Naruto, What's the point of being Hokage without you!

"Na... Naruto?"

"You bastard!"

"How dare you hit me! And with such force!"

"I will never forgive you!"

Naruto was stunned, too: "Sa... Sakura-chan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it..."

"I just didn't expect you to suddenly rush between Sasuke and me. I wasn't paying attention and couldn't pull my punch back in time, that's why..."

His slightly muddled head couldn't even process what had just happened.

But to have hit Sakura, the girl he had always liked the most, like this...

Regardless of the circumstances, he had made a huge mistake.

Facing Sakura Haruno, who was struggling to stand up, fuming with rage and burning with fury, Naruto could only offer a dry laugh as he retreated, waving his hands frantically to explain.

"Sakura-chan, I... I really didn't mean it..."

Sakura Haruno, however, was already driven mad with anger. She clenched her fists together until they creaked, her features twisted into a ferocious, beast-like grimace as she stepped toward Naruto.

"Damn you, Naruto!"

"I'm going to kill you!"

Panicked, Naruto stumbled backward and fell onto the grass, scrambling to beg for mercy.

"No, don't, Sakura-chan!"

The enraged Sakura Haruno had already lost her cool.

She launched a fierce kick toward the fallen Naruto!

It looked as though the blow was about to land squarely on Naruto's stomach.

Suddenly...

Snap.

A soft sound echoed.

A figure appeared abruptly between Naruto and Sakura, a palm gently tapping and blocking the kick before exerting a slight force that actually sent Sakura reeling back!

What shocked everyone was...

The figure standing guard in front of Naruto, having stopped Sakura, was none other than...

Hinata.

She, who was always introverted, shy, low-key, and timid, had actually stepped in publicly!

This was completely out of character for her!

Moreover, she had saved Naruto and stood against Sakura...

Naruto widened his eyes: "Hi... Hinata?"

Sakura stared at her in disbelief as well.

"Hinata?"

"What... what are you doing?!"

Hinata's small frame trembled slightly, revealing the panic and hesitation in her heart.

Yet, her body had moved on its own.

She took a stance, shielding Naruto, and refused to back down against Sakura.

"Naruto-kun... he..."

"He didn't hit you on purpose. You rushed out suddenly, and he just couldn't pull his strike back in time..."

"A... and he already apologized. You shouldn't be so aggressive toward him..."

Not just Sakura Haruno, but everyone was frozen in place.

Was the person speaking really that Hinata?

When did she gain such courage?

Could it be, for the sake of Naruto...

Naruto was even more deeply shaken.

This was the first time someone had been willing to stand up for him, let alone that shy, introverted little Hinata who never dared to draw attention to herself!

"Hi... Hinata, you..."

Naruto felt a profound sense of shock.

For a moment, the memories and images of the past swirled through his mind like countless fragments...

The shyness whenever she greeted him.

The trembling after he had accidentally held her hands.

The kindness of offering to help him with his studies.

The warmth of eating ramen together.

And...

Now, that small figure who had broken through her own limitations to bravely stand guard in front of him...

Naruto, though still ignorant and confused, finally perceived the kindness Hinata held for him.

Sasuke Uchiha let out a huff.

"Boring."

Yet he did not walk away, choosing instead to continue watching the scene with cold indifference.

Sakura Haruno was both shocked and furious; although she found Hinata's actions difficult to comprehend, the fire of rage in her heart did not dissipate because of it.

"Hinata, move aside!"

"No matter what you say, Naruto just hit me. Isn't it only natural that I hit him back?!"

Hinata shook her head, timid yet firm.

"No... that's not it..."

Sakura Haruno's face flushed bright red: "You, what did you say?!"

Hinata clenched her small fists.

"I... if we go by what you said, Sakura..."

"You don't know how many times you've hit Naruto-kun for no reason before..."

"D-doesn't that mean Naruto-kun should have hit you back?"

Upon hearing this, Sakura Haruno was instantly dumbfounded, rendered speechless.

Although the majority of the surrounding crowd still disliked Naruto, upon hearing Hinata's words and reflecting on how Sakura Haruno usually treated him, they all silently nodded in agreement...

Naruto's heart skipped a beat.

"Hinata..."

"Could it be that you have always..."

Hinata's words left the crowd secretly agreeing, with nothing left to say.

Although, under the subtle influence of the adults, these children had all silently chosen to keep their distance from Naruto and treat him with coldness, it was true that no one else acted like Sakura Haruno, who frequently punched and kicked him.

Even if everyone could see that Naruto liked Sakura and chose to endure it silently, that did not mean he deserved to be treated this way...

Thinking of this, the punch Naruto had just thrown seemed perfectly reasonable.

It was unintentional to begin with, and Sakura had rushed forward herself; furthermore, Naruto had already apologized.

This was far better than the attitude she usually displayed toward Naruto.

Sakura Haruno was even more stunned, standing rooted to the spot in a daze.

She could perceive the gazes of the crowd, clearly sensing their approval of Hinata and Naruto, and their resentment toward her own daily behavior.

In this moment, Sakura Haruno tasted the feeling of being isolated for the first time.

But she at least had one ally left.

Her best partner, her closest friend, her confidante.

Ino Yamanaka.

Sakura Haruno looked toward Ino, asking her, who also appeared somewhat sluggish.

"Ino, do you think so too?"

Ino Yamanaka's expression changed, not knowing how to answer.

"I..."

Inside Sakura Haruno, it felt as if something had shattered.

"Ino, could it be that even you..."

"Sakura, I... I don't know..."

"But what Hinata said is also a fact. You really do often punch and kick Naruto, and Naruto's occasional accidental injury, when it comes down to it, really... doesn't amount to much..."

Sakura Haruno's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and she stumbled back two steps, two lines of clear tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Ino, to think that even you wouldn't stand on my side..."

"Sakura, I... I was just telling the truth..."

"Shut up!"

Sakura Haruno let out a roar, her heart filled with grievances she could not vent, and she ran away crying.

"Get out of the way!"

She roared at the onlookers, and the crowd silently parted to clear a path.

Soon, she vanished into the distance.

"Sakura..."

Ino stood stunned for a moment, but she couldn't help but chase after her.

"Wait for me, listen, listen to my explanation..."

Watching Sakura depart, Hinata finally let out a sigh of relief.

Stepping forward to protect Naruto had already exhausted every ounce of her courage and strength.

To actually fight Sakura was something she would have found incredibly difficult.

"Naruto-kun, are, are you alright?"

Hinata dropped her stance, turned back, and asked with concern.

Naruto's mood was a chaotic mess.

One moment he was wondering how he would face Sakura in the future, and the next he was puzzled as to why Hinata would be so good to him...

A flurry of emotions rushed in, making it impossible for a thick-headed, straightforward guy like him to fully process it all.

He scratched his head and let out a dry laugh.

"I'm, I'm fine, hahaha..."

Only then did Hinata relax, and the intense, nervous tension she had been feeling finally hit her in hindsight; her small face flushed bright red, and she lowered her head, nodding gently.

"Th-that's good then..."

She turned and fled as if escaping.