On Konoha's streets in the early morning, the mist still hadn't fully dispersed. Most of the shops along the road weren't open yet, and only a few breakfast stalls sent out tempting aromas.
Hinata walked beside him with light steps, but she didn't speak. Every so often she would turn her head to glance at him, her eyes carrying an emotion he couldn't quite read.
Kiyonari could clearly feel her gaze, yet whenever he tried to meet it on purpose, Hinata would immediately look away, pretending nothing had happened.
Just as Kiyonari was thinking about how to speak up and break this delicate atmosphere, a crisp, bright voice suddenly came from ahead.
"Hey— isn't that Kiyonari?"
Kiyonari and Hinata turned at the same time. Two girls were walking toward them.
At the front was Yamanaka Ino, her blonde hair tied in a high ponytail that glittered under the sunlight. She looked bursting with energy. At an age when "cute" was the theme, she already carried the kind of youthful spark that only really showed up in girls entering adolescence.
Haruno Sakura followed behind her as usual. Her short pink hair was carefully tied back with a red headband, and her green eyes held a trace of helplessness, as if she felt a little embarrassed by her friend's behavior.
The moment Ino saw them, her eyes lit up. She grabbed Sakura's hand and hurried over.
"Ino, wait…" Sakura tried to stop her, but it was already too late.
"Good morning!" Ino greeted them with a dazzling smile, her ponytail swaying lightly as she waved.
"Good morning."
Kiyonari nodded back, then turned slightly to introduce everyone.
"This is my friend, Hyuga Hinata. And these two are friends I met not long ago—Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura."
"Good morning. I'm happy to meet you."
Hinata didn't look nervous at all. She dipped into a small, graceful bow, her voice gentle and refined. The strict training and "young lady" upbringing she'd received showed in that moment, perfectly and naturally.
Wow… she's changed so much.
Kiyonari couldn't help complaining to himself.
"Where are you going?" Ino's eyes spun as if she'd just thought of something. "Sakura and I were going to stroll around the street—want to come together?"
"Huh?" Sakura blinked and immediately leaned in to whisper to her, "Ino, aren't we going to…"
"That can wait—anytime is fine." Ino waved it off, then turned to Hinata with an eager look in her eyes. "It's rare to meet a new friend! How nice would it be to chat and walk around together? Hinata, can we go with you guys?"
Hinata's eyes flicked briefly toward Kiyonari, then she nodded. "Sure. I'd be happy to go with you."
Kiyonari felt a small shock in his chest. Was this really the Hinata he knew?
Confidence could change someone this much in such a short time… Thinking back to the night he awakened his system—yeah, he'd been pretty much the same. Pot calling the kettle black.
"Great!" Ino clapped happily. "Then let's go. Oh—Kiyonari, don't fall behind!"
"Okay." Kiyonari snapped out of it and quickened his pace to catch up.
The four of them walked slowly along the street. Ino's voice was especially crisp and bright among the girls, drawing attention wherever they went. But she wasn't shy at all—she was confident and proud by nature.
"I love dressing myself up nicely. Look—how's my outfit today?"
As she spoke, Ino spun lightly in place, smiling with bright confidence.
Sunlight poured down. Her high blonde ponytail drew a dazzling arc in the air. An orange short top and beige long pants—simple and fresh. Plus her distinctive side bangs and high ponytail…
Her clothes were simple, but the colors and cut were chosen well. She looked a bit more mature, yet on her it was just right.
Come to think of it, in the original story, Ino really was always Konoha's fashion trendsetter.
"Ino's great with color and matching—she's really impressive," Sakura added from the side.
"Of course!" Ino puffed out her chest proudly. "Some of it comes from inspiration I got from flower arranging, and some I learned from fashion magazines."
"Fashion magazines?" Hinata asked curiously.
"You didn't know?" Ino's eyes instantly lit up—clearly this was her favorite topic. "Just the day before yesterday, a batch of fashion magazines suddenly appeared in Konoha! They're supposedly the hottest thing in the Fire Capital. Not only do nobles love them—once they hit Konoha, they were instantly popular and sold out completely."
"They have tons of explanations about how to match outfits. Every color has its meaning, every cut has its logic. Like—purple means noble and mysterious, red means passion and strength, blue means calm and wisdom…"
"The shop owner said the second shipment arrives today. That's why I came out so early."
Hinata listened attentively, nodding now and then, her eyes filled with sincere curiosity. These were things she'd never been exposed to before—things she'd never even had time to imagine.
"Okay, I've been doing all the talking—I'm getting thirsty," Ino suddenly turned to Sakura. "Sakura, say something too!"
"I… don't really understand fashion," Sakura said, a little embarrassed as she pinched the hem of her clothes. "But about flower arranging… I tried learning too."
"You kept talking about it, Ino, so I thought I'd give it a try. I even borrowed a few books on flower arranging—learned about different kinds of flowers, the rules for matching them…"
As she spoke, she gave a helpless, wry smile. "But I just… couldn't get into it."
"Why?" Hinata leaned forward slightly, curious.
"How do I explain…" Sakura thought for a moment, her green eyes drifting into the distance. "When I look at the flowers, all I can think is, 'Is it really okay to cut flowers that were growing so well?' 'Is this pairing really fine?' 'Maybe I should plant them back instead…'"
"That sense of 'beauty' and 'mood'—I really can't feel it. To me, flowers are flowers, plants are plants. I can't see the 'poetry' behind them the way you can, Ino."
Hearing that, Ino sighed in disappointment. "Sakura, you're just too serious! Art needs emotion. You keep analyzing with logic, of course you can't feel the beauty!"
"Maybe," Sakura said with a small bitter smile.
"Then what are you truly interested in?" Hinata asked gently.
"Well…" Sakura's eyes brightened. "I like reading!"
"All kinds of books! Ninja world history and legends, local customs from different places, and science books too—especially ones related to ninjutsu theory…"
Ino rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, bookworm Sakura. Your academic report is over."
"It's not an academic report!" Sakura protested, cheeks puffing slightly.
Hinata laughed softly. "Yeah. Sakura's passion for knowledge really is admirable."
Reading—not clan training records or elders' cultivation notes, but books that aren't "useful" and you read simply because you like them.
What does that feel like? If Father found out I did that, how would he react?
I'm… kind of curious.
Sakura was a little embarrassed by the praise. The tips of her ears turned red as she muttered softly, "I'm not that amazing… I just like those things, that's all."
"Oh, oh!" Ino suddenly clapped her hands as if she'd remembered something important, her lively eyes fixing straight on Hinata.
"Your turn, Hinata! Hurry and tell us—what do you like?"
~~~
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