20 Things Only True Fans Know About Naruto And Hinata’s Relationship

Though the character of Hinata Hyuuga didn’t debut in the Naruto manga until the fourth volume, she was a mainstay in the animated projects, appearing in every incarnation of the anime and movies. Eventually, the meek and mild girl who admired Naruto Uzumaki from afar became the love of his life – though many fans never would have imagined that possible during their early interactions.

Hinata’s interest in Naruto wasn’t born of romantic infatuation. Instead, she admired his commitment to training: no matter how many mistakes he made he always continued on in his missions. She looked to find a way to stand up for herself the same way Naruto did. With nearly 500 episodes of anime in the two original Naruto series, and several movies as companion stories, the two fell in love, but for fans who might not have devoured every aspect of the Naruto canon, there’s a lot to learn about their relationship.

Updated on March 21st, 2022 by Amanda Bruce: Though Hinata doesn’t have as large of a role in the Boruto series as her husband Naruto, it doesn’t mean fans aren’t still intrigued by their relationship. Though the two seem to have very different personalities, they both also share a stubborn streak that makes them persevere despite the odds being stacked against them.

It’s no wonder that they gravitate toward one another and understand each other’s decisions when they raise their family – Hinata leaving the shinobi lifestyle behind while Naruto leads the village as Hokage. Their relationship is a fascinating one.

Boruto And Himawari Are Recognized Hyuga Clan Members

Family lineage is an important part of just how the shinobi world works in the Naruto franchise. That’s because a lot of specialty jutsu, and even chakra levels, are inherited. Each clan in the Naruto world has its own specialty, some of them are kept secret from outsiders, and most often, children end up in the clan of the father if distant relatives don’t keep their relationships in the same clan.

Because Naruto is said to be the last of the Uzumakis (though Karin is still out there and shares his clan name), Boruto and Himawari might share his family name, but they belong to the Hyuga clan. Boruto and his little sister even train with their Aunt Hanabi once in a while. Considering Himawari has the Hyuga Byakugan, it makes perfect sense for her to maintain membership in her mother’s clan anyway.

Hinata’s Perfect World Included Naruto

When the Infinite Tsukuyomi was unleashed during the Fourth World War, the only ones not caught in the genjutsu were Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto, as they were left to free the shinobi world. The genjutsu wasn’t just a hallucination, however, it was meant to suck those affected by it into their ideal world.

For Hinata, that world included Naruto. In fact, her dream is a relatively simple one at the time. She and Naruto spend time together, sitting on a bench, while her cousin Neji and her sister Hanabi witness how in love they are. The three most important people in the world to her are safe and happy. She doesn’t entirely get that dream to come true as Neji is killed in the way, but Naruto does eventually realize he feels the same.

Naruto And Hinata’s Zodiac Signs Are Considered Incompatible

Naruto, the charmer and free spirit, is canonically a Libra in the franchise with his October 10th birthday. Hinata, on the other hand, is born on December 27th, making her a practical and goal-oriented Capricorn. On paper, Naruto and Hinata’s zodiac signs make them one of the least compatible couples.

Astrology enthusiasts will know that both Libra and Capricorn tend to be leaders. Hinata doesn’t always show her leadership abilities in the series until she’s forced to take a stand. Naruto takes the lead on a regular basis, whether others want him to or not. In theory, that should make them clash. Hinata, however, admires Naruto too much for that to happen when they’re growing up. Capricorns also tend to see things in black-and-white, favoring one side of a situation. Libras are the zodiac sign most likely to understand both sides of an argument, making them effective peacemakers. All of these different traits could put them at odds on paper, but Hinata and Naruto don’t let their differences stop them from growing together.

Hinata Has Used Her Byakugan To Check Naruto’s Wallet

Hinata and Naruto might have taken a long time to get on the same page as a couple, but once they did, they both wanted to make the other person comfortable in the relationship. According to one of the Naruto companion books, the Naruto Official Movie Guidebook, Naruto, who had no experience dating, decided to get a hand from Sai. Sai, raised in Root to ignore his own emotions, had books on human behavior to help him reintegrate into society. It was there that Naruto learned he should be the one to pay on a date with Hinata. He took her to a fancy restaurant for one of their first official dates but didn’t anticipate exactly how much it would cost.

