Chapter 31:- Voting Result
Kushina responded with a playful yet stubborn tone, wrapping her arm around Naruto. "No way, I completely disagree. If I'm excluded from this, then I won't let any of you feed my Naruto either."
"That's not fair!" Sakura protested, feeling that Kushina was taking unfair advantage of being Naruto's mother.
Kushina replied with a mischievous smile, "Everything is fair in love and war." The girls all felt a pang of jealousy at Kushina's close relationship with Naruto, but they knew there was little they could do about it since she was, after all, his mother.
Then someone came up with a new idea, "Why don't we let Naruto-kun choose who he wants to feed him?" All eyes instantly turned to Naruto.
Naruto felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple as he sensed the intense stares of all the girls. He realized the dilemma he was in. If he picked one girl over the others, it would seem like he favored her more, potentially hurting the feelings of the rest. The weight of the decision and the desire not to upset anyone left him feeling quite uneasy.
Naruto found himself in a real bind, feeling the pressure of making a choice that seemed impossible. 'Do I really have to pick just one?' he thought, acutely aware that any decision he made might cause a never-ending debate among the girls. With a heavy sigh, he resigned himself to finding a solution. 'Looks like I have no other choice,' he concluded in his mind.
He scanned the faces of the girls – Kushina, Sarada, Ino, Sakura, Hanabi, and Hinata. His mother, of course, was out of the question since she fed him regularly. That left him with the other girls, but the more he thought about it, the more tangled his thoughts became. Finally, he admitted to himself that he just couldn't single out one of them.
"I have an idea," Naruto announced. "Let's all vote. But remember, you can't vote for yourself. I'll be watching to make sure it's fair, and I won't be voting myself. The person with the most votes feeds me today, the second-most votes tomorrow, and so on. The person with the least votes will get their turn last, after everyone else."
His proposal was his attempt at a fair solution, hoping it would satisfy everyone without causing any hard feelings. He waited to see how the girls would respond to his suggestion.
Once the voting was finished, Naruto began the task of counting the votes under the watchful eyes of the girls. Each vote would count for two points, and the anticipation was palpable as Naruto unfolded each piece of paper.
"Okay, let's see the results," Naruto announced. He read out each vote and calculated the points. It soon became clear that Hinata was the clear winner. "Hinata has eight points. She was voted for by Kushina, Hanabi, Ino, and Sakura."
Kushina liked Hinata a lot so she voted for Hinata.
Ino and Sakura didn't vote for each other so they ended up voting for Hinata with whom they had the least number of conflicts or zero conflicts.
Hanabi was Hinata's sister. She was in this to support Hinata.
"Next, we have Kushina and Hanabi, both with two points each. Kushina got her votes from Sarada, and Hanabi got hers from Hinata."
As he revealed the results, it was evident that the others hadn't received any votes. Naruto looked at the final tally, realizing this method hadn't quite worked as he'd hoped. "Well, it looks like this didn't work out as planned. Only Hinata, Kushina, and Hanabi got votes."
The girls looked at each other, realizing that their voting strategy might have been a bit one-sided. Hinata, slightly embarrassed but touched by the support, gave a shy smile, while Kushina and Hanabi looked pleased yet surprised by their votes. The whole exercise had turned out to be more about showing support than actually deciding who would feed Naruto.
Naruto then addressed the group, "Okay, so since Hinata received the most votes, she'll feed me today. Hanabi, you'll be up tomorrow."
Kushina, displaying a playful child-like demeanor, pouted in response to this arrangement. "But I want to go today," she complained lightly, her tone teasing yet with a hint of genuine desire.
Naruto couldn't help but smile at his mother's antics. "Mom, you get to feed me every day at home. You'll have your turn after Hanabi," he reassured her, gently reminding her of the time they already spent together.
Kushina, still pouting a bit, accepted the decision with a small nod, understanding Naruto's point.
Naruto then turned to Ino and Sakura, who hadn't received any votes. "Since Hinata, My mom, and Hanabi got votes, they get to decide who will go fourth and who will be last between you two," he said, handing over the decision-making to them.
