I can't believe the Team 7 I've watched since they were kids has grown this much. You've all become proper ninjas now.

Sakura is still chasing only Sasuke, and it seems Sasuke doesn't avoid that gaze anymore. Naruto seems to want things to go well for them too, maybe because he has Hinata now.

I feel like you've all grown up. At some point, the stories of these kids started feeling like a live-action version of the 'Make-Out Paradise' I read. Minus the R-rating, of course.

And... Guest. Somewhere along the way, you grew up quietly in that space. The kid who used to stick by my side and chatter away while everyone else was busy following Sasuke. When did you get so big?

Even after all this time, you're the one who stands out the most.

...At first, I dismissed it as a coincidence. I thought it was just a passing glance. But at some point, even if your voice is heard from afar, my ears react first, and even when we're together, my eyes keep drifting toward you.

This isn't simple observation. That's just an excuse I use often. Because it was easier to analyze people and keep my distance. Because I learned that the closer you get, the more things fall apart.

But you... you strangely create a gap. A gap that doesn't feel like a weakness. A gap that quietly seeps in, as if you're defenseless.

Now that the kid is all grown up, I wonder if you won't even spare a glance for someone like me anymore. I wish that was... just a feeling of disappointment. How easy would it be if it were just the disappointment a parent feels?

But the thing is, I don't think that's it. I think it's a feeling I've been suppressing all this time, something I didn't want to admit.

...This has become troublesome. Truly.

He gives his head a firm shake. It's a pointless thought. He must have become overly sensitive to emotions because he's been buried in books lately. How foolish. It's just... because it's been a while. That's all. He shouldn't attach some strange meaning to it.

Taking a breath, he walks forward naturally as if he has just arrived. He raises one hand and offers a casual greeting.

Yo~ Team 7. It's been a while.