The air in the classroom had all but frozen. With her Byakugan activated, Hinata watched intently.
"Big Brother Naruto, I'm going to start."
"Hinata, go ahead. Don't hold back."
Your big brother Naruto has never asked you for anything. This time...
Those words kept echoing in Hinata's ears, making her even more cautious as she searched for the right place to insert the needle.
"Here goes. Bear with it, Big Brother Naruto."
After warning him, Hinata used the advantage of her Byakugan to drive the syringe needle precisely through layer after layer of tissue, straight into his spinal cord.
Naruto did his best to endure it and keep himself under control.
Even so, once the cold needle pierced his spinal cord, an indescribable aching numbness instantly spread from his spine to his brain and every part of his body.
"Quick."
"Okay."
Hinata had no idea what was in the syringe. She simply didn't want to disappoint Naruto.
Slowly, as Hinata pressed the syringe's plunger with her thumb, the thick blue fluid seeped into Naruto's spinal cord.
"Quick."
The unspeakable pain almost made Naruto roar on the spot.
But he couldn't. He couldn't let Hinata suffer because of this.
As the injection continued, however, Naruto's body began convulsing involuntarily.
Seeing this, Hinata hurriedly pulled out the needle and reached to support him.
"Big Brother Naruto, there's still a little left," Hinata said, flustered.
The muscles in Naruto's face were twitching. Hearing Hinata's words, he struggled to take back the Hashirama cells, with only a single drop remaining.
"Hinata, this stays between you and me. No third person can ever know-not even a whisper of it. Understand?"
"Yes, I know, Big Brother Naruto. Trust me."
"Thank you, Hinata. Head home first. We can't leave together."
"But you're like this... Should I go