"Lord Naruto, Lady Konan, I've brought her!"
Violet brought Sakura Haruno to Amegakure's Ninja Affairs Hall.
Konan said coolly, "Thank you for your efforts. You may leave."
"Yes!" Violet answered respectfully, then left the hall and closed the door.
Beneath a statue of a wrathful guardian, Naruto stood with his hands behind his back.
The solemn, oppressive atmosphere of the cool-toned surroundings, coupled with the unfamiliar aura emanating from Naruto's back.
Made Sakura, who had come from far away, feel deeply uneasy!
It was as though... Naruto, who had once cared for her so attentively, now stood in a distant world!
This wasn't the first time she'd felt this way, but Sakura still couldn't get used to it.
She clasped her hands before her chest, steadied herself, and began, "Naruto, I..."
Rumble!
A thunderclap boomed across the sky outside, its lingering echoes making even the hall's stone pillars tremble!
The thunder cut off Sakura's words as well.
Naruto slowly turned, facing his old friend with his mask on, and said in a low voice, "Whatever you have to say, say it!"
Sakura's eyes flickered. "I... once mocked you for not having parents. Back then, I didn't understand how you felt. Now, I want to apologize for what I said and did!"
The face beneath Naruto's mask showed a hint of surprise.
Had Sakura come all this way just to tell him this?
Naruto said calmly, "I never cared about that."
Sakura said earnestly, "But I still have to apologize. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry!"
Perhaps everything Sakura had experienced lately had helped her mature.
Naruto said, "You really don't need to apologize. We're both ninja!"
Sakura said, "My parents are dead!"
Naruto's expression changed abruptly beneath his mask. He asked, "When did it happen?"
Sakura's voice was icy.