Naruto: Forbidden Pleasures

The sun was already piercing through the curtains, its gentle rays flooding the small room with light. Naruto stirred slightly in his bed, his eyelids fluttering before slowly opening. He blinked, trying to shake off the haze of sleep, but a heaviness lingered—not physical, but emotional.

He lay there for a moment, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The events of the previous day still danced in his mind, every word, every glance from Akane returning with unsettling clarity.

"Sorry, Mom…" he finally murmured, his raspy voice breaking the silence.

A strange mix of remorse and determination weighed on him. He thought of the woman he had never known, who had sacrificed everything so he could live. Of the lineage he had ignored, the roots he had let remain buried in his ignorance.

Slowly sitting up, he perched on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees. For a long moment, he didn't move, his gaze fixed on the floor, before finally standing.

He approached a small water bucket in the corner of the room, rinsed his face, then headed to the bathroom. There was no question of starting this new day burdened by yesterday's weight.

The small dining area was bathed in morning light. Akane was already seated, a bowl of food in front of her, calmly enjoying what seemed to be a carefully selected mix of plants.

"Yo, Naruto," she said without looking up, her relaxed tone breaking the silence of the room.

"Morning," Naruto replied, stifling a yawn.

She nodded toward a shelf, gesturing lightly.

"Your portion's over there."

Naruto went to retrieve his bowl but immediately frowned at its contents. Vegetables, more vegetables, and… vegetables.

"Seriously?" he sighed as he sat down. "What's this? Are we herbivores or something?"

Akane took one last bite and placed her chopsticks in her bowl.

"Not very observant, huh?" she said, pointing at Naruto with her chopsticks. "You want to know why you're so average despite your training? It's because you eat like a glutton and not like a warrior."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest but stopped, glancing down at his own torso. She wasn't wrong. He had muscles, sure, but nothing close to what he imagined he'd have after so much effort.

"Tch…" he muttered, biting into a green leaf.

He then noticed an absence. The seat next to Akane, usually occupied by Ayame, was empty.

"Where's Ayame?" he asked, raising an intrigued eyebrow.

Akane shrugged, her mocking smile reappearing.

"Out running some errands," she replied simply. "Probably getting ingredients or something."

Naruto frowned slightly but didn't respond. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the sound of chopsticks tapping against bowls.

Finally, Naruto put down his utensils and looked up at Akane, his gaze more serious than usual.

"Akane," he began, his voice firm. "About what we discussed last night…"

He took a deep breath, searching for the right words.

"I've made my decision. I'm staying. I want to learn about the legacy my clan left behind."

Akane's smile widened slightly, but this time it carried satisfaction rather than mockery.

"Good," she said, crossing her arms. "But let me be clear: it won't be easy. Everything you learn here, you'll have to earn."

Naruto nodded, his fists clenched on his knees.

"I don't care. I'm ready."

Akane tilted her head slightly, as if assessing his resolve. Then she straightened, placing her hands on the table.

"In that case, you'd better finish your bowl. Training starts soon, and you'll need all the energy you can get."

"What?! Already? But I haven't even had time to digest!" Naruto exclaimed, startled.

Akane raised an eyebrow, amused by his reaction.

"Life as an Uzumaki doesn't wait, Naruto. Eat, or you'll regret every bite you didn't take."

She stood, her bowl in hand, and headed toward a door leading to her office.

"You've got five minutes," she called out, disappearing into the other room.

Naruto groaned, glaring at his bowl as if it were his enemy.

"Seriously, these women are going to kill me…"

But he didn't waste any more time. He quickly finished what remained, fully aware that something challenging—but crucial—was waiting for him.

[...]

In the Hyuga Clan's Training Hall. The dull sound of palms striking the air echoed through the Hyuga Clan's training hall, interspersed with the swift, precise movements of two feminine silhouettes. Hinata Hyuga and her younger sister, Hanabi, were locked in an intense sparring session, both displaying their mastery of the Jūken, the signature martial art of their clan.

Hinata dodged one of Hanabi's palm strikes, but her opponent quickly followed up with another move, landing a direct hit on her chest. Though controlled, the blow unbalanced Hinata, causing her to stagger back and fall to the ground.

"Hinata!" Hanabi exclaimed, stopping immediately.

She ran over and crouched beside her sister.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Still seated on the ground, Hinata winced slightly as she held her chest, but a gentle smile lit her face.

"Don't worry, Hanabi, I'm fine," she replied softly. "You've really gotten strong."

Hanabi let out a sigh of relief, then smiled proudly.

"Thank you, big sister. But you should be more careful."

Hinata nodded as she slowly got up with her sister's help.

"It's been a while since I've seen you train," Hinata said. "I'm glad I took the time to come."

Hanabi, touched by her sister's attention, sat beside her on the tatami mats, wiping the light sweat from her brow.

Silence fell between them for a moment as they caught their breath. Then Hanabi broke the stillness, her tone slightly teasing:

"Big sister… Naruto, huh?"

Hinata nearly jumped, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink.

"W-what? What do you mean?" she stammered, avoiding Hanabi's gaze.

Amused by her sister's reaction, Hanabi pressed on.

"Well, I know you like him. Everyone can see it, you know."

Hinata lowered her eyes, nervously twisting her hands.

"I-it's not… I mean, maybe," she murmured.

Hanabi smiled but quickly adopted a more serious expression.

"About him… I heard a rumor recently."

Hinata's head shot up, her heart skipping a beat.

"A rumor?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Hanabi nodded, crossing her arms.

"Yes. They say he's been kidnapped."

The shock hit Hinata immediately. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught for a moment.

"Kidnapped? But… why? By who? Where is he?" she cried, panic rising in her voice.

Hanabi shook her head helplessly.

"I don't know, big sister. All I know is that the Hokage is doing everything to keep it under wraps. Maybe to stop it from spreading further…"

Hinata felt her heart clench, fear and anxiety creeping into her mind, feeding her darkest thoughts.

"What if he's in danger? What if I never… see him again?" she thought.

She quickly shook her head, refusing to succumb to those negative thoughts.

"Naruto is strong," she told herself. "He'll find a way to get through this."

Hanabi placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry too much, big sister. Naruto is the kind of guy who always pulls through, no matter the situation."

Hinata nodded, forcing a light smile to reassure her sister, though her mind remained troubled.

The two sisters continued chatting about lighter topics for a few more minutes, but Hinata couldn't shake the worry that weighed on her. Finally, she stood, stretching gently.

"Thank you for this moment, Hanabi. I'm so proud of how much you've progressed," she said with a sincere smile.

Hanabi nodded, looking at her sister with affection.

"Thank you for coming, big sister. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

Hinata nodded and left the training hall. But with every step she took through the Hyuga estate's corridors, her mind was flooded with thoughts of Naruto.

Clenching her fists, her gaze hardened with determination.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing," she thought. "No matter the obstacles, I have to find out what happened to him."

The cold wind greeted her as she stepped outside the estate. Hinata's hair danced in the breeze as she walked away, her mind already working on how to uncover a clue.