TSoL Chapter 22 - Hinata makes a move

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Hinata and Naruto were walking together without any specific destination. They were both silent the whole time and nobody dared to say anything. Naruto was quiet because he was waiting for Hinata to start talking about what she wanted to discuss. The girl herself was panicking inside because she only had the courage to invite the blonde for a conversation but not for the actual conversation.

The first ten minutes passed just like that. Even Kushina returned inside the seal until they finally spoke, which slightly relaxed Naruto. That's why he looked around and realized that they had entered a part of the village where Naruto usually doesn't go. Even the looks thrown at him became much less negative and less frequent.

Noticing a small snack bar, Naruto pointed at it with his finger and said:

"Hey, Hinata-chan. How about we go in there and buy some snacks? Choji says that food always makes conversation livelier and easier."

Looking in the direction pointed out by the blonde, Hinata thought for a moment about his suggestion and realized that there were quite a lot of people inside the snack bar and it would be too uncomfortable for her to speak to him about her feelings there. The atmosphere there was definitely not the most conducive.

So she shook her head and replied, "T-to be honest, I don't think it's a good place for conversation like this, Naruto-kun."

The boy tilted his head slightly, not quite understanding what she meant. Seeing this, Hinata blushed slightly and said, "B-but I like the idea of talking over food. What do you think about taking the food with us and finding a less crowded place?"

Not seeing any problem with this, Naruto smiled and nodded his head, replying, "Of course, Hinata-chan. That would be even better. We won't have to deal with the constant stares of the residents."

Hinata just smiled bitterly at his words, as she had already learned about this strange and unfair prejudice against the object of her love.

Suddenly, Kushina appeared, once again bothering the blonde, and as someone who had been monitoring the situation from the seal all along, she immediately turned to her son and said:

"Naruto, invite her over!" She said this with a sparkling gaze, full of excited and almost childish interest.

Understanding that refusing his mother's "request/advice" would not result in anything good in the future, and considering the suggestion was actually not that bad, Naruto nodded imperceptibly and turned to Hinata, saying:

"Hey, Hinata-chan, how about you come over to my place? My apartment may not be the Huga estate, but considering the lack of neighbors, it's one of the quietest and most peaceful places in Konoha."

As soon as Naruto said this, Hinata froze in place with her mouth open, attracting the blonde's attention. She went over his words again in her head and realized that this could be the perfect turn of events for her. Moreover, it was very similar to the events in a novel she had recently read to improve her communication skills with Naruto.

Recalling a scene where the main heroine stayed alone with the guy she liked and how it all ended, the girl couldn't help but blush, nurturing a strange anticipation of the unknown inside her.

She looked at Naruto and nodded shyly, answering, "Y-yes, that would be perfect, N-Naruto-kun!"

The girl could barely contain her excitement. Moreover, not only Kushina noticed it, but also Naruto himself, who was a little confused by this.

«Does she really want to come to my place that badly?» Naruto looked at the girl in confusion, feeling a strange anticipation of something good inside him.

His mother's sly smile also indicated that he was missing something and even his great memory would not help him with this. Although he wanted to figure out what was going on, he didn't do it right away because his intuition told him that he would soon be able to overcome this shortcoming. The main thing was to wait for the right moment.

That's why Naruto just smiled carelessly at his friend and said:

"Then it's settled, let's buy some snacks and head over to my place."

Having said that, they did exactly as planned. After buying some food, they headed towards Naruto's apartment. Since they were quite far from his place, it took some time to get there, and all this time, Naruto tried to maintain a conversation, which was extremely difficult because the girl looked a little restrained and at the same time very excited, which was a rather unusual combination in the blonde's eyes.

Finally arriving at Naruto's apartment, he quickly opened the door and said:

"Well, welcome to the Uzumaki residence, Hinata-chan!" The blonde smiled happily as it was the first time he had guests over. He was glad that he had spent the last few months carefully cleaning and renovating his apartment. So now his home looks simply outstanding, especially compared to the chaos that was there before he met his parents.

Naruto still remembered the "scolding" his mother had given him when she saw his apartment. Memories of it run through his body with trembling. Fortunately, after the cleaning, she looked happier than ever, saying that it was not shameful to bring a girl to such an apartment.

Thinking about this now, he thought she was right. He would really be ashamed if Hinata came to his home and saw all the mess that was there before.

Deciding to put these thoughts aside, He invited her to his room, preparing a table next to the couch for snacks. While he did this, his mother returned to the seal again to "recharge" a bit, as she had already spent quite a lot of time out of the seal for today, and it was not easy for her to maintain her form on the outside.

Several minutes later, Naruto had already boiled the kettle and prepared tea for both of them. He served it to Hinata and himself, as his mother taught him. Sitting next to the girl on the couch, Naruto casually took a sip from the cup, and looking at the girl, asked:

"So, Hinata-chan, what did you want to talk about?"

Hinata looked at the blond next to her and squirmed nervously on the couch. She tried to figure out the best way to start, but she couldn't get herself together. She had imagined this moment many times, and now that it had finally come, she was simply lost.

