“Peaceful. No one has jumped out of the woodwork screaming surprise at me. I haven't been attacked. My friends are all alive. And so am I.”
What more could she ask for, really?
Yumi’s eyes widen, worry consuming her.
“M-minori-san…! What happened?” she asks, lifting a hand yet afraid to make contact lest she risks causing her any undue discomfort.
“The path of the Shinobi is an arduous one. For every step, hundreds will follow. The you of today is not the you of yesterday. Each step, no matter how small, will help you grow as you continue forward. So yes, you have, Minori-san. Even if you cannot see it—you have.”
“Well, unless there’s someone else who looks exactly like me and has my exact voice then…yes, I am Yumi.”
She chuckles, placing a hand on her younger sister’s head as a warm smile tugs away at her lips.
“Why do you look so despondent, Minori-san?”