The world around her pulsed with a single, unified rhythm. Forests of bone-white, chitinous structures, smooth as polished ivory, spiraled towards a sky of luminous, silver-grey mist. The ground beneath was a soft, pearlescent membrane that pulsed with a light. This was Klyntar. The Cage.
Hinata hung suspended in the very heart of it all. Her midnight-blue armor was a stark contrast to the living world around her. She was cocooned, held aloft by hundreds of slender, milky-white organic appendages that had sprouted from the chamber walls, each one interfacing directly with the seams of her armor. Her eyes were closed, her face serene, but the intricate, silver Klyntar Weave just visible at her neck and temples flickered erratically beneath her skin. Beneath her eyelids, her eyes moved quickly, processing a large amount of information that would have vaporized any human mind.
She and Venom had opened their minds completely, pouring out every sensory detail, every analyzed memory, every piece of hard-won data from their recent battles. The Akatsuki rings, their strange composition resonating with an ancient coldness. The monstrous, plant-like spy, a biological paradox. And most importantly, the great statue, the Husk. The entirety of the Klyntar Hivemind, a consciousness of billions filtered through the lens of eons, was now focused on these fragments, analyzing them.
A consensus formed, a tidal wave of thought that washed over her mind.
It's not from here, Hinata thought, her own consciousness a single point in the vast ocean of the Hivemind. But it felt… dead. Empty.
Her mind was flooded with a new stream of data, a schematic of the Husk laid bare.
A cataclysm? Hinata projected the question, a flicker of cold dread running through her. What could do that to a creature so massive? And what was its purpose? Why would anyone create such a thing?
The response was a vision. A simulation, an approximation extrapolated from the available data, bloomed in her mind's eye. She saw the Husk as it might have been millennia ago: a titanic, ten-tailed horror of unimaginable power, its roars shaping mountains, its movements carving valleys. She saw it clash with an unseen force, a battle that tore the sky and boiled the seas. The Hivemind's chorus provided the analysis.
The vision shifted. She saw schematics, star-charts, comparisons to other cosmic threats archived within the Klyntar's collective memory.
An image from her memory flared into existence for all to see: Gaara, suspended in the air, his life force being violently siphoned into the mouth of the great statue.
Hinata's focus narrowed, a lance of pure, cold fear piercing her. And Naruto… the creature sealed inside him?
A wave of protectiveness washed over her, it caused the Weave on her skin to flare with a violet light. Why? Why would the Akatsuki try to revive such a thing? Do they truly believe they can control a creature that waged war on a planetary scale?
Mental images of the three Akatsuki rings, Sasori's, Deidara's, and the plant-spy's, materialized before her, turning slowly in her mind's eye.
Can we use them? Hinata projected, her thought a sharp, focused beam in the psychic ocean. The rings. Can they be used to locate the other members of this Akatsuki?
The Hivemind's response was instantaneous, a chorus of cold, regretful logic.
Another pause. The new data settled into her mind, catalogued and filed away by Venom. A new tool for a future. But the more pressing threat, the creature they had seemingly annihilated, still lingered. The spy. The creature of green and black. Tell me what it was.
Her mind was filled with images of the creature, as two separate beings forced into a grotesque union. The Hivemind's analysis began, cold and precise.
An image of the Fifth Hokage, flashed in Hinata's mind.
<…and the Jounin designated 'Yamato.'>
Yamato's stoic, wooden face appeared beside Tsunade's.
How is that possible? Hinata thought, her mind racing. Tsunade-sama is the granddaughter of the First Hokage… the one who could command the forests. An image from a history scroll, a powerful man with long dark hair and resolute eyes, surfaced from her memory. And Yamato-taichou, I never though that he was a relative to her… so this creature was made from Lord First's DNA?
The mental image shifted, the green biomass peeling away to reveal the swirling, sentient darkness of the Black Half.