The girl was glad that Naruto wasn't rushing her and calmly waited for her to start. That's why, after a minute of preparation, she finally spoke up, "N-Naruto-kun... I want to ask you something."

At that moment, Naruto's mother appeared next to him, watching the situation with deep interest. She turned to her son and, with glowing eyes, said, "Come on, son, do your best! If you mess up, Mom will give you a hint," the red-haired Uzumaki showed her son a thumbs-up.

Naruto tried to maintain eye contact with the white-eyed girl, but his eyes still twitched with slight irritation. He didn't understand what the hell she was talking about, but tried not to attach too much importance to it, focusing all his attention on the girl in front of him.

"Of course, Hinata-chan. You can ask me anything, dattebayo!" Naruto replied, flashing his signature smile.

This significantly reassured the girl, and she took a light sigh and exhale, after which she spoke up, "I want to know what you think of me," Hinata looked straight into the boy's eyes, with a slight blush on her face.

Tilting his head slightly, Naruto looked at the girl with a light incomprehension for a few seconds, then clarified, "What do you mean, Hinata-chan?"

Realizing that it would be more difficult than she thought, the girl became even more embarrassed and said, "I… I mean, what do you think of me... a-as a girl?"

When Hinata posed the question in this way, Naruto finally understood what she was asking and, smiling, replied, "Oh, so that's what you mean!" The boy scratched his head in embarrassment and continued, "Well, I think you're incredible, Hinata-chan. You try so hard to become better, it puts you many steps ahead of most of the people I know. You're also so smart and know so much that sometimes I feel like you can answer any question I have without even thinking about it. It's really interesting and fun to talk to you. You're strong, kind, and very cute, dattebayo!"

These words made the girl's ears turn red, and Kushina once again showed her son a thumbs-up, saying, "Well done, son! I'm proud of you. And now, you need to..."

At that moment, Kushina's voice abruptly cut off, and her projection disappeared, replaced by a message from the system:

[Access to the founders of the seal is temporarily blocked.]

[The user cannot receive assistance during important events.]

Naruto's eyes widened a bit, but he quickly regained his composure, as this was actually good news. His mother's presence in this situation had made him too nervous. That's why he looked at the girl and decided to finish his previous thought:

"So. To answer your question directly, I think you're amazing, Hinata-chan."

All of the blonde's words were like honey to the young girl's ears. She was incredibly happy that Naruto had such a high opinion of her. That's why she became a little more daring and asked a different question:

"So, N-Naruto-kun...do you like me? As a girl, I mean?"

This kind of question made the blonde a little embarrassed, as it was already more specific. He finally began to understand that the conversation was going in the direction he understood the least - relationships!

He looked at the girl with a slightly uncertain look, and answered:

"Yes, Hinata-chan. I like you..."

Hearing his answer, an indescribable joy began to rise within the girl. But as it turned out, Naruto wasn't finished yet:

"But… to be honest, Hinata-chan, I also like Ten Ten too."

Such a statement couldn't help but strain the young Hyuga, filling her with a slight irritation towards the weapon enthusiast. At that moment, Naruto continued:

"I'm not sure how to describe it properly, but you both have become a big and integral part of my life. You were some of the first people who truly wanted to know me and didn't look at me like an empty space," Naruto couldn't help but smile as he spoke, "you responded to my friendship and were always there when I needed help. That's why I value our friendship so much, and for the same reason, I like you both."

Hinata looked at the blonde, unable to find the words to respond. She knew that something like this would probably happen, but hoped she would be able to win his attention before Naruto developed his feelings for both of them. Even though Naruto had told her immediately about his desire to revive his clan and have a large family, she felt she had to try to win his attention just for herself. Anyone would try to do that.

But it seemed she was already a little too late, causing a small, bitter smile to appear on her face.

Shaking her head, she rallied herself again, knowing that this was just a small loss in a game that was already not in her favor. On the other hand, she could still win in another game. She would be the first to confess to him and become the head of the female part of the family. Maybe she wasn't the most confident Hyuga, but even she couldn't afford to be lower than anyone else except Naruto in the future hierarchy of his family, which she absolutely had to join.

She was already literally thinking about their joint future, completely forgetting about the blonde who looked at the frozen girl with incomprehension, waiting for her response.

«What's happening to her?» The blonde wondered why Hinata was behaving so strangely today.

Finally realizing where she was, Hinata quickly came to her senses, and looking at Naruto with a determined look that made the boy a little confused, she spoke:

"Naruto-kun! I... have something to tell you!"

Naruto just nodded bewilderedly, waiting for her words. The girl tried not to look away from the blonde, blushing, but continuing her speech:

"Before our first meeting, I was like a paper boat, carried along by a wild stream, ready to sink me at any moment. And even though I was a princess of a mighty clan, I felt like my existence was just a burden. Since I was found lacking in ability and had an overly soft character, I was greatly ignored. Over time, I began to feel a strange sense of loneliness, despite the fact that there were many people around me in my clan."

Naruto was surprised, finding it hard to believe that something like this could happen inside such a large and authoritative clan like Hyuga. This was another thing he would try to avoid when he revived his own clan.

