“Sakura, we’re in the same class, let’s eat together.”
After the orientation, students would meet their Jonin teachers in the afternoon.
Sakura saw Sasuke walk off alone, so she chased after him. After leaving the school gate, she couldn't find Sasuke anywhere. She had planned to eat with Sasuke, but now he was gone.
Just then, Naruto also caught up and invited Sakura to eat.
“You’re so annoying!”
As soon as Sakura heard Naruto’s voice, she immediately looked annoyed, her attitude extremely unfriendly: “Why would I eat with you?!”
Naruto meekly said: “But, we’re finally in the same class…”
“Aren’t you annoying?!”
Sakura threw out this sentence, then turned and left, not forgetting to call Sasuke’s name as she went.
Naruto was instantly very dejected. He didn’t understand why Sakura treated him this way. He was clearly quite excellent himself…
Just then, a warm hand rested on his shoulder, followed by Chiye’s voice.
“Give up. She only has Sasuke in her heart. No matter how much you try to win over someone who doesn’t like you, she won’t like you, especially since she already has someone she likes in her heart.”
“But… but…” Naruto lowered his head. He was very conflicted. He understood Chiye’s meaning, but he couldn’t let go of Sakura in his heart, after all, he had liked her for many years.
Chiye smiled slightly, waved to a shy little figure behind a tree, and then said to Naruto: “There are countless people who are outwardly beautiful but inwardly ugly. While external appearance is important, an interesting soul is even more so. Instead of putting a warm face on a cold butt, why not change your target?”
“What do you mean?” Naruto didn’t understand Chiye’s words. His cultural studies were already poor, and Chiye spoke so profoundly, making it even harder to comprehend.
But Chiye didn’t answer him directly; instead, he looked behind him.
Naruto was stunned for a moment, followed Chiye’s gaze, and then saw Hinata, her face flushed, standing not far from him, head down, not daring to meet his eyes.
“Do you still remember this girl?” Chiye asked.
“Ah, I remember. I remember protecting her once when I was little, she was being bullied by a group of people,” Naruto replied.
“Good that you remember.” Chiye said to Hinata with a smile: “Alright, come here.”
Hinata stood rooted to the spot for a while, finally as if gathering great courage, she took small steps, inching towards Naruto. When I say ‘in front’, there was still over a meter of distance.
“Ah? Hinata, what’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
Hearing Naruto’s voice, Hinata’s face grew even redder, colorless steam slowly rising from the top of her head. She didn’t utter a sound for a long time.
Chiye was exasperated by this. Hinata, you’re too shy, aren’t you? You’re as fierce as a strong woman after marriage…
Sigh.
So, he had no choice but to give Hinata another push.
“Hinata was very happy when she learned you also qualified for graduation, so she prepared a gift for you, right, Hinata?”
Reminded by Chiye, Hinata immediately reacted, quickly bowed, and handed the small box in her hands to Naruto with both hands.
“Na… Naruto-kun, con-congratulations on your graduation. Th-th-th-this is the gift I prepared.” Hinata stammered out quickly, shoved the box into Naruto’s hand, then turned and ran, without looking back.
Naruto stared at the small box in his hand, completely bewildered.
He felt like this was probably the first time he had ever received a gift from a girl.
“Hinata, what… what’s wrong with her?” Naruto scratched his head.
Chiye was about to go crazy, he slapped Naruto on the head.
“Are you really stupid or just pretending?! You only know you like Sakura, can’t you tell Hinata likes you?! Huh?! You idiot!”
Hearing this, Naruto’s brain buzzed as if struck by lightning, but he quickly became dejected, muttering to himself: “Hinata, likes me? Hahahaha… Don’t joke around. She’s a young lady from a prominent family, and I’m just an orphan.”
“But at least she likes you, isn’t that better than pursuing a girl who doesn’t care for you at all? Besides, you have no idea how terrible you are in Sakura Haruno’s heart.”
“Impossible!” Naruto immediately denied: “She just hasn’t discovered my good qualities!”
To this, Chiye didn’t want to say anything more, so he said: “Then why don’t we try it?”
Naruto was puzzled: “What do you mean?”
“Let’s tie up Sasuke, then you transform into Sasuke and ask Sakura Haruno what kind of existence you are in her heart. Only then, I think, will you give up,” Chiye said.
“This…”
Naruto fell silent. Perhaps due to his pride, he still agreed to try it. He didn’t believe he was terrible in Sakura’s heart.
Subsequently, the two found Sasuke’s whereabouts in an attic.
That kid Sasuke was actually eating rice balls alone here, and he was eating them with relish.
So, according to the plan, Chiye and Naruto went over and gave Sasuke a good beating, then Naruto transformed into Sasuke’s appearance and went to find Sakura.
“Mmph… Mmph Mmph Mmph…”
Sasuke was tied up on the ground, struggling. His eyes were covered with a cloth strip, and his mouth was gagged with a rag. He had no idea what had happened.
He was suddenly knocked down!
He hadn’t reacted, hadn’t seen anything.
He was depressed. What was going on with him these past few days? What sin had he committed that people kept tying him up every day?
Chiye stood on a rooftop, observing Naruto’s movements.
The reason he started helping Hinata win over Naruto and bring these two together was mainly because, just now, the system had issued a long-term mission.
【Long-term Mission One: Promote the better development of the NaruHina relationship line until Hinata truly confesses to Naruto. Mission rewards: Fifty Senzu Beans, activate Super Saiyan Stage One exclusive breakthrough mission (this mission can be completed normally even if the 200 combat power requirement is not met).】
Chiye had just walked out of the classroom and almost died of excitement.
He had been worried before about what to do if he couldn’t reach 200 combat power, since 200 combat power was already at the level of the Six Paths.
As it turned out, the long-term mission immediately solved this problem.
And it was the NaruHina line. It was known that, without interference, Hinata would confess to Naruto during Pain’s invasion.
That is to say, even if he did nothing, this mission would complete itself.
However, the mission also mentioned “promote the better development of the relationship line,” which meant he had to do something to some extent.
So, during the time Naruto went to chase Sakura, Chiye specifically went to find Hinata and asked her if she wanted to get closer to Naruto.
Hinata’s face immediately turned crimson with shyness. She was very puzzled as to how Chiye had discovered her feelings for Naruto, as she had never shown them.
But anyone familiar with Hokage knew that later on, almost everyone knew Hinata liked Naruto, except for Naruto, the clueless idiot… It was also very possible he pretended not to know, as Naruto himself had mentioned his family background issues.
So Chiye suggested Hinata give Naruto a graduation gift. With himself mediating, their relationship could be brought closer.
This completely flustered Hinata. Being suddenly asked to prepare a gift—though she was willing to give Naruto a gift, she hadn’t prepared anything for school.
At this point, Chiye saw the bento box in Hinata’s backpack and told Hinata to give the bento to Naruto, considering it a small token of affection. He also deliberately emphasized that Naruto had never received gifts from others since childhood, so the sentiment was enough, and they could talk about giving a better gift later.
To foster their relationship, Hinata agreed.
Then, that led to the scene where Chiye was advising Naruto just now.