Naruto had been away training for two years. By the time he returned, he was already a sixteen-year-old young man.
Wearing a brand-new tracksuit, he stood atop an electric pole, gazing down at Konoha.
He shouted loudly:
"Konoha, I'm back!!!!"
"Hm? Back already?"
Kiyosuke, who had been preparing to train with Hinata and the others, looked up.
"Naruto's back. Let's stop here for the morning. We've got a mission in the afternoon."
"Oh? Naruto's back? Let's go, Akamaru!"
"Woof!"
Kiba hopped onto Akamaru and sped off.
"Seeing an old friend isn't a bad idea," Shino said as he followed.
Hinata, however, remained frozen in place. Her face turned crimson before she even saw Naruto, lost in her own thoughts.
"Hinata, aren't you going to see Naruto? Haven't you been waiting for this day?" Kiyosuke teased.
"Ah, um… Kiyosuke-sensei, I-I-I…"
Hinata had grown in some ways, but in front of Naruto, she was still the same—easily flustered and shy. Childhood friends who had grown up together… and yet she still couldn't act naturally around him.
Kiyosuke sighed and said warmly:
"This won't do, Hinata. If you keep this up, someone might snatch Naruto away from you."
With Naruto's clueless personality, it was nearly impossible for him to notice Hinata's feelings. And with her freezing up every time she saw him… yes, the road ahead was long.
Looks like I'll have to give her a hand.
"S-Snatched away?"
The thought of attending Naruto's wedding one day, only to see another girl standing beside him as the bride, made Hinata's eyes sting with tears.
"Yeah. Back when I was drinking with Jiraiya-sama, he mentioned that he'd already arranged a fiancée for Naruto. Of course, Naruto doesn't know. She's a kunoichi from Nadeshiko Village. Apparently, she'll fight Naruto, and if he loses, he'll have to marry into her village."
"M-Marry into her village?!"
That was too much information at once, and Hinata's head spun.
"Right. That village is filled with kunoichi. They have a rule—husbands must be strong, and to prove it, their women defeat strong men and bring them into the village. When Jiraiya-sama went there to gather material for his books, he ended up fighting that girl's teacher. Since their battle ended without a winner, they made a pact: their students would fight in their place, and if the student lost, he'd have to marry into Nadeshiko Village. If I've got the timing right, that should be happening within the next year or two."
Kiyosuke rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
This was indeed something Jiraiya had drunkenly rambled about, and the timing lined up perfectly.
He encouraged Hinata:
"Do your best, Hinata. I'm rooting for you. Remember—Naruto's father, Minato, once captivated countless women in Konoha with his looks. His charm nearly rivaled mine! Of course, he only ever loved Naruto's mother, but it didn't stop women from swooning over him. Naruto takes after him."
If Naruto weren't so dense, he'd probably have kids running around half the shinobi world by now.
Truth be told, his luck with women wasn't any worse than Minato's.
"I-I… but…" Hinata's face was red to the ears, flustered beyond words.
Kiyosuke spoke gently:
"Don't be afraid, Hinata. You're very important to Naruto, but right now he still sees you as just a friend. What you need to do is make him realize you're different from Sakura, Ino, or the others."
"B-But how do I do that?"
Hinata looked at him like a devout believer gazing upon a god.
That gaze was radiant.
As expected of the future crown princess.
Kiyosuke had been rooting for this pair since they were kids. With a cough, he declared:
"Just take things naturally for now. Don't worry—I'll help you. I'm your strongest support!"
"Yes, Kiyosuke-sensei!"
Fired up with determination, Hinata wanted to go find Naruto immediately… only to freeze up, unsure how to greet him.
"Come with me," Kiyosuke said. "Watching you like this is pretty entertaining. Things are only going to get more interesting from here."
"Yes!"
She followed Kiyosuke, and before long they spotted Naruto with Jiraiya. Neji and the others had already gathered around, welcoming Naruto back.
"Kiyosuke-san!"
The moment Naruto saw him, he rushed forward to greet him.
From the sidelines, Jiraiya noticed Hinata hiding behind Kiyosuke. Stroking his chin, he muttered:
"Hm… that girl seems to like Naruto. The Hyūga clan's heiress, huh? Not bad."
"You've grown taller," Kiyosuke said with a smile. Ruffling Naruto's hair, he added, "Naruto, don't even think about shaving your head."
"Huh? I was planning to get a buzz cut."
Kiyosuke's hand pressed down more firmly, his smile never wavering.
"No buzz cuts. They're ugly. If you shave your head, you can move out. The Asakawa family has always worn long hair, generation after generation!"
"Last time you said the Asakawa family has always been devoted to boxers over briefs!"
"And what's your point? The daimyō's family has always been loyal to briefs."
"Why do you even know that, Kiyosuke-san?!"
"Asuma told me. Anyway, no buzz cut."
"Fine, fine! No buzz cut!"
Once Naruto's hairstyle was settled, Kiyosuke nodded.
"Good. Now that you're back, why don't you say hello to Hinata?"
"Yo, Hinata! Long time no see—you've gotten prettier!"
Huh?
Huh?!
Kiyosuke and Jiraiya both noticed the strangeness at once.
This kid actually said something like that?!
They exchanged glances. Jiraiya shook his head quickly, signaling that he hadn't taught Naruto this.
"T-Thank you! N-Naruto-kun, you too…"
Hinata's face was as red as a tomato. She ducked her head so far down it nearly disappeared into her chest, hiding behind Kiyosuke as her voice dwindled into whispers. Sakura, Ino, and the other girls nearby all shook their heads.
Come on, Hinata!
Yeah, you can do it, Hinata-sama!
Even Neji, the "brother-in-law," silently cheered her on.
Looks like I'll have to step in.
Kiyosuke coughed lightly.
"Hinata said, 'You're really handsome too, Naruto! Welcome home!'"
"Oh, I'm back!" Naruto blurted automatically.
Behind them, Sakura and Ino squealed softly, while Hinata fainted on the spot, falling into Naruto's arms.
"What's wrong with her?" Naruto asked, alarmed.
"Too shy," Kiyosuke replied with a cough and a grin. "After all, 'Welcome home' is something a wife usually says to her husband. And you just agreed."
"Ah—wha—me?!"
Naruto flailed in a panic, completely lost.
Kiyosuke really was something else.
Jiraiya stroked his chin, glaring at Naruto with frustration.
Kiyosuke practically drove the car to the starting line for you, and you don't even know how to drive?!
You're the worst student I've ever had!
All those volumes of Icha Icha Paradise wasted!
That was a lifetime's worth of my romantic wisdom!
This kid still had a long road ahead.
"Unbelievable… Minato, is this really your son? When it comes to handling girls, he's nothing like you!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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