The vulnerability in Naruto’s eyes, an honesty he had never shown anyone before, seemed to instill a surge of courage in Hinata. Her posture straightened slightly, and her hands stopped fidgeting so anxiously.

“B-but… you did it!” she said, her voice a little louder, tinged with an admiration that took him by surprise. “I saw you. During the exam. Everyone underestimated you, they laughed when you failed… but you never gave up. You came back and… and you saved Iruka-sensei. T-that… that’s what makes you strong, Naruto-kun. That’s why… I… I admire you!”

The confession slipped out, and the blush that followed was so intense that Hinata wished the earth would swallow her whole. She instantly averted her gaze, fixing it on her sandals as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world, her shoulders hunched, expecting mockery or, even worse, his laughter.

Naruto was speechless. Admiration? People looked at him with contempt, fear, pity, or irritation. Kids threw rocks at him. Shopkeepers refused him service. No one, ever, had looked at him with admiration. The warmth he felt in his chest had nothing to do with the euphoria of graduation or the afternoon sun. It was something new. Something warm and comforting that spread from his stomach to his cheeks.

“Whoa…” was all he could say, his mouth slightly agape. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand, feeling strangely shy. “No one’s… no one’s ever told me that before.”

“It’s the truth,” she murmured, still not looking at him.

“Thanks, Hinata. For real.”

A strange calm settled between them. It wasn’t awkward anymore. It was… peaceful. Naruto realized that the blue window in his field of vision, which had been a source of panic and confusion since the incident with Mizuki, now seemed a little less threatening, its glow a bit softer. For the first time, he didn’t feel the need to fill the space with noise and bravado. They just stood there, in a shared silence that said more than any words.

“Well, uh… it’s getting late,” Naruto finally said, standing up and dusting off his pants. The sun was beginning to paint the sky orange. “Are you heading home?”

“Y-yes,” she replied, still not looking at him directly, as if she feared her blush could set the air on fire.

“I’ll walk you,” he offered without thinking. The impulse not to let her go alone, to extend this moment of calm a little longer, was stronger than his own confusion. Seeing the surprise on her face, he quickly added an excuse. “I mean, if you want. To make sure you don’t get into any trouble! I’m a ninja now, it’s my duty to protect the citizens of Konoha!”

The excuse was so clumsy and so typical of him that Hinata couldn’t help but let out a small, soft laugh, a sound that made Naruto truly smile, a genuine grin he hadn’t felt all day.

“O-okay, Naruto-kun.”

The walk back was an exercise in adorable awkwardness. Naruto walked with his hands behind his head, trying to look relaxed, while Hinata maintained a safe distance at his side. To fill the silence, Naruto started talking about the first thing that came to mind.

“So? Are you on a team yet? Do you know who you’ll be with?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know yet,” she answered quietly. “They’ll tell us tomorrow. I-I hope… I hope I get nice people.”

“Hah! Niceness doesn’t matter! Strength is what matters!” Naruto declared. “I hope I get Sakura-chan! And that smug jerk Sasuke, too! Then I can finally show him who the best ninja is once and for all.” He paused for a second. “Though if I got you, that wouldn’t be so bad either. You don’t seem like the type to yell much.”

Hinata blushed even deeper, if that was possible. “T-thank you… I guess.”

They continued walking, passing food stalls that were starting to close and streets that were becoming increasingly empty.

His confidence was so simple and absolute that it made Hinata smile. It was refreshing. In her clan, everything was complicated, filled with expectations, rules, and disappointments. Naruto was… direct.

When they reached the imposing stone wall that surrounded the Hyuga compound, they stopped. The entrance was flanked by two guards who watched them with stern, expressionless gazes. The atmosphere changed instantly, becoming heavy and formal.

“Well, this is it,” Naruto said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling out of place. This world of prestigious clans and high walls was completely alien to him.

“Thank you… for walking me home,” Hinata whispered, finally daring to meet his eyes. There was sincere gratitude in them.

“Don’t mention it,” he replied with a shrug. “And… Hinata. Thanks to you, too. For… you know.”

She nodded, and a silent understanding passed between them. With a final, timid bow, Hinata disappeared behind the compound walls, leaving Naruto alone on the darkening street.

He stood there for a moment, looking at the closed gate. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel completely alone. And a brilliant idea, almost a revelation, was beginning to form in his mind.

****

Naruto’s apartment greeted him with its usual silence and the smell of instant noodles. But tonight, Naruto didn’t find it oppressive. He ignored it completely. He slammed the door shut, making an empty milk carton on the counter tremble, and began to pace the small space, electric energy coursing through him.

“Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! A power that can make people stronger!” he said aloud, looking at the blue window floating in front of him, a tangible reminder of his new, strange gift. “This is my super secret jutsu! The fastest way to become Hokage! Nobody will see it coming!”

He stopped in front of the cracked bathroom mirror, his eyes shining with excitement. He pointed at himself with his thumb.

“Okay, okay, calm down, genius,” he told himself, though he couldn’t stop smiling. “Think. Analyze the situation like a real leader would.” He struck a thoughtful pose, one hand on his chin. “It has weird requirements… ‘Only applicable to females’… and the thing with the back… and the blood…” He made a face. “A little gross, but… who cares! Great jutsus have strange conditions! That’s what makes them legendary!”

Doubt had no place in his mind, only the pure thrill of having an ace up his sleeve, a power no one else in the world possessed. The only question was: who would be the first? Who would have the honor of receiving his incredible power?

“Let’s see, let’s think…” He began counting on his fingers. “Sakura-chan… She’s at the top of the list! She’s smart, strong, and…!” He paused, imagining the scene. Him, approaching with a nervous smile: “Hey, Sakura-chan, can I put my bloody hand on your back?” The mental image ended with him embedded in the wall of the nearest hospital. “Nope… She’d send me flying to the hospital before I could even say ‘back’.” Scratched.

Then, the memory of the afternoon returned to him. The soft voice. The unexpected kindness. The admiration in her eyes.

“Hinata…” he whispered. And then, a huge grin spread across his face, lighting up the room. “Hinata! She’s perfect! She won’t hit me! Probably! And…” He paused, his expression softening. “She was the only one who was nice to me today. The only one who saw past the fool everyone thinks I am.” His smile returned, but it was different this time. It wasn’t just excitement, but certainty. “I trust her.”

The decision was made. There was no more confusion or fear, only a clear, brilliant plan of action. He slept soundly that night, with no nightmares, dreaming of armies of incredibly powerful kunoichi led by him, the Seventh Hokage, and mountains of ramen to celebrate their victories.

The next morning, Naruto wasn’t just wandering. He was on a mission. He woke before sunrise, dressed with a speed that would have impressed any sensei, and hit the streets with a determination he usually reserved for getting a limited-edition bowl of ramen. He searched for Hinata all over the village. He ignored Kiba when he called out to show him a new trick Akamaru learned. He walked right past Shikamaru, who greeted him with a lazy “what a drag,” and didn’t even notice the usual morning fight between Sakura and Ino over who would get to the Academy first. He had only one goal in mind.

He asked at the Yamanaka flower shop, but Ino just gave him a suspicious look. He checked the training grounds where Shino and Kiba usually were, but they were alone. His frustration began to build. What if he’d been wrong? What if she thought he was a creep and was avoiding him now?

Finally, just as he was about to give up and drown his sorrows at Ichiraku, he found her. She was at a secluded training ground, one of those hardly anyone used, near the Hyuga compound. She was throwing kunai at a log, an expression of intense frustration on her face. Most of her throws were off by inches, quivering in the wood but missing the center.

“Damn it!” he heard her whisper to herself, her voice tense. “More… stronger… I have to be stronger…”

Naruto watched her for a moment from the cover of the trees. He saw the determination in her posture, the same kind he felt every time he failed a jutsu. He saw that she wasn’t just a shy girl, but a ninja fighting to improve. And that solidified his decision.

Without hesitating another second, he stepped out from the trees, deliberately snapping a twig so he wouldn’t startle her.

“Hinata! I found you!” he shouted with so much enthusiasm that she jumped, and the kunai in her hand fell to the ground with a dull thud.

She spun around, bright red at the sight of him, as if he’d caught her doing something terrible. “N-Naruto-kun! G-good morning… W-what are you doing here?”

“Morning!” he said, approaching with a huge grin, ignoring her nervousness. “Hey, I’m so glad I found you! I’ve been looking all over for you. I have to talk to you about something super important! A top-class secret! Something that will change our lives!”

Naruto’s intensity left her paralyzed. His blue eyes shone with an almost fanatical conviction. “W-with me?”

“Yeah, with you!” he affirmed, stopping in front of her. “But not here. It’s too… open. Someone could hear us.” He looked around exaggeratedly, as if expecting spies to be hiding in the bushes. “Let’s go somewhere more private! This is Kage-level stuff, believe me!”

