Naruto sat on the rooftop of his apartment, staring at the star-filled sky, the cold breeze doing little to cool the storm raging within him. He hugged his knees to his chest, his thoughts circling endlessly around her—Hinata. She was all he could think about, all he could feel, as if she had taken root in the deepest, most vulnerable part of his heart and refused to let go.

His mind drifted, searching through the fragments of his memories, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when he had fallen for her.

"Was it that time...?" he muttered aloud to no one, his voice almost drowned out by the wind.

A younger Naruto stood in a clearing, sweat dripping from his brow as he furiously practiced his punches on a battered old log. His breath came in sharp gasps, his knuckles bruised and raw, but he kept going.

Behind him, hidden poorly behind a tree, was a shy, pale-eyed girl with dark hair that framed her delicate face. She peeked out timidly, watching him with a mixture of admiration and worry.

Naruto had known she was there from the moment she arrived. He wasn't sure how—it wasn't like she made a sound—but there was something about her presence that he always felt, like the warmth of the sun breaking through a cloudy day.

He had pretended not to notice her, afraid that if he turned around, she'd run away. He didn't want her to leave.

"Why does she always watch me?" he had thought back then, landing another punch on the log. "No one else ever does…"

Even as a kid, he had felt a strange comfort knowing she was there. Everyone else in the village avoided him, glared at him, whispered behind his back. But Hinata… she just stood there, her wide lavender eyes filled with something he didn't understand at the time.

Naruto ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, a soft, bittersweet smile tugging at his lips. "She's always been like that," he whispered to himself. "Watching me, believing in me, even when no one else did."

He thought back to a moment during their Academy days.

It had been a rough day—one of those days where the whispers felt louder than usual, where the kids kept their distance like he carried some kind of disease and worst of all he was starving. He had been sitting alone on a swing, pretending it didn't bother him, when a small shadow fell over him.

"U-Um… Naruto-kun?"

He had looked up, surprised to see Hinata standing there, clutching something in her hands. Her face was flushed red, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I… I made this for you." She gently given him a bento box, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I… I thought you might like it…"

Naruto had stared at her, stunned. No one had ever went out of their way to make him something just because they were interested in what he might like.

"Wow, thanks, Hinata!" he had said, grinning widely as he opened the bento box revealing the delicious variation of food. "You're really nice, you know that?"

Her face had turned even redder, and she had stammered something incoherent before running off. He hadn't understood it then, but now he knew. That moment had been a spark, something small and warm that had stayed with him.

Naruto let out a shaky breath, his chest tightening as he thought about those small, seemingly insignificant moments. She had always been there, even when he hadn't fully realized it.

Naruto's smile faded, replaced by a deep sadness as his thoughts shifted to the day everything changed.

The fight against Pain. The destruction of Konoha. The despair he had felt, knowing he couldn't protect everyone. And then…her.

"Naruto-kun!"

He turned his head, shock and fear flooding his veins as Hinata stepped forward. Her voice had cut through the chaos like a lifeline. He had turned to see her standing there, her eyes full of determination despite the overwhelming odds.

"Hinata! What are you doing here? Get out of here!" he had shouted, his voice raw with panic.

But she didn't listen. She stood in front of him, her small frame shielding him from Pain's wrath.

"I'm here… because I want to protect you," she had said, her voice steady despite the overwhelming odds.

Naruto had frozen, stunned by the sheer courage she displayed. Then she said the words that would haunt and heal him for the rest of his life.

"Because… I love you."

Those words had struck him harder than any blow he had ever had screamed for her to stop as she charged at Pain, but she didn't falter. And then…

And then Pain had struck her down…

Naruto clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. The memory was still vivid, still raw. He had watched her body hit the ground, lifeless, and something inside him broke.

He remembered the searing pain in his chest, the overwhelming despair and rage that consumed him as he transformed, the Nine-Tails' chakra taking over. He had wanted nothing more than to destroy everything, to make the world pay for taking her away from him.

With his grief and rage spiraling out of control he had lost himself, his only thought being revenge. He wanted to destroy Pain, to make him pay for what he had done.

But underneath the fury was something far more devastating.

"She's gone," he had thought, tears streaming down his face even as the Nine-Tails' power coursed through him. "She's really gone."

No one had ever risked so much for him. No one had ever loved him so selflessly. And now, she was gone.

Naruto pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall.

"That was the moment," he whispered, his voice trembling. "That was when I knew I couldn't lose her."

He had been ready to die for her, to give up everything just to bring her back. And when he found out she had survived, the relief had nearly crushed him.

