009 Getting Ba His Feet - Naruto’s POV

  Naruto might have lost his memories, but never his fighting spirit.

  Every day, without fail, he trained.

  Even though his body felt fn and sluggish at times, he pushed forward. Even though he barely had any recolle of his past abilities, he refused to give up. It was just in his nature—his gut told him that much.

  Hinata helped him catch up, taking time out of her own schedule to guide him through the basics.

  “Start with chakra molding,” she instructed one m, standing before him in the open stru site. “Feel the energy inside you. Guide it through your body.”

  Naruto frowned, sitting cross-legged on the crete floor. Feel the energy, huh? He shut his eyes, breathing in, then out.

  Nothing happened.

  “Don’t force it,” Hinata said gently, kneeling beside him. “Let it flow.”

  After a few more frustrating minutes, a flicker of warmth stirred in his core. It was faint—barely there—but real.

  Hinata smiled. “Good. Now, let’s build from that.”

  They went through everything, step by step.

  From basic chakra molding to hand seals, from tree walking to water walking. Taijutsu was aire challenge of its own. His muscle memory helped, but his body wasn’t cooperating the way he wa to. It felt like a dance he had once mastered, now fotten.

  But he kept moving. Kept fighting.

  Whenever Hinata left to “work,” he used his aloime to experiment with his Transformation Jutsu. He o master his chakra again, and this was one of the easiest teiques he could practice without breaking anything.

  At first, he simply worked oing the details right—the hair, the clothes, the height. He could even tweak facial features, though sometimes it resulted in weird, distorted versions of himself.

  And the too into it.

  One moment, he was adjusting minor details, making sure his Transformation Jutsu recise.

  The —

  Poof!

  Naruto bli his refle in the broken mirror.

  This was only the sed time he was using this perverted jutsu… but he was already gettier.

  Long, golden lobsp;cascaded over his shoulders. His body was… curvier than before. This time, it looked more refined, almost natural. His figure was toned in just the right pces, his plexion smooth, and—

  His tracksuit barely fit.

  “…What the hell.”

  He took a step back, half in awe, half in horror.

  This was—this was better than before.

  No, way too good.

  He ched his fists, his new… delicate fingers twitg as he tried to process what had just happened.

  “…What the actual hell?!”

  His mi bnk. His face turned red.

  This was bad. Really bad.

  What if Hinata saw?!

  Naruto dispelled the transformation so fast he nearly tripped over himself. He spped a hand over his face, shaking his head furiously.

  No, no, no. Fet it. Fet it ever happened.

  But—

  He hesitated.

  Admittedly… and guiltily… he had to admit—

  The teique had a lot of potential.

  For the following days, a routiurally formed.

  Every m, Hinata would wake first. She would prepare a simple breakfast—usually rice, miso soup, and whatever protein they could afford to buy or sge. She made sure he ate well before heading out, a small smile as she grabbed her bag.

  “I’ll be back by the afternoon,” she always said.

  And then she was gone.

  Naruto would thehe m training.

  He went through chakra molding drills, taijutsu exercises, and refining his hand seals. Sometimes, he tried to force out new memories through sheer willpower, but that never worked. He didn’t let it bother him too much—if anything, it just made him more determio push forward.

  By the afternoon, Hinata would return, and they would spar.

  That was when she would talk to him about his past.

  “Your main fighting style was uable,” she told him one day, blog one of his punches with ease. “But effective. You were… creative with how you fought.”

  Naruto scoffed, shaking out his hand. “That’s a fancy way of saying I fought like a total amateur, huh?”

  Hinata blinked. “No,” she said, almost offended by the idea. “You were never an amateur. You just refused to fight by the book.”

  Naruto grinned. “Sounds like a swell guy.”

  Hinata nodded, her expression softening.

  Sometimes, she talked about his childhood—what little she knew of it.

