Hinata's Decision: She Didn't Want to Face Her Lover's Wedding

In the sweltering summer heat, the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi, officially assumed the Hokage, surprisingly not with his deadpan expression.

As the Konoha looked up in awe, Kakashi adopted the most serious and resolute expression of his life and announced that he would assume the position of Sixth Hokage effective immediately.

"From this day forward, I will be the Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure."

Below, a group of Genin had graduated from the Ninja Academy looked up at Kakashi, their eyes filled with admiration. Each Hokage had an extraordinary aura and story, and almost all of them were once the face of their village.

Because of his reputation as Konohagakure's socialite, the Sixth Hokage Kakashi had the most stories and the fewest secrets. Basically, every child in the Ninja Academy had heard his story and admired him greatly.

"It really is the Sixth Hokage!"

"Yes, the Sixth Hokage's teacher was the Fourth Hokage, right? That's quite an amazing experience."

Naruto stood listlessly in the Nikko amidst the crowd. He watched as Kakashi struggled to stand on the stage, only regaining his deadpan expression after the ceremony ended.

He waved and then slumped off the stage with his shoulders drooping.

Seeing this, Naruto smiled. He could even guess what Kakashi would say the moment he turned his back to the audience.

Kakashi (Naruto): "This is really troublesome!"

"It's a little unusual to see Kakashi-sensei dressed so formally for the first time," Choji said excitedly, nudging Naruto beside him.

He had just slipped away from his wife's place and saw Naruto standing there all alone. Feeling a little sorry for him, he decided to come over and chat with him for a while.

That being said, he really just wanted to play with Naruto for a while. He only realized after getting married that married life wasn't as simple and easy as he'd imagined; he found it much more relaxing to be with his friends.

"Hey Choji, your wife and Shikamaru's wife are standing together right now," Naruto reminded him.

"They can stand together, they're already good friends anyway." Choji didn't seem to care and continued to tiptoe towards Kakashi.

"Didn't Kakashi-sensei wear that outfit before? It looks familiar, Naruto, what do you think?"

"Choji! Choji!!" Naruto nudged Choji, who was still grinning foolishly, and said nervously, "They're here, they're here, your wives are here!"

"What!!!" Choji was suddenly startled, his already short neck shrank back, and his head was almost connected to his shoulders.

"I'm leaving first! You... you'd better pray for yourself." Naruto quickly turned and slipped away, completely ignoring the trembling Choji beside him.

"Choji! What are you doing here?"

"I, Naruto..."

Meanwhile, Naruto had already slipped away. He had spotted Hinata and the Hyuga Clan members standing together, and with his sharp eyes, he spotted Hanabi Hyuga.

It didn't take much effort to win over Hanabi, and they also managed to get Hinata to come over.

"Naruto!" Hinata tossed her hair with delight and ran over. "You're here too! I looked around and didn't see you."

"I was standing next to Choji, so he might have been blocking my view."

Hinata: "."

"Are you free right now?" he asked, glancing around. "I contacted you a few days ago, but you seemed to be very busy. Did you run into some trouble?"

Now he realized that Hinata's behavior these past few days had been somewhat unusual. She was busy enough to have no time for anything, but the two of them didn't usually use the communicator much.

There are some things that can't be explained over a communicator, and Naruto isn't always focused on Hinata. He's been mainly resting these past few days, occasionally meeting up with Choji.

The two best friends met up so frequently for meals and drinks that it even angered Choji's wife. Choji's good days came to an abrupt end when he was dragged back home.

Marriage is like a walled city; those outside want to get in. But once inside, the joy is only temporary. After a while, those inside want to get out.

Naruto didn't seem to care much about this. The main reason he wasn't married, or even in a committed relationship, was because he was always on the go and constantly on the move.

Being unable to extricate oneself during courtship and being unable to extricate oneself after marriage are two completely different concepts.

Hinata lowered her head, looking somewhat hesitant and uncertain. After looking up for a while, she finally spoke, "I have time, and I also have something to say."

Naruto was somewhat surprised. He had originally planned to ask Hinata indirectly, since she was easily swayed and would tell him anything if he begged or pleaded.

To everyone's surprise, Hinata took the initiative to bring it up, giving him no chance to dawdle.

"Okay," he replied.

