Mastering the Elements - Chapter - 23

In the Potaru household, there was an unspoken truth—

Everyone knew that Hinata Hyuga had a massive crush on Naruto.

Everyone—except Naruto himself.

At first, Naruto had been hesitant to befriend Hinata.

Not because he disliked her—but because she was too quiet.

Too shy.

Too different from the loud, energetic personality he was used to.

But Mikoto saw the potential.

She knew that Naruto needed a friend who could balance him out—someone kind, patient, and strong in her own way.

So, she did what any good mother figure would do.

She interfered.

It started with small nudges.

"Naruto, why don’t you walk Hinata home today?"

"Hinata, dear, why don’t you sit next to Naruto for dinner?"

Then, she went for bigger moves.

She sent Naruto and Hinata on errands together, making sure they spent more time alone.

And when they trained, she always partnered them up.

At first, Naruto grumbled.

"Why do I have to be with Hinata all the time?!"

Mikoto just smiled knowingly.

"Because she’s your friend, Naruto. And friends take care of each other."

Naruto sighed but went along with it.

And over time—

It worked.

Hinata, once shy and stammering, started opening up around Naruto.

She still blushed furiously when he hugged her or praised her training, but she no longer froze when he spoke to her.

She laughed more.

She trained harder.

And Naruto, in his clueless way, started treating her like his closest friend.

"You're getting better, Hinata!" Naruto grinned after a sparring match.

Hinata, red-faced, looked at the ground. "T-Thank you, Naruto-kun."

And then, Naruto—completely unaware of the effect of his actions—threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Of course! I’ll always help you get stronger!"

Hinata stiffened, her face turning as red as a tomato.

Across the room, Mikoto and Itachi exchanged knowing smirks.

"He still has no idea, does he?" Itachi whispered.

Mikoto chuckled. "Not a single clue."

Naruto, for all his sharp instincts in battle, was completely blind when it came to emotions.

Especially Hinata’s emotions.

He had no idea why she always blushed so much around him.

He just assumed, in the most Naruto way possible, that she was always too warm.

"You okay, Hinata?" he asked one day after she turned beet red from one of his hugs. "You look like you’re about to explode."

Hinata squeaked and ran off.

Naruto just scratched his head, confused.

"What’s wrong with her?" he muttered.

Behind him, Mikoto just shook her head fondly.

It would take years before Naruto figured it out.

But when he did—

It would be hilarious.


The Potaru household was as lively as ever, with Naruto and Itachi sparring in the backyard while Mikoto prepared dinner. Harry, as usual, was tinkering with his latest magical concoction, and the warm scent of roasted meat filled the air.

That was when the knock came at the door.

Mikoto opened it to find Hinata Hyuga, standing there with a neatly wrapped envelope in her hands.

She bowed politely before stepping forward, her face slightly flushed.

"Mikoto-sama… I-I have something for you."

Mikoto smiled gently, placing a warm hand on Hinata’s shoulder.

"Come in, dear. No need to be so formal."

Hinata nodded, stepping inside while clutching the envelope.

As soon as Naruto spotted her, he grinned.

"Hinata! What are you doing here?!" he shouted, waving excitedly.

Hinata blushed but quickly composed herself.

"I… I wanted to invite you all to my birthday party." She held out the invitation.

Mikoto took the envelope and carefully opened it. Inside was a beautifully designed invitation with the Hyuga crest embossed in gold.

She raised an eyebrow.

"A party at the Hyuga household?" she asked, curious.

Hinata nodded.

"Yes. My father has agreed to allow a small gathering. Only a few people are invited."

Mikoto understood immediately.

It was rare for the Hyuga clan to invite outsiders, especially since Hinata’s kidnapping incident years ago.

Back then, a Kumogakure envoy had attempted to kidnap her, leading to an almost all-out war between the Leaf and the Cloud Village.

The crisis ended when Hinata’s uncle, Hizashi Hyuga, was sacrificed to settle the peace negotiations.