The feeling of dread shot through Hinata. Her own thoughts, and Venom's, had been right. My clan? Was it made from a Hyuuga, just as the other half was made from the First Hokage?
Her mind churned. The Hyuuga's meticulously recorded lineage stretched back for centuries, a proud, unbroken line. She could recall the names of every clan head, every notable warrior. There was no one, nothing, that could connect to this… abomination.
Hinata felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as the implications became clear. A spy that could be anywhere, that could have been watching for centuries. How many historical events had it witnessed? Or influenced? The thought that so much of her world's history could be compromised was staggering.
Is it still alive? she asked, a sliver of hope in her thought. After our attack?
Then we have time, Hinata thought, a grim sense of relief settling over her. A new, horrifying theory began to form, connecting all the pieces into one terrible mosaic. The Akatsuki… they refuel the Husk using the Tailed Beasts… and then they will use its power to mass-produce these creatures. An army. They are building an army to invade…
The thought clicked into place with sickening finality. A giant alien vessel. An army of alien spies. It was exactly what she had once feared. An invasion.
The Hivemind's chorus washed over her, a current of calm, rational thought that tempered her rising panic.
And that was the true crux of the problem. That ancient, black thing. How Akatsuki were even controlling that thing? Hinata wondered, the question echoing in the vastness of the shared mind. The Akatsuki were powerful, but they were still fundamentally mortal. The black creature felt like something else entirely, a fragment of a different and older reality.
The Hivemind's response was a final verdict.
The directive, when it came, was cold, clear, and absolute.
The mental image of the green and black spy flared again, now cast in a far more sinister light.
A final, reassuring current of thought flowed through her, a promise of unimaginable power.
The cocoon of white appendages pulsed, and the flow of information intensified. Both Hinata and Venom absorbed it all, their two minds working in perfect tandem to process the torrent of data. The work had only just begun.
Five days. To the Klyntar Hivemind, it was less than a moment. To Hinata, it felt like a lifetime spent submerged in a sea of pure thought. The summoning seal had reappeared on the floor of the Hokage's tower and deposited her back into her own world. An urgent meeting had been called the moment she returned.
Now she stood in the center of the Hokage's office. Her midnight-blue armor was free of its helmet, her long, dark hair falling over the articulated plates of her shoulders. Private barrier seals shimmered invisibly at the windows and door, isolating the room from the world. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy with the implications of what she had said.
Tsunade sat behind her desk, her expression focused. Beside her stood Shizune, Jiraiya, and the two village elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Behind Hinata, were Kakashi, Naruto, and Yamato.
"Let me be absolutely clear, Hinata," Tsunade's voice was low, cutting through the heavy silence. "Your summons, this… Hivemind… has concluded that the Akatsuki are in possession of an ancient, non-terrestrial biological weapon. One they are attempting to refuel with the Tailed Beasts. And that the spy we encountered has a direct genetic link to me… and to Yamato."
Hinata's cerulean eyes met the Hokage's. "Correct, Hokage-sama." Her voice, a perfect harmony of her own alto and Venom's deep baritone, left no room for doubt.
Stillness settled over the room as the full weight of the revelation landed. Naruto's usual fidgeting ceased. Kakashi's single visible eye was narrowed in thought.
It was Koharu Utatane who broke the silence. "The situation is far more severe than we anticipated."
Homura Mitokado's gaze fixed on Jiraiya. "Jiraiya. Did any of your intelligence from the field even hint at something of this… scale?"
Jiraiya's expression was calm, but the usual levity was gone, replaced by a deep-seated gravity. "No," he answered evenly. "My network tracks movements, finances, political whispers. The nuts and bolts of their operation. I knew they were hunting the Jinchūriki, but I had no context for the ultimate why. I suspected a new, forbidden jutsu, perhaps a power play for a Fourth Great War." His eyes flickered towards Hinata with a newfound respect. "I never imagined… this." His expression turned grim.
