╰ ─┉─¡! °❈° !¡─┉─ ╯

The Underlying Evil

Hinata never felt so good in her entire life.

She exhaled a sigh of relief as a response to finally receiving the peace she desired, totally immersed in the heavenly waters of Linvor.

The beautiful satyress had long since discarded her dress, which she had cleaned prudently with Linvor's miraculous water, just before her bath.

Given the pond's extraordinary mystical properties, all stains that had previously tarnished her dress would be cleansed from it in seconds, leaving her clothing to appear as if it was brand new.

Hinata then chose to hang her soaking wet garment to dry on a limb of a tree near the pond, in which she was now entirely submerged in.

Her entire body was now bare, fully prepared to be blessed with the healing properties of the magical pond.

And just like Hinata so desperately longed for, her entire body was healed in just a matter of seconds.

The beautiful satyress could feel a wave of complete euphoria rush forth to take over her entire being just from simply standing in the pond, her bare parts submerged deep within its pristine waters.

She experienced a quick and complete restoration of her entire body, the pond's waters making her feel as good as new.

Hidden just within her very being, all of her fractured bones were found realigning, assuming their normal positions. The numerous scrapes, cuts, and bruises discovered on her skin and fur vanished completely, as if they were never there, to begin with.

The cool water slipped over her shoulders, arms, clawed hands, down her torso, over her voluptuous breasts, and fully submerged her lower being, causing her to feel as if she was floating on air.

Simply by Hinata's joyous emotions, the entire environment surrounding her—the trees, water, bushes, and flowers—seem to come to life and dance and sway in the breeze, expressing joy and contentment.

Little forest fairies of vivid colors sprang out from their slumbers, fluttering their wings which caused their little bodies to seemingly glide over the water.

The fairies were extremely little; their bodies, which were not much larger than a woman's hand, resembled those of winged humans.

The fairies laughed and giggled as they danced around Hinata's body, just hovering above the rippling water. The fairies waved their little hands joyfully at the cheery satyress, who waved back, casting wide smiles at all of them.

"Hello, Lady Hinata!"

"Howdy, milady!"

Despite being nothing more than squeaks and jingles, Hinata perceived the fairies' voices as music. The fairies comforted her, provided her serenity, and soothed her spirit.

The fairies soared all around Hinata and her lavender eyes took them all in, expressing awe.

She giggled, her human features brightened positively, "Oh hello everyone! It's so nice to see you all." She exclaimed in excitement, and the fairies responded by giving her several giggles, which showed how much they valued her display of exuberance.

"Nice to see you too, milady!"

"You look beautiful as always!"

"I hope you enjoy your bath!"

The fairies didn't linger long in the area. They said their final cheerful words before leaving in order to give their milady privacy to enjoy her bath.

The little beings waved goodbye and quickly fluttered away, leaving Hinata alone once more. Hinata made sure to wave back as well, returning the cute fairies' goodbye gestures with one of her own.

Afterward, the beautiful satyress breathed a sigh of relief, now completely pleased. She allowed the crisp breeze of the world around her to slip through her little button nose to refresh her completely.

Given the awful day she's had, the area's calmness gave her the peace and tranquility for which she had been urgently yearning.

Gently, she moved her two clawed hands forth to gather a bit of water in her possession, just to bring it out of the pond and gently into the air. Then, she applied the water to her face, hair, ears, horns, and body while rubbing her flesh in a circular manner to remove the dirt and grime that clung to her.

She ran her clawed fingers down her arms, splashing the water onto all parts of her body as she remained afloat in the middle of the pond.

The entire area around her was completely devoid of people and prying eyes. There were no more men present to hurt and defile her. There was no one around to scorn her, judge her, or call her names.

She was in paradise, enjoying the advantages that only lasting serenity could bring. She was relishing playing in the pond's freshwater, doing so as childishly as she wanted to.

She slapped her hands several times through the cool water and watched as the pure liquid rushed away from her in small ripples or in big waves, creating splashing sounds to erupt within the peaceful area.

Hinata continued her bath by splashing the water about, swimming around joyfully while kicking her hooved feet behind her and moving her arms in wide circular formations, just like she remembered to swim.

She was having a great time and wished only that it could last forever. Such a moment was one of life's pleasures for her, a very rare occurrence in her sad, miserable life.

So she was enjoying herself immensely.

She laughed cutely as she continuously paddled back and forth along the pond, but she suddenly stopped when her extraordinarily acute ears detected vibrations and the sound of trees shuffling nearby.

Her adorable fluffy ears twitched, and she leaped from her swimming stance, where she was lying flat in the water, to rise straight up by the rush of her hands and the kick of her hooved feet.

Once standing upright, her head whipped over to face the entrance of the pond where she heard the strange sounds originate.

Involuntarily, she felt her body begin to tremble as she sensed the vibrations grow stronger and louder. It didn't take long for Hinata to recognize the noises she was hearing.

It was vibrations of feet stomping forth.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The trees shuffled and rattled about, causing the nude satyress to feel uneasy. She wondered if the sounds were merely coming from one of her kind or from something more terrifying.

She feared it was the Nantgarthian men again, back to finish what they'd started.

Hinata whimpered, her lavender eyes plastered on the area before her, waiting patiently and rather fearfully as the newcomer revealed themselves, doing so by pushing away tree leaves that were in their path.

"Oh, what's this? One of life's greatest mysteries solved—A satyress swimming. I had no idea one could, but you've just confirmed it to me."

A chuckle was made.

"Heh, what a total delight."

A husky voice erupted within the area, disrupting the peace and quiet that once was present.

"Oh, don't stop on my account, little minx. Swim away."

Such a voice was instantly recognizable to Hinata, and not long after that, the newcomer emerged from the trees with a huge grin on his whiskered face.

As he marched forward, the male's leather suit and long cape flapped in the steady wind. His mighty boots stomped the ground, the perpetrators that created the vibrations Hinata heard only seconds ago.

Hinata's cheeks burned red.

It was the angry blonde man from before.

But such a sight did not bring Hinata relief, she instead felt incredibly flustered to be caught in her current predicament, completely naked and stuck in the middle of the pond before the strange blonde man; entirely vulnerable and exposed.

She let out a yelp, bringing her hands forth to cover her voluptuous breasts from view, in the process causing lots of water to splash about. Her formerly pale face had now taken on a reddish hue, her entire body tingling due to sheer embarrassment.

"H-H-Human! Wh-What are you doing here? I told you to stay p-p-put."

Naruto merely waved Hinata off, rolling his eyes at her dramatic performance of covering her naked body from his view.

He only settled on lowering his body to sit on a lone rock before the pond, which was facing the flustered satyress.

Naruto wrinkled his nose, "Oh, I decided otherwise, little minx. I decided that my prey shouldn't leave my side. Having you out of my sight made me feel rather... uneasy. So I vowed to myself, that no matter where you go, I will follow. And oh!" Naruto pointed at her raised hands which covered her floating breasts, her arms pressing the large heaps of flesh down into the water to keep them concealed.

Naruto waved his hand, expressing little emotion on his face, despite having the naked satyress in his sights, "Covering yourself isn't necessary. You don't need to worry about me lusting over you. You in no way appeal to me." Naruto concluded his previous remark in another rude manner, yet his comment offered Hinata absolute relief.

The blonde human's complete disdain for her physique and his lack of the strange sentiments that men usually acquired for her were all such good news to the beautiful satyress.

Even yet, she made no move to pull her hands away from her intimate parts; her arms remained crossed over her chest.

Even with receiving that newfound information from the blonde man, she couldn't afford to bring her arms away from her naked breasts. She was far too embarrassed.

Hinata shrugged her shoulders indifferently to Naruto's previous statement, the water splashing about around her, "Well that's great news! We actually can agree on something for once. I feel the same way about you, human—repulsion, aversion, and pity."

Naruto laughed amusedly at Hinata's attempt to be impolite, one hand of his flying forth to smack his thigh, "Oh really? Well, by golly, consider me happy." Naruto rocked one finger at her, "You're quite amusing. Very amus-"

"Why are you here? I ask you for a moment of peace and yet-"

"I want my questions answered now, little minx. I can't afford to wait any longer."

Naruto's tone of voice has changed from humorous to serious at the drop of a hat. His blue eyes grew icy as he kept them planted on the soaked satyress before him where the bright blue water completely immersed the lower half of her tribrid body.

Naruto watched closely as the satyress's eyebrows furrowed tremendously at his rather inconsiderate response.

She shook her head and scoffed, her hair strands adhering to her cheeks, forehead, and backside due to how extremely damp they were.

Hinata was very angry with the blonde man. She couldn't believe the words that just came out of his mouth.

Her lavender eyes narrowed in disappointment, "You are a very impatient man. You're conceited, discourteous, and insensitive-"

"Ooh, big words! I'm impressed. I thought you were nothing more than just an ugly face. Heh, you've surely proven me wrong."

"Gah! Stop being so mean, human! Your hatred and spite will be the death of you."

"Aww, look at all the emotion you're showing! Did I hurt your wittle feelings?" Naruto pouted mockingly.

Hinata scoffed, "N-No-!

"I see you're beginning to catch on. You're learning more and more about me, despite the fact that we haven't even known one another for that long. It's rather impressive." Naruto observed in glee. The blonde huntsman seemed genuinely pleased by that fact, puffing his chest and head up to the sky.

Hinata rolled her eyes, clearly irritated by the blonde already, "Yes, I am quite perceptive. Call it a curse, a blessing, it truly doesn't matter."

"Hmm, interesting."

"What is your name, human? I have been desirous of learning it for some time now." Hinata voiced out boldly, showering the spiky-haired blonde with a question of her own.

Surprisingly, the blonde male didn't seem to protest in answering her question. He merely informed her of what she requested to know.

He leaned forward, propping one hand on his knee from where he sat on the medium-sized rock in the clearing, sitting perched on it like a chair.

"It's Naruto."

"Naaa-toe. Nor-teee." Hinata tried her best to sound out the blonde human's name, to speak it, but clearly, it was quite difficult for her.

Despite her best efforts, Naruto couldn't help but laugh, his features lightened up extremely due to Hinata's inability to pronounce his name correctly.

Naruto's laughing fit, however, only managed to fluster the midnight blue-haired creature even more.

She pouted, snapping her body away from Naruto, sulking the entire while.

Hinata made the move to face the other side of the pond, the right side, due to her wildly frazzled state.

However, she made sure to continue to lightly kick her hooved feet within the water in order to maintain her buoyancy, also keeping her arms crossed over her chest.

"St-Stop laughing. It isn't funny."

Naruto wiped imaginary tears from his eyes, continuously expressing his amusement by laughing, "Oh, but it is.  You seem to read me with no problem but can't simply pronounce my name. Such amusement you bring me, little minx!"

Hinata sighed distastefully as she endured a few seconds of her peace disturbed by boisterous laughing, nonsensical laughter from the blonde human which only made her cheeks redder and redder.

She was driven to the brink of insanity yet again simply by hearing the human male speak. However, being submerged in the magical pond within Linvor was assisting her in maintaining her cool. The pond did an excellent job of reducing her negative emotions and keeping her body as relaxed as possible.

Hinata breathed out a deep breath, turning her head back to the whiskered blonde who seemed to be coming back down from his high now. His laughter began to die down to where he was finally able to respond to her.

He sent her a charismatic grin beforehand, "The pronunciation of my name is quite easy. Just repeat after me."

"O-Okay."

"Naa."

Hinata complied, repeating after the blonde, "N-Naa."

"Roo."

"Roo." Hinata voiced, her lavender eyes plastered on the blonde male before her, watching intently to how his lips opened, curved, and widened.

Naruto only formed his lips to disclose the final part of his name. He nodded his head as he did, "Tow."

"Tow."

Naruto nodded in triumph, clearly satisfied by Hinata's successful action of perfectly voicing the syllables of his name, "Good. Now just say it all together."

Hinata smiled, now confident, "Naa-roo-tow." She let out a gasp, "Naruto!"

"Yeah!" Naruto boasted, "Good, you can listen and follow directions! You've impressed me again."

Hinata rolled her eyes, scoffing under her breath. She honestly found her celebratory mood disrupted by that one simple phrase that Naruto chose to utter. She was reminded at that moment that the blonde human was still quite awful.

She shook her head, "Don't be a jerk."

"Can't help it. Even if I could, I wouldn't change for you."

"Whatever. Just ask your questions and get this over with."

"Oh, what's this? Are you asking for me to put you out of your misery afterward? I'll gladly do so."

A shudder ran up and down Hinata's spine, and she shook her head frantically, her long hair slapping against her body in the process, "No, th-that's not what I m-meant, and you know it! Please just stop it with the death threats already."

Hinata's lips trembled, "Th-They frighten me."

"Aww, poor baby." Naruto pouted playfully, clearly having a ball with teasing the fuck out of the innocent little satyress. Doing so gave him that same high as listening to her plead. It made him feel so good.

He couldn't stop himself from engaging in such childish antics.

A big, cheshire grin could be spotted on the whiskered male's face as he returned his gaze to the now pouting satyress, who kept her arms covering her naked chest, her lavender eyes darting away from the blonde as a display of apprehension.

Naruto pouted.

'Aww, little minx's nervous.' Naruto thought in a sing-song manner in his head, taking another chance to tease Hinata and ultimately getting another taste of that gloriously new high he's come to adore.

Nevertheless, he had to acknowledge that current affairs needed to start taking a serious turn.

It was a lot of fun to tease Hinata. He has to say that kind of enjoyment was quite similar to the kind of fun one would have at a circus; both thrilling and addictive.

But Naruto realized that it would greatly benefit them both if they engaged in more constructive matters and shared some much-needed information.

He was promised answers to his questions, and fortunately for Hinata, he has a shitload of them.

In response to his solemn musings, Naruto's playful grin began to fade, his blue eyes resting on the creature before him, who seemed to now bizarrely exhibit discomfort.

Hinata's body trembled as she felt the blonde male's gaze bore into her nude body, casting her in the spotlight—a position she most definitely did not want to be in.

Hinata bit her lip while keeping her gaze averted entirely from Naruto.

The spiky-haired blonde clicked his tongue, setting all frivolity aside, "Well, I believe that's enough meddling for now, yeah? After all, you owe me a promise, and the time has come for you to finally fulfill it."

Hinata nodded, the pond water flowing gently around her, "Y-Yes. As I previously stated, you may ask me any question you wish, and I will respond to the best of my ability."

"Mmm." Naruto moaned, "Sounds intriguing."

Certainly, the blonde huntsman loved the sound of that. He was really pleased with Hinata's response.

Really pleased.

Naruto rocked his body a little on his rock stool, simply to get a little more comfortable but in the process displaying his eagerness. However, his abrupt movement caused his spiky blonde bangs to sway, covering his eyes.

"Little minx, I hope you have prepared yourself. I have many questions in store for you."

