Naruto stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes before slowly walking over to Hinata.
Sensing someone approaching, she instinctively shrank back.
Her head remained lowered, but she cautiously peeked up through her bangs.
When she realized the person standing before her was another child around her own age...
She stopped crying in confusion.
Then slowly raised her head.
Naruto smiled warmly.
"What’s your name?"
Hinata blinked.
Am I... dreaming?
She rubbed her eyes.
Looked again.
Rubbed them once more.
Then looked again.
Only after confirming it wasn’t an illusion did she finally stop crying altogether.
She hurriedly glanced around.
She was still in the same cave.
But...
Why was there another child here?
She remembered the ANBU arriving at her home earlier that day.
They had argued with the Hyūga clansmen.
The confrontation had nearly turned violent.
Afterward...
The ANBU spoke privately with her mother.
With tears in her eyes...
Her mother handed her over.
Not understanding what was happening—and unwilling to go with them—Hinata had cried and struggled.
Then...
A sharp pain struck the back of her neck.
Everything went black.
When she woke up...
She found herself inside this cave.
Surrounded by a group of masked ANBU.
The frightening masks alone had terrified her.
So she had started crying again.
She hadn’t even noticed there was another child nearby.
Watching her adorable reactions, Naruto secretly gave her a thumbs-up before speaking again.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto."
"What’s yours?"
"I... I’m..."
"Hinata Hyūga."
Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.
Yet in the quiet cave...
Everyone heard it clearly.
The moment she finished speaking...
She lowered her head again.
Her cheeks flushed bright red.
The nearby ANBU all widened their eyes.
What the hell?!
We spent forever trying to comfort her!
He just introduced himself...
And she stopped crying?
She’s even blushing?!
If Naruto knew what they were thinking...
He’d probably tell them to have a little self-awareness.
Just think about it.
A deserted mountain.
A dimly lit cave.
A flickering campfire.
Surrounded by ANBU wearing masks shaped like pigs...
Dogs...
Oxen...
Sheep...
Monkeys...
And tigers.
What was this?
The Chinese Zodiac?
If she wasn’t crying...
That would have been the real miracle.
"You..."
"Why are you here too?"
Although Hinata was usually timid...
Finding another child her own age made her afraid he might suddenly disappear.
So she gathered enough courage to ask.
Naruto smiled.
"Me?"
"The ANBU uncles are taking me to the battlefield."
"To play."
"The battlefield?"
"I’m going there too?"
"Will I get to see Father?"
Three-year-old Hinata knew nothing about the cruelty of war.
She only knew...
Her father was on the battlefield.
The thought of seeing him again instantly swept away much of her fear.
She even began looking forward to it.
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah."
"If you don’t believe me..."
"Ask the ANBU."
"They’re taking you there to meet Lord Hiashi."
He lied to a child without the slightest hint of guilt.
Then again...
Was it really a lie?
Technically...
It wasn’t.
Hinata timidly looked toward the ANBU.
"...Really?"
The ANBU nodded.
"Yes."
"We’re taking you to see Lord Hiashi."
Hinata’s face immediately lit up with a bright smile.
Naruto casually sat down beside her.
As he gently ruffled her hair, he said,
"Alright, Hinata."
"The ANBU uncles have been carrying us all day."
"They’re already exhausted."
"Let’s stop bothering them."
"Get some sleep."
Feeling Naruto’s gentle touch...
Hinata’s face instantly turned red again.
Her tiny hands nervously twisted the corners of her clothes.
"I..."
"My neck hurts..."
"I can’t sleep."
Naruto immediately understood.
When the ANBU had carried her earlier...
She’d been unconscious the entire time.
He turned toward them.
"ANBU."
The operative who had knocked Hinata unconscious looked slightly embarrassed.
Another ANBU stepped forward.
Like a startled little rabbit...
Hinata immediately grabbed Naruto’s shirt with both hands and hid behind him.
Naruto comforted her softly.
"It’s okay."
"The ANBU uncle just wants to check your neck."
"It’ll stop hurting soon."
She looked at Naruto.
Then at the ANBU.
Only after hesitating for a moment did she slowly step out from behind him.
The ANBU gently examined the back of her neck.
When she flinched in pain...
A soft green glow bloomed from his hands.
Healing Technique.
A basic medical ninjutsu.
A lower-level version of the Mystical Palm Technique.
Hinata felt the pain gradually fade away.
She blinked in surprise.
Amazing...
If someone could heal me like this every time I got hurt during training...
Then I wouldn’t be afraid of getting injured anymore.
Of course...
She was thinking far too simply.
Medical ninjutsu accelerated cell division to repair injuries.
It was meant for battlefield emergencies.
Or situations where wounds needed immediate treatment.
Using it repeatedly...
Would gradually wear down the body.
In other words...
Receiving frequent treatment was little different from chronic suicide.
Minor bruises from training were meant to heal naturally.
Otherwise...
A shinobi’s body would be ruined long before reaching middle age.
The ANBU judged the treatment sufficient.
He withdrew the technique.
Checked her neck one last time.
Then nodded.
"All better."
"T-Thank you..."
Hinata whispered shyly.
With the pain gone...
Sleepiness quickly overtook her.
Her little head began bobbing forward.
Naruto’s eyes flickered.
He gently pulled her into his arms.
Perhaps she sensed something was different.
Or perhaps...
She was simply looking for the most comfortable place to sleep.
Hinata shifted slightly.
Then quietly grabbed the front of Naruto’s shirt.
Closed her eyes.
And peacefully drifted off to sleep.
Naruto smiled.
Then slowly closed his own eyes as well.
Watching from nearby...
The group of unmarried ANBU exchanged strange looks.
Damn it...
We just got force-fed puppy love.
They’re only three years old!
How is this even possible?!
One ANBU let out a silent sigh.
If only I’d had that kind of courage back then...
My own kid would probably be this age by now.
...Sigh.
Inside the Sealed Space
"As expected of my son!"
Minato grinned proudly.
Back then...
He had always found excuses to follow Kushina around.
Waiting patiently for the right opportunity.
Then...
When Kushina found herself in danger...
He had stepped in without hesitation and saved her.
That one moment had earned him countless points.
But now...
Naruto had surpassed even him.
At only three years old...
He already knew how to seize the perfect opportunity.
Helping Hinata when she was frightened and helpless.
Instantly earning her trust.
Then...
Before she could put up any defenses...
He had already fallen asleep with her in his arms.
Minato’s proud smile gradually turned into a conflicted expression.
"Hinata is adorable..."
"But Izumi..."
"That little child bride is such an unbelievably good girl too..."
"How is Naruto supposed to choose?"
Nearby...
Kurama lazily cracked open one eye.
He watched Minato pace back and forth.
Smiling one moment.
Frowning the next.
After a long silence...
Kurama looked away in utter disgust.
...What an idiot.