A Happy Day

With only a few days left until the Chunin Exams, Zeyu had been helping Hinata train, preparing her for her match against Neji.

Hinata took this very seriously and trained diligently. At night, she practiced chakra control using the methods Zeyu taught her and even learned new techniques.

On the training grounds, Hinata struck a distant tree trunk with a palm strike from across the distance, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

Zeyu applauded as he walked over. Upon reaching her, he pulled a towel from behind his back and handed it to Hinata, saying, "Hinata, you're amazing. You've gotten so good in just a few days."

Hinata took the towel and wiped her neck, replying, "Thank you, Zeyu-kun. It's all thanks to you helping me; otherwise, I'd still be stuck in the same place."

"Oh, it's nothing, just a few small ideas. It's also thanks to Hinata's hard work that you've come this far," Zeyu said with a smile.

They looked at each other and smiled, chatted, and rested before preparing to head back together.

Zeyu held Hinata's hand as they walked, and suddenly said to her, "Hinata, the Chunin Exams start in a few days, and our training is almost done. How about we take a break tomorrow and have some fun?"

"Okay, Zeyu-kun, I'll do whatever you say," Hinata replied.

"Great, then let's go for a picnic," Zeyu said.

"Okay, Zeyu-kun, that's a great idea," Hinata said, wrapping her other arm around Zeyu's and leaning close to him, a happy smile on her face.

"Yeah, picnics are more fun with more people,"

As they walked, Kiba suddenly came up from behind, followed by Shino.

"Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, what are you guys doing here?" Zeyu asked, feeling a bit disappointed. He had wanted to have a date with Hinata alone, but it seemed that was not going to happen.

"Hey, Zeyu, no matter how good friends are, there should be some limits. Hinata's been with you every day for the past few days, and now you don't even want us to join your picnic?" Kiba said, hands on his hips.

"Woof!" Akamaru, perched on Kiba's head, barked in agreement.

Shino nodded as well.

Hinata, who was leaning against Zeyu, blushed upon hearing this and waved her hands to explain, "It's not like that, Kiba. Zeyu-kun has been helping me train. Thanks to him, I've become stronger."

She then put her hands on her chest, tapping her index fingers together, and said, "We can all go on the picnic together. Zeyu-kun didn't mean it like that."

"Is that so? Then we'll all go tomorrow. It's a promise!" Kiba said with a grin, hands behind his head.

Zeyu looked at Hinata, who was defending him, and felt a surge of emotion.

"Hinata's speaking up for me. I'm so happy." He then added, "And there are two others from my team. We'll all six of us go together. Let's meet at the gate tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Okay," everyone agreed.

After chatting for a while, they escorted Hinata home.

On the way back, they found Megumi and Shota, who were preparing to go home, and informed them about the picnic.

The next morning, everyone gathered at the Konoha gate and headed to a nearby mountain.

They set up tents, built campfires, fished, hunted wild boars, and played hide-and-seek. The day passed quickly.

In the evening, everyone gathered around the campfire, with wild boar meat roasting on a spit and grilled fish nearby.

They ate and chatted, enjoying the leisurely atmosphere.

"Hmm, I have something to tell you all," Zeyu suddenly said.

Everyone turned their gaze to him.

"What is it, Zeyu-kun?" Hinata asked.

"It's about the Chunin Exams. I know the content of the first stage. Do you want to hear it?" Zeyu said.

Everyone looked puzzled.

"How do you know the exam content?" Megumi, sitting at the edge, asked first.

"Hey, sis, Zeyu is so amazing, it's not strange that he knows these things," Shota said from beside her.

"Ugh, brother, you admire Zeyu too much," Megumi retorted, giving Shota a look.

"Well, there's no harm in listening. Zeyu, tell us," Kiba said, taking a bite of meat and casually handing a skewer to Akamaru.

Hinata's mouth was also full, her eyes fixed on Zeyu, her cheeks puffed out in anticipation of what he would say.

Seeing everyone staring at him, Zeyu decided not to keep them in suspense and revealed the content of the first stage of the exam.

Everyone listened and fell into deep thought.

"So, it seems that how well you answer isn't as important as the team's unity," Shino said slowly.

"Yes, Shino is right. Moreover, this exam tests the participants' information-gathering abilities. However, you can pass even if you do nothing."

Zeyu paused and continued.

"At the final moment, hold firm to your belief and don't give up, and you'll be able to pass through."

"So that's how it is, that's great, Zeyu-kun. We'll definitely all pass," Hinata said with a giggle.

