Naruto looked around at the gathering of people surrounding him. When he'd first been invited he scoffed at the idea, but then it started poking at the back of his brain. Showing up at a meeting, he had somehow found him thrust into center stage, a place he usually wanted to be in, but not right now.
Clearing his throat he smiled and waved. "Hello... My name is Naruto..." he began a little shakily.
"HELLO NARUTO!" the crowd replied reminding the blonde of what Shino mentioned the hive mind sounded like when he was talking to them.
"I... In my early days, I had one and only one real friend," he continued, sweating slightly under the spotlight, "But it has been revealed to me that he was a demon out to destroy everything I held dear. I... I have gotten more friends, but I still hold onto that old friendship, trying to return him to my side, even as I know he's going to only hurt me..."
"Kyuubi won't hurt you anymore!" a voice in the back shouted, Naruto's eyes zeroed in on him curiously.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked confused. "I'm talking about Sasuke Uchiha..."
Naruto looked down at the podium in front of him and sighed. "I am Naruto Uzumaki... and my best friend is becoming a demon."
A smiling brunette woman in a smart business suit walked onto the stage and hugged the poor blonde around the shoulders. "That's alright, Naruto... We here at Betrayed Anonymous, don't judge, and we will not betray you. We've been betrayed enough as is... Isn't that right people?"
As the resounding affirmatives sounded out through the hall, Naruto smiled. For the first time, he felt like he was accepted and wanted unconditionally. It was an amazing thing.