"Naruto, aren't you coming with us?"
The people from the Caravan were helping several Uchiha children gather up their Puppets.
Seemingly used to their occasional setbacks, Sara deftly fetched some gifts from the Caravan to soothe them, then turned to Naruto and asked.
"There's no rush. I'm not the main character this time, anyway. Sasuke's finally seeing his clansmen again after so long. He must need some private time, so I won't go over and interrupt him just yet."
Looking at the defiant expression on Taro Uchiha's face, Naruto couldn't help thinking he seemed a little like Konohamaru.
He stepped forward and patted the boy's head, asking with a smile, "Could you tell me a little more about what people here say about the Uchiha outside? I can help you fix your Puppets!"
Meanwhile, Sasuke had already headed farther inside on his own.
These had once been the Ruins of the Ancient Rōran Kingdom. The towering spires and the occasional remnants of intricate, meticulously crafted designs on the walls still offered glimpses of Rōran's former splendor, though much of the artwork had been destroyed.
Now, however, the place had become a home for survivors.
At first, Sasuke had wondered why no adults had come over, considering the children had made quite a commotion.
But once he entered what looked like a street, a single glance told him why.
There weren't nearly as many clansmen living here as he had imagined. Apart from a few elderly people sitting in their doorways and studying him, a stranger, there were no other young or middle-aged adults in sight.
Most of the elderly people here were well advanced in years. Even if the person before them looked somewhat familiar, they could no longer really recognize who he was.
*Were the only Uchiha who survived