After seeing off Guy-sensei along with Rock Lee, Neji, and Tenten, Naruto turned to look at Hinata standing beside him.
"Let's go, Hinata. I'll walk you home." His voice was gentle, carrying none of the battle enthusiasm from moments before.
Hinata stretched out her hand instinctively. When Naruto saw her extended hand, he paused for just a moment before understanding. Usually, he would hold Hinata's hand and use Instantaneous Movement to take her directly home.
Understanding her intention, Naruto smiled knowingly and reached out to grasp her hand.
The moment Naruto's broad palm enveloped her smaller one, the moment she saw that faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth, Hinata's face flushed crimson from the base of her ears all the way down to her neck.
Naruto noticed Hinata's shy blush but didn't tease her about it. Just as he was about to activate Instantaneous Movement, Hinata spoke up softly.
"Naruto-kun, can we... can we walk back instead?"
"Huh?" Naruto looked at her with mild surprise. Hinata raised her head to meet his gaze directly, her pale eyes wide and brimming with something that could only be called courage.
"It's fine with me," Naruto said after a moment's consideration. "But if we walk, it'll take more than an hour."
"It's still early," Hinata said, her voice gaining confidence as she spoke. She looked at Naruto bathed in moonlight, his features softened by the gentle glow. "And the moonlight is so beautiful tonight. After having dinner with Naruto-kun and everyone, taking a walk under such beautiful moonlight would be my pleasure."
"The pleasure is mine as well." Naruto smiled warmly. "Then let's go."
Since he didn't need to transport Hinata instantaneously, Naruto figured he should probably let go of her hand. He started to pull his hand away gently.
Unexpectedly, his hand didn't budge. Hinata held on tightly, her grip firm despite her shy demeanor.
Naruto glanced down at Hinata. She was pretending to look completely nonchalant, staring straight ahead as if nothing unusual was happening. Her voice came out soft but determined. "Let's go, Naruto-kun." Then she took the first step forward, still holding his hand.
Hinata has become brave, Naruto thought, warmth spreading through his chest. He abandoned the idea of letting go. Instead, he adjusted their grip, threading his fingers between hers so their hands were properly interlocked. He tightened his hold and smiled at Hinata's profile.
Naruto clearly saw her eyelashes flutter the moment their fingers interlaced.
He liked this brave version of Hinata even more. In the past, she'd been painfully shy, keeping her head down when talking to him, never daring to meet his eyes directly. Now she'd mustered the courage to take his hand first, to ask for this walk together.
The two of them walked along the mountain path under the moonlight, their shadows stretching long behind them.
Hinata focused her eyes on the road beneath her feet, her lips pressed together in a tight line. She remained silent.
It wasn't that she didn't want to talk. She didn't dare. Taking the initiative to hold Naruto's hand, walking together like this with fingers interlocked, had consumed every ounce of courage she possessed. Right now, her heart was hammering so hard she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. Her nerves felt stretched to their breaking point.
Even her palms had grown slightly sweaty.
Being able to concentrate enough to walk without tripping over her own feet was already the absolute best state Hinata could manage.
She remained silent, but Naruto wouldn't let the quiet stretch uncomfortably. As they walked, he spoke up. "Hinata did really well today. You defeated Neji decisively."
"Huh?" Hinata's mouth opened slightly in surprise. Then she said in a low voice, "Neji-nii was holding back for me."
"Hinata is genuinely powerful. You don't need to be so modest." Naruto's smile was audible in his voice. "Acknowledging your own excellence is also a kind of bravery, you know."
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata didn't know what else to say, so she simply expressed her gratitude.
"Thank me for what?" Naruto turned his head to study the girl beside him. He could hear the sound of her heart beating rapidly, the frequency elevated, rhythm slightly irregular.
Of course, Naruto knew Hinata was just nervous. There was nothing wrong with her physically.
