He knew no medical ninjutsu, so he could only watch over her bedside, helpless, waiting for Hinata to wake up on her own and silently berating himself for his carelessness.
Not long after, Hinata's eyes fluttered open. She wasn't seriously injured; she had simply fainted from the overwhelming shock and shyness of being held in Naruto's arms. After a short rest, she had already recovered. However, the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was the face of the boy she was always thinking about, right in front of her, leaning closer and closer...
"Ah—!" Hinata exclaimed again, yanking the quilt over her head in a panic.
"Hmm? Hina-Hinata?!" Naruto jumped back. "What's wrong?!"
From under the quilt, Hinata whimpered, her voice muffled and trembling, "Naruto-kun, y-you... please stay away from me..."
Naruto scratched his head in confusion but still moved his stool farther away. "Is this okay?"
Hinata secretly peeked out through a gap in the quilt and gave a slight nod. "Y-yes, that's okay..." She then poked her head out, but as she looked around, she suddenly realized she was in Naruto's bedroom. Was the bed she was lying on Naruto's bed? Was the quilt she was clutching Naruto's quilt? In an instant, her heart began to beat wildly again.
"Hinata, are you okay?" Naruto asked from across the room.
Hinata blushed. "Y-yes, I'm okay... I just..."
"Don't say it, I get it!" Naruto interrupted, his face a mask of guilt.
"Naruto-kun, y-you understand?"
"Of course! It must be because my Whirlwind Fist was too powerful and it hurt you!"
Hinata's expression was complicated, but she nodded anyway, unable to correct him. "Well, your new ninjutsu is very powerful, Naruto-kun..."
Naruto bowed his head in a sincere apology. "I'm so sorry, Hinata! You were helping me so much, and I ended up hurting you!"
A gentle smile touched Hinata's lips. "It's okay, Naruto-kun..." She clutched the small blanket, not daring to show her entire face. "However, your Wind Body Flicker is even more powerful. With such incredible speed, in a real battle, it would definitely catch an enemy completely off guard."
Hearing her praise, Naruto couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. "Of course! My new wind-style ninjutsu is my new ultimate move! Forget Sasuke, even that arrogant Neji couldn't stop it!"
Hinata nodded. "Yes, I believe you, Naruto-kun."
"Actually, Hinata, you're pretty amazing too," Naruto said. "Especially your Gentle Fist defensive moves. I felt like no matter how hard I attacked, you were blocking it, or like you were just taking all the force out of my hits."
Hinata's heart stirred. His words sparked an idea. "Really, Naruto-kun?"
"Totally!"
Hinata suddenly had a realization. She had never liked fighting or hurting people. But... if she focused on practicing the defensive applications of the Gentle Fist, could she become strong enough to protect herself and others without having to cause harm? Perhaps this was the development path that best suited her.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I think I have a good idea for my future now."
Naruto gave her a big thumbs-up. "Yeah, that's it! Hinata, you'll definitely be able to create a jutsu that's perfect for you, just like I did! Something like... the Guardian Gentle Fist!"
Hinata's eyes lit up. "Guardian... Gentle Fist? Naruto-kun, I understand. I'll definitely work hard!"
Naruto's casual idea had hit the mark. Often, the person least able to see themselves clearly is themselves. Hinata had been practicing hard, but she hadn't found the path that truly suited her. Naruto's offhand comment had given her a moment of sudden enlightenment.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun."
Naruto laughed. "Why are you thanking me? You're the one who's been helping me this whole time!"
Hinata smiled gently. "Well, you helped me a lot too, Naruto-kun. I... I will do my best to stand with you and fight by your side."
Naruto didn't quite grasp the deeper meaning of her words, but he gave a cheerful thumbs-up anyway. "Alright! Let's work hard together!"
Naruto spent the rest of his summer vacation in a fulfilling blur of studying and practicing. He continued to take lessons from Hinata and also studied hard on his own. During this time, he not only focused on increasing his chakra capacity but also worked to integrate and perfect all the techniques he had learned. After more than ten days of relentless effort, he had gradually improved all of his ninjutsu to a level of near-mastery.
By the end of the summer vacation, Naruto checked his current status again.
* **Host:** Uzumaki Naruto
* **Age:** 11
* **Identity:** Student of Konoha Ninja School
* **Chakra:** 1080
* **Ninjutsu:**
* Clone Technique (90/100)
* Transformation Technique (99/100)
* Substitution Technique (91/100)
* Chakra Refining Technique (100/100)
* Seduction Technique (93/100)
* Shadow Clone Technique (98/100)
* **Taijutsu:**
* Basic Taijutsu (95/100)
* Shurikenjutsu (80/100)
* Konoha Cyclone (99/100)
* Konoha Great Cyclone (96/100)
* Konoha Strong Cyclone (96/100)
* **Hybrid Nin-Taijutsu:**
* Wind Body Flicker (80/100)
* Gale Palm (90/100)
* Whirlwind Fist (85/100)
* **Academics:**
* Ninjutsu Theory (92/100)
* Sealing Arts & Formulas (89/100)
* Tactical Calculations (91/100)
* Ancient Calligraphy (88/100)
* Shinobi History (95/100)
* Foreign Languages (92/100)
* Medicinal Herbs & Anatomy (90/100)
* Village Ethics (95/100)
* Practical Application (92/100)
* **Traits:** [Knowledge Absorption], [Stamina Monster], [Multitasking]
A confident smile spread across Naruto's face. *My Clone Technique, which used to be my worst, is up to 90. My other jutsu are all basically over 90 too. My only weakness is shurikenjutsu at 80, but I can't help that since I haven't practiced it much. The new wind jutsu are still only around 80, but they're also the most difficult. Plus, my academic scores are all around 90 now. If I take the test again, getting first place is almost a sure thing!*
Of course, what made him happiest was that he had completed his goal. His chakra had exceeded 1000 points, putting him on par with, or even above, a senior ninja. And his reserves were still increasing every single moment. This would become his greatest asset.
Now, Naruto thought, the only thing he lacked was real combat experience. Although he fought every day in his dreams, a simulated spar was still just a spar. It was different from a true life-and-death battle, where a ninja had to face all sorts of dangerous and complicated situations.
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