Tsunade, who had been slumped over her desk battling with her bangs, looked up at Hoshiyomi. After a brief pause, she nodded without hesitation. The Academy wasn't exclusive to the Senju Clan, after all—and Tsunade wasn't some prideful ice princess.
As long as it wasn't a desk-sharing seat, she didn't really care who sat nearby—so long as the person wasn't annoying.
With her approval, Gekkō Hoshiyomi sat down, organized his things, and calmly turned his gaze out the window. He didn't try to strike up a conversation with Tsunade.
He wasn't here to flirt. He just wanted to befriend the future Legendary Sannin—and that didn't require rushing anything.
Besides, school life wasn't the same as a street-side encounter. When you saw someone every day, there was no need to push the pace. Forcing a conversation too early could actually leave a bad first impression.
He'd rather wait for a natural moment—something they both cared about—to start building a connection.
Students continued to trickle into the classroom. Tsunade's seatmate turned out to be a girl named Kazematsu Yako.
They had been side by side during the placement test too. From what Hoshiyomi had observed, there was an odd dynamic between the two—almost like a master and attendant.
Given what he remembered from Boruto, where a girl named Kazematsu Moegi from the same family had wood-style abilities, Hoshiyomi suspected there was more to the story between the Kazematsu family and the Senju.
He was just starting to ponder the connection when a loud voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, Hoshiyomi! What're you thinking about over there?"
Jiraiya's booming voice nearly made him jump. Turning to glare, Hoshiyomi muttered:
"Could you not yell like that?"
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head with a sheepish Naruto-style grin.
"Heh, sorry! Just thought I'd come sit with you since you didn't have a seatmate."
The truth? Most of the clan kids didn't want anything to do with him, and he wasn't interested in dealing with their arrogance either. With few other options, Hoshiyomi was his best bet.
Hoshiyomi didn't call him out—he just shrugged and casually kept the conversation going. But as they chatted, something started to feel… off.
He looked around at the now full classroom, then turned to Jiraiya and asked:
"Hey. Did you hear anyone named Orochimaru during the placement matches?"
Jiraiya blinked.
"Orochimaru? Nah. Don't think I heard that name."
Hoshiyomi frowned.
That didn't make sense.
If everyone was placed by exam results, there was no way Orochimaru wouldn't be here. Could his arrival have changed the timeline that drastically?
Or… was this not the real Naruto world at all?
What if this is a parallel version...?
He shook the thought off and said:
"Didn't you mention you've got friends in Class B and C? Can you ask around and see if Orochimaru is in one of those classes?"
Jiraiya still didn't get why Hoshiyomi was so interested in this mystery kid, but he pounded his chest and grinned.
"Leave it to me! If he's anywhere in the Academy, I'll track him down!"
Hoshiyomi spent the entire first lesson distracted, lost in thought about Orochimaru. If this world really was different, then what should he do next?
As soon as class ended, he sent Jiraiya to investigate. When his friend returned, his expression was full of contempt.
"Man, you got all worked up for nothing. I thought this Orochimaru guy was some big shot. Turns out—he's a total loser."
What?
Hoshiyomi's brain almost short-circuited. He clearly remembered that line as Orochimaru's description of Jiraiya, not the other way around.
"Wait, what do you mean?"
Jiraiya shrugged.
"I couldn't find him in B Class. But one of my guys in Class C said Orochimaru's way at the bottom. He was nearly dead last on the placement test—just barely above some guy named Might Duy."
What?!
Hoshiyomi stared, stunned. This couldn't be right. He even asked Jiraiya if there might've been a mix-up in names. Jiraiya rolled his eyes.
"If you're so curious, why not go check for yourself?"
As soon as the final bell rang, Hoshiyomi dragged Jiraiya to the C-Class door.
Pretending to wait for someone, the two of them casually peeked inside.
It didn't take long.
In the far corner of the room sat a pale-skinned boy, with long black hair, purple-tinted eyelids, and a slender frame that looked like a strong wind might knock him over.
There was no mistaking it.
That's Orochimaru.
Jiraiya nudged him.
"Wanna go in for a closer look?"
Hoshiyomi shook his head.
"No need. Let's go."
Inside the nearly empty classroom, Orochimaru was silently packing up his things. The bruises and scrapes on his face showed clear evidence of his poor showing during the test.
Suddenly, he paused—sensing something.
He turned to glance at the door.
But outside, the hallway was packed with noisy students all rushing home. No one seemed to notice the pale boy standing there.
He frowned, shook his head, and told himself he was just imagining it. Slinging his bag over one shoulder, Orochimaru walked off—alone.
No one noticed the look in his eyes.
Buried deep behind those heavy lids was a quiet, smoldering resentment.
Outside the school gates, Jiraiya was still giving Hoshiyomi a weird look.
"You were all hyped to find this Orochimaru kid. But now that you've seen him, you're just leaving? Don't tell me… you've got a crush on him or something!"
He leaned in dramatically, eyes wide in mock horror.
"Hoshiyomi… I've uncovered the truth!"
Naturally, that earned him a punch in the arm.
Hoshiyomi rolled his eyes.
"I just heard he was some kind of genius. I was curious, that's all."
Jiraiya snorted.
"Yeah, right. Like a genius would end up in Class C."
But Hoshiyomi only gave him a mysterious smile.
"You never know. Maybe we'll see one soon."
He stood up and stretched.
"Anyway, let's go. I owe you a shirt, remember?"
That got Jiraiya's attention.
"Seriously, I told you—it's fine!"
But Hoshiyomi wasn't having it. He grabbed Jiraiya by the collar.
"Nope. I said I'd buy it, and I will. And after that, ramen. We'll call it a celebration—for meeting each other."
Without waiting for a reply, he dragged Jiraiya off toward Konoha's shopping district.
They ducked into a small clothing store, where Hoshiyomi ignored Jiraiya's whining and picked out a shirt that closely matched the one he'd torn earlier. He paid without giving him a chance to object, stuffed the clothes into Jiraiya's arms, and leaned in.
In a low voice, he whispered:
"Hold onto that. Act natural. We're being followed."