Inside the Infirmary
Naruto gently placed Hinata on the bed, laying a blanket over her as she rested. He sat beside her, quietly using chakra to heal her wounds. Most of his own injuries had already mended—thanks to his healing factor and stubbornness, mostly the latter.
As his chakra pulsed softly into her body, Hinata stirred, her eyes fluttering open.
"N...Naruto-kun…" she murmured, voice weak but warm.
Naruto smiled, brushing a few strands of hair from her forehead.
"I'm here, Hinata."
She tried to speak again.
"Did I—?"
But Naruto leaned in and interrupted her with a kiss.
A soft, sincere kiss that told her more than words ever could.
When they broke apart, Hinata blinked, lips parted. Whatever she was about to say was long forgotten.
"You did great," Naruto whispered. "I'm so proud of you."
Hinata's cheeks flushed, but all she could do was smile and nod.
"Rest up. I'll go get food for you, okay?"
"Mmm…" Hinata nodded, eyes already heavy again.
Outside, in the Arena
Hayate stepped forward, clearing his throat into the mic.
"The next matches will resume after lunch. You have two hours—go grab something to eat."
The audience, still murmuring about the last fight, slowly began to trickle out, many still buzzing with energy.
Back in the stands
"Let's go grab Naruto and Hinata," Karin said, stretching her arms. "Can't leave those two behind."
"Yeah, especially Naruto. If we come back and he finds out we left him to get food without him…" Ino grinned. "He'll throw a full-blown tantrum."
The girls laughed.
Hiashi stood up with Hana and Hanabi beside him.
"Not joining us?" Kushina asked, turning.
Hiashi shook his head politely.
"We'll be having lunch at home. Please take care of Hinata in the meantime."
Hana gave a warm smile, and Hanabi grinned as she clung to her mother's hand, already bouncing with excitement.
"Bye !" she called in the distance.
Tsunade groaned loudly.
"Okay, enough talking. I'm starving."
"You're always starving," Shizune teased with a smirk.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, then yanked Shizune's ear.
"Someone's getting too bold hanging around Naruto lately!"
"Ow-ow-ow! Tsunade-sama!"
Kushina raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you the one always lecturing us about dignity?"
Tsunade immediately let go, coughed, and stormed forward.
"I don't have time for this. Let's eat."
The others laughed at her antics.
Just as the group turned to find Naruto—
He emerged from the arena, wiping his hands on a towel.
"Hey, guys," he called, raising a hand with a sheepish smile.
"There you are! Come on, I'm dying of hunger!" Tsunade bellowed as she grabbed Naruto by the collar and began dragging him off.
"Wait! Hinata's still resting—I promised I'd bring her food! Don't forget, okay?"
"You're the one who promised her!" Sakura called after him, hands on hips.
That earned another round of laughter from the group.
Tsunade, Naruto, and the rest trailed off toward lunch, voices rising with jokes and teasing. The energy was light, hopeful—like a perfect intermission between chaos and the next storm.
They initially made their way to the famous Akimichi restaurant, but one look at the crowd and the plan collapsed like a house of cards.
Fully packed. No chance of squeezing in.
Tsunade clicked her tongue. "Ugh. No way I'm waiting. Let's head to our own place—Ramen to Ruretto. We've got food, privacy, and no random elbows."
Everyone agreed. A home-based lunch sounded far better than rubbing shoulders with half the village.
Ramen to Ruretto.
Though known as a gambling house, it had a second identity—a private restaurant for Konoha's most notorious inner circle. And with Tsunade being, well, Tsunade, the staff welcomed them with open arms, already prepping the private suite.
Dishes came rolling out, laughter filled the air, and even the nerves of the morning's battles started to settle.
Halfway through the meal, Naruto stood up, gently closing a bento box full of Hinata's favorite picks.
"She's still resting. I promised I'd bring her lunch."
He slung the box under one arm, eyes soft, tone gentle.
But before he could make a cool exit—
Ino stood up with a smirk, arms crossing her chest. "You're always so thoughtful with us. Makes me fall in love all over again."
Sakura, seated beside her, added with a half-smile, "Tell her to eat slowly. She'll need the energy next time you two spar. We saw how intense that got."
Karin leaned back in her chair, adjusting her glasses with a coy smile. "If she gets more kisses than I do today, we're gonna have a problem."
Haku, quiet and graceful as always, looked up from her meal, her voice barely above a whisper but warm, "Give her my regards, Naruto-kun. She fought beautifully."
Naruto paused in the doorway, a bit of pink coloring his cheeks.
"You're all impossible," he muttered with a chuckle. "But I love you. All of you."
Tenten, still a little outside the circle of lovers but more than just a friend, looked at the scene with a faint blush and a soft smile.
"You better come back fast, or I'm stealing your dessert," she teased lightly—her way of hiding just how much she admired him.
Naruto winked at her, then vanished down the hallway.
By the time they returned to the arena, it was already roaring with life.
The crowd had tripled. Energy crackled in the air. Vendors were riding the hype, parents were hoisting kids on their shoulders, and everywhere—whispers of the next matches.
The others filed into their seats, excited for the upcoming battles. But Naruto had one more thing to do before rejoining them.
He walked toward the medical wing, where a certain Hyūga girl was still resting—beautiful, strong, and waiting for her knight with a bento in hand.
