"Naruto-kun, Could you... could you open your mouth?" Hinata asked Naruto, her voice quiet and timid. She was also slightly blushing while holding the chopsticks.
Ah...!!!
Naruto did as she asked, opening his mouth to accept the food she offered. As Hinata watched Naruto chew, a warm and unfamiliar feeling of joy bubbled up inside her. She cherished this moment deeply.
In the midst of their heated dispute, Sakura and Ino suddenly paused and turned their attention to Hinata. They realized that while they were busy arguing, Hinata had stepped in and was now sharing a moment with Naruto.
"This is all because of you," Sakura quickly accused Ino, upset that her opportunity to bond with Naruto had slipped away.
"That's not true. If you had just let it go, this wouldn't have happened," Ino retorted, unwilling to admit any fault. In her heart, though, she knew Sakura had a point. Despite this, Ino would rather see Hinata step in than let Sakura have her way.
"Have you had anything to eat yet, Hina-chan?" Naruto's voice was soft and caring as he spoke to her.
"No, not yet. Hanabi has gone to get us some food from the cafeteria," Hinata answered. She carefully picked up another piece of the fried octopus sausage with her chopsticks and offered it to Naruto. She was taking her time, making sure not to rush. Hinata patiently waited for Naruto to finish chewing before offering him another bite, her actions gentle and considerate.
In the meantime, Sakura and Ino were still wrapped up in their heated debate. They were so engrossed in their own world that they seemed to forget about Naruto and Hinata sitting right there.
Their loud argument was like a show to the rest of the class. Students from their class and even from others gathered around, quietly observing the spectacle. The sight of two of the academy's most well-known students arguing was an amusing break from the routine of their day.
Through all this, Hinata's attention was solely on Naruto. Her thoughtfulness showed in her every move — in the way she waited for him to be ready for the next bite, in her gentle handling of the chopsticks, and in her soft glances full of care and love for Naruto.
At that moment, Hanabi made her way back into the classroom, her hands full with a plastic bag from the school's food shop. The doorway was blocked by a crowd of students, so she had to gently push through to find out why there was such a fuss.
"I can't believe Hinata is being so daring," Whispered one girl from Naruto's class, her eyes wide as she admired Hinata's courage. Everyone knew Hinata as the most reserved girl in school.
"Absolutely, look at them together, so sweet and close. It's making me green with envy. I wish I could be the one feeding Naruto-kun," Another girl added. She was feeling jealous and envious of Hinata.
The ruckus wasn't just about Sakura and Ino's loud argument anymore. While their loud disagreement was what originally drew the crowd, now many of the girls were focusing on Hinata with a mix of surprise and envy. They all seemed to wish they could trade places with her, to be the one sitting next to Naruto, sharing such an intimate and tender moment.
Hanabi's eyes went wide as she caught sight of her sister Hinata feeding Naruto. 'This is so unlike her,' she thought while looking at her sister with a surprised face.
Hanabi always knew Hinata as the quiet and very shy one. Hinata was the very example of a hardcore introvert. Hinata had a small circle of friends, mostly because she was too shy to reach out to others. Being the center of attention was the last thing Hinata would want. But here she was, doing just that, and with such a calm smile on her face.
Hinata seemed to be in her own world, completely unbothered by the many eyes watching her. Her focus was solely on Naruto, making sure he was eating well.
A wave of pride washed over Hanabi. 'She's really changed,' she thought warmly. With a playful motion, she pretended to wipe away a tear, even though there wasn't one. 'She's all grown up now.' Seeing Hinata so content made Hanabi decide not to interrupt them. She quietly moved away, leaving Hinata to enjoy her special moment.
While all these things were happening in the class, a certain Uchiha was watching Naruto being fed by Hinata. Sarada wasn't in the class. She was secretly looking at Naruto from the window. She was still feeling bitter about her loss against Naruto.
Being defeated by Naruto has made her wonder how Naruto was so strong. This also led her to observe Naruto secretly.
'But it seems I was only wasting my time.' Sarada thought as she began walking away. She had lost her mood to watch this drama any further.
