The last light of the setting sun spilled over the grass, painting the clearing gold. Two shadows stretched long against the earth — one loud and untamed, the other quiet and trembling.
Naruto leaned back on his hands, grinning faintly at Hinata beside him. There was warmth in his eyes, the kind that wasn't born from sunlight. Tomorrow he'd be leaving the village, so she'd stayed with him all day. Between them hung that small ache of parting, something gentle and heavy all at once.
"Na–Naruto…" Hinata's voice was soft, caught between hesitation and courage. Her face flushed, whether from the setting sun or the boy beside her, neither of them could tell.
"Hm?" Naruto turned his head, a touch of confusion in his tone.
"Please… be careful on your mission." Her voice nearly broke halfway through.
Naruto smiled. "I will. You know me — if I want to leave, no one can stop me. It's just some bandits this time, nothing to worry about."
His words carried that familiar bravado, but the way he looked at her — the way his chest eased — betrayed the warmth blooming quietly behind it. He reached out, wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her close.
"With Hinata, I feel like I can handle anything," he murmured, eyes half-shut. The faint scent of lavender from her hair filled the air. His grip tightened for a heartbeat. "Yeah… this is happiness."
At the Village Gate
Sakura's jaw nearly hit the ground.
"Wha—how are you both this early!?" she blurted, staring at Naruto and Kakashi as though they'd broken some divine law. The sun hadn't even climbed high yet, and here they were — the two habitual latecomers of Konoha.
"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, sliding Icha Icha Paradise back into his pouch. Even his lazy tone carried a hint of amusement. Naruto just stood there with a knowing grin.
"Nothing… nothing at all." Sakura forced a smile, pretending not to question reality itself.
Kakashi gave a light shrug. He'd long accepted that logic often bent wherever Naruto walked.
"As shinobi, we don't just act for ourselves," Naruto said, glancing from Sakura to Kakashi. "We carry the trust of our clients and Konoha's name. You can be bored when you're free, but not on a mission."
Sakura wanted to roll her eyes so hard they'd disappear into another dimension. This from you? The king of tardiness number two? She swallowed the complaint and nodded like a model student.
"Good," Kakashi said, lips curving under his mask. "You'll understand more with time."
He looked ahead, the road stretching into mist. "Let's move. We've got a long way before our destination."
"Yeah." Naruto adjusted his pack and followed, flanked by Sakura and Sasuke.
The village slowly fell away behind them. Morning mist clung to the trees, and the scent of damp earth mixed with dew. Butterflies drifted between the leaves; dragonflies hovered over puddles like tiny patrols.
Naruto took a deep breath, letting it fill his lungs. For a moment, he simply stared at the living, breathing green around him — the vast world outside the village walls.
Before this, he'd only seen places like this in books or on the old TV. Seeing it with his own eyes felt… different. More alive.
Sakura and Sasuke weren't much better at hiding their awe. For both, it was their first real journey beyond Konoha. Sakura whispered under her breath about how beautiful it was; Sasuke pretended not to care, but his gaze lingered on every new sight.
"Don't get too distracted," Kakashi called back, already vaulting from branch to branch. "There'll be plenty of time to admire nature later. For now — keep up."
"Yes, sensei!"
The three answered in unison, their voices echoing through the forest.And just like that, the young squad of Konoha leapt into the unknown, their silhouettes vanishing into the morning light.