Chapter Text
The new semester at Konoha University had begun, and from that day on, both new and returning students once again filled the campus with life.
The young, ambitious law student Temari Sabaku leaned against the cool wall of the grand auditorium with a quiet sigh, waiting for the traditional semester address to begin. By now, it was her fifth semester at the university, and as in every previous year, she was about to hear the same words, the same phrases that had long since lost their effect.
She had already completed half of her studies successfully and was certain that the next two years would pass just as smoothly. Her plan was clearly defined: she would take her state exam within the standard period of study and then enter the family law firm as quickly as possible. Nothing could stand in her way.
Not far from her stood a young man she assumed to be a first-semester student, since she could not recall ever seeing him on campus before. He was leaning with his back against a column, his hands buried deep in his pockets, his eyes closed. To her, it almost looked as if he had fallen asleep standing up. His face bore an expression of profound calm that seemed strangely out of place amidst the bustle, for most of the freshmen were soaking up the words of the address as if they were something precious. Temari studied him a moment longer and decided that the look on his face resembled contemplation rather than tiredness or laziness. There was something unusual about this young man, though she could not yet put her finger on what it was.
Throughout the event, her gaze kept drifting back to him almost unconsciously. There was nothing striking about him, no exaggerated presence. Quite the opposite—he seemed almost invisible among the curious newcomers. Yet she could not ignore how at ease he appeared, even in the noisy auditorium, as though nothing and no one could disturb his composure. Only when the crowd began to move past him did he open his eyes, releasing a silent sigh. Slowly, he straightened up and let himself be carried along by the flow of students heading outside.
She could not quite explain why she kept watching him leave, but that black-haired young man, so effortlessly detached, possessed something that stirred a curiosity within her that she herself did not understand. Her gaze followed him until he disappeared into the crowd.