Hinata's Confession

Looking down at Ino's pitiful appearance in his arms, Little Pearl's eyes welled up with tears, and she looked at him with a pleading expression, tugging at his clothes as she spoke.

"Please don't go, I'm afraid my mother will say something bad."

"It's alright," Naruto reassured him, showing no sign of panic.

Now that things had come to this, he knew very well that Yamanaka Rino wouldn't say anything harsh to him. But Ino didn't think so, and clung tightly to his clothes.

"I don't care, you have to promise me first." Ino held onto him tightly. "Otherwise, I'll get angry and you absolutely can't go."

"Good."

Ino was worried and gave several instructions before leaving. Naruto watched Ino's departing figure and roughly understood why Ino so nervous.

Between men and women, it all boils down to a few words: concern leads to confusion.

He looked back at Konohagakure Street but didn't see Yamanaka Rino. If he had seen her, even though he had promised Ino, he would still have to go up and say hello.

If he didn't see her, it meant that Ino's mother didn't want to see him, and there was no need for him to bother her.

Leaving Konohagakure Street, Naruto headed straight towards the Hyuga Clan's headquarters. He took a toothpick out of his pocket, put it in his mouth, and then made a phone call to Hinata.

Do you have time?

"Yes," the other person replied weakly.

After hanging up the phone, only Hinata's breathing could be heard in the darkness. The curtains in the room were drawn. She lay on the bed, her breathing steady and long.

Hyuga Hiashi had already emphasized to her several times that she was not allowed to have anything to do with Naruto anymore. For the sake of the clan's reputation, they should at least not meet.

Six years ago, she remembered her father saying something similar, though he didn't directly tell her not to have contact with Naruto. She couldn't remember the specifics, but it was something like focusing more on missions.

Hinata wanted to prove herself and become a capable ninja. In her first year, she followed her comrades on missions in a daze, growing up step by step.

The following year, I finally made visible progress and thought I was ready. But then I realized that I was still a long way from that person.

He has Ino by his side now, and the two have a very good relationship.

In the third year, the relationship developed slowly, as slowly as spending an entire winter alone. Time crawled like ants on the skin, difficult yet clear.

Before she knew it, six years had passed. She had stopped thinking about her ninja way and no longer stubbornly sought her father's approval.

She let go of her phone, lying on the bed in a daze, many images flashing through her mind. She remembered walking in the middle of a snowy field as a child, the tree trunks on both sides covered in snow.

Yesterday at dinner, her father's eyes were filled with disappointment. Hinata didn't understand why he was disappointed; shouldn't she be able to choose the kind of life she wanted?

The Hyuga clan's reputation is very important, but Hyuga Clan. It seems like nothing they do is right, and everything they do is wrong.

You have to listen to the family, think about the family's interests, and care about the family's reputation. The family, everything revolves around the family, as if you yourself are never important.

In the darkness, Hinata's phone rang again beside her pillow, instantly interrupting Hinata thoughts. She groggily turned over, grabbed the phone, and answered it.

She paused for a moment, realizing it was Naruto calling again, before grabbing the phone to answer. She knew the communicator was Ino's idea, and it was indeed very convenient.

"What's wrong?" she asked timidly.

"A little tired? You sounded a bit weary just now," Naruto's voice came from the other end of the phone. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm not feeling unwell." Hinata felt a little better after hearing Naruto's voice, and forced herself to speak. "I just woke up. I'll be out in a bit."

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Naruto was walking through a small alley when a few people approached him, and he stepped aside to avoid them.

Hearing his gentle voice on the other end of the phone, Hinata almost felt a lump in her throat. All the grievances she had been holding back all day were about to spill out, but she managed to hold them back.

Her voice trembled slightly, "It's nothing."

"Yeah, if you're unhappy, don't keep it inside, it'll make you sick. You can tell me if you're unhappy about anything." Naruto prepared to step aside to make way, the alley was dark and he couldn't see people's faces clearly.

Those young guys on the other side must have lost their minds. The guy next to him ignored the path that had been cleared for him and insisted on bumping into Naruto with his shoulder.

With a few loud slaps, Naruto, almost without hesitation, slapped each of the men hard across the face in the blink of an eye, sending them flying.