"J-Just ask away. I'm ready."

"Fine."

Following those statements, an unnerving silence descended on the entire area. Naruto narrowed his eyes on the midnight blue-haired creature in front of him, who finally summoned the courage to return his gaze.

But now, the two peered into one other's eyes, absolutely silent.

Only when Naruto had successfully constructed his first few questions and his opening response did he break the silence.

The blonde huntsman hummed, his blue eyes scanning the soaked satyress closely. He smirked, "Ya know, little minx, I must admit that you fascinate me, which is an occurrence that doesn't happen very often."

Naruto's eyes darkened as he drew his body forward to give more emotion to his speech. He gave a modest glare, not quite as harsh as his previous glares, "I despise creatures. I despise them to my very core. I always have and probably always will. But you..."

Naruto inhaled a deep breath through his clenched teeth, his eyes never straying away from Hinata, "There's just something unexplainable about you, that I can't quite put my finger on, which brings me to my first inquiries." Naruto paused for a second before continuing, "What's your story? What kind of sorcery do you have on this forest, on its creatures?" Naruto's eyes narrowed, "on humans?"

Naruto certainly wasn't holding anything back based on the first few questions he asked Hinata. He was clearly perplexed about a variety of serious issues, but it astonished Hinata that his first queries were about her.

She certainly didn't see that coming.

Her mouth opened and closed several times, mentally deciphering how she would answer the questions that were thrown at her. The huntsman's questions were quite profound and deserved an outstanding response, one of pure intellect and brilliance.

Hinata took her time to think.

Meanwhile, the blonde huntsman silently watched her, using those icy blue orbs of his to soak up every expression she made.

Hinata's face suddenly grew dreary, "All of those are excellent questions, human. I didn't think you were quite interested in me. I reasoned-"

"Wrong, little minx. You're my prey, of course, I'm interested in you." Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, "Now quit stalling and answer my questions."

"Okay, okay, I-I will." Hinata took a minute to speed through her thoughts once again, but it was only for a brief while because she promptly completed her task.

The beautiful satyress has now come up with some profound responses to Naruto's inquiries, ones that she knew would astound him immensely.

Hinata bit her lip briefly, "Well, for starters, I wish to present to you my name. I go by many here in my homeland. But I only wish to present to you the most crucial ones." Hinata started off, "One is Lady Hinata, and another is Milady as you may have heard already. I also go by Hinata for short and Hinata Hyuga as my full name."

Her smile faded a tad, "I am not sure why you believe I partake in any sorcery but I can assure you that I do not."

Naruto rolled his eyes, dismissing her claim with a blow of his lips, "Oh please, how about you persuade me otherwise, yeah?"

Hinata raised an eyebrow, "No, persuasion is not necessary. I will simply tell you the truth." She declared quite boldly before finally showering Naruto with the answers that he sought.

"As you can see, this forest is quite magical, human. Each living, breathing creature that lives here in Linvor has a role to perform in keeping things in order. But I am the essential element in keeping this forest alive. The Forest of Linvor only lives as long as I do." Hinata smiled faintly, "You could certainly say I am the beating heart of this forest. I am in charge of keeping the Forest of Linvor alive and well."

Naruto felt his mouth drop wide open the moment Hinata started speaking. The innocent satyress's choice of words, the depth of her expression, her intense gaze, and the mind-blowing information she imparted undoubtedly rendered the blonde man speechless and bug-eyed.

He gasped softly, his widened blue eyes staring back at her as if she had grown a second head, "No fucking way. You're kidding."

"Human, there is no justification for me to lie. All the species that live and prosper here value my life since I am responsible for this forest's well-being; their home's well-being. The dear creatures here defend me, as you have witnessed today. I serve as their mother, guardian, provider, and caregiver. I am their queen-"

Naruto's laugh interrupted Hinata's speech, her eyebrows furrowing at the impertinent blonde.

He shook his head once more at her, clearly showing signs of disbelief, "Hah! Do you really expect me to believe that bullshit? You really expect me to believe that a puny weakling like you is the ruler of this forest?" Naruto scoffed, once more making fun of the midnight blue-haired satyress.

How could he not? Considering what he has observed of her up until this point, he was unable to take her claims seriously.

Nothing about her exuded the aura of a Queen. Nothing about her shouted bravery, strength, or outspokenness, or that she was well-equipped to lead her people, fight, and stand up to those who sought to harm her and her kindred.

'Oh no. Oh hell no.' Naruto mentally sneered, dismissing such a possibility entirely.

From the first time he met her, all she has done was cry, whine, and cower away. She completely relies on the forest creatures to defend her, which Naruto regards as weak, and utterly pathetic.

So once more, Naruto shook his head, scoffing at her claims as if they meant absolutely nothing, "Oh, little minx, you just continue to get more and more amusing. If you were going to lie to me, then you could've just-"

"I wasn't always like this, okay!"

Naruto nearly choked on his own words as a result of the midnight blue-haired satyress's sudden outcry of emotion.

Hinata peered at Naruto with teary eyes, puffy cheeks, emitting a quivering body, now visibly distressed by the manner he forced her to lead in their conversation.

She couldn't take listening to the blonde male insult her any longer. She couldn't take his derision of her position, of her entire life's purpose, any longer.

She was speaking the truth. She has always spoken the truth, and no man will accuse her of doing differently.

Naruto was going to listen to her. Hinata was going to make sure of that.

Hinata breathed shakily, her covered chest heaving within the water, which only caused the liquid to ripple.

She narrowed her lavender eyes on the stunned blonde male from afar, "As I said before, human, there is much that you do not know. There are forces in play here in which you do not understand. There are secrets, dark secrets, the village of Nantgarth has locked away and I wish so badly to reveal them to you but you have to open your heart to it. You must entirely surrender and let down the shield that guards your heart. You have to let me in. You have to believe."

Hinata's hesitation was no longer visible. The feeble little creature she had previously displayed was no longer present, and a creature of gravity, bravery, and resolve had taken her place.

Hinata's aura was also different. It was an aura that fully encompassed Naruto, bringing him to his very knees.

Her aura was powerful, unwavering, and gave the impression that she was not a feminine being to be taken lightly or trampled on.

Hinata was entirely serious. Her tone of speech, the solemn expression on her face, her stiffened body, and her words were all manifestations of this.

She wanted Naruto to realize the true severity of the situation. She wished for him to abandon his arrogant conduct and become humble; to ignore the fact that she was a beast and instead give heed to her as she spoke the ultimate truth.

Hinata needed Naruto to do so. She urged and entrusted him too.

Glossy lavender eyes met widened blue eyes, seemingly causing all time to stand still as the two engaged in a long, intense stare-down that introduced a plethora of significantly intense emotions.

They were emotions that inadvertently formed a spiritual connection between the two beings.

Naruto was completely stunned by what he was hearing. He seemed to have hit a nerve and now the little minx was showing a side of herself that made him reconsider underestimating her claims.

Not only so, but the midnight blue-haired satyress has also brought to light a very dark secret, one that has changed the course of events.

Naruto's eyes squinted at the satyress before him, subconsciously expressing his fascination.

'Little minx wasn't always a satyress? She wasn't always frail and puny? What does she mean by that?' He thought in complete shock to himself, unable to grasp the situation at all.

But deep down he sensed that his curiosity increased, and as a result of a mere beast, he found himself in a position he had never anticipated.

He indeed believed Hinata.

He indeed yearned to listen to what she had to say.

She was passionate and that alone was an indicator of truth. He knew that much.

And at that moment, Naruto's defenses fell, his heart opened up, and he felt compelled to be as forthcoming as possible.

Before he knew it, his mouth had opened and a slew of truths had escaped, ones that he had originally envisioned he wouldn't actually disclose to Hinata, truths he didn't think she was worthy of knowing.

But now...

He breathed out a deep sigh, nodding his blonde head at the sober-faced satyress before him, "Little minx, I must inform you that I have traveled from far and wide. I came to Nantgarth particularly to aid my kind and carry out my duties as a beast slayer-"

"I knew it." Hinata blurted out, her voice practically bursting out of her mouth from a place of anguish. Her eyes were still teary, but it appeared that more tears had bundled up within them as a result of hearing Naruto's mini confession.

Naruto's blonde brows furrowed in shock at the midnight blue-haired creature's reaction, for he hadn't expected it.

"You know what exactly? Ya gotta be more specific here, dear."

Hinata sighed, long and gruff, "I-I was aware that you were a hired assailant of violence, one whose sole purpose is to put errant creatures to death-"

"Well, heh, that's one way to put it," Naruto replied sarcastically.

Hinata whimpered and lowered her head to look down at the pond before her, capturing her reflection in the process.

More tears welled up in her eyes, and one even made its way down her cheek, "I-I knew this was going to happen. I knew it was only a matter of time until the inhabitants of Nantgarth devised another scheme to harm my people. But I never imagined they'd go to such lengths to bring someone like you upon us."

Naruto's smirk vanished as the creature before him displayed sentiments of grief, betrayal, and extreme disappointment.

Her words once again hinted at a dark secret, a wicked treachery that has occurred, and the raging warfare between the Nantgarthian people and the creatures of Linvor.

It truly piqued Naruto's interest.

His blonde eyebrows creased once more, and he waved one hand in the air to console the satyress who was now sobbing in front of him, "Hey, hey, don't you start crying again. Listen, I have my own reasons for being here but initially, I was assigned the task to slay your kind and help the people of Nantgarth. But..." While pausing, Naruto lowered his head and dropped his hand to his right knee to grasp it. His fingernails dug into the leather of his slacks.

Hinata raised her head in response to the blonde huntsman's words, tears streaming down her reddish cheeks. She sniffed but said nothing, preferring to listen with her fluffy ears.

Naruto sighed solemnly, once again making the decision to be more open with Hinata, "I must admit that I have my doubts about the Nantgarthian folk. From the first time I arrived here, I was fed a meander of information, false tails, half-truths, and deceit. Heh," Naruto scoffed halfheartedly, "such people appeared to enjoy leading me on and driving me to act in accordance with their wishes. I didn't see that at first. I didn't want to see it. But now that I am before you..."

Naruto lifted his head to reveal the yearning in his eyes, a yearning to know the truth. He squinted his blue eyes, "I do not desire to be anyone's fool. I only wish now to know everything. Spill the dark secrets that the people of Nantgarth so desperately wish to hide. I wish to listen now. I wish only to know the truth."

Naruto's facial expressions became more emotive, now revealing emotions he hasn't shown in a very long time, "Please, I demand you, Hinata."

Hinata's entire body froze as she peered from afar into the deep, blue irises of the blonde huntsman, entirely captured in his intensely emotive stare.

Naruto's breakthrough, his heartfelt speech, his intense gaze, and his choice of words completely swept Hinata away, forcing her tears to dry up and a surge of emotions to fill her entire being.

But the fact that the stoic and rather cruel blonde has finally addressed her by her name stunned her the most.

For the first time since Naruto entered her life, he has finally said her actual name. He's finally acknowledged her as a real person, as someone who matters.

She couldn't believe her ears.

Hinata's glistening lavender eyes widened, and her mouth gaped. Her ears twitched and her tail waggled in the water, a physical manifestation of the emotions that were currently flooding her animalistic body.

Naruto's words echoed in her head, over and over, confirming to her that he was now ready to let go of his hatred for her and her kind, just this once, for the sake of obtaining the truth. He was ready to listen to her, to hear what she had to say without dismissing or demeaning her.

It was such a major turnaround.

Hinata was extremely happy.

But...

Shakily, the midnight blue-haired satyress strayed her gaze away from the blonde man from afar to instead take in the rippling water around her. Her lavender eyes slipped down to her naked body, which she kept covered, a sight that reminded her of her embarrassing predicament.

She grimaced.

At this point, Hinata believed it was appropriate to finally finish her bath. The discussion between her and the blonde man was starting to get quite serious, and the surrounding circumstances sorely needed to align.

Besides, she's remained in the bath long enough now. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she'd get all pruney, a rather uncomfortable predicament.

So she returned her attention to Naruto, not before giving him a joyful smile, clearly pleased with his choice of words and the decision he made to be modest.

She, too, nodded her head, her damp hair brushing up against her animalistic physique, "I will, human. I will tell you everything. The truth is all I've wanted to offer you, and I'm glad you're finally open and willing to accept it. B-But..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Tch, what is it now?"

Hinata bit her lip briefly, "U-Um, I'd like to c-continue our conversation. But I j-just do not want to do so i-indecently, um.."

Naruto let out a snicker as he noticed Hinata's stammer and the hesitancy in her utterances. Her adorable response truly tickled him.

But simply, he gave his shoulders a shrug.

He also moved his body up to a stand, leaving the rock he previously sat on behind, "Aww, done with your bath already? That's a bummer. I was beginning to enjoy the sho-"

"Don't you dare finish those words!"

Naruto burst out into laughter, rocking his head back while he was at it, "Oh, it's such a blast teasing you, little minx. But I'm only kidding. You still look absolutely hideo-"

"Kami, don't even think about finishing those words either!"

"How about, I start up a fire, yeah?" Naruto quipped while leaning his body forward a bit, causing the weapons strapped to his body to rattle, "How about those words? Are those acceptable?"

Hinata's cheeks grew bright red at the sight of Naruto requesting her approval of his remarks but she nodded quickly, absolutely loving the sound of his offer.

Her body was rather cold after her bath, so the prospect of warming up near a blazing fire seemed absolutely blissful.

She smiled brightly, "Y-Yes, a fire sounds lovely. Gr-Great idea, Naruto-kun."

Naruto cracked a grin, "Using my name I see, eh?"

The red hue on Hinata's cheeks began to darken, her body stiffening up, "Yes, I-I-I would like that we both refer to each other by our forenames. It's a proper thing to do."

"Hmm, well, sorry to disappoint. But, I prefer to call you little minx. That pet name just..."  Naruto rolled his shoulders, humming softly, "fits.."

The way Naruto responded instantly caused Hinata to pout, but she made the decision to let it go.

The blonde human's attachment to referring to her by such a pet name didn't bother her at all. It was preferable to be referred to as a freak, a bitch, or even simply ugly.

Furthermore, it appears that giving her such a name offered the human male some form of delight and even satisfaction, which is what she wishes for the blonde huntsman.

To be happy.

So she was fine with Naruto's choice of a playful moniker for her.

So she only shrugged, "A-Alright. L-Little minx, is fine, I suppose."

"Uh, yeah, I know it is. I came up with the nickname after all."

"Kami, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's grin broadened before he looked up at the sky, noting what time it was by the darkened blue horizon above.

He clicked his tongue, "Yeah, I'll get the fire started as quickly as possible. I'm afraid it's going to get dark in a couple of hours."

Naruto turned back to Hinata, taking in as she began to swim across the bright blue water to get closer to the edge of the pond, splashing the water about in the process.

