"Okay…" Hinata smiled sweetly, her heart filled with happiness. Cooking with Naruto… in her mind, this was a dream scene that she couldn't have even imagined. But now, it was really happening! Hinata took out the vegetables Naruto had prepared and began to wash them carefully.
"Wow, Hinata, you seem quite skilled at cleaning…"
"I try…" Hinata suddenly became nervous when she heard Naruto say this. *'There must be no mistakes. This is the meal we're going to eat together with Naruto-kun, so it needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Byakugan… open!'*
Naruto was shocked. "Wow! It's just washing vegetables, there's no need to use your Byakugan, Hinata?!"
"It's Because I want to do my best. After all, this is my first time cooking with Naruto-kun."
Naruto didn't understand why, but he nodded anyway. "Okay! Then I can't lose to you! Shadow Clone Technique!" In an instant, Naruto created two Shadow Clones and began to work frantically in the kitchen.
Hinata was speechless. The two of them, with their own thoughts and after a lot of comparison, finally managed to finish a sumptuous meal. At this time, the sun had already passed noon. Naruto and Hinata brought the food to the table together and sat down, both feeling a little tired.
"Ah, I'm so tired, but it looks so delicious!" Naruto laughed out loud.
Hinata blushed and nodded.
"Okay, Hinata, get ready! Don't be shy, just treat it like your own home!"
Hinata's heart began to beat fast again. *'Your own… home?'* Her face flushed, and she clasped her hands together as if she were praying devoutly. "Then… I'll start, Naruto-kun."
Hinata felt an incomparable happiness as she ate the meal she and Naruto had prepared together. This world was not perfect; it was even cruel and cold, full of pain and regret. But at least at this moment, Hinata felt that this was the happiest day of her life.
"It's delicious. Thank you, Naruto-kun."
Naruto gobbled down his food like a madman. "Ahaha, it's not just me who did this, Hinata, you helped too! But it's really delicious!"
Hinata smiled gently, no longer reserved, and began to eat with big mouthfuls. She didn't say much, but Naruto kept talking. However, just listening silently made her feel sweet. Naruto was talking about exactly what had happened earlier. However, his memory of it was only vague. "I heard that Iruka-sensei was in danger, and I've forgotten everything else. I only remember that I had to save him, even if it cost me my life. As for how I rescued him, or how I fought that scoundrel, Mizuki, I can't even remember." Having said that, Naruto's heart moved slightly. *'I'm still not strong enough. Otherwise, there would have been no need to go into a berserk state to save Iruka-sensei. And that time, it was probably just a fluke. What if this kind of situation happens again?'*
"I… I want to become even stronger! This way, I can better protect Iruka-sensei!"
Hinata smiled slightly and nodded. "I understand, Naruto-kun."
Naruto's heart moved. "Ah, and that includes you, Hinata! I will protect you at all costs!"
Hinata was instantly struck as if by lightning. "Naruto-kun… w-why…"
"Because, as I just said, we are good friends! You care about me so much and help me, so of course I will treat you as someone I will protect with my life, just like Iruka-sensei!"
Hinata was about to shed tears. "Naruto-kun… me… me too. I will also risk my life to protect Naruto-kun. This is my promise!"
Naruto's heart trembled. "Hinata…" The two looked at each other, and Hinata lowered her head shyly, but her determination would not waver at all.
"Dattebayo!" Naruto suddenly shouted. "Besides Iruka-sensei, I, Uzumaki Naruto, have another person I want to protect! Thank you, Hinata!"
"Thank you too, Naruto-kun." The atmosphere between the two of them suddenly became ambiguous. Hinata felt herself getting hotter and hotter. She stood up hurriedly. "Um, um… Naruto-kun, I only took half a day off, so I will have to leave…"
Naruto knew her difficulty and nodded. "I understand!"
Hinata was shy and wanted to escape but was also a little reluctant to leave. The girl's emotions were complicated and full of contradictions. "B-bye, Naruto-kun."
"Okay, see you next time, Hinata!" Hinata left with complicated steps. Naruto heard the sound of her coming down the stairs, so he ran to the window and looked at the girl on the street, waving his arms. Hinata, on the street, looked up at Naruto and also smiled sweetly. "Naruto-kun… let's cheer each other on!" The girl mustered up her courage and shouted towards Naruto, who was standing in the second-floor window.
Naruto was stunned for a moment but quickly clenched his fists. "Yeah! Let's do our best together!"
…
After saying goodbye to Hinata, Naruto prepared to go to the training ground in Konoha Village, according to his previous training plan. The System's prompts were still very considerate.
[Host, please continue to complete your special training in physical skills and work a little harder than Rock Lee. Otherwise, you will be greeted by the System's even more powerful lightning baptism!]
Naruto pouted. Ever since he had braved the baptism of the Lightning Release and forced his way through to Mizuki last time, this System had made the tasks more difficult for him. It was said to be much more powerful than the previous Lightning Release Baptism. Although he was a little curious, he didn't dare to try it easily. "Okay, okay, working a little harder than Rock Lee? I'm mentally prepared!"
However, as he approached the training ground, he could already hear Rock Lee's voice.
*Bang, bang, bang—*
*BOOM!*
The loud noise was enough to make one's scalp tingle and hair stand on end, even if one didn't see it!
Naruto couldn't help but gasp. "Bushy brows seems to be even more outrageous than before! Isn't he afraid of exhausting himself to death by training like this?!" He pushed aside the bushes and finally saw Rock Lee. At this moment, he was actually using the Konoha Cyclone move, kicking madly at a wooden stake. Every kick was delivered with all his might, shaking the entire wooden stake so much that wood chips flew everywhere and it was about to collapse! But he himself was also suffering from the same severe pain of the backlash. Just by looking at it, Naruto felt that his leg bones were about to break.
"Lee…" Naruto couldn't help but yell.
Upon hearing this, Rock Lee instantly stopped his desperate training, turned around to look at Naruto, and smiled brightly. "Naruto! You are finally here! I've been waiting for you!"
Naruto couldn't help but ask curiously, "How… how long have you been training like this?"
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