"It's simple," Naruto said, his voice a whisper filled with a confidence Sakura found completely insane. "We just have to wake them up and explain."
Sakura's brain, already operating at the very limit of its ability to process humiliation, stalled and then rebooted with pure, blue-screen-of-death panic.
WAKE THEM UP? JUST LIKE THAT? OF COURSE, WHY DON'T WE SET OFF SOME FIREWORKS TO CELEBRATE WHILE WE'RE AT IT! "HI KURENAI-SENSEI, WE KNOW YOU'RE BLEEDING OUT AND PROBABLY HALLUCINATING FROM THE PAIN, BUT WOULD YOU MIND ROLLING OVER IN THE DARK SO NARUTO CAN TOUCH YOUR BACK AND DO SOME MAGIC?" SHE'S GOING TO HIT US WITH A GENJUTSU WE WON'T WAKE UP FROM UNTIL WE'RE OLD WITH GRANDKIDS! AND HINATA! OH GOD, HINATA! HINATA'S GOING TO FAINT BEFORE NARUTO EVEN FINISHES HIS SENTENCE! HER BRAIN IS GOING TO LIQUEFY AND POUR OUT OF HER EARS!
But Naruto, blissfully unaware of the social apocalypse unfolding in his teammate's mind, was already moving. He approached the spot where Kurenai rested with surprising stealth; her breathing was shallow and ragged with pain.
He knelt beside her. "Sensei…" he whispered, gently touching her shoulder. "Kurenai-sensei, wake up for a moment."
The reaction was instant. Kurenai's eyes snapped open, red and completely alert. In a fraction of a second, she had gone from a troubled sleep to full combat awareness, her hand already on the kunai she kept under her makeshift pillow. She saw Naruto and Sakura, their faces lit by the fire, and the tension in her shoulders eased, though only slightly.
"Naruto… Sakura… What is it? An attack?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Naruto said quickly. He then moved over to Hinata and repeated the process, though much more gently. "Hinata, wake up."
Hinata's pearl-like eyes opened, first confused and then alarmed to see Naruto and Sakura kneeling beside her in the dark. She sat up abruptly, her face already tinged a soft shade of pink.
"N-Naruto-kun? Sakura-san? Is something wrong?"
Naruto grinned at them both, a smile so full of enthusiasm it was contagious.
"Sensei, Hinata! I have good news! Really good news! The system gave us a reward for the mission! For everything we did in the Land of Waves! I got stronger, for real! And it says there's a share for everyone!"
Kurenai raised an eyebrow, intrigue beginning to overcome her jōnin instincts. Hinata just stared at him with total admiration, soaking in his words.
Sakura, seeing that Naruto's explanation was far too simple and omitted the more… complicated part, quickly intervened.
"What Naruto means is that there's a status update available for the whole 'Family'!" she said, her voice a hurried hiss. "But it's not automatic like Naruto's level-up! The reward is something called… Event Excelia. And the system says you have to… you know…!"
She trailed off, unable to say it. Naruto, failing to grasp the subtlety, just blurted it out.
"I have to do the ritual again! The back-touching thing! So the reward will work!"
There was a moment of silence. Sakura braced for the genjutsu, for the fainting, for the end of the world.
But Kurenai didn't get angry. A slow, tired smile formed on her face. She was injured. She was exhausted. And the possibility of a boost that would not only make her stronger but could potentially speed up her healing… was incredibly appealing.
"Well now…" she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "So there are rewards for hard work. I see. That sounds… promising. Let's proceed."
Sakura blinked. "Let's proceed"? Just like that? This woman is an enigma.
All eyes turned to Hinata. The blush on her cheeks had deepened to a dark red, but there was no fear in her eyes. Only a shy anticipation and a trust in Naruto so absolute it was almost palpable. She looked at Naruto, then at Naruto's back, then at her own fingers, and finally gave a single nod, a movement so small it was almost imperceptible.
They decided to do Hinata's update first. It made sense; she was uninjured and it would serve as a second test after Sakura. Kurenai gestured for them to move away from the fire, seeking more privacy.
