Chapter 12: Hinata Fainted from Shyness, The Change of Fate

"Naruto, where's your lunch?"

"I didn't bring any. My home isn't far from here, so I'll just eat there."

Naruto stood up, politely declining Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji's invitation to share their lunches.

"I'm trying to lose weight. You can have mine," Ino offered.

"You don't need to lose weight. You're still growing, so don't skip meals." Naruto smiled as he rejected her offer and walked out of the classroom.

Hinata quietly opened her bento, lowering her head as if lost in thought. Her cheeks remained flushed, making her look particularly adorable.

"Well, he's gone now. You lost your chance to make him eat your lunch," Ino teased, smirking at Hinata.

"I... I wasn't trying to—"

"No need to be nervous, Naruto's not here anymore."

"I-I'm not nervous!"

Shikamaru and Choji exchanged glances and decided to ignore Ino's teasing.

"We can eat later. Don't you want to see where Naruto lives?" Ino's eyes gleamed mischievously as she suddenly grabbed Hinata's hand and ran after him.

Hinata hesitated, glancing at her lunch before swallowing nervously. "T-this isn't right. If Naruto-kun finds out, I—"

"If he finds out, we'll just sit down and have a meal with him. Maybe even try his cooking!" Ino chirped. "Besides, my family owns a flower shop, so I can just use the excuse of checking on the flowers I gave him."

However, just as they rounded the corner, Ino abruptly stopped.

Hinata looked up in confusion, only to see an older girl walking down the stairs toward Naruto. She casually took his hand and walked off with him.

Upon reaching his home, Naruto's expression momentarily turned cold before reverting to normal.

"As expected, the ANBU surveillance is still there. They're not as blatant anymore, though—one's disguised as a street vendor downstairs." He frowned. "Even 'Bear' still uses his 'live feed jutsu' to monitor me now and then. But at least it's happening less frequently."

He let out a deep breath, as if shaking off invisible chains. "At least now, in my own home, I don't have to pretend."

"I can't believe how tidy you are, Naruto."

"It's not that I like cleaning, it's just that I don't have enough furniture to clutter the place."

Pfft—

Tenten burst into laughter.

"You still wouldn't buy furniture even if you had money. Anyway, I'm starving! Hurry up and cook, stinky little brother~"

"Alright, alright. What do you want?"

"Three-flavored stir-fry!"

"Got it."

As Naruto stepped into the kitchen, Tenten's playful demeanor faded. She glanced around the barren room thoughtfully before heading toward the door.

"Alright, you've heard enough. Go eat your own lunch."

Caught in the act, Hinata instantly turned into a flustered mess, resembling a steaming kettle. Ino, on the other hand, remained unfazed.

Instead, she called out to the kitchen, "Naruto, sorry to intrude! We don't want to eat at school. Mind if we eat here?"

"Suit yourself."

Naruto had clearly noticed them following him, yet he hadn't turned them away. That meant acceptance.

Ino grinned and pulled Hinata inside.

As soon as they entered, they were hit with the stark reality of Naruto's living conditions. They stood silently, taking in the empty room and the faint sounds of cooking from the kitchen.

Even Tenten, normally full of energy, had no retort this time.

They all knew Naruto had a hard life, but seeing it firsthand was something else.

Ino clenched her fists in frustration. From the moment she first took notice of Naruto, she'd observed how the villagers treated him—how he couldn't buy what he wanted, how people cursed him for no reason, how just his presence made him a target of hatred.

But when she saw the small vegetable garden on his balcony and the worn-out fishing rod tucked into the corner, she finally grasped just how he had been surviving all these years.

Hinata bit her lip. She had always admired Naruto's strength—his bravery in the face of adversity. But she had never realized that he had been forced into this life, just like her.

Yet, he always smiled.

The meal was eaten in silence, the mood heavy. But once Naruto's cooking entered the picture, everything changed.

"Delicious!"

