บท 9: Naruto's Awakening to Love
"Naruto, why are you so dense?" I asked while looking at his stupid face.
"What the hell do you mean, bastard?" He asked with a scoff.
"Look there, what do you see?" I pointed at the side where trees were hiding a princess. Obviously not good enough, as she could be seen.
"Huh, Hinata! Over here!" Naruto shouted, much to Hyuga Princess's shock, as she dashed away like a spotted gazelle.
"Do you remember the beating I gave you yesterday?" I asked, and Naruto winced involuntarily. Good, that should keep him straight. "What happened afterwards?"
"Hmm?" He started to think while holding his chin, "Oh, Hinata gave me this ointment. It was super useful. I should buy her ramen!"
"Well, you are not hopeless at least." I sighed, "Let's think out loud. Why would she give you the ointment?"
Naruto scratched his head, looking puzzled. "I don't know, maybe she just wanted to help me because I was hurt?"
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Naruto. Use your brain for once. Why would Hinata go out of her way to help you if she didn't have feelings for you?"
Naruto's eyes widened as he finally caught on to what I was saying. "Wait a minute... are you saying that Hinata likes me?"
I nodded. "Yes, she does. And it's been pretty obvious for a while now."
Naruto looked stunned. "I had no idea. I mean, I've always thought Hinata was nice and everything, but I never imagined she could have feelings for me."
"Don't get me wrong, squirt. Hinata is nice. That aside, she also likes you and it is probably something to do with you saving her when you were small, remember? You came to me with all bloody when you were four?"
"Oh, right." Naruto punched his palm, "Is it that simple?"
"Of course not, idiot." I slapped the back of his head, "It is not about only that. You were there for him, that is one. You made her feel safe, that is two. You didn't give up and despite being hated more than she did, you weren't a broming mess but a hopeful fool that could help others and unwilling to give up. All these…"
"Well, now that you know, what are you going to do about it?" I asked.
Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. I mean, I like Hinata too, but I don't want to mess things up. What if I do something wrong and she gets hurt?"
I put a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Naruto. You don't have to do anything grand or over the top. Just be yourself, and be honest with her. You have to understand one thing, if a woman likes you without you doing anything, it means they like you for who you are. Well, there are also looks and other shit, but you are lucky in that department. So, just be yourself."
Naruto smiled at me gratefully. "Thanks, Kou. Although I feel like you insulted me somehow, I cannot put my finger on it anywhere."
I smirked. "Don't get too sentimental on me now. We still have training to do."
He winced as he dashed off, "No can do. Gotta catch Hinata and buy her ramen."
"They grow up so fast." I looked at the vanishing back of Naruto with a smile and turned towards the other direction. "Should I visit my darling too? I miss her already. Am I too clingy? What the hell, I may be clingy, but if being clingy doesn't shout love what does?"
As Naruto dashed through the forest, he couldn't help but feel nervous. He had never really thought about Hinata in that way before, but now that he knew she had feelings for him, he couldn't help but feel a bit giddy inside.
Finally, he spotted Hinata up ahead, and he sprinted over to her. "Hey, Hinata!" he called out, waving his arms.
Hinata jumped at the sound of his voice, and her face turned bright red. "N-Naruto-kun?" she stammered.
Naruto felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her blushing face. "Um, hey. Listen, I just wanted to thank you for the ointment you gave me. It really helped."
Hinata nodded, still looking a bit flustered. "I'm glad it worked. A-are you feeling better now?"
Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I am. Hey, do you want to go get some ramen with me?"
Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. "R-Ramen? With you?"
Naruto nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I mean, if you want to, that is."
Hinata hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "O-okay. I would like that."
Naruto grinned, feeling a rush of excitement. "Great! Let's go to Ichiraku!"
As they walked through the streets of the village, Naruto and Hinata chatted about their favorite things to do and their dreams for the future. Hinata was still shy, but Naruto could tell that she was starting to open up to him.
When they finally arrived at Ichiraku, Naruto ordered two bowls of ramen and they sat down at a table to eat. The warm, savory noodles and broth filled them up quickly, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of giddiness sitting there with Hinata.
As they finished their meal, Naruto turned to Hinata. "Hey, Hinata. I just wanted to say, I'm really glad we got to hang out today. You're a really nice person, and I like spending time with you."
Hinata's face turned pink, and she looked down at her lap. "T-thank you, Naruto-kun. I like spending time with you too."
Naruto felt a flutter in his stomach at her words. He wasn't sure what was happening between them, but he knew that he wanted to spend more time with Hinata in the future. What he was feeling at that moment was not something he wanted to cast away.
As they left the restaurant and said their goodbyes, Naruto felt a sense of happiness wash over him. Maybe he was dense sometimes, but he was starting to realize that there was something special between him and Hinata, something that he wanted to explore further.
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