"Dad, did you mess up or something!?"Naruto yelled to no one in particular—then collapsed spectacularly onto the grass with a thud.
His shadow clones burst into smoke. The day's training had finally ended, leaving him more dead than alive. Every muscle screamed mutiny. His mind was a swamp of exhaustion and betrayal.
"Who said shadow clones can boost strength and speed!? Those novels totally lied to me!"
He groaned, rolling onto his back like a dying fish. After receiving the memories from his clones, he realized the awful truth—their training didn't multiply his gains at all.All that punching, running, and showing off… for nothing.
Rikudō Shingon: Host has discovered the ancient secret of disappointment. Would you like me to engrave it into scripture?
"Not funny," Naruto muttered.
Rikudō Shingon: On the contrary, it is divine comedy.
Naruto ignored the voice and stared at the darkening sky. The clouds drifted lazily, mocking him with their freedom.
"So much for shortcuts…" he sighed. "Guess I'll just have to grind it out myself."
Still, not everything was a failure. His Wind Release: Wind Blade Technique was getting sharper—literally. He could now throw three or four blades in a row, each cutting deeper than before.It was progress, however small.
"Fine. No shortcuts. Just me, blood, and bruises," he said. "That's how the strong are made, right?"
He tried to stand, but his legs had other ideas.
Step. Step. Collapse.
"Ugh… maybe I'll just sleep here," he muttered weakly, face-first in the dirt.
Rikudō Shingon: Host, you resemble a defeated earthworm. Glorious.
"Remind me why you exist again?"
Rikudō Shingon: To observe your suffering in holy clarity.
Before Naruto could curse back, something soft caught him. He hadn't hit the ground. He blinked—and realized he'd fallen into a warm, small embrace.
The scent was familiar. The warmth even more so.
"…Hinata?" he whispered, voice gentler than he meant.
She didn't answer. She just held him tighter. The wind brushed past them, sending leaves dancing in the fading sunset. Naruto felt his eyelids grow heavy.
He didn't fight it.
"Don't move," he murmured, resting against her shoulder. "Just… let me stay like this for a bit."
Hinata's cheeks burned red, but she didn't move. One hand hovered awkwardly before settling on his back. The two of them sat like that, framed by golden light—small figures against the stretching sky.
Naruto's voice came out low, almost peaceful."You know… this is the first time I've felt so calm. So… warm."
His smile softened as he gently patted her head."Your arms are really warm, Hinata. Makes everything feel okay."
Hinata's breath caught.
"Even if training hurts… if you're around, it doesn't feel that bad," he said, eyes half-closed. "I want to protect you, Hinata. Really."
The words hung in the air like sunlight that refused to fade.
Hinata's face turned crimson. She looked down, hands trembling slightly—but she was smiling. Her chest felt full and light all at once.She didn't fully understand what "love" meant yet, but she knew this—when Naruto smiled, she felt safe. When he was sad, her heart ached.And when he said he'd protect her… the world felt brighter.
"Na… Naruto-kun," she whispered.
"Mm?"
"I'm… really happy to hear that."
Naruto chuckled softly, eyes fluttering shut. "Me too…"
Before long, he drifted into sleep, face still smiling.
Hinata carefully leaned him against a nearby tree, watching him with quiet joy.In that small, golden moment, under the rustling leaves, they looked like the happiest children in the world.