Seeing the expression on the blond's face, Hinata smiled slightly and continued:

"All of this weighed heavily on me, and over time I began to close myself off more and more. Even my personal guards who accompanied me began to ignore my problems. Even if they saw that some of the kids started teasing me, they wouldn't show up," Hinata sighed, remembering that time. "The bullies who didn't feel the consequences for their actions obviously became even bolder and more daring. As a result, their torment worsened. I began to sink into this strange darkness, full of loneliness, from which I literally couldn't see any way out, or my own future. I was about to get angry at this world, but..." the girl raised her eyes and smiled at Naruto, "at that very moment when the bully was ready to attack me, you appeared, Naruto-kun. You were in a much worse position than me, but despite that, you always smiled and never gave up, no matter what happened to you. You became my beacon of light in this darkness, and I was finally able to see the future I desire."

Saying this, Hinata cautiously approached the surprised Naruto, confusing the blond with her unusual behavior. Getting almost too close to him, she said in a softer voice:

"That's why I want you to know. I... I..." Hinata swallowed, barely gathering the strength for the final push, and looking into the boy's eyes, finally said, "I love you, Naruto-kun." With these words, the girl leaned forward sharply, joining Naruto's lips in a tender and innocent kiss.

Naruto's eyes widened and he literally lost the ability to think, feeling the gentle lips of the girl who took his first kiss right now. He was filled with a multitude of feelings at the moment, but he decided to leave them all for later, as he realized that he did not want to miss a single second of this exciting moment. That's why he finally took himself in hand and decided to respond to the girl's initiative, whom he had considered the most timid in their company up to this moment. He gently hugged the girl's waist with his arms, pressing her to himself, deepening this simple, but still kiss, making the girl skip a slight shiver through her body.

Hinata realized that her feelings had finally not only reached Naruto, but he also responded to them. This literally exploded a huge flow of emotions inside the girl, making her tremble from the feeling of her first kiss with a guy she had been in love with for so long. His strong and gentle hands gave her such a feeling of peace and joy that she finally managed to overcome her shyness.

Without breaking the kiss and embrace of the boy, the girl threw her leg over him, climbing onto his lap, and wrapping her arms around his neck, she increased the degree of action a little, making Naruto himself skip a slight shiver through his body, as this was the first time he found himself in such a position with a girl. Because of this, he involuntarily began to get excited. He stopped kissing and looked into Hinata's eyes, which at the moment seemed so dizzy and intoxicating in response that he finally became fully aroused, which the girl immediately noticed.

This finally brought her back to earth, and she was quite embarrassed when she felt his bulge against her buttocks. She smiled shyly at him, realizing that she had really gotten carried away, especially for someone who had just confessed her feelings to the guy. But even so, she was enjoying this moment with Naruto.

Looking into the eyes of the white-eyed girl, Naruto hoarsely said, "Hinata-chan... When I revive my clan... I would like you to be a part of all this, will you become my wife in the future?"

Holding her breath, unable to contain her joy, Hinata replied sharply, "Yes! Yes, I agree!" After saying this, Hinata leaned in again and captured Naruto's lips, showing how happy she is at the moment.

After ten seconds, they separated again, and Naruto touched foreheads with the girl as they looked into each other's eyes. They just sat in that position, silently looking at each other, enjoying each other and this moment.

After some time, Hinata looked at the clock on the wall in Naruto's apartment and realized that it was time for her to go home. Otherwise, even with the disdain that her clanmates have developed for her, they will notice her absence, which will certainly lead to a meeting with her father for an explanatory conversation, which she clearly does not want.

"It's time for me to go home, Naruto-kun," the girl sadly said, not wanting to leave the boy's embrace.

Naruto also did not want to let go of Hinata, now that he had experienced how it feels to hold a girl you like in your arms, but he had no choice. He already knew about how strict the rules were in the Hyuga clan, so he didn't want any problems for his now-girlfriend.

So he nodded and released Hinata from his embrace, allowing her to stand up. Scratching his head, Naruto said awkwardly, "I wonder how Tenten will react when she finds out about this."

Smiling, Hinata replied, "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I'll be with you so we can tell her together," a small and cunning grin flashed on Hinata's face.

Not paying much attention to it, Naruto nodded and responded, "Alright, I think now we'll be doing a lot together, won't we?"

"Uh-huh," the happy girl nodded her head.

"Allright! Then, let's go out. I will escort you to the territory of the clan," Naruto gestured towards the exit.

On the way to the Hyuga residence, Hinata hugged Naruto's hand all the way, too happy to succumb to her usual embarrassment from the surprised looks of passers-by.

Upon arriving at the Hyuga territory, Naruto released Hinata and said, "Well, here we are."

"Yeah," Hinata nodded her head a little sadly.

"In that case, see you tomorrow, Hinata-chan," Naruto shyly smiled, trying to get used to the idea that he now had a girlfriend.

"Yes, see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun." The girl quickly pecked him on the cheek and disappeared behind the gates of her home's estate with a satisfied look on her face.

Touching the spot where she kissed him, Naruto just smiled happily and turned around, heading back home and pondering what the future held for him.

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Author's Note:

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