Raito slowly sat up, his gaze sweeping toward the dumbstruck group in the distance.
"I didn't expect us to meet again so soon either!"
"Raito... you..."
Neji and the others stared at Raito, stunned. Although they hadn't heard any definite news of Raito leaving the village, they weren't blind.
Right there on Raito's forehead was a Kirigakure Forehead Protector!!!
Everyone's eyes were fixed on that Forehead Protector as if drawn to it by a magnet.
Raito calmly touched his forehead, looking innocent. "What? Is my Forehead Protector crooked?"
Just then, two more figures dropped from the sky behind him. They were Haku and Chōjūrō.
Raito turned and asked them, "Is there something wrong with my Forehead Protector?"
Both shook their heads in unison.
"Raito, you..." Shikamaru opened his mouth, a thousand things stuck in his throat, unsure where to begin.
Neji's voice was icy. "Why are you wearing a Kirigakure Forehead Protector?"
Raito glanced at Neji, utterly assured. "I'm a Kirigakure ninja. What else would I wear besides a Kirigakure Forehead Protector? A pot lid?"
"Did you defect too?" Neji's expression instantly darkened, and his hand reached toward his ninja tool pouch.
Raito couldn't be bothered to explain that, but Shikamaru interrupted Neji. "If he were a rogue ninja, the village would have issued a wanted notice already!"
Hearing that, everyone agreed it made sense.
If he had defected, the whole village would surely be hunting him down by now. He wouldn't be able to drop out of the sky so brazenly to catch up with old friends.
"But... if you didn't defect, then why... did you become a Kirigakure ninja?"
Rock Lee scratched his head, looking bewildered.
Ino wiped away her tears and stood protectively in front of Raito. "Enough, stop asking! Raito, have things been going well for