"Hinata's intelligence correlates with the preliminary data we've extracted from Sasori," Tsunade continued, pulling a thick file from her desk. "And it fills in the terrifying blanks in Jiraiya's own reports."
Naruto, who had been surprisingly quiet, finally spoke, his voice tense. "The puppet guy… did he say anything else?"
"Our entire Torture and Interrogation Division has been focused on him since his capture," Tsunade said, her gaze firm. "Even Jiraiya has been… participating. Sasori has begun to reveal the identities of the other members, and some of their operational methods."
"It's strange," Kakashi mused. "For a shinobi of his caliber to break so quickly."
"His current condition is not conducive to prolonged resistance," Tsunade stated flatly. "And as we suspected, there is no deep loyalty among a pack of S-rank criminals. Merely a shared, temporary goal." She slid several thick folders across her desk. "He confirmed the identities of the two you've already encountered."
She revealed the first two images. One was a formal, chillingly serene portrait of Itachi Uchiha. The other was a more candid shot of Kisame Hoshigaki, a predatory grin on his face.
"And he has given us two more." She laid out the next two files. Kakashi and Yamato stepped forward to take them, Naruto leaning in between them to get a better look.
The first was a grainy surveillance photo of a tall man in a cloak, his face mostly obscured by a mask, but his eyes were visible, cold, dead, and calculating, with strange, green irises. Stitches held his head to his neck. "Kakuzu of Takigakure," Tsunade announced. "The Akatsuki's treasurer. A bounty hunter of legendary ruthlessness."
The second image was a hastily captured shot, likely from a terrified witness. It showed a silver-haired man, wearing a strange triangular amulet. He was laughing, a manic, bloodthirsty grin on his face as he brandished a massive, three-bladed scythe. "Hidan of Yugakure. A zealot from some death cult."
Tsunade slid another file forward. It wasn't a photograph, but a detailed, hand-drawn sketch compiled from multiple descriptions. It showed a figure bisected down the middle, one half a swirling, textured black, the other a smooth, pale green, both encased in a grotesque, venus-flytrap-like structure. "Sasori also gave us a name for your plant-spy. Akatsuki refers to him as 'Zetsu.' His current function appears to be reconnaissance and asset retrieval."
"And their leader?" Hinata asked, her voice a low, steady hum. "Did Sasori know of him?"
"He calls himself Pain," Tsunade confirmed, her tone grim. "He, and a female member with close ties to him, operate out of Amegakure. The Rain Village. Sasori never met him in person. All communication was through the projection jutsu. He believed there was at least one other member, but their identity was unknown to him."
The Rain Village, Hinata thought, a flicker of surprise running through her. Her theory had been close, but the name was wrong. Not Hanzo, but Pain. A new, unknown variable.
Homura Mitokado leaned forward slightly. "The internal structure of their organization is secondary. This… Husk." The elder's voice was dry as dust. "If they acquire every Tailed Beast…" His gaze flickered towards Naruto for a fraction of a second, and Hinata saw Naruto's shoulders tense, his jaw clenching almost imperceptibly. "…and reanimate this monster, it could destroy entire nations. That is the primary threat. How does this 'Pain' control or influence such a thing?"
All eyes turned to Jiraiya. His expression grew even heavier, a shadow passing over his features that Hinata hadn't seen before. It was something deeper than tactical concern. It was personal. "Sasori said that Pain has the ability to summon the Husk to any location where he projects himself through their rings."
"So the leadership of Amegakure has changed," Kakashi stated, processing the new information. "We've been operating under the assumption that Hanzo the Salamander was still in control."
"Which would explain their two years of relative inactivity," Yamato added, his voice a low monotone. "Consolidating power in a nation as closed-off as the Rain would require a great deal of time and secrecy."
Naruto finally broke his silence, his brow furrowed in confusion. "So, wait. How can he just summon it? Does that Pain-guy have some kind of summoning contract with that freaky dead statue or something?"
Jiraiya's gaze fell on Naruto, and for a moment, the usual playful spark in his eyes was gone, replaced by something ancient and weary. "No, Naruto. He doesn't need a contract."