She swam quite expertly, moving her arms in circular motions through the water and kicking her hooved feet behind her.

The sight certainly blew his mind again. Seeing the midnight blue-haired satyress swim was certainly something he just couldn't get used to.

It was super bizarre.

But it wasn't as bizarre as he had feared his wandering eyes to be. For a split second, the blonde appeared to be in a trance as he draped his eyes down toward the floating masses of flesh attached to the torso of the innocent creature before him.

Hinata's breasts were exposed now that she wasn't covering herself, an action he knew she'd forgotten to perform due to how at ease she'd become around him. A blunder that truly shows her innocence.

As a result, her breasts were fully exposed, and Naruto's blue eyes devoured them like a hungry animal.

Naruto was never a lustful man, never one to indulge in lewd behavior or activity.

Sex wasn't appealing to him. Women bored him. Romance and flattery irked him.

But he swore to kami, he couldn't bring his gaze away from Hinata's pale breasts, breasts that resemble ones that a human female would possess, a rather busty one, Naruto might add.

It was fucking insane. He hated his fucking guts for his current actions, but his eyes took in the way Hinata's breasts bounced up and down as she glided through the water gracefully. He observed as the water's waves brushed up against her pink nipples, two round buds of seduction.

He noticed her two adorable areolas peeking at him through the transparent water, tempting the male and drawing him deeper into the murky depths of immoral temptation.

The blonde huntsman's lustful eyes narrowed on the naked satyress before him, the sensation he felt before resurfacing to possess him. An evil sensation.

'What's wrong with me? Why do I feel this way? This desire... This depravity...' Naruto questioned in complete horror within his head.

However, his trance was interrupted when he felt his stomach growl, bringing him back to reality.

He scowled and hastily looked away from Hinata's fair breasts to cast a fleeting glance at the ground, gripping his rumbling stomach in the process. He gave his covered abdomen a comforting rub.

Naruto also let out a groan, trying desperately to forget earlier events, "Shit, I think I'll also make myself dinner. I'm fucking starving-"

He was immediately met with a pout from the swimming satyress, who was obviously pleading with him to prepare a meal for her as well.

Naruto instantly found his response changing, to his utter surprise, "Fine, I'll make us dinner." He corrected, earning him a cute little cheer from the swimming satyress.

Hinata wore a big smile on her pale face, soon pulling her arms forward to grip the grassy edge of the pond with her claws. She did so to send the positive expression on her face over at Naruto who stood towering over her, his head lowered to keep his gaze on her bare form.

He cracked a cheeky grin, showing off his sharp canines, "Yeah, dinner should successfully aid you in fulfilling your promise, little minx. A good meal should get you talking real nice." Naruto declared, once again uttering an offer that truly intrigued Hinata.

Naruto's new behavior was both odd and refreshing. She was relieved to see that the scary huntsman was now behaving more compassionately toward her. She felt more at ease as a result.

Hinata nodded, contentment evident on her face, "Yes, dinner sounds lovely as well. I appreciate this dearly, Naruto-kun."

Naruto scoffed, "Oh, don't you get all sentimental on me. I'm only doing this to get my questions answered, nothing more, nothing less." He responded snappily as a blatant cover-up, blurting forth phrases Hinata did not believe.

But she chose not to say anything on the matter. She simply rolled her lavender eyes, showering him with a cheeky grin, "Yeah, yeah." She chastised with a head tilt, her long hair slipping over her bare shoulders.

Naruto simply chuckled in response, deciding to leave the conversation at that.

From there, the blonde huntsman turned away and marched onward, doing so to head into the forest in order to collect supplies to make a campfire for the evening, allowing Hinata her privacy so she can finish her bath and dress...

╰ ─┉─¡! °❈° !¡─┉─ ╯

Much time has passed by but within that time frame, Naruto ventured around the entire clearing and collected the necessary tools he needed to start a campfire for the night.

It was never his intention to spend the night in a kami-forsaken forest, especially an enchanted one that was lurking with beasts but whoopty doo, here he was.

During his trek, however, he found himself having to hide fairly frequently because he noticed numerous beasts and even mythical animals strolling around and occupying masses of the forest.

Trolls.

Harpies.

Griffins.

Cyclops.

Nagas.

Golems.

Chimeras.

Onis.

Wargs.

As time passed, it appeared that more and more creatures began to unveil themselves, doing so as a means of spending time with one another, engaging in discussion, and all things entertaining, despite their dissimilar appearances.

Prey and predator spoke as comrades, hideous creatures expressed looks of joy and happiness as they relished in the company of the many other mythical beings in the magical forest.

Flowers of various forms and hues grew and covered the entire grassland. Flowers also perked up on the trees and bushes and filled up the surrounding forest with bright colors of the rainbow, which actually caught Naruto's attention.

He couldn't deny the beauty of the scene in front of him. It was a spectacle that he was certain humans could not replicate successfully, even with their precious tools and exquisite paints.

Humans would never be able to create anything with the same emotional impact and effectiveness as the scenery the Forest of Linvor possessed, in Naruto's opinion anyway.

The Forest of Linvor was simply one of a kind.

As the sky grew darker, it would seem the entire forest was beginning to come alive, with the sounds of animals ringing through the midday air and rebounding throughout the countryside.

Such sights and sounds were absolutely appalling to Naruto.

But never less, he was beginning to learn more about all the monsters that lurked in the Forest of Linvor, which led to the gradual but steady resolution of his nagging questions.

There were tons and tons of creatures.

There are numerous magical species dwelling within Linvor's secret fissures, each with their own set of traits, perks, and skill sets.

It was quite shocking.

But Naruto didn't allow such shock to cripple him. He instead quickly made his rounds to find firewood, more specifically downed firewood, ones that were measly laying around on the ground floor. He made sure to walk light, move swiftly, and keep his eyes and ears peeled in watch of any creatures lurking around.

Soon after, he managed to accumulate bundles of grass, long sticks, wood chips and shavings, flint, and a few rocks to aid him. He also plucked three sizable maple leaves from a maple tree, in order to use them as surfaces and pads to protect dinner.

During his journey, Naruto had to make a few trips back and forth in order to accumulate the right amount of items that he needed but he did so quietly and efficiently, producing no alarm among the creatures in the process.

It took him a few minutes but he gathered all of the items he needed and then hightailed it back to the pond Hinata was located.

It didn't take him too long to venture back, thanks to the marks he left on the bark of the trees around. He was able to follow the path he made for himself back to the magical pond with little struggle at all.

There, he quickly started a fire, setting his items on preferable masses of dirt. He set his accumulated rocks in a circular shape, and the logs in a teepee formation in the middle, and began to simply add his additional items to the campfire, one by one.

With determination in his eyes, he scraped the flint he found against the sharp edge of a small rock he also found, just over the assembled firewood. It took a few tries to scrape the flint against the rock before a burst of orange, blazing fire flared from the rock's edge.

Naruto smirked in triumph before throwing the rock into the bundle of firewood to ignite the rest of the materials in its flame.

At that moment, the fire began to venture over and spread amongst the items, spewing sparks and hisses in the air. The fire grew bigger and bigger as seconds, and minutes passed on, soon forming an expertly built campfire that emitted both warmth and light in the dimmed vicinity.

It was a sight that brought content to Naruto.

However, the blonde huntsman further jazzed up the place by grabbing a few additional rocks he found, ones of considerable size. With them, he set two of the rocks around the campfire, setting them as seats for him and Hinata.

Now, the two can warm up by the fire, share a meal, and conversate by the magical pond for the night.

He also spread out the three enormous leaves he had collected earlier by his rock stool, preparing them to hold any additional items on it and thus, shelter them from the forest floor underneath.

Naruto was quite pleased with his handy work.

But so was Hinata.

At the very end of his task, Hinata was found creeping on the scene nervously, doing so with a jackalope now in her possession which she caressed gently with her clawed hands.

Now, she was fully clothed once more, her pristine dress slipping down her frame and properly covering her animalistic form.

Her long hair was completely dry, and now that she was standing, it displayed its astonishing length proudly.

Her midnight blue hair cascaded down her back until it reached her rear, tickling her backside in the process. A few hair strands in the center of her head were pinned back to create a diagonal halo that stretched along the back of her head.

Hinata even chose to add a few decorations to her hair, now that she was clean and in a good mood. She easily located several gypsophila flowers in the area to pin in the halo braid that she had successfully constructed.

Such an action fully completed her lovely hairstyle and implemented a sight of herself that she adored.

Hinata was pleased with her handy work. But she was even pleased when she returned and saw her grumpy human friend again.

Was she allowed to call him that?

She wasn't sure, but she knew better than to refer to the blonde huntsman as her friend vocally. She was quite apprehensive of what his reaction would be.

She must keep that particular nickname to herself.

But Hinata took a step away from her thoughts to take in the incredible sight before her, her facial features instantly brightening up favorably.

Joy was expressed on her face at the sight of Naruto's handy work, her lavender eyes running over the neatly constructed campfire before her, well-lit and neatly presented. She also took in the one, no, two rock stools that were set out for him and her as well.

Hinata felt even more joy to see Naruto's thoughtfulness in the midst of his task. She was relieved to notice that he was thinking of her while he labored.

She felt her tail wag behind her, and her ears flutter in response.

She glanced down at the large rock closest to her and toward the crouched male a little ways afar who seemed to be in the process of gathering sticks of a considerable size from the ground. His back was turned completely to her, so he hadn't even noticed her presence.

She smiled faintly, "U-Um, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto whipped his head around instantly at Hinata's soft tone of voice, his blonde bangs smacking him in the eyes in the process. A smirk slid across his face at the sight of Hinata present but it dropped when he spotted what she was holding.

He rolled his eyes at the horned bunny snuggled in her arms. He shook his head, "You can take a seat, but that...thing needs to go. I don't want to be anywhere near that creature." Naruto spat, once more revealing the hatred and disgust he felt for the creatures of her race.

Hinata pouted at the blonde's grouchy response before lowering her eyes down to the purring bunny in her hands who lay on her chest in contentment. Its little eyes were closed, as it basked in the warmth of its milady's arms. The horned bunny's little chest rose up and down against her, its gray fur tickling her flesh.

Hinata smiled down at the now sleeping creature, keeping up with her caressing before sparing a glance toward the blonde male before her. But she saw that he had stopped all movement and was now staring at her.

And all the while, he wore a sneer on his tan face, a sneer that screamed disgust.

Naruto watched Hinata as she steadily caressed the mythical bunny, a sight that utterly irked him.

Naruto shuddered, "Kami, that gives me the creeps." He whispered before sparing a glance down at his bundled sticks. He grabbed all of them up with one hand.

He used his other hand to smack the ends of the sticks, to situate them properly in his possession to make holding them easier. 

Hinata frowned, "I will depart from Frasor in a short while. If that would make you happy."

"Tch, that thing has a name?"

"Y-Yes, all creatures here have a name. Similar to your kind"

"Oh dear kami."

Naruto let out a scoff before jumping to his feet, standing up tall which caused his weapons at his sides to rattle. He now held sticks in his possession, many sticks which caused Hinata to grow rather confused.

Naruto noticed her confusion and chose to nod his head over at the pond to his left, "Well, while you stay here and play pet to that thing-"

"His name is Frasor, Naruto-kun."

"Whatever." Naruto spared a glance at the pond this time, "I believe it's time for me to leave and take a dip in the pond. I'm also in desperate need of a bath." He informed, pointing out his rather dingy state. His blonde hair was severely disheveled, with dirt and grass stuck in the midst of his bright strands. His entire hunter's suit was marred by dirt smudges, blood stains, and unsightly creases, giving the man a rugged appearance.

Don't even get him started by how badly he reeked.

Holy hell, he needed a bath badly.

Naruto clicked his tongue before waving his sticks at the midnight blue-haired creature in front of him who was intently listening to every word he spoke, "After my bath, I'll be sure to prepare dinner. What do you say to...fish?" Naruto paused to take in the expression on Hinata's face, raising an eyebrow when she didn't seem to budge, "Do you eat fish, little minx? Or would that be considered harming your precious kind?"

Once more, he made the choice to respond to Hinata by teasing her for her extraordinary virtuous, and benignant views and lifestyle.

But Hinata couldn't comprehend at all the initial reasoning behind Naruto's questioning. She was totally bewildered.

She turned back toward the pond, which was indeed filled with fish that her species consumed as food every single day to feed their appetites.

Although she had never personally consumed fish, instead opting to satisfy her hunger with berries and nuts, eating fish didn't seem all that outlandish to her.

So simply, she shrugged her shoulders, continuously running her fingers through the fluffy fur of the sleeping bunny in her arms, "U-Um well, consuming fish is pretty normal here, in fact. My kind considers fish as food." She said, "Fish fuels them, just like normal food does to you humans. B-But.." Hinata shook her head, smiling thinly, "I have never actually eaten fish before, I've always wanted to try it though."

A cheeky grin instantly crept up on Naruto's face at the sound of Hinata's response and he gave his head a nod, "Ahh well then, you're in luck. I can whip up a delectable slab of fish, cooked and seasoned to pure perfection." Naruto winked playfully which caused Hinata to yelp, her head whipping away from him in embarrassment.

Naruto chuckled, "Just wait here. I promise, my cooking will be worthwhile." He announced fairly brazenly, a characteristic he's been flaunting since she met him. The blonde huntsman was very confident in his abilities, in fact, in himself to an unhealthy limit, Hinata senses.

Hinata was still unsure of whether it was wise to behave with such strong confidence or whether it was extremely detrimental to do so. It was a sight that was rather new to her.

But she couldn't deny that she was eager to sink her teeth into food, preferably a meal she'd never tasted before but had always wanted. She doesn't have a single clue on how to cook, and she can't and certainly won't eat raw fish, so she's always avoided fish.

But now...

Hinata beamed in joy, humming as a show of delight, "Yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you so much."

Naruto rolled his eyes, once again growing utterly disgusted by the flattery he was showered, "Yeah, yeah. Just sit down already and get rid of that sad excuse of a bunny."

Dark blue eyes snapped back at her, seizing her in her spot, "If that thing is not gone by the time I get back, I will be sure to get rid of it myself. And that... you certainly won't like."

Hinata's smile instantly vanished and she subconsciously gripped Frasor tighter, taking a step back, "N-No, don't be cruel, Naruto-kun. Frasor has done nothing to deserve such punishment. I'll set him down, I will."

"Tch, whatever. I'm gonna go bathe." Naruto simply spat before pushing his legs forth to walk across the clearing to head toward the pond, long sticks held in his right hand.

However, within his first few steps, he found his head whipping back so he could spare Hinata one last glance, before leaving. He couldn't just leave without teasing her, of course.

His eyes had lost the venom and contempt they had previously displayed, allowing them to now express pleasure and delight in their place, "Oh, by the way. Feel free to enjoy the show, little minx."

"Eep! N-No thank you!"

