"Naruto!!?"
"You asshole! How dare you hit me! And you hit me so hard! I will never forgive you!"
Naruto was also stunned. "Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that… I just didn't expect you to suddenly rush between me and Sasuke, and I couldn't stop myself in time, so…"
In his confused little head, he had no idea what had just happened to him. But he had actually hit Sakura, the girl he had always liked, just like that. No matter what, it was his own fault.
Facing Sakura Haruno, who had barely stood up and was fuming with rage, Naruto could only laugh dryly and back away repeatedly, shaking his hands as he tried to explain. "Sakura-chan, I… I really didn't mean it…"
Haruno Sakura was already furious. She clenched her fists together, making crackling sounds. Her face was distorted and ferocious, and she was approaching Naruto step by step like a mad beast. "You asshole, I'm going to kill you!"
Panicking, Naruto stumbled backward and fell onto the grass, begging for mercy. "No, no, Sakura-chan!"
Haruno Sakura was so furious that her eyes turned red. She was about to kick Naruto, who had fallen to the ground! It looked like the kick was about to land hard on Naruto's stomach.
Suddenly…
*Pop.*
A soft sound. A figure suddenly appeared between Naruto and Sakura. She clapped her hands together lightly to block Sakura's kick, and then exerted a little force to push Sakura back!
What surprised everyone was that the figure who stood guard in front of Naruto and stopped Sakura was actually… Hyuga Hinata. She had always been introverted, shy, low-key, and timid, but she had suddenly taken action in public! This was totally not her style! What's more, she had saved Naruto and, in doing so, had become an enemy of Sakura.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Hina-Hinata?"
Sakura also looked at her in disbelief. "Hinata? You… what are you doing?!"
Hinata's small body was trembling slightly, showing her panic and hesitation. However, her body moved involuntarily. She took a stance, guarding Naruto, and was not willing to be outdone by Sakura.
"Naruto-kun, he… he didn't hit you on purpose. You suddenly rushed out, and he didn't have time to stop. And… and he has already apologized. You shouldn't be so aggressive with him…"
Not only Haruno Sakura but everyone was stunned. Was the person speaking really that Hinata? When had she ever had such courage? Could it be, for Naruto…
Naruto was even more shocked. This was the first time someone was willing to stand up for him, not to mention that it was the shy and introverted little Hinata, who never dared to even show her face!
"Hina… Hinata, you don't have to protect me…" Naruto felt deeply shocked. For a moment, the past time and images turned into countless fragments that kept swirling in his mind. The shyness he felt every time he greeted her. The trembling after he had accidentally held her hands. The kindness of her offering to help him with his studies. The warmth of eating ramen together. Besides… now, that little figure who had broken through her own limits and was bravely guarding him…
Naruto was confused, but he finally realized how good Hinata was to him.
Uchiha Sasuke snorted. "Boring." But he did not walk away. He continued to watch the scene indifferently.
Haruno Sakura was shocked and angry. Although she found Hinata's behavior difficult to understand, the anger in her heart did not subside. "Hinata, get out of the way! No matter what you say, Naruto hit me. I will punish him!"
Hinata shook her head timidly but firmly. "No… no…that's not fair.. you do it all the time"
Haruno Sakura's face flushed red. "What… what did you say?!"
Hinata clenched her fists. "If… if you say so, Sakura… you've hit Naruto-kun countless times for no reason… but Naruto never hits you back"
Haruno Sakura was stunned when she heard this and was speechless. Although the majority of people around still disliked Naruto, after hearing Hinata's words and thinking of Haruno Sakura's usual attitude towards Naruto, they all nodded silently.
Naruto's heart was pounding. *'Hinata… Have you always been…'*
Hinata's words made everyone secretly agree and left them with nothing to say. Although under the subtle influence of the adults, these children had silently chosen to stay away from Naruto and treat him coldly, no one would beat and kick Naruto as often as Haruno Sakura did. Even though everyone could see that Naruto loved Sakura and chose to endure it silently, it didn't mean that he deserved to be treated like this. Thinking of this, Naruto's punch just now seemed to be reasonable. It had been unintentional in the first place, and it was Sakura who had rushed forward on her own, not to mention that Naruto had already apologized. This was much better than her usual attitude towards Naruto.
Haruno Sakura was even more dumbfounded, standing there in a daze. She could sense the looks in everyone's eyes and clearly felt their approval of Hinata and Naruto, as well as their resentment towards her own daily actions. At this moment, Haruno Sakura experienced the feeling of being isolated for the very first time.
But at least she still had an ally. Her best partner, best friend, her bestie: Yamanaka Ino.
Haruno Sakura looked in the direction of Ino and asked her, who was also a little dazed, "Ino, tell her Naruto deserves to be hit, right?"
Yamanaka Ino's face changed, and she didn't know how to answer. "I…"
Something seemed to break in Haruno Sakura's heart. "Ino, could it be that even you…"
"Sakura, I… I don't know… But what Hinata said is true. You often beat and kick Naruto. Compared to that this is nothing…"
Haruno Sakura's face turned pale in an instant, and she staggered back two steps, two lines of tears sliding down her cheeks. "Ino, even you won't stand on my side…"
"Sakura, I… I'm just telling the truth…"
"Shut up!" Haruno Sakura roared angrily, unable to vent her grievances, and ran away crying. "Get out of the way!" she shouted at the crowd, and they silently made way for her. Soon, she disappeared into the distance.
"Sakura…" Ino was stunned for a moment but couldn't help but chase after her. "Wait for me! Listen… listen to me…"
…
Hinata finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Sakura leave. It had taken all her courage and strength to stand up and protect Naruto. If she had really had to fight with Sakura, she would have been extremely reluctant.
"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" Hinata lowered her stance, turned around, and asked with concern.
Naruto's emotions were a mixed bag. He didn't know how to face Sakura in the future, and he wondered why Hinata was so nice to him. All kinds of emotions came flooding in, making it difficult for this carefree, straight-talking young man to fully digest them. He scratched his head and chuckled twice. "it's okay, hahaha…"
Hinata finally relaxed, and the extremely nervous and uneasy mood emerged belatedly. Her little face turned red with shame, and she lowered her head and nodded slightly. "That's… that's good…"
She turned and fled.
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