"You ever wonder why we're here?" Ino looks towards you as she asks, a bored and thoughtful expression on her face.
You ponder that for a moment. "Wow. That's deep. I don't really know." His a little close to home, to be honest, given your unique circumstances. "Random chance? The whims of some omnipotent deity figure. Moon aliens?" You chuckle.
She blinks at you and raises an eyebrow in a way that reminds you of your mother. The two got along far too well for your future sanity. "...I meant why are we here in class. Iruka's going to cover stuff at least the two of us went over months ago. We could make more progress outside of class. I'm just not feeling it today."
"Oh." Is the only reponse you can reasonably muster.
"So. What was all of that about? Got something on your mind?" She bumps her elbow into yours.
You blanch and waves your hands slightly in denial. "No, no. Nothing." You cough and glance to the side. "Um. Well, the course has to be standardized, right? Class ranking is there for a reason and all, at least half the people in here probably need to the lesson."
"Hm..."
"And I guess socializing. Probably particularly important in this class, given how many future important figures are in here. Really crazy odds there."
She snorts. "Dai, you're oblivious sometimes."
You raise an eyebrow. "Oh? Know something that I don't?"
She pokes you in the forehead and tosses a quick smirk at you. "Many things, and don't forget it! No, it was planned. Clan heads got together and decided that things would go smoother going forwards if everyone had their kids in the same class. For the reasons you were thinking about class."
"Ohh." You nod. "Well, that makes sense."
Iruka walks through the door and starts the lessons for the day.
…............................
"Kairi." You state firmly, doing your best to stare into the red eyes glued to you.
She blinks, but otherwise doesn't do anything.
"Kairi. We've been over this."
Another blink, and another lack of response.
You groan slightly.
"We agreed that you'd stop drawing me." You state in the best firm voice you can manage.
She shakes her head slightly.
"Ok. Maybe you didn't agree. But I was quite clear that this needed to stop."
She nods slowly.
"Good. So you're going to cut it out?"
Once more, she gives a slight shake of her head.
You pinch the bridge of your nose. "If I agree to an interview, will you stop?"
Head shake.
"...Switch your focus to Sauske for the next three months?"
Pause. Head shake.
"Two?"
Longer pause. Slow nod.
"Agreed." You state, and the girl shifts, turning to lock her gaze on Sasuke. For his part, he just levels you with a glare.
"I'll do an interview if you stay on Daisuke for a month."
She nods quicker this time and turns to focus back on you.
You rest your forehead in your palm in defeat while Ino chuckles beside you.
Iruka walks through the door and starts the lessons for the day.
…...........................
"Na...Naruto-san, I don't think you should do that." A timid voice draws your attention away from your jotting down various notes for your upcoming history project, and you see Naruto working on carefully positioning a eraser on top of the door into the classroom.
"Ahh, come on Hinata-chan. I've got to prove I'm not dead last. I'm the best in the class at practical jokes and I'm going to prove it to Iruka-sensei!"
"Ahh. I don't think that's a good idea." She obviously fights against herself to say.
"No, no. It will be great! And then Iruka will have to acknowledge I'm a great ninja!"
You open your mouth to cut him down and restore sanity to the classroom before slowly closing it and giving the matter some thought. Truth be told, as much as he annoyed you, he did have a pretty sympathetic backstory. While you weren't going to be choosing to hang out with him any time soon, well, you kinda had your sympathy bone tingling at the moment and decided to do him a solid. And hey, having the main character owe you one was never a bad thing.
So you clear your throat.
"Naruto." You state calmly when he turns his attention to you. Your reaction is almost a wince as his shoulders pull in on himself. Maybe you've been a bit too heavy handed in dealing with him... in your defense, he's really, really annoying at this age. "Your instincts are correct."
You're pretty sure the entire classroom is gawking at you at this point. Well. Besides Shikamaru, who's sleeping...and Shino, who's passively watching you, at best...and Sauske, who's still looking out the window...and Ino, who's just mimicked your mother with her raised eyebrow of interest...
Ok, you've at least got Kairi gawking at you, and it doesn't diminish it at all that she does so most of the time anyways.
And Naruto, who looks somewhere between getting gut punched by Gai and like he's won the lottery.
"You are, indeed, likely the best at practical jokes. This does show that you have a good bit of talent towards traps. The infrequency of you actually getting caught also shows a measure of skill in awareness and your ability to get around."
The grin just continues to grow.
You gesture towards him with your fan and snap it shut with the motion. "However. Hinata is also correct. This is not the way to go about it. Iruka will be far too irritated to take it into consideration. And frankly, isn't this kind of prank a bit beneath you?"
He was ready to object at first, but he looks thoughtful as you make your second point.
"Pranks are good training for the real deal, Naruto. If you applied half the effort you put into them into adapting things you could use on a mission... well. You've got a few months between now and the exam. If you actually apply yourself with this, I'm sure you can pull ahead of the dead last position."
He gives you a slow nod, his eyes indicating that he's lost in his thoughts as he wonders back to his seat.
Hinata tosses you a grateful smile and you get a bit of a warm feeling in your chest.
Right until Iruka walks through the door to start lessons for the day and has the eraser a certain blond forgot to reclaim fall on his head.
"NARUTO!"