Around eight in the morning.
Naruto and Sasuke arrived at the Ninja Academy gates hand in hand.
Since it was the day the Genin would be assigned their instructors, plenty of parents had come to see their children off.
For some reason, when they saw the forehead protector tied around Naruto's head, none dared mock him to his face the way they used to. They merely frowned and watched the pair with cold eyes.
Sasuke had spotted them from far away, so he had already begun sweeping the crowd with a chilly gaze.
His Shadow Clone training had borne fruit today, leaving him in a good mood, and Naruto was in high spirits too. He had no intention of letting these ants spoil Naruto's mood.
Naruto easily noticed the change in Sasuke's gaze. Smiling, he squeezed his hand. "It's been five years. I'm used to it by now. Don't let them get to you."
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted in displeasure.
Just as they were about to pass through the school gates, Naruto spotted something good at the base of a nearby wall.
"Wait here a second, Sasuke. I'll be right back."
Releasing Sasuke's hand, Naruto hurried over to the wall, bent down, and picked up a brick. He brushed off the dirt, then slipped it into the Canvas Bag on his back.
"Naruto, what do you want that thing for? That Canvas Bag of yours really does hold anything."
At Sasuke's question, Naruto merely grinned. "Hehe, I have my uses for it."
Seeing Naruto act mysterious again left Sasuke speechless. He hated being stared at by all these ants, so he took Naruto's hand himself and led him into the Ninja Academy.
When they returned to their classroom, their classmates had already been waiting for quite some time, just as expected.