After watching Jiraiya leave, Naruto also officially ended this month of outdoor training.
I walked slowly towards my apartment from Hokage Rock.
On the way back, he saw two familiar figures among the crowd on the street.
Sakura and Ino were standing in front of the meatball shop, talking and laughing, holding two skewers of three-color meatballs.
Ino was holding meatballs and skewers in his mouth, gesturing with his hands and not knowing what he was talking about, Sakura was covering his mouth and laughing.
Sakura's hair is shorter than a month ago, and he looks much more energetic than before.
It seems that in this month she not only recovered, but also reconciled with Ino.
Naruto didn't go up to say hello. He glanced at the two of them and turned into another alley toward the apartment.
But Ino accidentally glanced into the crowd while biting the meatball, and then she saw a familiar figure flashing through the crowd.
Ino gently touched Sakura with his arm. "Hey, that one just now seems to be Naruto."
Sakura also looked in the direction pointed by Ino, only to see a blurry back swallowed up by the night and the iconic blond hair flashing past the alley.
She held the meatball sign with her fingers, her face dimmed slightly, then she stuffed the last bite of the meatball into her mouth and whispered:
"Let's go Ino, we have to cheer for them in the game tomorrow."
"No, Sakura, don't you want to go up and say hello when we meet?"
Ino looked at Naruto's back with interest.
"Naruto went to practice this month. Now that he has finally come back, we should let him have a good rest."
Sakura shook his head.
"Okay, but I'm really curious, when did Naruto start to change after becoming a ninja? Not only his temperament and strength, but most importantly, he became so handsome!"
Hearing this, Sakura recalled the changes in Naruto after the Land of Waves mission.
"Probably after our first life-and-death battle with ninjas!"
"Oh, tell me quickly, I'm a little curious..."
"Okay, let's go, I'll tell you when I get back!"
Naruto As soon as he walked downstairs to the apartment, he was surrounded by three little ones.
Konohamaru rushed over and almost bumped into him. Moegi was following behind Konohamaru, looking at him with bright eyes. Udon was also caught in the middle, standing on tiptoes and trying hard to wave to Naruto, with a long runny nose.
"Brother Naruto, where have you been this whole month!"
"Moegi and I went to your house and knocked on the door many times but couldn't find anyone!"
Konohamaru raised his head and complained loudly, holding on to the hem of Naruto's windbreaker with both hands.
"Well, I went to the mountains to practice for a month just for Chunin Ninja Exams."
"So I won't be home for this month, so of course you won't be able to find me!"
"I see. As expected of brother Naruto, he even has to go into seclusion in the mountains to practice!"
Konohamaru's eyes lit up when he heard this, then he turned to Moegi and Udon and raised his neck. "Did you see, this is the boss I think!"
"But teacher Ebisu said that Chunin Ninja Exams has a super powerful Genin this time. The red hair can control sand. What is his name Gaara..."
Konohamaru suddenly thought of something in the middle of speaking. He turned around, clenched his fist tightly and waved it into the air. "But Naruto brother is definitely stronger than him!"
"Yes, yes, brother Naruto is the most powerful!"
"Last time he swooped over and saved me in the alley!"
Moegi was jumping on tiptoes beside him, his balls dangling on both sides of his head.
Naruto reached out and patted the heads of Konohamaru and Moegi respectively, then bent down so that his eyes were level with the three little ones.
"Okay, I'm covered in dirt, don't get too close and soil your clothes."
"The third exam is tomorrow, so cheer me up in the classroom tomorrow!"
"Then Naruto brother must win!"
The three voices shouted at the same time, the volume was so loud that the moths under the lamp next to them flew away.
"I know, I know, go home quickly, it's getting dark."
Naruto waved his hand and watched the three little ones scampering away, then turned around and stepped onto the stairs of the apartment.
Just as he turned the corner on the second floor and was about to touch the key to open the door, a soft and shy voice came from behind.
"Naruto-kun!"
Naruto stopped and turned around to find that the source of the voice was Hinata, whom he hadn't seen for a month.
At this time, Hinata was standing in the corridor on the second floor near the stairs, with his hands folded in front of him, wearing white casual clothes, and his blue hair was gently blown by the evening breeze.
"It turns out to be the Crown Princess!"
Naruto smiled.
Hinata's cheeks instantly turned red when he heard this. "The... Crown Princess?"
"Naruto-kun... Crown Princess... is... what does it mean..."
Hinata moved his lips a few times and pinched the corners of his clothes with his fingers.
At the same time, another thought emerged uncontrollably in her mind, "Naruto-kun just called me concubine?"
"Did he..."
Naruto waved his hand, leaned on the iron railing of the corridor, tilted his head and looked at Hinata: "Don't care about these details."
"Hinata is here to see me?"
Hinata Hearing this, he nodded vigorously.
"Thanks to Naruto-kun for catching me during the last qualifier... Later Naruto-kun accompanied me to the medical room. I just wanted to say thank you to Naruto-kun personally..."
"Hinata, there's no need to say thank you."
Naruto shook his head slightly, his eyes falling on Hinata's face. "After all, I can't bear to see little Hinata get hurt!"
"Little... little Hinata?"
Upon hearing this title, Hinata's whole body turned red from head to toe as if it had been steamed, and there were a few wisps of white air rising from the top of his head, making him unable to stand still.
He took half a step back and hit the wall of the corridor with his back, barely holding himself back from falling.
There is only a loop of "Naruto-kun call me little Hinata" in Hinata's mind, and all other language functions are offline.
Naruto quickly took a step back, widening the distance between him and Hinata.
He is now covered in sweat and dirt, and his hair is a mess.
And looking at Hinata's current state, he would probably faint if he got any closer.
After a while, Hinata's breathing calmed down again.
Hinata was holding on to the wall, the blush on his face had not completely faded, but there was an extra seriousness in his eyes.
"Naruto-kun... tomorrow's game...Neji, brother is really strong."
"He has a kind of pain that only Hyuga Main House and Branch House know."
"I understand his pain, and I also know that he is not as cold-blooded as he seems."
"So no matter what happens on the field tomorrow, please Naruto-kun please don't hate him."
Naruto listened quietly and then nodded.
"Don't worry, I understand Neji's pain."
Naruto knows more about Neji than Hinata thinks.
He knew the pain of Caged Bird Seal on Neji Hyuga's forehead. Branch House was treated as a servant by Main House, and his father Hizashi Hyuga also died because of this.
In the anime, Neji finally let go of his resentment towards Main House until Fourth Shinobi World War. At Chunin Ninja Exams, he was still a young man full of anger and unwillingness to his fate.
Naruto understands this pain, not because of sympathy, but because he himself was once thrown into a corner by the world.
After you become Hokage, solve the problem of the difference between Hyuga Main House and Branch House in advance!
Cut out the cancer of Caged Bird from the root of the Hyuga Clan, and let Neji regain freedom.
But this matter cannot be rushed. Before Hokage Position is obtained, all these words are empty talk.
"Naruto-kun, thank you for being willing to listen to me."
Hinata raised his head and looked at Naruto, then bowed slightly and saluted, turned around and trotted down the stairs.
I ran all the way downstairs before looking back at Naruto, and then hurriedly disappeared into the night.