  Naruto learhat he had a signature teique, the Rasengan, which arently created by the Fourth Hokage and taught to him by his Jiraiya-sensei.

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Naruto interrupted, dodging a palm strike. “Who’s Jiraiya again?”

  Hinata hesitated.

  “He was your mentor,” she finally answered, her voice distant. “A great shinobi. He… meant a lot to you.”

  Naruto frowned. “Past tense?”

  Hinata didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stepped back, lowered her stance, and resumed the spar.

  Naruto didn’t press further.

  When evening came, they would eat together.

  That was when Naruto took over the versation.

  He was naturally curious, so he pestered Hinata with questions about her life.

  “What was your childhood like?”

  “What was your family like?”

  “Why did you bee a shinobi?”

  Sometimes, Hinata answered with fondness, telling him about her father, her little sister, and her days in the Academy.

  Other times, she looked wistful.

  And there were moments when she seemed relut, almost hesitant to speak.

  Naruto didn’t like seeing that look on her face.

  He didn’t know much about his past self, but he knew ohing for certain—

  He didn’t like seeing people sad.

  Naruto tinued his training, half-hoping tain his memories.

  However, no matter how muaruto trained, how hard he focused, his memories remained a stubborn, foggy mess.

  But that didn't mean he would st.

  Hinata had done so much for him. Taking care of him. Training him. Feeding him. Proteg him. The least he could do was work as hard as possible—to wake up his memories, tain what he had lost, and to be someone worthy of all her kindness.

  And so, Naruto pushed himself.

  He threw himself into training, repeating chakra exercises over and over until his limbs ached. He fumbled through cooking, determio prepare breakfast before Hinata woke up—only to find her already awake much earlier the day and smiling softly as she set the table.

  He sighed i. Every siime.

  Hinata was like an unstoppable forbsp;when it came to breakfast.

  But dinner?

  Dinner was fair game.

  Naruto figured out his window of opportunity after a few failed attempts. When Hinata was out during the day, he would prepare dinner before she got back. His first few attempts were, admittedly, disasters—burnt rice, overcooked noodles, soup that tasted like it held a personal grudge against him. But with trial and error, and a lot of apologizing, he slowly got the hang of it.

  And when they sat together for dinner, sharing a quiet moment, Naruto always felt a little more at home.

  Sometimes, during their meals, Hinata would lecture him about Konoha’s history.

  It was fasating, really—learning about the Hidden Vilges, the Five Great Nations, the legacy of shinobi. But there were moments, small pauses, where Naruto could tell she was avoiding something.

  Something painful.

  But Naruto never pushed.

  Because that was just another part of Hinata.

  Her geure. Her kindness.

  And it only made her all the more endearing.

  Naruto wiped the sweat off his forehead, staring at his hands. His breathing was heavy, his heart pounding in his chest.

  Just now—he felt it.

  Something familiar. Something that wasn’t new but wasirely knowher.

  His chakra surged inside him, instinctively flowing as if his body was beginning to remember something he himself could not.

  And then—

  Poof!

  A thick cloud of smoke erupted around him. When it cleared, Naruto found himself staring at three identical versions of himself.

  His eyes widened.

  Shadow es.

  Hinata had mentiohem before—his ‘other’ signature jutsu. A teique he had apparently relied on tless times in the past.

  He hadn’t meant to do it.

  A, it worked.

  Naruto grinned, his excitement bubbling over. "No way!" He ched his fists. "I really did it!"

  The es grinned back at him, mirr his excitement. Then one of them tripped over a rod fated.

  "...Tch," Naruto sighed. "Looks like I still need practice."

  That afternoon, when Hinata returned, Naruto could hardly tain himself. The moment they started sparring, he sprang into a.

  And when three more Narutos suddenly appeared alongside him, rushing at Hinata in perfect synization—

  Hinata stumbled back, eyes wide.

  "You—!" She barely dodged a coordirike. "You already mastered it!?"