Without waiting for a reply, he gestured for her to follow. Hinata, her brain short-circuiting and her heart pounding a mile a minute, could only pick up her kunai and obey. A secret? With her? From Naruto-kun? He led her to the clearing by the stream where they had met, the same place he had relentlessly practiced his shadow clones. Once there, he stood before her, vibrating with contained energy.

“Okay, listen,” he began, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper that made Hinata lean in instinctively. “Hinata, out of all the girls I know, you’re the most trustworthy. Seriously. You don’t laugh at me, you don’t yell at me… and you were really nice to me yesterday. That’s why I want you to be the first to know my biggest secret.”

She stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to process what was happening. The boy she admired from afar was entrusting her with something important. It was more than she had ever dreamed of.

“I discovered an incredible secret jutsu!” he continued, gesturing with his hands to emphasize his words. “One that can awaken a person’s true power! Make them super strong! It’s like… like opening a door you didn’t even know you had! It’s my secret weapon to become Hokage!”

The passion in his voice was contagious, and Hinata found herself listening, captivated. The frustration from her failed training melted away, replaced by an overwhelming curiosity.

“How… how does it work?” she ventured, her voice barely audible.

Naruto’s smile became a little nervous, but he didn’t lose an ounce of his enthusiasm. He scratched his cheek. “Well, this is where it gets weird. The part you have to promise you won’t tell anyone. Promise?”

Hinata nodded eagerly, her eyes fixed on him.

“Okay… To activate it… I need… uh… a little direct contact!” He paused dramatically, leaning toward her. “On the back!”

Hinata froze. Her cheeks, which had returned to a normal color, flared up again. “T-the back?”

“Yeah!” he exclaimed, not noticing her reaction. “Like, on the skin of the back! And I need a little of my blood to draw… well, to put a mark! I know it sounds crazy! Totally crazy! But it’s real! I swear on my love for ramen! I’m not a pervert, it’s just how the jutsu works!”

He took another step closer, his eyes full of desperate sincerity. “Imagine it, Hinata! I saw you training earlier. You want to be stronger, right? Well, with this, you’d be invincible! Your eyes are incredible, but your Taijutsu would be unstoppable! You’d be the strongest kunoichi! Stronger than Sakura-chan, stronger than anyone! And the first to try my super jutsu!”

He was looking at her with such pure expectation and absolute confidence that Hinata’s embarrassment began to fight against another feeling: the desire not to disappoint him. He, the boy she admired, the one who never gave up, wasn’t just asking for her help—he was offering her the chance to be his first ally. His first partner on his path to his dream. He was entrusting her with everything.

The battle in her mind lasted only a few seconds. The fear of the unknown against the loyalty she felt for him. The shyness ingrained by her clan against the admiration she secretly held for him. The voices of her father telling her she was weak against Naruto’s voice telling her she could be invincible.

Hinata lifted her head. Her face was intensely red, but her eyes, for the first time, didn’t waver. They held a firm resolve. She took a deep breath, one that seemed to carry away all her fears.

“Alright, Naruto-kun.”

Her voice was quiet, but firm. Without a stutter.

“I believe you.”

For a second, Naruto stood still, processing. He blinked, as if unsure he’d heard correctly. And then, his face lit up with a joy so explosive and radiant it seemed the sun itself had decided to come down to earth.

“YES! I KNEW IT! I KNEW I COULD COUNT ON YOU!” he yelled, and in a burst of pure happiness, he lunged forward and wrapped her in a strong, energetic hug, lifting her slightly off the ground. “YOU’RE THE BEST, HINATA, BELIEVE IT!”

Hinata went completely rigid in his arms. The world stopped. She could feel the warmth of his body, the smell of sun and fresh air on his clothes, and the beat of her own heart thundering in her ears like a war drum. She felt her brain short-circuit, as if steam might actually be coming out of her ears. She was so red she could have lit up the entire clearing on a moonless night.

Naruto let her go as abruptly as he had grabbed her, still grinning from ear to ear, oblivious to the mental collapse he had just caused. “We have to celebrate! This is the beginning of something big! I’ll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen! My treat!” He paused, thoughtful, as his pocket made an empty sound when he patted it. “Well, I’ll borrow the money from Iruka-sensei, but it’s the thought that counts! Right?”

Hinata, who was still trying to remember how to breathe, could only manage a small, incoherent squeak and a nod. Her mind was a whirlwind of panic, excitement, and a happiness so overwhelming it was scary. She had agreed to help Naruto-kun with a secret and slightly perverted jutsu, he had hugged her, and now he was asking her out to eat.

Their adventure, without a doubt, had just begun.