As Naruto entered the room, the soft rustle of movement told him everything.
Hinata was already awake.
She lay nestled in the bed, her pale eyes instantly locking onto his as if she had been waiting the entire time—not just for lunch, but for him.
"Naruto-kun," she whispered.
Naruto offered her his classic grin, half mischief and half warmth. "I brought your food."
He settled down beside her, carefully setting the bento box on her lap and beginning to unwrap it.
But Hinata, ever gentle and selfless, raised a hand. "No… Naruto-kun, I can open it myself. You have a match coming up. You should go rest, prepare. Don't worry about—"
Before she could finish, Naruto gave her that look—soft, unwavering, completely immovable.
"Hinata." His voice dropped, tender and certain. "You know me. I don't care about the match right now. I can fight next year. I can fight whenever. But this—" he picked up a spoon and scooped up some warm soup, "—this is more important."
He held it in front of her lips with a gentle smile. "Aaa~"
Hinata flushed from ear to ear. Her blush could've powered a small nation.
Still, with a tiny nod, she opened her mouth and accepted the soup.
To an outsider, the scene could've been mistaken for a married couple stealing a quiet moment—the wife still in bed, the husband tending to her with love and care as if the rest of the world could wait.
He fed her slowly, savoring the moment more than the meal.
Once the soup was gone, Naruto opened the rest of the bento box. "I know you're not full. I brought more. Your favorites."
From steaming ramen, grilled fish, sweet tamagoyaki, to savory meat skewers—it was clear he had packed this with more love than precision.
Hinata sat up a bit more as Naruto patiently fed her dish after dish, pausing only to tease her gently or offer her water between bites.
When the last bite was gone and her belly was full, Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out something odd.
A translucent, crystal-like orb.
Hinata tilted her head. "Naruto-kun, what is this?"
Naruto placed it carefully in her hands. "It's a chakra-vision orb. I made it with a little help. Just pour your chakra into it and think of the place you want to see. It'll show you what's happening, like a little floating window."
He poured in a bit of his own chakra, and the image within the orb shifted—showing the very room they were in, reflecting both their faces.
Hinata gasped softly. "Naruto-kun… this is… incredible."
Her fingers curled gently around his hand, holding it tightly.
"You're always like this…" she murmured, eyes glistening—not from tears, but from a joy so deep it danced at the edges of her soul. "Even when I think you've done enough… You keep doing more."
Naruto just chuckled, brushing her hair back. "Sleep now. Watch the matches if you want—but only if you're rested."
He leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead.
Then her cheek.
Then, lingering for a moment, her lips.
When he finally stood up, she whispered, "Good luck, Naruto-kun."
He grinned over his shoulder. "I already got all the luck I need."
And with that, the red whirlwind was gone, off to rejoin the storm that awaited him in the arena—leaving behind a glowing girl with a full belly, a racing heart, and a magical orb cradled to her chest.
Inside the room, Hinata held the orb carefully in her palms like a treasure.
Following Naruto's instructions, she slowly channeled her chakra into it. A faint glow pulsed from within, then swirled like mist, before the image clarified—like she was looking through a crystal-clear window.
There it was. The arena.
The crowd, buzzing and bustling.
Her parents, sitting with quiet dignity.
Hanabi, swinging her legs and munching on something crunchy, perhaps dango.
Her friends—Ino, Sakura, Karin, Haku—had all taken their seats in the front row. And in the center of them, flanked like royalty, was Naruto. Just walking in, flashing his goofy grin, plopping down between Karin and Sakura like it was his rightful throne. Ino nudged him with her elbow, while Haku smiled softly.
Hinata smiled with them. The sight warmed her more than the soup had.
But then—
"Now it's semifinals!"
A voice rang out from the orb, startling her enough to nearly drop it.
She blinked. It has audio?
She hadn't expected that. Her eyes darted side to side instinctively, like she had just been caught doing something top secret.
And if Naruto had walked in just now?
He would've fallen in love with her all over again.
That adorable little jolt, the puffed cheeks, the flustered fingers fumbling to close the orb—it was pure, unfiltered Hinata cuteness. So strong, it could've short-circuited a grown man's brain.
She quickly turned the orb off, tucked it beside her, and pulled the blanket a little higher, trying to hide her smile (and her blush).
Meanwhile, outside.
The announcer's voice—Hayate's familiar rasp—rang out across the stadium like a drumroll.
"Now it's time for the semifinals! The tension's real, folks. Whoever wins these matches goes straight to the final round!"
The noise in the stadium erupted like fireworks. Anticipation was thick in the air, like the whole village was holding its breath.
"First up…" Hayate paused for dramatic effect. "Gaara of the Sand… vs Sasuke Uchiha!"
Gasps. Cheers. A few nervous gulps.
From opposite ends of the arena, two figures emerged—both stoic, both radiating an almost eerie calm.
Gaara. Sand swirling softly around his gourd like a silent promise.
Sasuke. Katana at his hip, eyes locked on his target.
Their expressions were almost mirrors—stone-cold, serious, unreadable.
Neither of them offered a greeting.
Not a nod. Not a smirk.
Just silence… and intent.
Hayate took one last look at both of them, then stepped back.
With a sharp breath—
"Begin!"