"I still can't believe it."
Sakura's voice was barely a whisper in the quiet of the forest, so low it was almost lost in the sound of her footsteps on the dead leaves. She stopped for a second, raising her hands to look at them under the pale moonlight.
"Did I really do that?"
Naruto, who was walking a couple of steps ahead, turned around with a smile. Though his eyes showed exhaustion, he was almost completely overcome with euphoria.
"Of course you did, Sakura-chan! You pulverized it!" He made an explosive gesture with his hands, nearly tripping over a root in the process.
Hinata rushed to grab his arm to steady him. "Be careful, Naruto-kun. You used up a lot of energy."
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, though he leaned on her for a moment. "It was worth it, wasn't it? Did you see her face? It was like she'd seen a ghost!"
Sakura let out an incredulous laugh. "I know. I felt the chakra flowing, but I never imagined… it would be so amazing."
"We're almost there," Kurenai pointed out from the rear, her tone calm but with a hint of warning. "Keep your voices down. We don't know if there are ears listening in the forest."
The group immediately fell silent, the reality of their situation settling in again. The excitement of the moment had almost made them forget they were in enemy territory, protecting a man with a price on his head.
"I'm sorry, Kurenai-sensei," Sakura murmured, looking at her hands again, but this time with a more serious expression.
Naruto nodded, his smile replaced by a focused grimace. "She's right. We have to stay alert."
They walked the last few meters in a tense silence, very different from the awed silence from before. This was now the silence of ninja on a mission. The warm lights of Tazuna's house appeared like a beacon of safety through the trees, and a collective sigh of relief escaped their lips without them even realizing it.
But the feeling of safety evaporated the moment they reached the porch.
The door swung open before they could knock. Kakashi stood in the doorway, blocking the entrance. His single visible eye lacked its usual lazy air; instead, it held a piercing sharpness that seemed to analyze everything. Behind him, barely visible in the dim light, Sasuke waited with his arms crossed.
"Well, well. It's about time," Kakashi said. His tone was light, almost carefree, but his gaze was anything but. It slid over Hinata and Kurenai, lingered on Naruto for an extra second, and finally settled on Sakura. "You're all covered in dirt and leaves. And if I'm not mistaken, Naruto looks like he rolled through the mud. A little night hike?"
Naruto opened his mouth, ready to blurt out the first excuse he could think of—something about a giant boar or secret survival training—but Kurenai stepped forward.
"It was specialized training, Kakashi."
Kakashi's visible eyebrow arched. "Specialized? At this hour? Most training sessions usually wait for the sun to come up. It's easier to see where you're stepping."
"I discovered a particular affinity in Sakura," Kurenai continued, unfazed. "A very precise and potent chakra control that required specific conditions to be tested. The night offered the necessary quiet, without distractions."
"I see," Kakashi said, though his expression said he didn't see anything clearly at all. "A training exercise so specialized it required the presence of your team and half of mine? I wasn't aware we were conducting joint maneuvers without prior notice."
Sasuke stepped forward, emerging from the shadows. His gaze locked onto Naruto. "You left your watch post. It was your turn for the first watch."
"Hey, it was important!" Naruto retorted defensively.
"Hinata's ability was necessary to locate a spot with the right density of rock and soil," Kurenai interjected again, her firm voice cutting through the tension. "Her Byakugan saved us hours of searching. And Naruto…," she paused, looking at her student in a way Kakashi couldn't quite interpret, "Naruto has chakra reserves you're already familiar with. He served as an external source so Sakura could feel and mold a flow of energy much larger than her own. It was a team exercise to test a new application."
The explanation was solid. Flawless, even. It covered all the bases and utilized the known skills of each of the genin. But something didn't sit right with Kakashi. The way they looked at each other, the vibrant euphoria under Sakura's fatigue, the new confidence in Naruto's posture… Something big had happened.
He stared at Kurenai for a long moment. A silent duel between two jōnin, an exchange of trust and suspicion. Kakashi knew Kurenai. She was methodical, brilliant, and fiercely protective of her students. She wouldn't do anything reckless. But she was also just as good at hiding things as he was. Finally, he let out a long, theatrical sigh, scratching the back of his neck.
"Well, as long as nobody lost an arm, I suppose it's fine. Come on in. Make sure you get some rest. We're going to need all of you at one hundred percent tomorrow." He stepped aside, letting them pass.
Kurenai's team started to enter, but Sasuke didn't move. He blocked Sakura's path, his dark gaze demanding answers.
"What kind of training?" he asked, his voice low and tense. "What exactly did you do?"
