In his flat, Naruto was giving Fuinjutsu a shot, studying a scroll when he hit upon a jutsu that looked like a special Uzumaki clan gig. He read out, "Adamantine Sealing Chains..." and then, this weird thing happened. His heart started going crazy, like something off the charts was going down. "What's this about? What's happening here?", Naruto blurted out, a touch of panic creeping in.
Then, from nowhere, there was this sound of chains rattling. Chains started popping out of his back, extending from him.
As Naruto toyed with the Adamantine Sealing Chains now part of him, he was hit by this wave of astonishment and excitement.
The control he had over these chains was insane. He could maneuver them without breaking a sweat, just with his thoughts and intentions.
The chains moved with this cool fluidity, reacting as if they were part of him. He could stretch them out or reel them back into himself whenever he wanted.
Understanding that he had the same crazy skills as his Uzumaki forefathers gave Naruto a warm and fuzzy feeling. It validated his Uzumaki roots and made sense of the untapped potential within him.
With his confidence on the rise, Naruto started messing around with the chains, reshaping and merging them into different forms.
He honed his control, fusing multiple chains to form these huge, scary structures or breaking them down into a ton of smaller tendrils for complex moves.
As he explored the Uzumaki clan's one-of-a-kind technique, he also started learning about explosive tag techniques. Before he knew it, it was close to midnight.
So engrossed in his Fuinjutsu studies, Naruto had lost track of time. All at once, his stomach rumbled - he was famished.
"Well, looks like it's time for some midnight snack prep.".
He popped open his fridge, catching sight of an unopened pack of instant Ramen. After getting it all set, he wolfed down his midnight snack and then hit the hay.
Next morning.....
Even though he'd hit the sack late, Naruto was up with the sun, all thanks to a mission. He showered, slipped into his usual gear, wolfed down breakfast, and walked out of his flat, rocking a pair of specs that day.
He hadn't slept as well as he'd hoped, what with the mission and all. His first thought was to blow it off, but the prospect of sparring with Hinata later had him grinning.
With his team, he got the day's mission from the Hokage - another D-rank job.
Throughout the mission, Kakashi picked up that Naruto was a bit off his game.
"Naruto, you good? You seem more tired than usual," Kakashi checked in.
"Yeah, I was up till the wee hours," Naruto confessed.
"Get a chance to check out the Fuinjutsu scroll I gave you?" Kakashi asked.
"Sure did. Picked up a thing or two," Naruto replied, a grin spreading across his face.
"Great to hear. Keep it up," Kakashi cheered him on.
"So, what techniques did you learn?" Sakura chimed in, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Picked up the Barrier seal, explosive seals, and a few more."
"That's cool! Can you show us?" Sakura asked.
"Can't, didn't bring any seals with me. Guess you'll see when it's time," Naruto answered.
"Naruto, you do love your mysteries," Sakura remarked.
"Strength and secrecy, two peas in a pod," Naruto replied, laughing.
"They're not...." Sasuke cut in.
"Pot, meet kettle," Naruto shot back, a playful edge to his voice.
Once they'd wrapped up their mission, Naruto decided to swing by Ichiraku Ramen. On his way, he picked up the presence of two people tailing him but chose to let it slide.
"Deja vu," Naruto sighed. "Gonna have to talk to Jii-chan about this," he muttered to himself.
After polishing off his meal, Naruto paid the bill. Despite having more dough now, he didn't splurge - he wasn't about to misuse the money his folks had left him.
Sticking to his plan, Naruto headed to the training field where Hinata and her team were getting some practice in. Hinata had promised to spar with him post her team's session. However, Naruto was a bit early.
---
At the Training Area...
Naruto watched Hinata as she moved through a sequence with her team, the setting sun casting long shadows across the field.
Kiba stretched, his gaze landing on Naruto. "Hey! How's it going, Naruto?" he called out.
"Good. Wrap up your mission today, Hinata?" Naruto asked.
Hinata walked over to Naruto, fiddling nervously with the hem of her jacket. She looked at him through her lashes, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. "N-Naruto-kun," she stammered, "we did... and, um, we were just doing some training afterwards." Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, like she was sharing a treasured secret.
"Yeah, we just finished and were about to grab some grub. Wanna join?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nah, you guys go ahead. I need Hinata for a bit. Promised her some extra training."
"Extra Training..... That's a new word for...." His voice dropped to a whisper. Hinata didn't catch his words as she was a bit away from Kiba, but Naruto did and responded with a teasing grin.
"Alright, we'll leave you two alone then." Kiba said, and they all said their goodbyes, leaving Naruto and Hinata by themselves.
As Kiba and Shino left, Hinata moved closer to Naruto, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "Um, Naruto-kun, shall we start?"
"Definitely! But let's grab a bite first. Training on an empty stomach isn't the way to go," Naruto suggested, mindful of Hinata's shy nature.
At Ichiraku Ramen joint
They slid into their usual spot, the mist from the bowls fogging up Naruto's glasses momentarily. He wiped them clean, sneaking a quick peek at Hinata.
"So, how's the training coming along?" Naruto broke the ice.
Hinata nodded with gusto, "It's going well! I've been working on my chakra control.".
"That's awesome. Chakra control is key, especially for certain techniques," Naruto remarked.
Hinata took a careful sip of her soup, "And your training, Naruto-kun?"
With a hearty laugh, Naruto replied, "Well, let's just say, I'm always pushing myself."
Hinata shot him a soft smile, finding comfort in his company.
As evening set in, they reached a large clearing for their after-dinner practice. Seeing Hinata's determined look, Naruto couldn't help but admire her grit.
"Ready when you are," Hinata declared, taking her stance.
Naruto mirrored her position, his hands forming a familiar seal. "Let's focus on defensive moves. Pretend I'm the enemy."
As they sparred lightly, Naruto was careful, his moves sharp yet controlled. As Hinata grew more confident, her moves became more fluid, her shyness fading with every twist and hit.
Watching her, Naruto toyed with the idea of showing off his technique but held back, thinking it might be too much for her.
"Your form's gotten a lot better, Hinata," he complimented, deflecting her gentle palm strike.
Hinata's face lit up. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. You've always been... an inspiration to me."
A comfortable silence fell between them as they continued their synchronized dance.
By the time they wrapped up, Naruto's respect for Hinata's dedication had grown. Her quiet strength was more than what met the eye, and he felt a bond forming that went beyond mere words.
"Naruto-kun, thank you for today," Hinata said, her voice sincere.
Naruto, his eyes hidden but his voice genuine, responded, "No, thank you, Hinata. It's nice to have someone who... gets it."
Their gazes briefly collided, a silent agreement passing between them before they averted their eyes, their future uncertain yet promising.
Once they had cleaned up, Naruto made a quiet vow to himself to protect and nurture their relationship, to fortify it as they continued to grow stronger together.
"Same time tomorrow?" Naruto asked, his question hanging in the air, hopeful.
Hinata nodded, her smile hidden behind her lavender hair, "Yes, I'd like that."
Naruto headed back to his apartment, picking up where he left off with his Fuinjutsu training from the day before. Although some techniques proved to be tough, he was able to manage most of them.
After hours of practice, Naruto was wiped out. Following a meal and a bath, he called it a night.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]