They left the apartment. This time, he walked beside her. He didn't take her hand, but he matched her pace, walking a little slower so she wouldn't have to rush.
The silence between them on the dark street wasn't comfortable. But it wasn't terrifying, either. It was... expectant.
They reached Ichiraku. The lights were still on. Noise and steam spilled out from the curtain at the entrance.
Naruto stopped before going in. He turned to her.
"Hey."
Hinata looked at him, her pale eyes shining in the lantern light. "Yes?"
"Temari can be a little rough. She's from Suna. They're different. But she's not bad. I think."
Hinata nodded. "I... I know."
"Just... don't freak out, okay? If they say something weird. Or if Teuchi wakes up and starts spouting nonsense again. I'll be right there."
Hinata looked at him. A new emotion shone in her eyes.
"Thank you, Naruto kun."
"No problem!" He smiled. "Now, for ramen!"
He lifted the curtain and held it for her.
Inside, the stall was still lively, though a little less crowded than before.
Sakura and Temari were still there, sitting in the same spot at the counter. They were deep in conversation, gesturing.
They looked up when Naruto entered, with Hinata close behind him.
Sakura's smile was instant and warm. "Naruto! I thought you'd fallen down a well! And Hinata! Great to see you!"
Temari looked up. Her expression was harder to read. She watched Hinata with intense curiosity, her green eyes sizing her up. There was no hostility. But no warmth, either.
"Hyuga," she said, as a greeting. It was a simple acknowledgment.
Hinata tensed visibly at Temari's direct gaze. Instinctively, she took a small step behind Naruto, partially hiding behind his back.
Naruto noticed. He felt her shrink behind him.
Without thinking, he put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. It was a light gesture. Protective. Reassuring.
"Hey!" he said, his voice cheerful and a little too loud. "I'm back! And I brought reinforcements!"
He gently nudged Hinata forward, putting her at his side.
"Temari, this is Hinata Hyuga." He paused. "My fiancée."
Hinata blushed fiercely at the word, her cheeks burning. But she didn't faint. She took a deep breath and, with surprising dignity, gave a small, perfect bow.
"I-it's a pleasure to formally meet you... Temari san." Her voice was quiet, but clear.
Naruto smiled, proud of her. "And Hinata, this is Temari! You know, from Suna! She's a Jōnin! And she's my boss now! Which is weird! And she's the Kazekage's sister! Which is cool! But she's not as scary as she looks! Just a little!"
Temari shot Naruto a death glare. "Shut your mouth, Uzumaki. Before I shut it for you."
She turned to Hinata. Her voice became formal. Professional. But not cold. There was a hint of reluctant respect in her tone.
"It's a pleasure, Hinata san. Naruto has told me... some things about you."
Hinata swallowed, her eyes wide. "Oh."
Sakura noticed the tension and stepped in. She patted the empty stool next to her.
"Sit! Sit! We saved you spots! Hinata, sit here!" She pointed to the stool between her and Naruto. "Teuchi! Two more bowls! Miso for the lady!"
Teuchi, who had been snoring softly with his head on the counter (and a small red bump where the pan had hit him), woke with a jolt.
"Huh?! Ramen?! Yes! Two more! Right away!" He got to work automatically, still half asleep.
Naruto guided Hinata to the stool between him and Sakura. Temari was on Naruto's other side.
They sat. Naruto was in the center, with the Suna kunoichi on one side and the Hyuga heiress on the other. Sakura completed the group.
"You want the miso?" Naruto asked Hinata, trying to sound casual. "Or do you prefer shoyu? The pork here is great! Teuchi marinates it in... something secret!"
"M-miso is fine, Naruto kun. Thank you," she whispered.
Ayame served them the steaming bowls. The delicious smell filled the air.
Naruto inhaled deeply. "AHHH! Real ramen!"
He started devouring his. He was starving, he had barely eaten in days (which was almost true).
Sakura and Temari resumed their conversation, though they spoke a little quieter now, aware of Hinata's presence.
"...so I told Shikamaru," Temari was saying, gesturing with her chopsticks, "'if you mention clouds or tactical naps one more time, I'm using this fan to create a personal typhoon just for you, right here, in the middle of the Hokage's office.'"
