With That?
"Naruto-kun… do you like that kind of girl?"
Only heaven knows how much courage Hinata had to summon to say that. When she saw the beautiful princess on screen and learned what she had gone through with Naruto, the first thought that popped into her mind was…
They actually look perfect together.
Yeah, just like they were meant to be—a beautiful princess and a brave knight. Maybe for others, it was just a movie, a classic story with a classic ending, but for Koyuki Kazahana, it was much more than that.
That movie recorded something precious—a moment that helped her reclaim a part of her heart.
By now, the other moviegoers had all left, and only Naruto and Hinata remained in the dimly lit theater. As Hinata lifted her head, face flushed red in the faint light, she gathered her courage and asked that question…
And Naruto completely froze.
He was falling apart. If he could, he would have grabbed the moon, slammed it into Kurama, and gone down with him. Then, on the way to the afterlife, he'd stop by to file a complaint with the Sage of Six Paths and maybe even meet his legendary great-grandmother to ask her to avenge him.
Too bad that wasn't an option.
Naruto opened his mouth, about to explain, but before he could say a word, Hinata cut him off.
With an unusual firmness in her usually soft expression, she took a deep breath and said, "If that's what Naruto-kun likes… I can try to be more like that."
To be honest, Naruto was a little curious.
But no, he couldn't say that. Wait, no—he couldn't nod either.
He quickly shook his head. "Hinata, you're fine just the way you are! Don't try to be like Koyuki. You're different from her."
"Koyuki…?" Hinata lowered her gaze slightly. That name sounded way too close for comfort.
Naruto: "..."
Aaaahhhhh!!!
Kurama! I'm taking you down with me!
Kurama, watching the whole thing unfold, let out a smug chuckle. "Give it up. I can leave your body whenever I want now, so even if you die, I can just dip. My advice? Face reality and figure out how to calm Hinata down."
Hinata had a great personality, but she had her little quirks too. Right now, she was completely focused on Naruto, seeing everything from his perspective before her own.
Simply put, she wasn't against Naruto refusing to let her go find Koyuki Kazahana. If Naruto really liked Koyuki, she would just watch his back like she always had—nothing more.
But that was exactly why Naruto was so frustrated with Kurama. He didn't like Koyuki at all. In fact, ever since Hinata confessed to him last time, the only person in his heart was Hinata.
Maybe, just like he said, he still didn't fully understand Hinata's feelings for him. But he could try. He could chase after that feeling, figure it out, and when he finally felt the same way, he would tell her without hesitation.
Maybe that time hadn't come yet, but he could no longer forget the girl standing in front of him.
So…
Kurama, what the hell are you doing?! Weren't you the one who wanted to celebrate with us?! Is this how you act when you're trying to get invited?!
Naruto's face twisted in frustration because of Kurama, but there was nothing he could do. Right now, he had to calm Hinata down before she overthought things.
But… how was he supposed to do that?
For someone as straightforward as Naruto, occasional bursts of emotional intelligence weren't uncommon. But for him to be consistently good at this? He'd probably need a brain transplant.
Hinata looked at Naruto, seeing the way he seemed conflicted and a little helpless. For some reason, she felt guilty and instinctively lowered her head, just like she used to. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun… Did I make things difficult for you?"
Naruto froze, then quickly shook his head. "No, that's not it. I was just thinking about going down with Kurama… I mean, uh, having a serious talk with him."
Hinata kept her head down and didn't reply.
Seeing her like this, Naruto felt a pang of guilt. But this time, it wasn't the same as before. It wasn't just guilt—it was frustration at Kurama and Sasuke's jokes, which had clearly upset Hinata.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out how to apologize. But…
Watching this, Kurama's amused expression finally faded a little. He sighed. "Man, I give up. It was just a little joke. We just wanted to see how you'd comfort Hinata, but now even I don't know what to do."
If a joke goes too far, it stops being a joke.
"I…" Naruto was at a loss for words. In the end, all that was left was a bitter smile.
He wasn't actually mad at Kurama and Sasuke. These kinds of jokes were normal. The problem was… there was still a gap between him and Hinata where these jokes didn't quite fit. No, to be more precise, it was mostly on his side—he felt like their relationship wasn't quite at that level yet.
"Maybe it's because our joke made Hinata sad?" Kurama saw through it right away. "Honestly, this is such a mess. The thing is, all of us just assumed you two were already together. But in your own hearts… it's not like that, is it?"
"Is it because you haven't fully accepted Hinata? Or because Hinata hasn't fully accepted you? Probably a bit of both." Kurama shook his head as he lay down. "And have you noticed? Ever since you came back, Hinata's been acting a little different. Especially when she's around you—it's like she's trying to express something."
"Her strength and courage." Naruto instinctively finished Kurama's sentence. "It's like she really wants to show me how brave she is. If it were the old her, she wouldn't have said those things."
So… what exactly happened?
"Are you thinking?" Kurama turned to Naruto.
Naruto paused. "Of course, I'm thinking. I'm wondering why Hinata has changed…"
"Why are you overthinking it? Isn't your usual style to just ask directly?" Kurama raised an eyebrow. "Or have even you changed after coming back this time?"
Naruto froze.
His usual style… would he normally ask directly? Had he changed?
"No!" Naruto's gaze became firm as he looked at Kurama. "It's because the person in front of me is someone I care about. That's why I'm acting this way."
"Then that's it." Kurama shrugged. "You care about her. Whether or not you like her yet doesn't matter. That care makes you hesitate, and Hinata doesn't just like the hesitant you. The way you're acting now, and the way she's acting now, are the prices you both pay for trying to change for each other."
"Change is fine, but not when neither of you knows what's happening. That just leads to distance and unfamiliarity."
"You're over here learning how to think for Hinata, but you're not letting her see it. If you don't make it clear, who will?" Kurama sighed, shaking his head like some kind of love expert. "Being together is all about changing for each other. If you take that part away, then what's the point?"
Whoa… that was deep! Naruto stared at Kurama in shock.
Naruto swallowed. "Wait, Kurama, do you actually have experience with love?"
Kurama: "..."
Excuse me, I've been single for over twenty years on Earth plus thousands of years in the ninja world. But precisely because of that, I've become a love expert.
People who are actually in relationships don't analyze love. It's the ones who have never been in one that act like experts. (Just like this author.)
*Crying emoji*
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