Evening arrived.
A breeze swept past, stirring the river into a soft, splashing murmur.
The sound was gentle, and the sky slowly darkened.
Luo Mang looked at the sky, then lowered his gaze and spoke.
"It's getting late. Shall we head back?"
They had talked from morning until afternoon, holding each other the whole time, moving from beside the tree to the riverbank. They had covered every topic they could think of, and whenever they ran out, Luo Mang found something else to discuss or told her a story.
Hinata Hyuga had spent a truly happy day with him. The smile had never left her face.
When Luo Mang said it was time to part, Hinata Hyuga instinctively looked up at the setting sun. Only its lingering glow shone on them now. It really was time to leave.
Reluctant to part, she sighed.
"Time went by so quickly."
There was nothing they could do about that regret. They couldn't stay glued together forever. Luo Mang raised a hand to stroke Hinata Hyuga and comforted her. "Yes, today is over, but there's always next time. We'll have plenty more chances."
Only by becoming stronger and being able to handle the dangers ahead could they have more time together.
He couldn't stay by Hinata Hyuga's side and protect her forever. She would have to become stronger herself.
There were the aliens from the era of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, for instance. All kinds of aliens would appear.
They couldn't just hide in the pocket world, could they? It wasn't impossible, but they had already come this far.
Hinata Hyuga nuzzled Luo Mang's hand like a little kitten as he stroked her.
She happily rubbed against his hand, then suddenly remembered something and spoke with a smile.
"Yes. I'll be training tomorrow, so