Sakura laughed. "Hahaha! You should do it! I found him sleeping in the surgery room once! Using a stack of patient reports as a pillow!"
"Unbelievable!" Temari said, shaking her head.
"Exactly," Sakura nodded.
Naruto, in the middle of a loud slurp of noodles, noticed Hinata's silence. She was sitting very straight, eating her ramen in small, neat bites. Her eyes stayed low, fixed on her bowl. She kept stealing furtive, nervous glances at Temari every few seconds.
He felt... awkward. Guilty again.
He leaned toward her, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Everything okay?"
Hinata jumped, almost dropping her chopsticks in the broth. "Y-yes! Naruto kun!"
"You sure?" he whispered. "You don't like the ramen? I knew it was too good to be true! Nobody dislikes ramen!"
"N-no! It's delicious!" she whispered back, hastily. "Really! It's the best miso I've ever had! I-it's just..."
Her gaze drifted to Temari, who was listening intently to something Sakura was saying.
Naruto understood.
He lowered his voice even more, almost a murmur against her ear. "Don't worry about her. She talks a lot, but I think she's good people. Just... really bossy. And she likes spiders, apparently."
Temari spun around. "What did you say, Uzumaki?"
Naruto jumped back. "NOTHING! I said... the ramen is delicious! And that spiders are... misunderstood!"
Temari stared at him for a long second, eyes narrowed. Then, she huffed and turned back to Sakura. "I hear you, Uzumaki. I have good hearing."
"I know!" Naruto muttered to himself. Then, he whispered to Hinata, "See. Harmless. Mostly."
Hinata let out a small, choked laugh.
Sakura, noticing the interaction, decided to include Hinata in the conversation. She turned to her, her smile kind.
"Hinata, how is everything at the compound? I imagine things are... tense. Are the elders driving you crazy?"
Hinata was surprised by the direct question. She put down her chopsticks. "W-well... it's... complicated."
She looked at her hands in her lap. "With... with Hanabi chan as the heiress now... and... and Father..." Her voice trailed off.
Temari spoke up. Surprisingly, her voice wasn't harsh. It was... understanding.
"Being a Kage's younger sister isn't easy, either."
Hinata's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. Sakura also looked at Temari, intrigued.
"They always expect you to meet expectations," Temari continued, her gaze distant for a moment, as if remembering something. "That you'll be as strong as him. Or that you'll get out of the way and not cause him trouble."
There was a personal touch in her voice. A vulnerability Naruto had never heard before.
Hinata looked at Temari. She saw something in her eyes. An unexpected connection.
"Y-yes," Hinata whispered. "It's... it's like that."
Naruto watched this. He felt a little out of place, outside of this secret conversation. He saw Temari showing a different, less abrasive side. He saw Hinata interacting, even if minimally, with someone other than him or Sakura.
Sakura noticed the connection and took the opportunity. "And how do you handle it, Temari san? The pressure. The expectations."
Temari shrugged, her expression becoming more reserved, but not completely. "Someone has to do it. Kankuro is good with puppets, but politics... isn't his thing. And Gaara..." She paused. "Gaara needs support. People he can absolutely trust. So... I do it."
There was a moment of respectful silence.
"That's... that's admirable, Temari san," Hinata said quietly.
Temari looked at her. A faint smile touched her lips. "I call my Kazekage brother an idiot at least three times a day. I don't know if that's 'admirable'."
Hinata let out another laugh. This time, it was a little stronger.
The conversation shifted. They talked about training. Sakura asked about Temari's wind techniques. Temari asked about medical ninjutsu. Hinata listened intently, her eyes moving between the two kunoichi. Every so often, she would ask a small question, her voice a little firmer each time.
Naruto felt... a little out of place with all this serious talk. But he didn't mind.
He was happy. Happy that Hinata wasn't terrified. Happy that she was... participating. Eating ramen. Almost... normal.
He finished his third bowl of ramen with a final, loud slurp.
He looked at Hinata. She had finished her bowl, too. She had even drunk the broth.
A small fleck of broth shined on her lower lip.
Naruto hesitated. He remembered his own ravenous hunger. He remembered his miserable pay. He remembered his silent promise to be... better. More considerate.
Right. Responsible fiancé.
He plucked the last slice of narutomaki from his own (now empty) bowl. It was the best part.
