Beneath the wide oak canopy, Naruto sat beside Hinata as she caught her breath. The sunlight leaked through the leaves, painting specks of gold across her pale skin. Sweat rolled down her forehead, and Naruto reached over to gently wipe it away.
"Feeling tired, Hinata?" His tone was soft, calmer than usual.
Hinata's face flushed—maybe from exhaustion, maybe from him. "It's fine… everyone's working hard. I should too."
Before Naruto could answer, a grating voice interrupted. "Oi, you two—could you not act like a couple in a romance novel? Naruto, aren't you supposed to be on leave?"
Kiba stood nearby with Akamaru, looking about as done with life as anyone could.
Naruto gave him a sideways grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Didn't I tell you? I've got a week off." His tone had that dangerous calm that made Kiba's eyebrow twitch.
Kiba sighed. "And yet, you spend every day hanging around our squad? Vacation doesn't mean moving in with us, man."
Shino, already standing at a safe distance, adjusted his glasses silently. He'd learned from experience that being near Naruto when Kiba started talking was… hazardous.
"You ever think training time needs balance?" Naruto said flatly. "Besides, your class just got back from a mission. Maybe try resting instead of running your mouth."
Kiba crossed his arms. "Speaking of missions, what kind of assignment did you get that earns so much vacation, huh?"
Naruto's grin sharpened. "You really wanna know?"
Kiba blinked. "Wait—you're actually gonna tell—"
Naruto vanished. A single blow connected squarely with Kiba's stomach before he could even flinch.
Thud.
The world spun for Kiba. He doubled over, then slumped to the ground, out cold.
Naruto exhaled, brushing off his hands. "Problem solved. Hinata, let's keep going. Shino—mind dragging him off somewhere? Preferably far away."
Without a word, Shino grabbed Kiba by the collar and quietly disappeared.
Hinata frowned. "Naruto… that wasn't very nice."
Naruto chuckled. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. I barely tapped him. He's used to it by now."
Hinata smiled faintly. "Kiba's… carefree. He just doesn't think before speaking."
"Yeah," Naruto said, looking up at the clouds. "Back in the academy, we all thought being a ninja meant being strong and cool. Now we know better—it's a lot messier than that."
Hinata's eyes softened. "Naruto… about your mission. You really can't tell me?"
Naruto turned toward her, surprise flickering across his face. "Hinata…"
"I don't mean to pry," she added quickly, voice small but steady. "I just… want to know what you've been through. I want to understand you."
Naruto's chest tightened. He reached out and pulled her gently against him. Her hair smelled faintly of grass and soap. "You don't need to know everything yet," he murmured. "Not the ugly parts."
She didn't pull away. "But we promised to share things, didn't we? Whatever happens… I want to face it together."
Naruto went quiet for a long moment. His voice, when it came, was low and rough.
"…I killed. Bandits. A lot of them."
Hinata's hand tightened on his sleeve.
"I don't want you to have to see that side of me," Naruto continued. "But this world doesn't let anyone stay clean forever. If I can't keep you away from it… then I'll just get stronger. Strong enough to protect you from all of it."
The wind rustled the trees. Neither spoke after that. For a brief second, the world felt peaceful again.