The door opened.
Hayashi had barely stepped inside when he nearly collided with a wall of people.
He took another look. The doorway was packed solid-two Jonin and a crowd of classmates had blocked the entrance completely.
Everyone in the classroom had been waiting desperately. The instant the door moved, every head whipped toward it.
He looked up.
Two Jonin came into view.
One was tall and stubbled, with a cigarette between his lips.
The other had long hair and red eyes, and held a list in her hand.
-Asuma Sarutobi. Kurenai Yuhi.
He knew them, but he had to pretend he didn't.
Hayashi drew back a little, blinked, and greeted them politely. "Um... hello, you two Jonin? May I ask who you are?"
"Don't be scared, don't be scared. We're on your side." Asuma laughed.
Hayashi couldn't help wondering.
Wait, what were these two doing blocking the door?
"Waiting for you." Asuma spotted his confusion and grinned. "We've been waiting ages for you, kid from the Uzumaki Clan."
Beside him, Kurenai smiled and nodded.
Asuma took the cigarette from his lips, leaned closer, and stared straight at him.
"So this is... that kid from the Uzumaki Clan?" He clicked his tongue twice. "That hair, that face... he really does look like..."
Hayashi blinked, pretending not to understand.
Before Asuma could finish, Kurenai had already jabbed an elbow into his side.
"What nonsense are you spouting in front of the child?"
Kurenai rolled her eyes at him, then put on a smile and looked Hayashi up and down. The longer she looked, the brighter her eyes grew.
She reached out and tidied his messy hair.
"What a beautiful child. Your hair is a bit of a mess, though-who did that?"
"..." Hayashi kept a straight face. "It was windy."
*-Well,