After getting hit with Kurama's 'Righteous Talk-no-Jutsu,' Naruto seemed to have figured something out. He turned straight to Hinata, looking serious. "Hinata!"
Hinata looked up, sadness flickering in her eyes, but she forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. It's okay. Really, I'm okay."
Naruto stared at her. "Kurama once told me that if someone repeats a whole sentence or certain words three times while speaking normally, they might be lying. And if they repeat something twice, what they really mean is the exact opposite of what they're saying."
Hinata's lips parted slightly, but for a moment, she couldn't find the words to reply.
Naruto took a deep breath and said, "Also, just like how you don't like me saying 'thank you' to you, please don't say 'sorry' to me. I don't like it when you say that."
It wasn't that he disliked the word itself—he just didn't like hearing it from Hinata.
For a moment, Hinata seemed to realize something. Her face turned red as she lowered her head, the sadness in her eyes slowly fading. "Okay."
"Good." Naruto nodded. "Now that we've settled that, let's talk about the previous issue."
Hinata instinctively looked at him.
Just as Kurama thought Naruto was about to launch into another long-winded speech, Naruto simply said, "I don't like her. I like you. That's all."
Kurama's mouth dropped open, blinking in surprise. He didn't expect that at all.
Hinata's entire face turned bright red in an instant. She sat there frozen, completely overwhelmed. Her mind went blank, except for the words, "I like you," echoing over and over again.
Honestly, if she hadn't spent the last few years working on facing Naruto head-on, she probably would have passed out on the spot.
Though, even if she didn't actually faint, she was definitely close.
Hinata leaned against the chair, feeling a little dizzy, her whole body burning up as if she had been drinking. "Do… do you like me… more than Princess Koyuki?"
"No!" Naruto immediately denied it, making Hinata think she had said something wrong. But in the next second, he spoke again. "It's not 'I like you more than Koyuki Kazahana.' It's 'I don't like Koyuki Kazahana at all. I only like you.'"
The two sentences seemed similar, but their meanings were completely different.
At least, the words Naruto said now made all of Hinata's worries and sadness disappear in an instant.
And then… she fainted.
"Hina… Hinata?" Naruto dumbly caught Hinata as she leaned into him. Looking at her peaceful face, he suddenly didn't know what to do.
What did Hinata mean by this?
Why did she suddenly lean on me?
And why did she close her eyes?
Could it be…
She wants me to…
…kiss her?
Oh. The theater was a little dark, so this idiot hadn't realized that Hinata had fainted.
*Gulp* Naruto swallowed nervously. "Hina… Hinata, isn't this a bit… too fast…"
Warm breaths escaped from Hinata's lips, like a feather lightly brushing against Naruto's neck. But what made his whole body tingle wasn't just that electric sensation—it was the affection of the girl in front of him.
So…
*Shut up and kiss her.*
Kurama didn't say anything, but his eyes practically shouted those four words.
"Th-then I'll… j-just go for it?" Naruto stammered, his voice shaking as he slowly closed his eyes and leaned in.
His face drew closer and closer, their breaths mixing in the air. Every inch he moved made his heart pound like a drum, echoing through the quiet theater like a roaring engine.
Just a little more…
Watching the two of them getting closer, Sakura, who was hiding behind the seats, almost screamed. But she held it in. Instead, she grabbed the arm of the person next to her and squeezed with all her might, channeling all her excitement into that poor arm.
Sasuke had been in a good mood. But now that his arm was about to break, he wasn't feeling so great anymore.
The most annoying part? He couldn't interrupt his best friend's moment. So he just had to endure it.
Kakashi, on the other hand, looked on with a satisfied expression. Underneath his mask, he was smiling. *Sensei and Kushina would be so happy to see this.*
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, deep in thought about something. Maybe she was just marveling at how grown-up these kids had become. Oh, wait. In the ninja world, they weren't even considered kids anymore.
Jiraiya… surprisingly wasn't making any perverted faces. Instead, he looked thoughtful, occasionally glancing at Tsunade.
Tsunade must have felt his gaze because she let out a cold chuckle. "What? You think I was like that girl back then?"
Jiraiya: "…"
Not exactly, so… better not.
Jiraiya sighed in disappointment, then gave Sasuke a sympathetic look before pulling out his flask and taking a drink while watching the show.
At the same time, Naruto, who was holding Hinata, finally realized something was off. He lifted his head and took a closer look at her. After a moment, he was sure.
Hinata had fainted.
Naruto's face turned completely red. "Hinata? Hinata..."
"Stop calling her. She passed out before you even kissed her," Kurama said lazily, sprawled out like he had nothing left to do.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Naruto shouted at Kurama, his face still flushed. But his tone... it had about as much threat as a newborn kitten. "Doesn't that mean... I just took advantage of Hinata?"
Kurama shifted slightly, leaning against a wall now instead of just lying down. He stared at Naruto for a while, making him nervous, before suddenly asking, "Was it soft?"
"Soft!" Naruto answered without hesitation.
Then he froze.
Kurama, you tricked me!
"How did it feel?" Kurama asked curiously.
"Uh..." Naruto instinctively replied again, "It smelled nice, it was soft, kind of like when you see others—Kurama! You tricked me again!"
"Hey, at least you're being honest." Kurama grinned. "You didn't like it?"
Naruto subconsciously touched his lips. His face instantly turned bright red, like a boiled crab, looking just as flustered as Hinata had earlier. "B-But this means I just took advantage of her while she was unconscious..."
Kurama stared at him again. "Hinata woke up."
Naruto nearly lost it! He almost flew straight into Six Paths Mode on the spot. But when he looked at Hinata again, he realized she was still unconscious.
"Ku! Ra! Ma!"
Now he really lost it.
Kurama gave him a deep look but said nothing. He just showed a meaningful expression before disappearing into the shadows of Naruto's mind, leaving only a pair of mischievous eyes watching the outside world.
Naruto's face finally stopped being red. After cursing at Kurama a few times, he turned back to look at Hinata.
After thinking for a moment, he carried her out of the theater and walked through the quiet streets, just like before, bringing her home.
Then, he left.
He figured he'd apologize to Hinata tomorrow.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Hyuga compound, Hinata peeked through the gap in the door, watching Naruto's back as he walked away. Her face was bright red, her right hand gently touching her lips, her eyes filled with a mix of shyness and warmth.
Not far away, Hanabi stood behind another door gap, squinting her eyes and giggling like a mischievous little cat. "Big sis, what does a kiss feel like?"
Hinata: "..."
She lowered her head, twirling her fingers nervously, unable to get a word out.
As Naruto walked through the streets, he rested his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky. The sun was already heading west, but the afternoon breeze felt no different from noon.
The sunlight stretched out his shadow, flickering slightly. And within that shadow, nine tails swayed gently.
Inside Naruto's mind, Kurama's senses spread across the Hyuga compound. He smirked, standing shoulder to shoulder with the setting sun.
"I told you, Hinata woke up. She woke up right after you kissed her. You just didn't believe me. That's not my fault."
Today was another day Naruto forgot to use his sensory abilities.
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