There were no missions the next day.
Shuo slept until noon.
By the time he woke, the sunlight had warmed his quilt through. He lay still, staring blankly at the ceiling for five minutes.
Then he rolled over and looked out the window.
He hadn't closed the curtains all the way last night, and the gap was still there. Sunlight squeezed through it, drawing a crooked golden line across the floor.
He sat up.
He walked to the window and pulled the curtains open.
He looked down.
Downstairs, beside the wall, the silver-haired person was still sitting against it, holding Advanced Applications of Light Refraction Principles in Water Release. He was already two-thirds of the way through.
Hearing the window, he looked up.
Their eyes met.
Shuo said nothing.
Neither did Sai.
Shuo turned to go wash up.
Halfway through brushing his teeth, he stopped.
In his perception, something moved on the eastern side of the village.
It wasn't chakra.
It was light-the light in a certain area had been blocked for an instant.
As though someone had passed through the shadows.
Very faint.
Like a feather landing on water.
He went on brushing his teeth.
He rinsed his mouth, wiped his face, and changed.
He went downstairs.
Sai stood up and handed him the book.
"Finished it."
Shuo took it and leafed through it.
Three candy wrappers folded into squares were tucked inside.
He glanced at Sai.
Sai's expression didn't change.
Shuo closed the book.
"Cafeteria," he said.
They headed toward the cafeteria.
Half a street later, Shuo suddenly turned into an alley beside them.
Sai followed him in.
The alley was narrow, with high walls on both sides and only a sliver of sky overhead.
Shuo walked to the middle of the alley and stopped.
"Come out," he