He pushed it slightly across the counter toward her.
"Hey."
Hinata looked at him, tilting her head.
"Want my last piece of narutomaki?" he said, trying to sound casual. "I'm already full."
He lied. He could have eaten another five bowls. But the gesture was there.
Hinata looked at him. She looked at the narutomaki. She looked at his face. Her eyes widened a little, a spark of surprise in them.
"R-really, Naruto kun?" Her voice was a whisper.
"Sure! I can't eat another bite! I'm gonna explode!" He patted his stomach. "Eat it! Before Teuchi sees it and eats it himself!"
Hinata smiled. A small, shy, but genuine smile.
With her chopsticks, she carefully picked up the slice of narutomaki.
"T-thank you."
She brought it to her mouth and ate it slowly, savoring it.
Naruto felt a strange warmth in his chest. It was even better than the ramen.
They paid. Naruto insisted on paying for Hinata's bowls, which left his frog wallet dangerously empty. Temari paid for hers and Naruto's. Sakura paid for her own and left a generous tip (probably feeling sorry for Teuchi).
They left the stall into the cool night. Sakura and Temari walked ahead, already deep in an argument about the best way to torture Shikamaru into working (Sakura suggested sleep deprivation, Temari advocated for direct physical threats).
Naruto and Hinata walked behind, a few steps back.
The silence between them now was... comfortable. Tired. But comfortable.
"Well..." Naruto said finally, breaking the silence. "That wasn't so bad, right? Nobody yelled. Nobody got hit with a pan. Success."
Hinata nodded. Her voice was a little stronger now. Clearer. "No. It wasn't bad. It was... nice."
She looked at Naruto. "Thank you... for coming back to get me, Naruto kun. And for... for inviting me."
"No problem!" Naruto grinned, a genuine, easy smile. "That's what... what... friends are for! And accidental fiancés!"
Hinata let out a soft laugh.
They kept walking in silence for a moment, the sound of their footsteps the only thing on the quiet street.
Then, Temari stopped abruptly.
She turned, waiting for them to catch up. Sakura stopped beside her, curious.
Naruto and Hinata stopped in front of them.
Temari looked at Naruto. Her expression was serious again. Professional.
"Uzumaki."
Naruto straightened instinctively. "Yes, boss!"
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Six in the morning."
"SIX?!" Naruto groaned. "But my job! The archives! The rat thing!"
"You don't work in the archives anymore," she reminded him. "You work for me. Six o'clock. Training Ground 3."
Naruto blinked. "Training ground? What for? Are we having the meeting there? More outdoor paperwork? Are we going to fight squirrels?"
Temari smiled.
It was a challenging smile. Full of anticipation. And a little... sadistic.
"No."
She paused, enjoying his confusion.
"We're going to see if the Hyuga heiress's 'fiancé' can keep up with a Jōnin from Suna in a training match."
Naruto's eyes flew open. "A match? You and me?"
"Yes," she said. "I want to see what you're made of, 'Liaison'. I want to see if you're more than just noise and stupidity."
She glanced at Hinata, then back at Naruto.
"Bring your lunch. Or ask your fiancée to pack one for you." Her smile widened. "You're going to need it."
She turned. "Good night, Haruno. Hinata san."
And she left, her fan tapping gently against her back with each determined step.
Naruto stared at her back, dumbfounded.
Sakura burst out laughing. "Oh, this is going to be good! I bet a hundred ryo Temari kicks your ass before breakfast!"
"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "I'm strong! I've trained!"
"Yeah, yeah," Sakura said, still laughing. "Well, I'm going home to sleep. Good luck tomorrow! Try not to die!"
She left in the opposite direction, still laughing.
Naruto and Hinata were left alone again on the dark street.
Naruto looked in the direction Temari had gone. Then he looked at Hinata.
"Did she... did she just challenge me to a fight?"
Hinata nodded, her eyes wide. "I... I think so, Naruto kun."
"At six in the morning!"
"Y-yes."
"After being up almost all night cleaning! And after working all day copying!"
"Y-yes."
"And she wants you to make me lunch!"
Hinata nodded again.
Naruto stared into space for a second.
Then, a slow, excited grin started to spread across his face.
"IT'S AWESOME BEING ENGAGED!"