"Ah!"
Hinata jumped at the voice so close to her, a panicked sheen of moisture instantly clouding her white eyes.
She fumbled as she turned around. When she saw Naruto's smiling blue eyes, her entire face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
"N-Naruto-kun! I... um..."
She twisted the hem of her clothes helplessly, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
"My sister came to watch you train."
A childish voice came from below.
At some point, Hanabi had gotten back up. She stood beside Naruto with her hands on her hips, looking up as she earnestly added, "She's been coming every day lately!"
"Hanabi!"
Hinata was so embarrassed she nearly fainted.
Naruto crouched to Hanabi's eye level and smiled as he ruffled her hair. "Thanks for telling me that secret."
Then he looked up at Hinata, his gaze gentle. "If you want to train with me, just say so. I've been wanting to see the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist anyway!"
His tone was sincere and encouraging. "You always seemed a little restrained when we sparred in practical combat class, Hinata. Were you afraid of hurting your classmates? I practice Taijutsu too, and I'm pretty sturdy, so you don't have to worry about attacking me."
"I... I..."
Hinata's face grew even redder. Her fingers tightly twisted her hem, and her heart raced as though it might leap out of her chest.
She longed to train with Naruto-kun, but she was also afraid he would look down on her clumsy performance.
Seeing her sister stammer, Hanabi gave a mischievous grin. She suddenly raised her little hand and spoke in a clear voice. "If my sister doesn't want to, can I spar with you, big brother? I know Gentle Fist too!"
As she spoke, she even adopted a convincing Gentle Fist opening stance, her little face full of anticipation and eagerness.
"Hanabi..."
Hinata tried to stop her softly, her tone carrying helplessness and a barely perceptible hint of envy.
When would she be able to speak her mind as freely as Hanabi did?
Looking at the bold, adorable little girl before him, Naruto's smile grew even brighter.
He nodded solemnly. "Of course. My name is Naruto Uzumaki."
"Then I'll call you Big Brother Naruto from now on!"
Little Hanabi announced this happily, then tilted her head and added, "Big Brother Naruto is much more decisive than my sister!"
"Come on, big brother. Let's start sparring!"
As though afraid Naruto might change his mind, Hanabi first cast a slightly smug glance at Hinata, who was still standing frozen in place. Then she took Naruto's large hand and pulled him toward the center of the training ground.
Naruto let her lead him, smiling gently.
Only after they reached the center did he gently slip his hand out of Hanabi's small one. He formed a simple hand seal and dispelled the shadow clone that was training on the grounds.
With a soft pop, the clone vanished in a cloud of white smoke.
Then he bent down and picked up the Kunai and Shuriken scattered on the ground one by one, carefully returning them to the ninja tool pouch at his waist to clear a space for their spar.
Once that was done, he turned toward Hinata, who was still standing where she had been, looking worried and lost. He pointed to a bench in the shade of a tree at the edge of the grounds and said gently, "Hinata, you can sit over there and watch."
Naruto rubbed his nose.
"Don't worry. I'll go easy on Hanabi, so you don't have to worry about her getting hurt."
He had meant to reassure Hinata, but his words immediately drew little Hanabi's displeasure.
"Then I'll go easy on Big Brother Naruto too!"
Little Hanabi immediately planted both hands on her hips and lifted her face, striking an "I'm really strong" pose as she declared defiantly, "Don't worry, Sis. Big Brother Naruto won't get hurt either!"
Her childish declaration and earnest little expression made Naruto pause before he burst out laughing, his mood growing even lighter.
"Hahaha, all right!"
He obligingly took a fighting stance, laughter in his eyes. "Then you'll have to go easy on me, Hanabi."
"W-wait..."
Just as Naruto and Hanabi were about to begin sparring, a faint but firm voice came from the edge of the grounds. Hinata clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, her cheeks flushed scarlet. As though drawing on every last bit of strength she had, she finally gathered the courage to speak:
"Hanabi is still too young..." She did not dare meet Naruto's eyes, her gaze darting down to the ground, but her voice reached them clearly. "L-let me... spar with Naruto-kun instead!"
Hearing her sister finally say it, Naruto and Hanabi instinctively exchanged a glance, each finding amusement in the other's eyes.
Little Hanabi even secretly flashed Naruto a quick thumbs-up, her face full of smug satisfaction at their plan's success.
Smiling, Hanabi skipped over to the public bench in the shade at the edge of the training ground and sat down. She swung her little legs, settling in to enjoy the show, and cheered her sister on in a clear voice:
"Do your best, Sis! Don't lose too quickly!"
"Mm... okay..."
Hinata bowed her head so deeply that her chin nearly disappeared into her collar. Stiffly moving the arm and leg on the same side together, she walked up to Naruto.
She raised a trembling hand and formed the Seal of Confrontation with Naruto, then awkwardly assumed the opening stance of the Hyuga-style Gentle Fist.
"Naruto-kun... p-please go easy on me! Let's begin!"
Her voice was barely a whisper. Rather than a declaration before battle, it sounded more like a plea for help.
Naruto also formed the Seal of Confrontation seriously and replied gently, "Let's begin."
The two began exchanging blows.
Yet the atmosphere of their match was decidedly strange.
Naruto was clearly holding back on purpose. His movements were several beats too slow and full of openings, making it look like a lesson taught in slow motion.
Hinata, meanwhile, was completely overwhelmed by embarrassment. Every palm strike was limp, with neither strength nor accuracy, and her gaze wandered everywhere, never daring to settle on Naruto.
Their "match" resembled an elderly couple's morning exercise so closely that Hanabi kept yawning on the bench, her little face filled with boredom. She even began swinging her legs and looking around.
For Hinata, however, the experience was entirely different.
I'm... so close to Naruto-kun...
I can feel his breath...
The thought nearly overheated her brain. It almost seemed as though wisps of invisible smoke were rising from her head, and her cheeks burned red.
In that state, her movements grew increasingly distorted and lost all semblance of form. Rather than performing Gentle Fist, she looked more as though she were frantically waving her hands to shoo away the air before her.
Seeing Hinata utterly absorbed in her embarrassment, with no desire to fight and merely flailing her arms about, Naruto lost what little enthusiasm he had left for their spar.
This wasn't sparring at all.
Spotting an opening, he briskly raised his hand and firmly blocked her limp, haphazardly swinging arm, stopping her from continuing those meaningless movements.
At the same time, the gentle smile faded from his face, and his voice grew serious. "Hinata."
He looked straight into her still-evasive white eyes.
"If you're tired or not feeling up to it, go rest on the sidelines for a while."
"Let Hanabi have a turn."
Though direct, his words were like a basin of cold water gently poured over Hinata's overheated mind.