How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

"Excuse me," Shizune said as she opened the door and stepped inside, followed by the nine members of Teams 8, 10, and 3. 

The nine youngsters walked in obediently, clearly wary of Tsunade's temper. Shizune stood next to Tsunade and said, 

"Tsunade-sama, I've brought the members of Teams 3, 8, and 10." 

"Mm." Tsunade nodded. 

Just as she was about to speak, a figure suddenly leapt up. Moving at a speed almost too fast for the others to follow, the figure bolted toward the window. In the blink of an eye, half of the person's body was already outside. It was Naruto!

He tried to run away! 

He jumped out the window! He was so close to escaping! 

Unfortunately, he couldn't slip past Kakashi, who had been keeping an eye on him. 

Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the back of his collar, lifting him into the air. Staring at him with his usual bored expression, he asked, 

"What are you doing?" 

Naruto froze mid-struggle. Turning his head with a silly grin, he said, 

"Hehehe~" 

Kakashi: "…" 

Is this guy an idiot? 

Tsunade stood up in frustration, walking over and punching Naruto on the head without a word. As Naruto crouched on the ground, clutching his head and crying out in pain, she shouted angrily: 

"I was just saying I wasn't used to how quiet you've been, and now you pull this stunt just to remind me what it feels like to hit you?" 

"Wuuu~" Naruto whimpered like a scolded puppy, looking utterly pitiful. 

He didn't dare turn to look at her, instead staying crouched and bracing for more of Tsunade's fists. 

Watching this unfold, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura all had the same reaction—their eyes lit up. The four exchanged quick glances before simultaneously turning to look at the nine confused youngsters in the room. 

Eight people stood there blankly, looking at Naruto with confusion written all over their faces. Among them, only one person had a blush on her cheeks, lowering her head while nervously playing with her fingers, trying to hide behind her teammates as much as possible.

It was Hinata!

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a glance, their eyes reflecting curiosity and excitement. It seemed they wouldn't need to ask separately anymore—the answer was right there. Sasuke gave Sakura a meaningful look, and she nodded in acknowledgment.

Sakura subtly shifted her position to move closer to Hinata, while Sasuke cooperatively stepped in front of them, blocking the view from others. Perfect—no one noticed.

Kakashi and Jiraiya: "..."

Tsunade had also noticed but decided to stay quiet since she was curious herself. Shizune, standing nearby holding Tonton, didn't comment either. After all, if Tsunade said nothing, she wouldn't either.

Amid Tsunade's scolding of Naruto, Sakura leaned in close to Hinata's ear and whispered softly:

"Hina~ta~, what happened between you and Naruto? Why does that idiot run away whenever he sees you?"

Hinata's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She didn't respond—not because she didn't want to, but because she had no idea how to explain. Could you really expect a shy person to boldly announce that she confessed to the person she liked? No way! Unless the moon fell from the sky, there was no chance Hinata would say a word.

This reaction was suspicious! Sakura was getting excited. 

"Could it be... Naruto finally realized that you like him?"

Honestly, among the Konoha 12, almost everyone knew Hinata liked Naruto—except for the dense Naruto himself, the older generation's Team 3, and Sasuke, who didn't care about anyone. Anyone with eyes could tell.

Even Chouji knew! Though, to be fair, he only found out because Shikamaru told him.

Steam seemed to rise from Hinata's head as she stammered without saying anything. But her slight nod was crystal clear.

Now things got lively—not just Sakura, but Tenten and Ino also gathered around, their eyes practically shining like flashlights. Ino grabbed one of Hinata's arms and said:

"Hinata, Hinata, tell us what happened!"

"I want to know too! Why do you like someone like him?" Tenten asked, though she was slightly more reserved compared to Ino.

"What's wrong with Naruto? Naruto's handsome too, okay?" Sakura immediately defended him. Naruto was her teammate, and while she could tease him herself, there was no way she'd let someone from another team do it. That was her line.

"What part of him is handsome?" Tenten rolled her eyes and turned to Ino. "Right, Ino?"

Ino paused for a moment, then sneaked a glance at Naruto. 

"I actually think Naruto is handsome, in a completely different way from Sasuke. If he changed his outfit, I bet he could be just as popular as Sasuke. It's just a shame he's a bit of a knucklehead."

"If only he could fix that personality of his and get a new wardrobe," Ino said, shaking her head dramatically.

Tenten was stunned for a moment and instinctively turned to look at Naruto.

 Her expression grew complicated—she truly didn't see him as handsome. Sasuke? He was okay. But in her opinion, Neji was the most attractive.

Meanwhile, Hinata, squeezed between them, was blushing so hard her face could boil an egg.

"Naruto-kun's... personality is very endearing," she murmured softly.

"Ohhh~!" x3

The three girls instantly got even more excited, like hungry wolves pouncing on a trembling little lamb. And that lamb was none other than the adorable Hinata.

Heh heh heh~

Something about this scene felt off, though.

The boys around them were all speechless, their heads full of question marks. Most kept quiet out of tact. Even Shikamaru, usually indifferent, couldn't help rolling his eyes. All their attention eventually fell on Naruto, their faces full of curiosity… and a hint of an amused, knowing smile.

Among them, Jiraiya was grinning in the most shameless way, Kakashi looked the most satisfied, Tsunade was already too frustrated to keep scolding, and Shizune stood nearby, shyly covering her mouth while laughing quietly. 

Did you really think... speaking softly... could escape the ears of four ninja stronger than Jonin? 

Anyway, the purpose of gathering the Twelve Konoha Genin this time was to let them say goodbye to Naruto and Sasuke, as well as to discuss their team assignments since their Jonin leaders weren't around. 

Tsunade only remembered this task after Shizune reminded her. 

In the end... the discussion didn't go off-topic, but no one was fully paying attention. Aside from Chouji happily munching on his chips, everyone else had faintly amused expressions as they kept glancing at Naruto and Hinata. 

Of course, they couldn't miss the chance to tease them! 

Naruto didn't dare look at Hinata, while Hinata kept her head down, blushing furiously. Under the relentless teasing of their friends, Naruto, unable to escape under Kakashi's watchful eyes, was pushed to stand beside Hinata. 

The two ended up surrounded in the center of the group. 

Serious matters? Who's talking about serious matters? 

Right now! This moment! Teasing the pair was the serious matter! What else are friends for? 

Naruto's big toe was practically digging a hole into the ground out of embarrassment. Thankfully, while Tsunade could be heartless, she at least had some sense. After finishing the discussion, she kicked everyone else out, leaving only Jiraiya and Kakashi to talk privately. 

On the way out, Naruto and Hinata became the focus of everyone's curious and amused stares. 

The remaining nine Genin all looked at Naruto and Hinata with meaningful expressions—except for Chouji. His only concern was whether there'd be enough food at the feast Naruto promised. Shikamaru reassured him that the Hyuga clan was wealthy, so there'd be plenty. Chouji immediately smiled brightly and offered his heartfelt blessings. 

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