Luckily, Hinata could see through his predicament – literally and figuratively. When she realizes that Naruto is slightly uncomfortable at their date location, she uses her Byakugan to take a peek into his wallet, noting that the restaurant is definitely out of their price range. She suggests the two go to Icihiraku Ramen instead, a staple in the series, and Naruto’s favorite place.

Naruto And Hinata Are Not The Most Popular Franchise Couple

Naruto and Hinata might be beloved by a large number of the audience, but they actually aren’t the most popular couple in the Naruto franchise. It’s easy to see which couple is the most popular by checking out fandom works on sites like Archive Of Our Own. Fans can search relationship tags, and the number of works for each relationship is listed. Across sites that catalog fandom works, there are a couple of pairings that stand out as much more popular.

Canonically, the most popular couple is actually Sasuke and Sakura. Fanfiction, fanart, and cosplay for the two are prolific in the online community. The most popular couple that doesn’t occur in canon also features Sasuke, but not Sakura. It’s the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto.

Naruto And Hinata First Met When Hinata Was Being Bullied

Though both the Naruto manga and anime series begin with the title character already entrenched in ninja training and knowing all of the other supporting characters, the movies have fleshed out much of their backstory. In The Last: Naruto the Movie, fans got to see just how Naruto and Hinata met. In the middle of a snowy street, Hinata found herself the target of a group of bullies. The boys called Hinata a monster because of her Byakugan eyes, tormenting her while she cried, and that was when Naruto stepped in.

Naruto, too young to have had any of the training seen later in the series, stands up to the three other boys and is beaten soundly for it. In fact, Naruto winds up unconscious, and it’s his actions attempting to save her that first cause Hinata to admire his courage. Neither of them has the skills necessary to stop the bullies at that point, but the two go on to train for the rest of their childhoods, saving one another repeatedly. Hinata might spend much of her formative years being saved by Naruto and other friends, but she grows into a fighter just as strong as him.

Naruto And Hinata Both Had Troubled Childhoods

One of the many similarities Hinata and Naruto share is that they didn’t have the easiest childhood. Though their experiences were different in many ways, their rough upbringing drew them to one another. Naruto’s childhood was more brutal than most. With the spirit of a demon sealed inside his body, the majority of his village looked at him as an outsider and a threat. Add to that the fact that he lost his parents and had no other family to help him, and Naruto lived a life of isolation and loneliness. He spent much of his time acting out, being the most vocal one in the room, and drawing attention to himself.

While Hinata grew up with her family, her childhood was just as difficult. She was the heir to the Hyuga Clan, a prominent ninja family. More gentle than the rest of her family, she didn’t take well to their difficult training regimen. Her father was also hard on her, criticizing her timid personality and pushing her to change her ways. The more he drilled his own ideas into her head though, the further Hinata shrunk into herself. Unlike Naruto, who longed to stand out on his own terms, Hinata tried to make herself blend in. The two grew to balance one another out.

Naruto Was The First Person To Have Faith In Hinata

Hinata spent much of her childhood with everyone telling her that she wasn’t strong enough to become a ninja. She spent a lot of time internalizing everyone else’s opinion of her, allowing their ideas to influence how she acted in a confrontation, losing every fight as a result. Naruto was the first one to have any faith in her abilities.

When Hinata was selected to battle her cousin Neji in the chunin exams, none of the other ninjas in training believed she has what it took to beat him. Neji spent the entirety of the match talking down to her and reminding her that she’s not as powerful as him. It’s only Naruto, watching from the sidelines, who cheers Hinata on and has faith in her. Naruto’s faith in her keeps her from backing down, and it’s the first time she stands her ground in a fight instead of giving up, surprising all of those who have trained with her.

Hinata’s Hairstyle Has A Very Special Meaning

When Hinata is introduced in both the manga and the anime, her hair is cut very short compared to the other female characters, and especially the characters in her own family. The reasoning here is twofold. In ancient Japanese culture, when a woman brought disgrace to their family, they were made to cut their hair. Hinata’s father, who considered her a failure as his heir to the main house of the clan Hyuuga, essentially disowned her and placed her little sister in line to run the clan one day. Fans have theorized that he made Hinata cut her hair short before he washed his hands of her.

