"Please don't hurt me!"
When Naruto reached the back of the tree trunk, the vigilant and guarded boy suddenly heard an exceptionally clear, pleasant voice by his ear.
Though those words carried a trace of weakness and fear.
To Naruto, it was still the most beautiful voice he had ever heard.
And when he looked toward where the voice had come from, he froze on the spot. His expression first went blank, then his face gradually reddened.
Just as Naruto stood there foolishly, Sakura and Sasuke arrived one after the other.
When the two of them saw that figure as well, they could not help but feel surprised and puzzled.
Behind the tree trunk stood—
A girl wearing a Mist Ninja forehead protector, with long black hair and the beauty of an elf, timidly crouched behind the trunk.
Her skin was exceptionally fair, and her delicate little face looked soft enough to break with a breath.
If not for the fitted ninja outfit she wore, anyone would have thought she was a princess most beloved by a great nation, a symbol of heaven's blessing and good fortune.
At that moment, her large, watery eyes stared nervously at Naruto and the others, her gaze filled with both panic and determination.
Yet even Naruto and the others, who were ninjas and had experienced several killings, could not help but lose their will to fight upon seeing the girl before them.
After standing dumbfounded for quite a while, Naruto finally came to his senses.
He first followed the girl's gaze to the Kunai in his hand, hurriedly hid it behind his back, waved his hand, and stammered.
"Y-You've got it wrong... I don't mean you any harm!"
Although he said that, the girl before him did not lower her guard. Instead, she slightly