Shihōin Naraku continued tending to his own affairs.
Meanwhile, Naruto had rushed all the way back to his apartment.
He shoved the door open with a clang.
He strode into the room, dragged a worn backpack out from under the bed, unzipped it, and began stuffing things inside.
A change of clothes, a ninja tool pouch, scrolls, a water bottle... everything lay scattered across the bed.
He rummaged through them, then felt as though he had forgotten something. He thought for a long while but could not remember what it was.
Only after quite some time did Naruto finish getting everything ready.
He picked up the backpack and slung it over his shoulder, stood in the doorway to scan the room and make sure he had not missed anything, then pulled the door shut and ran.
Before the sound of the door closing behind him had faded, Naruto had already darted down the stairs.
The afternoon sunshine in Konoha was lovely. People came and went along the streets, and the sweet aroma of food drifted over. Normally, he would certainly have stopped.
But now, all he could think about was heading out. His orange figure weaved left and right through the crowd at great speed.
With the Konoha Gate not far away, he suddenly skidded to a halt.
"Wait." He smacked his forehead. "If I leave just like this, Sakura and the others won't be able to find me later. They'll definitely yell at me again."
He turned in a circle on the spot, got his bearings, then turned onto the road leading to Konoha Hospital.
Several injured patients sat in the lobby of Konoha Hospital, waiting to have their dressings changed. The nurse on duty looked up and spotted him, but before she could speak, Naruto had already run