Hinata wiped the last bit of dirt from her hands as she stood up, admiring the small but growing garden she had been tending. The week had passed in a blur since her and Naruto's wedding ceremony, and though she cherished every moment of their new life together, there was an unsettling weight on her shoulders. The memory of that strange figure still haunted her. She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away. Today, she just wanted to enjoy a simple stroll through the village.

She grabbed a small woven basket, deciding she would pick up a few groceries on her way. The streets of Konoha bustled with activity, vendors shouting out their wares and children running past her in a blur of laughter. It was peaceful, yet Hinata couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. As she turned a corner, her senses flared, and she realized she was being followed.

She stopped at a market stall, pretending to browse the fresh produce, and stole a glance behind her. Two masked figures stood casually in the crowd, but their posture was too stiff, too deliberate. ANBU. Hinata's grip tightened on her basket as frustration curled in her stomach. She resumed walking, quickening her pace before suddenly turning on her heel and heading straight for them.

The two ANBU tensed as she approached, and she wasted no time. "Why are you following me?" Her voice was calm, but her Byakugan activated on instinct, her lavender eyes narrowing as she read their chakra signatures.

There was a pause before one of the ANBU finally responded, his voice muffled by his mask. "We are under the Hokage's orders."

Hinata blinked, her frustration boiling over. Naruto.

With a sharp inhale, she turned away, heading toward the Hokage Tower. Hinata stormed into the Hokage's office, her frustration barely contained as she pushed past the assistant at the door. The moment she stepped inside, the sight of Naruto buried under a mountain of paperwork momentarily softened her irritation. He sat slouched in his chair, his blonde hair even messier than usual, blue eyes filled with exhaustion yet still brimming with warmth when they landed on her.

"Hinata!" he greeted, instantly perking up. "What a nice surprise, dattebayo—"

"Why are there ANBU following me?" she interrupted, her voice sharp but not unkind. Naruto's smile faltered slightly. He sat up straighter, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh… You found out about that, huh?"

"Yes, I found out about that," she replied, crossing her arms. "Why are you suddenly having me watched?"

Naruto sighed, leaning forward on his desk. "It's not like that, Hinata. I just— I need to make sure you're safe."

"Safe from what?" she asked, her voice laced with exasperation. "Naruto, I can handle myself. I've been a kunoichi all my life. What's changed?"

His expression grew serious, the playful glint in his eyes fading. "That night, when we saw the figure… I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. And the fact that Kurama doesn't know what it was either? That's not normal."

Hinata's frustration dimmed as she watched the crease form between his brows, his lips pressing into a thin line. His hands gripped the desk tightly, knuckles slightly whitening. She had seen Naruto worried before, but this was different. This was a man, a leader, a husband desperately trying to protect what was most important to him.

He sighed and continued, "I've been investigating it all week, but there's nothing. No signs, no clues, no explanations. I don't like that. I don't like not knowing. So, until I figure it out, I need to know you're safe."

Hinata's gaze softened, and she stepped closer to him, placing a gentle hand over his clenched fist. "I understand, Naruto," she said quietly. "I'm sorry I got mad. I know you're just trying to protect me."

His eyes flickered up to hers, and she could see the relief there. "I should've told you," he admitted. "I just didn't want you to worry."

She smiled faintly and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "You don't have to carry everything alone," she reminded him.

Naruto exhaled deeply, as if her words lifted some of the weight from his shoulders. "I know. I just… I need to be sure. If something happened to you, Hinata, I—" He swallowed hard, shaking his head. "I wouldn't forgive myself."

She cupped his cheek, her thumb stroking gently. "Nothing will happen," she reassured him. "We'll figure this out together."

He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a brief moment before looking back at her with a small, genuine smile. "Thanks, Hinata. I really needed to hear that."

She straightened up and stepped back. "I should go home and start preparing dinner," she said. "I know you're busy, but I want you to eat something home-cooked after such a long day."

Naruto grinned. "Now that's something I can't wait for."

She giggled, shaking her head at his enthusiasm. "Then don't be late."

"I won't," he promised. "I'll be home soon."

With one last smile, she turned and left the office. As the door shut behind her, Naruto exhaled, leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. His heart felt lighter, but the unease still lurked in the back of his mind. Something wasn't right, and until he figured out what, he wasn't going to take any chances.

Hinata walked through the village streets, the grocery bag in her arms growing heavier with each step. The sun had begun its slow descent, casting warm orange hues over the rooftops, painting the sky in soft shades of purple and gold. The day had been long, but peaceful. After speaking with Naruto, she had calmed down, understanding his worries, even if she didn't completely agree with them. She sighed softly, shifting the bag in her arms, eager to get home and start preparing dinner.