On the other hand, there’s another reason that links back to her romantic interest as well. In the manga, it’s revealed that Sasuke has a thing for long hair, and so many of the girls attending the Academy want to get his attention that they spend a lot of time styling their long hair. To show that Sasuke isn’t the one who holds her attention, Hinata’s hair is cropped short. It’s a subtle way of making sure Naruto knows she isn’t interested in someone else. As the manga (and the anime) series grew, Hinata’s hair became longer over time. Not only did this mark her growing up and growing closer to Naruto, but it also marked her learning not to place stock in what other people thought of her.

There Was A Fake Hinata

During the Fourth Shinobi World War in the manga, the ninjas that readers watched grow up were put into even more perilous situations than usual. The anime did the same. It wasn’t all massive battles, though. There were also some pretty interesting schemes in hopes of getting residents of the Hidden Leaf Village to reveal their secrets.

One arc, in particular, saw Zetsu imitate many of the beloved characters. Zetsu were, for all intents and purposes, shapeshifting walking zombies. The Zetsu used to be ninjas with distinct personalities, but their lives were lost during experiments that left them as part of the mystical god tree. They were able to emerge from it and masquerade as others. Hinata was one of them. The chief way the Zetsu decided to convince residents of the village that it was Hinata? That would be by making it very clear just how much affection she held for Naruto. Eventually, her teammates figured it out, but Kiba couldn’t resist teasing her that the biggest secret the Zetsu almost got was how much Hinata cared about Naruto.

Hinata Could Always See Tell The Real Naruto From Any Fakes

The addition of the Zetsu to the confrontation made everyone in the battles suspicious of who could be friend or foe. After Hinata was impersonated by one, she was also attacked by others. Naruto saved her from the attack, but her friends weren’t so sure he was the real Naruto. Instead, her cousin Neji insisted that the Naruto that saved her and joined their ranks could be a Zetsu trying to earn their trust. Hinata, however, disagreed. According to Hinata, all she had to do was look into Naruto’s eyes to know it was him.

Throughout the arc, that idea became a recurring theme for the two. Hinata believed that, even with her special power of sight, it was Naruto’s eyes that would tell her the truth. Naruto echoed the sentiment later: he could always see the truth in Hinata, which was sweet but didn’t help him when people suspected him of being a shapeshifter. Hinata spent some time apologizing not only for others mistrusting him but also for Naruto having to save her again. By that point in the series though, Naruto no longer saw himself as saving a damsel in distress, but by “returning the favor” since Hinata had saved him as well. It was a real moment of growth for their relationship.

Naruto Inspired Hinata

Despite his insistence that he will become the next great Hokage repeatedly in the series, Naruto tends to make a lot of mistakes. He frequently winds up placing himself and his friends in harm’s way. That, however, doesn’t matter to Hinata. She finds him inspiring. It’s not just Naruto’s encouragement of Hinata in her first major showdown that inspires her, though. Hinata draws strength from him long before that, even back at the Ninja Academy. She calls him a “proud failure” during the series because she watches him get knocked down so many times only to climb back to his feet and try again.

It’s his persistence that makes Hinata believe that she too can become a great warrior, despite what her family thinks about her, even commenting that he made her believe she was “worth something” in the manga. Hinata also adopts Naruto’s nindo– his credo or his “ninja way” as he calls it – for her own. In turn, when Naruto discovers this about Hinata, she also inspires him to keep going when he loses faith in himself. The few times in the anime when Naruto thinks he might be outmatched, it’s Hinata’s faith in him that allows him to continue. He’s inspired to beat Neji in an exam round after watching Hinata refuse to give up, despite winding up in the hospital. He’s also later inspired by her on the battlefield after she stands up to his opponents when he can’t.

Naruto And Hinata Weren’t Originally Going To Be Together

Given Hinata’s connection to Naruto so early in her introduction, some fans might have thought that she was always meant to be Naruto’s love interest, but that’s not the case. It wasn’t decided that the duo would end up together until halfway into the writing of the manga series.