Naruto sat in the dim light of his apartment, staring at the clock on the wall. The ticking seemed louder in the silence, each second slicing through the stillness like a blade. His heartbeat, steady but cold, matched its rhythm.

"It's time," he muttered under his breath, standing and rolling his shoulders.

Walking to the center of the room, he made the hand signs for a shadow clone. In a poof of smoke, a perfect replica of himself appeared, standing at attention.

"You know what to do," Naruto instructed.

The clone nodded, a mischievous grin spreading across its face. It would spend the night aimlessly wandering the village, stopping by Ichiraku, making small talk with whoever crossed its path—just enough to maintain the illusion that Naruto had been in Konoha the entire time.

Satisfied, Naruto stepped onto the small balcony, his movements quiet and deliberate. The night air was cool, the faint rustling of leaves the only sound. He closed his eyes, activating sage mode. The sensory field expanded outward, painting a picture of the village around him. He noted the positions of the patrolling shinobi, their chakra signatures faint but steady.

Timing his movements carefully, he leaped from his balcony, his feet landing silently on a nearby rooftop. He moved like a shadow, his steps precise and controlled. Years of pranking and sneaking through the village had honed his ability to avoid detection. But this wasn't about harmless fun anymore.

This was different.

Outside the village walls, Naruto quickened his pace, his steps light against the forest floor. The towering trees cast long shadows under the pale moonlight, and the distant hoot of an owl punctuated the stillness.

As he waited, concealed in the shadows, a dark smile crept across his face. He tapped his fingers against the hilt of a kunai, the sharp metal cool and comforting against his skin.

A thought flickered in his mind, faint and fleeting.Should I spare them?

The idea almost made him laugh. Spare them? The audacity. These men were a threat to his happiness, to his future. They were obstacles, nothing more. And obstacles were meant to be removed.

A low chuckle escaped his lips, growing louder until it became a full-throated laugh. The sound was hollow, echoing through the trees like a harbinger of doom.

"No," he said aloud, his voice dripping with malice. "I don't think I'll be sparing anyone tonight."

Naruto crouched low in the shadows, his breath slow and measured, though his body trembled with barely restrained fury. His crimson eyes pierced through the dark forest, locking onto the small group of men as they laughed and chatted, oblivious to the predator laying in wait. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting fractured beams of light onto their carefree faces.

"They dare."

Naruto's lips curled into a sneer, his fingers tightening around the kunai in his hand. These men, these insects, had been invited tohisvillage. They were coming to takehisHinata. The mere thought of them even imagining her made his stomach churn with rage.

"She's mine," he muttered under his breath, his voice so low it was barely audible, even to himself. His nails bit into his palm as his grip on the kunai tightened. "They'll regret stepping foot here."

The first man didn't even hear him approach.

Naruto moved like a shadow, silent and swift. His kunai sliced clean through the man's throat, the sharp edge tearing through skin and muscle. Blood sprayed in a hot arc, staining the nearby trees. The man gurgled, his hands clawing uselessly at his neck before he crumpled to the ground.

The others froze in horror, their laughter dying instantly as they stared at their fallen companion.

"W-What the hell?!" one of them shouted, his voice trembling.

Naruto stepped forward, his crimson eyes glowing eerily in the dark. The light of the moon caught the fresh blood splattered across his face, making him look like something out of a nightmare.

"You shouldn't have come here," Naruto said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

One of the men drew a sword, his hands shaking. "Who the hell are you?!"

Naruto tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "Me?" His lips twisted into a cruel smile. "I'm the one who's going to make sure you never even think about her again."

He moved again, faster than their eyes could follow. His kunai plunged into the chest of the man with the sword, the blade twisting viciously as Naruto yanked it free. Blood poured from the wound, soaking the ground beneath him.

Another man tried to run, his footsteps frantic as he stumbled through the forest. Naruto didn't even hesitate. He flung a kunai with deadly precision, the blade embedding itself deep into the man's head. The sound of the kunai piercing his skull was truly something that followedof pure agony.

Another man was quick on his feet but Naruto was on him in seconds, dragging the man back by his hair. The man screamed and begged, tears streaming down his face.

"Please! I didn't mean anything! I swear!"

Naruto's grip tightened, his nails digging into the man's scalp. "You didn't mean anything?" he repeated, his voice eerily calm. "You thought you could take her from me, and you didn't mean anything?"

He slammed the man's head into a nearby tree with a sickening crack. Blood splattered across the bark, and the man slumped to the ground, remaining men tried to fight, but it was hopeless. Naruto was relentless, his movements precise and merciless. He didn't just attack; he dismantled them.

He broke their arms, their legs, and plunged his kunai repeatedly creating a blood bath. The forest floor was littered with their blood and broken bodies, their screams of pain echoing through the night.

