Inside Ichiraku Ramen's Shop.
While waiting for their ramen to be prepared, Naruto struck up a conversation with Hinata.
"So your team's survival test finished just now?!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise when he heard Hinata.
"Mhmm..." Hinata continued after a nod, "Kurenai Sensei's genjutsu was very difficult to break free from. It's only after struggling with it for several hours that we were able to break free from it."
"Damn...so everyone's tests were difficult," Naruto muttered while feeling glad that he wasn't assigned Kurenai Sensei instead.
"W-What about you? Why were you out so late?" Hinata gathered her courage and asked Naruto a similar question.
"Me?" Naruto asked while pointing his thumb towards himself, "My test finished by afternoon, so after that I've been training by myself in the woods."
"You work so hard," Hinata couldn't help but praise Naruto when she heard him. Unlike him, she is all exhausted now after the survival test, and the last thing she wants to do is train.
"Hehe.." Hearing this, Naruto couldn't help but rub his nose with his finger in embarrassment.
"Alright, younglings! Here are your orders! Eat until you're full and shamelessly ask if you want seconds as it's on the house today," Teuchi said while placing their bowls filled with mouth-watering ramen in front of them.
"Wow! What's the occasion today, old man? Why the sudden generosity?" Naruto couldn't help but ask as a trace of excitement welled up inside him.
'Who knew my luck would be so good? I'm running low on my month's income, so this news is like a cold breeze for me,' Naruto thought in excitement while looking towards Teuchi with an inquisitive expression.
"Occasion? You still have to ask? It's the first time in all the years that you've brought someone of your age here with you, and it's even a pretty girl. Seeing the blossoming of young relationships, how can I not be happy?" Teuchi shamelessly laughed, saying that much to Hinata's and Naruto's embarrassment.
"Hey, old man! It's nothing like what you're thinking!" Naruto tried to justify himself, but it was of no use.
"Is that so?" Teuchi asked while taking a look at Hinata's expression and continued, "Anyways, since I'm in a good mood today, it's on the house."
Facing several customers all these years, how could he not become an expert on reading their expressions? Turning around to wash some dishes, a satisfied smirk formed on his face.
"Let's eat before it gets cold!" Naruto immediately picked up the chopsticks and tried to change the atmosphere.
"Y-yes," Seeing this, Hinata too picked up her chopsticks, and the two busied themselves with their ramen in an attempt to get over their embarrassment.
'Naruto also blushed at the suggestion, didn't he...does that mean...' A variety of questions were popping up in Hinata's mind as her expression turned redder and redder after each second.
'Gosh! I shouldn't have said that so bluntly...she must not have liked it right...' Naruto was meanwhile busy with his own set of regrets, while of course not forgetting to keep slurping up the noodles.
...
"I'm full!" Naruto patted his stomach in a satisfied manner as he gulped down the remaining soup in one go. With a satiated stomach, his worries were also gone.
"So how was it? Did you like it as well?" Naruto asked Hinata with excitement. This was really his first time at the shop with someone of his age group, so he was curious about her response.
"Yes...It was indeed delicious." Hinata muttered with a subtle smile on her face.
"Alright, old man! Thanks for the food!" Naruto thanked Teuchi, who was busy with his dishes.
"T-Thank you," Hinata too bowed towards him.
"You're welcome," Teuchi nodded towards Hinata and said while looking toward Naruto, " It's a little late, so don't forget to drop her off at her house, you understand?
"Sure will, old man!" Naruto said without much thought, but his words made Hinata's heart beat faster.
"Let's go then," Naruto gestured the next moment, and the two soon left the shop.
Under the bright rays of the moonlight, the two were now walking beside each other.
"Now that I realise I don't know a lot about you, Hinata...how do you spend your normal days? For me, it has just been attending the classes, playing pranks a little here and there and training," Naruto asked suddenly as he felt uncomfortable because of the silence.
"Uhm...I just go home after classes, revise concepts, and work on my ninja training," Hinata told Naruto after a thought.
"Oh? That sounds tough. You always gave me that disciplines vibes, so I wasn't wrong, ahaha," Naruto chuckled hesitatingly while thinking of other topics to talk on.
'Come on...think of something to talk with her...you do need to make up for that last slip of tongue, don't you...' Naruto repeated to himself as his mind worked on a much faster pace than normal.
Hearing Naruto's response, Hinata said after a little hesitation.
"...well, just being disciplined isn't enough...as my improvement has been very little despite all my efforts. It's on that note that I truly admire you, Naruto...you kept on trying despite setbacks and you actually improved...unlike me,"
'This' Naruto wasn't expecting Hinata to say something personal at this moment and was a bit taken aback, but he recovered the very next moment and said, "What are you talking about, Hinata? Hard work and perseverance always pay! Look here!" he pointed towards his headband, "if not for that, I wouldn't be wearing this headband today. It's the same for you, so cheer up, alright!"
"...You're right," Hinata answered, though her tone suggested otherwise. She's been giving her everything all this time, but with no progress. It was obvious that just mere words wouldn't be of much help to her.
Sensing her tone, Naruto could tell that she wasn't really cheered up.
'Let's do that then!' he thought to himself and asked her the next moment, "How about we train together in the evening starting tomorrow? I mean, won't our progress rate increase by a lot if we do that?"
Hinata's eyes widened at this unexpected question.
'Training with Naruto?' Not even in her wildest imagination had she expected something like this to happen, and she couldn't help but freeze momentarily.
It was only after Naruto had waved his hand in front of her eyes a few times that she woke up to hear him saying, "If you don't want to, it's alright...I was just suggesting,"
"No, let's do it...let's train together," Hinata said the next moment. Something within her told her that she would greatly benefit from this decision.
"Great then!" Naruto gladly exclaimed as he discussed a few other things related to the training they would be doing before finally dropping her off outside her home.