"Oh, how quickly those words will change, little minx. I'm going to change them to disprove your poor assertions, Hinata." 

╰ ─┉─¡! °❈° !¡─┉─ ╯

Hinata couldn't believe she was admitting it, but the blonde human was correct.

Hinata knows she shouldn't.

She shouldn't be staring at the blonde bathe as if he were mere entertainment.

She wasn't supposed to be staring at the blonde huntsman in his most vulnerable state.

She was not supposed to be ogling at Naruto who was currently submerged in the deepest parts of the pond, completely nude and drenched.

Every muscle of his that had previously been hidden within his leather garments was now visible to the entire world around him, including Hinata, who was left in awe at such an extraordinary sight of him.

Naruto was in his purest form, a form of ultimate exposure, a form of revelation, a form that was capable of unlocking the gates of temptation and enacting anyone who saw his nakedness to want to participate in very naughty endeavors.

'Oh, dear kami! Oh, dear kami!'

'Oh. Dear. Kami!!!'

That was all Hinata's naive little mind could conjure up. Such phrases ran through her head like a mantra as she feasted her lavender eyes on the blonde specimen located just a few feet from her, who was proudly displaying every last inch of him.

She couldn't believe what she was witnessing, but there Naruto was, stark naked and unconcealed, robbing partial Hinata's innocence, in the process.

Not like Naruto cared anything about that.

The blonde man's strong physique, lofty stature, intensely blue eyes, and brilliantly tanned skin that appeared to glisten in the water gave him a close resemblance to a god.

Repeatedly, Naruto cupped the pond's water with his hands only to splash it all over his ripped body, causing his muscles to flex and quiver with satisfaction, his skin to gleam in joy, and the dirt and grime that formerly covered him to wash away.

His entire body was becoming overly stimulated, and that was merely from getting a taste of Linvor's cool, miraculous water which streamed down his flesh without a care in the world.

Hinata sensed her ears twitching, her tail wagging, her cheeks hot, her body tingly, and her pulse hammering rapidly as she sat alone on the stool rock that Naruto had thoughtfully placed for her, currently relaxing before the fire that warmed every inch of her.

Her attention was drawn to Naruto, who was bathing peacefully to her right, standing tall in the light blue water.

Steadily, he stroked his nude body with his powerful hands, which were encased with throbbing veins, just underneath his skin.

He splashed water on all of his body parts and shook his head to free his spiky hair from the water that drenched it.

Such sights were undoubtedly having a greater effect on Hinata than she had ever imagined.

'What's wrong with me?' The innocent satyress thought to herself, unable to decipher the peeving emotions she was experiencing. She has never felt anything quite like what she is experiencing now.

Hinata was simply convinced she had fallen ill. But she quickly discredited that rationale because she has, in fact, never caught a cold in her entire life.

She has never been ill.

So being sick can't be the answer...

Maybe she's hungry? Tired? Stressed? Upset? Maybe one of those reasons is why she feels such body-crippling emotions...

Hinata honestly didn't know what was the reason that caused her current state, but she just wished it would all go away. She wished she could be rid of the dreadful emotions that tormented her and instead return to her original self.

Hinata rubbed her sweltering cheeks with her paws, humming at the soft, fluffy texture of the fur that encased her hands, which only served to infuse her face with more heat.

But her lavender gaze was continuously fixed on the blonde man to her right, who was flaunting off all the fruits of his labor, that is, his bulging biceps, sharply chiseled pectorals, absurdly svelte eight pack, and his taunt V-line which peeked at her from just over the water.

Naruto possessed a form Hinata knew had taken him quite a while to obtain. Not only that, but she knew the blonde male had to put in a lot of effort to maintain his beautifully jacked physique on the daily.

Not that it would be difficult for someone like him to do so.

Hinata could not deny that she found the spiky-haired blonde a tad bit... attractive.

Odd, rugged, and callous, but surprisingly...

Attractive.

The huntsman was rather peculiar to Hinata, with his whisked cheeks, husky voice, and rugged appearance which truly kept her from pinpointing just how old he was.

Hinata understood the blonde wasn't that old, but old enough to accumulate enough life experience to legitimately claim to be knowledgeable.

Once again, Naruto has proved himself one interesting fellow to Hinata.

Even further, Hinata managed to notice the numerous scars on his nude body, all of varying sizes. Little ones, long ones, straggling faded scratches and scars raced across his neck, arms, chest, stomach, and visible thighs, reminding Hinata of the blonde's perilous vocation.

The flustered satyress turned away from Naruto, her hands now free from Frasor, whom she had previously assisted in guiding back to his home where he was settling down for the night alongside his other jackalope kin.

Now that she was by herself, she just sat and watched the fire dance and sway on the objects that were constantly sustaining the flames, her ears picking up the hisses and creaks that frequently erupted from the blaze in front of her.

Hinata sighed as she sat waiting for her grumpy human friend to finish his bath and return with fish for dinner.

Throughout her wait, she found herself having to ignore her tummy growling and rumbling the entire while. She found herself fighting boredom, partaking in kicking her hooved feet against the grass below her as a way to entertain herself.

She also tried her best to ignore the splashes of water made from a distance by the blonde male, to try with all of her might to shield herself from further defilement and mortification.

But her extremely perceptive hearing immediately detected a few splashes that were made in much higher volumes than others. Such noises were so loud to her that she was simply compelled to turn her head and look back at the blonde man in a fit of curiosity. But this time, she was met with a surprise.

She found herself staring deep into dark blue irises.

The naked blonde huntsman gave her a subtle glance while maintaining his balance expertly in the midst of the pond.

His blonde hair was found dripping with water, drops of the liquid running down his forehead, nose, whiskered cheeks, and then chin, a sight that only highlighted the seductive smirk that raced across his lips.

The blonde male simply gave her a brief look but such a look alone caused the female creature's heart to skip a beat, and a tremor to rush up and down her spine.

Hinata yelped, before turning away from Naruto once more, only keeping her gaze on the fire before her.

But even so, she could hear the blonde huntsman chuckle from afar, clearly loving the fact that Hinata was taking glances at him while he bathed.

He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being completely exposed, with only the pond water hiding his thighs and other....body parts.

He felt no shame, whatsoever.

Naruto was, in fact, enjoying himself immensely.

Naruto had no idea that bathing in a pond could feel so relaxing.

He has been accustomed to receiving preferential treatment from villagers during his numerous missions. Such villagers would provide him with a nice room, hot meals, a shower, and a comfy bed to sleep in each and every day as he sought to complete his assigned mission.

He never had to settle for using ponds to bathe or forests for shelter because of his impressive rank.

But now...

He has personally experienced how much more enjoyable it is to take a bath in a pond than in a standard bathtub.

Just from being submerged in the pond of Linvor, he experienced a complete relaxation of his achy muscles, a positive change in his mood, and an unprecedented level of vitality.

His body was cleaned in seconds, all aches were tended to, all cuts were healed and even his battle scars faded a tad, scars he's been harboring for years.

Bathing in Linvor's pond was definitely a moment that he knew was going to stay with him forever. Naruto knew such a memory was one he would always cherish.

His bath was incredible but he knew he had to get a move on soon.

There were just a few hours left—three hours, to be exact—before nightfall, and Naruto hoped to complete dinner by that time.

He knew that once the sun had set, not only would it be difficult to see, but all the fish would most likely choose to go asleep, making his hunt fairly meaningless.

So that means, he needs to start his hunt now.

He needs to start preparing for dinner as soon as possible.

So that's what he did.

After sparing twenty minutes to bathe, Naruto spent twenty more minutes swimming around the pond, in search of fish, and only fish.

Naruto quickly grew resolute, which helped him in his pursuit. His body was full of energy after his bath, which allowed him to perform his duty with no issues at all; his eyes peeled.

He swam skillfully around the pond, kicking his legs and pushing the water away with his arms while he peered down into the clear blue water.

As soon as his gaze was drawn on his prey, he either dived deep into the pond to chase after the fish or quickly swiped the water with his bare hands, catching the fish in his palm.

He also chose to sneakily approach the oblivious fish from behind to catch them off guard, soon scooping them up with ease with just his bare hands.

Naruto encountered several fish of all different types, even magical ones, but mostly, he had his eyes solely on trout and flounder.

Every part of him was covered in water as he raced around the entire pond, hunting the fish like a madman.

The fish would wiggle off, swimming as fast as their little fins could go only to be swept up by a large hand, thick fingers gripping the life out of their scaly bodies.

The fish was thrust out of the water and was left to slumber within the tight confines of Naruto's palms where they smacked and wiggled around erratically.

Naruto waited just a few moments, watching with icy blue eyes as the fish gasped for air, flapped about, and smacked their fins against his skin.

However, after thirty seconds of being out of the pond, the fish started to move slower and slower before coming to a standstill, which was a sight Naruto was hoping to see.

Because once the fish he caught were, in fact, dead, the naked blonde turned his body around and traveled through the water with ease, his eyes set on the pond's edge as he carried two limp fish in both of his hands.

The water splashed all around him as he made it closer and closer to the pond's edge. Once the edge was within his reach, he threw both slabs of fish on the grass which landed with a sad, pathetic splat, an action that emptied his hands.

There, he repeated that process.

He continued to swim around the pond of Linvor, terrorizing the fish in his wake. He was so adept in his hunting, he managed to catch all of his findings with just his bare hands.

No fish was faster than Naruto's quick reflexes, unpredictable movements, and his relentless determination.

He was a total monster as he hunted, as he participated in the sport he was born incredibly equipped for, a sport he relished, a sport that came naturally to him. It was also an activity that made him feel like himself.

Hunting made him calm.

Hunting made him feel in control.

Hunting made him happy.

At the end of it all, the pond's side was littered entirely with dead trout and flounder.

The fish's gray and brown, scaly bodies were slumped over and stacked on top of one another upon the grass. The fish's slimy mouths gaped, their eyes fixated, and their bodies hobbled.

From the pile, there was clearly enough to feed an entire household for three days.

There was a lot of dead fish present, indicating that Naruto went a little overboard.

Oops.

Naruto smirked to himself before rushing his naked body back toward the pond's edge, doing so as a means to finally get out of the water and put an end to his luxurious bath.

He grasped the grassy land before him with his hands to help propel himself up and out of the pond.

But the loud splashes and sudden motion he made within the water alerted Hinata, who whipped her head over to check on Naruto.

But what she saw instantly made her entire face red, her heart beat faster, and another yelp spring out of her mouth.

"E-Eep!"

Hinata wrenched her head away as she spotted the blonde man emerge from the water to stand, revealing his completely naked body to the entire forest, including his bouncing friend between his legs; concealed by bushy blonde hair.

His uniform, which he had recently washed and cleansed with pond water, was now hung up on a nearby tree limb, which was Naruto's next destination.

He ignored the flustered creature from afar, the bundles of dead, smelly fish amongst his feet, and the fact that he was literally butt-ass naked to instead fetch his hung-up clothes.

He also moved to reclaim his cape and boots, along with his additional weapons and possessions that were lying on the grass.

Naruto groaned as he carried on, water steadily dripping from his well-toned body, tainting the grass as he walked.

Naruto sighed blissfully, rolling his neck as he traveled onward,  "Ahh, now that hit the spot. That's gotta be the best damn bath I've ever had in my entire life." Naruto cast a glance over his shoulder at Hinata, clearly catching sight of her hiding her eyes with her clawed hands, her head bowed low so she couldn't see his nakedness.

Such a sight, however, caused the blonde to chuckle hysterically. But he simply resumed his speech, "Coming here was a great idea after all, little minx. The pond's water has done miracles for me."

Hinata whimpered with her hands, nodding her head wildly as she hid away, "Yes, yes, just please, put on your clothes!" She blurted out in a muffled tone, pleading with the blonde human to hide his indecency from her so that he would appear more presentable.

Naruto's boldness and shamelessness left her embarrassed, horrified, and flabbergasted. She couldn't take her hands away from her eyes.

She physically couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to look at Naruto again.

Even when she heard the blonde human laugh at her from a distance and a rustle of fabric follow behind his display of amusement, the innocent satyress kept her clawed hands shielding her eyes.

"Alright, alright, sheesh. Quit your whining."

After Naruto's reply, all that could be heard was the rustling of fabric, which permeated the area. Hinata's ears were only subjected to such sounds for about three minutes before they were silenced, prompting her to remove her hands from her eyes and look around her freely.

She was immediately confronted by the dressed huntsman, his trademark hunter's gear covering his extremely ripped body once more.

The blonde, however, gave her a smirk, his moist hair strands clinging to his forehead and cheeks.

In response to the sight of Hinata's abnormally crimson face, he chuckled, "Heh, I gotta admit, you look awfully cute when flustered. I'm glad to see you enjoyed the show-"

"Gah." Hinata exclaimed in embarrassment, shakily pulling her hands down further from her eyes, "I'm not sure whether I prefer your teasing or your cruelty more. They are both utterly intolerable."

Naruto put up a mini scowl, clearly disturbed by Hinata's response, "Tch, don't be ungrateful, little minx. I would appreciate my compliments if I were you. I'm not one for flattery, especially when it comes to someone like you." He spat rather bluntly, his body creeping over to the bundles of fish that he caught earlier.

In response to Naruto's crude remark, Hinata glared, but her expression immediately softened when she spotted the considerable amount of fish Naruto managed to capture.

The lavender-eyed satyress watched in utter disbelief as the now-clad blonde stooped down and gathered up a few fish and sticks in his possession, sticks he had found in his previous hunt and earlier carried to the pond's edge.

He impaled each fish with a stick, driving the pointy objects through the fish's torso to facilitate mobility for himself.

To arrange the fish and sticks on the ground, he drove each of the fish onto a different stick that he previously found, and only then, he hauled his newly formed tools back and forth to the campfire.

Naruto worked swiftly, continuing his task until all of the fish he had caught were skewered on sticks and thrown onto the large leaves he set out earlier, just near the campfire—now waiting in line to be cleaned, seasoned, and cooked.

But Naruto had one more errand to achieve.

He sent the shocked Hinata a subtle glance before giving her a quick response.

"Be right back." He merely announced.

Hinata bit her lip briefly in response, "O-Okay, but be cautious. Don't let my kind see you, please."

"Tch, of course, of course."

With those words, the blonde disappeared from the area. He took a few minutes to look around the clearing for a few herbs, and plants to season their meal.

As the trained survivalist he was, the entire forest resembled a mere grocery store to Naruto, with free essential items lying everywhere to serve his purposes and gain.

Therefore in that case, he grabbed a couple of different herbs—wild bergamot, wild garlic and onions, nettles, and sagebrush—to name a few.

The blonde gathered a handful of plant and fruit essentials throughout the clearing, making sure to avoid any toxic ones.

It didn't take Naruto long to find what he was looking for, and only then, he quickly crept away, masterfully fleeing without alerting any creatures nearby to step before Hinata once more.