"Don't dwell on your unhappiness, go out for a walk." Naruto was still calmly comforting Hinata when he squatted down and turned the leader over.

Screams rang out, echoing through the cold, dark alley.

"Yeah, I know what's wrong on your end? Why are there screams?" Hinata asked nervously, clutching her phone.

"It's nothing, we just ran into some acquaintances on the way." Naruto gestured for them to be quiet. "They were just fooling around, they tripped and fell while walking."

The men trembled in fear. Weren't ninjas supposed to be forbidden from harming civilians? This guy was killing them; one slap knocked out all their teeth.

"Then be careful," Hinata said worriedly.

"Okay, do you have time to come out this afternoon?" Naruto kicked the group aside like they were dead dogs. "I'll treat you to a movie. There seems to be a new movie coming out recently."

"Okay." A smile appeared on her face. Being with Naruto made her forget many unpleasant things.

He can be domineering at times, and he lies sometimes. But most of the time, he is very good to Hinata and cares for her in every little way.

Ask her if she's feeling well and try to cheer her up.

Those commonplace, pretty words acted as a warm introduction, taking root in her barren, loveless life, and earning her recognition, care, and affection.

Even though she knew Naruto hadn't given up on Ino, and even though she knew he was somewhat greedy, she could still tolerate his blatant behavior, as if she didn't know what he was thinking.

Because he's like icing sugar; if you're sad, just lick him.

Hinata knew that Naruto didn't only love her, but she also knew that Naruto was doing his best to maintain both relationships and hadn't given any extra love to anyone else.

Perhaps he isn't so one-dimensional, but at least he'll always be there for her, giving her half the love she deserves.

She understood her father's words, but everyone's understanding of love is different. All she wanted was a stable companionship, with Naruto always by her side.

Whether she's a qualified ninja or not, whether she'll amount to anything, is none of anyone's business. Other people's standards and judgments are meaningless.

If this continues, she'll get sick sooner or later.

Hinata drew back the curtains, letting the midday sun stream into the room. She squinted. She had slept for a day and a night, and her stomach was completely empty.

The dazzling Nikko made her slightly dizzy. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light, her face turning pale for a moment. She swayed for a moment before regaining her balance.

"Then I'll come pick you up. Get ready, I'll be there soon." Naruto hadn't hung up the phone yet when he walked out of the dark alley and looked up to shield his eyes from the glaring Nikko.

The blood on his hands was still wet, the sticky red color particularly glaring. He shook it off, then wiped it casually on the wall with some disgust. Those young people from Konohagakure are really damn cheap.

"Have you had lunch yet?" Naruto asked again, then paused for a moment before walking out.

"I haven't eaten yet." Hinata hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth.

"Okay, let's go together then, I'm almost there." He jumped onto the roof and was about to look out over the Hyuga compound when he saw an Anbu staring at him.

He turned his head to look, but the Anbu had already looked away. Under normal circumstances, ninjas were not allowed to act recklessly on rooftops in the village.

"Okay, I'll change my clothes."

Hinata hung up the phone, a smile appearing on her face. She walked to the wardrobe, opened it, and carefully selected clothes for her upcoming outing, pondering how to put together an outfit.

Outside the Hyuga compound, Naruto looked up at the Hinata gate, which had once been off-limits to strangers. The heavy gate had been repaired.

Without thinking, he stepped inside.

The Hyuga Clan is not open to outsiders, but Naruto has already proven with his actions that he is not an outsider. They've already interacted, and soon he'll be able to give the Hinata a little bit of a shock to outsiders.

Even though the Hinata never intermarries with outsiders to maintain the purity of their bloodline, times have changed, and even the oldest rules can't withstand a scumbag.

What's more, this scumbag is quite capable; he forcibly dismantled the main and branch Branch Family of the Main Family. All that going through all that trouble was just to see Hinata without being stopped.

Hinata emerged from her house, tiptoeing and looking around. Even the finest words couldn't capture the charm she exuded. Her hand pressed down on the hem of her white dress, and a sun hat adorned her head.

The two exchanged a glance and walked towards each other. Hinata could feel Naruto's gaze following her the whole time. A warmth suddenly welled up in her slightly chilled body.

