"Pfft… hahaha, Uncle Fugaku and Uncle Hiashi really know how to mess around, huh? But seriously, using kids to monitor a Jinchūriki... only they could come up with something that bizarre."
As Fugaku and Hiashi worked in perfect sync, feeding into the villagers' wild imagination, the idea that Sasuke and Hinata were assigned to monitor Naruto somehow evolved into a fully fleshed-out rumor. Watching this nonsense snowball into something that almost sounded plausible, Naruto, who knew the truth, couldn't hold back his laugh and let out a quiet chuckle.
'With things going like this, the number of applicants is bound to increase again because of hearsay. The number of people who actually get accepted today might hit an all-time low... Huh? What's wrong, Hinata? Did something happen?'
As Naruto glanced around awkwardly, wondering how many people would make the cut after the first day of registration, he suddenly heard—
"A-Ano… Naruto-kun, I-I'm sorry, but I-I… I swear, I'm n-not spying on you…"
At the same time, Hinata, having overheard the villagers murmuring about how she was keeping watch on Naruto, panicked. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she tugged gently at the hem of Naruto's shirt, her lips trembling as she tried to defend herself in a flustered panic.
It had been more than a year since Naruto and Hinata had last seen each other, but the warm smile Naruto had shown her when he twice stepped in to protect her was still etched deep into her heart.
Because of that, Hinata—who had easily recognized Naruto's new appearance after his year of intense training, even faster than her own father Hiashi—was now terrified that Naruto might believe the awful gossip. Her panic only grew with that thought.
'First the kids give me assist points, now the parents too? These villagers actually did something useful for once...'
Seeing Hinata trying so hard to explain herself, despite having done nothing wrong, made Naruto forget his annoyance with the villagers' baseless accusations.
What truly melted his heart, though, was the fact that Hinata hadn't been influenced at all by the rumors—there wasn't a trace of disgust or suspicion in her expression.
That strange sense of satisfaction quickly overtook the earlier irritation, spreading warmth through his entire being. He couldn't help but smile and shake his head.
'Really, Hinata is the perfect choice for my future wife… Even though I'm the one being slandered here, she looks like she's the one who did something wrong. Too damn cute.'
"N-Naruto! I-I'm telling the truth! If you don't believe me, w-we can go ask my father!"
But Naruto's small head shake made the pure-hearted Hinata think he didn't believe her. Tears that had been hanging in the corners of her eyes finally rolled down her cheeks, her voice now laced with heavier sobs as she frantically continued defending herself for something she didn't even do.
'We go ask father... That almost sounds like—wait, what?! Hinata's crying?!'
Naruto, who hadn't realized she was already in tears, was still stifling laughter over her earlier phrasing. But when he finally turned back to tease and comfort her, the sight of tears streaming down her cheeks hit him like a punch to the gut. A wave of guilt surged through him—he had made this sweet, gentle girl cry.
"Hey hey hey, don't cry, don't cry! I—how could I ever not believe you? There, there, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, so why are you apologizing?"
Caught off guard and completely unprepared to deal with his future bride's tears, Naruto dropped the playful teasing and switched into full panic mode. His mind blanked, and he instinctively began to console her. He carefully reached out, using his hands to gently wipe away her hot tears, not stopping until her face was clear. Then, without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a warm hug, softly patting her back in a soothing rhythm.
"No matter what happens, I could never be angry with you."
"R-Really?"
Hinata could feel just how gentle Naruto was as he carefully wiped her face, as though he was afraid of hurting her. And when she heard those familiar, reassuring words—the same ones he used to say—it finally helped her calm down.
Slowly, she stopped crying and mustered the courage to look up at him from within his embrace. After a brief hesitation, she reached out her small hand.
"T-Then... pinky promise."
"Of course…"
Seeing that he had managed to turn things around before they got even worse, Naruto exhaled in relief. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he made a silent decision about how the nosy villagers would definitely be repaid today. But he didn't regret the promise he had just made. Instead, he softly replied with a pampering tone, smiling as he nodded and raised his little finger to link it with Hinata's. Together, they gently shook on it.
"There. Pinky promise. I swear..."
"Mm…"
Watching Naruto spoil her so completely, Hinata finally stopped sobbing, her cheeks blooming into a bright pink blush.
She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't resist the warm, safe feeling of Naruto's hug. To hide her flustered face, she buried it back into his chest and rubbed against him like a little cat, whispering in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's:
"Mm! Naruto-kun is the best~"
Just then, Fugaku and Hiashi, who had silently dropped the act at some point, stepped in with Mikoto and the others.
They subtly shifted their positions to block the view of the little couple from the prying eyes of the villagers who were clearly enjoying the drama too much.
Meanwhile, their amused eyes landed on the two kids, their expressions filled with knowing smiles.
"Well, Fugaku old pal, what do you think?"
Hiashi nudged Fugaku with his elbow, smugly grinning. His previous worries—about Naruto and Hinata only having met twice, and the second time ending with him beating Naruto up—had vanished into thin air. Seeing how naturally they got along now, he couldn't help but gloat.
"I told you, didn't I? Naruto is definitely destined to be the Hyuga clan's son-in-law~"
"Tch. Cut the gloating already…"
Even though he knew Hiashi was just joking, Fugaku still felt a little salty. Of course he was happy that his best friend's daughter and his late friend's son liked each other. But damn… he couldn't help but regret not having a daughter of his own so they could've truly become family.
"If I had a daughter, this kind of good thing wouldn't be going to you…"
"Ahh, can't blame me for that~"
Seeing Fugaku sulk with no comeback, Hiashi was absolutely delighted. He flashed an even smugger grin, shrugging with a faux-innocent expression, and continued pouring salt in the wound.
"I mean, our little Hinata's really something. Even though we had her much later, our firstborn turned out to be a girl—lucky us~"
But clearly, Hiashi had forgotten a basic truth: pride comes before the fall. Because today, unlike those casual chats where only Fugaku and Hiashi were around, the entire Uchiha family had come to the registration event with Naruto and Sasuke.
Though Fugaku was at a loss for words and couldn't come up with a comeback, Mikoto, who had been silently listening nearby, immediately caught on and seized the perfect moment to strike back.
"Oh? So what you're saying is—I'm not impressive, huh?"
Gliding up behind Hiashi without a sound, Mikoto asked her question with a sweet smile… but her voice carried a sharp chill. Every syllable of "Hi—ashi—sa—ma?" sent shivers down Fugaku's spine like icy needles.
"Ack! Sister-in-law! I-I was just joking with Fugaku! Don't take it seriously, please!"
Hiashi immediately froze. Even though he knew Mikoto was probably teasing him, the pressure was too much. He turned around in a fluster, backing away step by step, waving his arms in a panic, all while glancing at Fugaku for help.
"Fugaku bro! Save me!"
"Hahahahaha! What was it Naruto always says?"
"Right! 'You reap what you sow!' Serves you right! Hahahahaha!"
Yeah… Sasuke's life has been rough lately. His brother has Izumi now, Naruto has Hinata… and the poor kid who once had both of them pampering him now finds himself totally alone. What a pitiful little single dog he's become…