"Not here," she said. "Kakashi's eyesight is better than you think. Go to the stream again. I'll keep watch from here."
Naruto nodded and turned to Hinata.
"Ready, Hinata?"
"Y-yes, Naruto-kun."
The two of them walked off into the darkness, leaving Sakura with Kurenai. The path to the stream was uneven and covered in roots. The moonlight barely filtered through the leaves.
Hinata, her mind torn between excitement, embarrassment, and the simple act of walking alone with Naruto in the dark, didn't see a root sticking out of the ground. Her foot caught and she stumbled, letting out a small shriek of surprise.
Before she could fall, Naruto caught her hand, steadying her.
"Careful here, Hinata, you can't see a thing," Naruto said casually, not letting go of her hand as they continued walking.
Hinata's brain shut down.
He's... holding my hand. He's holding my hand. This isn't a dream. I'm not going to faint. I'm okay. I'm perfectly okay. It's just Naruto-kun's hand. Holding mine. So I don't fall. He's so considerate. Breathe, Hinata. Inhale. Exhale. Oh god, his hand is so warm. Should I say something? Thank him? Ask him to let go? No, I don't want him to let go. But maybe he's uncomfortable. Is he uncomfortable? He doesn't seem uncomfortable. He's talking.
"…and then Kakashi-sensei said that if Kiba spent less energy complaining, we'd already be in Konoha, can you believe that? As if Kiba isn't right! My legs are about to go on strike too! Aren't yours?"
"Huh?" Hinata managed to articulate, realizing he had been talking to her and she hadn't heard a single word.
"Your legs," he repeated. "Aren't they tired?"
"Oh. Y-yes. A little," she whispered, feeling her entire body flush.
They reached the bank of the stream. The silvery moonlight reflected on the water, creating a calm, almost magical atmosphere. Naruto finally let go of her hand to point to a small clearing.
"Here is good."
Hinata felt a pang of disappointment as the warmth of his hand vanished. She mentally shook herself. Focus, Hinata. You're a kunoichi.
Though she was visibly nervous, she turned around with a determination that would have been unthinkable for her just a few weeks ago.
Naruto performed the ritual. It was already his second time that night, and the motion was almost familiar. Blue light erupted from his finger, illuminating the scene for an instant with an ethereal glow.
In his mind, Hinata's screen opened. The numbers skyrocketed.
HINATA HYŪGASTRENGTH: H-110 -> G-330 (+220) ENDURANCE: H-135 -> F-385 (+250) DEXTERITY: G-274 -> F-494 (+220) AGILITY: G-281 -> E-531 (+250) CHAKRA POTENTIAL: I-99 -> H-220 (+121)
Naruto pulled his finger back, feeling the familiar tug of energy. The wave of power washed over Hinata. She felt her muscles tense with new strength, her senses sharpen, and her chakra swirl inside her with a clarity she had never experienced before.
She turned to Naruto, her face lit by a radiant and genuine smile.
"Wow!" she said, her voice sounding clearer, stronger than usual. "Naruto-kun, it's… it's incredible! I feel like I could jump to the treetops! I feel so much stronger than before!"
"That's awesome, Hinata!" he laughed. "I told you! You're super strong!"
This time, she didn't blush furiously. She simply nodded, a small, confident smile on her lips as she accepted the compliment. She looked at her own hands, flexing her fingers in wonder.
It was then that Naruto tilted his head.
"Hey… either you grew or I shrank."
She blinked, confused. "What?"
"You're taller!" he exclaimed, stepping closer to compare. "Just a little! But I swear, you didn't reach my nose before, and now you almost do! And your hair…"
He reached out and touched a lock of her dark blue hair, just as he had with Sakura.
"It's longer. And shinier. Wow. You look… you look beautiful, Hinata."
Hinata's brain, which had been performing admirably up to that point, decided it had had enough. The combination of the power-up, Naruto's proximity, the direct compliment, and the word "beautiful" was too much for her.
The color of her face went from pink to red and then to a shade of purple that alarmed Naruto. Her eyes rolled back in her head.
"B-beau… beau… beau…?" she stammered, unable to finish the word. Her body swayed.
