Inside the workshop, Tenten immediately began arguing with the research staff about whether her new launcher could be sealed into a scroll without damaging its starter seal. Kenji wisely left the building before Tenten could volunteer him for another test.
Outside the workshop, Kenji found Naruto sitting on the low boundary wall with three shadow clones. Each clone had a supposed role: one was throwing kunai at a practice post, one was keeping watch, and the third was tasked with recording the results on a scrap of paper. Kenji walked closer and noticed that the "recording" clone had simply drawn an insulting picture of the other two instead.
"Were you waiting for me?" Kenji asked.
Naruto sighed. "Haku already went back to Wave, and Kakashi-sensei is busy with Sasuke. Haku told me to practise using a few clones properly, but these posts don't tell me what I'm doing wrong."
The clone holding the pencil proudly raised its report.
Kenji studied the crude drawing. "That one has exposed several mistakes already."
Before the clones could begin arguing over which of them had been insulted most accurately, Naruto dismissed all three in quick bursts of smoke.
Kenji had noticed Team 8's name on the return board when he passed the mission office earlier that morning. Hinata could track several clones at once, while Kiba and Shino would give Naruto something less predictable than wooden posts.
"Go ask Kakashi," Kenji said. "If he and Kurenai agree, train with Team 8."
Naruto disappeared toward Training Ground Seven before Kenji finished the sentence.
Kakashi was there watching Sasuke practise short Swift Step bursts between marked posts. After hearing Haku's rules, he sent a messenger bird to Kurenai.
Kurenai's answer returned less than an hour later. Team 8 had only just returned from its mission, but Naruto could join their light exercise the following afternoon as long as he followed her instructions.
The next day, Naruto reached the training field twenty minutes early.
Team 8 arrived shortly after lunch.
Kiba complained that his clothes still smelled like swamp water, while Akamaru immediately rolled across the grass. Shino carried a sealed insect container beneath one arm. The heavy bandage Hinata had worn at Yakiniku Q had been replaced by a narrow wrap around her knuckles.
Kurenai gathered everyone near the center of the field.
"You spent two days chasing smugglers," she told Team 8. "This is a light exercise. Nobody needs to prove they can collapse before dinner."
Naruto grinned and greeted them loudly. Hinata answered quietly and lowered her eyes out of habit. A second later, she made herself look up again.
Naruto noticed. A grin spread across his face before he understood why.
Hinata's cheeks turned red under his attention. Her eyes dipped for a moment, but she raised them again instead of moving behind Kurenai.
The drill began quickly. Naruto formed three clones. Kurenai tied a red cloth around one clone's arm and drew a line in the dirt behind Hinata. The marked clone had to cross the line. Naruto's real body could fight and create distractions, but only the clone wearing the cloth counted. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino would attack from the sides.
Naruto assigned the roles quickly. The first clone rushed Hinata directly. The second moved beside Kiba, matching his charge to pull her attention toward the same side. Shino's swarm crossed the center of the field while the marked clone slipped beneath it. The real Naruto circled wide, moving like another decoy.
Hinata activated her Byakugan. Kiba and Akamaru closed from one side, Shino's insects covered the center, and four identical Narutos crossed through their paths. Hinata kept all of them inside her vision.
The marked clone slipped through the chaos and reached within three steps of the line. Suddenly, Hinata turned, bypassed the clones entirely, and tapped the real Naruto squarely in the chest.
"Found you," she said.
Naruto stared at the spot she had tapped.
Before he recovered, Hinata turned and struck the marked clone. It vanished one step before the line.
"How did you know?" Naruto demanded.
Hinata lowered her hand. "You looked at the clone you were protecting before you changed direction."
Naruto demanded another round before the smoke had cleared.
This time, he deliberately glanced toward the wrong clone before changing direction. Hinata reacted to the false clue and moved half a step away from the real threat.
The marked clone rushed the opening.
Hinata caught the trick just before it crossed, striking it when one sandal was already hovering over the line.
Naruto pointed at her. "You looked the wrong way!"
"For a moment," Hinata admitted.
Kurenai examined the line near the clone's foot.
"Better. Naruto changed the pattern, and Hinata corrected before it cost her the round."
Naruto grinned at Hinata. She answered with a small smile of her own.
Kiba dropped his arms. "I hate this. He's becoming annoyingly competent."
Shino adjusted his glasses. "You might also improve if you stopped announcing every attack."
"I don't announce my attacks."
Akamaru barked.
Shino turned toward him. "Your own partner disagrees."
