Chapter 5: The Loving Words You Once Said to Me
Sakura Haruno was completely and utterly stunned.
Was this the same Naruto she knew?
Before, whenever she had hit him, he had never once fought back or even tried to block her. Even when she yelled at him, the idiot wouldn't dare to talk back.
But now? Not only had he blocked her punch…
He had dared to forcibly kiss Hinata!
Hasn't he always been in love with me?
Although she had always loved Sasuke, and her own feelings for Naruto were a complicated mess, this… this felt like Naruto was declaring he was completely over her.
A pang of sadness hit Sakura's heart. The way Naruto spoke to her, the look in his eyes—it lacked the desperate adoration she was used to. She felt as if she had lost something important.
Naruto was oblivious to Sakura's inner turmoil. In this moment, his eyes saw only Hinata.
Faced with the shocked and bewildered expressions of his friends, he had the sudden urge to hold Hinata even tighter and shout, "She's my wife! What's wrong with me kissing her?!"
The joy of this reunion was beyond what words could describe.
Seeing how awkward the atmosphere had become, Kakashi stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, alright. Naruto has probably been under a lot of stress chasing Sasuke, so his mind might be a little jumbled. We need to hurry, or we'll lose Sasuke's trail. Kiba, lock onto his scent again!"
Kakashi's words snapped Naruto out of his joyful haze.
That's right. He had returned with a clear purpose. He had to change the fate of the ninja world, gain the power to fight the Otsutsuki ahead of time, and fix the regrets of his past.
Speaking of regrets… Naruto looked at Hinata, which made him think of Neji. He quickly turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei! Neji is on a mission with Guy-sensei right now, isn't he?"
The question caught Kakashi off guard. He was a bit puzzled by the sudden topic change but answered, "Yes, Guy and Team 3 are currently on a mission. Why?"
"Alright! Yes!" Naruto pumped his fist in celebration, tears welling in his eyes.
Neji was alive.
This was the first regret that the reborn Naruto had managed to erase.
Seeing the raw emotion on Naruto's face, Hinata's heart went out to him. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped away his tears.
Naruto's face broke into a happy grin. He took her hand in his. "Thank you, Hinata. I promise, from this day forward, I will protect you. I won't let you suffer even the slightest bit of harm ever again."
A shiver went down Hinata's spine.
If the kiss was an action of affection, this was an undeniable confession.
The sudden declaration made the shy, sensitive girl feel a strong sense of unease and self-doubt. She gently pulled away from Naruto's embrace.
Then, mustering all her courage, she looked at him and asked, "But… Naruto-kun, haven't you always been in love with Sakura-san? Why… why have you suddenly started to like me? I… I'm not exceptional in any way. All I do is cry, and I've nearly lost my way so many times… What is there about me that's worth protecting for a lifetime?"
As she spoke, Hinata felt the urge to cry again. She was afraid. Afraid that his confession wasn't real, that it was all just a dream. After all, this sudden display of love was something that not even the people watching could fully accept, let alone her.
Hearing her words, Naruto simply smiled.
"Of course I know," he said.
His mind was instantly pulled back to the battle with Pain. He was pinned to the ground by black rods, and Hinata had walked to his side without a hint of hesitation. She had confessed her love for him then, ready to protect him no matter the cost, ready to fight the Deva Path of Pain.
Remembering the words of her confession, Naruto smiled warmly.
The loving words you once said to me… Now, I'll say them back to you.
He gazed at Hinata, his eyes full of deep affection. "You know, you've been a crybaby since you were little. Whenever you ran into trouble, you wanted to give up. You almost lost your way a few times, but luckily, you had this handsome guy as your role model to keep you moving forward and get you back on the right path!"
He saw the surprise in Hinata's eyes.
He stepped closer, his own eyes softening with tenderness. "You're always chasing after me, always trying to catch up, wanting to walk by my side. You've always wanted to be near me, watching over me from the shadows."
Listening to him, Hinata felt as if he were speaking the words of her own heart, one by one.
How? How does Naruto-kun know me so well? Could it be… that he's been watching me all this time, too?
Taking a deep breath to calm the welling emotion in his own chest, Naruto took her hand again, his gaze locked on hers. "Thank you for always loving me so much, Hinata. The truth is, I love you too."
With those words, the flower in Hinata's heart blossomed completely.
"Naruto-kun!"
Crying tears of pure joy, Hinata threw herself into his arms and held on tight.
The loving words you once spoke to me… after enduring a lifetime of hardship, I have crossed through time and space to return to your side and finally say them back to you.