It wasn't long before he noticed she had already released the creature she was previously carrying, a sight that made him snicker.

But he didn't confront her about it.

He has dinner to prepare.

So simply, Naruto sat down on the rock stool he set for himself and began his work.

Hinata observed, with fascination and curiosity in her lavender eyes, as the blonde man carefully began to go through the steps of cooking in the wild, or more specifically cooking wild fish.

He reached into his right boot and brought out a small knife that was sheathed.

He quickly removed the covering of the knife's sharp point and began to descale the fish he had caught, scraping off the scales, clearing out their innards and blood, and then chopping off their heads.

Hinata watched Naruto work the entire time, as though caught in a trance.

To be frank, the blonde human was remarkably skilled and a complete inspiration for how he handled himself, especially while in the wilderness; a setting in which humans would not typically find themselves in.

Hinata has always known that humans live in brick or stone houses with triangular or square tops to keep them warm and secluded from the outside world. So witnessing the blonde huntsman hold his all in the middle of a forest of beasts was a sight for sore eyes, an achievement that could go down in history.

She was beginning to grow very intrigued by the blonde human.

Very intrigued.

The midnight blue-haired satyress watched Naruto's every move and every slash he applied to each of the fish with his knife. He bled out each fish, ensuring that all blood was removed and deposited on the ground before moving on to removing the major bones inside the fish's bodies.

Hinata watched as Naruto removed the abdominal vertebra, the spinal column, and the ribs from the fish's insides with his bare hands.

He even slightly slit the fish in half and began to scrape out the individual bones that were found inside with his knife, taking his time while doing so.

After that, the procedure of descaling and cleaning the fish was then done, prompting the blonde male to move on to the next skewered fish available.

Hinata grimaced at the grotesque display of Naruto's actions at times, concealing her eyes with her paws, only to find herself right back enthralled by the blonde's fascinating performance again.

It was quite appealing.

She couldn't keep her eyes off him for too long while he worked.

But it wasn't long before Naruto became aware of Hinata's stare.

He noticed how she looked at him with a twinkle in her eye and an astonished expression on her face. She truly behaved like a young child watching television as she observed him work.

It was a sight that prompted Naruto's blank stare to crack and an amused grin to instead creep across his face.

Naruto glanced briefly at Hinata before returning to his task of removing the scales from the fish in front of him. He grabbed the midsection of the stick in one hand while resting the fish's body on his thigh to provide himself with a flat surface to work on.

He was discovered there, swiftly and brutally scraping the fish's surface back and forth with his sharpened knife.

He sent a smirk at Hinata, glancing away from his work briefly, "Little minx, I hope you've taken this time to gather your thoughts. You are now cleaned, healed, and well-relaxed. You are now more than capable of granting me the answers that I seek and only after you do," Naruto gave the fish resting on his thigh one last slice with his small knife before pulling the stick up to examine it. He hummed at what he saw, "will you have dinner." Naruto's gaze returned to Hinata, the midnight blue-haired creature who was only a few inches away from him, rooted on the rock stool on the other side of the campfire.

The blonde huntsman narrowed his eyes at her, "Ya understand me?"

Hinata was quick to nod, smiling sweetly, "Yes, I understand. I promise there will be no interruptions this time. I will now answer all of your questions, and I will answer them only with the truth. I promise to give you everything, Naruto-kun."

"Tch, you better." Naruto tossed the stick in his hand over to the pile of other sticks of fish he constructed on the leaf's on the ground; all descaled, cleaned, and hollowed.

Soon after, Naruto turned his attention to another stick that had another dead fish impaled on it.

Only then did he repeat the process of descaling and cleaning, doing so to all the fish available.

But as he did so, he noticed that the questions that emerged throughout his entire journey alongside Hinata were beginning to come up to the surface.

Question after question flooded his mind as he labored in silence. He worked diligently while in an effort to sort through his thoughts and regain all of the questions he had come up with over the course of time.

But now, Naruto felt himself grow extremely ecstatic, so ecstatic that he was finally able to obtain what he wanted.

The little minx was finally going to fulfill her end of the bargain.

And Naruto wasn't about to hold back.

He was going to give Hinata all he's got.

Naruto lifted his head briefly to connect eyes with the midnight blue-haired satyress across from him. He noticed the female creature sat in silence, only watching him as he continued his work and sat in his thoughts.

But now that she caught his stare, she settled on giving him a bright smile.

Naruto chuckled in return, "The time has finally arrived, little minx. I sincerely hope you are prepared to reveal your identity, your past, and the dark secrets of this forest, its creatures, and Nantgarth as whole." Naruto clicked his tongue, giving his shoulders a subtle shrug, "I was promised everything, therefore that is what I am expecting."

Naruto warned Hinata again. But in that statement, he didn't just warn her to be ready to finally fulfill her promise, he also warned her to give him the truth and the entire truth. Such a message was presented clear as day within his rather stern speech.

His icy blue eyes narrowed as he observed the midnight blue-haired creature eliciting hesitation due to his statements. Such a sight actually piqued his interest.

Hinata took a deep breath to calm her nerves, quiet her racing heartbeat, and return to a composed state suitable for taking part in fulfilling her end of the bargain.

She wanted to be in a state where she could answer all questions that were thrown at her in a way that is comprehensible and easier to stomach.

Now that Hinata had been given the task to be reminded of her past tragedies, the pressure was on. She is now left with no choice but to recall a horrific era of her past from which she had been attempting to forget and flee on a continuous basis.

She had to confront her past once more in order to convince the ruthless huntsman in front of her to see her for who she truly was, cast light on the darkness that lurked in the hearts of the Nantgarthian folk, and, in turn, persuade him to spare her and her people.

Hinata bit her lower lip before tightly clutching the bottom of her dress. She raised her head to fix her lavender gaze on Naruto's, who occasionally connected his eyes with her own.

Hinata sighed once more before finally giving the blonde male what he desired.

She was ready to answer his questions and give him the utmost truth which will no doubt fundamentally change his way of thinking and cleanse his heart of the hatred that had darkened it.

Hinata was sure of it.

She lifted her head to nod, directing the gesture at the huntsman from afar.

"Yes, I am ready."

That was all Naruto needed to hear in order to finally race onward, to finally allow his questions to run loose and unveil themselves.

And he didn't waste any time in revealing them.

Naruto put a pause to his work, as a show of his excitement, doing so to fully engage in the conversation.

He cleared his throat, "Well then, I will start by saying this. Ever since I stepped foot on Nantgarth's territory, I have only been plagued with perplexity and doubt. Many questions have been itching me, and I am delighted that my itch will finally be relieved."

Naruto paused before resuming his speech, "So now, answer this, little minx." Naruto lurched forward in a gradual motion, growing near the campfire to get closer to Hinata.

He narrowed his eyes once again, "Tell me, why the Nantgarthian people loathe you creatures so much. Their hostility is visceral, and it appears to be what motivates both their words and actions, which I find both fascinating but obscenely alarming."

Naruto paused to click his tongue, tapping his boot against the scraggly grass below him, "So tell me, what you beasts have done to instill such hatred in their hearts."

Naruto's initial questions were finally revealed, and Hinata was quick to open her mouth to respond, but she was unfortunately cut off.

After a brief pause, Naruto resumed speaking in order to express what his mind was yelling at him to say.

He nodded, "While you're at it, explain what you mean when you claim you weren't always a satyress. How is that even possible? Is magic to blame? Do you have the ability to shapeshift? Or is it some sort of spell?" Naruto grumbled in frustration, shaking his head as he watched Hinata sit in silence, her eyes widening in surprise at the barrage of questions he was throwing at her.

But Naruto didn't realize how overwhelmed he was making the innocent satyress. He was solely interested in asking her as many questions as he could.

He was being quite overzealous.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Just tell me your real identity already. Tell me what caused your transformation."

Hinata attempted to speak once more, but each time she did, Naruto's enthused questions would silence her.

Naruto gasped, rocking his body on his rock as a tangible expression of his excitement, "Ah yes, tell me also, what you know about Lady Chiyo; Nantgarth's voodoo servant." The spiky blonde pulled his hand up to cup his chin with his free hand, humming softly as he just gazed into the campfire, "Yeah, I don't trust her, nor Danzo, nor the creatures here. All of you are quite suspicious-"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Hm?"

The abrupt outcry from Hinata effectively forced Naruto to return to reality, abruptly cutting his hysterical questioning short.

His eyes whipped away from the fire so he could instead pay his attention to the now giggling satyress from afar.

She watched the blonde exude enthusiasm in amusement, her shoulders bouncing up and down with vigor as she giggled. She held one clawed hand over her lips, as an attempt to contain her laughter.

She shook her head, her silky hair swaying along with her subtle movement, "Settle down, my dear huntsman. I'm afraid I cannot answer all of your questions at once. That is just simply impossible." Hinata informed Naruto, another adorable giggle slipping from her lips.

The blonde huntsman had finally gone silent, only gazing back at the midnight blue-haired satyress in anticipation. He watched closely as Hinata slowly removed her hand away from her mouth, doing so to face him with a solution.

She smiled faintly at him, "All of your questions are rather stimulating, Naruto-kun, but in order to answer them all, I must start at the very beginning. I do not wish to confuse you." She also acknowledged Naruto, doing so informatively.

She watched as his blonde eyebrows rose in response.

Naruto nodded his head vigorously, waving his knife in the air as a way to beckon Hinata on, "Well, get on with it. You mustn't keep me waiting any longer. I'm excited here."

"Al-Alright." Hinata blew out a deep breath before situating herself a bit more on her rock stool, to get more comfortable.

In addition, she extended her clawed fingers once more, just above her knees, to grasp the fabric of her garment.

Only then, did Hinata finally begin.

She raised her head and turned to face Naruto, wearing an extremely somber expression, "The tale I will reveal to you now is quite grim, Naruto-kun. It is a tale full of dreadful memories that haunts me every passing day. The tale comprises many catastrophes which have caused me and my people a great deal of sorrow." Hinata sighed shakily after her words, which brought a frown to Naruto's face.

But he remained quiet.

Hinata's grip on her dress tightened, her shoulders trembling, "I-It genuinely pains me immensely to tell you the truths of my past, the truths of Nantgarth, but I'll do it for the sake of our promise." She admitted with much emotion, soon giving her bottom lip a soft bite in order to hold in the grief she felt at the moment.

Her behavior and words this time around really caught Naruto's attention. His mouth gaped slightly, "Tell me, little minx. I will listen well, I promise."

"Th-Thank you." Hinata let out another shaky sigh before beginning her story, "I must say, Naruto-kun, the tale I will tell you now is quite old—over three hundred years old, in fact-"

"Over three hundred years?" Naruto exclaimed in shock.

Hinata simply nodded, "Yes, Naruto-kun. The Nantgarth settlement has existed for over three hundred years. I have to admit that Nantgarth then wasn't at all like it is now. The Nantgarthians back then adopted new laws, lived under peaceful rulers, and had no inclination toward enmity. It was rather peaceful." Hinata smiled faintly, lowering her head a bit, "Yes, those were the times when creatures and humans were allowed to coexist peacefully on this very land. Creatures were not kept at bay, here in this forest, but instead lived amongst humans."

Naruto instantly scoffed, "You must be joking. Beasts and humans living together?" Naruto scoffed again, bowing his head to continue his task, "I can't picture that..."

"But it's true, Naruto-kun. Nantgarth was once a haven for all, beast and human alike. Nantgarth was one of the few settlements in this entire world that willingly allowed creatures and humans to reside together. It was a place where creatures like me went to live peacefully, to be free of derision, and to hide from those who wished to harm or use them because of their elemental differences. They lived under my supervision and that of the Nantgarthian humans in order to achieve freedom and tranquility."

Hinata's smile only grew wider and wider as she spoke and savored the tranquil recollections of Nangarth's past, and Naruto sat and took it all in intently.

Hinata hummed softly, her lavender eyes staring deep into Naruto's, "The Nantgarthians loved and cherished everyone, including beasts. Their love was strong for my kind and for me, especially so. I was cherished by every human that laid eyes on me, both men and women, as well as children. I was the bringer of Nantgarthian's joy and peace."

Hinata let out a cute giggle of happiness upon her words, but it was that which caught Naruto's attention.

He narrowed his blue eyes on her, before giving his bloody knife a point in her direction, "Oi, what were you exactly, eh? You informed me earlier that you weren't always this...hideous. So tell me your true identity, will ya?" Naruto gave the knife in his possession a twist, before catching it expertly, "You've kept me in the dark long enough, little minx."

Hinata bit her lip softly, more memories of her joyful past popping up in her head, "Ah yes! As I have indeed stated before, I wasn't always like this Naruto-kun. I wasn't always this u-ugly... this h-h-helpless.." Hinata paused to sniff, "I was once a powerful being, a creature, unlike anything you've ever seen before."

Naruto chuckled, his interest piqued.

Over his lifetime, he has seen a wide variety of creatures, including both mythical and terrifying creatures straight out of human's worst nightmares.

So hearing Hinata's words now, intrigued him immensely.

"Hah, a creature, unlike anything I've ever seen before, eh?" The blonde playfully scoffed before giving the fish before him a few more scrapes with his knife.

"Tch, try me."

Hinata's features brightened, "Naruto-kun, I was once a beautiful nymph. A nymph of purity and beauty with radiant skin and a body composed entirely of flesh and blood."

Hinata's smile slowly began to fade, "I was quite beautiful back then. Certainly not..." Hinata paused in her words to pick up her hairy clawed hand. She waved it about while giving it a depressing look, "this."

Naruto's eyes widened as he observed the sight before him unfold in its entirety, just actively taking in the vital information that was provided to him.

Hinata was in fact giving him everything, with unwavering devotion and feeling.

Slowly but surely his questions were getting answered which only made him more and more satisfied.

He felt himself grow even more intrigued by the midnight blue-haired creature in front of him. He became so intrigued, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He no longer had any desire to look away.

A gasp sprung forth out of Naruto's gaping mouth and he shakily pointed his knife at Hinata, "Y-You were once a nymph?" The blonde huntsman scoffed in astonishment, tilting his head as he just gazed at Hinata in an entirely different light.

He gave off a whistle, a playful one, "Oh, that's certainly a twist I didn't see coming. Heh, I've heard my fair share about nymphs." Naruto announced proudly with a chuckle, "I was told nymphs were beautiful, peaceful maidens who harbored the ability to bless any man who approaches them. Such creatures are said to be bound to a particular area to safeguard as its keeper, possessing a love of all living things, plants, and animals especially." Naruto waved his knife in the air in enthusiasm, "I also heard that nymphs symbolize fertility, femininity, and beauty. Hah, truly fine creatures, ones of few I do not detest."

Naruto hummed in satisfaction, pausing in mid-sentence, "Ahh, well, you surely have my attention now, little minx."

