The morning in Konoha began with the sounds of hammers and saws. The village, like a giant anthill, was rebuilding what had been destroyed, preparing for a new day.
Naruto walked down the street, hands behind his head. He was wearing his still new, stiff Chunin vest. He didn't feel pride from a piece of cloth, but he caught the glances of passersby. There was no longer fear or contempt in them. Respect was felt.
He stopped at "Ichiraku Ramen." The curtain was raised, but no one was inside.
Naruto went around the stall and peered into the backyard.
Ayame wasn't preparing broth.
She stood in front of a makeshift sandbag suspended from a tree branch. Her hands were wrapped in bandages, her hair gathered in a tight bun.
"Ha!"
Strike.
The movement was still a bit clumsy, but there was weight in it. She struck not with her arm, but with her body, putting the inertia of her hips into it.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, activating Qi Sensory.
Inside the girl, among the weak, undeveloped chakra channels of a civilian, thin but confident streams of white energy flowed through the meridians. It permeated the muscles, purified the blood.
Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, the Uzumaki stated. Meridians awakened. Toxins expelled. Her body has become stronger, more enduring. She is no longer a fragile victim.
He noticed external changes too. Her skin, previously a bit pale from kitchen smoke, now glowed with health, becoming clean and smooth as polished jade. Her eyes became brighter. Qi cultivation was beginning to manifest, making her not just cute, but attractive.
"Elbow higher," he said calmly, stepping out of the shadows. "And don't tense your shoulder."
Ayame flinched and spun around sharply, wiping sweat from her forehead. Seeing him, she broke into a wide, sunny smile.
"Naruto-kun! You're back!"
Her gaze fell on the green vest.
"It really suits you... So you're a commander now?"
"Something like that," the blonde shrugged. "A vest is just a piece of cloth with pockets. But convenient."
Ayame walked up to him, unwinding the bandages. Her knuckles were bruised, but the skin had already closed with a pink film. Qi regeneration was working perfectly—an ordinary person would be treating such bruises for a week.
"I train every day," she said seriously. "Hinata-san stopped by. She showed me how to breathe properly so I don't get tired. And... that exercise for stealth."
"Is it working?"
"Dad lost me in the kitchen yesterday, even though I was standing in the corner with a tray," she giggled. "It works. I won't be a victim anymore, Naruto. I'll be ready."
The Uzumaki looked at her. The clinging fear that had settled in her eyes after the Sound attack was gone. Now there was a goal. And strength.
"I'm glad," he said sincerely. "Make me a portion to go. I still have business at the training ground."
***
Training Ground No. 8.
Hinata Hyuga stood in the center of the clearing.
When Naruto emerged from the forest, she didn't turn around.
She simply bowed.
"Naruto-kun."
Her voice was calm. She sensed his presence not with her eyes, but with sensory perception—the resonance of their energies.
The Uzumaki examined her.
In her, the changes were even more striking.
Her posture had become impeccable. Movements—smooth and economical, devoid of fuss. Her skin glowed with inner light; her hair became thicker and shone like black silk. Qi cultivation had turned the shy girl into a young warrior.
Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, the blonde assessed. She's on the threshold of Body Tempering. Her Seed has taken root and is growing.
"Show me what you've learned," he said, taking a stance. "Attack. Seriously."
Hinata nodded.
She didn't activate her Byakugan. She didn't need it.
Dash.
The speed was impressive. She closed the distance instantly, delivering a palm strike to the chest—classic Gentle Fist.
Naruto blocked with his forearm.
BAM.
The blow was heavy. It wasn't just Hyuga chakra hitting the channels. It was the physical density of Qi.
The impact felt as if he had been hit with a sandbag.
Naruto stepped back half a pace.
"Not bad. Good density."
Hinata continued the attack. A series of strikes, rotations, dodges. Her style had changed. It became less formal, more fluid and flowing. She used Qi Taijutsu, instinctively mixing it with the clan's basic techniques.
Naruto blocked, parried, tested her defense.
The rhythm of the fight accelerated.
They entered a flow state. Thoughts disappeared; only instincts and the movement of energies remained. Naruto's dense Qi and Hinata's forming Qi began to vibrate on the same frequency.
"Ha!"
Hinata delivered a palm strike. Naruto intercepted her wrist. She immediately used her other hand. He blocked that too.
They froze in a clinch, looking into each other's eyes.
Distance—less than half a meter. Their auras, heated by battle, collided and mixed into a single field.
In that moment, time seemed to stop.
Barriers between consciousnesses collapsed.
It was a flash of pure, unfiltered truth.
Naruto suddenly felt emotions not his own. He was covered by a wave of incredible, aching tenderness and admiration. And in the center of this wave sounded another's thought, loud and clear as a shout:
I am so happy I met you.
Hinata flinched in the same second, her eyes widening. She felt the responding impulse. A deep, warm feeling of pride and respect coming from Naruto's very heart:
Never thought I'd rejoice in another person's success more than my own.
Thump.
They simultaneously jumped away from each other, breaking contact.
Silence on the training ground dragged on.
Hinata stood clutching her hands to her chest. Her face was flooded with a deep blush; her ears burned with fire. What she had kept in the darkest corners of her soul had just been revealed.
Naruto looked shaken too. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling awkward.
"That..." he cleared his throat, trying to speak calmly, but his voice betrayed him. "Looks like that was Resonance. I read about something like this, but... didn't think it would work like that. Spontaneously."
Hinata lowered her gaze, unable to look at him.
"You... you heard?" she whispered.
"Yes," Naruto answered honestly. Lying after such a moment was impossible. "And you too?"
She nodded barely perceptibly.
Naruto exhaled. The situation was awkward but didn't feel wrong.
"With such contact, it's impossible to lie," he said, trying to steer the conversation back to training. "We... we just saw the truth."
Hinata finally raised her gaze. Shame was giving way to something else. Determination. He knew her feelings. And he didn't push her away. Moreover, his feelings were filled with pride for her and joy in her success.
"I will continue training, Naruto-kun," she said firmly, though her voice still trembled. "You seemed to have other matters... could you leave me be?"
Naruto didn't argue or ask unnecessary questions. He saw in her eyes not rejection, but a request for a breather. The intensity of their mental contact was overwhelming even for him. She needed time to accept this.
"Of course," he nodded gently. "See you later, Hinata."
He turned and headed for the exit of the training ground, leaving the Hyuga alone with her thoughts and the wind cooling her burning cheeks.
Leaving the forest, the Uzumaki shoved his hands into his pockets.
Ayame and Hinata.
They were both changing. Accepting power, growing above themselves, strengthening their connections with the world and with him. The path of Qi made them more whole.
Ahead, towering over the rooftops, the white building of the Konoha Hospital was visible.
There, an injured team member waited for him.
The Uzumaki frowned, feeling an unpleasant lump of foreboding tighten inside. Intuition suggested that his teammate's condition had become even more unstable.
But he couldn't do anything without meeting him.
"Now—to Sasuke," he exhaled and quickened his pace.