Chapter 7: Sparring in the Grove
The early morning sun filtered through the canopy of the secluded grove behind Konoha, dappling the forest floor in shifting patterns of light and shadow. Naruto arrived not with a flash of golden light, but with the soft crunch of footsteps on fallen leaves. Given that Hinata was perpetually shadowed by her guardians, a dramatic entrance via the Flying Thunder God seemed unnecessarily provocative.
"Morning, Hinata," he greeted, his voice calm and casual.
"G-Good morning, Naruto-kun!" Hinata replied, her voice a mix of excitement and its ever-present shyness. She stood a little straighter than usual, her small fists clenched at her sides in a show of determination.
Naruto's sharp senses, honed by constant, unseen observation, immediately pinpointed the presence of her bodyguard concealed not far behind a thick oak tree. He could feel the man's gaze, a silent, watchful pressure. "So, why the sudden desire for me to help you train?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow. "As I recall, you soundly defeated me just the other day."
A flicker of uncharacteristic boldness shone in her pearlescent eyes. "Please don't lie to me, Naruto-kun. I know you're very strong," she stated, her voice gaining a sliver of steel. "I struck you with my full force, but you just... fell down. Your chakra pathways didn't falter at all! You weren't in any real pain. You were pretending!"
Naruto was taken aback. This was a new side of Hinata—observant, direct, and refusing to be patronized.
"Then why did you give me the ointment?" he asked, a genuine smile touching his lips.
The direct question deflated her brief confidence. She looked down, her cheeks blooming with a familiar, vibrant red. "I... I was still worried you might be hurt," she whispered, the admission soft but sincere.
At that moment, the Hyūga clansman stepped partially from behind the tree, his presence no longer concealed. His gaze locked with Naruto's, and it was not friendly—a clear, unspoken warning.
Naruto felt a familiar frustration. 'Why has she chosen now to be so brave?' he wondered. And then he remembered his own words to her: 'Be brave and you can become stronger.' The realization struck him. Had his offhand encouragement truly sparked such a profound change?
"Well, no use standing around," Naruto said, pushing the thought aside. "Let's get to training." He wouldn't be intimidated by a watchful guardian. If Hinata had found the courage to reach out, the least he could do was meet her halfway. Retreating now would make him the coward.
"Okay, Naruto-kun!" she agreed, her enthusiasm returning.
"So... what should we start with?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.
Naruto couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "Hinata, I'm here to practice with you, not to be your sensei."
"But... I'm not sure what I should be doing," she admitted, her embarrassment returning.
"Alright then," Naruto relented. "Let's focus on your clan's Gentle Fist. Last time, you managed sixteen palms of the Thirty-Two Palms. Let's see if you can push for a few more today." It was a safe suggestion, one that aligned perfectly with her heritage.
"Yes!" Hinata immediately fell into the iconic Hyūga stance, her feet planted firmly, her hands rising into a guarded position. "Then, here I come, Naruto-kun!"
Naruto sighed internally. '...I was thinking more along the lines of you practicing on a training post.' But a glance around confirmed there were none. He settled into a basic, ready stance. "Come on," he said, resigning himself to the role of a living target. It seemed he would have to reveal a sliver of his true capabilities. He could only hope the branch house bodyguard would have the discretion not to report this directly to the Third Hokage's ever-watchful crystal ball. Speaking of which, he realized he hadn't felt the familiar, intrusive sensation of the old man's Telescope Technique all morning. His system-honed perception was rarely wrong.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!" Hinata announced, her voice firm.
"One palm!"
"Two palms!"
"..."
"Sixteen palms!"
"Seventeen palms!"
"Eighteen palms!"
In just one week, her stamina and precision had improved noticeably. She had pushed two palms further into the sequence. Naruto couldn't help but feel a surge of genuine admiration for her dedication.
Even the hidden bodyguard, his Byakugan active, felt a grudging respect. 'The young mistress has found new motivation. If she maintains this progress, the Main Family will be pleased.' His thoughts then turned dark. 'But this demon fox... the contact between the young mistress and the Jinchuriki must be reported. The Hyūga clan cannot afford to be seen coveting the village's weapon. We must not make the same mistakes as the Uchiha.'
Hinata, not pausing to rest, immediately launched into another flurry of attacks. From the first palm to the eighteenth, she flowed through the motions with relentless focus.
This time, Naruto didn't pretend to be clumsy. His Jōnin-level physical prowess allowed him to easily track and deflect her strikes, his movements minimal and efficient. He identified the slight flaws in her form—the overextension of a wrist, the slight imbalance in a step—guiding her not with words, but by forcing her to correct them to land her blows.
His performance sent a fresh wave of alarm through the watching clansman. 'He's toying with her! He's evading the young mistress's most concentrated assault with ease! And to think he pretended to lose so convincingly before. What is his true goal?' A cold wariness settled over him. He watched every movement, every interaction, ready to intervene at the first sign of a genuine threat.
They continued like this for two full hours, a whirlwind of white palms and a blur of orange evasion. Naruto never once launched an attack of his own.
Finally, seeing Hinata's breath coming in ragged gasps, her movements slowing with exhaustion, Naruto moved. In a single, fluid motion, he caught her attacking wrist, gently but firmly subduing her momentum. "Okay," he said, his voice calm. "Let's stop here for today."
"But... the day is still young," Hinata protested, though her trembling limbs betrayed her fatigue.
"We have plenty of days ahead of us," Naruto countered, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Training is about balance, Hinata. Pushing yourself to collapse will only set you back. You need to rest."
Sensing the genuine concern behind his words, Hinata didn't argue further. "Alright," she relented, a small, tired smile on her face. "Then... shall we train together again tomorrow?"
"Of course," Naruto nodded.
As she gathered her things, Naruto glanced toward the hidden bodyguard, a subtle challenge in his eyes. "Come on," he said to Hinata. "I'll walk you home."
The words hung in the air. From behind the oak tree, the Hyūga clansman stiffened, his knuckles turning white. 'The audacity! Does the boy have no sense of propriety? No awareness of his own station? The young mistress of the Hyūga main family does not need an escort from the likes of him!'
He burned with the urge to step out and put the insolent brat in his place. But he held his position, bound by his duty to remain unseen unless his charge was in direct danger. However, a new resolution solidified in his mind. Once the young mistress was safely within the clan's compound, he would find a way to deliver a very clear, very physical message to Uzumaki Naruto about the importance of knowing his place.
(End of Chapter)