Araki and Kushina, one in front and one behind, maintained a relatively fixed position, almost moving at the same frequency and pace. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the gate of the ninja academy.

"It's so beautiful!"

Kushina's eyes lit up with excitement as she scanned the ninja academy. She had been here yesterday and had a preliminary impression, but now she was a student of the academy, and her emotions were bubbling with excitement.

Among all the ninja villages in the entire ninja world, many had established ninja academies, taking after Konoha. However, no other village's ninja academy could compare to Konoha's.

It could be said that it was the best ninja academy in the world!

Just the thought of it was thrilling!

Kushina's gaze swept across the elegantly designed school building, moved to the grassy field of the training grounds, and finally settled on the swings nestled among the trees...

Everywhere was pleasing to the eye, and stepping into it brought a sense of tranquility.

Kushina didn't keep admiring the scenery of the ninja academy. She knew this would be her school in the future, and there would be plenty of time to savor it slowly.

Following Araki's footsteps closely, Kushina entered the classroom. They were classmates, so their classroom was the same.

"Hmm..."

Kushina stood at the entrance of the classroom and quickly scanned the room, which made her freeze on the spot.

Then, she looked again.

Just now, she had caught sight of Araki in the corner of the classroom, near the window at the back row.

Once she spotted Araki, she felt relieved, knowing she hadn't lost him. At the same time, a strange emotion welled up inside her.

"How is it that once Araki enters the classroom, he becomes like invisible, completely devoid of presence."

Kushina muttered silently in her mind. She had initially intended to sit next to Araki, but then she remembered their agreement.

It's better to maintain some distance in front of others!

On the first day of their interaction, she couldn't burden this person, who had undergone emotional trauma, with too much psychological pressure. It wouldn't be conducive to subsequent healing.

Unconsciously, Kushina placed herself in the perspective of a doctor, with Araki being the patient she cared about.

Thinking of this...

Kushina directly went to sit in an empty area on the other side of the classroom.

This seat was a bit further back from Araki's position, just enough to have him within her sight, allowing her to observe his every move.

After Kushina arrived in the classroom, there wasn't much time left before the start of class. Most of the students had already arrived, and her presence drew the attention of almost everyone in the class.

It wasn't just because she was a new student, but also because of her red hair, which was undeniably eye-catching.

Furthermore, the students in the ninja academy were mostly children from Konoha.

They had already known each other before attending school.

A small circle had formed among them.

It had been years since a transfer student arrived, so it was as if a new person had entered the established circle, inevitably attracting attention.

"Look, there's a new person!"

"Her hair is actually red!"

"Why did someone suddenly appear?"

"She looks round-faced, like a tomato!"

"..."

The students whispered among themselves, and some of their voices, albeit faint, reached Kushina's ears.

Kushina furrowed her eyebrows slightly and felt somewhat displeased, especially when she heard many people referring to her as a "tomato."

However...

She suddenly remembered Araki's words...

She shouldn't stand out too much.

She shouldn't say anything arrogant.

She shouldn't create too many enemies for herself.

If it weren't for Araki, perhaps she would have directly confronted these children and not tolerate any nonsense.

But now, she thought about continuing to be friends with Araki, so she decided not to do anything that would make him uncomfortable.

Just pretend you didn't hear anything!

After all, they are just children!

In that instant, Kushina sorted out her emotions. Although she felt somewhat uncomfortable, she was more concerned about Araki, who seemed to disappear in silence, than about those people in the classroom who casually gave nicknames to others.

Tap, tap, tap...

At that moment, a series of footsteps could be heard, followed by a man wearing the attire of a Konoha Village ninja entering the classroom.

This person was the teacher in charge of their class, Yinsui.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Teacher Yinsui lightly coughed, instantly capturing the attention of the students in the classroom, and the murmurs ceased as well.

"Before we begin today's class, I have an announcement to make."

Yinsui's voice was serious and solemn, devoid of any expression, effectively controlling the atmosphere in the room.

Yinsui was satisfied with the response from the students in the class, especially how they became completely quiet when he spoke, which gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment.

"Why don't you introduce yourself."

Yinsui's gaze focused on Kushina, nodding at her, indicating that she should come forward and speak.

Kushina stood up confidently from her seat, looked towards the front of the classroom, and then stepped forward.

As she took her first step, she subtly glanced in Araki's direction and happened to catch him looking back at her.

At that moment when their gazes met, she seemed to receive a message from Araki.

Don't stand out too much!

This thought sprouted in Kushina's mind. With firm steps, she walked up to the podium.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Uzumaki Kushina. I moved from another village to Konoha Village, and I'm not very familiar with it yet. I hope you'll all take care of me in the future!"

After finishing her words, Kushina deeply bowed to the students in front of her, presenting herself in a humble manner that immediately garnered some goodwill from many people.

Then, Kushina prepared to step down from the podium and return to her seat.

But at that moment, she was stopped by Teacher Yinsui, who asked her to stay.

"Today, the topic of our class is..."

Yinsui lightly placed his left hand on Kushina's shoulder, gesturing for her to stay for a while. The lines on his face softened, and there was a hint of incomplete smile, giving him a kinder appearance.

"What is your dream?"

Yinsui's voice spread to every corner of the classroom, clear and audible to everyone, including Araki, who sat in the classroom with no presence.

"Everyone has dreams, no matter how big or small. We must give our all for our dreams!"

Yinsui then turned his gaze towards Kushina.

"Kushina, let's start with you. What is your dream?"