"Hey, Hinata, you really believe him?" Megumi said dismissively.

"Mm, I believe Zeyu-kun," Hinata said, moving a little closer to Zeyu with a smile.

Zeyu chuckled lightly and said, "Well, that's the gist of it. You all have to keep this a secret, okay? This is exclusive intel."

"Mm, if it's true, then this exam is in the bag. Written exams are the most troublesome," Kiba said.

"Mm," Shino nodded in agreement.

"I think the same as Kiba. Written exams are really the most troublesome," Shota also nodded, expressing his agreement.

"Heh, as long as you're happy," Megumi said with a face full of disdain, continuing to eat her grilled meat.

After everyone chatted for a while longer, the sky darkened. The bright moon hung in the night sky, and the sky was full of beautiful stars.

Everyone was full. Megumi, Shota, Kiba, and Shino were playing cards, while Hinata and Zeyu, hand in hand, went for a walk by the small river.

"Hinata, did you tell your family you're staying out overnight?" Zeyu asked.

"Mm, it's fine, I've already let them know," Hinata replied, her small face blushing as she lowered her head.

"Then~ Hinata, can you sleep with me tonight?" Zeyu asked, putting his arm around Hinata's shoulders and speaking into her ear.

"Um... Zeyu-kun, isn't this inappropriate? I'm so shy. We can't do things like this yet," Hinata said, placing her small hands on her chest and fiddling with her fingers, her face completely red.

Zeyu faced Hinata, pulled her into his embrace, and said softly, "It's okay, it's just sleeping normally, we won't do anything." He paused and then added, "Or... is Hinata thinking about something we can't do yet?" As he spoke, he gently rested his head on Hinata's head, inhaling the scent of her hair, his face full of happiness.

Hearing this, Hinata became even more shy. She buried her head deep in Zeyu's embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist, unable to speak from embarrassment, quietly inhaling Zeyu's scent.

"Hinata, I like you," Zeyu said, kissing Hinata's forehead and gently stroking her head.

Hinata took another deep breath of his scent, then looked up at Zeyu and said, "I like you too, Zeyu-kun." Her small face was flushed, and her eyes were hazy.

"Then... Hinata, can I make a selfish request?" Zeyu asked, looking at Hinata tenderly, his face also very red.

"Mm, as long as it's you, Zeyu-kun, I can do anything," Hinata said, gazing at Zeyu, her eyes sparkling.

Zeyu closed his eyes and slowly leaned his head towards Hinata, his lips moving closer.

Hinata instantly understood and became a little flustered. Her hands unconsciously tightened, pushing herself up in Zeyu's embrace, creating a small distance.

"Eh-- Um, Zeyu-kun, I'm not ready yet," Hinata said, looking away in a panic, her eyes blinking rapidly.

Zeyu opened his eyes and pouted, saying, "Hinata doesn't want to? Then forget it." He then let go of Hinata, straightening his body from its bent position.

Feeling the warmth of his embrace leave, Hinata felt a pang of disappointment. She looked at Zeyu and, sensing his slight anger, said, "No, Zeyu-kun, I just... need to prepare myself." She held onto Zeyu's hand, unwilling to let go.

Zeyu smiled, intertwined his fingers with Hinata's, wrapped his arm around her waist, kissed her cheek, and said softly, "It's okay, I'm not angry. You don't need to worry, Hinata. I like you, I like you the most. Just prepare yourself, don't worry about anything else. I'll always be by your side."

Hinata looked up and met Zeyu's gaze, tears welling up in her eyes. She pursed her lips and said, "I like you the most too, Zeyu-kun."

Then, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. After the kiss, she turned back to look at Zeyu.

Zeyu was stunned and looked at Hinata.

Being stared at, Hinata became very shy and didn't dare to meet his gaze. She lowered her head, licked her lips, and thought to herself, I kissed him, I finally kissed him. Zeyu-kun, I like you the most.

Zeyu, snapping back to reality, held her tighter. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and kissed Hinata again.

Hinata responded enthusiastically, tilting her head up and meeting his kiss with her eyes closed. She gripped Zeyu's hand even tighter.

Their heads swayed slightly as their tongues intertwined. After a long while, they slowly separated, a glistening thread of saliva stretching between their mouths before dripping onto their clothes.

Then, they looked at each other and smiled, their eyes filled with tender affection. Their foreheads slowly touched, and their noses gently brushed against each other.

"Wow—" the four people who had been secretly watching for a long time exclaimed in hushed tones, unable to suppress the smiles on their faces.