrows. "Don't tell me you still haven't decided? Or is it... heh heh..."
He glanced at Hinata, who sat blushing on Naruto's left.
In the row ahead, a chubby boy secretly stuffing chips into his mouth turned around at the sound.
Still chewing, he chimed in indistinctly:
"It's gotta be Ino! I've been seeing those two tending flowers together all the time lately!"
No sooner had Choji spoken than Ino Yamanaka, sitting diagonally ahead of Naruto, whipped around like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her pretty little face flushed red all the way to her ears.
She glared at Choji in embarrassed anger. Forgetting all about classroom discipline, she reached out and tugged hard on his chubby cheeks.
"You big idiot, stop making things up! W-who's been tending flowers with him all the time?! It was just... just a coincidence! A coincidence!"
Both angry and embarrassed, Ino pulled harder, stretching Choji's face out of shape.