Hinata beamed up in joy at Naruto's rather insightful responses, leaning forward to present the happiness in her eyes, "Oh, look at you! For a man that holds a resentment for creatures, you sure know a lot about them, a-and including my entire purpose as well. I'm quite flattered." Hinata let out a giggle which pulled Naruto's lips wider, his blue eyes soaking up the horned creature as she expressed happiness.

Seeing such a smile on her face surprisingly made him feel good as well.

He couldn't contain the giddy grin on his face.

Naruto shrugged, "Ahh, well, what can I say? I'm a man of knowledge. And to be frank, I've always held a curiosity for nymphs."

Hinata noticed the smile on his face as well and gave him a cheerful smile of her own in return.

She honestly couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was quite happy to hear that the blonde human actually held respect for her former self and was quite even curious about beings like her.

Initially, the blonde huntsman seemed to despise all creatures but it seems that is not the case for nymphs.

Hinata was rather pleased to learn such information.

She definitely felt a stronger connection to Naruto as a result.

Hinata nodded her head wildly, in excitement, "That's very intriguing! But you see, I was not any ordinary nymph. I could say, I was rather gifted. I possessed a power that no other nymph contained." Hinata quipped in glee, "I possessed the power to heal, to create, and to protect my loved ones from evil."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, his interest spiking, "So you were some sort of... nymph with magical powers...?" Naruto waved around his knife as he relayed the thoughts swirling around in his head, "Like some sort of nymph mage?"

Hinata shrugged her shoulders slowly, biting her lip in uncertainty, "I-I s-suppose?"

The blonde huntsman shook his head causing his blonde bangs to wag, yet another amused chuckle slipping his lips, "Tch, now that's a new one. You creatures are just full of surprises." He commented before pulling the fish up he was previously cleaning to take a look at it.

Hinata frowned at his response before continuing with her story, "Y-Yes, I was o-one of my kind, highly different from the rest of the nymphs in the world. I never knew my parents s-so the reason for my mythical powers has always been a mystery." She explained, "But nevertheless, I used my magic for good, to help all those around me. And in doing so, I managed to make Nantgarth a home for me and my people." Hinata voiced with happiness clearly evident in her tone, her facial features were also brightened extremely which relayed the positive emotions she associated with her story.

Naruto's mouth gaped once again as he received more and more rich and impactful information, doing so in delightful waves.

He was currently acting like a magnet, gradually absorbing every word that left Hinata's mouth and therefore replacing the question marks that had formerly been present within his thoughts over largely unknown subjects, ones affecting his mission.

But there was just one vital component that's been nagging him the most, however. It's a question that's been haunting him ever since he left Hinata's side earlier to retrieve materials in the forest.

Naruto cleared his throat, his work put on pause once more. He gave Hinata a quick look, dragging his eyes from her head down to her hooved feet.

He picked up the curled horns attached to the sides of her head, her deer-like ears, her bushy, clawed hands, and her animatistic underparts in all of their entirety, finally taking the time to really take in the creature in front of him.

He wrinkled his nose, "That all sounds quite lovely, little minx. I am quite pleased with all the information you've given me so far, especially about your former self, no doubt.." Naruto paused to sigh deeply, "But you must tell me how you've ended up as the beast that you are now. You must tell me, what has happened to you, Hinata."

Naruto's voice was very serious now, his blue eyes darkening on the midnight blue-haired creature whose delicate features seemed to instantly droop in sorrow, her lavender eyes welling up with tears upon hearing Naruto's somber queries.

More unwanted memories began to surface once again causing her to fall into a pit of despair.

Hinata lowered her head, hiding her eyes away from Naruto with her hair, "I-I..." Hinata sniffed, one single tear sliding down her cheek, "I-I've been cursed."

"Cursed?" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. His body jerked back, revealing that Hinata's words were so shocking that they had a physical impact on him, practically punching him in the jaw. His body swayed back, teetering and tottering on his rock perch.

Naruto certainly wasn't expecting Hinata to proclaim something so horrendous. He merely believed that her hideous appearance was due to a malfunction in her mystical abilities or another harmless factor.

Not...

Cursed.

Naruto's body grew rigid, his eyes taking a sweep up and down Hinata's body once again, "Holy shit." He whispered out in shock. He was at a total loss for words and that was so not like him.

It was true to say that he was gradually shifting his perspective on Hinata.

He couldn't believe he was now pitying her.

He couldn't believe how empathetic he felt toward her now.

He was astounded to harbor resentment towards the individual who had wronged her, cursed her, and sentenced her to such a terrible fate.

He found it unbelievable that he was beginning to care—and for a beast, of all things.

'What's wrong with me?' He asked himself again, no longer able to rely on either his emotions or his thoughts. He was undergoing some significant mental shifts that confused him beyond measure.

Unexpectedly, his ice-cold heart was gradually starting to warm up toward the gentle creature in front of him, with a desire to comfort and care for her.

Naruto was engaged in a mental struggle with himself that was pushing him ever closer to the edge.

But he didn't let it show.

As an attempt to hide his emotions, he kept his face stern, only gazing back at Hinata who was in the process of batting against her tears.

Hinata sobbed, before turning her body away from his form, hiding the entirety of her face behind her long hair, "Y-Y-Yes, i-it is all very unfortunate b-but true. U-Um..." Hinata paused to wipe her nose against her dress, stifling a snuffle, "but we mustn't speak of this just yet. Much has happened before my misfortune took place."

Hinata sniffed, clutching her dress tighter, "I-I would rather t-tell my story to you in the order in which the events h-h-happened, N-Naruto-kun."

Naruto instantly found his head nodding, responding to Hinata's request without hesitation.

But in the process, his blonde bangs bounced quite dramatically, bouncing given his movement, "F-Fine. Deliver your tale how you like. It's yours anyway, little minx. I am just a mere listener." Naruto agreed obediently for Hinata's sake, only passively watching as the female creature slowly tried to regain her composure. She sniffed back her tears and wiped her eyes with the back of her arm.

After she successfully drove all of her tears away, she lifted her head to send a faint smile toward the blonde huntsman, a smile of appreciation, "Th-Thank you so much, Naruto-kun. That means a l-lot." She croaked out into the dim light surrounding them, the sun slowly but steadily setting overhead, causing the region to gradually become engulfed in darkness.

Hinata's eyes were still filled with pain, and Naruto could see the redness of her cheeks and nose from the tears she had earlier wept.

But once more, Naruto chose to remain silent.

He only allowed Hinata to take center stage once again.

Hinata sighed, "O-Over three centuries, as my former self, I successfully protected Nantgarth as its guardian. Nantgarth is my home, therefore I am the protector of both its people and its creatures." She informed Naruto with a smile, "I was the protector of creatures as large as dragons and as small as fairies. I bestowed upon Nantgarth lovely trees, fruits, vegetables, pure water, and even a high likelihood of fertilization among the human women."

Hinata kicked her hooved feet happily against the green grass, her body teetering and tottering on the rock stool she sat on, "My life back then was so spectacular. I was once so happy, so loved, so comfortable in my own skin and so content with the way things were." Hinata's lavender eyes gleamed, as she peered over at the blonde huntsman across from her, her head tilting to give him another one of her joyous smiles, "I enjoyed every second of it."

Finally, the truth about Hinata's very identity was revealed, shocking Naruto to his very core.

His lips gaped, his eyes enlarged, and his actions came to a standstill once more. He resembled a statue as he returned his gaze to the happy satyress in front of him, her previous words reverberating in his head.

He sat gawking, unable to process the information that was given to him. It was undoubtedly insightful and completely bountiful, exactly what he wanted.

He didn't know what to think.

Hinata gave the speechless huntsman a look of concern, "U-Um, i-is everything alright, Naruto-kun? H-Have I spoke too much?" Hinata shook her head, her plump lips curling into a pout, "I hope I am not overwhelming you-"

"I am fine. Everything's fine. The remaining details of your story's occurrences continue to intrigue me, that's all. I must know what happens next, little minx." Naruto blurted out, now finally awakened from his trance.

He was now in a frenzy, yearning for more information from the satyress and wishing he hadn't been kept waiting any longer.

He was fully immersed now.

Hinata let out a gasp of surprise at the blonde male's enthusiastic response before obediently resuming her tale.

She nodded slowly, "W-Well alright. But  before I go any further, I must state that Nantgarth was headed by two rulers in its early days." Hinata put up two fingers to further engage Naruto in her story.

"There was me, the ruler over all the beasts in Nantgarth." Hinata put down a finger, leaving only one, "And then there was the second ruler, Queen Mito Uzumaki. "

Hinata hummed happily, setting her hands back down on her lap, "Throughout Nantgarth's early years, she oversaw the human population. Queen Mito was so kind, so accepting, and giving. I found myself viewing her as a mother." She exclaimed joyfully which actually stopped Naruto dead in his tracks.

His eyes widened and his body stiffened, "Wait, wait. Did you just say Mito Uzumaki?" Naruto voiced in shock, his heart racing within his chest.

His reaction however to her story, caused Hinata to tilt her head in confusion, her lavender eyes taking in the shock that was displayed on the huntsman's face before her.

She hummed, "Oh, what's the matter, Naruto-kun? Is Mito Uzumaki a name you find familiar?"

Naruto didn't answer.

He was once again enraptured by his racing thoughts, overcome by a familiarity that shook him to the bones.

He stifled a gasp. 'Shit. Why does that name sound so familiar?' He thought to himself in perplexity, unable to find the answers he was looking for.

So simply, he just let it go.

He turned back to Hinata to give her an answer, that is, shaking his head, "No, that name doesn't sound familiar to me at all." He grumbled out, low in his throat, but Hinata didn't believe such a response.

She watched the blonde male as he battled with more unanswered questions that lay deep within himself, battling with uncertainty and doubt which it seems he cannot escape.

The poor human harbors many questions about lots of things that have to do with his life and that only makes Hinata feel quite bad for him.

He was lost, that wasn't hard to see.

But she was determined to at least clear up the confusion about Nantgarth for him. She wanted to at least answer every single question that he has.

She was happy to help and she was quite happy to see she could at least help him in this way.

So, Hinata watched as Naruto turned his body to put away the skewered fish in his hand, setting it on the spread leaves he placed on the ground earlier.

But as he did so, a smile crept back on his face as he just retook what Hinata said previously.

He snickered to himself, "Ya know, little minx, I must be honest with you. I've enjoyed listening to your story a lot more than I anticipated."

Briefly, Naruto stopped his actions to flash a grin at Hinata, doing so over his shoulder, "Life here in Nantgarth in the past sounds unlike anything I've ever heard before," He said, "It really does sound quite peaceful."

"Yes!" Hinata cheered, loving that Naruto was on board,  "I-It was. The humans and beasts were a lot like family. Everything was well. Everything was peaceful. Everything was perfect."

Hinata's smile vanished from her face at that very moment, and she lowered her head immensely to conceal the new expression that was now tarnishing her delicate features.

Silence took over the area which made the mood quite unsettling for Naruto.

The blonde huntsman's eyebrows furrowed and he gave his knife a quick wipe along the side of the rock he sat on, to clean it, now that he was done cleaning all the fish that he had caught.

Now, it was time for him to move on to the next step and that was to season and cook the now-cleaned fish.

But he didn't get started right away. He was too shocked by Hinata's story and mood change to do so.

He lowered his head, just to get a glimpse of Hinata's face in the process. He frowned at the teary-eyed creature before him, "Such peace didn't last, did it, little minx? Tell me." Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, "Tell me what went wrong."

Hinata whimpered as she was showered by a soft tone of voice from Naruto, one that made her state better to cope with.

She found herself liking this side of him immensely.

She sniffed, nodding her head, "Y-Yes, you are sadly right. The harmonious arc that once reigned over Nantgarth lasted for more than two centuries. During that time, a great number of human rulers rose to power and fell, yet each one followed Nantgarth's regulations. The creatures could live and be welcomed in Nangarth, and all the rulers authorized me to freely govern alongside them. But..." Hinata paused in her words to whimper, once more bowing her head, "that all changed, twenty-seven years ago."

Naruto's eyes widened, his mouth gaped as he just soaked in all the new information he was given.

Hinata sniffed again, "Yes, twenty-seven years ago, a new leader took its position as Nantgarth's ruler, lording over this land for the sake of the humans."

Hinata's face fell grim, "The new ruler identified himself as Lord Danzo."

Naruto let out a scoff, "Tsk. Yeah, I've met him." The blonde huntsman shook his head, "I don't trust that bastard one bit-"

"And you mustn't!" Hinata whimpered out, also shaking her head as a warning.

She let go of her dress to instead clutch her hands tight to her chest, doing so as another act of comfort.

Her lips began to tremble, "Danzo is unlike any human I have ever encountered before. He is a very bad man! You mustn't trust him."

Hinata paused her words to stifle a sob, "Upon his arrival, I was led to believe that his rule would be just as all the other human rulers were. I thought everything would be just as it always has been for us creatures but I couldn't be more wrong."

Hinata lowered her gaze to the smoldering blaze in front of her, watching as the combustible element danced back and forth against the wood, progressively illuminating the area with its powerful glow.

Hinata's lavender eyes grew glossy, "From the moment Danzo arrived—the moment his numerous disciples scoured Nantgarth, I witnessed my very home undergo many drastic changes-"

"What changes?" Naruto was quick to blurt out, his eyebrows furrowing.

Hinata didn't bother raising her head to look Naruto in the eye. She just couldn't.

This specific chapter of her tale was becoming too depressing for her to bear.

She began to recall a number of awful events that she really wished she hadn't.

She let out yet another whimper, "D-Danzo looked down upon Nantgarth after observing its customs and realizing that it was too humane toward beasts. From the moment he first revealed his face, he proudly expressed hatred for us creatures and promised to strip us of everything we once had."

Tears began to summon up quickly as Hinata carried on her tale, "Danzo is a tyrant, a very evil human being that broke all of Nantgarth's rules and imposed his own in their place. He denied my right to rule, viewing me as a being that was meant to serve him instead of govern Nantgarth as his equal. S-So my very title, a title that I possessed for centuries was stripped of me in an instant."

Naruto couldn't help but frown as he caught the pain in Hinata's voice as she went about speaking the most tragic part of her tale.

It was indeed tragic, even in Naruto's eyes. For just as evil beasts were familiar to him, evil tyrants were too.

And it seems, from what Hinata has told him, that Danzo is one of them—a sleazy man who savagely forced his way onto a territory he did not belong to in order to change its customs as he saw fit.

Naruto growled.

That explains the behavior of those Nantgarthian men earlier. That explains why the people of Nantgarth are keeping so many secrets.

They're the villains of this tale.

Naruto looked back up at Hinata who was beginning to lose the battle against her emotions.

She had her head lowered, was skulking behind her hair, and was gently whimpering. She sat bent over on her rock stool, seemingly lifeless, revealing how broken she truly was.

