Chapter 188 Taking Care of Hinata


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    "Huh?" Hinata was confused by Naruto’s words.


    "I mmed the door too hard just now and it''s broken!" Naruto said with a little embarrassment, "Anyway, just change your shoes first. I’ll find some tools to fix it in a bit."


    Hinata couldn''t argue with Naruto, so she quietlyplied, her voice soft and faint.


    "Naruto-kun, aren''t you going to fix the door?" Hinata asked as she changed her shoes. When she looked up, she found that Naruto was staring at her feet intently.


    Suddenly, she felt a little embarrassed and blushed.


    "The door can be fixed anytime. I just noticed that your shoes seemed wet, so I was a little worried." He said with serious tone, but without any intention of averting his gaze.


    "That…" Hinata''s face turnedpletely red. Even though it was just her feet, Naruto’s gaze made her feel like she was about to lose something important.


    ‘It was all so strange!’


    "What''s wrong?" Naruto asked without lifting his head.


    "Naruto-kun, could you... not look at me?" Hinata asked weakly, trying to struggle free.


    "I wasn''t looking at you. I noticed the floor in the entryway seems off, so I felt I should fix it someday." Naruto waved his hand and said, "It''s okay, just go ahead and do your thing."


    Hearing Naruto''s almost shameless words, Hinata blushed furiously but obeyed. She thought to herself, ‘If Naruto-kun liked looking, then so be it.’


    ‘Anyway, anyway. It''s just feet, at least it''s something about me he likes.’


    Naruto wasn’t really that shameless. After staring for a while, he left with satisfaction.


    He returned to the kitchen, expertly boiling water and opening the window. He slid the ss door on the balcony open about an arm’s width. On his way past the sofa, he grabbed a thin nket and draped it over Kurama, covering himpletely.


    Kurama actually wasn''t too irritated. After being woken up by the nket, he simply stuck his head out and looked around. When he saw Hinata sitting stiffly on the sofa, he immediately shrank back and continued to sleep.


    ‘Hmph, foolish humans.’


    ‘So boring.’


    Naruto poured a cup of hot water and handed it to Hinata, asking her to warm her hands with it before asking, "Where''s your coat?"


    Hinata hesitated for a moment before obediently taking off her coat and handing it to Naruto. Naruto took it but didn''t immediately dry it, and instead, he hung it on the side.


    He had to figure out one thing, what did Hinata mean when she said she has been feeling worse and worse.


    However, Naruto didn''t ask directly. He knew Hinata well. She was perfect in many ways, but her heart was too tightly shut. Her first reaction to problems was always to avoid them or suffer silently.


    She was so timid that even Naruto found it unreasonable. After all, she was the Hyuga n''s eldest miss, a legitimate member of the main family, free from the curse of the Caged Bird Seal.


    If Naruto had such a status, forget about Hiashi treating him harshly. If he couldn''t provoke Hiashi into having a heart attack, he''d consider it a loss.


    Why should a youngdy put up with all this nonsense?


    While Naruto had guessed part of the source of Hinata''s pressure, he couldn''t just say it to her face: That her father was a real jerk!


    Especially in moments like these, where the art of conversation was especially crucial.


    "Have you been under too much pressure recently?" Naruto chose his words carefully. "If there''s something troubling you, you can talk to me."


    "No." Hinata shrank back a little and said in a low voice.


    "Are you sure?" Naruto frowned at her stubbornness. "You''re even wary of aw-abiding viger like me. That''s a bit unkind, isn''t it?"


    "Huh?" Hinata didn''t quite understand what Naruto meant and her body trembled slightly, "I... I''m just feeling a bit down. It’ll pass in a few days, maybe I just haven''t worked hard enough."


    "Huh? What''s that got to do with effort?" Naruto frowned slightly, then stood up and sat directly next to Hinata.


    "Uh... it should... it should have something to do with it, right?" Hinata leaned back slightly, "If I could just try a little harder, maybe..."


    "Maybe what?" Naruto took the opportunity to press her. He knew Hinata''s personality very well. If he didn''t ask immediately, he might never get an answer! This was the time to dig deeper!


    "Maybe... maybe I’d be stronger." Hinata said hesitantly, her voice growing softer and softer.


    "That''s not necessarily true. If effort alone worked, what would we need teachers for?" Naruto retorted bluntly, "Besides, everyone has different foundations and talents. It''s not fair to measure everyone by the same standards."


    "Even though that may be true…" Hinata was a little flustered and didn''t know how to respond.


    "It''s not just ''may be''… it''s the truth." Naruto sighed, reached out and patted Hinata on the head, then said, "Now, tell me, what are your strengths?"


    "Umm... my eyes." Hinata said carefully.


    "So you know it''s your eyes. Last time I watched you train, you kept clinging to Gentle Fist." Naruto said, "Although it may be a bit harsh to say this, not everyone is a genius like Hyuga Neji."


    Hearing this, Hinata lowered her head.


    "But Hinata, you are different from Hyuga Neji." At this point, Naruto suddenly leaned closer and lowered his voice. Even though there were only the two of them in the living room, he pulled Hinata over.


    As if afraid that others might hear what he said, he whispered in her ear.


    "If you train with your Byakugan, you might be even stronger than Hyuga Neji. There''s no need to cling to Gentle Fist. When you keep insisting on walking someone else''s path, it''s easy to lose yourself."


    Hinata was so nervous that she froze in ce, unable to move.


    The warm breath kept circling around her ears, and every word hit her heart like a heavy hammer. She opened her eyes wide and her nerves were trembling.


    Especially when Naruto deliberately sniffed as he pulled away from her. The small gesture didn''t escape Hinata''s notice, making her cheeks flush red.


    "I-I understand."


    She had initially wanted to tell him that she had arrived early and waited for a long time, feeling like her heart was drenched in rain. Her father didn''t care about her at all, and the n members kept a respectful distance.


    When ites to training, no matter how much she trained, she was always the one with the poorest aptitude.


    Even the person she liked was taken away from her, as if the whole world was against her. Nothing went smoothly, and the future seemed hopeless.


    But the words wouldn’te out. No one would easily share their troubles with others. Sometimes, thoughts that circled in one''s mind would begin to calm down halfway through.


    "That''s good. Are you hungry?" Naruto stood up and prepared to help her dry her coat, but suddenly turned around and asked.


    "Not hungry." Hinata shook her head.


    "Two servings of takoyaki, plus two…" After reciting a long list of food items, Naruto suddenly turned back and looked at Hinata, who was sitting obediently, and squinted his eyes.


    ‘Just ordering these probably wouldn''t be enough for you.’


    Fortunately, all Naruto’s money is in the seal space, and Hinata''s appetite wasn''t going to bankrupt him. They could keep changing restaurants. After all, since she was already here, the least he could do was fill her up.


    By the third restaurant, Hinata was feeling a bit embarrassed. She nced at Naruto, who looked like he was about to burst from overeating, and softly suggested, "Maybe... we should stop here. I should head back."


    "No way!" Naruto coughed and patted his chest before swallowing the takoyaki, "I''m still good!"