Ino and Sakura exchanged glances, each curious about who Hinata, Kushina, and Hanabi would choose. The arrangement seemed fair to everyone.
Kushina pondered for a moment before casting her vote for Sakura. She sensed that Sakura might have a special feeling for Naruto, but she didn't feel the same about Ino. On the other hand, Hinata and Hanabi, after a silent agreement, decided to support Ino. It wasn't that they disliked Sakura, but Hanabi believed that Ino's interest in Naruto was more about competing with Sakura than genuine affection. Therefore, they felt Sakura posed a real threat to Hinata's chances with Naruto.
With the decisions made, Naruto announced the final order. "So, Ino will be fourth, and Sakura, you'll be last," he said, trying to keep the mood light.
Ino, upon hearing the results, showed a mix of disappointment and acceptance on her face. However, she quickly found a silver lining and didn't miss the opportunity to tease Sakura. "Looks like I'm ahead of you, Sakura," Ino said with a smug smile, clearly enjoying the small victory over her rival.
Sakura, slightly annoyed but used to Ino's teasing, rolled her eyes and let out a small sigh.
As Hinata began feeding Naruto, everyone watched, some with a hint of reluctance but all curious. Hinata was gentle and careful, ensuring she didn't rush or overfill Naruto's mouth. Her actions were slow and considerate, accompanied by a shy but genuine smile that lit up her face. It was clear to everyone watching that Hinata's feelings for Naruto were deep and sincere.
Kushina, observing this tender scene, felt reassured in her choice to vote for Hinata. She could see the love and care Hinata had for her son, which warmed her heart.
The rest of the group, while watching, also began to eat their own lunches. The atmosphere was filled with a mix of amusement and a sense of warmth as they enjoyed their meal together.
After Hinata finished feeding Naruto, he turned to her with gratitude. "Thank you, Hina-chan," he said, his voice filled with appreciation. Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the attention he was receiving. He mused to himself about how his life had changed – from struggling to ask a girl out to now having several of them vying for the chance to feed him. It was an unusual but admittedly pleasant predicament, almost like he was being treated like royalty.
He was suffering from his Success.
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As Naruto and Hinata trained together, he noticed her rapid improvement. "Hina-chan, you're progressing really fast. Now, it's time for you to decide which path you want to follow in your training," Naruto said with a serious tone.
Hinata looked at him, puzzled. "What path should I take?" she asked, her confusion evident in her voice. Naruto decided to clarify things for her in a simple way.
He picked up a small stick from the ground and began to draw in the dirt. Carefully, he sketched the symbol of the Hyuga clan and then, opposite it, he drew a rough symbol of a bird. Naruto was no artist, but the drawings were clear enough for Hinata to understand their meaning.
"This symbol of the Hyuga clan represents your heritage and the techniques that are unique to your clan," Naruto explained, pointing to the first symbol. Hinata nodded, following his explanation.
"And this bird symbolizes a different path, a second option for you. Normally, members of your clan focus solely on learning the Jutsu exclusive to the Hyugas," Naruto continued, gesturing towards the bird symbol. His explanation was aimed at helping Hinata understand that she had options beyond the traditional path laid out by her clan's heritage.
Naruto looked at Hinata intently and asked, "Do you know why no one from the Hyuga clan has reached the level of legendary shinobi like Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara?"
Hinata shook her head, curious about Naruto's point.
Naruto continued, "It's because your clan is too focused on itself. I don't mean to offend you, but the Hyuga clan limits itself by only mastering the clan's unique Jutsu. This approach restricts your potential growth."
He wanted Hinata to understand the broader perspective. "Take your father, for example. He's the head of your clan and knows all the Hyuga Jutsu. Yet, he's not as powerful as the Hokage. The reason is simple: he, and the clan as a whole, aren't exploring beyond their traditional techniques. Do you see what I'm saying, Hina-chan?" Naruto's concern was for Hinata to realize she could grow much stronger if she didn't confine her learning to just what her clan taught.
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