"Uh, I'll try..."
Naruto sat up in bed with a conflicted expression, patted his face to wake himself up a little, then looked at Karin. "You wanted to see me?"
"Not me. Him."
"Oh, right. You wanted to see me?"
But when Naruto turned to Gekko Hayate, the man suddenly bowed deeply to him. "Thank you so much for saving the woman I love. I can't thank you enough!"
That startled not only Karin beside him but Naruto as well. He hurriedly waved his hands. "N-no, you don't have to do that. Who exactly are you...?"
"Cough, cough. Forgive my manners. My name is Gekko Hayate. I'm a Special Jōnin of Konoha..."
Wow, someone this sickly is a Jonin too?
Naruto and Karin had the same thought.
"Recently..."
Gekko Hayate was about to continue, but he instinctively glanced at Karin.
"It's fine, it's fine. She's my friend. You can speak freely."
Huh, we're already friends? Is that really how Naruto-kun sees me?
When Karin heard that he was a Konoha Jonin and saw his slightly apologetic look, she had tactfully prepared to get up and leave to avoid making things awkward.
After all, as an outsider, it wasn't really appropriate for her to stay here. She had only come in to sit for a while because the conversation had flowed so naturally.
"...All right. The woman I love was among those who were controlled recently. I went to see her yesterday.
"Like the others, she still harbored an intense hatred for you. She even told me repeatedly that she wanted me to come and kill you."
"Seeing her like that, cough, cough, cough, truly broke my heart. After talking to her, I was able to confirm that if you hadn't stopped her time and again, there's no telling how many