Chapter 40: Ah! I Must Have Been Blind Back Then
The more Sakura thought about it, the more regret ate at her.
If she could go back…
I would choose Naruto.
The strength he displayed earned admiration from so many peers!
Is Naruto bad-looking?
Not at all!
Especially after losing those weird whisker marks—
calling him "handsome enough to make girls drool" wouldn't be an exaggeration!
He has strength too!
Snatching a bell from an elite jonin—isn't that proof enough of his power?
Looks? Check. Strength? Check.
The key point: Naruto used to pursue her so desperately.
And what had she done all these years?!!
"Ahhh!!! I must have been blind back then."
"Naruto-kun has such amazing qualities!"
"Why did I let him go?"
"True love is always hidden in plain sight."
Sakura's intestines were turning green with regret.
Yes—she used to want to chase Sasuke. That was true.
But a large part of it wasn't from genuine feelings.
After all, at their age, girls tend to have a competitive streak!
So many people in the class liked Sasuke.
Sasuke showed genius-level talent.
So lots of girls wanted to pursue him.
When everyone wants the same thing, it often becomes a competition.
Whoever gets it gains bragging rights among peers!
But now the abilities Naruto had shown made him a super genius.
Sasuke was just a small genius in comparison.
And feelings grow over time~
Back then,
Naruto had chased her day and night for so long…
Anyone would develop some kind of special feeling after that.
It's an extreme contrast effect.
Like something you look down on more and more,
until one day it suddenly becomes dazzling, unreachable, untouchable—
Snap!
Your attitude flips completely.
You fall head over heels for it!
In short—
Sakura's current state was exactly:
"What you can't have keeps stirring your heart; what's favored has no fear of loss."
"Naruto-kun, thank you… today was the happiest day of my life. Actually, you didn't have to walk me all the way home…"
"Why? Don't want your parents to see me?"
Naruto grinned and teased.
He knew little Hinata was just being shy.
Your parents are my parents-in-law in the future.
We'll be husband and wife eventually, right?
Naturally, father-in-law.
Naruto understood this.
But the current little Hinata didn't know yet.
Just as Naruto expected,
little Hinata's chubby, cute face turned red again.
She waved her hands in a panic, voice flustered:
"I… I didn't mean it like that, Naruto-kun—don't misunderstand…"
Afraid Naruto would really get the wrong idea.
Too easy to embarrass—and too adorable. My wife truly is the cutest in the universe.
Naruto laughed.
"Haha… I get it, I get it."
Little Hinata panicked even more—her tone carried a hint of crying.
She thought Naruto was just brushing her off.
So she hurriedly explained again:
"Naruto-kun, I… I really didn't mean it that way."
This time Naruto's expression turned serious.
He placed both hands on little Hinata's fragrant shoulders.
He said solemnly:
"Alright, Hinata—I believe you don't have that kind of intention."
Naruto's sudden overly intimate action
made the extremely shy Byakugan little princess
blush even deeper.
Feeling the strong masculine aura radiating from Naruto,
the little princess's mind went dizzy—completely blank.
The sweet interaction between the two
was seen by single dog Sakura not far away.
Right now Sakura was completely dumbfounded.
She stood frozen, staring at the scene.
Naruto going after Yamanaka Ino—
she could understand that.
After all, Ino was one of the few girls in class who could compete with her 50-50.
Looks? She had them.
Figure? She had it.
But at this age everyone was still flat—so no real difference.
If Naruto didn't choose her, fine.
Even if he didn't choose Ino—
he actually went for the class wallflower, Hinata Hyuga.
This shocked Sakura beyond belief.
"Why would Naruto-kun choose Hinata?"
"Hinata's presence in class has always been super low."
"A boy as outstanding as Naruto actually fell for her…"
"What kind of feminine charm does Hinata have that could capture Naruto-kun so completely?"
She couldn't understand!
She really couldn't!
It's no wonder Sakura felt this way.
In the original story, Kishimoto didn't treat Hinata as the main heroine early on.
Her screen time was minimal.
Plus this is a shonen series—
Hinata's scenes were even fewer.
In the end she grew into a graceful, beautiful woman
and was arranged to marry the prince.
Leaving that aside—
back to reality here.
Hinata's performance in class had always been average.
Not top-tier, but at least not dragging anyone down.
Plus there were many beautiful girls at the same time.
Little Hinata received very little attention.
Moreover, the little princess was usually quiet and reserved—didn't like talking much.
That made her even less noticeable.
That's why Sakura was so confused.
And full of unwillingness!
The unwillingness of watching something you love being taken away right in front of you!
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