The giant, expecting her to run away, was caught off guard. He tried to stop his momentum, but physics had left the chat.
Hinata fell forward. Her hands, instinctively reaching out to stop her fall, slapped against the giant’s massive bare chest.
At the same time, the giant tripped over his own club which he had lowered in confusion.
The giant fell backward against the canyon wall with a thunderous thud.
Hinata, propelled by her stumble, flew through the air and slammed into him.
The dust settled.
The entire battlefield went silent. Even Kiba stopped mid-spin.
The giant bandit leader was pinned against the rock wall. Hinata was pressing him against it. Her left hand was planted on the wall next to his head—the classic 'Kabedon' wall-slam move usually reserved for cool anime love interests. Her right hand was resting on his pectoral muscle. Her face was inches from his, her breathing heavy from the exertion.
Because of the height difference, she was actually standing on her tiptoes, leaning into him, looking deeply into his eyes with her Byakugan active.
To anyone watching, it looked like the timid Hyuga princess had just aggressively pinned the bandit leader against the wall and was about to seduce him.
The bandit leader’s face turned a bright, beet red.
"Uhh..." the giant stammered, dropping his club. "Lady... you are... very forward."
Hinata blinked, realizing her position. Her face went from pale to a shade of red that rivaled the bandit’s.
"I... I..." she squeaked.
"Netorare Situation Detected!" The System announced, practically blowing trumpets in my head. "The 'Aggressive Dominance' Event against an Enemy Leader. High Rarity! Forbidden Love Bonus Active! Shy Points Gained: Two Thousand."
("Two thousand?! That is more than I get for saving the village!")
I knew I had to act. I leaped from the ridge, landing with a heavy impact between them.
"Get your hands off her, you overgrown gorilla!" I shouted, channeling every ounce of fake jealousy I could muster.
I grabbed Hinata by the waist and pulled her back.
"Naruto-kun!" she cried, burying her face in my chest. "I didn't mean to! The pebble! It was the pebble!"
"I know, I know," I said, patting her head while glaring at the bandit.
The bandit leader looked strangely disappointed that she had moved away. "Hey! We were having a moment!"
"The only moment you are going to have is a moment of pain!" I yelled.
("System, I have two thousand three hundred points total now. What can I buy to end this fight instantly? I need a finisher.")
"Recommendation," the System said. "Unlock 'Uzumaki Barrage' Muscle Memory (500 points) and 'Shadow Clone Capacity Upgrade: Five Clones' (1000 points)."
("Do it!")
I felt the surge of power again. My chakra pathways widened slightly. The knowledge of the combo flowed into my brain.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" I shouted.
This time, five Narutos popped into existence around the bandit leader.
"Wha-? More of you?" the giant confusedly looked around.
"U-zu-ma-ki Barrage!" we all shouted in unison.
Four clones slid under the giant’s guard, kicking him into the air. The real me jumped up above him. I felt the adrenaline pumping. This was it. My first real finisher in this world.
I spun in the air, bringing my heel down on the bandit’s head.
"Drop dead!"
Wham!
The giant slammed into the ground, creating a small crater. He groaned once, his eyes rolling back into his head, and passed out.
The remaining bandits dropped their weapons. Their leader had been seduced and then stomped into the ground in under thirty seconds. Their morale was broken.
"We surrender!" one of them cried.
Yamato landed next to me, looking impressed but also deeply confused.
"Naruto," Yamato said slowly. "Good work on the finish. But... why did Hinata pin him against the wall first?"
Hinata was currently hiding behind a rock, refusing to come out.
"Psychological warfare, Captain," I said with a straight face. "She confused him with her... uh... charisma. It created an opening."
Sakura walked over, dusting off her hands. "That was the weirdest fight I have ever seen. Hinata, are you okay?"
"Leave me here to die," Hinata’s voice drifted from behind the rock.
"She is fine," I said. "Just working through the adrenaline."
Kiba and Shino were rounding up the prisoners. Kiba walked past me and whispered, "Dude, your girlfriend is terrifying. I think that bandit fell in love with her before you knocked him out."
"Don't remind me," I grumbled.
I checked my status as the team began to tie up the bandits.
Shy Points Balance: Eight Hundred. (After spending 1500).
I had spent a lot, but I was getting stronger. I could now make five clones and use water walking. I was slowly becoming a ninja again.
But as I looked at Hinata, who was still mortified, I realized the cost. The poor girl was going to have a heart attack from embarrassment before I became Hokage.
"Hinata," I said, walking over to her rock.
She peeked out, her eyes teary. "I am a disgrace to the Hyuga clan. I pinned a bandit. A smelly bandit."
"You were great," I said softly, crouching down. "You distracted him. Without you, he might have smashed us with that club. You saved us."
She looked at me, hope returning to her eyes. "Really? You... you do not think I am weird?"
"I think you are the strongest Kunoichi I know," I said. "And the clumsiest. But mostly the strongest."
She smiled weakly.
"System," I thought. ("Is there any way to turn this off for a bit? She needs a break.")
"The Buff is permanent," the System said. "But you can purchase 'Safety Goggles' for her from the shop. It prevents visual misunderstandings for one hour. Cost: One Hundred Points."
("Buy it. Now.")
I reached into my pocket and pretended to pull something out. It was a pair of invisible, metaphorical goggles that the System applied.
.....
...