Sakura stood frozen, unable to react.
Was this really the Naruto she knew?
In the past, whenever she hit him, he never once fought back or even tried to block her punches. At most, he'd just complain weakly, but never dared talk back.
But now—he'd stopped her blow!
And more than that… he'd kissed Hinata!
Wasn't he the one who always liked me?!
Although her own heart had always been drawn to Sasuke, she had to admit she'd always carried some complicated feelings for Naruto. But the Naruto standing before her now looked and spoke so differently—there was no trace of the boy who used to cling to her so desperately.
It almost felt like she had lost something precious.
Naruto, however, was completely unaware of Sakura's inner turmoil.
Right now, his eyes held only Hinata.
Looking at the stunned faces around him, he even felt an urge to pull Hinata close again and shout, "What? Can't a man kiss his own wife?!"
The joy of reunion after a lifetime apart—there were no words to describe it.
Kakashi quickly stepped in to break the awkward silence.
"Alright, alright," he said with his usual lazy calm. "Naruto's probably just been too anxious about chasing Sasuke lately, and his mind's a little scrambled. But we don't have time for this—Kiba, keep tracking Sasuke's scent!"
Naruto blinked, snapping back to the present.
Right—he had come back to this time for a reason.
He was reborn with a mission: to change the entire shinobi world, to seize the power needed to stand against the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and to make up for all the regrets of his previous life.
Speaking of regrets…
He turned to Kakashi, eyes suddenly sharp. "Kakashi-sensei—Neji. He's still out on a mission with Guy-sensei, right?"
Kakashi was taken aback by the sudden question but nodded. "Yeah. Guy's leading Team 3 on a mission outside the village. Why?"
Naruto clenched his fists, tears glimmering in his eyes. "Yosh! That's great!"
Neji's alive.
It was the first regret he could finally change.
Hinata, moved by the sight of him smiling through tears, gently took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his face.
Naruto looked at her, then grasped her hand, smiling warmly.
"Thank you, Hinata. From now on, I swear—I'll protect you. I won't ever let you be hurt again."
Hinata trembled.
If his kiss had been a sudden sign of affection, then this… this was a confession.
Her heart fluttered with confusion and fear. She pulled away slightly, then gathered her courage and looked up at him.
"But… Naruto-kun," she whispered, "you've always liked Sakura-senpai, haven't you? Why would you suddenly like me? I'm not special—I only cry, I make mistakes… What's so good about me that I'm worth protecting for a lifetime?"
Her voice quivered, almost breaking into sobs. Deep down, she was terrified—terrified that his words were just a dream, that this sudden affection wasn't real.
Even to the onlookers, Naruto's sudden declaration of love was hard to process.
Naruto looked at her gently. "Of course I know."
And with that, his mind drifted back—to the day he fought Pain.
He remembered lying pinned to the ground by the black chakra rods, unable to move, when Hinata had stepped in front of him.
He could still hear her trembling voice as she confessed her feelings… and see her charging at Pain, ready to die for him.
A faint smile touched his lips.
Those words you once said to me—today, it's my turn to say them to you.
Naruto stepped closer, his voice soft but firm.
"You've always been such a crybaby. Whenever things got hard, you wanted to give up. You even lost your way a few times… But luckily, there's always been this super handsome guy—you know, me—setting an example for you."
Hinata's eyes widened in disbelief.
Naruto smiled, looking into her eyes with deep tenderness.
"You've always chased after me. You wanted to catch up, to walk beside me, to stay close. Even when I didn't notice, you were always there—watching over me, quietly supporting me."
Every word he spoke pierced her heart.
It was as if Naruto had reached inside and spoken her own thoughts aloud.
How… how does he know me so well? Has he… always been watching me too?
Naruto took a deep breath to steady the emotions threatening to overflow. Then, he gently took Hinata's hand.
"Thank you," he said softly. "For always liking me, for never giving up on me. Because… I've liked you too."
At that moment, Hinata's heart bloomed—every petal of emotion unfurling at once.
"Naruto-kun!"
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly.
The words you once spoke to me through tears and courage… I've crossed time and suffering just to return them to you.