After obtaining the scroll, Naruto and the other two left directly.
It seemed the three from the Sound Village would not easily become friends with them, but Naruto was not discouraged. The Great Emperor's deeds had taught him that if the first attempt failed, then there would be a second.
Keep sparring, and they would eventually be willing to become your friend.
Naruto had that much perseverance.
Sensing that Sakura was not in very good shape, Naruto said to Sasuke, "Let's find a place to rest and let Sakura recover."
They stopped their swift movement and found a spot. Sasuke had Sakura sit on the grass with her back against a tree trunk, then asked, "Sakura, how are you?"
Sakura was almost completely better by then, though her eardrums still throbbed faintly. Hearing Sasuke's concern and seeing Naruto's worried expression, she replied, "Naruto, Sasuke, I'm fine now."
After saying that, Sakura looked somewhat dejected again. "I lost so quickly."
Seeing Sakura so dispirited, Naruto smiled and said, "Sakura, don't lose heart. The strong all train from weakness into strength. As long as you have the desire to become stronger, one day, you'll become a powerful ninja."
"That's right. What Naruto means is what I mean too. Sakura, train hard. Failure is the mother of success. One failure is nothing. Show the courage you had just now." It was rare for Sasuke to say so much at once.
It was clear that he truly cared about Sakura.
Sakura was deeply moved and immediately nodded. "Mm. Naruto, Sasuke, don't worry. I'll train hard."
"Get some proper rest. We can talk about anything else after you've recovered." Naruto said no more after that. Sakura closed her eyes to rest, while Naruto and Sasuke stood quietly beside her.
About half an hour later, Naruto