He paused, his broad shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly as he turned his gaze to the polished floor. It was a small gesture, but everyone in the room noticed that.
"Jiraiya," Tsunade's voice was sharp, demanding. "What aren't you telling us?"
He let out a slow breath, the sound heavy in the sealed room. "Have any of you heard the legend of the Sage of Six Paths?"
Hinata's mind flickered. She had, in the dusty scrolls of the Hyuuga library, filed away with creation myths and children's fables. She had always assumed it was just a fairy tale.
"An old legend," Elder Mitokado said, his voice a dry rasp. "Rikudō Sennin. The supposed progenitor of all modern ninjutsu."
"More than that," Jiraiya said, his eyes still distant. "In the archives on Mount Myoboku, the story is treated as history. The legend says he defeated a monstrous creature of immense power. A beast with ten tails. After defeating it, he sealed its body in the moon." He finally looked up, his gaze sweeping over them. "The descriptions of that monster… they bear a disturbing resemblance to the Husk. I always dismissed it as myth, a fanciful exaggeration. But after hearing the analysis from Hinata's summons…"
"Even if the myth holds a kernel of truth, Jiraiya, what connection does this ancient myth have to the current threat?" Elder Utatane pressed, her tone impatient.
"The Sage of Six Paths was said to possess unique and powerful eyes," Jiraiya said, his voice dropping. "A dōjutsu of legendary power, fabled to be a gift from the heavens themselves. They were called the Rinnegan." He met Tsunade's gaze directly. "According to Sasori, the projected image of Pain… possessed those same eyes."
A wave of shock rippled through the room. The elders straightened up. Kakashi's visible eye widened, and even Yamato's stoic expression cracked with disbelief. Naruto just looked confused. Hinata, however, saw something else. Through her enhanced senses, she perceived the subtle flux of Jiraiya's chakra, the minute tells in his physiology. It was something older, heavier. Grief.
"Jiraiya-sama…" Hinata's doubled voice was soft, yet it cut through the silence. "Have you met this person before?"
Jiraiya's eyes met hers, and he gave a slow, pained nod. "During the Second Great Shinobi War. Tsunade, Orochimaru, and I… we fought for years in the endless rain of Amegakure. After the fighting subsided, I found three orphans. War-torn, starving… I took pity on them. I stayed behind for a time, taught them ninjutsu so they could survive." He took a deep breath. "One of the boys… one day, he awakened them. The Rinnegan. When I felt their training was complete, I left. Years later, I received word from the toads that they had died in one of the country's endless civil wars."
"You found a child with a legendary dōjutsu and you simply left him there?" Homura demanded, his tone accusatory. "Why not bring them to Konoha? They would have been accepted and integrated."
"They were Amegakure's children," Jiraiya answered, a hard edge to his voice. "They loved their home, for all its flaws. They wanted to be the ones to change it, to end the cycle of violence. I respected that. I respected them." His voice softened again, filled with a sadness. "It seems… I was wrong to leave them to that fate."
A heavy silence followed his confession.
Tsunade broke it, her voice all business, though Hinata could see the flicker of shared memory in her eyes. "We will discuss those children, Jiraiya. At length. Later."
Tsunade steepled her fingers, her gaze sweeping over the assembled shinobi, her face a mask of grim determination. "So, let's summarize the current situation. The Akatsuki are led by a man possessing the Rinnegan, a dōjutsu previously thought to be a myth. They possess the dormant, non-terrestrial body of a monster capable of destroying nations, which they are actively attempting to reanimate. And they have a spy, 'Zetsu,' likely created from my grandfather's DNA, capable of perfect infiltration and self-replication."
Her gaze settled on Hinata. "You're certain about the damage to this creature?"
"Hai," Hinata confirmed with a steady voice. "The severing of the link between its two halves was… catastrophic for it. It was not a physical wound that could be easily regenerated."