But then—she stopped.

Something was wrong.

A chill crept up her spine, her skin prickling as an eerie sensation washed over her. Her steps faltered as her lavender eyes locked onto something—or someone—standing just ahead of her house.

The figure.

It was there again, standing completely still, half-shrouded in the evening shadows, its presence unnatural, wrong. Its shape was humanoid, yet something about it felt... off. The light from the streetlamps barely reflected against it, making it almost appear like a void in space. The air around it seemed distorted, warping as if reality itself was bending around its presence.

Hinata's breath hitched in her throat. Instinct took over as she activated her Byakugan.

And immediately, she regretted it.

Her vision—so precise, so powerful—could barely comprehend what she was seeing. The figure wasn't just distorted; it was fragmented, an anomaly that her eyes couldn't properly process. Its chakra signature was unlike anything she had ever encountered, flickering and erratic, as though it wasn't fully part of this world.

Then she saw them.

The two ANBU guards.

The ones who had been following her.

Her blood ran cold.

They were motionless, crumpled against the ground near an alleyway, their bodies twisted unnaturally, as though something had drained the very life out of them. Their masks lay cracked beside them, their once-powerful presence now reduced to nothing.

Dead.

Hinata staggered back, her heartbeat pounding against her ribs. Her mind screamed at her to run, to get as far away as possible. But her body refused to move.

Then—

The figure moved.

Not with footsteps. Not with any natural motion. One second, it was by her house. The next—

It was in front of her.

Hinata gasped.

Her vision blurred as she was forced to look up at the thing before her. The space around it twisted violently, light refracting off its form in a way that made her dizzy. It was tall—far taller than she had first thought. Its presence was suffocating, an unbearable weight pressing against her chest. She tried to step back, but the moment she moved, her limbs felt heavy.

Too heavy.

Something was wrong.

She could feel it now—her strength leaving her, her chakra ebbing away as if being siphoned. She struggled to lift her arms, to summon her energy, but it was like her body was betraying her, her limbs sluggish and unresponsive.

The figure wrapped around her.

Not like arms. Not like anything human.

It was cold. Suffocating. A presence that swallowed her whole.

Hinata gasped for air, panic rising, but her vision was fading—

Darkness.

And then, everything went black.

…

The doors to the Hokage's office slammed open with a force that rattled the shelves. Naruto's eyes snapped up from his paperwork, irritation flashing across his face.

"What the hell, Sasuke?!" he snapped, ready to scold him for barging in unannounced.

But the words died in his throat.

Sasuke wasn't alone.

Naruto's heart stopped when he saw her—Hinata—limp and unmoving in Sasuke's arms.

His chair scraped against the floor as he shot up, his pulse roaring in his ears. In a blink, he was in front of Sasuke, wrenching Hinata from his hold with shaking hands.

"Hinata?!" His voice cracked, fear clawing its way into his throat. He cradled her gently, pressing his forehead against hers. She was cold—too cold. He barely registered Sasuke's breathless words.

"I found her in front of your house," Sasuke said, his voice tight. "Two ANBU—dead. I don't know what happened, but—"

Naruto barely heard the rest. His entire focus was on the unconscious woman in his arms.

Kurama stirred violently inside him, a deep growl shaking Naruto's core.

"This isn't normal."The beast's voice rumbled with unease."Something has touched her. Something that shouldn't exist."

Naruto clenched his jaw, trying to steady himself. His grip on Hinata tightened as panic surged through him.

The office doors burst open again, and Sakura stormed in, eyes flaring with anger.

"Are you both idiots?! Why the hell didn't you take her to the hospital?!"

Sasuke exhaled sharply. "I panicked," he admitted, voice tight with frustration.

Sakura huffed, shaking her head as she rushed to Hinata's side, pressing her hands over her, glowing green chakra pulsing at her fingertips.

Naruto swallowed thickly, watching, waiting—praying.

Seconds felt like an eternity.

Then Sakura's expression changed.

Confusion.

Fear.

Her hands trembled.

"This… This isn't right," she whispered, looking up at Naruto with wide, uncertain eyes. "Her chakra—Naruto, it's—"

She hesitated.

Naruto felt his stomach drop.

"What? What's wrong?" His voice was barely above a whisper, but his desperation was deafening.

Sakura swallowed hard. "Her chakra istainted."

A suffocating silence fell over the room.

And for the first time in years, Naruto felt true terror settle into his bones.