Three months.
A fairly long time, yet it could feel short. Today, Naruto was sitting on a large rock in the western forest with Tenten.
"Tomorrow, huh," her voice was soft and quiet.
Naruto turned and nodded. "Yeah, I didn't expect it to come this fast."
"In that case, can I ask you one thing?" Tenten scooted closer.
"What is it?"
She gave him a sweet yet slightly awkward smile. "Once you become a ninja, will we still be able to see each other?"
Her voice wasn't loud or too soft — just enough to pierce through anything.
Naruto glanced at her, taking in every detail of her face. Since that day, she had changed her hairstyle, and it looked really beautiful.
He pulled her in, causing Tenten to fall into his arms. Then he gently pressed her head and softly stroked it.
"Idiot," Naruto whispered.
"You think we won't see each other anymore just because I become a ninja?" he added, wearing his usual annoying grin.
"So? Will we still be—" her voice was weak, but filled with hope.
"Of course," Naruto let go of the hug, ruffled her hair, and pinched her cheek hard. Because you're mine, he thought to himself.
A red mark appeared on her cheek, but she didn't focus on that. Naruto's words were far more important, and enough to fill her heart.
...
Night fell. In a forest near a lake, Naruto was sparring with Hinata.
Bugghh! Hinata threw a straight punch.
It shot out hard, but unfortunately, she only hit a tree.
Her eyes narrowed, and she swiftly turned around, bringing her hands together.
And just as expected—Baggghh!
She was sent flying backwards. Naruto had used an axe kick, raising his leg and slamming it down quickly.
On the other side, Hinata opened her hands. Her bones ached, and her skin was scratched and bruised.
But she ignored it. She charged at Naruto again with a punch he dodged with ease.
Naruto clenched his fist, ready to strike her stomach—and the moment came.
Hinata grabbed his hand, and the punch that missed turned into a grip on his shirt.
Bam!
She slammed him down.
Naruto lay flat on the ground.
"You're making good progress," Naruto said. But as Hinata blinked, he had already vanished from her sight.
"I give up," he said suddenly, halting his move to kick her from behind.
He smiled widely and stepped closer to Hinata.
Hinata braced herself for a harsh comment. No, not harsh — maybe just firm. But this time, it was different.
She felt a warm touch on her hair and looked behind her. The stern look she always saw in Naruto's eyes was gone — now replaced by a happy, content gaze.
"Naruto-kun?" Her eyes stayed locked on his face.
"You did well," Naruto repeated, now sounding more sincere.
Unable to hold back anymore, Hinata's tears fell. She tried to wipe them away.
But Naruto held her hands and moved them away from her face, as if telling her she was allowed to cry.
Hinata stayed quiet, then looked into Naruto's eyes and nodded.
Seeing that, she lowered her head and fell into his warm embrace.
She finally understood — that it was okay to cry.
And soon, her tears flowed freely. Her heart, long bound by restraint, finally felt free.
She could pour it all out without fearing anyone would ignore her.
That night ended warmly. Hinata cried until she was exhausted and fell asleep in Naruto's arms.
The trails of her tears were still visible, but her expression was peaceful, full of calm, making Naruto feel both warm and fond of her.
He pinched her cheek lightly, disturbing her but not waking her.
Finally, Naruto kissed her forehead gently and carried her back to her room.
The next day.
Naruto did light morning exercises, running around the village of Konoha several times with weights on his legs.
After that, he cleaned himself up and began making breakfast.
Knock knock knock...
He turned toward the door. "Hold on a second, Ino..." he called out softly.
But the knocking continued, making him frown. That's not Ino, he thought.
He opened the door, and as expected, Sakura was there, staring at him.
She didn't say anything, just like the expression on her face—blank.
"What's wrong? It's rare for you to come this early," Naruto started the conversation.
Sakura shook her head. "Nothing special. I just... felt like it," she answered simply.
She walked in, passing Naruto, and headed to the kitchen.
"You're cooking?" her voice called from inside.
Naruto walked over and gently tapped her shoulder. "Yeah, and now you've interrupted me while I'm cooking."
Sakura smiled. "So I'm a bother?" she asked sweetly.
Hearing that, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you're bothering me."
"But it's the kind of bother I always look forward to, and always hope for..." he added before she could say anything.
Still smiling, Sakura nodded. "You're really annoying."
"And you hate that," Naruto said.
"Yeah, I hate you," she replied quickly.
Naruto turned his attention back to the stove, flipping the meat over and over to make sure it cooked evenly.
Soon, a delicious aroma filled the room — the dish was ready.
He grabbed a plate and served the stir-fry.
As he walked over, he looked back at Sakura. "Have you eaten?"
She shook her head.
"Then let's eat together," he said cheerfully, placing the food on the dining table.
Sakura joined him, sitting across from him, showing she didn't reject the offer.
Seeing that, Naruto was pleased. He quickly prepared extra rice and handed it to Sakura.
"Thanks," she said as she took it.
Naruto nodded, and they began to eat. "Let's eat," they said in unison.
After a moment, Sakura spoke mid-meal. "Hey, Naruto..."
He looked at her. "Yeah?"
She gave him a sweet smile. "This is really good," she said bluntly.
Naruto smiled, but before he could respond, Sakura spoke again.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're going to fight him today... Sasuke."
"Yeah, that's right."
"Hmm..." Sakura nodded gently, still smiling.
"You know I've been watching him, right?" she asked.
Naruto nodded.
"And you also know that you're going to win, don't you?" she added.
He nodded again.
Sakura sighed softly. "So, are you going to hold back or not?"
Hearing that, Naruto went silent. He then looked deep into Sakura's eyes and smiled.
"I won't hold back. If I did, and he realized it later, it would only hurt his pride," he said calmly but firmly.
"So, do you want me to hold back? If you do, maybe I'll consider it... if we kiss—"
Swutt...
The sound of air being cut. Before Naruto could finish, she pointed her chopsticks at him.
Sakura's eyes locked sharply on his lips, as if she was ready to stab him if he continued.
"You know that won't work on me, right?" Naruto said, glancing at her.
"I know, but at least it might bruise your pride," Sakura answered quickly.
This time, Naruto was speechless. He understood what she meant. "Alright, I was wrong," he said, raising both hands.
Sakura calmed down, sat back down, but kept her sharp gaze on his face.
"I'm not asking you to lose. I'm just curious what you'll do..."
Naruto's eyes widened. Her words made him a little uneasy.
"Are you just curious, or do you still care about him?" Instead of answering, Naruto asked her back.
Sakura looked down, as if searching for the right words.
"So?" Naruto repeated.
Sakura glanced at him. "Maybe both..."
"I'm curious and I care. But my love for him... I don't know..."
Naruto stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.
"I feel like my heart is withering, and that place is becoming empty again — replaced by the ambition to become stronger. To prove to you both that I, Sakura, can stand beside you..."
"And because of that, Naruto, don't expect to win my heart. My heart has now been consumed by the flames of ambition that will never die," she said firmly.
"And if I could?" Naruto asked.
"Then you're dreaming," she replied coldly.
After that, the conversation ended, and the room fell into silence.
They continued eating quietly, not saying another word. Occasionally, they glanced at each other — but with very different feelings.