  Naruto ughed as he lunged again, his movements sharper, his instincts keener. "Not mastered yet! But—"

  He vanished, reappearing behind her with a well-timed substitution.

  "I'm getting there!"

  Sihen, Naruto’s training had progressed dramatically.

  With Shadow es, he could split his training aultiple areas at oaijutsu, shurikenjutsu, chakra trol—it all improved at a rapid pace. And strangely enough, whenever his es dispelled, small bits of memories would trickle ba.

  Faint, blurry fshes of a past he still couldn’t grasp pletely.

  Sometimes, there was too muformation at onbsp;It gave him headaches, made his thoughts feel jumbled. But little by little, he was learning to parse through them.

  One moment at a time.

  Naruto tugged at the sleeve of his tracksuit, frowning at the frayed edges. The ourdy fabric was beginning to e apart, worn down by days of releraining.

  He sighed. "Man… I kinda liked this ooo."

  Hinata had done her best to provide for him, and he appreciated it—really, he did. But the cheap training clothes she had picked out for him? A pin T-shirt and shorts?

  Not his style.

  He wasn’t picky—at least, he didn’t think he was—but there was something about sleeves that made him feel more… plete. His tracksuit, even if he couldn’t quite remember why, just felt right.

  Maybe it had something to do with muscle memory.

  Whenever he moved, his arms twitched like they were expeg to slide something from inside his sleeves—like a kunai or a shuriken. But in these short sleeves? Nothing.

  It was frustrating.

  Hinata had noticed, of course. She was sharp like that. She even suggested getting him a pouch for ons, which—yeah, that would help—but Naruto was too aware of their financial situation.

  "Don’t worry about it," he had told her. "We make do with what we got."

  Hinata had looked at him for a moment, her lips pressing together. Then, she nodded.

  Naruto knew she wao help, but money was tight. He couldn’t just let her spend what little they had on him. Of course, he suggested to use his Shadow es to earn money, but Hinata insisted he shouldn’t… or he’d risk attention from the unsavory kind of Jujutsu Sorcerer.

  Two weeks had passed.

  Naruto had trained every single day, pushing himself harder than ever. His progress had been rapid—almost unnatural—but he chalked it up to muscle memory kig in. Every punch, every kick, every time he formed a hand seal, it felt familiar.

  Not pletely right, not perfebsp;but familiar enough.

  Tonight, as Hinata returo the abandoned stru site—their makeshift home—Naruto could tell something was different. She looked more… resolute. Determined.

  She set down her bag and took a deep breath. "Naruto-kun, what do you think about going to Jujutsu High?"

  Naruto blinked, caught off guard.

  They hadn’t talked about it. Not once. For two weeks, they avoided the topic like the pgue. But now, it seemed Hinata had finally made a decision.

  He rubbed the back of his head, giving her a grin. "I told you before, didn’t I? I’ll support whatever decision you make."

  Hinata’s eyes softened, but then she hesitated. "...Naruto-kun, I haven’t been going to work."

  He frowned. "Huh?"

  "I’ve been lying to you," she admitted, her fiightening into fists. "I’m sorry."

  Naruto tilted his head, fused. "Why?"

  "Because I’ve been iigating Jujutsu High."

  Oh.

  That… actually made a lot of sense. Now that he thought about it, Hinata always came back too exhausted for just a part-time job.

  "...So, what did you find out?" he asked.

  Hinata took a seat on a crete block, motioning for him to do the same. "I learned a lot. About Curses. About Jujutsu Sorcerers. And about their teiques."

  Naruto sat o her, listening carefully as she spoke.

  "They have something simir to a shinobi’s Bloodline Limit," she expined. "It’s called an Ieique."

  Naruto frowned. "Ieique?"

  Hinata nodded. "It’s a unique ability a Jujutsu Sorcerer is born with—just like how some shinobi i their ’s special teiques. My Byakugan would be an example of a Bloodline Limit."

