Chapter 83: Like Family
"Since you're going to be staying with us," Naruto pointed, "you better pay your half of the room!"
"Naruto!" Sakura corrected, "You shouldn't be disrespectful to a Chūnin."
Arthur laughed, faking his jovial mood quite nicely. He calmed the two by pulling out a stack of ryō. Only those two felt awed by how loaded he was.
As the conversation drew to a close, Sasuke abruptly stood up and walked out of the room. Naruto, taken aback by his friend's abrupt departure, decided to follow.
"Sorry about those two," Sakura sincerely said.
He smiled reassuringly and replied, "Don't worry about them. It's good to have a little rivalry among friends."
She nodded but was still feeling a little puzzled. So she admitted, "They've been acting weird lately..."
Arthur patted her shoulder and said, "It's a phase that boys eventually grow out of. Everything'll be okay. Just focus on the race for now."
She smiled, feeling her spirits lifted. With enthusiasm, she said, "You're right! Haha. Didn't meant to get you involved in our team's emotional side."
He chuckled in response and replied, "I have no doubt about that... But remember, the most important thing is to stay safe. After all, you're still young Genin."
Sakura gave a light smile, feeling renewed by his kind words. To her, it was almost as if he truly understood what was going on in her head.