The rising sun bathed Konoha in a soft golden glow, as if the entire village itself was slowly waking up from a dream. The Moonlight Festival had left a trail of empty sake bottles, half-eaten dumplings, discarded masks, and an air of subtle tension hanging in the air—particularly for three Academy students whose worlds had quietly shifted under the starlight.
Renji's House – Early Morning
Renji awoke with a jolt, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes.
"Did that really happen?" he murmured, hand instinctively touching his lips.
It had happened.
He'd kissed Hinata. Or rather—Hinata had kissed him.
And he remembered every second of it: the warmth of her breath, the way her eyes trembled right before she leaned in, and how the world had gone utterly silent in that moment. Even the fireworks had faded into the background.
And then there was Naruto—blinking between confusion and the sting of rejection—who'd seen the whole thing.
Renji groaned and pulled a pillow over his face.
"Just kill me now…"
Hyuga Compound – Hinata's Room
Hinata buried her face in her futon, her body a delicate shade of lavender-pink.
"I—I kissed him… I kissed Renji-kun…"
She squeaked at the memory, heart racing.
Neji, just outside the room and sipping tea, raised an eyebrow as he heard another muffled scream from within.
He exhaled. "Teenagers."
Training Grounds – Later That Morning
Iruka-sensei looked over the tired faces of his students with barely concealed amusement. Even he had gone to the Moonlight Festival, and he'd seen the drama unfold from afar. Konoha gossip worked faster than ninja courier birds.
"So," he said, smiling faintly, "today's lesson is chakra control—tree climbing."
The class erupted in groans. Tree climbing was notoriously difficult and usually involved falling on your face multiple times.
But Renji barely heard him. His eyes kept darting sideways toward Naruto, who was standing stiffly with his arms crossed.
Hinata stood on the other side of the field, fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of her jacket.
Iruka continued. "You'll partner up. Help each other, compete if you want—but no chakra suppression scrolls this time."
Naruto loudly declared, "I'll work alone, thanks."
"Oof," Kiba muttered, nudging Renji. "Somebody's salty."
Renji sighed. "This is gonna be a long day."
Tree Climbing Training – Emotional Landmines
The exercise went exactly as expected: lots of falling, bruised foreheads, and egos even more battered than limbs. But amidst it all, tensions between the trio reached a boiling point.
Naruto stormed past Renji as he failed to climb more than five feet.
"Maybe if I had a girl kiss me, I'd get special chakra too," he muttered.
Renji narrowed his eyes. "Naruto, it wasn't like that—"
"Whatever, Renji. I thought we were friends."
Hinata, catching the tone, froze mid-step. Her feet slipped and she tumbled down her tree, landing with an unceremonious thump.
Renji rushed to help her, but she waved him off, eyes wide with emotion.
"I—I'm fine…"
Hokage Tower – A Brewing Storm
Meanwhile, in the shadowed office of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi gazed at a mission scroll with grave eyes.
"Kiri has been unusually quiet," he murmured. "Too quiet."
Kakashi stepped from the shadows. "And there are whispers that Zabuza Momochi is no longer loyal to the Mist."
Sarutobi nodded. "It may be time to test the new genin teams sooner than expected."
Evening – Apologies and Silences
Back at Renji's apartment, Naruto knocked.
Hard.
Renji opened the door, half-expecting a fist to the face.
Instead, Naruto shoved a bowl of ramen into his chest. "Truce," he muttered. "I was a jerk."
Renji blinked. "…You cooked?"
Naruto scowled. "No, Ichiraku."
Renji smiled. "Accepted."
Then there was a quiet knock. Hinata stood behind Naruto, clutching a small bento box.
"I—I made this for both of you…"
The three sat together, on Renji's porch, under the rising moon—awkward but healing.
Elsewhere – In the Shadows
Two figures in cloaks watched from the forests beyond Konoha's walls.
"She's here," one said. "The Jinchūriki girl."
"No," the taller one corrected. "They are here. All three… the legacy of the Leaf."
A silver mask caught the moonlight.
"It begins soon."