"Thank you for... for walking me home, Naruto-kun..." Hinata finally turned her head, meeting Naruto's eyes directly. Her pale Byakugan pupils seemed to ripple like water disturbed by a stone, and Naruto's face reflected clearly in their depths.
Of course, the eye contact lasted only a moment before Hinata quickly turned away again, her cheeks burning.
Naruto smiled, feeling the warmth of Hinata's palm against his, breathing in the subtle scent that was uniquely hers. He walked with focused contentment.
Naruto's feelings for Hinata were naturally transparent, at least to himself. He'd originally intended to treat her as an ordinary friend, nothing more. But ever since learning about Hinata's tremendous appetite, something had shifted in his perspective.
Naruto felt that living with Hinata would be good. After all, two people could eat together properly. Share meals. Build a life around food and training and companionship.
Therefore, Naruto no longer rejected Hinata's obvious affection. Sometimes he even responded to it, like now. But they were both only twelve years old. Although Naruto's physical development had been accelerated by his Ultimate Taijutsu training, that wasn't the important factor here.
What mattered was that they were still young. Dating was fine. Holding hands, spending time together, that was all perfectly acceptable. But marriage? That was still too early to seriously consider. At least until they were sixteen before thinking about such permanent commitments.
The two held hands and walked together, arriving outside the Hyuga compound almost before they realized how much distance they'd covered.
"We're here." Naruto's voice was soft, reluctant to break the comfortable silence.
"Yes, I'm home." Hinata glanced at the gate of her family's estate, then looked back at Naruto. Her gratitude was completely sincere. "Thank you for walking me back, Naruto-kun."
"Well, then you should head inside." Naruto slowly released Hinata's hand.
The moment Naruto let go, Hinata felt an immediate emptiness, as if she'd lost something precious in an instant. Her hand clenched into a small fist. Her eyes reflected Naruto's image as she spoke again. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. Please be careful going home."
"I will. Goodbye, Hinata." Naruto waved.
"Goodbye..." Hinata waved back, then turned around, planning to enter her home.
Suddenly, Naruto called out to stop her.
"Hinata, wait."
Hearing her name, Hinata turned around immediately. She felt two hands settle on her shoulders, warm and solid. Her entire body trembled, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly. She couldn't bring herself to look directly at Naruto.
Naruto held Hinata's shoulders gently, feeling the tension radiating through her body. His bright blue eyes took in every detail of her nervous, shy expression. That blushing face under the moonlight, those trembling eyelashes, those tightly pressed lips.
"Hinata..." Naruto called her name softly.
Hinata's eyes went wide. Then a thought struck her: she probably shouldn't have opened her eyes so wide right now. What if Naruto thought she was glaring at him? Thinking this, Hinata immediately squeezed her eyes shut, her eyelids clenching tight.
Then she felt warmth against her lips.
Even though her eyes were closed, her slightly fluttering eyelashes betrayed just how nervous she was. Her hands, which had been hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists. She trembled once, then forced herself to stay completely still, barely breathing.
Actually, Naruto hadn't planned this impulsively. It was for stability. For certainty about what he wanted.
After a long moment, Naruto caught the faint scent of salt in the air. It seemed the tide was coming in from distant shores.
Thinking this somewhat absurd thought, Naruto gently separated from Hinata.
Only then did Hinata dare to open her eyes, but she still couldn't meet Naruto's gaze directly. Her face was impossibly red.
Looking at Hinata's ostrich-like behavior, Naruto found it incredibly endearing. He smiled and said gently, "Go on home, Hinata."
"Yes..." Hinata entered her house in a complete daze, her feet moving on autopilot.
After Hinata disappeared through the gates, Naruto touched his own lips. The warmth and subtle fragrance of Hinata still lingered there.
He stood in place for a while longer, just savoring the moment. Then he used Instantaneous Movement to return to the farm. When he arrived, he found Sasuke practicing alone under the moonlight, his movements precise and controlled.
"Sasuke, let's go. Time to head home and sleep."