One man, who had manage to stay alive despite his injuries was crawling on the ground with his arm twisted unnaturally, he looked up at Naruto with tear-filled eyes. "You're a monster," he whispered, his voice choked with pain.

Naruto crouched down, his crimson eyes locking onto the man's terrified gaze. He smiled, the expression cold and devoid of humanity. "You're right," he said softly. "But I'm her monster."

Crack.

As Naruto stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving, the glow in his eyes began to fade. He looked down at the blood staining his hands, his breath steadying as the initial rush subsided.

For a brief moment, he thought of Hinata—her gentle smile, her soft voice. The thought grounded him, pulling him back from the edge.

"This is for her," he whispered, his voice almost tender. "For us."

By the time he slipped back into his apartment, the blood on his hands had been wiped clean, and his face showed no sign of the chaos he had unleashed. Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, his mind calm and clear.

"She's mine," he thought, the words a vow he would carry to the grave. And as he closed his eyes, a small, unsettling smile played at his lips.

The morning sun cast its warm glow over the Hyuga compound, but the atmosphere inside was anything but peaceful. Hinata sat quietly in her room, tending to a flower arrangement, when a soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Lady Hinata," a servant called from the other side of the door. "Your father requests your presence in his study."

Hinata set the flowers down, smoothing her kimono nervously. A summons from her father was rarely casual. She hastily made her way to his study, her heart fluttering with unease.

When she entered, Hiashi Hyuga stood tall by the window, his back turned to her.

"You summoned me, Father?" Hinata said softly, bowing respectfully.

Hiashi turned to face her, his expression stern. "Yes, Hinata. There is a matter we must discuss. In a few hours, we will receive important guests—potential suitors for you."

Hinata's heart sank. Her throat tightened, and she struggled to find her voice. "S-Suitors?"

"Yes," Hiashi said curtly. "As the heir to the Hyuga clan, it is your duty to ensure our future. Marriage alliances strengthen the clan's standing, and it is time you fulfill that obligation."

"Father, please," Hinata began, her voice trembling. "I am not ready for marriage. I-I need more time to—"

"You've had enough time," Hiashi interrupted, his tone cold and final. "You are no longer a child, Hinata. You must face your responsibilities."

Hinata clenched her fists, her usually gentle demeanor beginning to crack. "Father, I have been fulfilling my responsibilities. I train every day, I perform my duties, and I've worked hard to earn your respect. But marriage—marriage is a choice I am not ready to make yet."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "And why is that? Perhaps because you've been wasting your time with that boy—Naruto Uzumaki."

Hinata froze, her breath catching in her throat. "Naruto…?"

"Yes," Hiashi said sharply. "I am well aware of the time you've been spending with him. Do you think I wouldn't notice? You disgrace yourself by associating with someone like him. A demon. A dangerous, reckless boy who has no place in your life or in this clan."

Hinata's blood ran cold, and for the first time in her life, a surge of anger rose within her. "He is not a demon!" she said, her voice louder and steadier than she expected.

Hiashi's eyes widened slightly at her outburst, but his expression quickly hardened. "Do not raise your voice to me, Hinata. You will not defend that boy in this house."

"I will defend him," Hinata shot back, her lavender eyes blazing. "Because you're wrong about him. Naruto is kind, selfless, and brave. He's spent his whole life fighting for this village, for the people who treated him like an outcast. He's a hero, Father. How can you call him a demon?"

Hiashi took a step closer, his voice low and threatening. "Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment. That boy is dangerous, and his interest in you will bring nothing but shame and ruin to this clan. I forbid you from seeing him again."

Hinata's hands trembled, but she stood her ground. "You can forbid me all you want, but I won't stop seeing him. I won't turn my back on someone who has always believed in me when no one else did—not even you."

Hiashi's face darkened, his voice rising. "You dare speak to me this way? Do you forget who you are? You are the heir to this clan, and you will do as I say!"

"I haven't forgotten who I am," Hinata said, her voice steady despite the tears forming in her eyes. "I am the heir to this clan, but I am also a person. And I will not let you control my life, Father. Not like this."

Hiashi's hand twitched as if he wanted to lash out but restrained himself. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "If you continue down this path, you will bring dishonor to this family. Think carefully, Hinata. Your actions will have consequences."

Hinata met his gaze, unflinching. "I have thought carefully, Father. And I will not betray my heart."

The room fell into a tense silence, the air heavy with unspoken words. Hiashi turned away, his back to her once again. "Leave me," he said coldly.

Hinata bowed stiffly, tears streaming down her face as she turned and walked out of the study.