C39 Bullying Hinata

In Kasuga, there's a longstanding tradition of boys giving gifts to girls.

Usually, these gifts are a way for boys to show their feelings. But Tenno probably didn't realize the romantic implication.

Hinata thought to herself, "It would be so nice if Tenno knew what the gift really meant before he gave it to me."

Still, she was happy with how things were, delighted to have received a gift from Tenno.

"Tenno, what are you doing?" Hinata asked, noticing the charcoal in his hands.

"I'm planning a barbecue by the river with my sister. If you're not busy, you should come along," Tenno warmly invited her.

He'd be thrilled to have someone as sweet as Hinata join them.

"Really?" Hinata's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Can I really come?"

The idea of an outdoor barbecue was exciting to her. Just thinking about it was fun.

For a young lady from a large, traditional family, rarely having friends to play with, the idea of a riverside barbecue was incredibly appealing.

"Of course. It's more fun to barbecue with others," Tenno said, smiling. "And you've already met my sister Tiantian. I bet you'll get along great."

Hinata nodded, "Sister Tiantian is so easy to get along with. I really like her."

Tenno took Hinata's hand, "Let's go then. We just need to grab some cooking supplies on our way."

Hinata was surprised when Tenno took her hand!

Feeling the warmth of his hand, her heart raced.

Her breathing became labored, her mind deprived of oxygen and unable to think straight.

Tenno, hand in hand with Hinata, continued forward, completely unaware of her state.

It made sense that he didn't notice. Girls in the Naruto World often matured faster than those from his previous life.

But to Tenno, they were all still just kids.

In his daily life with Tiantian, it was normal to hold hands, hug, give forehead kisses, and even wrestle.

Tiantian was a tomboy who admired Tsunade, so it was no surprise she embraced a bit of rough-and-tumble.

So Tenno had no idea how much his simple gesture had impacted Hinata, nearly making her faint.

"Stop right there!"

A robust shout suddenly pierced the air from afar.

"Don't you dare bully that girl!"

Tenno paused, the voice seemingly calling out to him. With Hinata at his side, the notion of him being a bully was ludicrous.

He scrunched his brow and looked toward the voice.

An orange-red tracksuit came into view as a young man dashed toward him with determination. Wasn't that Naruto?

"Tenno, it's you?" Naruto immediately recognized him, his volume lowering as he awkwardly scratched his head.

Confusion flickered in Tenno's eyes. "Naruto, you thought I was picking on a girl?"

A sheepish smile spread across Naruto's face as he admitted, "I thought it was someone else. If I'd known it was you earlier, I wouldn't have made such a mistake."

Tenno laughed and asked, "And who did you think I was harassing?"

Naruto pointed at Hinata, "Her, over there. She looked like she was on the verge of passing out, and you didn't even notice."

Turning to Hinata, Tenno saw her face was as red as if she had a high fever. She did seem to be in discomfort.

With concern, he asked, "Hinata, are you alright? Do you feel sick? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

Hinata shook her head, murmuring softly, "No, I'm okay. I just got a little shy when you suddenly took my hand."

The thought, "I think I might be falling for Tenno," popped into Hinata's mind without warning.

This new awareness made her cheeks burn even more, and her thoughts tumbled into shy disarray.

She remembered hearing Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka at Ninja School, gushing about their crush on Sasuke. Hinata had never quite grasped what love was.

Sakura and Ino described love as a racing heart and flushed cheeks at the sight of someone, a gaze that stayed fixed.

Wasn't that exactly how she felt right now?

"So, Tenno is the one she likes, huh?"

"Sorry," Tenno apologized after hearing Hinata's words, realizing he had been holding her hand the whole time, causing her embarrassment.

He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at Hinata's adorable reaction. The urge to tease her was irresistible.

Tenno felt a twinge of guilt for his mischievous thoughts.

Releasing Hinata's hand, he turned to Naruto and asked, "I'm about to head down to the river for a barbecue. Want to come along?"

"Barbecue? Does that mean we'll have meat?" Naruto's eyes lit up instantly. For a kid as poor as him, meat was an extraordinary delicacy.

"Please, big brother Tenno, you have to take me with you!" Naruto pleaded, gripping Tenno's leg with a desperate expression.

Tenno couldn't help but laugh, pulling Naruto up from the ground. "Let's go. I've already bought the grill, and Tiantian is waiting for us by the river."

Naruto nodded vigorously, anxious not to miss out on the barbecue.

Hinata also nodded, though her eyes betrayed a touch of sadness. She seemed to regret telling Tenno about their hand-holding—a rare opportunity for closeness with him.

Soon enough, Tenno led Naruto and Hinata to the agreed-upon riverside spot.

As promised, Tiantian had the ingredients ready, and several familiar faces were already there.

Lee Rock, who was always by Tiantian's side, had predictably been the first to seize the chance for a picnic.

What Tenno hadn't expected was to see Hyuga Neji, the seemingly unapproachable elite from school, also in attendance.

Hinata, following behind Tenno, hesitated before softly calling out, "Brother Neji?"

"Miss Hinata, it's unusual to see you at an outdoor barbecue. It doesn't quite seem your style," Neji said coolly, catching Hinata by surprise.

Tenno moved closer to Tiantian and whispered, "Did he come because of you?"

With a resigned tone, Tiantian nodded. "Yeah, I bumped into him on the street. He was looking for you, wanting to challenge you."

"I got tired of him following me, so I invited him along. Just so you know, he's the one who paid for all the barbecue ingredients."

Tenno was momentarily speechless.

Tiantian, so young, yet already thinking about saving money!