Champion | A NaruHina Story |

Chapter 8

It was a quiet morning, not many words were exchanged. They simply changed respectively and made haste toward the dining area. For one, Hinata was quite drowsy due to the abrupt awakening of the blonde. He was dead set on leaving very early for no particular reason. And this irked her. 

Regardless, here she was, sitting at a dining table with very few people inside. They chattered in a comfortable volume. She sat there in silence eating a simple piece of bread with Naruto and a side of soup for the morning winds.

She could see Naruto dip his bread in the soup while he blew on it simultaneously to cool it down. His eyes never left the target, which was the soup. She was fascinated just by this simple gesture from him. She didn't know why just staring at him was intriguing.

"Your soup is going to get cold if you just keep staring," he spoke before taking a bite of his bread.

Hinata abruptly fidgeted at the call out. She wanted to protest but couldn't. She was too sleepy and tired. She glared at him for a second before looking down on her bowl and taking a sip. The broth was warm and very soothing to the throat. She sighed comfortably, for the price, this soup wasn't half bad at all.

"Hey Naruto, umm…" Hinata paused for a moment, she had a mental battle with herself, she wanted to ask this since he spoke about it. He spoke about his mother. Perhaps he was getting comfortable. "What was your… mom like?"

Naruto stopped eating his bread and just simply laid it to the side. His eyes were still looking down on his bowl, silence was his reply. 

Hinata had done it now, she mentally punched herself in the face for even thinking she had a foot inside the door. 

How stupid am I?!

Before she even opened her mouth to apologize, Naruto calmly said "Do you see that man eating by the door?"

Hinata was thrown back by the question, she followed his call and inconspicuously looked around until her eyes settled on the man. There was nothing wrong with him. He looked like a regular merchant, wearing a straw hat with a rather torn-up sweater. 

She nodded and looked back at Naruto who was still staring at his soup.

"Well, he's about to kill the girl who's sitting alone at the end of the bar."

Hinata was on edge, she was about to look but was stopped by his hand that was on top of hers.

"Don't look now, you'll draw attention," Naruto calmly said, squeezing her hand. Naruto knew she would react like this. She needed to learn this one way or another.

Naruto then placed three silver coins on the table and tapped them before gulping down the entire soup.

"Let's go," Naruto stood up from his seat and placed his straw hat on, he nodded his head toward the young lady signaling her to get up. 

They both briefly stood up and bid the man behind the counter farewell. Once they were both outside, silence resumed. 

Naruto stopped halfway through the street and signaled her to follow. She noticed the blonde look both ways before walking into the alley right beside the inn they stayed in.

They walked further and further into the alley following Naruto. The shadow that cast over the inn grew larger and larger with every step before she knew it. They were consumed in the darkness. 

"I know what you want to say," Naruto paused, he shook his head already shooting down whatever was on her mind "we can't save her. You have to understand we can't save everyone."

Hinata fumed, "why not?!" She whispered and shouted simultaneously, "and how do you know he's going to hurt her?"

Naruto smiled at the question, "it's quite simple, it's the energy."