Since then, the Hyuga Clan had been extremely cautious, only allowing select individuals into their compound.

That made this invitation a very big deal.

Harry, who had been listening, raised an eyebrow.

"Not that I’m complaining, but… we’re not a noble family. Why invite us?"

Hinata clutched her hands together and looked down.

"I wanted you all to be there. The Potaru family is… like a second family to me."

Mikoto’s heart melted at the words.

She had always treated Hinata like one of her own—just like she did for Naruto.

"Oh, sweetheart," Mikoto said, pulling Hinata into a soft hug. "Of course we’ll come."

Hinata smiled brightly.

Itachi, who had been standing quietly, gave her a small nod.

"Thank you for inviting us, Hinata," he said softly. "It means a lot."

Naruto, meanwhile, was grinning from ear to ear.

"A birthday party, huh? There’s gonna be food, right?!"

Hinata giggled.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Lots of food."

"Alright! Then we’re definitely coming!"

Harry chuckled, shaking his head.

"You only care about the food, don’t you?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I mean… yeah?"

Everyone laughed, and Hinata felt warmth in her chest.

She knew her father would not be thrilled about the guests she had chosen.

But for once, she wanted to have a real celebration—with people who truly cared for her.

And she knew, deep down, that this would be a birthday to remember.

Naruto panicked.

Like, really panicked.

Hinata’s birthday party was tomorrow, and he had nothing to give her.

Absolutely nothing.

And the worst part?

Everyone else in the Potaru household had already prepared their gifts.

Itachi had gotten her a bonsai tree, knowing Hinata’s deep love for plants.

Mikoto had picked out a beautiful kimono, something elegant and graceful, just like Hinata.

And Harry?

Harry had outdone everyone.

He had gifted a magical bow—a weapon that never ran out of arrows, enchanted for absolute precision.

"The Hyuga have the best eyes in the world," Harry had joked. "But they never use them for long-range combat. This bow changes that."

Even Itachi had agreed.

"A Byakugan user with a bow would be terrifying."

And then there was Naruto.

Giftless.

Hopeless.

And utterly terrified.

He ran through the house, grabbing his head.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, I messed up, I messed up!"

Itachi, sitting at the dining table, raised an eyebrow.

"Naruto… what’s wrong?"

"I FORGOT TO GET HINATA A PRESENT!"

Mikoto, chopping vegetables in the kitchen, gave a knowing smirk.

"Naruto, dear, you had plenty of time to buy one."

"I KNOW, BUT I THOUGHT I HAD MORE TIME!"

Harry, sipping tea, casually looked up.

"Ah, classic procrastination. It’s okay, kid, we all do it."

"WHAT DO I DO?!"

Naruto ran in circles, his mind racing.

Naruto’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he turned to his adoptive father, Harry Pottaru.

"You have another gift for Hinata, right?" Naruto asked, grinning mischievously.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I only have the enchanted bow, kid."

"Not that one."

Naruto crossed his arms, looking smug.

"Do you remember the first time we met in the Forest of Death?"

Harry sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."

"And do you remember what you gave me back then?"

Harry narrowed his eyes, now seeing where this was going.

"You gave me a gift for Itachi-niisan’s birthday—a summoning contract for crows!"

Itachi, who had been listening quietly, perked up with interest.

Naruto’s grin widened.

"And I remember that you had many of summoning scrolls with you!"

Harry sighed deeply, rubbing his temple.

"I knew letting you see that was a mistake."

"C’mon, Dad!" Naruto bounced on his feet. "Can I have one? Please?! I want to give Hinata a summoning scroll for her birthday!"

As Naruto pleaded, Harry remembered something—

Yes, he did have hundreds of summoning scrolls.

It was a forgotten experiment from years ago.

When he had first discovered the Forest of Death, he noticed something strange—

The animals living in the forest had chakra networks.

The forest, originally cultivated by Hashirama Senju, was saturated in sage energy.