She sniffed, "It was hard, Naruto-kun. It was difficult for us creatures to survive after our world was abruptly turned upside down. We were no longer regarded as a blessing, as beings to be worshiped and admired for our talents and powers. No..." Hinata shook her head dejectedly, her long hair swaying along with her movement, "my people and I were soon enslaved. If we wanted to continue to stay in Nantgarth, our only option was to become Danzo's slaves."

Hinata shook her head once more, a sob escaping her lips, "I retaliated. I resisted for the sake of my people. But that simply sent Danzo down a path of rage, and in the end, all of my efforts backfired." Hinata voiced croakily, "Danzo threatened to sentence me and my people to a life of unending suffering if we continued to refuse to conform to his will. He even threatened to banish us creatures from N-Nantgarth completely."

Hinata shuddered at such a thought, "W-We had nowhere else to go and no other place to call home, so we had no choice but to remain in Nantgarth and follow D-Danzo's instructions in order to adapt to his new way of life. My people were un-unhappy with the state of affairs and l-looked to me for g-guidance and direction, but for the first time in a long time, I was at a l-loss for what to do...." She sobbed, now tears rushing down her face, a sight that broke Naruto's heart.

He pouted at the sight of Hinata in pain.

He could tell that she was becoming significantly more affected by her tale the longer she continued to tell it.

With every breath she drew, sputtering cries escaped through the crevices of her lips and tore through the air profusely.

Hinata's speech became much more slurred than before, her tone became more gloomy, and a considerable amount of tears began to run down her cheeks, slipping from the cracks of her eyes.

Hinata was in pain.

Hinata was suffering.

Naruto's pout deepened, his head tilting as he just examined the woeful creature afar from him.

He sought to console her... the best he could anyway.

Naruto frowned, "Oh, there, there Hinata... It's alright, my dear. You have told me lots of wondrous information here. You have given me what I have been wishing for—answers to my nagging questions. You've accomplished the task even the village folk were not able to."

Naruto smiled faintly, "You have fulfilled your promise. You do not have to go on if you-"

"I must! I must answer all of your questions, Naruto-kun. Just please." Hinata pleaded with much emotion. But Naruto was taken aback by her outburst and apparent dedication, which stopped his compassionate pleas for her to end her tale and leave things be.

Naruto's frown remained as he watched Hinata wipe her tears away with her clawed hands, smearing the salty, wet substances along her pale cheeks, "Y-You must know what happens next, Naruto-kun. Do not mind me."

"Al-Alright." Naruto simply spoke.

But Hinata was satisfied with his answer.

She picked her head up, revealing her dejected look. She looked Naruto in the eyes and continued her tale, but this time with the goal of venturing into the very dark pits of it.

She blew out a deep breath before doing so, "As time passed, I began to see a change in the Nantgarthian people. Danzo's tyranny corrupted the humans in the same way that sin and hatred debilitated him. The Nantgarthian men were among the first to be influenced by Danzo's darkness, and their unconditional love for me quickly evolved into lust and unbridled obsession."

Hinata waved her hand gently to point at the flowers that sprouted not too far from the riverside; bright blue flowers that glowed in the now-darkened world around them.

Naruto turned to face them in the darkness of the night, his blue eyes widening in surprise at the blue light emanating from such blooms.

Hinata smiled faintly, "The Nantgarthian men showered me with flowers, gifts, and flattery. It was so nice, I was once reminded of my old life, when I was actually appreciated, instead of scorned."

Hinata's smile grew bigger, "I was worshiped by the men of the village who saw me as an angel that captivated them. Many men from all over the world would travel to Nantgarth just to meet me."

Naruto snorted, "Well.. that's.." The blonde huntsman clicked his tongue as he tried to think of a word to describe Hinata's words in a nutshell. He shrugged, "better. It's better, right?" Naruto replied nervously with a raised eyebrow, for approval.

Hinata gave a slight nod, "Well yes. Life was manageable then. For my people, I was able to make Nantgarth tolerable. Yes, we were treated like slaves while working tirelessly to gain the favor of the Nantgarthians and keep Nantgarth at peace, but it was... b-bearable."

Hinata's voice cracked hard as she spoke her final words, her hands clutching her dress a little tighter. She paused briefly after her response, a nonverbal action that Naruto picked up as a display of deceit.

Hinata's lying.

Life wasn't bearable for her at all.

Naruto frowned deeply, his chest heaving as he watched the creature in front of him as she engaged in a constant war with herself.

But even still she made it her mission to carry on with her tale.

"My people and I supplied food, water, resources, m-m-medicines, and even entertainment. We built anything and everything for the Nantgarthian people. We practically rebuilt Nantgarth from the ground up, and we used our magical abilities to make Danzo and his disciples' lives simpler."

Naruto wrinkled his nose at such a revolting revelation. Naruto couldn't help but recall the gorgeous houses he'd seen in Nantgarth prior, all of which were meticulously painted and designed to last.

According to what Hinata had just explained to him in great detail, the Nantgarthians were not responsible for constructing such buildings, but in fact, the creatures who lived in the forest he was currently occupying did.

Hinata and her people constructed Nantgarth on their backs—indeed like slaves.

At this point, the Nantgarthian folk seemed rather distasteful to Naruto entirely. He couldn't get rid of the sneer that plagued his face.

But that was just the beginning.

There were still a lot more evils to be uncovered. In order to fulfill her vow to Naruto, Hinata was determined to unearth every one of them.

So, she continued her tale.

"The Nantgarthian men constantly professed their love and devotion to me, and I was able to persuade them to be more accepting and friendly to my people, for their precious sake anyway. It was all.. n-n-nice."

"Tch, nice my arse. That sounds like a fucking nightmare." Naruto blurted out in disgust. He surely didn't see men becoming so infatuated with a woman to the point of obsession as a good thing. 

It was rather... disturbing, in his eyes.

A revolting notion entered Naruto's head at that very moment, and only then did he remember the Nantgarthian men from earlier who were spending their time torturing Hinata for fun, possibly the very same ones she's mentioning now.

He was beginning to get a very bad feeling.

Naruto narrowed his blue eyes on Hinata, causing the midnight blue-haired satyress to feel quite uneasy.

"I need to know something, and I need to know it now, and I don't want any lies, Hinata." Naruto paused to clutch his fist, bawling it up, expressing rage, "Did those men touch you, little minx? Did they come to you, seeking to rob you of your innocence?"

Hinata's eyes widened in shock from Naruto's rather disturbing questions but in the same motion, her lips trembled.

"N-No, they didn-!'

Naruto growled loud and deep, much like a feral animal which was a noise that stopped Hinata's words in their tracks. Such a vicious sound also managed to terrify Hinata to her very core.

Naruto could feel an overzealous protectiveness rushing over him. Just the thought of those wretched Nantgarthian men satisfying their carnal desires with the body of the innocent creature in front of him made him start to feel resentful.

He didn't understand why he felt such strong feelings for Hinata. He just did and he couldn't control them one bit.

Naruto bared his teeth, seething as he rooted Hinata to her spot with his furious blue eyes, "Don't you lie to me, Hinata." He beckoned his head toward his right, where the rest of the forest stood tall.

"I heard those men earlier, little minx. I heard what they said to you and how anxious they were to defile you. So now, I want to know what you were forced to do in the past to please those men. What nefarious acts did they convince you to commit-?"

Naruto couldn't finish his sentence before the emotional satyress burst into tears, her mouth set wide open so that numerous agonized cries could escape.

She brought her hands forth to cover her eyes, crying her sad little heart out due to the memories Naruto had forced her to remember.

She sobbed and sobbed, "Oh, pl-pl-please do not be a-angry with me, N-Naruto-kun. I-I did wh-what I must in order to ensure m-my people lived the life that they deserved. I did it to protect m-my people from pr-pr-prosecution and perpetual torment-"

Naruto tenderly shushed Hinata's sobs to comfort her. But he also grimaced as he just watched Hinata cry and wail from a distance, yet he couldn't ignore the feeling of his blood boiling from what she had just confirmed.

He was not angry at her.

Hell, he wasn't even angry.

Angry was not the emotion that adequately described the considerable level of disdain, disgust, and outright fury he currently felt.

He was fucking outraged. 

Oh yes.

He was infuriated by all of the Nantgarthian men and most especially...

Lord Danzo.

Yet he kept his rage in check in order to make Hinata feel better.

He continued his shushing, "Oh you poor, poor thing. I am not angry with you, how could I be? You are not the villain here. Those filthy men are." Naruto voiced in anger, "They were simply using you, little minx. They used you for your magic, your kindness, and for your body. They merely offered you gifts to get you in their beds."

Hinata's cries grew louder which made Naruto grimace. He surely was failing at consoling her.

'Damnit.' Naruto mused in frustration, gritting his teeth.

He lifted his head when he saw Hinata shake hers quite wildly, her cries practically ringing in his ears, "O-Oh kami, it was awful! S-So very awful, Naruto-kun! I hated every second of it!"

Naruto's heart shattered even more upon Hinata's cries, "I know, little minx. I know and those men will pay for what they did to you. They won't get away with any of it. None of them will."

Hinata sniffed harshly, chest heaving, as she rushed her clawed fingers up to rub the tears from her cheeks.

She hiccuped profusely, her body lurching up and down in irregular motions. Her cheeks were flushed pink. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her ears were drooping and her lips frowned.

It took her a couple of minutes to calm herself down but thankfully, all the while Naruto tried his best to console her.

But as soon as she managed to stop crying, she carried on with her tale in a desperate attempt to leave this particular part of her story behind. Naruto agreed with her decision.

Hinata whimpered, once more choosing to hide behind her hair, "I m-m-must s-s-say that little period when life was at least b-b-bearable was only temporary. Soon, it became clear how destructive of an effect Danzo had on the Nantgarthians and even on one of us creatures."

Naruto rushed up on his seat, clutching his knees with his hands. His knife lay in the cracks of his fingers, bloody and dull.

Naruto nodded wildly, for encouragement, "One of your kind? Who? Who, Hinata, tell me!"

"Lady Chiyo, Naruto-kun The woman you mentioned earlier."

Naruto's eyes shot wide, "Holy shit." The blonde huntsman shook his head, "It just keeps getting worse and fucking worse."

Hinata nodded her head solemnly, steadily rubbing the tears from her cheeks, "Un-Unfortunately so. Lady Chiyo was once a noble being with a kind heart for everyone around her. She was one of the few creatures who decided to flee to Nantgarth in order to use her magic unrestrictedly and to gain acceptance from me and my people. But, Danzo soon corrupted her too."

Hinata sighed deeply as she kept an eye on Naruto, who appeared to be absorbed in her story as though in a trance. It was a sight that certainly pleased Hinata. 

She appreciated the fact that he was giving considerable thought and interest to the heartbreaking tale of Nantgarth, of her home.

It meant so much to her.

Hinata put up a frown, working one hand down to clutch the middle of her chest, just where her shattered heart was weakly beating.

"The deadly poison that Danzo had cast over all of Nantgarth eventually found its way to Lady Chiyo and she turned her back on me entirely as a result, instead choosing to serve as his most trusted advisor."

Hinata shook her head in pity, her long midnight blue hair brushing against her cheeks, "Lady Chiyo accomplished all for Danzo. She obeyed every command he gave her. She cast terrible spells for him, dark spells that eventually turned her magic dark and her soul black. She did his bidding, even if it meant harming others, brutally infiltrating other lands, or stealing things that were not theirs."

Naruto's eyes narrowed angrily, not liking the sound of that one bit.

He was aware that Lady Chiyo was unsettling in some way. As soon as he stepped foot within her presence, he had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right with the kooky old lady, and Hinata's words were just serving to confirm his earlier feelings.

Hinata's credibility shot sky-high as a result. Naruto began to believe her more and more.

He shook his head, scoffing into the dark air, "Tch, I fucking hate witches. They are not to be trusted. They're lowlifes, that's all they are-"

"Naruto-kun, pl-please don't say such mean things. All witches are n-not terrible. There's more to it than meets the eye." She voiced with a pout, wishing to open Naruto's eyes to a new perspective of things and let go of the hatred he bears.

"Lady Chiyo merely wishes to be accepted, to feel like she belongs after living her life as an outsider for so long. So she wishes only to please Danzo, to be accepted by that mad tyrant. She even started to believe what Danzo believed—that creatures only existed to serve humans, to obey their commands, and to indulge their every whim."

Hinata whimpered before burying her face in her hands and sulking, a gesture that caused Naruto's internal rage to arise and reveal itself on his face.

He growled, his nose wrinkling, "Hinata, weaklings do not endure for long when faced with evil. Do not hold yourself responsible for her lack of courage. You're not to blame for her betrayal." Naruto voiced to reassure Hinata. He could almost taste the guilt that surged from her body and suffocated the air where he sat.

Hinata felt guilty for the change in Lady Chiyo, for not being able to stand up and protect her people from the evil pompous that decided to march in and steal their home.

But Hinata is not to blame.

Danzo is at fault here. Not her.

Naruto watched as Hinata wept in her hands from afar, her shoulders trembling as emotion overtook her yet again, "Oh N-Naruto-kun, but it is my fault. I stood idly by as Danzo took away everything my people ever loved. I watched how his beliefs and influence corrupted the minds of Nantgarth's men and women, turning them all into scheming liars and traitors who engaged in sins that further placed them in Danzo's hands." Hinata sobbed, "It is my fault for not saving Lady Chiyo, for not being there to heal her heart and open her eyes to the truth. It is my own fault as to why I've been cursed."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed drastically, his breathing quickening as his ears were flooded with outcries filled with grief and guilt.

Blue eyes widened in horror, "No, little minx, you cannot say such things. You cannot blame yourself for such a horrible tragedy. Anyone who wishes to curse another should burn in hell."

"A-And I want to believe that, I do. Yet as queen of my people, I should have defended them. I should have utilized my abilities to end Lord Danzo's reign and bring peace to Nantgarth. Yet, doing so would require me to use my abilities for denunciation and warfare, which I simply couldn't bring myself to do. I succumbed to fear, weakness hindered me, and my hesitance led to the corruption of my home, and the humans we creatures once viewed as family gradually became our enemies-"

"So you were noble to the end, eh?" Naruto quipped amusingly which Hinata only answered with a frown.

She nodded her head in shame, "S-Sadly y-yes."

"Oh, don't worry, little minx. If it helps, I'd say you're a lot better than I am." He complimented Hinata with a scoff.

"If I were in your shoes, I would have taken the fight to both Danzo and Lady Chiyo, as soon as I had the chance. I would tie them up and flay the skin off of their bones. I would ensure that both experienced every agonizing sensation there is and when the suffering becomes unbearable and my wrath is exacted, I will cut off their heads and end their wretched lives once and for all."

