Haruno Sakura stood frozen in shock.Was this really the same Naruto she had always known?
After all, back in the day, whenever she hit Naruto, he never fought back.Even when she yelled at him, he just stood there, silently taking it.But now—He had blocked her punch!And more than that, he had actually kissed Hinata, right in front of everyone!
Wait... hasn't Naruto always liked me?
Sakura's heart wavered. She had always liked Sasuke, and her feelings for Naruto had been complicated and unclear.But now, in this moment, Naruto's eyes held no affection for her. No flustered look, no stammering admiration.
His gaze had moved on.And that realization left a hollow ache in her chest.She felt like she had lost something precious, even if she hadn't fully realized she had it.
But Naruto Uzumaki had no idea what Sakura was feeling.
At that moment, he saw only Hinata.He was completely lost in her presence.
Part of him wanted to pull her close again and shout to everyone:"She's my wife! What's wrong with me kissing her?!"
The joy of reuniting with her—across time, space, and death—was indescribable.
Sensing the awkward tension in the air, Kakashi stepped in to defuse the situation."Alright, alright. Naruto's probably just a little confused from stressing over Sasuke lately. Let's focus. If we don't hurry, Sasuke will be long gone. Kiba, pick up the trail again!"
Naruto snapped out of his daze.Kakashi's words reminded him of why he was here in the first place.He hadn't just come back to the past to relive his youth.
He was reborn with a mission:To change the fate of the ninja world.To gain the strength to stand against the Ōtsutsuki Clan before it was too late.To correct the regrets of his past life.
One of those regrets suddenly came to mind.His eyes drifted to Hinata, and he immediately thought of Neji.
Turning to Kakashi, Naruto asked, "Kakashi-sensei, Neji's out on a mission with Guy-sensei right now, isn't he?"
Kakashi blinked, caught off guard by the question."Yeah," he replied, a bit puzzled. "Guy's leading Team Three on a mission outside the village. Why do you ask?"
"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed, pumping his fist with joy, his eyes gleaming with tears.Neji is alive.
That was the first regret Naruto had come back to fix—and he'd done it.
Seeing the genuine emotion in his eyes, Hinata gently pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped away his tears.
Naruto smiled warmly and held her hand.
"Thank you, Hinata. From today on, I promise—I'll protect you. I won't let you get hurt ever again."
Hinata's heart trembled.
If the kiss earlier had been an expression of affection,Then this was a clear and unshakable confession of love.
And that scared her.Hinata's shy, tender heart felt overwhelmed.
She gently pulled away from Naruto's embrace and looked up at him, mustering every ounce of courage she had.
"But… Naruto-kun," she whispered, her voice trembling,"You've always liked Sakura-senpai… why me? I'm not special. I cry too much. I give up too easily. I've failed so many times… What is it about me that makes me worth protecting for a lifetime?"
As the words spilled out, Hinata felt tears sting her eyes.
She was afraid.Afraid that Naruto's sudden declaration of love was just a dream—something fleeting, something that would vanish.Even the others around them didn't seem to know how to react.
But Naruto looked at her with a calm, knowing smile.
"Of course I know," he said.
His mind drifted back to that moment—The battle with Pain.He was pinned to the ground, immobilized, and Hinata had stepped forward without hesitation.She had confessed her love to him, risked everything to protect him, and faced Pain alone.
That moment had etched itself deep in his heart.
And now, he wanted to say those words back to her.To let her know how deeply he had always felt it—how much he had always seen her.
Naruto stepped closer, looking straight into her eyes, and said softly:
"You've always been a crybaby.Whenever things got hard, you wanted to quit.You lost your way more than once.But you never gave up completely—not because you were strong on your own, but because there was this cool, handsome guy who inspired you to keep going."
Hinata's eyes widened in shock.
Those were her own words—what she had once said to him.
Naruto took another step forward, the affection in his gaze deepening.
"You've always been chasing after me," he continued."Trying to catch up.Trying to walk beside me.Trying to stay near me, even if it meant standing quietly in the background."
Hinata felt like her heart had stopped.Those weren't just her thoughts—they were the exact words she'd always felt in silence.
How does Naruto-kun know all of this?Has he… been paying attention to me all this time?
Naruto took a deep breath to calm the emotions welling inside him.
Then he reached out, took her hand in his, and said with quiet sincerity:
"Thank you… for always liking me so much.Because the truth is… I've always liked you the same way."
Hinata's heart burst with joy.
"Naruto-kun!"
She threw herself into his arms, tears of happiness streaming down her face as she hugged him tightly.
Naruto held her close, and in that embrace was everything he had fought for—Everything he had traveled through time and space to reclaim.
He had returned to her.
And now, finally,He could say the sweet words she had once said to him—back to her.