"N-Naruto?"
"You bastard!"
"How dare you hit me! And so hard!"
"I'll never forgive you!"
Naruto was stunned, too. "S-Sakura-chan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."
"I just didn't expect you to suddenly rush between Sasuke and me. I didn't stop my hand in time, so..."
His muddled little brain had no idea what had just happened.
But he'd gone and hit Sakura, the girl he'd always liked most, and left her like this...
No matter how you looked at it, he'd made a terrible mistake.
Sakura Haruno had barely managed to get back to her feet, furious and seething with rage. Naruto could only laugh nervously and back away, waving both hands as he tried to explain.
"S-Sakura-chan, I... I really didn't mean to..."
But Sakura had already lost her temper. She clasped her fists together, squeezing until they creaked. Her features twisted into a ferocious scowl, and she stalked toward Naruto like a wild beast.
"You bastard, Naruto!"
"I'll kill you!"
Panicking, Naruto stumbled backward and fell onto the grass, pleading in a fluster.
"N-No, please, Sakura-chan!"
But Sakura was already seeing red with fury.
She raised her foot and aimed a vicious kick at Naruto, who was sprawled on the ground!
It was about to slam into his stomach.
Suddenly...
Smack.
A soft sound rang out.
A figure abruptly appeared between Naruto and Sakura. With a light slap and a quick block, the figure stopped Sakura's kick, then exerted just a little force and sent her staggering backward!
To everyone's astonishment...
The person standing protectively in front of Naruto, stopping Sakura, was...
Hinata Hyuga.
The shy, introverted girl who always kept a low profile and lacked confidence had suddenly acted in front of everyone!
That was completely out of character for her!
And what was more, she'd saved Naruto and stood against Sakura...
Naruto's eyes widened. "H-Hinata?"
Sakura stared at her in disbelief, too.
"Hinata?"
"W-What are you doing?!"
Hinata's small frame trembled slightly, betraying her anxiety and hesitation.
Yet her body had moved on its own.
She took a stance and stood protectively in front of Naruto, facing Sakura without backing down.
"N-Naruto-kun... he..."
"He didn't hit you on purpose. You suddenly rushed forward, and he couldn't pull back in time..."
"A-And he's already apologized. You shouldn't keep hounding him like this..."
Not just Sakura—everyone stood frozen.
Was that really Hinata speaking?
When had she found this kind of courage?
Could it be... for Naruto?
Naruto was even more shaken.
For the first time, someone had stood up for him. And that someone was the shy, introverted little Hinata, who never dared to draw attention to herself!
"H-Hinata, you..."
Naruto was deeply moved.
For a moment, memories from the past swirled through his mind like countless fragments...
The way she blushed whenever she greeted him.
The way she trembled when he accidentally held her hands.
Her kind offer to help him study.
The warmth of eating ramen together.
And...
The small figure who had overcome herself and bravely stood in front of him just now...
Naruto was still a little slow on the uptake, but at last he understood how kind Hinata had always been to him.
Sasuke Uchiha snorted.
"Boring."
But he didn't leave. He simply continued to watch, his expression cold.
Sakura was both shocked and furious. Although she couldn't understand Hinata's actions, her anger hadn't faded.
"Hinata, move!"
"No matter what you say, Naruto just hit me. Isn't it only natural for me to hit him back?!"
Hinata shook her head, timid but resolute.
"N-No..."
Sakura's face flushed bright red. "W-What did you say?!"
Hinata clenched her little fists.
"If... if that's how you want to put it, Sakura..."
"You've hit Naruto-kun countless times for no reason..."
"D-Doesn't that mean Naruto-kun should hit you back?"
Sakura was instantly struck dumb, at a loss for words.
Most of the people around them still didn't like Naruto, but after hearing Hinata's words and remembering how Sakura usually treated him, they silently nodded...
Naruto's heart gave a sudden lurch.
"Hinata..."
"Have you always..."
Hinata's words had won the quiet agreement of everyone, leaving them with nothing to say.
The adults had subtly influenced these children to shun Naruto and treat him coldly, but none of them hit him as often as Sakura did.
Everyone could see that Naruto liked Sakura and had chosen to endure it in silence, but that didn't mean he deserved to be treated that way...
Thinking it over, Naruto's punch just now did seem reasonable.
He hadn't meant to hit her, Sakura had rushed at him, and Naruto had apologized.
That was far better than how she usually treated him.
Sakura stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.
She could feel everyone's eyes on her. She could clearly sense their support for Hinata and Naruto, and their resentment toward the way she usually behaved.
For the first time, Sakura experienced what it was like to be left out.
But she still had one ally.
Her best friend, confidante, and closest companion.
Ino Yamanaka.
Sakura looked toward Ino, who seemed just as stunned, and asked, "Ino, do you think so too?"
Ino's expression changed. She didn't know how to answer.
"I..."
It was as if something inside Sakura had shattered.
"Ino, even you..."
"Sakura, I... I don't know..."
"But Hinata's telling the truth. You really do hit Naruto all the time. Compared to that, one accidental blow from Naruto... honestly, it's not that big a deal..."
Sakura turned deathly pale and stumbled backward two steps. Two streams of tears slid down her cheeks.
"Ino, even you won't take my side..."
"Sakura, I... I'm just telling the truth..."
"Shut up!"
Sakura roared, unable to contain her grievances any longer, then ran off crying.
"Get out of the way!"
She shouted at the onlookers, and the crowd silently parted to let her through.
Soon, she disappeared into the distance.
"Sakura..."
Ino stood there for a moment, then couldn't help chasing after her.
"Wait for me! L-Let me explain..."
When Hinata saw Sakura leave, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Standing up to protect Naruto had taken every last bit of her courage and strength.
Actually fighting Sakura would have been far too much for her.
"Naruto-kun, a-are you all right?"
Hinata lowered her stance, turned around, and asked with concern.
Naruto's emotions were a complete mess.
One moment he was wondering how he'd face Sakura in the future; the next, he was puzzling over why Hinata was so kind to him...
All kinds of feelings crowded in, and he, a careless, straightforward guy with a heart of steel, couldn't possibly process them all.
He scratched his head and gave a couple of awkward laughs.
"I-I'm fine, hahaha..."
Only then did Hinata relax. The intense nervousness and awkwardness caught up with her, and her cheeks immediately flushed bright red. She lowered her head and nodded softly.
"Th-That's good..."
Then she turned and fled.
Before you continue