"H-Hinata, about my eyes—you have to keep it a secret, alright? If anyone finds out, I'll be in serious trouble. I might even get killed."
"I… I won't tell. I promise I'll keep it secret."
"Thanks, Hinata. As a reward, how about I treat you to lunch?" Izumi wasn't exactly poor—he could cover his living expenses just fine—but he certainly couldn't offer her some rare treasure to buy her silence. Lunch was about the best he could do.
"O-Okay…" Hinata lowered her head, her little hands fidgeting in front of her chest. Izumi couldn't help but find it adorable. If he weren't worried she'd take him for some creepy older man, he might have scooped her up into a hug right then and there.
The two small figures made their way toward Ichiraku Ramen. Ever since tasting it for the first time, Izumi had grown fond of the place. No wonder Naruto loved it so much, he thought. Along the way, Hinata walked quietly behind him, still with her head down. Izumi couldn't help but wonder—didn't she worry about bumping into something like that? Or was she using her Byakugan to see the path while keeping her head lowered?
After lunch, they wandered together through Konoha's bustling streets. Looking at the village's prosperity, Izumi felt a twinge of relief. The Naruto world was full of dangers—had he been dropped somewhere else, he might already be dead. Even with a system, his particular system was… well, less than reliable.
"Izumi…"
Hinata's voice suddenly called from behind, as if she had gathered all her courage.
"What is it, Hinata?" Izumi stopped and turned to face her.
"When you… have time… could I… train with you?"
Izumi blinked. This was Hinata? The same timid, shy Hinata he knew? Had someone transformed into her as a prank?
"Is… is that not okay? I'm sorry…" Hinata's shoulders shrank as she misread his silence.
"How could it not be okay? Of course you can. Tomorrow, you can come find me. The day after, I'll probably be busy and won't be at the training grounds—but Itachi-nii should be back by then. You could train with him instead. Don't worry, even though he doesn't talk much and always looks so serious, he's actually very kind."
"I understand. Then… tomorrow… I'll come find you. Today, I—" She didn't finish the sentence. Instead, she turned and bolted away like a startled rabbit.
Watching her retreating figure, Izumi could only shake his head in helpless amusement. He'd always thought Hinata's shyness was just toward Naruto. He hadn't realized he'd get the same treatment.
What he didn't know was that Hinata only acted that way around people she truly liked—and somehow, Izumi had already found his way into her heart.
The reason Hinata had dared to voice her wish today was, in fact, because of him. Izumi had once encouraged Mie to speak her feelings boldly, and Mie had passed that advice on to Hinata. While Hinata still blushed easily and found it hard to show her true feelings, she had taken the first step: saying she wanted to stand by his side. She would no longer hide behind trees, watching him from afar.
Izumi had planned to head back to the training grounds, but then he remembered—two days from now, he'd have to report to the Third Hokage for another mission. Who knew what kind of job he'd get next? It would be best to stay in top condition. His wounds still hadn't fully healed, so… he decided to slack off for the day.