Published at 18th of September 2024 12:44 pm

Chapter 133 Kurama’s Misadventures, Fox in a Ninja’s Body: 6 The Festival Debacle

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Kurama had barely settled in at Naruto's apartment when another knock came at the door. He groaned, pressing his hands to his face. Can I just get five minutes of peace?

Reluctantly, he dragged himself to the door and opened it to find... Hinata. She stood there, smiling softly, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.

“Hello, Naruto,” she greeted shyly. “I was wondering if... um... if you wanted to come to the festival with me tonight?”

Kurama stared blankly. Festival? What festival? Naruto never mentioned this.

He quickly tried to think of an excuse. But before he could respond, Hinata continued.

“I know you’ve been busy with missions and training, but I thought it might be fun... to relax for a while.” Her cheeks were flushed, and she could barely maintain eye contact.

Kurama was trapped. If he said no, it would look suspicious, and he couldn’t afford any more people questioning “Naruto’s” behavior. But spending an evening with Hinata? He had no idea how to interact with her on a normal day, let alone on what was clearly some kind of date.

His hesitation only made Hinata more flustered. “I-I mean, if you’re too busy, I completely understand! I don’t want to be a bother.”

Kurama sighed. There was no way out of this without raising suspicion. “Sure, why not?” he said, forcing a grin. “A festival sounds... fun.”

Hinata’s eyes lit up, and she smiled brightly. “Great! It starts at sunset. I’ll see you there?”

Kurama nodded weakly. “Yeah, see you there.”

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As sunset approached, Kurama dragged himself toward the festival grounds, his mind spinning with dread. Crowds, games, food stands—it was the last place he wanted to be. But he couldn’t back out now.

When he arrived, the streets were already bustling with villagers enjoying the festivities. Colorful lanterns lit up the streets, the smell of food wafting through the air. Hinata was waiting for him by the entrance, looking a little nervous but happy.

Kurama waved, trying his best to look like Naruto. “Hey, Hinata.”

Hinata smiled shyly and blushed. “H-Hi, Naruto. I’m glad you came.”

Kurama awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Right, gotta act like Naruto. “Yeah, well, I couldn’t miss out on all this fun, right?”

They began to walk through the festival together, and Kurama quickly realized that he was out of his depth. Hinata kept glancing at him expectantly, waiting for him to do something... romantic, maybe? But Kurama had no idea how Naruto would act on a date with Hinata.

“So, uh... you having fun?” Kurama asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.

Hinata nodded, her face slightly red. “Y-Yes. I always love the festivals. It’s nice to spend time with friends... and you.”

Kurama felt a pang of guilt. Oh boy, this girl really likes Naruto. He wished he could just tell her the truth, but that would only make things worse.

As they wandered through the festival, they passed by various game stands. Hinata stopped in front of one that involved throwing kunai at targets to win a stuffed animal prize. She glanced at the prizes, particularly a fox plushie, and smiled softly.

Kurama noticed and figured this was his chance to impress her, just like Naruto probably would. “You want that one?” he asked, pointing to the fox plush.

Hinata blushed again. “Oh, I don’t need anything. It’s okay.”

Kurama smirked. “Nah, I’ll win it for you. Watch this.”

He stepped up to the booth and picked up a set of kunai. How hard can this be? After all, he had plenty of combat experience. Hitting a few targets should be a piece of cake.

But he quickly realized that Naruto’s body wasn’t quite as skilled as he’d hoped. His first throw missed the target by a mile, landing in a nearby food stall, which caused a vendor to shout angrily.

Kurama’s eye twitched. “Uh... oops.”

Hinata giggled softly, covering her mouth. “It’s okay, Naruto.”

Determined not to embarrass himself further, Kurama tried again. His second throw was closer but still missed the mark. By the third throw, he had barely grazed the edge of the target, and the game vendor was looking at him with pity.

“Better luck next time, kid,” the vendor said, handing him a small consolation prize: a cheap plastic keychain.

Kurama glared at the keychain, muttering curses under his breath. Stupid game.

Hinata smiled sweetly and took the keychain from him. “Thank you, Naruto. It’s perfect.”

Kurama’s frustration melted away as he saw how happy Hinata was with the simple gesture. Maybe he didn’t need to win the big prize after all.

_______________________________________________________________

As the night went on, they continued to explore the festival, stopping to try food from the stalls and watch the various performances. Kurama found himself actually enjoying parts of it, despite his initial reluctance. There was something calming about the atmosphere, even if he had to pretend to be Naruto the whole time.

Hinata seemed to be having a great time, and Kurama could tell she was more comfortable around him now. She wasn’t as nervous as she usually was, and for a moment, Kurama almost forgot that he was supposed to be pretending.

But of course, things couldn’t stay peaceful for long.

As they passed by a fireworks stand, Kurama suddenly felt a familiar presence—Sasuke. He turned just in time to see Sasuke approaching, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Naruto,” Sasuke said, his voice cold as usual. “What are you doing here?”

Kurama’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no, not this guy again.

“I’m just enjoying the festival,” Kurama replied, trying to sound casual. “What’s it to you?”

Sasuke’s gaze shifted to Hinata, who was standing quietly beside Kurama. “You’re acting weird again. What’s going on?”

Kurama cursed inwardly. Sasuke was always the one who could see through any disguise. He needed to deflect quickly before Sasuke got too suspicious.

“I’m just... trying to relax, okay? Can’t a guy have a night off?”

Sasuke crossed his arms, clearly unconvinced. “You’re not yourself lately, Naruto. I’ve noticed it on missions, and now you’re acting strange here too.”

Hinata looked worried, glancing between the two of them. “Naruto? Is everything okay?”

Kurama felt the pressure building. He couldn’t afford to let Sasuke dig any deeper, not here, not now. But before he could respond, the fireworks in the distance began to explode in the sky, casting bright colors across the night.

Hinata smiled in awe at the sight, momentarily distracted by the spectacle. Kurama seized the opportunity.

“Look, Sasuke, if you’re here to cause trouble, can we at least save it for another time?” Kurama said, trying to sound annoyed. “I’m here with Hinata. I’m not in the mood for your drama.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, another explosion of fireworks lit up the sky, and Kurama quickly turned to Hinata. “Come on, let’s go watch from over there,” he said, leading her away before Sasuke could follow.

_______________________________________________________________

Once they were a safe distance away from Sasuke, Kurama sighed in relief. That had been close—too close. Sasuke was clearly onto him, and he couldn’t afford any more slip-ups. He’d have to be more careful from now on.

Hinata, oblivious to the tension, smiled up at him. “Thank you for tonight, Naruto. I had a lot of fun.”

Kurama glanced at her, feeling a strange mix of guilt and warmth. She had no idea that she was spending the evening with a giant fox spirit instead of the real Naruto, and yet... she was happy.

“No problem,” Kurama said, trying to sound casual. “I’m glad you had fun.”

As the fireworks continued to light up the night sky, Kurama found himself wondering how much longer he could keep this up. Pretending to be Naruto wasn’t just a hassle—it was starting to affect the people around him. And he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep lying to them.

_______________________________________________________________

***

Kurama narrowly avoids disaster at the festival with Hinata, but Sasuke’s growing suspicions are making it harder for him to maintain his cover. With each passing day, the pressure mounts, and Kurama realizes that pretending to be Naruto is having consequences he didn’t expect. How long can the fox keep up the act before everything falls apart?

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