Sakura was originally written as the heroine of the story, the one who trained with Naruto and grew along with him, but she wasn’t necessarily written as his love interest despite his crush on her. Writer Masashi Kishimoto did a series of promotional interviews in 2015 as the relationship between Naruto and Hinata came to the forefront of the anime and movies. He revealed that he made the decision to have Naruto and Hinata find their happy ending together because of Hinata’s faith in Naruto. Hinata believed in Naruto’s abilities even before his trainer Iruka did. Her faith in Naruto never wavered throughout Kishimoto’s stories, and that put her in a unique position compared to the rest of his characters. That faith led Kishimoto to decide the two were meant for each other.

Sakura Gave Hinata A Push

Many series would pit their ladies against one another when it comes to being the center of attention. While Sakura and Ino frequently compete for Sasuke’s attention, and there are a few instances where Sakura seems to reciprocate Naruto’s crush as well, Sakura doesn’t let boys get in the way of her friendship with Hinata. Instead, she actually encourages Hinata to tell Naruto how she feels. Hinata finds herself teased about her feelings by her teammates Shino and Kiba during the animated series, but they never actually help her work up the courage to interact with Naruto.

Instead, it’s Sakura in The Last: Naruto The Movie who tries to get Naruto and Hinata to stop dancing around their feelings for one another. Sakura encourages Hinata to give Naruto a scarf she has been knitting for him. She also takes the time to explain to Hinata that, although Naruto shows an affection for her, he also doesn’t differentiate between his love for people and his love for other things, like food, something Hinata needs to hear. It allows her to realize that Naruto doesn’t yet understand the same depths of emotions that she does. It’s not just Hinata that Sakura attempts to explain things to, though. In an effort to get her two friends closer together, she also encourages Naruto to walk Hinata home, trying to get him away from his shallow fans, but he doesn’t. It takes the duo a long time to reach the same emotional point.

Hinata Stepped Up To Save Naruto From Pain

When Pain attacks the village, it’s Naruto who attempts to take the villain on alone, but Hinata comes to his aid. Hinata’s participation in the fight causes a transformation in Naruto. Because Naruto has the nine-tail fox bound inside his body, there are times when his power actually comes from the demon that tried to destroy the village when he was a baby. The fox tries to take over Naruto’s body from time to time, but he usually fights back, doing his best to stop it from using his body. During the fight with Pain though, Naruto allowed the nine-tail fox to take over his body for one very specific reason: to avenge Hinata.

When Naruto became pinned during his fight with Pain, Hinata took over for him, trying to protect her friend from the villain even though Naruto told her to run. Pain sent one of his rods through Hinata, leaving her severely injured and unable to keep up the fight. So angry at seeing Hinata in such bad shape, Naruto embraced his rage and allowed the fox inside him to come out. It led to the fox nearly destroying the entire village in the fight. The devastation he caused left him guilt-ridden, though that was short-lived as he was more relieved that he was able to save Hinata.

Naruto Calls Hinata Beautiful

For a long time before Naruto admits how he feels, the audience doesn’t get an inclination of whether he might return Hinata’s feelings. He spends much of the first series with a crush on his friend Sakura while Hinata admires him from afar. On one mission when they’re young, however, he calls her beautiful for the first time.

During the anime, Hinata convinces her team to take on a new mission. They aid Naruto in his quest to find a bikochu beetle in a filler arc. The special insect will help track down their missing friend Sasuke. The mission itself is a difficult task for the group. Hinata spends time on her own training in order to be able to master a skill that would save them later. She chooses to spend her time away from the boys training in a waterfall. Naruto sees her in the waterfall from a distance, but he has no idea that it’s Hinata. He sees her training in a dance-like fashion amongst the water, and he recounts to the team later how beautiful the mysterious girl was. Though Hinata knows that Naruto must have seen her, she doesn’t admit that out loud. Instead, she’s embarrassed that he saw her in the water since she left her clothes on the bank to keep them dry.

Naruto Makes Hinata Laugh

Throughout the anime and manga, artists drew Hinata as very reserved. She might smile to herself once in a while, but to openly laugh is rare. The only one who seems to be able to get a genuine laugh from her is Naruto. In fact, while Hinata laughs behind her hand at a few points in the series, it’s usually hiding her embarrassment. If fans don’t watch the fillers (scenes made to fill time following episodes on Japanese television), they missed the handful of times Hinata laughed.

