Hinata could feel the crowd behind her swelling with every step. More and more shinobi were trailing her, their chakra signatures flaring with urgency, but she had no time to stop and explain.
Her heart raced. Fear clawed at her chest, dragging her breath into short, uneven gasps. A terrible thought had already taken root in her mind: What if she arrived too late? What if she never saw Naruto again?
That dread propelled her forward, faster than any words could.
The shinobi following her were only able to keep track of her because a sensor ninja was among them. Otherwise, they would have lost her immediately. Hinata wasn't sprinting in the usual sense. She was teleporting, flickering through space in leaps that ordinary eyes could barely follow.
"This is… the Uchiha compound?" one of the veterans muttered as they landed, scanning the stone walls and crests that surrounded them.
"Why here of all places?" another asked, frowning.
"Could it be that the intruder is targeting Sasuke Uchiha?"
"No wait, I heard Naruto's also living here," someone else spoke up.
"What? Then don't tell me… the target is Naruto?"
"The chakra has stopped moving!" the sensor ninja announced sharply, feeling Hinata's presence go still.
"Then don't waste time move in and seize them immediately!"
Fear of Naruto's safety had clouded their judgment. They forgot for a moment how strong he truly was, stronger than any of them. All they could think of was the possibility that someone meant him harm. Naruto wasn't just the Fourth Hokage's son anymore. He was Konoha's hero.
If he hadn't acted during the invasion, if he hadn't transferred Shukaku's Tailed Beast Bomb away at the very last second, the village might not even be standing today.
"Wait." A calm, firm voice cut through the rush.
Kakashi and Guy appeared in front of the crowd.
"Let Guy and me go first," Kakashi said, his single visible eye scanning the worried faces.
"Don't forget who we're talking about. Naruto and Sasuke are both here. If the intruder really came for them, sending a large group will make no difference. It would only get more people hurt." His tone was cool but carried authority.
"Form a perimeter," Kakashi ordered. "Keep the compound surrounded. If anyone tries to escape, or if there are hidden accomplices, you'll be ready. Guy and I will handle what's inside."
"Yes, sir!" the shinobi chorused, instantly obeying. Kakashi's reputation as one of the most respected jōnin left no room for hesitation.
Once the others dispersed, Guy leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Kakashi, why not just storm in together? Wouldn't that be safer?"
Kakashi shook his head slightly. "I heard something about the one they were chasing. The way she moved… it reminded me of Hinata's techniques. And if you notice, since arriving here, there hasn't been a single sign of battle." His brow furrowed as he spoke.
Guy blinked. "When you put it that way… yeah, you're right."
"That raises a more troubling question." Kakashi's gaze shifted to the looming compound. His feet began to move.
"What kind of question?" Guy asked, following quickly.
"Why would Hinata come rushing to Sasuke's home in the middle of the night?"
Both Naruto and Sasuke lived here. With their power, even a Kage-level opponent wouldn't defeat them silently. And yet, Hinata had arrived with obvious desperation.
That could mean only one thing.
"She must have been alerted to something," Kakashi said grimly. "Something so urgent that it tore her out of bed and drove her here without hesitation."
His eye narrowed. "The only explanation is this: Naruto is in danger."
Guy's pupils shrank. A chill washed down his spine.
Inside the house, Hinata suddenly appeared in Sasuke's corridor, her breath ragged, her steps uneven. She rushed straight into Naruto's room and froze.
Her hands flew to her mouth, muffling a horrified gasp.
Naruto's body was writhing. Half of him was already cloaked in the burning red chakra of the Nine-Tails. The other half twisted in pain, his brows locked in a deep frown, his face contorted with torment.
Sasuke stood nearby, but he wasn't speaking. His expression was stiff, almost vacant, as if the sight before him had stolen the words from his throat.
Hinata darted to his side, checking him quickly, then turned her Byakugan on Naruto's body. The veins around her eyes pulsed as she pushed her dōjutsu to its absolute limit. Her vision pierced past muscle and chakra networks, diving straight into the seal within Naruto.
And then her consciousness was pulled inside.
"This… this is !" Hinata gasped, finding herself in the twisted inner landscape of Naruto's seal.
Meanwhile, Kakashi and Guy slipped silently into the Uchiha residence. Kakashi pushed his headband up, revealing his Sharingan, ever cautious.
"Careful, Guy. I only think it's Hinata. We can't assume."
Guy gave a curt nod, his body taut with tension.
The two entered Naruto's room and exhaled in near unison.
"It is Hinata. And Sasuke's here too." Relief softened Kakashi's shoulders.
But it lasted only a second.
"Wait… Kakashi!" Guy hissed, his gaze locked on Naruto's bed.
Kakashi turned, his single eye widening. "The Nine-Tails…"
The red chakra coating half of Naruto's body pulsed violently, flickering like a flame about to consume him.
Has the seal been breached? Kakashi thought, his chest tightening.
"Guy, notify the Third Hokage at once! I'll evacuate the civilians nearby!" His voice was sharp, urgent.
"I'm on it!" Guy gave Naruto one last worried look before vanishing in a blur of speed.
Left behind, Kakashi looked at his three former students Naruto writhing, Sasuke frozen, Hinata straining to keep her focus. His fists clenched at his sides.
Not again. I won't let anything happen to them again.
Outside, clan head Hiashi Hyuga rushed to the Hokage's office with grim news: the Hyuga compound had been breached, and Hinata was missing.
Hiruzen's face hardened when he heard. Without hesitation, he ordered the Barrier Corps to raise security, to report immediately if anyone crossed the village boundaries.
Hinata was not only the Hyuga heiress now. She had also forged a bond with Naruto that was impossible to ignore. Protecting her was paramount.
Before the thought could settle, an ANBU messenger dropped to one knee. "Lord Hokage! A surge of chakra has been detected within the village."
"Hinata?" Hiashi muttered, his brows furrowed.
"It could be," Hiruzen said. Then his eyes widened as he pieced it together. He snatched the pipe from his lips, his voice deep and commanding. "Hiashi come with me. We're heading to the Uchiha compound."
"The Uchiha compound?" Hiashi asked, stunned.
"Because Naruto is there," Hiruzen replied.
The realization struck Hiashi like a hammer. Of course. Hinata rushing out in the middle of the night… it must have been because of Naruto.
"Understood," he said quickly, matching the Hokage's pace.
But before they had gone far, a green light streaked toward them. Guy appeared, his body blazing with the Sixth Gate opened, his urgency impossible to miss.
"Lord Hokage!" Guy called out, voice booming.
"What happened, Guy?" Hiruzen demanded, his expression sharpening.
"It's Naruto," Guy said, his voice dropping low so only Hiruzen and Hiashi could hear. "The Nine-Tails' chakra… has already consumed half of him."
The Hokage froze. Hiashi's face darkened, his breath catching.
The weight of the night pressed down on them all.
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