  Naruto whistled. "So, if we go to this school, we gotta pretend our jutsu are Ieiques, huh?"

  "Exactly," Hinata said. "Your Shadow e Jutsu probably pass as one. Even your Transformation Jutsu—if you phrase it the right way. But if you suddenly pull out a Rasengan, which has no e to your es, it might raise suspis."

  Naruto leaned back, staring at the night sky. "And if they get suspicious…?"

  Hinata’s voice was quiet. "Then they might try to force us to reveal how our abilities work."

  Naruto’s easygoing grin faltered. That… didn’t sound good.

  "...But you still think this is worth it?" he asked after a long silence.

  Hinata inhaled deeply before nodding. "I do."

  Naruto g her, taking in her determined expression.

  "Then that’s good enough for me," he said with a grin.

  Hinata blinked. "...Just like that?"

  "Just like that," Naruto firmed.

  He didn’t o know everything. He didn’t o uand all the risks. He trusted her.

  And for now, that was all that mattered.

  Naruto sat in silence, his fingers digging into his knees.

  Hinata had told him so much tonight. Too much.

  His mi cirg back to a particur detail—the way teiques were monopolized by vilges and s ba their world. The way bloodlines and jutsu were guarded like treasures.

  "...So, if these Jujutsu Sorcerers find out how our chakra works, they might try to keep it for themselves?" he finally asked.

  Hinata nodded solemnly. "It's possible."

  Naruto exhaled sharply through his nose. Damn.

  As if things weren’t already plicated enough.

  Before he could dwell on it further, Hinata tinued. "Naruto-kun… I made tact with Gojo Satoru."

  Naruto stiffened. "You what?"

  "I spoke with him," Hinata said, her voice steady. "And I made an arra."

  A lump formed in Naruto’s throat. "What kind ement?"

  Hinata hesitated before answering. "...A schorship."

  Naruto blinked. "A schorship?"

  Hinata nodded. "In exge, we’ll have to pay the school ba the future. The job of a Jujutsu Sorcerer has a high payout. There’s even a bounty system for every Cursed Spirit exorcised."

  Naruto frowned. "Cursed Spirit?"

  "The monsters we fought," Hinata crified. "That's what they’re called."

  Naruto absorbed that information slowly, then exhaled. "Man… I wish I could’ve helped you more."

  Hinata tilted her head, looking genuinely fused. "Why?"

  He furrowed his brows. "You’ve been doing everything. Iigating, gathering intel, making deals, watg my back… And I’ve just been training like an idiot."

  Hinata’s fusion only deepened. "...Naruto-kun, why aren’t you angry?"

  Now Naruto was fused. "Huh?"

  "Because I lied to you," she admitted.

  Naruted. "And? Everything turned out fine, didn’t it?"

  Hinata stared at him for a moment, then sighed, her lips curling into a relieved smile.

  Naruto barely had time to react before she reached into her poud pulled something out.

  A headband.

  It had a metal pte, and on that pte was an engraving—a leaf.

  The sed Naruto saw it, his chest tightened.

  That symbol…

  It felt important. Familiar. Like something that should have meant everything to him.

  He swallowed thickly as Hinata pulled at the colr of her hoodie, revealing a simir headband tied around her neck.

  "I still had mine when we arrived in this world," she said softly. "But you lost yours. So, I issioned a local smithy to carve this for you."

  Naruto reached out, running his fingers over the smooth metal.

  "...Hinata." His voice was uncharacteristically quiet.

  Hinata smiled at him.

  Without thinking, Naruto leaned in, gripping the headband in his hands. "... you put it on for me?"

  Hinata’s cheeks dusted pink, but she nodded.

  She lifted the headband aly tied it around his forehead.

  As soon as it settled into paruto felt something—

  A spark. A flicker of something deep inside him.

  Memories still eluded him, but at that moment, for the first time since waking up in this unfamiliar world, Naruto felt like he belonged.