"Whoa, Hinata! Careful!" Naruto shouted, catching her just before she collapsed to the ground. She had fainted, but with a small, happy smile on her face.
Whoa… I guess that was too much for her, Naruto thought, holding her with a sigh.
They returned to camp with Hinata still a little dizzy, leaning on Naruto's arm. Sakura and Kurenai looked at them with questioning expressions.
"She had… a power surge," Naruto explained awkwardly. Sakura rolled her eyes, understanding perfectly what had happened.
Now it was Kurenai's turn. Naruto approached her, his demeanor noticeably gentler and more careful.
"Sensei, are you sure? If it hurts, we can wait."
Kurenai gave him a wry smile. It was obvious every movement was an effort.
"Naruto, if this works the way I think it will, waiting is the last thing I want to do. I'm ready."
He helped her up and to lean against the tree, facing the trunk to give him her back. With a delicacy that surprised everyone present, he lifted the fabric of her uniform just above the bloody bandage. The skin around it was pale and taut.
He extended his finger. The contact was light.
The blue light that erupted this time was different: brighter, more intense, almost blinding. It lasted longer, suggesting the system was processing a much larger amount of information.
From Naruto's perspective, he witnessed a miracle.
He saw Kurenai's stat screen, the numbers climbing at an insane rate. But he saw something else, too. In a small secondary window, he saw a representation of her body and watched as the reward's chakra swirled around the wound in her side. Torn tissue knitted together, muscles repaired themselves, and the skin regenerated, fading from an angry red to a pale pink, and finally to her normal skin tone, without leaving a single scar. The bandage, now useless, fell to the ground.
KURENAI YŪHISTRENGTH: C-610 -> B-810 (+200) ENDURANCE: D-530 -> C-750 (+220) DEXTERITY: B-745 -> A-965 (+220) AGILITY: A-850 -> S-999 (+149) CHAKRA: S-955 -> S-999+
The update finished. Kurenai stood motionless for a moment. Then, she took a deep breath. A deep, shuddering sigh of pure, absolute relief. The constant pain that had been with her for the last day was gone. Not lessened. Gone. She felt renewed, filled with an energy she hadn't felt in years.
She turned slowly, her red eyes filled with an overwhelming emotion that left her speechless.
Naruto looked at her, his face full of genuine concern.
"Did it work? Are you feeling better?"
She didn't answer. She took a step, closing the distance between them. To Naruto's complete surprise, and the astonished gazes of Sakura and Hinata, she raised a hand and gently placed it on his cheek. She leaned in and gave him a soft, warm kiss on the forehead.
Whoa… two kisses in one night… am I getting handsome or something? was the only coherent thought that crossed Naruto's mind.
Kurenai pulled back, but her hand remained on his cheek for a second longer. Her gaze was incredibly soft, a mixture of gratitude, wonder, and a deep affection.
"Thank you, Naruto," she whispered. "For everything."
He could only manage a genuine, slightly goofy smile.
The group was now complete. Kurenai stretched, a fluid, painless motion that almost made her want to cry with relief. Naruto watched her, and in his mind, the Leader's Bond ability no longer blinked with the "injured" tag next to Kurenai's name. Now, it simply read "optimal." The sense of relief was immense.
As they prepared to resume their journey, the atmosphere had changed completely. It was lighter. They were stronger. But Naruto, as always, noticed something else.
"Hey, sensei," he said, with his usual lack of tact. "You look different, too."
Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Yeah. You look… younger. Your eyes are brighter, and your face… it's like… smoother. And…" he paused, tilting his head as his gaze drifted a little lower, his expression one of pure, simple confusion, "did your chest get bigger?"
Absolute silence fell over the camp.
Hinata, who had just recovered from her own short-circuit, let out a tiny "eep," her eyes rolled back for a second time, and she crumpled softly to the ground. It was a definitive faint.
Sakura's jaw dropped.
NO. HE. DIDN'T. HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT. I IMAGINED IT. WE ALL IMAGINED IT. PLEASE, GOD, TELL ME I IMAGINED IT.
Kurenai stood completely still, the affection on her face replaced by an expression of utter disbelief. Her left eye started to twitch.