Sakura tensed under his scrutiny. Any other time, she would have been intimidated, anxious to please him. But tonight was different.
"Just… chakra control, Sasuke-kun," she answered, her voice firmer than she expected. "Kurenai-sensei is right. It was an exercise in precision."
"Precision," Sasuke repeated, the word sounding like an insult on his lips. "The 'Dobe' and precision? Don't make me laugh." His gaze shifted to Naruto. He felt left out, surpassed, and he didn't understand why.
"Sasuke, that's enough," Kakashi said from inside. "Let them rest."
Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Hmph." He turned sharply and disappeared down the hall.
Once inside with the door closed, the tension eased. Tsunami greeted them with a warm smile, offering them a bowl of hot soup that smelled delicious. "Welcome back. You look exhausted. Please, sit down."
The smell of food suddenly hit Naruto, and with it, a wave of exhaustion so overwhelming that he staggered. The adrenaline that had kept him on his feet dissipated like smoke, leaving an emptiness that made his muscles ache.
"Food!" he exclaimed, trying to maintain his usual energy.
As the others headed to the small dining table, Sakura stopped him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. She waited until Hinata and Kurenai were a few steps away before speaking in a whisper.
"Hey… Naruto."
He turned to look at her.
"I just… really," she stammered a bit, searching for the words. "Thank you."
Naruto blinked, a little bewildered. "You don't have to thank me, Sakura-chan. We're a team, remember? This is what we do! We have each other's backs!"
"No," she insisted, shaking her head with a small smile. "This was different. It wasn't about having my back. You… you saw something in me that even I didn't know was there." Her voice broke a little at the end. "No one's ever done that before. Thank you."
Before he could respond, she gave him one last small but genuine smile and went to sit at the table. Naruto stood in the middle of the room, the warmth from that simple conversation spreading through his chest. It was a better feeling than any bowl of ramen.
"Naruto? Aren't you hungry?" Tsunami asked.
His head was spinning. The exhaustion and emotions of the night were a heavy cocktail. "I… uh… need some air," he muttered. Instead of joining the others, he headed for the back door that led to a small wooden porch.
The night air was cool, carrying the salty smell of the nearby sea and the scent of pine trees. He leaned on the railing and took a deep breath, trying to quiet the buzzing in his head. His body was begging him to lie down and sleep, but his mind was racing a mile a minute. He had to know. He had to see it with his own eyes.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. As he did, he saw the familiar blue light.
[FALNA SYSTEM ACTIVATED] [CHECKING HOST STATUS…] [HOST: NARUTO UZUMAKI] [CURRENT BELIEVERS: 3 (Hinata Hyuga, Kurenai Yuhi, Sakura Haruno)] [THE FAMILY'S FAITH ACCELERATES THE HOST'S GROWTH. CONVERTING SHARED VITAL EXCELIA INTO BASIC ATTRIBUTES…] [UPDATE COMPLETE!]
The virtual screen flickered, displaying his own stats. Naruto held his breath.
NARUTO UZUMAKI LEVEL: 1 STRENGTH: H-105 -> G-215 (+110) ENDURANCE: H-120 -> G-250 (+130) DEXTERITY: I-75 -> H-160 (+85) AGILITY: I-81 -> H-175 (+94) CHAKRA POTENTIAL: I-10 -> H-100 (+90)
An incredulous laugh, almost a gasp, escaped him. It was real. The surge of power he felt coursing through his veins wasn't an illusion. He was stronger, more resilient, faster. His control over his own energy, something that had always been chaos, was now more stable.
And then, a new message appeared, the one he had been waiting for.
[REQUIREMENT FULFILLED: MULTIPLE BELIEVERS CONNECTED] [DEVELOPMENT ABILITY UNLOCKED] [LEADER'S BOND (Rank I)] TYPE: PASSIVE/ACTIVE ABILITY DESCRIPTION: Allows the host to sense the general status (chakra levels, fatigue, and strong emotions like fear or determination) of the active members of his "Family." As the ability ranks up, the perception becomes clearer and more detailed, allowing for superior tactical coordination. Requires concentration to activate.
He closed his eyes again, ignored the screen, and focused on this new ability. He reached out with his mind, searching for the three connections he knew now existed.
He felt them instantly: three distinct and clear presences inside the house.
They were there. Connected to him.
"Naruto-kun?"
Hinata's soft voice pulled him from his concentration. He turned and saw her standing by the door, holding a glass of water. The light from the house silhouetted her form.
"When you got up from the table, you looked a little pale," she said, approaching with her usual timid steps. "I thought… well, that maybe you needed this."