Because of that, the wildlife within the forest had slowly evolved, developing chakra pathways, just like shinobi.

Harry, always the curious researcher, had experimented with it.

He had gathered, trained, and created summoning contracts for various creatures.

Eagles with keen sight.

Bears with monstrous strength.

Snakes bred for speed and stealth.

Rabbits that could move faster than the eye could follow.

And so many more.

But in all his wandering, he had forgotten about it.

Until Naruto brought it up.

Harry sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

Naruto fist-pumped the air. "YES!"

Itachi, standing nearby, smirked slightly. "I’d like to see what you’ve been working on, Father."

Harry nodded, and with a flick of his wand, his magical trunk opened.

Inside were dozens upon dozens of scrolls, all labeled with different summoning contracts.

Naruto’s eyes widened in amazement.

"Whoa…"

Itachi studied the scrolls carefully, his Sharingan activating for a moment.

"You really created all of these?"

Harry shrugged. "Had some free time."

Naruto eagerly browsed through the contracts, reading the names.

Eagles… Bears… Wolves… Crows… Falcons… Wasp… Rabbits… Snakes…Elks...

"Which one should I get for Hinata?" Naruto asked, looking at his father.

Harry stroked his chin. "Something that suits her… something elegant yet strong."

Itachi thought for a moment before suggesting, "What about Rabbits?"

Harry snapped his fingers. "Perfect."

He pulled out a beautifully decorated scroll with a rabbit emblem imprinted in silver.

Naruto beamed. "Hinata will love this!"

Harry handed him the scroll. "Make sure she signs it with her blood. It won’t work otherwise."

Naruto nodded excitedly.

"This is gonna be the best birthday gift ever!"

Itachi smirked. "She’s going to treasure it, Naruto."

Sitting with his father, Harry, in their training yard, Itachi finally asked the question that had been on his mind since Naruto had picked the Rabbit Summoning Contract.

"Father," Itachi said, his Sharingan flickering to life, "what exactly is the specialty of the Rabbit Summoning Contract?"

Harry smirked, setting down his teacup.

"Ah, so you’re curious now, huh?"

Itachi nodded.

"My crows are highly effective for creating illusions and distractions. But rabbits? I’ve never heard of a summoning contract like that before."

Harry grinned, reaching into his enchanted trunk and pulling out an older, well-worn scroll.

He unrolled it on the table, revealing detailed sketches of the Seven Ninja Rabbits—each one armed and ready for battle.

"The Rabbit Summoning isn't like traditional summons," Harry began, tapping the scroll.

"It’s not about summoning a single massive beast. It’s about summoning a team of warriors—seven elite ninja rabbits, each with their own specialty."

Itachi leaned forward, studying the drawings.

"They fight… as a unit?"

Harry nodded.

"Exactly. Unlike most summonings, where one powerful beast fights alone, these rabbits work together—just like a shinobi squad."

As Itachi took in the information, Harry continued.

"They’re not just warriors. They’re also one of the fastest summon clans."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Fast?"

Harry grinned.

"Very. Not just in movement, but also in mobility and travel."

He unrolled the last section of the scroll, revealing a beautifully designed sled, reinforced with chakra-infused wood and steel.

"They can pull their summoner on a sled at speeds faster than most shinobi can run," Harry explained. "Even rivaling the speed of teleportation techniques like the Body Flicker."

Itachi blinked, surprised.

"So Hinata can use them for both battle and travel?"

"Exactly." Harry smirked. "If she ever needs to escape quickly, she can summon them, and they'll carry her away before the enemy can react."

For a long moment, Itachi simply stared at the scroll.

"This is…" He hesitated, searching for the right words.

"Genius?" Harry offered with a smirk.

Itachi exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

"I have to admit, I underestimated them at first. But now that I understand how they function… they’re very dangerous."

He looked toward the house, where Naruto and Hinata were chatting excitedly about the summoning scroll.

"Hinata is going to be a force to be reckoned with."

Harry grinned.

"That’s the idea, son."