Sasuke stopped his training and walked over to Naruto. He stared at his friend intently, suspicion crossing his features. "Why do you look so happy right now?"
"Do I?" Naruto smiled, but the question only made him smile wider. Had what just happened made him seem noticeably happier? Had Sasuke's perceptive nature picked up on it? The thought made him want to smile even more.
"Yes, you're even happier now than you were a second ago." Sasuke looked at Naruto expectantly. "Come on, if you have something good to share, share it with me."
"It's nothing, really. Let's head back. I need to get up early tomorrow morning to make friends at the village entrance." Without elaborating further, Naruto activated Instantaneous Movement and returned to their house. They didn't actually live at the farm full-time, only spending days there for meals and training.
In the next second, Sasuke also appeared at the house's entrance. After changing out of their shoes, the two began their evening routine, taking turns using the bathroom.
After bathing, it was time for sleep.
The doors to Sasuke and Naruto's bedrooms faced each other directly across the hallway. Every night before bed, they stood at their respective doorways and said goodnight to each other. Tonight was no exception to this ritual.
"Good night, Naruto." Sasuke's voice carried its usual cool detachment.
"Good night. Oh, by the way, Sasuke..." Naruto suddenly smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm going to have insomnia tonight because of you."
"Hmph. No need for that. Go to bed early. You have to wake up early tomorrow." Sasuke turned and closed his bedroom door with a decisive click.
After shutting the door, Sasuke leaned his back against it, and despite himself, a faint smile appeared on his typically cold face.
Outside in the hallway, Naruto looked at the closed door and muttered to himself. "I didn't even finish my sentence yet. I wanted to say: didn't you mention before that when I made friends with you, I didn't have insomnia? You said I didn't seem to pay enough attention to our friendship. So this time, I'm going to have insomnia for a while thinking about you. Then I'll make friends with you again tomorrow morning to prove how much I value you."
After finishing his muttering, Naruto also closed his bedroom door.
Early the next morning, the sky was still gloomy and dark. Dawn hadn't yet broken through the darkness to illuminate the world. But the door to Naruto's room opened anyway.
Naruto looked up in surprise and saw that the door opposite his had also opened. Sasuke stood in his doorway, looking directly at Naruto. Then Sasuke smiled.
"See, Sasuke? I told you that you should smile more. You look so much better when you... oh..." Naruto yawned widely, unable to suppress it. He really had lost sleep thinking about Sasuke last night. His dedication to their friendship had kept him awake.
"That's none of your business." The smile vanished from Sasuke's face immediately, replaced by his usual cool mask. But when he noticed Naruto yawning, when he saw the slight dark circles under Naruto's eyes, Sasuke realized that Naruto genuinely had suffered from insomnia last night.
Thinking this, Sasuke felt a warm current flow through his chest.
"Hurry up and wash. After we're done, we'll need to make our own breakfast. It's inconvenient without Nine-Tails here to cook." Naruto headed toward the bathroom.
When they reached the bathroom, Naruto looked at his reflection in the mirror. Two slightly dark circles shadowed his eyes. Naruto pointed at them, then looked at Sasuke standing beside him. "You see, Sasuke? I really did lose sleep last night because of you. You can't say I don't value our friendship enough."
"Hmph. I told you to go to bed early, but you didn't listen." Sasuke turned his head away, focusing intently on brushing his teeth, refusing to look at Naruto.
Naruto didn't mind Sasuke's tsundere reaction. After all, he was thoroughly used to it by now. Sasuke was probably secretly pleased inside despite his grumpy exterior.
After washing up, the two worked together in the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
By the time breakfast was ready, dawn had fully broken. They set the food on the table, and Naruto immediately began eating at high speed.
Sasuke watched Naruto shoveling food into his mouth with single-minded focus. He couldn't help commenting. "Eat slowly. Kurama is guarding the village entrance. You're not worried they'll escape."
"No... it's not because of that." Naruto paused to take a gulp of milk and swallow his mouthful of food. "I have one more thing I need to do first."
