At Hokage Rock in Konoha, Hinata stood atop the Fourth Hokage's stone head, gazing out over the village. She had no idea how long she had been standing there. She recalled how, more than three months ago, Kakashi had suddenly come to the Hyuga Clan and told her that Naruto had met Jiraiya after completing his mission and left to train with him instead of returning.
In truth, Hinata knew perfectly well that something must have happened to Naruto. If he had wanted to train with Jiraiya, he would have used the Flying Thunder God Technique to come back and tell her. Besides, Anko had died on that mission. If nothing had happened to Naruto, he never would have let that happen, because he valued his comrades above all else. And although Naruto had never said anything, Hinata could sense that there was some secret between him and Anko that they could not reveal. Since he had not told her, she had not asked.
Anko's death must have dealt Naruto a terrible blow. Hinata was truly worried about his safety. If she had not needed to look after Hanabi, she might already have left the village to search for him. The thought that her father had launched reforms and removed the branch family's Caged Bird Seal while she was away left her deeply uneasy. If things had gone wrong, the Hyuga Clan could have been thrown into turmoil, and even she and her little sister might have been dragged into it. Although the reforms had ultimately succeeded, Hinata still feared that some stubborn holdouts would refuse to give up and move against the Main Family. That was why she had decided to remain in the village to keep Hanabi safe.
At last, Hinata let out a deep sigh. "Naruto-kun, where