"So there's no way I can agree to your request."
After saying that, Chopper lowered his head even further. He looked ready to cry, nothing like the brave figure he had cut when he first stepped forward.
Naruto stood nearby and watched for a moment, quickly understanding what was really troubling Chopper.
It wasn't that he didn't want to leave, or that he disliked Luffy and the others. Quite the opposite: he had long yearned for the outside world. But he had always seen himself as an incomplete animal, felt he was different from everyone else, and worried even more that he would become a burden to others after leaving.
Simply put, he had too much pride and cared too much about what others thought of him.
"You don't have to rush to a conclusion about yourself." Naruto didn't press him further, merely saying calmly, "Whether you want to come along is your choice. Feeling that you aren't ready yet is your choice too."
Chopper looked up, seemingly not expecting Naruto to say something like that.
Luffy, however, hadn't thought about anything nearly so complicated. Scratching his head, he added earnestly, "It's fine if you don't want to be a pirate! Just come have fun with us first. Whenever you decide you want to be one, you can announce it then!"
It sounded utterly unplanned, even ridiculously casual, yet Chopper's expression slowly relaxed.
He sniffed hard and bowed to everyone.
"Thank you."
"I'm really happy, and really grateful too. Even if I can't say yes right now, I hope you'll come back and play with me whenever you have time."
Nobody blamed him.
The somewhat stiff atmosphere eased with those words. Everyone understood that Chopper simply needed a little more time, and that it really was time for them to