"And the recovery time?"
"According to my summons' analysis, a minimum of three to four months before it can regain full operational capacity."
"Good," Tsunade said, a sliver of relief in her tone. "That gives us a window. For now, the Akatsuki are blind." She leaned forward, her knuckles resting on the desk. "Which brings us to our next move. What do we do?"
"We go after him!" Naruto burst out, his fist clenching. "We know Pain is in the Rain Village! We should go there and stop him before he can do anything else!"
"Invade Amegakure?" Elder Mitokado's voice was thin and dry. "Child, do you have any idea what you are suggesting? The Rain Village is a fortress, and officially, it is a neutral nation. A direct incursion would be an act of war. Suna may stand with us, but Kiri, Iwa, and Kumo would see it as an act of aggression from the two nations. You could trigger the very war you seek to prevent."
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Our relations with the other great villages are tense at best. They would not simply take our word about an ancient alien monster. They would see it as a power play." She paused, her eyes hardening as she formulated a strategy. "For now, our primary objective is containment. We will prevent the Akatsuki from acquiring any more of the Tailed Beasts. We will assemble hunter-killer teams to systematically target the members Sasori has identified. Our intelligence divisions will be briefed and redeployed. Jiraiya, you will continue your… questioning… of our prisoner." Her eyes flicked to Hinata. "I need a formal, detailed report of everything your summons has analyzed."
"And we," Elder Utatane added, "will begin drafting the political framework to present this threat to the Daimyo and, eventually, to the other nations."
Tsunade's gaze softened slightly as it fell on Naruto. "Naruto. You've been working non-stop with the tracker teams for five days since your return. You've done enough." Her eyes shifted to Hinata. "And you. Your summons has provided the most valuable intelligence this village has received in a decade." She stood, her authority absolute. "I am thanking you both for your service. You are ordered to stand down and rest. What was discussed in this room is S-class information until further notice. Dismissed."
Hinata gave a crisp bow, and Naruto, looking slightly deflated but understanding, did the same. They turned and walked out of the office, the heavy silence of the room replaced by the quiet hum of the tower. It wasn't until the great doors of the Hokage monument closed behind them, and they were back in the open air of the village, that the fatigue finally hit.
Hinata could see it instantly in Naruto. The tension from the meeting had faded, leaving behind the bone-deep exhaustion of a week of constant vigilance. His eyelids were heavy, his shoulders slumped. She herself felt a mental drain, the after-effect of the intense, five-day communion with the Hivemind. Inside her head, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Venom was completely silent, a dormant presence recharging in the depths of her soul.
"Hey," Naruto's voice was quiet, a little rough around the edges. "I'll… I'll walk you home."
A soft smile touched Hinata's lips. She simply nodded.
They walked in a comfortable, weary silence. The setting sun cast long shadows across the streets. As they neared the Hyuuga compound, Naruto shuffled his feet, suddenly looking nervous.
"Um… Hinata?" he started, rubbing the back of his neck. He had a faint blush on his cheeks. "After you've… you know… rested. Do you think… maybe we could meet up? Somewhere private? Like a training ground, maybe?"
Hinata's heart gave a pleasant flutter. She saw the genuine hope in his tired eyes. "I would like that very much, Naruto-kun."
A wide, awkward, but sincere smile spread across Naruto's face.
The frantic energy that had gripped Konoha for the past week had finally dissipated. The village-wide spy hunt, a necessary but exhausting exercise in paranoia, had wound down, and the familiar, comforting rhythm of everyday life was reasserting itself.
Hinata stood in the center of a remote training ground, a quiet clearing ringed by a silent congregation of tall trees. Sunlight, filtered through the dense canopy, dappled the ground in shifting patterns of gold and green. A dozen scarred and splintered training posts stood around her. She wore her casual attire. A cool, pleasant wind whispered through the leaves. Inside her mind, the ever-present consciousness of her partner was a dormant, contented hum.
