At those words, nearly all the ninja turned and left.
Of course, Kakashi, Asuma, and the others remained behind.
For everyone else, this matter was over. But for them, it was far from over.
And with it over, the Konoha rookies gradually began gathering together again, drawn by some strange force.
Most of them were clearly in low spirits, with Naruto being the most obvious.
He had already lost one companion, and this new loss hurt him even more.
Neji Hyuga was somewhat calmer. He could tell that Hinata's defection was different from Sasuke's and Itachi Uchiha's, though there was no need to say so.
Kiba Inuzuka's feelings were naturally just as obvious. Beside him, Ranmaru, who had already grown quite burly, seemed to sense Kiba Inuzuka's mood as well.
He too became utterly listless.
The ten rookies wandered casually down a road. The first to speak was Choji Akimichi, someone no one had expected.
The chubby boy looked at the chips he had been holding for who knew how long and said, "Hinata just left like that? I was still thinking of having a real Gourmet Competition with her."
Though his words were not particularly serious, the loneliness in them was still clear.
Ino Yamanaka raised her head as well, a trace of melancholy in her eyes. "I'd rather believe this is all a dream. How could someone as timid and weak as Hinata do something like this?"
"And be this strong too. I don't believe it."
Tenten spoke as well. "Who could believe it? Even though we don't know what exactly happened."
"But I doubt even Lord Tsunade could have expected this."
At that moment, Shikamaru Nara spoke. However, he was not complaining. Instead, he addressed Neji and Sakura directly. "All right. We only have a few clues