The Land of Grass was peaceful today. Although still a remote area nestled between two powerful nations, it was far calmer than the Land of Rain, which had been ravaged by war, left broken, and mired in endless internal conflict.
Thanks to Charlie's ambitious five-year development plan, the Land of Grass was buzzing with construction and growth, everyone was too busy to focus on anything else. But now, as the weather turned colder, it seemed like the whole country had hit the pause button.
The usual bustle had quieted down, even the Academys had closed. Still, beneath this calm, a subtle sense of joy lingered in the air.
"Nagato, what are you doing?" Yahiko called out, noticing his friend bundled up so tightly that even his ears were wrapped, wearing a thick coat and looking a bit rounder than usual.
Nagato glanced over briefly but went back to digging quietly in the snow. Curious, Yahiko stepped closer. "Why are you digging in the snow?"
"Planting flowers," Nagato replied.
"Flowers bloom in winter?"
"They do!" Nagato nodded confidently, then sighed softly, as if remembering something.
A few days ago, before the cold set in, he'd brought some winter-blooming flowers to transplant. But they all withered quickly. He decided it was better not to mention that.
Since arriving in the Land of Grass, he'd grown curious about everything and even developed a fondness for gardening, maybe it was the climate here, with less rain and distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall, perfect for growing flowers.
He'd also started enjoying cooking for himself and sometimes brought his own lunch to Academy. But today, the snow-shoveling wasn't really about planting flowers, after all, it was too cold for anything to survive now.
If he didn't say something, Yahiko would probably keep pestering him. Sure enough, Yahiko wasn't letting up. "Ah, stop it already."
Even when Nagato said he was busy, Yahiko pulled him aside. "It's a rare day off. Shouldn't you be enjoying yourself?"
Maybe Nagato's time wandering had been too short; he'd never really experienced war or lost friends. Yahiko, on the other hand, felt more like a carefree kid, blunt and easygoing.
"Hey, listen!" he said.
"This New Year's, the Land of Grass is throwing a huge countdown party! It was Charlie Sensei's idea, and everyone says it's going to be the most exciting New Year's celebration here in years, something really special and rare."
Nagato glanced at Yahiko but didn't say anything. It wasn't like they had celebrated New Year's here before, they'd only just arrived this year.
Still, Nagato's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Back in the Land of Rain, with the ongoing war, his mother's situation, and the harsh weather, he'd never really gotten to enjoy New Year's celebrations. He was always stuck at home.
Besides, he already knew about the party, Charlie Sensei lived right next door!
"You're excited too, right? We should go out and have fun together!" Yahiko grinned.
"Everyone's been out shopping these last few days, and the streets are buzzing. It's a shame Dad isn't here; he'd be out buying stuff too!"
He let out a sigh. "Hey, want to go play now?"
"I..." Nagato hesitated.
Before he could finish, Yahiko grabbed his arm and pulled him along.
"Come on! Bring Konan, I'll get Kaien, and we can have a snowball fight!" He leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "Hey, did you hear? The academy is haunted…"
"You already told me that!" Nagato said, pulling his hand free with a small glare but followed anyway. "I'm walking on my own!"
Charlie Sensei had warned them all: Don't believe rumors or spread them, watch out for scams, and always think for yourself. Nagato remembered hearing the same story years ago, that the Academy was built on a graveyard. It seemed every Academy had a rumor like that.
"The haunted academy story is just a myth. We're the new generation of students here in the Land of Grass. We should trust in shinobi science and logic!"
But Yahiko shook his head seriously. "This time it's different! I heard it from the class next door. It's for real! A few days ago, during class..." His voice dropped to an eerie whisper, "Suddenly, there was an extra person!"
"What do you mean, an extra person?" Nagato blinked, confused.
Before he could ask more, Yahiko continued in a spooky voice, "I'm telling you, it's unbelievable!"
The class began as usual, and at first, the teacher didn't notice anything strange. But as the lesson went on, one student suddenly pointed out that there was an extra person in the room.
Nagato's expression darkened even more.
"Especially during art class," someone explained, "lots of people have said they saw this mysterious student appear out of nowhere. They say he's a hardworking and curious kid who always asks weird questions, like,
'How do you draw poop so it looks real and even smells?'
Because of that, they nicknamed him the 'Outstanding Poop Ghost Student.' No one has ever found him. He just pops up and disappears like a ghost."
Nagato had been a bit curious, even wondering if someone had just wandered into the wrong classroom by accident. But now... no way. Who would ask a question like that? Not even a ghost!
He rolled his eyes and said flatly, "Don't believe those rumors. Don't spread them either. I'm sure it's just some other students pulling a prank to get attention."
"Is that so?" Yahiko asked, scratching his head but still sounding mysterious.
"But I think this time it's real! Lots of people have said so. Actually, we even formed a group to find out the truth and solve the mystery.
We call ourselves the Akatsuki. Nagato, do you want to join? I'll make you vice president!"
"...No thanks," Nagato replied quickly.
'They even made a club for this?' Boring. Uncover the truth? Akatsuki? No way he'd get involved. He was about to knock on the door and leave when Konan suddenly appeared, her blue hair tied up in a bun, bouncing along happily with a bright smile.
"Oh, Nagato and Yahiko! I was just looking for you!"
"?"
"Charlie Sensei's back! I just got the news!"
Nagato and Yahiko froze. "Charlie Sensei's back?" they said in unison.
"Yup, yup!" Konan nodded eagerly. "I'm about to go pick him up. Want to come?"
She started walking ahead, and Nagato quickly followed.
"Wait for me! Nagato! Konan!" Yahiko called out, rushing after them while still trying to convince Nagato.
"Nagato, seriously, you should join! This time it's for real. So many people say they saw him!"
"No thanks! And don't believe or spread rumors!" Nagato shook his head firmly as they walked on.
"Teacher's back. Go ask him yourself! It's definitely fake," Nagato said confidently.
Konan looked at them with curiosity. "Fake what?"
Yahiko chimed in, "He said there's a ghost student who loves asking silly poop questions!"