Kurenai called for a water break. Kiba dropped onto the grass beside Akamaru, while Shino checked the insects he had used during the exercise.
Naruto walked to the water pump at the edge of the field. Hinata arrived at the same time, and they both reached for the metal cup. Their fingers brushed.
Hinata pulled her hand back immediately.
"S-Sorry."
Naruto nearly knocked the cup from the pump in his own confusion. He caught it, filled it with water, and held it toward her.
"You got here first."
Hinata accepted it with both hands. While she drank, Naruto noticed the narrow wrap around her knuckles.
"Does it hurt?" Naruto asked.
Hinata lowered the cup and flexed her wrapped hand.
"Only when I close it too tightly."
Naruto remained beside her. When he did not immediately fill the silence, Hinata looked down at her knuckles and continued.
"I waited too long during the mission. By the time I moved, Kiba was already in danger."
Her fingers slowly closed around the metal cup.
"I do not want protecting my teammates to be something I do only after everything has gone wrong. I want to choose when I step forward."
Naruto looked toward the training field, letting her words sink in. "You were really good today," he told her honestly.
"Your clone nearly crossed the line," Hinata reminded him.
"Nearly still means you stopped me."
Hinata laughed quietly at his stubbornness. Naruto paused, suddenly realizing he had rarely heard her laugh when she was not actively trying to hide it.
Naruto glanced at her.
"Was it really only because I looked at the marked clone?"
Hinata shifted the cup between her hands. "No."
"What else?"
She hesitated before answering.
"Your clones move as soon as you give them a job. You usually wait long enough to see whether everyone else is ready."
Naruto blinked.
Hinata continued more quietly. "You also lean on your right foot before changing direction. And the real you checks where your teammates are before taking a risk."
Naruto stared at her.
Only after she finished did Hinata seem to realize how closely she had been watching him. Her gaze dropped toward the cup.
Before she could completely look away, Naruto spoke. "I like training with you," he said.
Hinata froze.
Naruto realized how the sentence sounded and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I mean, you actually pay attention. You don't laugh when I mess up, but you don't pretend every stupid idea is amazing either."
His hand dropped to his side.
"You just treat me like Naruto."
Hinata forced herself to lift her chin and meet his eyes again. "That is who you are," she said softly.
Naruto had no answer.
For several seconds, neither spoke. Neither moved away.
Across the field, Kurenai called them back for the final exercise.
Before they returned to the group, Naruto blurted out, "Are you free tomorrow afternoon?"
Hinata looked at him in surprise.
"For training," he added quickly. "The same drill, but without Kiba and Shino. It might be easier to work out what I'm doing wrong if it's only us."
His voice slowed near the end as he realized what he had proposed. Color crept across his face.
Hinata glanced toward Kurenai, then back at him.
"We do not have a mission tomorrow." She tightened her fingers around the cup. "I would like to train with you."
Naruto's grin returned at full strength.
Hinata's eyes dropped for a second. Then she made herself look up again.
Unfortunately, Kiba had excellent hearing and caught the end of their exchange. "Are you two arranging secret training?" Kiba teased.
Hinata's face turned a brilliant shade of red. Naruto loudly protested that there was absolutely nothing secret about it.
"Then why are both of your faces red?" Kiba asked smugly.
Naruto yelled and proceeded to chase Kiba across the training field. Instead of hiding behind Kurenai, Hinata remained standing beside Shino. She tried her absolute hardest to suppress her smile, but she failed completely.
"Be on time tomorrow," Kurenai called after Naruto. "Hinata should not have to wait because you overslept."
"I'll be early!"
After training, Naruto and Hinata walked together toward the village center.
"Two thousand squats," Naruto complained. "After the running. Guy looked disappointed that my legs were still attached."
Hinata glanced at him. "Did Lee really pass you while running backward?"
"Twice. That man is not normal."
"You still finished."
Naruto looked at her, briefly caught off guard by the simple praise. "Yeah. I did."
They reached the intersection. Hinata turned toward the path leading to the Hyūga compound, while Naruto continued straight toward the village center.
They walked several steps in opposite directions.
Hinata hesitated and looked back.
Naruto was already watching her over his shoulder.
Neither looked away.
Naruto took one more step and struck a wooden signpost face-first.
Thunk.
Hinata covered her mouth, but her laugh escaped anyway.
Naruto rubbed his forehead and turned toward her with a sheepish grin.
"Tomorrow afternoon!"
Hinata nodded, still smiling.
"Tomorrow."
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