Chapter 547 Naruto's Routine

Time passed, and the smell of food filled the air.

Naruto's cooking skills weren't bad, he was just usually too lazy to put them to use. The meal he was preparing smelled good, but it still couldn't quite compare to Hinata's cooking.

After all, Hinata had learned from a professional teacher. As a member of the Hyuga Clan, she had undergone formal training. All women of the Hyuga Clan weren't obligated to cook, but they were required to know how.

Speaking of the Hyuga clan, they were a bit stubborn. Like the Uchiha Clan, they were one of the ancient clans. While the Uchiha had adapted and evolved, the Hyuga Clan still held on to their self-righteous ideals.

After the Uchiha Clan had been decimated, the Hyuga Clan proclaimed themselves the most powerful in the village, clinging to their history and status. They carried themselves with a sense of superiority and loved to flaunt it in subtle ways.

Once Naruto finished setting the dishes on the table, Hinata snapped out of her thoughts and helped. Her face was flushed. But whether from the warmth or from embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

At the dining table, Naruto grabbed a bottle of sake from the fridge, but only poured himself a drink. Hinata drank warm water, and the two continued chatting about some other topics.

Just when they were almost done with the meal, Naruto accidentally used too much force when serving soup to Hinata, splashing it onto her shirt.

"Ah!" Hinata gasped as she looked down at her soaked clothes, frowning slightly.

Seeing this, Naruto was stunned and gasped. He quickly grabbed some tissues and gave it to Hinata, his face full of guilt.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"… It's okay. I'll just wipe it off." Hinata said as she lowered her head to clean up the mess. However, since it was summer and her clothes were thin, the soup had already soaked through, making it difficult to clean off.

Hinata suddenly felt a bit flustered. She wanted to take a shower, but didn't know how to ask.

'Should I borrow Naruto's bathroom? Would that be too forward? But I didn't really want to go home either… not when I wasn't ready to face Father.' These thoughts only made her mood sink even further.

"Hinata, why don't you take a bath?" Naruto suddenly suggested, "It's not going to get clean even if you wipe it, right? What do you think?"

"… Okay." She had no reason to hesitate, as the sticky soup clinging to her clothes was uncomfortable.

"This way." Naruto stood up and led the way, pushing open the bathroom door with a click, "That's the washing machine and dryer. It's a new one, so you need to…"

While filling the bathtub, Naruto patiently explained everything to her before casually saying, " You can take your time," and left, closing the door behind him.

Hinata stood there, somewhat confused. She had only intended to take a quick shower, but since Naruto had prepared a hot bath for her, it seemed only polite to soak for a while.

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Naruto smiled as he swiftly cleared the dishes and brought them into the kitchen. After washing everything, he leaned back on the couch to read a book.

About an hour later, Hinata emerged from the bathroom, wrapped cautiously in a bathrobe. The dryer was still buzzing, masking some of the awkwardness.

In reality, Hinata was the only one feeling awkward. Wrapped in the bathrobe, she looked absolutely stunning. She didn't quite understand how it had come to this, but she had ended up taking a bath almost without realizing it.

She wasn't clueless, though. She had an inkling that the situation felt a bit strange, especially when Naruto suddenly stood up and said it was too hot, declaring that he was going to take a bath as well.

Hinata's alertness shot through the roof, and she nervously swallowed, her heart racing like a startled deer. She cast a glance at Naruto, but he had already turned his back to her and disappeared into the bathroom.

The click of the door closing left her fidgeting on the sofa, her mind racing with a whirlwind of thoughts. Her heart, which had just calmed down, suddenly started pounding wildly again.

In her fluster, she focused on drying her hair.

In the bathroom, Naruto stood under the shower, letting the warm water wash over him. Somehow, his mind wandered to a funny incident involving Choji.

Apparently, during a rather significant moment in his newlywed life, Choji's wife had spent a long time preparing herself, while Choji was only concerned with the practical side of expanding Konoha's population, and he hadn't given any thought to the atmosphere or ceremony. Later, Choji had drunkenly let this story slip to Naruto one time, who had teased him about it for half a year.

Naruto finished his shower quickly and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Even though he was shameless at times, he wasn't about to walk out in just a bathrobe and scare Hinata away.

"Huh?" Hinata, who was drying her hair, looked up abruptly when she heard the sound and her eyes met Naruto's.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked while rubbing his hair dry with a towel.

"N-nothing," Hinata stammered, watching as Naruto finished wiping his hair and headed back to his room to use the blow dryer. Suddenly, she felt a little silly for overthinking things, suspecting and worrying over nothing.

'Maybe... maybe Naruto-kun hadn't been thinking about those kinds of things at all.' But even as she told herself this, her heart remained unsettled, and she continued nervously drying her hair.

A few minutes later, Naruto returned and, naturally, took the blow dryer from her hands to help her dry her hair. His fingers danced through her half-dried locks, occasionally brushing the back of her neck.

The tickling sensation left Hinata's thoughts in a whirl, making her emotions even more complicated. She found herself wanting to confirm something.

'Was it because I wasn't charming enough?' This thought inevitably crept into Hinata's mind, stirring up a storm of doubt and insecurity.

By the time Naruto finished drying her hair, Hinata still hadn't fully gathered her thoughts. To her surprise, Naruto casually tossed the dryer aside and laid his head on her lap.

In that moment, two things were undeniable: the world's love for black stockings and the comfort of a lap pillow.

Hinata froze for a moment, then a small smile tugged at her lips as she reached out, her fingers gently threading through Naruto's hair.

Her face softened, and she spoke in a tender voice, "I really enjoy the days I spend with you, Naruto. You're the most important person in my life. That's why I'm so worried that one day we won't be able to be together. If only time could stop in this moment forever…"

Hearing Hinata's near-confession, Naruto tilted his head to look at her, though her face was obscured by something prominent.

"We'll always be together. Besides, your lap pillow is so comfortable, how could I ever leave?"

"Ah! Please don't say things like that!"

"But I'm telling the truth, though. Why can't I say that?"

"Well... okay. It's just really embarrassing... this lap pillow… I…"

Naruto continued to tease her, with a playful grin on his face. Hinata, flustered, couldn't find the words to respond, her ears turning bright red. Her voice trembled slightly, but there wasn't the slightest hint of displeasure.

With that, Naruto suddenly sat up and playfully pushed her down onto the couch.

"Sorry, Hinata, I got a little carried away."

"It's... it's okay. I'll just wipe it off." She replied, her voice barely audible.

The familiar conversation replayed again. Even though she said it was fine, Hinata was too exhausted to get up and take another bath. Out of habit, she reassured Naruto, as she is never one to blame others.

In the end, Naruto gently let her rest her head on his shoulder, wrapping his other arm around her back and whispering softly, "Your face is so red."