She offered him the glass. Their fingers brushed as he took it, a fleeting contact that sent a strange current up his arm. He drank the water in one gulp, the cool liquid soothing his dry throat.
"Thanks, Hinata. You're the best," he said with a genuine smile.
The usual blush bloomed on Hinata's cheeks, but this time she didn't completely look away. "You did a lot for us tonight. Sakura-san… she's very happy. I've never seen her like this."
"She was amazing! I always knew she was strong!" Naruto said, leaning on the railing again.
"Yes," Hinata agreed, her lavender eyes shining with sincerity. "Her spirit has always been strong."
Naruto looked at her, really looked at her. Hinata always saw things in others that no one else noticed. She saw the kindness, the hidden strength, the potential. She had always seen it in him, even when he was the class clown.
"Hey, you've got something…" he began, tilting his head.
Hinata stiffened instantly, bringing her hands to her face. "W-what? Is my face dirty?"
"No, no," he laughed. "It's in your hair. Right there." He pointed to a small maple leaf that had gotten tangled in her dark blue locks.
She tried to get it out, but her trembling hands couldn't find the spot. "Oh, dear, I-I… I can't find it."
"Hold on, stay still," Naruto said with a naturalness that surprised him.
He moved closer to her and, very carefully, raised his hand. His fingers brushed against the incredible softness of her hair as he removed the leaf. For a second, the world seemed to stop. They were very close, and the gentle, floral scent of her shampoo filled the air.
"Got it," he said softly, showing her the leaf before letting the wind carry it away.
"T-thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered, her face bright red. Without another word, she gave a quick bow and practically fled back inside the house.
Naruto was left alone, a little confused but with a goofy smile on his face.
"It seems you have a very particular effect on my student."
Kurenai's voice made him jump. She was in the other corner of the porch, wrapped in shadows. He hadn't heard her approach at all.
"Kurenai-sensei! You nearly scared me to death!"
"A shinobi shouldn't be startled so easily," she replied, though a hint of a smile played on her lips. She walked over and leaned on the railing beside him, looking out into the darkness of the forest. "But you're right, I should have announced my presence. I didn't come to give you lessons in stealth."
A comfortable silence settled between them, filled only by the chirping of crickets.
"What you did tonight, Naruto," she finally said, her voice losing all trace of amusement and turning serious, "changed much more than just Sakura's strength. You've introduced a variable into this mission that our enemies can't anticipate. That power you use… it's not a jutsu you can learn from a scroll, is it?"
Naruto swallowed hard. "I… I just want to protect my friends. To give them a chance."
"I know," Kurenai responded instantly. "Sakura had to trust you blindly, and I had to trust both of your judgments. That seems to be the real key to all of this."
She turned to face him directly. In the moonlight, her red eyes seemed to glow with an almost hypnotic intensity. "When I offered to let you test it on me, it wasn't just to make sure Sakura was safe. It was a test for you."
Naruto looked at her, not understanding. "A test?"
"I wanted to see what was behind that power," she explained. "A power capable of granting strength to others is incredibly dangerous."
"I couldn't see anything wrong," she continued, and the small smile returned. "I saw a boy terrified of the possibility of causing harm, but even more terrified at the thought of doing nothing to help. I saw someone willing to carry a secret, just to give his friends the tools to survive." She paused, her gaze deepening. "In that moment, while I watched Sakura's chakra, I didn't see a loud-mouthed genin. I saw a leader."
The praise, so direct, so unexpected, and coming from an elite jōnin like her, hit him harder than any punch. He was speechless.
"That quality…," Kurenai went on, turning her gaze back to the dark outline of the trees, "to inspire such absolute trust that people place their potential in your hands… is extremely rare. It often leads to a life full of tragedy and sacrifice. But it is also the quality that forges a loyalty capable of moving mountains." Her eyes met his one last time. "It's the quality of a true Hokage."
She straightened up; her assessment was over. "Get some rest, Naruto. Tomorrow will be a long day, and you'll need it."
With a final nod of respect, Kurenai turned and went back into the house, leaving him alone with the echo of her words resonating in his mind.
Before heading to his futon, he stopped in the hallway and closed his eyes. He used his Leader's Bond one last time.
He felt the calm presences of the three kunoichi, already lost in sleep. Sakura's sparkling euphoria had subsided, becoming a warm, satisfied ember. Hinata's worry had dissolved into a serene, confident calm. And Kurenai's analytical mind had quieted into a deep, watchful stillness, even in her dreams.
A genuine smile formed on Naruto's face. A calm had settled, but it was the calm that always precedes the storm.
And he, for the first time in his life, felt ready to face it.