Naruto's face took on a dark smirk, the light from the fire bouncing off his features and creating an unsettling image. His voice became louder as well, "I would rejoice in victory as I stand over their lifeless bodies with their shackles of wickedness loosened from my wrists and their torment out of my hair. Each of the men who chose to follow Danzo will suffer the same fate. I wouldn't give up until Danzo and his evil influence were completely eradicated from this earth."

Naruto's malicious threats made Hinata sweat drop, and the menacing sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine.

His eyes were dark, and his mouth was spread to express a sadistic sneer, a deranged grin that revealed the huntsman truly revels in the horrors of battle and would choose bloodshed at any time if a threat existed.

Hinata whimpered in fright to herself as a response to the disturbing display in front of her.

But in that moment, she watched in worry as the sinister sneer on the whiskered blonde's face vanished in an instant and was replaced by a rather blank expression.

Naruto shrugged his broad shoulders, "But that's just what I'll do."

"Y-Yes, you are most certainly right about that." Hinata retorted sarcastically.

Naruto instantly caught her sarcastic remark and scoffed playfully, rolling his eyes, "So Lord Danzo and Lady Chiyo are both selfish scumbags and deserve everything that's coming to them. The inhabitants of Nantgarth are all mindless serfs, and you beasts are in fact innocent but have taken the fall for everything. But," Naruto put one finger up, waving it while tutting his tongue, "this tale doesn't seem quite finished."

The blonde tilted his head, causing his spiky blonde bangs to fall over, "You must tell me now how you've come to be cursed. Tell me what happened in the end. How come you creatures are inhabiting this forest now?" Naruto blurted out, highly curious to know the cause of Hinata's unfortunate transformation, how the creatures were driven to dwell in the Forest of Linvor, and who was responsible for it all.

Naruto, though, had his own nagging suspicions about the culprit.

But he wanted to hear the truth from Hinata's lips.

He watched her closely, just as he had done the entire time as she spoke and passionately shared her tale.

She was now the center of his attention, the reason that his interest has peaked to imaginable heights.

She was the catalyst for his mind to begin to twist and turn, transforming into something entirely different.

Listening to her story, taking in her exquisite voice as she expressed life-changing words full of emotion and truth, only reawakened a part of Naruto he once believed died a long time ago.

Hinata was making him care once more.

Naruto was experiencing a slew of mixed emotions as Hinata successfully began to open his heart, and as a result, he was absolutely overwhelmed.

But one thing was certain: he had to know how Hinata's tale ends.

He must know.

He must.

So he watched her intently as she once again battled with another wave of intense emotions, ones that made her begin to hyperventilate and her chest heave.

Naruto took a deep breath, patting the air with one hand as a comforting gesture, "Breathe, little minx. Breathe."

Hinata obeyed.

She gently nodded and took a deep breath, making a little "o" shape with her lips as she sucked in the fresh air all around her.

Naruto nodded, "Good, good. Now let it all out."

Hinata obeyed once more.

She exhaled all the oxygen she had just inhaled and experienced the knot in her stomach slowly but gradually loosen and the weight on her shoulders lightened.

She repeated the action.

Hinata blew in and out a few more times with the assistance of Naruto, who surprisingly catered to her emotional state, allowing her the chance to relax and be free of the suppressing emotions she felt from narrating her tragic tale.

After taking a final, deep breath, her face lit up with a smile. She bestowed such a smile upon Naruto, brightening his entire world with an expression of utter joy and admiration. Her smile was so beautiful, it took Naruto's breath away.

Naruto's eyes widened to extreme lengths at receiving such a look, his heart fluttering deep within his chest.

Hinata's eyes gleamed, "Thank you so much, Naruto-kun. You have no idea how much your patience and kindness mean to me. It has been so long since I've experienced such kindness from a human."

"Oh heh." Naruto waved her off playfully, trying his hardest to ignore the warmth in his chest, "It's nothing." The blonde huntsman raised an eyebrow, "What did I say about getting all sentimental, hm?' 

Hinata giggled, easily seeing through Naruto's words.

He had a funny way of showing his emotions or rather, his appreciation for flattery but Hinata didn't mind it.

Nevertheless, she accepted Naruto just the way he was.

She bowed her head, humming softly, "Oh, I cannot help it, Naruto-kun. It's in my nature to be sentimental."

"Tch."

Hinata giggled once more, a quirky little sound that brought a grin to Naruto's own face.

The two sat and experienced the pleasant feelings of amusement and delight, now free from the emotions of before, but only for a moment.

Because as soon as Hinata's giggle subsided, all amusement vanished completely from her face, and she soon sulked in her seat, her mind recalling memories of the past, i.e. additional information that will successfully answer Naruto's remaining questions.

She blew out a deep sigh, "We beasts had to suffer under Danzo's tyranny for twenty years. With time, the quality of life for us creatures only deteriorated."

A shudder ran through Hinata's entire body, "Lady Chiyo turned into the monster that humans once feared her to be, the Nantgarth men grew selfish and lustful, and the women grew envious and treacherous. It was, in fact..." Hinata paused to whimper, "th-those very women that led to my downfall."

Naruto's eyes shot wide once more, seemingly for the thousandth time. He wagged his hands about as a show of confusion, "Wait, wait, wait. The Nantgarthian women are the cause of the curse that's been afflicted on you?"

"S-Sadly yes. I wish I could tell you differently, Naruto-kun, but it is all true." Hinata's lips began to tremble, her teeth rattling against one another, "Th-The women began to despise the attention their men lavished on me. They despised the fact that their partner's gaze had shifted from them to me. The women grew so resentful and outraged, they soon turned their backs on me, even going as far as proclaiming that I was some sort of sorcerer who seduced men's minds and led them to commit adultery. They accused me of being the culprit behind the Nantgarthian men's lust, devotion, and senseless passion."

Hinata shook her head in disagreement, "They never gave my perspective the attention it deserved. They could never bring themselves to think that their husbands were engaging in all of those immoral behaviors on their own, as a physical depiction of the rot Danzo's presence had caused in Nantgarth."

Hinata's pearly lavender began to water yet again, "Despite being right in front of them, no human could perceive the truth. Because no matter how much I tried to proclaim my innocence, I was only the one to blame for all atrocities committed in Nantgarth. I was viewed responsible for everything."

Hinata looked away, working her hands forth to hug her body, clutching her forearms tightly, "I was viewed as the enemy from that point on. The humans declared their opposition to me and all the creatures who defended me. It was at that time that the women decided to take matters into their own hands and snuff out what little joy I had left."

Hinata lifted her head to spare the stunned huntsman a look, revealing how teary her eyes had become. She trembled as if the outside world was freezing cold, her legs wobbling underneath her.

She sobbed, "I-I awoke one morning to find m-my very appearance had been altered completely. Not only so, but I came to find that my beauty and my magic were robbed of me."

Hinata croaked, her pupil-less eyes taking a look down at her hooved goat feet, "Just like that, I was defenseless, frail, and hideous. The very appearance of mine that I have always had and cherished for centuries was stolen right from underneath me and what was left was despised by all the people of Nantgarth, despised by myself."

Naruto's heart raced faster as he listened closely to Hinata shed light on the day she found that she indeed was cursed into becoming a satyress.

Hinata was cursed in her sleep.

Naruto's eyes darkened.

By Lady Chiyo, no doubt.

Naruto already knew who was the culprit that led to Hinata's twisted fate.  He knew that foul witch took it upon herself to take the easy and most pitiful route and struck Hinata down while she was defenseless, doing so for the sake of the wretched Nantgarthian women.

Such evil pest.

Naruto couldn't stop seething.

Naruto watched as Hinata stuck her clawed hands forth, revealing her animalistic features entirely, "This is what I am now. An ugly beast. An enemy to Nantgarth, and a failure, a failure who has let her people down."

Hinata let out another sob, her features contorting entirely, "I soon realized that the curse not only turned me into the beast I am now and stolen my power, but it also tainted my very aura. I was cursed with the ability to taint anyone in my vicinity simply by being present." She explained tearfully, "I was cursed to draw out the darkness in others and to tempt them to act out their wrath and lust—their sin. I was transformed into the conniving creature the Nantgarthians once perceived me as, and I despise it all."

Hinata lifted her head to spare a sorrowful glance toward the blonde huntsman from afar whose heart she could pick up by her keen ears was beating extremely fast. His eyes were once again widened, his mouth gaped, and his body stiff.

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing.

He couldn't believe what Hinata just confirmed.

He pulled his free hand up to cup his forehead, his chest heaving as he gave the grassy floor below a stunned look.

'So I wasn't going insane, after all.' Naruto thought to himself in relief.

He was quite aware that his very mind, his thoughts, his behavior, and his body were steadily being altered and tampered with just by being in Hinata's presence.

At times, a wave of darkness would come to engulf him whole, driving him to feel emotions he knew were not conjured up by himself.

Lust. Depravity. Sadistic pleasure. Temptation.

He felt such feelings many times while being by the midnight blue-haired satyress's side.

Now he knows why.

He shifted his blue eyes back to the weeping satyress in front of him who gave him a frown.

She sobbed, "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, for causing you to succumb to hatred, for clouding your judgment, and for sending you off on a path of unpleasant thoughts. Since you've been by my side, I'm aware that I've had a significant impact on you. You must have been very confused, and I-"

"There's no need to apologize, little minx." Naruto waved her off, shaking his head, "You are cursed, so you mustn't blame yourself for any of the penalties that you were sentenced to endure. It is all out of your control after all."

Naruto glanced over at the campfire, humming as a response to being graced with its pleasant heat, "By telling me the truth about your curse, you have earned my pardon. Do not let yourself worry." Naruto announced with a faint smile, one that brightened his tan face and managed to affect Hinata gravely.

"And besides," Naruto shrugged, "I'm much stronger than you think, little minx."

Hinata's face lit up gleefully in an immediate response due to hearing such words of comfort, her pink lips stretching across her face extensively to showcase a bright smile.

Indeed, the worry and guilt she felt just seconds ago were washed away by Naruto's words of reassurance.

Hinata gasped in awe, clapping her clawed hands in a fit of exuberance, "Oh, that's s-s-such a relief! Th-Thank you, Naruto-kun!"

"Hinata..." Naruto chastised.

"Oh! I'm sorry, no flattery! I-It slipped my mind, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, yeah."

Naruto chuckled at Hinata's cutesy response, his blue eyes intently watching as an adorable red blush began to overtake Hinata's entire face, causing her to resemble a red ripe tomato. It was certainly a sight that tickled Naruto extremely.

But just as before, their happy moment only resonated for a second before Hinata went back to gracing Naruto, the last of her tragic tale.

She stared down at the grass solemnly,  deep in her thoughts which caused the entire area to grow a bit eerie.

She bit her lip briefly, "I also have to inform you, Naruto-kun, that the curse I was afflicted with managed to transform all the creatures who held me in their hearts into the worst version of themselves, turning them all into hideous monsters; monsters that Danzo has always seen us as. So even my people were soon corrupted by Danzo and his schemes, but we were the only ones who paid the price for it."

It was at that moment, Hinata began to cry again, the tear gates bursting open to cover her cheeks with hot, dewy water droplets, revealing how emotionally unbalanced she was at the moment.

"The Nantgarthians grew to hate me so much, they all voted for me and anyone that followed me to be removed from Nantgarth, to be banished from ever stepping foot there again. Hence, I-I am the c-cause of why my people were forced to dwell in this f-forest."

Naruto's face grew sorrowful, his lips pouting, "Oh Hinata dear, don't-"

"It is my fault that my people were turned into hideous beasts."

"Hinata."

"It is my fault that we are hated so much by the Nantgarthians."

"Little minx, just listen to me."

"It is my fault that we lost our home."

"Hinata."

"It is my fault that you are here before us now, seeking to rid us from this world once and for all-"

"Hinata!"

Hinata's words of pure anguish were rendered silent at the sound of Naruto's outburst, steadily calling her name in an effort to get her attention and put an end to her dreadful speech.

Her sad eyes returned to the blonde man from afar, who gave her a stern expression that sought to conceal his hatred, rage, and disgust.

But his eyes told everything.

His lips drooped down, frowning, "Hinata, I must convey my deepest condolences for all the tragedies you have faced alone, all the unwarranted hatred you have received, and all the crimes you have been blamed for."

Naruto placed a hand on his chest, just over his strong beating heart, "And I say this, Hinata, from the bottom of my heart."

Hinata watched intently as Naruto's blonde eyebrows furrowed, his fist clenching his huntsman jacket tightly, "Hatred has blinded me before, just as it is clearly blinding the people of Nantgarth but you have given me the ability to see clearly again and I thank you. It must have been quite difficult to disclose your tragic past to a complete stranger, so I appreciate you taking the time to respond to all of my inquiries."

Naruto nodded, his spiky blonde bangs rocking forward, "I-I deeply appreciate it but..."

"B-But?" Hinata whimpered out, now drenched in tears and weighed down by pain. She feared the worst after Naruto's final statement.

She was worried that the blonde male's animosity would come out on top and he would change his mind. She feared that his hatred would influence his decisions, and lead him to harm her and her people.

She waited in dread, watching Naruto closely from a distance with her watery lavender orbs.

Naruto's visage became impassive once more, but his darkened blue eyes contained an unfettered rage inside, one of vengeance and indignation.

"You have opened my eyes, Hinata, to the darkness that resonates in Nantgarth and the darkness that dwells in the heart of its ruler, Danzo. You have opened my eyes and made me realize that I have been waging this battle all along on the wrong side."

Naruto's face grew more and more stern, "As I, Naruto Uzumaki, a slayer of darkness, a bringer of peace, will not stand aside and allow evil to prevail, not under any circumstances. I cannot bring myself to simply do nothing when innocents are suffering."

The blonde huntsman clenched his fist, burying his knuckles against his thigh, "You have opened my eyes to the truth and freed me from the hatred that once held me prisoner. Now, I wish only to hold up my end of the bargain, little minx."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "I wish to help you, to help you any way I can to break your curse and reclaim your home for you and your people."

"Wh-What?" Hinata's eyes widened significantly as she gazed at the resolute man in front of her, who was consciously showering her with loyalty and allegiance in exchange for opening his eyes to the truth.

She couldn't believe her ears. She truly thought she was dreaming.

'The blonde huntsman will help break my curse? Save my people? Reclaim my home?' Hinata pondered this in absolute disbelief, unable to believe for even a moment that the obnoxious human who formerly delighted in threatening to kill her would now voluntarily abandon the job assigned to him in favor of assisting her and her people.

'No. This can't be true.'  Hinata continued to believe in her brain, but Naruto's altered attitude became clearer as she returned his stare.

Contrarily, Naruto sensed that the wall guarding his heart had entirely come down, and it was then that he gave Hinata a charming smile that displayed his white teeth and sharp canines.

Hinata found herself blushing at such a beautiful sight before her.

Naruto bowed his head, bowing in total allegiance, "I am now at your service, Hinata Hyuga." 

◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥

End Of Part 2.