Previously, due to the Hyuga Clan's overly traditional nature, Naruto and Hinata's interactions were almost always squeezed out of various opportunities. Hyuga Hiashi said nothing, but kept a close eye on them.

The Hyuga compound doesn't allow outsiders to enter, and Hinata is a sheltered young lady who rarely leaves the house. She only goes out for missions and training, but since growing up, she's hardly ever on missions anymore.

Female ninjas from large clans, unless exceptionally outstanding, almost always marry into other families when they reach a certain age. However, the Hyuga Clan generally practices intra-clan marriages to ensure the purity of their bloodline.

Continuously purifying one's bloodline and preserving Kekkei Genkai is also a means of resisting future risks. The Hinata and Uchiha are both descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, and they are almost unanimously xenophobic.

Super geniuses like Shisui Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha, and Itachi Uchiha are all products of continuous refinement. The closer they get to the Otsutsuki, the more insane they become, and the stronger they become.

The Hinata is the same; they love to engage in endogamy. However, the Hyuga Clan has its own Main Family Branch Family, in a sense, slows down the process of bloodline purification.

For example, the Main Family will only intermarry with the Main Family. The Main Family will very rarely marry a member of a Branch Family. This is almost considered a great act of rebellion that would anger the two elders to death.

The Hyuga Main Family was already small, and after the division into different classes, the probability of bloodlines being purified through intermarriage between the Branch Family was extremely low. In addition, the Main Family deliberately controlled resources, making the Branch Family even weaker.

However, the extremely small probability does not mean that it is impossible. Neji Hyuga was one of the lucky ones among the Branch Family bloodlines, a lucky one who branched off from the Main Family bloodline.

The faint bloodline of the Branch Family, when it meets Hizashi Hyuga of the Main Family, sparks a magical chemical reaction.

Ultimately, this matter depends on whether Hyuga Hiashi can overcome the opposition and give Hinata away. In the past, there was the hurdle of the Main Family's Byakugan not being allowed to leave, but that's no longer an obstacle.

After all, the Hinata no longer has Main Family or sub- Branch Family. Naruto's victory as a traitor accelerated the Hinata's transformation. Now, Hinata is a member of the Hinata clan.

Whether she can marry out of the country Hyuga Hiashi agrees.

Hinata might be blinded by love, but Hyuga Hiashi wouldn't. He's lived most of his life and seen it all, so he naturally understands the relationship between Naruto and Ino.

The Hyuga Clan has always been proud, on par with the Uchiha. However, the Uchiha's pride is outward, while the Hinata's pride is inward.

From the very beginning, Naruto knew the Hyuga Clan's true nature and never imagined that Hyuga Hiashi would favor him. He also never thought that the Hyuga Clan would even notice him; it was pure fantasy.

Hinata might be afraid of him, but they would definitely want to win him over. After all, Naruto hasn't done much of a good job in recent years, and besides, the Fifth Hokage is already gone.

He glanced at the silent Hinata beside him, noticing her furrowed brows, and already had a sense of what Hinata was about to say.

"Naruto, I..." Hinata stopped; the two had arrived at a secluded spot.

The building was only half-built, with the stands behind it where the Hokage was announced as inaugurated. The event was still going on, but the clamor of voices was kept at bay on the other side, the bustling sounds seeming to drift away into the distance.

"Mmm." He responded, and before Hinata could speak, he pulled her close and kissed her tenderly.

What you say isn't important; what you do is. Do what you like. No matter what difficulties you encounter, there's always a solution.

The impenetrable kiss isolated everything; the wind was no longer wind, and the mind could only feel the world spinning. Only the rustling of Aoba could be heard, the wind passing through the dense forest.

"Hey, don't bite me!" Naruto gasped, and Hinata, in a moment of excitement, bit his lower lip.

"Ah!! I'm so sorry." Hinata apologized hastily.

"No, it's nothing." Naruto wiped his mouth, thinking to himself that Hinata might be a little sensitive. If they were to hold hands casually, she would probably punch him.

"What were you about to say?" Naruto asked.

"I... I talked to my father," Hinata began, then stopped abruptly, standing still. "His father..."

She couldn't continue speaking halfway through her sentence; tears welled up and streamed down her face, flowing down her snow-white neck and into an unfathomable abyss.

Seeing this, Naruto was also very sad, and tears streamed down his face.

