What are you staring at me for?

When school let out that afternoon, people poured through the Ninja Academy gates like water through an open floodgate.

Shikamaru Nara strolled out with both hands behind his head. Choji Akimichi walked beside him, holding a bag of potato chips, while Ino Yamanaka walked on his other side. The three chatted idly as they went.

Just then, a flash of gold vaulted over the wall beside the school. He stumbled on landing, got up and dusted himself off, glanced furtively from side to side, then dashed away.

It was Naruto Uzumaki.

Shikamaru kept walking, but his eyes narrowed slightly as they followed the retreating figure.

Naruto had been the school's hottest topic all day.

During breaks, in the corridors, on the playground, people had been gossiping everywhere-saying he'd challenged someone to a fight for the new transfer student and refused to give in even while getting beaten. They'd pinned every line about "a man's fury over a beauty" on that blond kid.

Normally, after making such a splash, Naruto would have been grinning from ear to ear, bragging to anyone he could grab.

But today, once class ended, he hadn't gone looking for Choji or Kiba Inuzuka. He'd climbed over the wall alone and run off.

And in that brief glimpse just now-

Shikamaru was certain he hadn't imagined it.

There had actually been a trace of regret on Naruto's face.

Regret over what?

Did he regret dragging that new transfer student into this mess today?

Since when did Naruto think about other people like that? That was a first.

"Hey, Shikamaru."

Ino Yamanaka suddenly leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"You were staring at Naruto just now. Did you notice something?"

"No." Shikamaru yawned. "Why don't you tell me what you noticed?"

He would have been better off not asking. The question sent the flames of gossip roaring to life in Ino Yamanaka's heart.

"I'm telling you, there's definitely something going on with Naruto!" she said in a conspiratorial whisper. "Running off the second class ends, ignoring everyone who calls him-I know that routine all too well. He must be going to see someone!"

"I bet Naruto wants to fall in love! And the girl he's after is that new girl who transferred in today!"

Shikamaru: "..."

He gave Ino a speechless look.

"Women are such a pain."

"What did you say?!"

"Nothing."

Shikamaru couldn't be bothered to argue with her and kept walking.

Choji Akimichi, meanwhile, tipped the last chip into his mouth, brushed the crumbs off his hands, and spoke up.

"Hey, since everyone's in such a good mood today, how about we go get ramen together? My treat."

Shikamaru and Ino Yamanaka exchanged a look.

Choji was treating?

There was no reason to turn down an offer that good.

"Let's go."

"I'm in!"

The three headed to the ramen shop together, lifted the curtain, and sat down, each ordering a bowl.

They'd barely exchanged a few words when they heard the curtain lift behind them.

A familiar, booming voice burst in a moment later.

"Teuchi! I'm here!"

It was Naruto's voice.

There was another, gentler voice too: their teacher, Umino Iruka.

And one they weren't particularly familiar with, but which sounded very pleasant.

Shikamaru's chopsticks paused in his hand.

All day long, his ears had been filled with rumors about this transfer student.

The student had unleashed a B-rank ninjutsu right in front of everyone. Sikong had been expelled that very afternoon, supposedly on the Third's personal orders. Someone even claimed they'd seen Kakashi, the jonin, escort her to the Hokage Building himself.

Every one of those incidents was strange.

Here we go.

The biggest wild card of his day had just landed right in front of him.

Uzumaki Hayashi followed Iruka and Naruto through the curtain and immediately spotted the three people sitting inside.

Two boys and a girl.

Well, well. Wasn't this the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?

He might not recognize every one of the other small-fry classmates, but these three were as familiar to him as could be-so familiar that he knew exactly whom each of them would eventually marry.

Shikamaru in particular would go on to marry that princess from neighboring Sunagakure.

But knowing them was one thing. Letting it show was another.

He was a new student who'd only transferred in today. After introducing himself that morning, he hadn't even returned to the classroom. By rights, he shouldn't know any of these three, either by name or by face.

So Uzumaki Hayashi withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes demurely, and put on the expression of a complete stranger.

"Hey! Shikamaru! Choji! Ino!"

Naruto Uzumaki, on the other hand, was perfectly at ease. He waved and greeted them one by one. "You guys came for ramen too!"

Only then did Uzumaki Hayashi follow Naruto's voice and look toward the three, giving them a polite smile suitable for a first meeting and nodding to each in turn.

If he was going to put on an act, he had to commit.

"Hello," he said.

"Oh, today's big celebrity is here too!" Ino Yamanaka's eyes lit up at the sight of him. She scooted aside to make room. "Sit down, sit down! I'm telling you, you were so cool on the training ground today!"

"Ino, show a little restraint," Choji Akimichi reminded her quietly.

"Mind your own business."

Umino Iruka greeted the three children with a smile, and everyone took their seats at the counter. Somehow, by the time Uzumaki Hayashi sat down, he found Shikamaru Nara on his left.

What he hadn't noticed was that, when he'd entered, his gaze had already paused on each of their three faces.

That hadn't been the look of someone sizing up strangers. It had clearly been the look of someone confirming their identities.

Even when Naruto had introduced them afterward, his nods had come too smoothly-far too smoothly for someone hearing those names for the first time today.

Shikamaru looked away without betraying anything, but quietly filed it away in his mind.

"Teuchi, one tonkotsu ramen!" Uzumaki Hayashi called toward the stove.

"Coming right up!"

"I want an extra-large miso chashu! With extra chashu!" Naruto Uzumaki immediately raised his hand.

Umino Iruka placed his order too. Pots, bowls, and utensils clattered at the stove, and before long, the bowls of noodles were brought out one after another.

They steamed hot, filling the air with their aroma.

"Let's eat!"

All six picked up their chopsticks, one after another. Naruto Uzumaki bent over his bowl and dug in, filling the shop with loud slurping.

Uzumaki Hayashi lifted a chopstickful of noodles, blew on them, and had just put them in his mouth.

"Hey."

Beside him, Shikamaru Nara suddenly spoke, his voice lazy, as though he were making casual conversation.

"You seem pretty familiar with all of us. Am I right?"

Uzumaki Hayashi froze on the spot.

In an instant, a sheen of cold sweat broke out across his back.

This guy had the sharpest mind of anyone their age in the entire village.

Fooling other people was easy. But fooling him...

Uzumaki Hayashi's mind began racing.