Rain hammered the village rooftops as Hinata crept toward the archives annex, heart pounding like war drums. Her silk slippers slipped on the stone steps, but she dared not pause. Raikage A's summons burned in her mind—midnight, the annex, no witnesses.
She slipped inside the dark corridor, lantern held aloft. The wooden door to the annex stood ajar. She drew a breath and pushed it open—only to freeze.
Naruto Uzumaki stood in the center of the chamber, arms crossed, eyes blazing with hurt and confusion. His presence was a thunderclap to her racing heart.
"Hinata," he said, voice low but fierce. "What are you doing here at this hour?"
Her pulse thundered in her ears. "N-Naruto… I—" She swallowed, words catching like shards of ice. "I received a message… I thought it was important."
He stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "A message from whom? You've been distant, secretive… I followed you here."
Guilt and fear coiled in her chest. She looked down, voice trembling. "I can't tell you everything. Please… trust me."
Naruto's jaw clenched. "Trust you? You've been hiding things—late nights, strange whispers. Am I nothing to you?" His words cracked with betrayal.
Her vision blurred. "Naruto, you are everything to me—" She reached for his hand, but he recoiled. "But I… I'm in danger. I can't explain."
Footsteps echoed behind them. The soft rasp of fabric against stone. Hinata's breath caught. Naruto turned—just as the Raikage emerged from the shadows, his broad silhouette framed by the lantern's glow.
"Lady Hyuga," Raikage A intoned, voice calm but edged with steel. "And Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto's eyes widened. "You! You're the one she's been meeting!"
Hinata gasped. "Naruto, no—"
The Raikage stepped into the light, rainwater glistening on his armor. "I see my invitation has been discovered." His gaze flicked between them. "I take responsibility for this… complication."
Naruto's fists clenched at his sides. "Complication? You've been betraying me—betraying our village!" His voice broke.
Raikage A's expression hardened. "This is not the place for accusations. Leave her be, Naruto."
"Or what?" Naruto spat. "You'll crush me with your thunder?"
Silence fell, heavy as the storm outside. Hinata stood between them, torn by loyalty and desire, fear and love. The bonds of duty, friendship, and forbidden passion converged in this single, electric moment.
To Be Continued…