Then, a flicker. A familiar signature, warm and chaotic, registered on the edge of her senses. It was approaching. Fast.
"Hey, Hinata!"
The shout echoed through the trees, bright and happy. A moment later, Naruto burst into the clearing, a wide grin on his face. He was moving hastily and his steps were eager. A smile touched Hinata's own lips, and she began to walk towards him. As he drew closer, she noted he was holding something in his hands, a large box, its lid decorated with a colorful, hand-painted design of swirling leaves and blossoms. Her enhanced sense of smell picked it up before he was even within ten paces. Rich, dark, and sweet. Chocolate. The dormant hum in her mind shifted, sharpening into a low, focused thrum of interest.
Naruto finally skidded to a halt in front of her, his momentum carrying him just a little too close. His grin faltered as he found his line of sight completely filled by the soft, lavender fabric of her jacket, stretched taut over her chest. He blinked, laughed awkwardly, and took a hasty step back, craning his neck to properly meet her gaze.
He cleared his throat, a faint blush dusting his cheeks, and held the box out with both hands. "This is… uh… for you."
Hinata accepted the present, the weight of it surprisingly substantial. As she lifted the lid, a wave of rich, dark cocoa washed over her senses. The box filled with dozens of chocolates of every shape and size. There were glossy dark rounds topped with sea salt, creamy white swirls decorated with delicate sugar flowers, and complex, layered squares that promised a decadent filling.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said, her voice a soft, resonant harmony. Her cerulean eyes met his. "This is beautiful. It must have been very expensive."
Naruto's awkwardness melted away, replaced by a proud, beaming smile. "Nah, don't worry about it! After all those missions, and with my book selling so well, it's no problem at all! Believe it!"
Finally, a familiar, deep voice purred in the back of her mind, its previous dormancy completely gone. The primary male partner is fulfilling his duties. A most correct and appropriate offering. We approve.
An awkward, pleasant silence settled between them, punctuated only by the rustling of the leaves.
Hinata watched him, her senses taking in every detail. The way his blue eyes darted around, never quite settling on her, as if a thousand thoughts were running in his mind. The slight shuffle of his feet on the soft earth. He was trying to start conversation, but could not find any words.
"I... I've been wanting to talk to you," he started, his voice a little strained. "Properly, I mean. This last week has been… a lot." He took a breath, and his gaze finally locked with hers, serious and unwavering. "Even on my training trip… I thought about you. A lot. More than I probably should have."
A warmth bloomed in Hinata's chest, a quiet joy.
"You've... you've just become so amazing, you know?" Naruto continued, his voice earnest. "You're not just strong, you're... you're a total bad-ass."
Hinata opened her mouth to say that he, too, had become incredibly strong, but he wasn't finished.
"And... I really like spending time with you," he said, the words tumbling out a little faster now. "On missions, training... just... being around you. And… that other stuff… you know… at my place… that was… that was one of the best nights of my life." He finally took the plunge, his voice dropping but gaining a new, solid resolve. "What I'm trying to say is… I want this to be real. Us. As a… a couple. I want to be with you, Hinata. And… I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy. I promise."
The shy girl who still lived in the quiet corners of Hinata's mind was screaming with a joy so loud it was almost painful. This was the dream, the one she had whispered to herself in the lonely nights of her childhood, now made real and spoken in the voice of the boy who was the sun in her sky.
With a serene grace, she bent down and gently placed the box of chocolates on the soft grass. She straightened up and closed the distance between them, her towering frame casting him in her shadow. She placed one hand gently on his shoulder, the other coming to rest under his chin, tilting his head up to meet her gaze. His own hands instinctively found her waist, his fingers gripping the fabric of her jacket.
"I agree," she purred, and lowered her head, pressing her lips to his.
It was not the hungry, claiming kiss of the rooftop, nor the devouring passion of his apartment. This was a gentle press of lips, a quiet sealing of a promise. It was soft, and warm, and tasted faintly of ramen he'd likely had for breakfast. After a long, perfect moment, she pulled back.