"Wow~!"

"Naruto-kun, you're amazing!"

"Naruto-kun, can I ask you something?" Tenten's voice carried a hint of mischief.

"Go ahead," Naruto responded nonchalantly.

"I'm gonna tell my mom not to make me lunch anymore. I'll just eat here instead, okay? I'll pitch in for ingredients! Oh, and Choji's family runs a BBQ restaurant, so we can ask him to bring meat! We'll handle the food—you just cook!"

She clung to Naruto's arm, shaking it like a spoiled child.

Naruto hesitated but ultimately caved under her persistence.

Even Hinata wanted to join, but remembering her family situation, she hesitated. "Naruto-kun... I-I can't bring ingredients, but I have money!"

Naruto chuckled at her nervousness. "Then eat up. One lunchbox isn't enough for you, right? There's still plenty left. How can you train if you're hungry?"

Ugh—!

Famous scene incoming.

Hinata turned scarlet and promptly fainted as steam practically erupted from her head.

The cause? Naruto's words.

The fatal blow? Naruto personally offering her a piece of meat.

The absolute critical hit? Her stomach growling in appreciation.

Gurgle—

Tenten and Ino grinned. Naruto had given his silent approval to their arrangement.

(＾－＾)V~

'Fast thinker!' Tenten flashed an admiring look.

Ino accepted the praise with a smirk before turning serious. There was still the matter of competition.

That afternoon, Iruka continued the chakra refinement lessons. Not everyone was a prodigy—it took most students at least a week to grasp the technique.

The ones who had already refined chakra either napped or whispered amongst themselves.

"So that's the plan?" Shikamaru yawned. "Troublesome, but interesting."

With his sharp mind, he instantly grasped what Ino was up to. Given the villagers' attitude toward Naruto, he understood why she was doing this.

Choji didn't think too hard about it. "I'm in. I'll bring extra meat tomorrow."

"I'll get some herbal ingredients and side dishes," Shikamaru added.

"I'll bring flowers for the balcony!" Ino chimed in.

"I-I have money! I'll buy drinks for everyone!" Hinata stammered, still blushing.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "The Konoha 12 are really just kids at heart."

At that moment, Ino leaned closer. "By the way, did you know? When I first came to school, Tenten told me Naruto was great at fishing and setting traps."

"We have Wild rabbits, wild boars, and more!"

Upon hearing this, Choji and Shikamaru's eyes lit up.

Meat! Barbecue!

Fishing? Setting traps?

"Troublesome... but interesting," Shikamaru admitted, feeling a rare spark of motivation.

Meanwhile, Ino had begun to distance herself from Sakura—not because of any deep conflict, but simply because their rivalry had faded. She found herself more drawn to Hinata and Tenten. Compared to Sakura, whose focus was entirely on Sasuke, they felt more interesting.

Naruto, uninterested in the conversation, rested his head on his arms, pretending to nap while secretly training.

This was good. With this new dynamic, he could practice in peace.

As for Hinata... perhaps this would lead to a change in her future.

She had fainted from embarrassment earlier, but Naruto had a different theory.

It wasn't just shyness—it was exhaustion. She expended a lot of energy daily but never seemed to eat enough.

Her Byakugan was the purest among the Hyuga. That kind of talent required proper nourishment to develop fully.

Unfortunately, unlike Naruto, she didn't have the Nine-Tails sustaining her. She had a steady source of food, but it wasn't enough to support her full potential.

Among the Konoha Twelve, Naruto and Hinata were probably the most malnourished.

Later, after becoming a genin, missions provided an income and a bit more stability. Over time, Hinata's nutrition improved, and the results were clear.

Naruto smirked to himself. He could imagine how it had gone—eating at home before missions, being treated to meals by Kurenai after training, and using mission pay to buy food on the way home.

And yet, even then, she probably still went to bed hungry some nights.

He let out a soft chuckle.

…

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