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Scene change____
The noise and chaos in the classroom settled down as soon as Hinata finished feeding Naruto. After Naruto left the room for a stroll around the school, Sakura and Ino's heated debate fizzled out too. They both huffed at each other, then quietly started on their own lunches.
Hinata and Hanabi, meanwhile, sat down together to enjoy some soft, just-baked milk bread.
"You've become so brave, sis. I've got to say, you really surprised me," Hanabi said with a playful grin. Hinata's cheeks turned a soft pink at the comment. She didn't say anything back, just bowed her head a little lower and kept eating her bread.
"But really, sis, I'm happy for you. You did great today," Hanabi added earnestly, her tone warm and genuine. She wasn't just saying nice things to make Hinata feel good; she meant every word.
"But you know, from now on, things might get a bit more challenging for you." Hanabi's voice held a hint of mischief.
Hinata looked up, her expression a mix of curiosity and confusion.
"Challenging? What do you mean?" Hinata asked, not quite understanding what Hanabi was hinting at.
Sigh!!!!
Hanabi let out a long sigh, seeing how clueless her sister seemed to be. "You really don't get it, huh? I'm talking about Ino and Sakura. They like Naruto too, you know. If you have feelings for Naruto, then you'll have to deal with them."
Hanabi's words made Hinata's entire face flush a deep red. "Wha...! I mean... It's not... We're just..." She stammered, too embarrassed to form a coherent sentence. Hanabi watched her sister's flustered reaction and couldn't help but roll her eyes, thinking, 'Is she always this shy and hesitant?'
In her mind, Hanabi mused, 'Maybe she's always been a bit of a tsundere, hiding her true feelings behind her shyness.'
"Look, if you don't want Sakura or Ino to get ahead of you with Naruto, you've got to be ready to step up. You wouldn't want to lose Naruto to them, right?" Hanabi said, trying to nudge her sister into action.
Hinata, even though she was still blushing furiously, nodded her head slightly in agreement, acknowledging Hanabi's point without saying a word.
As the day progressed, classes resumed and before anyone knew it, the school day was over, and it was time to head home.
During the afternoon, Hanabi spent some time watching Naruto, Sakura, and Ino, trying to figure out the dynamics between them. After a while, she came to a few conclusions.
'Sakura definitely seems to have a big crush on Naruto. But Ino... it's like she's only getting in Sakura's way to bother her, not because she likes Naruto too,' Hanabi thought, having noticed how Ino interacted with Sakura.
'But they are still competition for my sister if she wants to be with Naruto. The good thing is, Naruto seems to have a special fondness for Hinata,' Hanabi mused.
Then she paused, a bit unsure. 'Or maybe not.' Hanabi was a bit frustrated with Naruto. She couldn't tell if he was doing it on purpose or not, but he was just so friendly and kind to everyone. It didn't matter if it was Hinata, Sakura, Ino, or anyone else – Naruto was always super nice to them all.
As the final bell echoed through the classroom, signaling the end of the school day, all the students began to pack up their things and head out. Naruto exchanged farewells with his new friends, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and the others. He noticed that Sarada had left quickly, slipping away before he had a chance to talk to her.
Sakura and Ino, meanwhile, were held back by Iruka-sensei. They were in trouble for the loud argument they had caused during lunch. It looked like they might end up having to clean the classroom for a week as punishment.
Turning to Hinata, Naruto looked a bit regretful. "Hina-chan, I'm sorry, but I can't help you with training today. Something important came up."
"It's okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata responded, her smile showing understanding and kindness.
"Well, I better get going. Bye, Hina-chan, and... Ha... Hana-chan," Naruto said, still feeling a bit awkward using the nickname Hanabi had asked him to call her by. It was new to him, and he wasn't quite used to it yet.
"Bye, Naruto-kun!" Hanabi's face lit up with a bright smile when he called her 'Hana.' She felt a faint warm blush on her cheeks at hearing her nickname from him.
"See you tomorrow, Naruto-kun!" Hinata added, her voice soft and her smile shy, as she waved goodbye to him.