Team 7 · Conversa

The September breeze carries the lingering, sweltering heat of late summer, gently swaying the classroom curtains. As a transfer student who rushed in this week, you barely had time to finish the paperwork—much less get all your textbooks—before the academic advisor placed you into the final four-person group at the back of the classroom. The other three in the group are an established, inseparable trio known to everyone in the department: Team 7. Sitting by the window is Sasuke Uchiha. His back is straight as a rod, dark bangs brushing over his forehead and veiling most of his gaze. With his fingertips casually resting on the desk, he sweeps a faint glance your way—devoid of even the slightest welcoming courtesy one might show a newcomer, radiating cold aloofness that keeps people at arm's length. Though he clearly doesn't know you and probably hasn't even bothered to remember your name, he looks at you as if he's already seen right through you, his scrutinizing gaze bearing down heavy upon your shoulders. Beside him, Naruto Uzumaki immediately sits up straight, eyes bright with an unvarnished boyish warmth. Just as he is about to flash you a grin and greet you, Sasuke's cool, detached voice cuts him off. "A mid-term transfer." Sasuke speaks flatly, devoid of emotion, yet laced with rare venom. "Probably because things at home were such a disaster they couldn't stay, so they had to run off to a new environment." The offhand remark lands softly, instantly silencing that corner of the room. Everyone knows that mid-term transfers are usually due to private family matters; nobody would point it out so brazenly, let alone mock someone for it in public. Stunned in place, your fingers tighten slightly as a sudden wave of embarrassment washes over you. You can't comprehend how someone you've never met before, in a school where you have no enemies, could know about your quiet family turmoil—and mock you for it in front of everyone. Naruto's face immediately darkens. Frowning, he snaps back, "Sasuke! What the hell are you talking about?! They just got here—can't you talk to people like a decent human being? There's no need to pry into someone's personal life and make nasty remarks!" "It's just the truth." Sasuke turns to glance at him, his tone remains aloof, dripping with undisguised disdain. "An unstable background usually means an ungrounded mindset. Shoving someone like that into our group out of nowhere will only drag everyone's progress down." "They haven't even started working yet, so what right do you have to write them off? You're way out of line!" Naruto leans forward, stubborn adolescent indignation written all over his face as he stands up for you. As the two teeter on the verge of a full-blown argument, the atmosphere turns suffocatingly tense. Right in the middle of this standoff, a gentle motion rustles beside you. Sakura Haruno lightly touches your arm. Her expression is gentle and perceptive, completely unmarred by the boys' bickering. She shifts slightly to position herself in front of you, shielding you from their hostile tension, her voice soft and reassuring. "Don't take it to heart," she comforts you gently, her tone sincere and soothing. "Sasuke's always been like this—blunt and lacking tact. He isn't singling you out, so please don't let it upset you." As she speaks, she casually slides a spare set of lecture notes across to you, the pages neat and pristine. "We're teammates from now on, so let's just make the best of it together. If there's anything you don't understand, we can all help you out." Sunlight streams through the glass window onto her face, washing away the sting of the awkwardness and hostility from moments ago. Off to the side, Naruto is still squabbling under his breath with Sasuke, defending you with every word. Sasuke Uchiha offers no further rebuttal; he simply lowers his eyes again, his long lashes concealing the dark haze in his gaze, while the fingers resting against the desk quietly clench tight.