章節 125: Chapter 126 This is Also Part of The Training

Hinata didn't actually faint, but her hands and feet were a little weak and her eyes were hazy.

This put Naruto in a bit of a dilemma. Holding her wasn't exactly the solution, as the more he held her, the weaker she seemed to become. But if he didn't hold her in his arms, there wasn't any place nearby where she could rest.

'What are the situations of the Kunoichi that I have met? Each one seemed to have some sort of issue.'

'First, it was Temari, then Sakura, and now even Hinata seemed overly sensitive, almost unnaturally so.'

'No! I could let others be, but not Hinata… I had to correct this!'

"Hinata, pull yourself together." Naruto said, trying to encourage her, "You can't go on like this. Remember, we have a mission together the day after tomorrow."

"Mission?" Hinata gasped softly, caught between a state of awareness and semi-unconsciousness.

Seeing her in this vulnerable state, like a small kitten with tousled hair and misty eyes, Naruto looked away slightly, then said with a firm nod, "Yes, think about the mission. You don't want to drag down your companions when you go on a mission, right?"

"No." Hinata weakly shook her head and began to struggle to stand on her own, "The mission is important, I can't drag down my companions."

After Mentally giving Hinata a perfect score for her Will of Fire, Naruto slowly released her. Hinata slowly stood up on her own, completing the first step towards independence.

"Hinata, that's great!"

"Ah? Don't suddenly say weird things like that, I'll..." Hinata's cheeks, along with the tips of her ears, turned a deep shade of red, her shyness evident.

"This is also part of the training, you know," Naruto explained.

In the secluded alleyway, a passerby stood on the other side. He was shocked to the point of shaking with fear when he heard the boy and girl nearby talking about strange things like training.

'How can they do something like that in broad daylight?!'

'Say more, I love to hear it!'

'From the boy's persuasive attitude, it was obvious that he is a veteran.' The passerby leaned against the wall and sighed silently, lamenting the declining morals of society.

Just as he was sighing, more words floated over.

"I understand. Even though it's embarrassing, I'll try my best to cooperate." Hinata lowered her head and said, "So… uh… how should we train?"

"Let's start with something simple, otherwise, if you faint again, I really won't know what to do."

The passerby gulped, his eyes practically bulging out, 'Was it so exciting before I came? She fainted directly? Are they so rampant in broad daylight?'

"Alright then, Naruto-kun, I'm ready." Hinata said, squeezing her eyes shut, her entire body trembling, "Go ahead."

"Okay." Naruto looked at her flushed face and the way she kept her eyes closed tightly, with her head turned to the side. It was both absurd and somewhat amusing.

"Trust me, as long as you train a few more times, you will get used to it slowly."

"I trust you, Naruto-kun." Hinata said, puffing out her cheeks, looking like she was bracing herself for something terrible.

"You're making this really hard for me." Naruto muttered, swallowing back the outrageous words he almost said. He sighed, stepped closer, and gently brushed the hair from her forehead, "Try to open your eyes and look at me first."

"No… it's too embarrassing. I can't do it." Hinata closed her eyes and said, as if begging for mercy.

"Yes, you can. Believe in yourself."

Naruto gently cupped Hinata's face, and in that instant, Hinata suddenly opened her eyes. Her eyes reflected a mix of shyness and a desperate urge to hide, her lips parted but unable to utter a single word.

In the cool and quiet alley, there are no green vines climbing the walls, and the old walls was devoid of romantic elements.

Hinata felt her face burning so hot that it could boil water, and her vision blurred with dizziness, yet there was nowhere to hide. She wanted to close her eyes, but her body refused to obey.

Despite her flushed cheeks, trembling body, and hands clutching her pants tightly, she still felt a strange joy in this interaction. The shyness was inevitable, but there was a certain pleasure in surrendering to the moment.

Eye contact is the quickest way to understand a person's thoughts.

On the other side of the wall, the passerby had their ears perked up, puzzled by the lack of sound. He stroked his chin, pondering just what kind of depraved things this guy next door was doing to the girl.

'How can he make someone keep their eyes open during that?'

'What a beast!'

Although Hinata said that she couldn't do it, she was still willing to fulfill Naruto's request. Even though her ears were burning with embarrassment, she continued to meet his gaze.

"I told you, you can do it." Naruto encouraged her, "Hinata-chan is the best."

"Can we stop now? I think I'm at my limit." Hinata murmured, her gaze shifting away, on the verge of tears.

"Alright, we'll stop for now." Naruto let go of Hinata's hand and reminded her, "You need to have confidence. You can do it."

"We're going on a mission together the day after tomorrow, so we're bound to come into contact along the way. Hinata-chan, if you're still this shy, it could interfere with the mission."

"I understand." Hinata whispered softly, "It's all for the mission."

"Exactly, it's all for the mission."

The passerby was dumbfounded as they listened to the sound of the two leaving, 'It was over so soon? What was going on? What limit? How could he… that damn scumbag! The girl must have been lying to save his face. Why couldn't I ever meet a nice girl like that? Woohoo, now I couldn't even relieve himself properly while leaning against the wall.'

Before parting ways with Hinata, Naruto suddenly asked, "Are you going to the fireworks festival tonight?"

"Yes, the Hyuga Clan participates every year."

Hinata nodded. After the 'training' just now, although she was still blushing while speaking, she seemed a bit less shy.

"So you will be with Hiashi-san the whole time?"

"Mm-hmm. If I do anything too out of line, my father will scold me." Hinata said, sounding a bit disappointed, "The rules of the Hyuga Clan are very strict."

"So, would you get in trouble if you sneaked out halfway through the event?" Naruto asked after thinking for a while.

"Huh?" Hinata was stunned, her mind going blank.

Naruto was just trying to clarify a few things. He wasn't sure about Ino since he hadn't asked her. It was likely that she would attend the fireworks festival with her Ino-Shika-Cho team, and they would have to accompany the Clan Head.

Hinata's situation was obviously similar, as all the children from famous clans were pretty much the same, and they didn't have that much freedom. But it just so happened that Sakura had to be on duty tonight, so Naruto had no one to ask out.

If all else failed, he'd just stay home and sleep.

"Never mind, I was just asking casually." Naruto said, waving his hand, "I'm going home to rest for a bit."

After saying that, Naruto turned and walked away.

Hinata raised her hand halfway, then lowered it again. She wanted to call out to him, but didn't know what to say.

'Actually, I could sneak out.'