The last time Naruto met that girl had been almost two years ago.
It was also a winter day, with howling winds and heavy snow that made Konoha quiet and still early in the evening.
Back then, Naruto had just finished a full day of studying in the learning space and stepped outside for some physical training.
And it was in a snow-covered corner of the village that he ran into a delicate girl with pure white eyes.
She'd been wearing all black, stumbling down the road on the verge of tears before finally collapsing onto the snowy ground—clearly lost and overwhelmed.
Naruto hadn't even hesitated before deciding to take her home.
That was when he learned she was from the Hyuga clan, and that everyone in her family had those same pure white eyes.
Now, more than a year later, Naruto also knew that the day she'd gotten lost had been her uncle Hiashi's funeral—and the girl he'd walked home that day was actually none other than Hyuga Hinata, the Hyuga clan's main family heiress.
"What a handful," Naruto muttered to himself. "And she calls herself a noble heiress? Getting bullied by a bunch of random kids?"
Whoosh.
The air cracked as Naruto leapt down from the tree, landing in front of the girl and placing himself squarely between her and the three boys with nasty grins.
"Hey, you three. You think picking on people is fun?"
In the end, Naruto had decided to step in for Hinata.
Why?
Simple—because Hinata was way cuter than those three punks!
The kids weren't too happy about their bullying session getting interrupted.
They gave Naruto a once-over—and then burst out laughing.
"Hey, it's the Nine-Tails freak! Soaked like a wet dog!"
"Hahaha! Did the Nine-Tails fall into the river? Shame it didn't drown!"
"Well, duh. It's a monster. Of course it didn't drown—it's got freak powers."
They all recognized Naruto. Their parents had specifically warned them to stay far away from him.
But now that they were seeing him up close, they figured he didn't look like much—so they laughed at him without holding back.
Naruto glanced down at himself. Yeah, he did look a bit rough.
He'd just finished water-walking practice, and after falling in the stream a few times, he was covered in mud and soaking wet. No wonder these little brats were roasting him.
Naruto's response to their jeers was simple.
A few clean, powerful punches.
And just like that—those three troublemakers weren't laughing anymore.
It hurt. A lot. Right down to their souls.
They slowly squatted down, holding their bloody noses and bawling their eyes out.
Looked like all of Naruto's training this past year had paid off.
"I'm not the Nine-Tails freak. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm just like you—a human. Got it?" Naruto stood there watching them cry, and only spoke after they'd had a good long sob.
The three kids looked up at Naruto's calm expression.
They weren't being threatened, but for some reason, they couldn't help but feel scared.
"G-got it… waah…"
Still sniffling, the boys scrambled to their feet and ran off crying at the top of their lungs.
Hinata still had tears in the corners of her eyes as she looked at the boy who had suddenly appeared like a hero to save her—just like that snowy night from long ago.
Strangely, looking at his not-so-tall back, she felt completely safe.
"So your name is Naruto Uzumaki… Naruto-kun… you're really cool."
Hearing his name for the first time, Hinata whispered it to herself, eyes wide with wonder.
She stood there stunned, repeating his name silently in her mind.
A moment later, she suddenly realized he'd turned around and was now looking at her with calm blue eyes and an amused expression.
Hinata immediately dropped her gaze, blushing hard.
Then, after taking a breath, she lifted her head and said seriously, "Hi, I'm Hinata Hyuga."
"Uzumaki Naruto," he replied simply.
For Naruto, this was his first time formally exchanging names with someone.
And for the first time, someone who knew both his name and who he was wasn't looking at him like he was something awful.
That alone made Naruto smile.
Honestly? It felt… really good.
Right after that, Naruto sensed someone approaching.
Looking down the road, he saw a male ninja in a green vest sprinting toward them, his white eyes unmistakably Hyuga.
"You're from the Hyuga clan, so you should have power far beyond most people," Naruto said softly.
"Next time this happens, hit them. Hard."
"The point of studying is so you can explain things calmly to those muscle-brained idiots. The point of training hard is so those muscle-brained idiots have no choice but to listen calmly when you explain."
"I'm heading out. See you next time."
With that, Naruto leapt into the trees and disappeared from Hinata's view.
Moments later, Tokuma Hyuga landed in front of her, visibly panicked.
"Lady Hinata! Are you okay? Why did you sneak out again? That boy—he's someone you shouldn't get close to!"
Hinata didn't respond to her bodyguard at all. Her eyes were still locked on the direction Naruto had vanished into.
And in her heart, she whispered, "See you next time, Naruto-kun."
After that day, Hiashi Hyuga—the man in charge of training Hinata in the clan's secret Gentle Fist techniques—was shocked to discover a sudden change.
His daughter, who had always been timid and disinterested in training, had suddenly become hardworking and determined.
Not only was she completing everything he assigned, she was even secretly practicing on her own.
And when she didn't understand something, she no longer hesitated or kept it to herself—she actively asked questions.
The results? Impressive.
Hinata's progress with the Gentle Fist skyrocketed, and she even began catching up to Hyuga Neji, the family's recognized genius. It was enough to make people take notice.
Hiashi, though unsure what sparked this transformation, was genuinely pleased. It was a welcome change.
And in a rare moment for the usually strict father, he gave his daughter real praise—praise he'd never once given her before.
For Hinata, that praise became a source of even more motivation.
"If Naruto-kun thinks I should have power beyond the average person… then I have to make that come true. I have to live up to what he sees in me."
That was Hinata Hyuga's truest, deepest thought at that moment.
Her father's praise? Just an unexpected bonus.