Only when they reached the outskirts of Konoha did they stop.
Kakashi Hatake had just finished speaking with the guards when he motioned for the others to follow.
The moment they stepped into Konoha, a paper crane appeared and settled on Luo Mang's shoulder.
"Huh? Who folded this?"
Sakura Haruno looked astonished. After making sure it really was a paper crane, she glanced around, wondering if someone had folded it and accidentally let it fly over.
Yet when she finished looking around, there was no one there.
"Huh? That's strange. Where did it come from?"
Unable to figure it out, Sakura Haruno grew even more puzzled.
Luo Mang's expression, however, slowly stiffened. How could he not know what this paper crane meant?
"Uh, you guys go on ahead. I've got something to take care of."
"Huh? Brother Mang, aren't you going to eat with us?"
Naruto Uzumaki sounded disappointed.
"Yeah, something really has come up. Go on without me."
Luo Mang looked embarrassed too. He was backing out of something he had already promised, but this really was urgent.
Seeing this, Kakashi made no attempt to keep him there. Instead, he helped persuade Naruto. "All right, all right. Naruto, since Luo Mang has something to do, don't hold him up. Let him take care of it."
"Okay, then next time."
Luo Mang nodded, then gave Sakura Haruno a pointed look of farewell before leaving.
"Ah..."
Sakura Haruno sighed helplessly at the sight, feeling a little lonely, but soon recovered.
"Sensei, I'm not coming either. I just remembered I have something to do at home."
With that, she left without even giving the others time to react.
"Oh, okay!" Kakashi could only open his mouth.
Just like that, their gathering suddenly had two fewer people.
That afternoon.
Luo Mang arrived