The chaos that followed the team announcements was instantaneous and deafening. Shouts of joy mixed with groans of disappointment. Clans gathered, friends congratulated each other, and rivalries were reaffirmed with sharp glances across the classroom. In the midst of it all, the newly formed Team 7 was an island of silent dysfunction. Sasuke had stood up and left without a word, a magnet for envious and admiring glances. Sakura, for her part, had remained seated, paralyzed, her mind still a whirlwind where the euphoria of being with Sasuke fought against the memory of an unexpected compliment.

“Alright, let’s go!” Kiba’s voice boomed, pulling her from her trance. “Hinata, Shino, let’s go! Team 8 has to show them who’s boss from day one!”

Sakura watched Hinata stand up. She saw the small, determined smile on the Hyuga’s face as she followed her teammates. And her curiosity, that need to understand Naruto’s new behavior as well as Hinata’s strange behavior, was something she couldn’t ignore; not out of obsession, but simply out of curiosity

“Hinata, wait a moment.”

Her voice came out more authoritative than she intended. Hinata stopped and turned, surprised. Kiba and Shino paused a few feet away, waiting. Sakura got up and approached her, lowering her voice so only they could hear.

“You and Naruto,” she said, getting straight to the point. “Yesterday…. And this morning. What’s going on? I’ve never seen you… well, talk to him. Let alone smile like that.”

Hinata blushed instantly, her newfound confidence wavering under the intensity of Sakura’s gaze. She fiddled with her fingers, an old habit that returned in moments of stress.

“I-I… it’s not…”

“You’re always alone,” Sakura continued, her tone softening slightly at Hinata’s reaction. She didn’t want to intimidate her, just understand. “You avoid everyone. Especially loud boys like him. And suddenly, you two arrive at the Academy together like it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s… strange.”

Hinata took a deep breath, gathering the courage she had recently discovered. She looked at Sakura, and though her cheeks were still burning, her eyes were sincere.

“I saw him alone,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, but clear and without a stutter. “The day of graduation. After everyone had left. He was in the courtyard, and everyone else was with their families, celebrating. But he… he had no one. He looked so… lost.”

Sakura listened, and each of Hinata’s words was a pang in her conscience.

“So… I went over to him,” Hinata continued. “I just wanted to tell him he wasn’t alone. That I… that I was happy for him. And… and we became friends. That’s all.”

“That’s all.” The phrase was so simple, so pure in its kindness, that it struck Sakura deeply.

Suddenly, her mind was flooded with images she had always ignored: Naruto, eating alone on the swing; Naruto, being pointed at by the villagers; Naruto, desperately trying to get attention with pranks, only to be met with shouts and insults. She herself had yelled at him countless times, called him an idiot, despised him.

He has no one, she realized with a painful clarity. He’s completely alone.

The revelation was overwhelming. She realized that her own obsession with Sasuke, her rivalry with Ino, her entire world, had been incredibly selfish. While she was worrying about whether a boy noticed her hair, another boy her age had no one in the world to celebrate his greatest triumph. Guilt washed over her. She felt small. She felt… cruel.

“I see,” Sakura said finally, her voice strangely soft. She looked at Hinata in a new light, not as the weird girl, but as someone with a depth of kindness she didn’t possess. “That was… very kind of you, Hinata.”

Just then, the cause of their conversation appeared, making his way through the crowd.

“Hinata-chan! I was looking for you! Ready to go?”

Naruto stopped when he saw Sakura. His smile widened.

“Sakura-chan! You’re here too! Awesome! Team 7 is already showing its incredible synchronization!”

Sakura looked at him. She saw the genuine smile, the boundless energy. But now, behind all that, she also saw the lonely boy Hinata had seen. And her heart ached.

Instead of the usual “Shut up, you idiot!” the words that came out of her mouth surprised even herself.

“Naruto…” she began, her voice a little shaky. “About what you said this morning… about my hair…”

He blinked, his smile faltering, as if expecting a blow. “Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she said, the words coming out in a whisper. “Thanks for noticing.”

A thick silence settled between them. Hinata watched, her eyes wide. Naruto stood completely still, processing. It was the first time Sakura Haruno had sincerely thanked him for anything. And there was no sarcasm in her voice. It was… genuine.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck, a light blush creeping up his cheeks. He suddenly felt shy.

“Oh… well… it was nothing.”

“No,” she insisted, meeting his eyes. “It was something to me. Nobody… nobody notices things like that.”

“Well, they should!” Naruto said, his confidence returning in a wave. “You’re very pretty, Sakura-chan. I’ve always wanted to tell you that.”

Sakura gasped.

“B-but…” he continued, his voice getting a little faster with nerves, “I always thought you hated me. You know, you’re always yelling at me and hitting me. So I decided not to bother you. But today… I don’t know. I felt like you put in extra effort today, and it looked amazing. So much that… I couldn’t keep quiet. I’m sorry if it bothered you.”

She couldn’t speak. Her brain had short-circuited for the second time in less than an hour. He… he thought she was pretty? And he had decided not to tell her… so he wouldn’t bother her? The idea of Naruto being considerate, of him being afraid of her reactions, was so alien to her perception of him that it left her completely disoriented.

“I… I don’t hate you,” she managed to say, and she realized that, for the first time, she meant it.

Naruto’s smile became so radiant it almost hurt to look at.

“Awesome! Then we’re friends! Team 7 is going to be the best team in history! Sasuke-teme won’t know what hit him!”

His energy was back in full force. He turned to Hinata.

“Well, Hinata-chan, I guess I’ll see you later for our secret mission!”

Hinata nodded, a small, happy smile on her face.

“Y-yes, Naruto-kun.”