"Why are your hands so cold?" He was surprised as soon as he took Hinata's hand.

"I'm hungry." She shook her head.

"Let's eat first. I know a new restaurant. It's all Choji's fault." Naruto pulled Hinata outside, supporting most of her body.

At the Akimichi Clan compound, Choji was shoveling rice into his mouth when he suddenly shivered.

At the dinner table, Naruto ordered enough food for five people as a base. It was all Hinata's favorite food; if there hadn't been too much room on the table, he probably would have ordered enough for ten.

"Since things have come to this, let's eat first," he said.

Upon hearing this, Hinata smiled and nodded gently. Her expression remained as gentle as ever; people are always infinitely accommodating towards those they love.

It's like Naruto always orders dishes that she likes to eat, without ordering a single dish that he himself likes.

"We ordered too much," she said softly.

"I accidentally ordered too much, it would be such a waste if we couldn't finish it." Naruto looked like he had made a mistake, then said in a cheeky tone, "Let's try our best to finish it, we still have to watch a movie this afternoon."

"Um."

Being kind to a sensitive person is like a great salvation for them. Hinata wasn't unaware of Naruto's feelings; she simply chose to succumb to them.

She knew her father meant well, but that made her unhappy.

Unrequited love is like wild grass, growing inconspicuously in the forest, withering and blooming year after year. But when the breeze of love blows, it comes back to life.

Now her unrequited love has become a reality, and she's willing to jump into any abyss. Because he's her only cure; when she's unhappy, she takes a bite.

In this life, one may like many people, but some people don't need to be perfect, or even possess anything. As long as they stand there, the sky has color.

Hinata didn't want to wait for anything in the future, nor did she care about any particular future. Whether she was devoted or promiscuous, she just wanted to grasp the breeze that belonged to her.

I don't wish him a bright future, I just hope he stays safe and sound.

The flickering light from the movie theater shone on her face. Hinata's hand was held down by Naruto, their fingers interlaced. A warm feeling gradually enveloped her, spreading from the very core of her being.

At home, she sometimes laughs, but her laughter is like the winter sun. Though she appears bright, she is utterly empty inside, devoid of any warmth.

Now she doesn't need to smile, yet people can feel her happiness.

The moment the screen went dark, the introverted girl suddenly pulled Naruto's arm down and quickly leaned close to his ear.

Amidst the deafening explosion effects, she raised her voice and spoke.

"Naruto, I love you."

Naruto was startled by Hinata's actions, but he didn't struggle. He was slightly taken aback by her sudden confession. But he quickly recovered and pressed her down to reply.

"Me too."

After dinner, he took Hinata home.

The two talked a lot on the way, with Hinata practically clinging to Naruto. He completely went along with Hinata, considering every single detail.

Logically, this should have been a good opportunity to deepen their relationship. However, Naruto considered that he had important matters to attend to that evening and dismissed the idea.

The important thing is to focus on the main business; there will be plenty of opportunities like this in the future. The winds of change have already begun to blow through the Shinobi World, and once things get chaotic, the current stalemate will change.

The wind belongs to the sky; he borrowed it to blow, but it stirred up the smoke and fire of human life.

The Shinobi World is about to change drastically.

Amegakure.

Konan's consciousness was fading; she was on her last breath. Immense pain tormented her, and her mind was beginning to drift.

On his deathbed, he was no longer able to think.

She naturally didn't notice that a Gate of Hades had silently opened in mid-air. A blond-haired man descended from the sky and landed on the High Tower.

He had been here before and seen Konan and Nagato. Now that Nagato was dead and Konan was critically injured and on the verge of death, he guessed that Konan would probably stay here.

Fortunately, the coordinates were correct.

He glanced around and spotted Konan sitting by the window, her head tilted to one side. Ninjas have much stronger vitality than ordinary people, and Konan wasn't completely dead yet.

Naruto stopped three meters away from Konan, took out a life-saving injection, waved it, and then plunged it directly into Konan's neck.

In a daze, Konan slowly opened her eyes, her condition still very bad. The occasional muscle twitching undoubtedly indicated that she was suffering from the agonizing pain of death.

"Do you want to live?" he asked calmly.