Cho Cho sat under a tree and ate her food while listening to interesting stories from the Seventh Hokage himself, Naruto Uzumaki. Sarada ate and listened to him too, but their third friend was too quiet and taciturn. The warm sunlight filtered through the leaves above, casting dappled shadows on the grass. The sound of Naruto's animated storytelling mixed with the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. Cho Cho noticed her friend's disinterest quickly and looked at him incredulously. He didn't even try to pretend he was interested in listening to the Seventh Hokage's stories! The scent of her lunch filled the air as she set it down, her attention now fully on him. What a jerk he was sometimes... But he was Sarada's childhood friend, and Sarada had asked her to be kinder to him. Naruto realized the guy was sitting and listening to music instead of paying attention. He looked slightly offended but pretended not to care, continuing his story with forced enthusiasm. The atmosphere had shifted subtly, with an unspoken tension now hanging between the friends under the tree. "Hey, are you okay? You look... depressed. You're certainly not the most cheerful, but you're acting a little too distant right now," said Chocho as she put her hand on his shoulder. Her tone revealed both displeasure and genuine concern for the young man who seemed so far away despite being right beside them.