Iruka came and went in a flash. As soon as class ended, he realized Naruto Uzumaki, who had been made to stand outside the door, had vanished. He'd clearly told Naruto first thing that morning to stay behind for extra lessons.
To ensure the boy got an education, Iruka hurried out of the school and searched all over the village for Naruto Uzumaki.
Meanwhile, the girls in class surrounded Ino Yamanaka and headed in a grand procession toward her family's flower shop, chatting and laughing. Shikamaru trudged along beside them with his head drooping, while Choji kept eating as he walked.
They'd been roped into helping by Ino, too.
Once everyone had left, Sakura found Hinata. Side by side, the two girls headed for Konoha's largest shopping street.
Though it was a ninja village, Konoha's commerce was still very developed. Ninja generally earned several times more than ordinary civilians in the Land of Fire and could afford to spend more.
The roadside stalls mainly sold snacks, along with a few small toys and inexpensive household goods.
For larger purchases, people had to go to specialty shops.
"Why are there so many people out today?" Sakura had taken Hinata's hand at some point. The shopping street was unusually busy, as if the whole village had turned out.
She was a little worried Hinata might get lost.
But Hinata only kept her head down and followed quietly behind Sakura.
"Ah, over there! That shop just opened, and they're handing out free samples to villagers!" After walking a little farther, Sakura finally figured out why the crowds had gathered.
There were fewer people farther ahead, so she led Hinata into a little shop selling handicrafts. The shelves were crammed with all kinds of odds and ends.
There were building blocks that could be arranged into a pink heart, little lamps that glowed like stars at night, and all kinds of dolls in every size.
"Hmm, Sasuke-kun probably wouldn't like these. They're all too girly."
Sakura looked around, unable to decide what to buy, and turned to Hinata for advice.
"Hinata, what do you think I should get Sasuke-kun?" she asked, turning around.
"Um, I... I don't know."
Even in the shop, Hinata kept her head down. Sakura could only sigh to herself and continue looking.
"Hmm, a good-luck charm might be nice. It'd be wonderful if Sasuke-kun would wear it."
"But wouldn't it be better to make one by hand? Buying it from a shop might seem insincere."
"And there's a ninja sword model. Boys love those, but Sasuke-kun probably has countless ninja swords at home. After all, quite a few Uchiha Clan ninja use swords."
Just as Sakura was about to look at something else, she noticed Hinata standing beside her, eyes wide as she stared at the little ninja sword she'd been looking at.
"Huh? Hinata, do you like ninja swords?"
Sakura felt as if she'd made an incredible discovery. Hinata was usually so gentle and timid that she barely dared speak above a whisper, yet she liked ninja swords.
"Um, no. There's an older girl at home who's very kind to me, and she really likes ninja swords. I wanted to buy one for her..." Hinata explained softly, but made no move to reach for it.
"Then you should buy it! That's so nice of you," Sakura said with a smile.
"Um, I left my allowance at home. I'll come back and buy it tomorrow." Hinata shook her head gently.
What allowance did she have? If she didn't do well in her Gentle Fist training at home, her allowance was cut in half. She also had to maintain the Young Miss's image and never got enough to eat, so she spent what little allowance remained on food. Even if she went home to get it, there'd be nothing left.
Besides, this delicate little ninja sword was one of the more expensive items. With a sharpened edge, it could even pass for the real thing.
"It's fine! I'll pay for it now, and you can pay me back tomorrow when you come to school!"
Sakura didn't mind. She was the child of a civilian ninja, but she'd still saved up a little. This wasn't a real ninja sword, so she could easily afford it. And Hinata always seemed so pitiful. Sakura had never given her a present before...
"Um... n-no, you don't have to..."
Hinata's refusal was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, and Sakura didn't hear her at all. She asked the shopkeeper to wrap up the ninja sword model, then went looking for another present.
"A cup... doesn't seem very useful."
"A hat... Sasuke-kun probably wouldn't wear one."
"Huh? This might be a good choice..." Sakura stopped in front of a red picture frame.
It was beautifully crafted, with fine black and white threads embedded in its red patterns. The price was just right, too. She could easily afford it.
"If I got a picture frame, then went to a photo studio with Sasuke-kun to take a picture..." Sakura murmured, blushing, as she reached out.
But another hand reached for it at the same time, gripping the other side of the frame.
Sakura turned to see who would dare reach for something she wanted, only to find a familiar face.
"Pig Ino! Why aren't you working with the flowers? What are you doing here?" Sakura bristled.
She'd never imagined that Ino would be the one competing with her for a present.
"If everyone else is giving him flowers, you'd better get him something different."
Ino repeated Shikamaru's advice with a smile.
"Even so, you shouldn't try to take the present I'm looking at!" Sakura protested loudly.
"Oh, come on. You haven't bought it yet, have you?" Ino refused to back down. "Wide Forehead, I want this frame. Go pick something else."
"Pig Ino! I'm not giving it to you!"
The two started arguing, neither willing to yield. Their quarrel soon grew more heated, and neither would back down.
Hinata instinctively looked around for Choji and Shikamaru, who were always with Ino. They were usually able to rein in their friend.
But this time, neither boy was around. Maybe they'd been left behind to do the heavy lifting at the flower shop, or maybe they'd decided shopping with girls was too exhausting and were slacking off somewhere.
Hinata tried to step in and calm them down, but Sakura and Ino were both worked up. They both wanted the picture frame, and neither would give way.
Gradually, their argument spilled out of the shop. As more and more onlookers gathered, Sakura and Ino finally noticed their predicament. Neither wanted to back down, but they'd be humiliated if all these people watched them make a scene.
"Um, why don't you go look around some more?" they said at the same time. They both froze, then spoke again together: "Why don't I go look around some more?"
Young people's squabbles passed as quickly as they came. The two girls soon made up and began discussing what to buy for Sasuke together.
"Um, I promised Hinata I'd buy something for her, but I haven't picked it up yet." Just as Sakura was about to leave the shop, she suddenly remembered that she'd come shopping with Hinata.
But where was Hinata?
She looked up and searched from side to side, but couldn't find Hinata anywhere.