“Secret mission?” Sakura asked, her curiosity finally overcoming her shock.

“It’s a secret!” Naruto said with a wink. “But don’t worry, soon all of Team 7 will have their own secrets! Hey, do you guys think our new sensei will be super strong?! I bet he can breathe fire and make mountains explode!”

And just like that, the three of them began to walk out of the Academy together. Naruto was in the middle, gesturing and talking nonstop about the incredible feats their future sensei could surely perform. Hinata walked on one side, listening with a shy smile, adding a “w-wow…” or an “a-amazing…” from time to time. And Sakura, on the other side, found herself listening. And then, responding.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Naruto,” she said, but without her usual venom. Her tone was more analytical. “They wouldn’t assign an elite jōnin to a team of newly graduated genin. Unless the team had a special designation. It’s probably because of Sasuke-kun and his bloodline.”

“Nonsense! It’s because of me!” Naruto retorted. “The future Hokage needs the best teacher! It’s only logical!”

“Your logic is… interesting,” Sakura said, and she almost smiled.

They talked about their expectations, the other teams, what they would do on their first day of training. The conversation flowed. It was easy. It was… nice. Sakura found herself forgetting her obsession with Sasuke, forgetting her rivalry with Ino. For a moment, they were just three classmates, walking home.

It was so pleasant that she didn’t even notice they had passed her street. She didn’t realize they had kept walking, absorbed in conversation, until Naruto suddenly stopped.

“Well, here you are,” he said, pointing.

Sakura blinked and looked around. They were in front of her house. The white fence, the small garden her mother tended so carefully. They had arrived. Naruto and Hinata had walked her all the way to her door. And she hadn’t even noticed.

“Oh…” was all she could say. She looked at Naruto, then at Hinata. “Thanks… for walking me home.”

“No problem, teammate!” Naruto said with a thumbs-up. “See you tomorrow! Get ready to meet our awesome sensei!”

“Goodbye, Sakura-san,” Hinata said with a small bow.

Sakura watched them walk away together, their silhouettes framed against the afternoon sun. She stood at her door for a long moment, processing.

The conversation had felt… good. Strange, yes. But good.

****

Naruto and Hinata walked in silence until Sakura’s house was out of sight. Naruto’s exuberant energy had subsided, replaced by a nervous tension Hinata could feel. The moment they had both been anticipating and dreading had arrived.

“Well…” Naruto began, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I guess it’s time for the… you know. The mission.”

Hinata nodded, her heart beginning to pound.

“W-where… where are we meeting?”

Naruto looked around. The streets were starting to fill with people coming home from work. He saw a couple of Hyuga clan shinobi watching them from a distance. His eyes narrowed. Doing anything near the compound was out of the question. If they were seen, Hinata would be the one to face her father’s anger. A forest clearing was too risky, too. They could be seen by anyone.

Suddenly, a huge grin spread across Naruto’s face, replacing his concern.

“I’ve got it!” he said, his voice dropping to an excited whisper. “We can go to my place! My apartment!”

He looked at her, his eyes sparkling with the brilliance of his idea. “It’s the safest place in the whole village! Nobody ever comes over, so it’s totally private. We won’t have to worry about anyone seeing us or you getting in trouble. It’s perfect!” he added, puffing out his chest. “Come on, I can show you where the future Hokage lives!”

Hinata’s eyes widened. His apartment? The idea of seeing where Naruto-kun lived, his most personal space, sent a flutter of nervous excitement through her. He was worried about protecting her. The thought was so considerate it made her heart ache in a good way. The offer felt even more special than him trying to sneak into her room; it was an invitation.

“O-okay, Naruto-kun,” she agreed softly, the decision feeling right.

His grin somehow got even wider. Before she could get lost in her nervousness, he changed the subject, his gaze turning soft and curious.

“Hey, that girl from this morning… was that your little sister?”

Hinata nodded. “That’s Hanabi. She’s… the clan heir now.”

There was a sadness in her voice that Naruto noticed instantly.

“And your father?” he asked quietly. “He seems… intense.”

Hinata shrank a little, the memory of the previous night’s confrontation still fresh.

“He just… wants me to be strong. To be perfect. Like a true Hyuga. But I’m not like that. I’m not like Neji-niisan or Hanabi. I… I always hesitate.”

Naruto listened, and something in her description, in her frustration, clicked in his mind. It wasn’t just shyness. It was something deeper.

“You know,” he said, his voice thoughtful, “when I saw you training, you got frustrated with every kunai that didn’t hit the center. And this morning, when your sister spoke to you, you didn’t back down. You stood your ground.”

Hinata looked at him, surprised by his level of observation.

“Everyone thinks you’re shy, Hinata,” he continued, and his blue eyes looked at her with an understanding that took her breath away. “But I don’t think that’s it. I think you’re harder on yourself than anyone I’ve ever met. You fight the toughest battles inside your own head. Every day. You demand perfection from yourself, and you punish yourself for every little mistake that no one else even sees. That’s not weakness. That takes incredible determination.”

An expression of astonishment and relief transformed Hinata’s face. Tears welled up, but this time they weren’t of sadness or anger. They were of pure, overwhelming relief. Someone… someone saw it. Someone understood the silent war she waged within herself every single day.

“That’s why I trust you, Hinata,” he said, his voice full of absolute sincerity. “Because I know you’re a good person. And I know you fight harder than anyone, even when no one is watching. If you weren’t like that, then… you wouldn’t be Hinata.”

She wiped a tear away with the back of her hand. The doubt and fear about the ritual vanished, replaced by a firm resolve. This boy, this friend, understood her. And she would do anything for him.

“Okay,” she said, her voice firm and clear. “Let’s go to your apartment.”