The mountain wasn't particularly high. After Naruto and his friends arrived at the temple, they paid their respects at the shrine, then climbed to the summit.
They found a patch of soft grass and settled down to wait.
The sun had already dipped below the horizon. Darkness crept across the sky, leaving only a waning moon to cast its pale light over the mountainside.
Naruto passed his water bottle to Hinata. "Here, you must be thirsty."
"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun."
A warm evening breeze swept over the hilltop, carrying the last heat of the day. The tall grass bent and swayed, bowing toward the temple as if pleading for a peaceful life.
"Sasuke-kun, I made pastries for you!" Sakura produced a bento box and thrust it toward him. "Would you like to try one?"
Just as Sasuke reached for it, another box appeared in front of his face.
"Sasuke-kun, have a donut instead," Ino interjected. "Dogs wouldn't even eat the cakes that wide-forehead makes. How could I let you eat them?"
Sakura's eye twitched. "Ino-pig, shut your mouth! Your donuts are what dogs wouldn't eat!"
Sasuke's hand froze mid-reach, caught between the two competing offerings. His face suggested he was experiencing a unique form of torture.
Beside him, Choji stared longingly at both bento boxes, his bag of potato chips suddenly seeming far less appealing.
Shikamaru lay sprawled on the grass next to Choji, completely indifferent to the drama. He gazed at the darkening sky, apparently finding the stars more interesting than the chaos.
Hinata watched Sakura and Ino with quiet envy. She wished she had their courage, that she could be so bold with Naruto.
Her face flushed at the thought. She stole a glance at Naruto, who sat beside her stroking Nine-Tails absently. When he noticed her looking, he turned.
"Something wrong, Hinata?"
"N-no! Nothing!" She jerked her face away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. Her fingers twisted together anxiously as she studied her shoes with sudden intensity.
"You sure? You look—"
BOOM.
A firework shot into the sky from the base of the mountain, trailing light like a comet. It exploded overhead in a brilliant cascade of color, spreading like a peacock's tail.
Seconds later, dozens more followed.
"Fireworks! They're starting!"
Everyone scrambled to their feet, craning their necks to watch. The night sky bloomed with color—reds, blues, greens, and golds painting the darkness in waves of light.
For a moment, no one spoke. Even Choji and Shikamaru, who'd been arguing for days about whether fireworks were round or flat, fell silent. The beauty stole their breath.
Crack. Pop. Whistle. BOOM.
Hinata gasped softly. She'd watched the Summer Festival fireworks every year with her mother, but this time felt different. This time felt meaningful.
She turned her head slightly, her gaze tracing the strong line of Naruto's arm, then his profile. His features were sharp, his eyes distant as he watched the display. Firelight flickered and danced across his face, painting him in shifting colors.
Stars, Hinata thought, please remember this moment.
The fireworks continued for a full hour before the final burst faded into smoke.
As always, the ending brought a hollow feeling—the wish that beautiful things could last forever, coupled with the knowledge that they never did.
The group gathered their belongings and began the descent.
"Don't forget," Naruto announced as they walked, "tomorrow we're having a gathering at the farm. Everyone's invited for a meal. We can exchange some ninjutsu techniques too."
Various sounds of agreement followed.
Since Naruto had picked Hinata up from her home, it fell to him to escort her back as well.
The mountain path was lined with streetlamps spaced every ten meters or so. Their dim glow illuminated the gravel road in patches of yellow light. The group chatted casually as they descended.
Every time Sasuke passed one of those streetlamps, a particular memory surfaced—his brother standing atop the pole outside the Uchiha compound, silhouetted against the night sky.
The fact that Itachi had taken that specific streetlamp when he left remained a deep source of pain.
At the shop by the mountain's base, Naruto and Hinata parted ways with the others.
"See you tomorrow!" Choji called, already munching on a fresh bag of chips.
Shikamaru waved lazily. "Later."
Sakura and Ino both shot Naruto pointed looks before turning to follow Sasuke down the path toward the village proper.
Naruto walked Hinata to the gates of the Hyūga compound.
"Thank you for escorting me home, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly.
"We're friends. It's no problem." Naruto shifted Nine-Tails in his arms. The fox's fur bristled at the reminder of the doll clothes waiting in Naruto's backpack.
"Besides, you gave the little fox all those outfits from Hanabi's dolls."
Nine-Tails' tail lashed.
"Speaking of Hanabi," Naruto continued, "you said she's only a few months old now, right? I'd really like to meet her sometime."
Hinata's expression brightened. "She's very well-behaved! She doesn't cry when strangers hold her, and she's so sweet—"
They stood talking for several more minutes until Hinata noticed the late hour. She bowed slightly. "I should go. See you tomorrow, Naruto-kun."
"Wait, Hinata."
She turned back, confusion on her small face.
Naruto paused, choosing his words carefully. "You should let yourself go more. Don't worry so much about what other people think."
"Naruto-kun?"
"What I mean is—" He raised his voice with encouraging enthusiasm. "Eat as much as you want!"
Hinata blinked rapidly. "I... what?"
"I've noticed you holding back during meals. Your eyes show you want more food, but you stop yourself." Naruto crossed his arms. "Don't care what others think. Just be yourself. Look at me—I eat a whole cow every day. The strong need to eat!"
For a moment, Hinata simply stared. Then her eyes went misty. "Naruto-kun has been... paying attention to me?"
"Of course. We're friends."
"I understand." Hinata's voice gained unexpected strength. "I won't hold back my appetite anymore, Naruto-kun. I promise."
"Good! See you tomorrow then."
The next day, Naruto selected three goats from the farm's flock as ingredients for the gathering. He, Sasuke, and Nine-Tails spent the morning preparing the feast.
"Naruto, help me roll up my sleeves?"
In the kitchen, Sasuke stood at the washing basin with wet hands, unable to adjust his sleeves while wearing an apron.
Naruto stepped behind him and used his height advantage to easily roll the fabric up Sasuke's arms. "There. All set."
When Hinata, Choji, Shikamaru, Sakura, and Ino arrived, their eyes went wide at the spread covering the table.
"Naruto, this is amazing!"
"Sasuke, you're such a good cook!"
"Well, don't mind if we do—"
Everyone dug in enthusiastically. Within minutes, most of the group felt pleasantly full.
What surprised everyone was Hinata's appetite.
She ate and ate and ate, consuming nearly as much as Naruto himself—which was approximately twenty-five times what Sakura managed.
Naruto, of course, still won. His intake was roughly twenty-five times Hinata's portion, a truly staggering amount.
But no one teased Hinata about how much she ate. Instead, everyone kept passing her dishes, encouraging her to take more.
Hinata felt a wave of relief and shot Naruto a grateful look.
Naruto caught her eye and grinned.
His mental favorability rating for Hinata ticked upward another notch.
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