Naruto's face was split by a grin so wide and bright it could have outshone the sun. He let out a happy whoop and pulled her into a fierce hug, burying his face in the warm, soft valley of her chest. Hinata returned the embrace, her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders, holding him securely. They stood like that for a long moment before finally parting, a new, comfortable intimacy settled between them.
Naruto, now relaxed and beaming, broke the silence. "You know, those Akatsuki guys… before, they seemed like some kind of unstoppable bogeymen. But we beat 'em. We actually beat 'em. It means they're not invincible." He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "When I fought that blonde bomber, I swear, when I smashed him with my Kanabo, his face just sort of… squished. Like in one of those cartoons. When he hit the ground, he left a Deidara-shaped crater!"
"I must have missed that part when I arrived," Hinata said, a genuine smile playing on her lips.
"Yeah, well, I think we only won because we caught 'em off guard," Naruto admitted, a hint of seriousness in his voice. "They never thought we'd catch up so fast. And our jutsus were just good counters for theirs. It was lucky."
"We will find counters for the others, too," Hinata reassured him, her voice a confident hum.
"Of course we will!" Naruto's confidence roared back to life. "And when you grew those cannons out of your arms? That was so cool! Like you were some kind of walking battleship!" He leaned in, his eyes wide with genuine, boyish curiosity. "What else can you grow? Like, a lot of tentacles that can wrap enemies from multiple sides? Or a shield? Or… or a giant drill that can tear a new hole in enemies?"
The implications of his words, innocent as they were, sent a hot blush creeping up Hinata's neck. "You were… also very cool, Naruto-kun."
Naruto's grin widened, his chest puffing out with a familiar, endearing bravado. "Don't think for a second I'm gonna let you leave me in the dust! I've been training like crazy, too! I've got a whole bunch of new moves that'll really surprise you! I've gotten way better at… lasting longer. And hitting harder!"
A new wave of heat washed up Hinata's neck, but this time it was mixed with amusement. She simply raised an eyebrow.
"So," Naruto declared, pointing a thumb at his own chest. "Let's spar! Right here, right now!"
The blush faded from Hinata's cheeks, replaced by a serene, almost predatory calm. The idea of a serious fight felt utterly absurd at this moment. She was far too happy for that. "A spar?"
"Yeah! I've always wanted to really go all out against you!" he said, already bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Very well," Hinata agreed, a playful glint in her glowing eyes. "But just hand-to-hand for now."
"You got it!" Naruto agreed instantly.
They moved to opposite ends of the small clearing, the box of chocolates resting safely on the grass between them. Naruto crouched low, his posture coiled and ready. Hinata simply stood, relaxed, a faint smile on her lips.
With a silent, shared understanding, they moved.
Naruto exploded forward, a blur of orange. His fists flew, a series of powerful, well-executed jabs and hooks that whistled through the air. He was faster, more precise than she had ever seen him. But Hinata had other plans.
She didn't counter. She didn't strike back. She simply flowed. She swayed to the left, letting a powerful right cross sail harmlessly past her ear. She ducked under a hook, the motion less a defensive maneuver and more a graceful bow. As she rose, she let out a soft, delighted giggle, her body spinning in a fluid pirouette that carried her just out of his reach.
Naruto's furious assault faltered. He stopped mid-punch, his expression is comically confused. "Hey! What are you doing?!"
Hinata smiled innocently, the silver Klyntar lines on her skin pulsing with a playful light. "We are sparring, Naruto-kun. And you have yet to land a single hit on me."
A slow grin spread across Naruto's face as he finally understood. The eager glint in his eyes shifted from competitive to playful. "Oh, I'll get you! You better believe it!"
