There were only a few days left before the Chunin Ninja Exams, and Zeyu had been helping Hinata train for her fight with Neji.
Hinata took it seriously, too, and worked hard. In the evenings, she practiced chakra control using the methods Zeyu had taught her, and she had even learned a new technique.
At the training ground, Hinata struck a distant tree trunk with a palm thrust from afar. She was panting, drenched in sweat.
Clapping as he walked over, Zeyu pulled a towel from behind his back and handed it to her when he reached her. "Hinata, you're amazing. You've gotten so good in just a few days."
Hinata took the towel and wiped her neck. "Thank you, Zeyu. It's all thanks to your help. Otherwise, I'd still be stuck where I started."
"Not at all. I only had a few little ideas. You worked hard enough to get where you are today," Zeyu said with a smile.
They exchanged smiles, chatted and rested for a while, then prepared to head home together.
Zeyu walked along holding Hinata's hand. Suddenly, he said, "Hinata, the Chunin Ninja Exams start in a few days, and we've nearly finished our training. How about taking tomorrow off and having some fun?"
"Sure, Zeyu. Whatever you say," Hinata replied.
"Great. Let's go have a picnic outside," Zeyu said.
"Sounds lovely, Zeyu. That's a great idea." Hinata wrapped her other arm around his, leaning close to him with a happy smile.
"Yeah, picnics are definitely more fun with a group."
As the two walked along, Kiba suddenly came up behind them, Shino following close behind. "Hey, Zeyu, Akamaru, and Shino, what are you doing here?" Zeyu asked, feeling a little disappointed. He'd wanted to go on a date alone with Hinata, but that seemed out of the question now.
"Hey, Zeyu, even close friends need to give each other some space. Hinata's been with you every day lately. Are you really not going to invite us to the picnic?" Kiba said, his hands on his hips.
"Woof!" Akamaru, perched on Kiba's head, chimed in.
Shino nodded as well.
Hearing them, Hinata blushed and waved her hands as she explained, "That's not it, Kiba. Zeyu's been helping me train. Thanks to him, I'm stronger now."
Then she held her little hands before her chest, tapping her index fingers together. "We can all go on the picnic together. Zeyu didn't mean that."
"Is that so? Then we're all going tomorrow. It's a promise!" Kiba said with a grin, putting his hands behind his head. "Woof!"
Watching Hinata speak up for him, Zeyu felt a rush of emotion.
Hinata's sticking up for me. I'm so happy. Then he said, "And my two teammates can come too. The six of us will go together. Let's meet at the gate first thing tomorrow morning. Sound good?"
"Sure," everyone agreed.
After chatting for a while, they walked Hinata home.
On the way back, they ran into Megumi and Shota, who were about to head home, and told them about the picnic.
The next morning, everyone met at Konoha's gate, then headed for a nearby hill.
They pitched tents, built a campfire, went fishing, hunted wild boars, and played hide-and-seek. The day flew by.
At dusk, everyone gathered around the campfire. Wild boar meat roasted on the grill, with fish roasting beside it.
They ate and chatted, enjoying themselves.
"Mm... There's something I want to tell you," Zeyu suddenly said.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What is it, Zeyu?" Hinata asked.
"It's about the Chunin Ninja Exams. I know what the first test is about. Want to hear?" Zeyu asked.
Everyone looked puzzled.
"How would you know what's on the test?" Megumi, sitting at the far end, asked first.
"Come on, little sister. Zeyu's so amazing, it's no surprise he knows things like this," Shota said.
"Ugh, you admire Zeyu way too much, big brother," Megumi said, rolling her eyes at Shota.
"Well, it can't hurt to listen. Go on, Zeyu," Kiba said around a mouthful of meat, handing Akamaru a skewer as he spoke.
Hinata was eating too, her cheeks puffed out as she stared at Zeyu expectantly, waiting to hear what he had to say.
Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Zeyu stopped keeping them in suspense and told them what the first test involved.
Everyone fell silent, thinking it over.
"So, it sounds like getting the answers right isn't important. What matters is that the team stays united in their resolve," Shino said slowly.
"Right, Shino. And this test is meant to assess the candidates' ability to gather information. But even if you do nothing, you can still pass."
Zeyu paused, then continued, "At the very end, you just have to hold firm and refuse to give up. That's how you pass."
