"Damn! I can't dodge!"
Ryuki's mind raced, desperately searching for a way to escape, but there was none. The blue chakra sphere was already right in front of his eyes.
He barely had time to shut them before—
Boom!
His head exploded into a cloud of blood. His body collapsed, red and white fluid spilling from his shattered skull. The khaki-yellow armor that had covered him cracked and scattered across the ground like broken pottery.
"Delaying time? I lied to you."
A smirk appeared on Naruto's face. His words earlier had been nothing more than a distraction—meant to shake Ryuki's focus, giving him the perfect opening to strike.
Waiting for Konoha's ninjas to arrive might have been an option, but that wasn't Naruto's style.
Hinata, who had been carried on Ryuki's back, was unconscious, her small frame stained with mud and grime.
"Hey, Hinata, wake up."
Naruto untied her and patted her cheek, but she didn't respond. She remained still, her breathing soft and shallow.
Frowning, Naruto carried her to the stream. He cupped his hands in the cool water and gently washed the dirt from her face and clothes. Once he was done, he hoisted her onto his back and, with a flicker of chakra, disappeared into the night.
Soon, Naruto arrived at his small, run-down apartment. He gently laid Hinata on the bed, removing her outer cloak to check for injuries. Fortunately, she seemed unharmed.
But as his gaze fell upon her chest, Naruto's face immediately flushed red.
Even at her age, she was already starting to develop. The soft curve of her chest rose slightly beneath her cheongsam[1], and the white skin exposed at her neckline formed a faint valley.
"Damn it, don't be a pervert!"
Naruto shook his head violently, forcing himself to look away.
He turned on the shower, letting the cold water pour over him, washing away both the grime of battle and any lingering impure thoughts.
After a long shower, Naruto dried off, grabbed a carton of milk and some bread from the fridge, and ate a simple meal. Once he was done, he returned to the bedroom.
"Hey, Hinata, wake up."
He squatted by the bedside, gently shaking her, but she remained in a deep sleep.
"Tch… well, don't blame me for this, then."
Naruto sighed and lay down beside her. His apartment was tiny—just one bed, no couch, and barely enough space to move around. There was no way he was sleeping on the cold, hard floor.
Within moments, exhaustion caught up to him. After a full afternoon of training and the intense battle with Ryuki, his body was drained.
As soon as he closed his eyes, sleep took him in less than ten seconds.
The Next Morning
Naruto was pulled from his dreams by the warm morning light streaming through the window.
He turned his head to the side—
And froze.
Hinata was curled up beside him, her limbs wrapped around him like an octopus. Her soft cheek was pressed against his, her breath warm against his neck.
His heart skipped a beat.
"W-Wait… we didn't do anything weird last night, did we!?"
He quickly looked down at their clothes—intact. Relief washed over him. Apart from Hinata's slightly disheveled neckline, nothing seemed out of place.
"Hu~~"
Naruto let out a long sigh. 'Thank god'. If he had actually done anything, Hinata's father, Hiashi, would have killed him.
Checking the clock, he saw that it was 7:00 AM—an hour before his team's scheduled meeting time.
Carefully, he reached for Hinata's arm, trying to move it away without waking her.
But the moment he lifted her wrist—
"Ah~~!!"
A high-pitched scream shattered the morning silence.
Hinata shot up, clutching her chest with both hands, her face burning red as she glared at Naruto in shock.
"W-What did you do to me!?"
"Hinata, calm down! I didn't do anything!" Naruto panicked, jumping out of bed. "I rescued you last night, but you wouldn't wake up, so I let you rest here. That's all!"
Hinata hesitated, glancing down at her clothes. Everything was still in place.
She already believed him—at least, mostly.
But the memory of waking up in Naruto's embrace, their bodies pressed together so intimately, was too much for her shy heart to handle. Her face burned, her head felt light, and—
"Oh no…"
Naruto watched in alarm as she started swaying.
"Hinata, you're not gonna—"
"I-It's fine! T-Thank you for saving me! I-I'll go home now!"
Hinata stammered, snatching up her cloak and practically bolting out the door.
Naruto blinked as he watched her disappear. Then, unable to stop himself, he chuckled.
"That girl is way too cute."
Despite being classmates, they had rarely interacted beyond polite greetings at school. Hinata was always shy, avoiding direct contact with most people.
And yet, now, they had experienced their first true moment of closeness.
After calming himself down, Naruto headed downstairs to a small breakfast shop for a quick meal before making his way toward Konoha's eastern training grounds.
[Haruno Sakura's Anger +36]
[Uchiha Sasuke's Anger +23]
"HEY! Naruto! You're late again!"
Sakura clenched her fists, veins popping on her forehead as she glared at Naruto.
Kakashi had clearly told them to meet at 6:00 AM. And yet, here he was—casually strolling in at 8:00 AM like it was no big deal.
"Naruto, did you make a deal with Kakashi or something?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms. He was starting to seriously suspect that these two had some kind of secret conspiracy.
"Sasuke, what are you talking about?" Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I just helped an old lady cross the road on my way here."
Sasuke's eye twitched. Like hell you did.
Naruto, of course, had long since figured out Kakashi's habits. 'There was no way their lazy sensei was actually going to show up on time'.
Why waste precious sleep waiting for him?
---------------------------------
(End of Chapter)
[1] a traditional Chinese dress, typically worn by women.