The activities of the Sixth Hokage continued, and it was impossible for it to end with just a brief appearance. A chorus of breathing could be heard from the back stands.

Naruto reached out and wiped Hinata's tears from her face, then held her in his arms and comforted her gently.

"It's alright, this is just your father's opinion. So what's your opinion? Will you never see me again? Won't you talk to me anymore? Are you going to marry someone else?"

"No! No, it's not!" Hinata shook her head violently, her gaze firm, looking up at him with tears in her eyes, like a bewitched young lady.

"I want to be with you. I want to marry you."

Upon hearing this, Naruto smiled and gently pinched her cheek.

"Then why are you crying? Anyway, we'll still see each other often in the future, and you won't marry anyone else. I like you too, and we'll be together in the future."

"But... but my father... he..." Hinata hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.

"It's okay, we'll definitely find a way in the future." Naruto hugged Hinata. "We won't stay in the village forever. We'll go to farther places together and see a bigger world."

Hinata wiped away her tears and nodded heavily.

"Um!"

"Are you going to cry or not?" Naruto leaned closer and nuzzled her lips. "Hmm? Are you going to cry or not?"

"No, don't cry, umm." Hinata was a little embarrassed, but the next second her lips were captured, and as her pupils dilated slightly, she slowly closed her eyes.

After kissing for a while, Naruto looked at Hinata, whose eyes were a little dazed, and asked...

"Would you like to come over for a visit?"

Their relationship, a long and secretive affair, had lasted for seven years, hidden from view, and finally reached this point. Every moment was fraught with difficulties and obstacles, preventing them from getting close or even touching each other.

Even though she mustered the courage to express her feelings, Hyuga Hiashi rejected her. This was solely due to the Hyuga Clan's tradition and the need to protect the family's honor.

Just now, the last thread of reason in Hinata's heart snapped, and her fear and guilt towards her father reversed at this moment.

A surge of energy welled up within her, emotions that had been deeply suppressed. With Naruto's repeated tentative kisses, it finally erupted without restraint.

"Okay." She tilted her head back, a smile that was different from usual on her face.

It wasn't a shy, cautious smile, but a relaxed one, as if some wish had finally been fulfilled. She had cast aside her inner shackles and shattered her reserve.

The girl's eyebrows were smoothed out like willow branches, and her eyes held a spring-like quality, as if she were gazing upon boundless fields. Her figure was light and graceful, and her whole being seemed to radiate the spring sunshine, a breathtaking sight.

"We're here. Let me open the door first." Naruto reached for his key, took it out, fumbled around on the door for a while, and then, without looking, just went with his instincts and pushed it in.

With a click, the sound of metal gears engaging rang out. Then, with a snap, the lock sprang open, and Naruto pushed open the door and went inside first.

"Come in."

"Okay." Hinata blushed. She made the decision on impulse, but after calming down on the way, she suddenly became uneasy again, but she didn't know what to say.

Should she back down now? She pursed her lips and went into the entryway to change her shoes. Her heart pounded, and her throat tightened slightly.

Suddenly, she felt a gaze fixed intently on her and looked up. She found Naruto standing beside her, silently watching her delicate feet.

Naruto felt that his feet, as white as mutton fat jade, were placed on the floor and slowly slipped into pink slippers. Suddenly, he felt that his feet should not be in shoes but in bowls.

"Naruto." Hinata felt a little uncomfortable being stared at. She tugged at the hem of her skirt, lowered her head, and walked towards the living room.

"Oh, sorry, I was daydreaming." Naruto snapped out of his reverie and quickly walked toward the kitchen. "What would you like to drink? I'll get it for you. It seems like there's only water left besides alcohol."

"I'd rather have some water," Hinata said hesitantly. She actually wanted to get up and say goodbye, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

In the past, she might have hurriedly said goodbye. But now, her father clearly rejected her wishes and even scolded her.

A devastated Hinata realized that today might be her last chance, and if she left now, she didn't know how much longer this relationship would have to go on.

Perhaps if I'm too late, I'll only be able to watch Naruto choose Ino and witness their marriage. I'll be powerless to do anything about it, and I might not even dare to attend the wedding.

"Okay, wait a moment." Naruto returned a moment later with two glasses of water from the kitchen. "Hinata."

Still writing. Overtime can't stop me from writing 10,000 words a day. Sudden death is impossible; only the weak die suddenly. I'm not one of those people.