"Something else? What is it?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"You'll find out soon enough." Naruto finished his breakfast but didn't explain directly. He was planning a surprise for later.
After a while, breakfast concluded. Sasuke went to wash the dishes while Naruto waited in the living room.
When Sasuke finished with the dishes and emerged from the kitchen, he said simply, "Let's go."
He headed toward the door first to change his shoes. Naruto followed to do the same. After they both put on their outdoor footwear, they prepared to leave together. Sasuke wanted to accompany Naruto to the village entrance to watch him make friends with the visiting ninja.
But the moment they stepped outside the gate, Naruto spoke with unusual formality.
"Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke turned around, genuine puzzlement crossing his features. Why was Naruto looking at him so seriously all of a sudden?
"What is it? Aren't you in a hurry to make friends?" Sasuke asked.
"Sasuke Uchiha," Naruto continued, his voice solemn and official, "I am Naruto Uzumaki. May I ask, would you be willing to become my friend?"
Ignoring Sasuke's question entirely, Naruto pressed forward with his formal declaration.
"???" Sasuke's face showed complete confusion. "Naruto, we've been friends for a long time already. What are you talking about?"
"Uchiha Sasuke, I know you're an excellent person." Naruto's expression remained deadly serious. "When I thought about being friends with you this morning, I couldn't fall asleep all night. Because the prospect of being friends with Sasuke-kun is truly something exciting to look forward to."
Oh no. Hearing those words, seeing that serious expression, Sasuke's heart dropped straight through the floor into his stomach. He began to regret everything. Why had he been jealous? Why had he said anything?
Now it seemed Naruto wanted to make friends with him again. Which meant only one thing.
He was about to get beaten. Again.
Deep regret filled Sasuke's chest.
"Naruto, I was wrong!" Sasuke immediately began damage control, speaking rapidly. "I shouldn't have felt undervalued by you. We're already friends! There's no need to waste time on me! Let's hurry to the village entrance instead. If those ninja run away, you'll lose the chance to make many new friends!"
Sasuke first admitted his mistake, then tried to redirect Naruto's attention elsewhere. A classic strategy.
"No, I need to let Sasuke-kun see how much I truly value our friendship." Naruto's determination was unshakeable. "Sasuke, let's begin making friends properly. I really did lose sleep because of you last night."
Sasuke genuinely wanted to slap himself across the face. Twice. Hard.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Fifteen minutes later, Sasuke had failed to escape. He'd made friends with Naruto all over again. Standing there with a bruised nose and swollen face, regret consumed every fiber of his being.
"So, Sasuke, do you feel how important you are to me now?" Naruto helped Sasuke to his feet, a bright smile on his face.
Sasuke cried internally. He wanted to actually cry out loud, but he could only swallow those tears down deep into his heart. If he cried audibly, he'd probably get beaten again. When making friends with Naruto, you absolutely had to appear happy about it.
This was Sasuke's hard-won experience from multiple encounters.
"Well, Sasuke, if that settles things, let's go!" Naruto raised his head, gazing in the direction of the village entrance with visible excitement. "I'm really looking forward to making lots of new friends today!"
"Naruto, you go ahead first." Sasuke's voice came out slightly muffled through his swollen face. "I need to stop by the farm to take care of something. I'll meet you there afterward."
"Huh? That's fine. Come quickly though. I'll start making friends without you." After speaking, Naruto disappeared, using Instantaneous Movement to depart.
Watching Naruto's vanishing figure, Sasuke touched his aching face. He pulled a small mirror from his pocket, looked at his reflection, and shed fresh tears of regret.
The face staring back at him was a disaster.
"Well, might as well go find him and have another discussion," Sasuke muttered, putting the mirror away. He headed toward the farm, moving gingerly.
Somewhere in Konoha, Zabuza Momochi's nose itched violently. He sneezed and thought: Why do I suddenly feel like someone's cursing me?