Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded firmly, his eyes filled with guilt. "All right, I'll look right now. I won't miss a single corner."
He turned and went back into the cluttered, dilapidated storage warehouse, crouching among the piles of junk to search bit by bit through belongings that had gathered dust for years.
Before long, hurried footsteps approached.
Naruto, his eyes red and tear tracks still on his face, was brought to the warehouse entrance by members of the Sarutobi clan.
And yes, an Anbu squad accompanied them.
Naruto, who had just run all the way there in tears, clutched the hem of his clothes with his little hands and stared fixedly at the red scarf in Tsunade's hands, unable to take another step.
Looking at the child who had suffered so much, Tsunade's heart softened. She said nothing.
She bent down gently and carefully placed the worn scarf, laden with a mother's love, into Naruto's small hands.
The fabric felt warm to the touch. It was the only thing his mother had left him.
Naruto gripped the scarf tightly. The tears he had held back along the way finally broke free, rolling down his cheeks in large drops and falling silently onto the red fabric.
He did not wail or scream. He simply stood there, quietly shedding tears.
The sight made everyone's heart ache. Crouched among the piles of junk in the warehouse, Hiruzen Sarutobi bowed his head so low that he did not dare look up at Naruto, overwhelmed by shame and regret.
Meanwhile, the image on the Sky Screen high above slowly shifted.
A moment later, the view on the Sky Screen left Konoha, crossed vast stretches of mountains and rivers, and settled on the Land of Rain.
The Land of Rain had once been the dumping ground of