The fight transformed into a chase. Naruto lunged, his attacks now aimed not to strike, but to grab. Hinata danced away, her evasions becoming more theatrical, more teasing. She'd leap over a low-sweeping kick, the motion showing off the powerful curve of her legs. She'd arch her back to avoid a grasping hand, a move that was both elegant and undeniably suggestive. His determined lunges were met with her delighted giggles, a sound that echoed through the quiet training ground and made his cheeks burn even as his determination grew.
"You can't catch me," she purred, her doubled voice a playful taunt.
Naruto skidded to a halt, a wide, confident grin on his face. He brought his hands together in a familiar seal. "We'll see about that!"
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
In an instant, the clearing was filled with an orange. The Naruto clones grinned in unison and then surged forward, a tidal wave of determined blondes. Hinata's eyes widened in amused surprise, and she laughed, a full, resonant sound of joy as she began to dodge and weave through the swarm. She was a graceful dancer in a chaotic, clumsy storm.
For a full minute, she was untouchable blur of lavender and black. But the clones were relentless, their sheer numbers a puzzle she couldn't solve forever. Finally, a clone from her left feinted high, forcing her to duck right into the path of another.
A blur of orange from the left, another from the right. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist from the front, another set latching onto her back. Two more materialized, each grabbing one of her powerful arms, their grips firm but not painful.
She was caught.
The original Naruto grinned up at her triumphantly, his face perfectly positioned for a breathtaking view of the valley between two lavender-clad mountains. A second Naruto was pressed firmly against her back, his cheek between her shoulder blades. The other two held her arms, their combined weight and strength finally stilling her movements.
Hinata stood perfectly still, surrounded by orange, and laughed.
A warm smile spread across Hinata's face as she looked down at the triumphant blond hugging her waist. "You win, Naruto-kun." She leaned forward and pressed a soft, quick kiss to his forehead.
Naruto's grin somehow grew even wider.
Then, a hesitant voice piped up from her right. "Um… can I get one, too?"
Hinata giggled, turning her head to the clone holding her right arm. He was looking at her with wide, hopeful eyes. She leaned in and gave him an identical kiss. The clone's face immediately broke into a stupidly happy, slack-jawed grin.
"Hey!" The clone on her left, who had been watching in surprise, started jumping restlessly, his grip on her arm jostling her. "What about me?! Me next!"
The clone on her back snuggled deeper, the rough fabric of his jacket a pleasant friction against her own. He stretched up onto his tiptoes, resting his chin on her shoulder from behind and letting out a contented sigh.
The sensation of being held so completely, of Naruto's warmth and presence surrounding her from every direction, sent a pleasant tingle spreading through her body. While the original and his clones began a low, bickering argument over who was next in line for a kiss, Hinata's breathing deepened. The silver-white glow of her Klyntar markings began to bleed at the edges, shifting into a soft, hazy purple.
Darker, more potent thoughts began to rise, from the depths of her mind. A vivid, detailed fantasy from not so long ago resurfaced. The delicious though of it… They were all here. She could have them all please her, worship her, right here and now. It would be… glorious. This training ground was remote. The chances of interruption were minimal…
Her thoughts, however, were cut short.
A sharp prickle of awareness, a shift in the air that had nothing to do with the wind, snapped both her and Naruto to attention. The clones instantly fell silent, their heads all turning in unison towards the village.
Hinata's Byakugan flared to life, her vision piercing through the dense forest. She saw them instantly. Four familiar chakra signatures. Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi, followed at a short distance by their sensei, Ebisu. Of all people. They were still a good distance away, and Ebisu seemed thoroughly distracted by his energetic charges, but their trajectory was unmistakable. Being found like this… would be a nightmare.
"We need to go," she whispered, the urgency in her doubled voice instantly understood. "And I am going to need help finishing those chocolates."
"Right!" Naruto yelped, a fresh blush rising on his cheeks. With a final, collective pout, the three clones holding her vanished in puffs of smoke.
Hinata quickly retrieved the ornate box from the grass. With a shared, mischievous glance, she and Naruto turned and slipped away through the trees, taking another route to find a quieter, more private place to continue their date.