How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

Kurama: (⊙o⊙)… 

Right after saying that, Naruto regretted it. He thought Hinata's words made a lot of sense, and for a moment, he had just wanted to thank her. But who knew what had gone wrong in his brain to make him blurt out, "I like you."

Not only was Kurama stunned, but Naruto himself was too. He felt like something was seriously wrong with him. He had already decided to stop listening to Kurama's advice—so how did something like that just slip out of his mouth? 

This must be Kurama's fault! 

Oh no, what do I do now? Cold sweat appeared on Naruto's forehead. He gulped nervously and hastily tried to explain: 

"No, no, Hinata, don't misunderstand! What I just said was just… a test! I felt bad about Sakura, so I was confused, and Kurama told me to try confessing to other girls for comparison. Originally, I was going to look for Tenten or Ino, but they're still asleep. Then I ran into you…" 

Naruto was completely incoherent now, speaking much faster than usual. 

"So what you're saying is Hinata's just a backup?" Kurama chimed in slyly. 

Naruto panicked. 

"No! I'm not! Kurama, stop talking nonsense!" 

He was a mess, completely flustered. 

"Hinata, I don't think you're a backup, and I wasn't trying to joke around. No, wait, I was joking… because earlier, with Kurama…" 

"I think you'd better take a look at Hinata right now," Kurama said in a quiet, ominous tone. 

Naruto froze, instinctively turning his eyes to Hinata. What he saw was… 

"Ah!" Seeing Hinata about to collapse, Naruto reflexively stepped forward and caught her in his arms. 

He looked at her flushed face, dazed. Her slightly parted lips seemed to still echo her shock from before she fainted. Now, lying in Naruto's arms, she looked like a sleeping beauty, her slightly open lips as if waiting for the prince's kiss. 

Naruto blinked, unsure of what to do. 

"Did Hinata… faint?" 

"She did," Kurama chuckled. 

"Probably because she was too shy." 

When Naruto Shippuden started, Naruto returned from training. The moment Hinata saw him, she fainted immediately, thinking she was dreaming. After waking up and seeing him again, she fainted a second time. 

Kurama looked at Naruto with a deep gaze. 

"For Hinata, what just happened must've been overwhelming." 

"I mean, how am I supposed to explain this to her!?" 

Naruto held Hinata in his arms, feeling utterly at a loss. 

"Kurama, this is all your fault." 

"How is this my fault?" 

Kurama looked amused, his face full of schadenfreude. 

"Let's be real here. You agreed to the test, you picked the person, you said the words. I just gave you an idea." 

"And that idea was completely reckless!" 

Naruto was on the verge of tears. 

Kurama smirked. 

"By your logic, if we trace this back to the root, it's Sakura's fault. She was the one joking around, saying, 'You like her,' which set off this whole chain of events. So, clearly, it's all Sakura's fault. Nothing to do with me." 

Naruto: "..." 

Feeling drained, Naruto sighed. 

Why did I get stuck with such a troublesome tailed beast? 

Looking at Hinata in his arms and then at the overturned bowl of ramen on the ground, he asked, 

"So, what do I do now?" 

"My suggestion? Take Hinata to Team 8's base... oh, wait, you don't even know where that is." 

Kurama paused, thinking. 

"Then just take her back to the Hyuga clan and have them send someone to notify Team 8." 

Naruto instinctively tightened his hold on Hinata. 

"You're not messing with me again, are you?" 

He was starting to get paranoid. 

Kurama rolled his eyes. 

"Or do you have a better idea? Hinata fainted from embarrassment, not because she's hurt. You could take her to the medics—or even to the hospital. 

But hey, you think Sakura wouldn't kill you for that?" 

Naruto froze. 

If Sakura found out that he confessed to Hinata as part of a test and made her faint, she probably *would* kill him. 

Shivering at the thought, Naruto swallowed hard. 

"I'd better just take Hinata back to the Hyuga clan." 

With that, he adjusted Hinata in his arms. Holding two bags of ramen, he hesitated for a moment before setting the bags down. 

He shifted Hinata onto his back, carefully carrying her toward the Hyuga clan's estate. 

As he adjusted her, Naruto couldn't help but take a sharp breath. 

Though he felt a bit guilty, he noticed just how light Hinata was. And... well, her traditional outfit gave her a modest appearance, but now that he was carrying her, he couldn't help but notice... cough. 

Since she was on his back, 

he had to hold onto the crook of her legs to keep her from slipping off. 

Hinata's arms dangled over his shoulders, her face pressed lightly against his neck. 

Her soft, warm breaths tickled his skin. 

Naruto's face turned red. 

His ears turned red. 

Even his neck turned red. 

But wait a second—he'd carried girls before! 

Back in school during Taijutsu training, he'd carried Sakura, and even Ino. 

Why did this feel completely different? 

The next moment, it hit him: it was because Hinata had fainted. 

A fainted Hinata seemed even more delicate than usual. 

Her soft breathing, the blush on her face—it all made her look so vulnerable. 

"Why am I even thinking about this!?" 

Naruto shouted at the sky, his face flushed. 

Kurama, still amused, chuckled. 

"Well, who told you to grow up watching romantic dramas? Why do you think you're having these thoughts? Shouldn't you know by now?" 

"This is all your fault, Kurama!" Naruto yelled. 

"It's the world's fault. Not my problem." 

Kurama remained unfazed. 

Naruto shook his head, determined to pin the blame on Kurama. 

"I don't care! It's still your fault!" 

Kurama smirked at Naruto's frustration and said casually, 

"My fault? Then do you even remember why you decided to confess to Hinata in the first place?" 

"Is this really the time to bring that up!?" 

Naruto snapped back angrily. 

"I wasn't even planning to use your idea anymore! But you just kept going on and on about it until I messed up and said the wrong thing when I just wanted to thank Hinata!" 

"Do you feel guilty toward Hinata?" Kurama suddenly asked.

"Of course!" Naruto snapped. "Hinata was supposed to be training, but now she's fainted. What if she misunderstands? That's why I feel guilty... Eh?" 

Naruto froze.

"Figured it out?" Kurama said with a hint of amusement. "Although the circumstances, wording, and even the person involved are different, isn't the guilt you feel toward Hinata now the same as the guilt you felt toward Sakura last night?"

"Why do you feel guilty? And why do you feel the need to find the answer?" Kurama lifted his head, his gaze becoming deep. "So, have you found your answer?"

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