"Naruto~"
Hinata's cherry lips parted slightly, her voice barely audible.
Ino, however, heard it clearly.
Watching Hinata unconsciously fidget with her fingers,
and her pretty face flush with a blush again,
Ino screamed internally.
She almost couldn't resist biting her.
Why hadn't she noticed before how incredibly, incredibly cute this girl was?!
However,
Ino looked up at Naruto on the large screen with the black frame.
His somewhat blunt way of speaking made her almost burst out laughing.
Hinata thought Ino was teasing her, and with her head bowed, her small face immediately turned crimson.
"Um…"
Hinata ultimately couldn't hold back her tears.
"Huh? Are you okay?"
"Why are you here alone?"
Little Naruto asked.
Hinata, however, didn't reply, just stared at him intently.
Seeing her pathetic and pitiful appearance,
little Naruto chuckled, extending his hand, "I'll walk you home."
He was quite familiar with this; he often walked Ino and Sakura home.
Here wasn't too far from the Hyuga Clan, and it was also on the way to the Hokage's office to find the Old Thing.
Although he still felt a bit puzzled why he had coincidentally encountered this girl from the Hyuga Clan,
however, with an attitude of 'future potential,' little Naruto still extended his kindness.
The Hyuga Clan was very strong, Shikamaru had said it himself; if he could connect with this little Hyuga girl in the future, little Naruto felt that his chances of turning things around would greatly increase.
Hinata looked at little Naruto's outstretched hand, silent for a long while.
Finally, little Naruto directly took her hand and pulled her up.
"My name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. What about you?"
Little Naruto's smile seemed to melt the snow.
Little Hinata lowered her head, and after a long time, softly replied, "Hinata… Hyuga… Hinata…"
Thankfully, there weren't many people, and the surroundings were very quiet, otherwise, little Naruto might not have heard her clearly.
"Hinata, huh?"
"Do you still remember the way home?"
Hinata looked up, but only stared at little Naruto.
'She's a very introverted girl.'
'Ino said that in situations like this, boys should be more proactive.'
'Hmm… Ino would probably really like Hinata. Ino loves helping these helpless children the most.'
"Ha?"
"Black-Framed Naruto actually saw through it, he has good taste, doesn't he~"
"It's not for nothing that big sis dotes on you so much, mm-hmm!"
"Hinata is indeed very endearing."
Ino crossed her arms, slightly raising her fair neck, looking very proud.
Sakura glanced at her.
She quietly told Hanabi, "Black-Framed Naruto only got half of it right, Ino actually…"
"Cough cough!" Ino's ears twitched, then she deliberately coughed twice loudly.
"Let's go, I'll walk you around, maybe you'll find it."
Saying that, little Naruto gently pulled little Hinata forward.
Little Hinata looked at his back.
The scene she had witnessed that day flashed in her mind.
But she didn't dare to ask little Naruto why such a thing had happened.
And… looking at little Naruto's back, Hinata felt that little Naruto was very strong and resilient.
"Did anything come to mind?" Little Naruto suddenly turned back and asked.
Hinata quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.
"You're from the Hyuga Clan, right?"
Seeing her like that, little Naruto had to change his approach.
"Mm." Hinata softly nodded.
"I think I remember the Hyuga Clan is this way, right?" Little Naruto asked.
"Yes…"
Hinata looked up at the street covered in snow and ice, a sense of familiarity welling up inside her.
She softly responded again.
Then, with her head down, she watched the footprints little Naruto left with each step.
Holding his hand, she cautiously followed the footprints little Naruto left.
Little Naruto didn't rush her either.
He just held her small hand and walked slowly.
Ino and Sakura also liked to play this way.
Little Naruto was somewhat used to it.
The moment the narration appeared,
Hinata froze for a moment.
A trace of black aura flashed in her purple-tinged eyes.
He looked back at Hinata, who was quietly walking with her head down.
Little Naruto's lips curved slightly.
According to the book, this was a girl who perfectly fit the description of a Yamato Nadeshiko.
"Looking at you like this, you're quite cute." Little Naruto chuckled.
"Mm…" Hinata had no idea how to respond to such a compliment.
Since she could remember, she had never been praised like this before.
Before long, little Naruto brought Hinata to the large gate of the Hyuga Clan.
Looking at the prominent characters 'Hyuga,'
little Naruto squinted slightly.
It was even more eerie here than during the day.
However, thankfully, there was no one around.
Little Naruto didn't want to be surrounded by a crowd after bringing a lost child from the Hyuga Clan home.
Even though little Naruto didn't care about others' opinions, and the Hyuga Clan might not necessarily show him disgust or malicious looks,
but… being looked at by this group of people dressed in mourning attire with their 'Byakugan,' little Naruto shivered just thinking about it.
"Alright, we're here."
Little Naruto released her hand, but found that the girl was still clutching it tightly.
After waiting for a moment, Hinata finally came to her senses, quickly let go, and stepped back.
"I… I'm sorry…"
"You should say thank you, not apologize."
"You're home. I have something else to do, so I'm leaving first."
With that, little Naruto left without looking back.
Hinata quickly looked up, only to see little Naruto waving his hand without turning around.
Hinata's big eyes blinked, reflecting little Naruto's figure.
'Naruto… Naruto-kun has grown quite a bit since I last saw him… and his body has gotten much stronger.'
'So amazing~!'
Inhale—
Hinata sniffled.
She unconsciously swallowed her saliva.
'Naruto-kun must have eaten well… and eaten his fill, that's why he grew so tall.'
Before long, as Hinata watched, little Naruto disappeared into the dark street.
Hinata's mind couldn't help but recall that reassuring smile.
"Hinata!"
Just then,
a stern voice came.
Hinata turned around and saw her father walking out with an umbrella.
Judging by the snow on the umbrella, he had clearly been outside for a while.
"You, as an important heir to the Main House, why did you act on your own?"
"I…" Hinata didn't know how to answer.
"For your sake, for the Main House, how many people have sacrificed themselves."
"It's about time you knew these things."
Hearing this, Hinata silently lowered her head, a scene of Neji crying flashing in her mind.
After a moment, Hinata subconsciously looked in the direction little Naruto had left.
As if she could faintly see that small, yet incredibly tall child, smiling and waving at her.
Ino Yamanaka: "It's not Hinata's fault, is it?!"
Sakura Haruno: "Yeah, Uncle Hiashi, Hinata is still so young, why are you putting so much pressure on her?"
Tenten: "I can't bear to watch this either."
To this, Hyuga Hiashi did not respond.
Because, he had been pressured like this since he was young.
The pressure on the Main House was not small.
In comparison, the Branch House was not as strict in this regard.
Hinata tugged at Ino's sleeve.
Only then did Ino restrain herself a bit.
"Grandpa Hokage, I'm here~!"