"So that's all we have to do? That's great, Zeyu! We'll all definitely pass," Hinata said with a bright smile.
"Hey, Hinata, you actually believe him?" Megumi said disdainfully.
"Mm, I believe Zeyu." Hinata edged closer to him, smiling.
Zeyu chuckled. "Anyway, that's how it is. Keep it a secret, okay? This is exclusive inside information."
"If it's true, then we're set for this exam. Written tests are such a pain," Kiba said. "Woof, woof!"
"Mm," Shino agreed with a nod.
"I feel the same way as Kiba. Written tests are such a pain," Shota said, nodding in agreement.
"Heh, whatever makes you happy." Megumi looked unimpressed and continued eating the roast meat.
After they chatted for a while, night fell. A bright moon hung in the sky, surrounded by countless beautiful stars.
Everyone was full. Megumi, Shota, Kiba, and Shino were playing cards, while Hinata and Zeyu walked hand in hand to the riverbank.
"Hinata, did you tell your family you'd be staying out tonight?" Zeyu asked.
"Mm, it's fine. I already let them know." Hinata lowered her head, her cheeks flushed.
"Then... can you sleep with me tonight?" Zeyu put an arm around Hinata's shoulders and whispered in her ear.
"Um... Zeyu, isn't that a little inappropriate? It's embarrassing. We shouldn't do that kind of thing yet." Hinata held her hands before her chest, tapping her index fingers together, her face completely red.
Zeyu turned to face Hinata and held her in his arms, speaking softly. "It's okay. We'll just sleep, nothing else." He paused, then added, "Unless... were you thinking about something we shouldn't do yet?" He rested his head gently against hers, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, his face full of happiness.
Hearing that only made Hinata more embarrassed. She buried her face against his chest, wrapped both arms around his waist, and fell silent, shyly breathing in his scent.
"Hinata, I love you," Zeyu said, kissing the top of her head and gently stroking her hair.
Hinata breathed in his scent once more, then raised her head to look at him. "I love you too, Zeyu." Her cheeks were bright red, her gaze dazed.
"Then... Hinata, can I ask you for something a little selfish?" Zeyu looked at her tenderly, his face flushed too.
"Mm. If it's you, Zeyu, anything is okay." Hinata gazed at him, her eyes glistening.
Zeyu closed his eyes and slowly leaned toward Hinata, bringing his lips closer.
Hinata immediately understood. A little flustered, she instinctively pressed her hands against his chest and pushed herself up in his arms, moving back just a little.
"Ah... um, Zeyu, I'm not ready yet." Hinata looked away in a panic, blinking rapidly.
Zeyu opened his eyes and pouted. "You don't want to, Hinata? Then never mind." He let her go and straightened up.
Feeling the warmth of his embrace disappear, Hinata felt a little dejected. She looked at Zeyu, noticed he seemed upset, and said, "That's not it, Zeyu. I just... need a little time to prepare." She held onto his hand, afraid to let go.
Zeyu smiled, laced his fingers with hers, and put an arm around her waist. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "It's okay. I'm not angry, so don't worry. I love you, Hinata. More than anything. Take your time, and don't worry about anything else. I'll always be by your side."
Hinata looked up and met Zeyu's eyes, hers glimmering with tears. She pressed her lips together and said, "I love you more than anything too, Zeyu."
Then she rose onto her toes and kissed him. After giving him a quick kiss, she turned to look at him.
Zeyu froze, staring at Hinata.
Under his gaze, Hinata grew terribly shy. She couldn't meet his eyes, so she lowered her head and licked her lips, thinking, We kissed. We finally kissed. I love you so much, Zeyu.
When he came to his senses, Zeyu tightened his arms around her, lowered his head, closed his eyes, and kissed her again.
Hinata responded eagerly, tilting her head up and closing her eyes. Her grip on Zeyu's hand tightened too.
Their heads moved gently as their tongues intertwined. After a long while, they slowly parted, a glistening strand of saliva stretching between their lips before dripping onto their clothes.
Then they looked at each other and smiled, their eyes filled with tenderness. Their foreheads slowly touched, their noses lightly brushing.
"Wow..." The four who had been sneaking peeks nearby let out a quiet gasp, unable to hold back their grins.