Naruto scratched his head, genuinely confused by the sudden thanks. "Why are you thanking me, Hinata? I don't think I've helped you with anything."
Hinata lifted her head slightly. Her face flushed pink, and her voice came out barely louder than a whisper. If Naruto's hearing hadn't been enhanced by years of training, he might not have caught her words at all.
"Did Naruto-kun really forget?"
A flicker of disappointment crossed her reddened face before she continued. "Three years ago... did Naruto-kun help someone at the market?"
Naruto tried to recall any good deeds from his past. Honestly, given how people treated him back then, if an old woman had fallen in the street, everyone would have been too busy avoiding him to notice her. The idea of him playing the helpful citizen was almost laughable.
Then a memory surfaced. Not an old woman, but a little girl.
About three years ago, he'd been wandering the market out of sheer boredom when he'd spotted a small girl sitting on the ground, crying. Not only had no one stepped forward to help her, but a group of other kids had actually gathered around to laugh at her misery.
Naruto had seen that kind of thing happen countless times. Usually to him. The ridicule, the cold indifference—he'd experienced more of it than he could count.
So out of sympathy, he'd walked over and asked if she could stand. When she couldn't, he'd offered his hand and pulled her up.
The moment she was on her feet, her mouth had opened, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. So he'd put on what he thought was a cool expression, mumbled something casual, and told her she was welcome.
Then his heart had sunk. Because the little girl he'd just helped had rolled her eyes at him.
I help you out of kindness, and you roll your eyes at me?
You're just like everyone else after all.
The sense of rejection had stung. Naruto had turned and left without another word.
Now, looking at the girl in front of him with those distinctive pale eyes, understanding clicked into place. "I remember now." His voice came out flat. "But you don't need to thank me."
He didn't need thanks from someone who'd just looked down on him anyway.
"But... but I have to!" Hinata's sudden anxiety made her voice jump. "Naruto-kun helped me! How could I not say thank you?"
Looking at the sincerity radiating from her, Naruto realized he might have been wrong about something. He pointed at her eyes. "What about your eyes?"
"Huh?" She blinked. "You mean... Naruto-kun, these are my family's bloodline. The Byakugan."
Naruto felt understanding wash over him, followed immediately by embarrassment. "Oh. I'm sorry, Hinata. All this time, I thought you were giving me dirty looks. That's why I left so quickly..."
"That's... that's not..." Hinata started, then stopped. Her face went from pink to scarlet as the full realization hit her. She probably had been staring at him with her Byakugan active. The blush spread from her cheeks up to her ears, turning them bright red.
"I've always... I always..."
She wanted to say she'd always paid attention to him, always noticed him, but the words wouldn't come.
Seeing her struggle, Naruto glanced around. They weren't far from his place on the back mountain. "Hey, why don't you come to my cabin? You can tell me the whole story about how you fell. Take your time."
"Mm!" Hinata nodded enthusiastically, her voice growing just a bit louder.
Naruto-kun invited me!
When they reached the wooden cabin, Nine-Tails bounded out. He'd learned to be smart about these things. Instead of immediately complaining to Naruto, he first checked if anyone else was present. If so, he'd put on the cute pet act and hop into Naruto's arms.
"Wow, Naruto-kun, is this your fox? He's so cute!" Like most girls confronted with a fluffy animal, Hinata's eyes lit up. She reached out tentatively. "Can I pet him?"
Nine-Tails shot her a disdainful look. Hmph. Last time some brat tried to touch me without permission. You won't even get that far...
"Sure, he loves being petted," Naruto said cheerfully.
Nine-Tails' expression screamed betrayal.
"Really? I can?" Hinata looked delighted by the unexpected permission.
"Of course."
Naruto held out the fox. Nine-Tails wanted desperately to puff up and hiss, but the intimidating presence of his master kept him in check. He closed his eyes in resignation as Hinata's hand descended, slowly stroking his fur.
After enjoying the soft fox for a few moments, Hinata sat down with Naruto on a log in front of the cabin.
The afternoon breeze whispered through the leaves. Two figures, one larger and one small, sat side by side on the weathered wood. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, dappling their faces with irregular patterns of light and shadow.
The air felt peaceful. The boy held an orange fox in his arms, listening quietly to the girl's soft voice. Only her words, sometimes high and sometimes low, broke the comfortable silence.
Then, suddenly: "Ah! Naruto-kun, I have to go! If I'm late, Father will scold me again!"
From her stories, Naruto had gathered that her father was extremely strict. He nodded. "Then you should head home."
He walked with her partway, watching until her figure disappeared from sight.
"Oh no. I forgot to ask her to be my friend." The realization hit him a moment too late.
[Naruto, you've grown up,] the System's voice carried a teasing lilt.
Naruto looked at himself. Compared to three years ago, he definitely had grown up. He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I have."
Nine-Tails jumped down from his arms at that moment, putting his tiny paws on his hips and glaring up at Naruto indignantly. "Naruto, you're not honest!"
Naruto blinked at the sudden accusation. "What? How am I not honest?"
"Hmph. You know exactly what I mean. I shouldn't have to spell it out."
"If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know?"
"See! You don't even realize what you did wrong. Even if I tell you, will you change? What's the point of saying anything?"
"I... of course I'll change if you just tell me what I did!" Naruto felt his sanity slipping.
"Hmph! We had an agreement. This old man—I mean, I came here to help you cook, to assist you. But just now, what did you do? You handed me over to a stranger like some kind of... of pet!"
Nine-Tails turned around with an angry huff, pointedly ignoring Naruto.
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