Chapter 548 Hinata's Feelings

Hinata, feeling both shy and helpless, found herself in Naruto's arms. She was drowsy, just wanting to sleep.

It was like being suspended in the sky, their souls intertwining and sharing a connection.

Naruto got up and stood by the balcony, gazing at the sunset. The cool breeze blew gently. The blood-red sunset reflected over Konoha, enveloping the entire village.

"This is really nice, living in Konoha feels so good."

By the time Hinata woke up again, it was already nighttime. Groggily reaching out, she realized she was lying in bed. When she fully opened her eyes, she saw that she was in an unfamiliar room, which made her tense up.

Her memory slowly came back, and Hinata remembered that she hadn't even bathed, causing her to cover her face in embarrassment. Then, she recalled something even more significant, and her face turned an even deeper shade of red.

There seemed to be many strange books on the bookshelf in the living room. And just looking at the covers made Hinata blush furiously.

'Guys being curious about this sort of thing must be normal, right? That's probably why he's studying so diligently…'

Little did Naruto know, the explicit books and comics he forgot to put away on the living room shelf had actually saved him from disaster… it's an odd mix of misfortune and luck.

If Ino had seen them, the prideful young lady would have been furious. But Hinata wasn't like that. She simply thought Naruto was earnestly trying to improve his... skills.

There's really no explaining such things, it's just a difference in personality.

The door clicked open, and Hinata carefully peeked her head out, holding her freshly dried clothes and wrapped in a towel. Seeing that the living room was quiet, she tiptoed toward the bathroom.

As she passed the sofa, she happened to glance over and noticed Naruto sleeping there, which made her stop in her tracks.

"Naruto-kun…" After thinking for a moment, she summoned the courage to gently nudge him. Naruto groaned softly as he woke up. When he saw Hinata bending over clutching a bath towel, he was stunned for a moment.

The curves of her body were hardly concealed by the towel, and what surprised him more was that… Hinata had woken up so quickly. He remembered that Hinata had been practically passed out that afternoon.

'Her stamina is impressive…'

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked as he sat up. Looking at Hinata's appearance, he couldn't resist pulling her into his arms and planted a few playful kisses.

He wasn't overly obsessed with physical affection.

"Why were you... sleeping here?" Hinata is no longer a young girl, and she wasn't as shy as she once was, "I just woke up and didn't see you."

"Shouldn't you be heading home tonight? I remember your father seemed to be very strict about the curfew. I was afraid of disturbing your rest so I just lay down here for a while." Naruto explained.

In reality, Naruto was worried that Hinata might feel overwhelmed after what happened earlier and wouldn't be comfortable lying beside him. Plus, Hinata couldn't stay overnight. If he let things drag out, it could create some distance between them in the future.

He was incredibly cautious when it came to both Hinata and Ino, paying close attention to every detail. He truly cared about both of them, after all, they were childhood sweethearts who grew up together.

The problem was, he couldn't really choose between them and both were precious to him. But for now, he couldn't just tell them he wanted both, so he was trying to handle things delicately.

"Alright, I'll go take a bath, and then I should be heading home." Hinata responded and walked quickly towards the bathroom as if escaping.

Seeing this, Naruto couldn't help but chuckled.

But just before Hinata reached the bathroom door, something seemed to cross her mind. She suddenly turned around and hurried back, her rapid movement making Naruto's heart skip a beat as he blinked in surprise.

Before he could ask, Hinata, blushing fiercely, pursed her lips and spoke up, "Next time…"

"Next time?" Naruto didn't quite understand, and looked up at Hinata who was pinching her towel, "What about next time?"

"… Next time, don't sleep on the sofa. It's bad for your health." Hinata's eyes darted nervously, her face flushed, "Besides, after what... happened, there's no need for that."

"What happened?"

"You…"

In the bathroom, the mist filled the air.

After finishing her bath, Hinata, feeling a bit tired, changed into her clothes. She pushed open the bathroom door, ready to say her goodbyes. However, when she opened the door, she found Naruto standing right there.

She pursed her slightly red lips, revealing a soft curve.

"I... I need to go home now."

"I'll walk you home. There's something I want to say to you." Naruto replied, taking Hinata's hand with a smile.

Hinata nodded, letting him hold her hand, her head lowered as she followed him out. Feeling the warmth of his hand, she let herself relax completely, her mind at ease.

She realized that walking with someone you trust like this was an incredibly comforting experience. As they walked down the corridor, bathed in moonlight, Hinata felt that this was nice, just the way it was.

"Hinata." Naruto suddenly called out.

"Ah?" Hinata was startled that Naruto had spoken so suddenly. She looked up and met his gaze.

Naruto had stopped walking. Standing in the corridor outside the apartment, bathed in silver moonlight, he looked at her. Hinata raised her eyes, which are as white as freshly fallen snow, and looked back at him.

"We're going to be together, no matter what your father thinks. I've liked you for a long time. From the very beginning, I knew we'd end up together."

"So don't worry, okay? I'll handle whatever problems come up."

"Okay." Hinata replied, her eyes misting over. The emotions she'd been holding in all day finally melted away. Even though her eyes were wet, she didn't cry in the end.

"I like you too, Naruto-kun, I always have, and I always will. I'll keep liking you... forever." Hinata's voice trembled with both joy and emotion.

She threw herself into Naruto's arms, hugging him as tightly as she could, as if by doing so, she could hold on to him and keep their happiness intact forever.

As they walked down a secluded path off Konoha's main street, hand in hand, Hinata couldn't help but ask nervously, "Will you be gone for a long time this time?"

"It won't be too long. I'll be back in a few months at most." Naruto said, slipping his arm around Hinata's waist in a slightly mischievous gesture.

"But I will miss you." Hinata said, her tone unusually soft and spoiled.

"Don't we have a communicator? Oh, wait, it only works within Konoha for now." Naruto tapped his head, realizing the limitation.

"How about I postpone the trip and stay with you a little longer?"

"No." Hinata shook her head firmly, "Just come back as soon as you can. If you delay, it won't be good for you."

After thinking it over, Naruto realized she was right and didn't argue further.