A few fillers saw Hinata interacting with Naruto and his friends, giving the audience a surprise laugh. For example, one scene shared with fans featured Naruto and Hinata enjoying ramen with Sakura and Kiba. While discussing Kiba and his sunglasses, Naruto and Hinata share a laugh. That doesn’t happen in the series itself as Hinata is usually too self-conscious when she interacts with Naruto. In the early episodes, she even faints. The first time audiences get to see Hinata openly laugh during an episode is in her wedding arc. Naruto’s former sensei Iruka tracks Hinata down after spending time agonizing about what to say in a wedding video. He actually apologizes to Hinata, thinking his raising of Naruto somehow played a part in her future husband upsetting her, though it’s a misunderstanding. Hinata gives a full laugh for the first (and only) time in the series.

There Is An Alternate, Aggressive Version Of Hinata

It takes Naruto and Hinata so long to get together because he’s clueless and she’s too shy. In another universe, though, they’re very different. One movie decided to explore just what the characters would be like if there were slightly different circumstances surrounding them. In Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, Sakura and Naruto are transported to a different reality. There, Naruto finds that his parents are still alive, though his name is Menma instead. Sakura discovers that with her father as a village leader, she has more freedom. It seems like the two could have it made if they stayed, but they find some differences that worry them.

One of those differences was actually Hinata. Instead of her meek and shy personality, Hinata was much more aggressive. She was quick to jump into a fight, judge others, and put her own needs first. She provided a stark contrast to the Hinata fans knew. She’s so different from herself that when she suspects that Sakura has feelings for “Menma,” she doesn’t take kindly to it. In addition to exhibiting typical jealousy, she threatens Sakura’s life multiple times. While a little aggression could have benefited Hinata, this version was more dangerous.

Naruto And Hinata Are Tied Together By The Red String Of Fate

The idea of the red thread of fate originates in Chinese legend. Kishimoto adopted it for the story of Naruto. In the legend, the gods tie those destined for one another with a red thread. It’s one of the many takes on how soul mates are connected from around the world. Of course, Naruto and Hinata are not tied together by a literal thread, but instead, the symbolism of a red scarf in The Last: Naruto The Movie.

The movie provides an adventure, but also acts as a more traditional love story, providing Naruto and Hinata with more scenes together. The audience knew how Hinata felt, but the movie spelled out Naruto’s feelings for them as well. In flashback, Hinata and Naruto met as young children and bullies destroyed Naruto’s red scarf when he defended her. Though Naruto deemed it trashed, Hinata kept the scraps. As she aged, she decided to knit him a replacement for the one he lost when he defended her. She knits it throughout the movie. Rather than rely on Hinata knitting the scarf as symbolism, though, the writers and animators got a little more obvious with it. Caught in a trap that caused them to relive old memories, Hinata’s red scarf tangled around Naruto, allowing Naruto to see her memories as well. Their souls were quite literally tied together. Kishimoto admitted in convention interviews his wife inspired this particular symbolism when she knitted him a scarf!

Naruto And Hinata Might Have Decided To Marry Before Dating

One issue with having manga, anime, and movies about the same characters is they don’t follow the same continuity. As a result, just when Hinata and Naruto actually went from friendship to dating is different across the board. One novel acted as a way to bridge the gap between some of that continuity. It only made their relationship timeline more confusing. In the novel Sakura Hidden: Thoughts of Love Riding Upon a Spring Breeze, Sakura got the spotlight. In the years following the great war seen in the anime, Sakura founded and worked in a clinic dedicated to the mental health of children impacted by battle.

She also searched for Sasuke, whom she had been infatuated with since she was a child. In the background of Sakura’s story is a small detail for fans to pick up on: Naruto and Hinata went on their first date. Of course, when the novel lines up with the events of the anime timeline, things get tricky. At that point in their story, Naruto and Hinata were already planning their wedding. Given that Naruto informs Hinata he wants to spend the rest of his life with her during the events of The Last: Naruto the Movie though, the duo deciding to marry before trying to date doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.