Fresh Things

In the early morning streets of Konoha, the morning mist had yet to fully dissipate. Most shops along the road remained shuttered, with only a scattering of breakfast stalls wafting out enticing aromas.

Hinata Hyuga walked side-by-side with him, her steps light yet silent. From time to time, she would glance sideways at him, her eyes harboring an emotion he couldn't quite decipher.

Hyuga Kiyonari could clearly feel her gaze, but whenever he intentionally met her eyes, Hinata would immediately turn her head away, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Just as Kiyonari was pondering how to speak up and break this subtle atmosphere, a crisp, bright voice suddenly rang out from ahead.

"Hey, isn't that Kiyonari?"

Kiyonari and Hinata turned toward the sound in unison, only to see two girls walking toward them.

Ino Yamanaka, walking in the lead, wore her long blonde hair in a high ponytail that shimmered in the sunlight, giving her a vibrant, energetic appearance. At an age where "cute" was the standard, she already possessed a certain youthful charm that seemed unique to her.

Sakura Haruno followed closely behind, as always. Her short pink hair was neatly tied back with a red ribbon, and her emerald eyes held a hint of helplessness, as if she felt slightly embarrassed by her companion's actions.

Ino's eyes lit up the moment she saw them; she grabbed Sakura's hand and hurried over.

"Ino, wait a second..." Sakura tried to stop her, but it was too late.

"Good morning!" Ino greeted them with a radiant smile, her ponytail swaying gently with the motion of her wave.

"Good morning, you two."

Kiyonari nodded in response, then turned slightly to introduce them.

"This is my friend, Hinata Hyuga. And these two are friends I met not long ago, Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno."

"Good morning, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Hinata was not the least bit shy; she bowed slightly, her voice gentle and soft. The rigorous training and upbringing she had received as a young lady of the clan were on full display in that moment.

Truly... she has changed so much.

Kiyonari couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Where are you two headed?" Ino's eyes darted around, as if she had just thought of something. "Sakura and I were just going to stroll through the streets. Want to join us?"

"Eh?" Sakura froze for a moment, then quickly leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Ino, aren't we supposed to be going to..."

"That can wait, we can buy it anytime." Ino waved a hand dismissively, turning to look at Hinata with a hint of anticipation in her eyes. "It's rare to meet a new friend, it would be so much fun to chat and walk around together! Hinata, can we join you?"

Hinata's peripheral vision flickered toward Kiyonari before she nodded. "Sure, I'd be happy to join you."

Kiyonari was slightly startled. Was this really the Hinata he knew?

To think that having a bit of confidence could cause such a drastic change in such a short time... Thinking back to the night I awakened my system, I suppose... I'm not much different. The pot calling the kettle black, as they say.

"Great!" Ino clapped her hands happily. "Let's go then. Oh, and Kiyonari, don't fall behind."

"Right." Regaining his composure, Kiyonari quickened his pace to catch up.

The four of them walked slowly along the street. Ino's voice was exceptionally crisp and loud among the girls, drawing quite a bit of attention along the way. But she had no intention of being shy; that was simply her confident and proud nature.

"I, for one, love dressing myself up beautifully. Look, what do you think of my outfit today?"

As she spoke, Ino spun around lightly, her smile confident and bright.

The sunlight poured down, casting a dazzling arc with her high-tied blonde ponytail. Her orange crop top and beige trousers were simple and refreshing, paired with her unique side-swept bangs and high ponytail...

Though her attire was simple, the color coordination and style choices were impeccable. It made her look a bit more mature, yet it suited her perfectly.

Come to think of it, the Ino from the original story always seemed to be Konoha's fashion trendsetter.

"Ino is very skilled with colors and coordination; she's amazing," Sakura added from the side.

"Of course," Ino puffed out her chest proudly. "Some of my inspiration comes from flower arranging, and some I learned from fashion magazines."

"Fashion magazines?" Hinata asked curiously.

"You don't know about them?" Ino's eyes lit up instantly, clearly hitting on her favorite topic. "Just the day before yesterday, a batch of fashion magazines suddenly appeared in Konoha! They say they're the trendiest things in the capital of the Land of Fire. Not only do the nobles love them, but they became a huge hit the moment they arrived in Konoha—they're already sold out."

"They have so many explanations about clothing coordination inside. Every color has its meaning, and every cut has its own logic. For example, purple represents nobility and mystery, red represents passion and power, and blue represents calmness and wisdom..."

"According to the shopkeeper, the second shipment will arrive in Konoha today. That's why I came out so early."

Hinata listened very intently, nodding from time to time, her eyes filled with genuine curiosity. These were things she had never been exposed to before, things she hadn't even had the time to think about.

"Why am I the only one talking? I'm getting a bit thirsty." Ino suddenly turned to look at Sakura. "Sakura, you say something too."

"I don't really understand fashion," Sakura said, tugging at her sleeve in embarrassment, "but when it comes to flower arranging... I actually tried learning that once."

"Ino, you kept talking about floral art, so I thought I'd give it a try. I even went out of my way to borrow a few books on flower arranging to study the types of flowers and the principles of arrangement..."

As she spoke, a helpless, wry smile appeared on her face: "But, I just... couldn't bring myself to like it."

"Why?" Hinata leaned forward slightly, curious.

"How should I put it..." Sakura thought for a moment, her emerald eyes gazing into the distance. "When I looked at those flowers, all I could think was, 'Is it really okay to cut these flowers that were growing so well?' 'Is this arrangement really okay?' 'Maybe I should just plant them back...'"

"That sense of 'beauty' and 'artistic conception'—I just couldn't grasp it. To me, a flower is just a flower, a plant is just a plant. I can't see the 'poetry' behind them like Ino can."

Ino sighed, inevitably a bit disappointed. "Sakura, you're just too serious! Art requires sensibility. You're always analyzing things with logic, of course you can't feel the beauty!"

"Perhaps you're right," Sakura said with a wry smile.

"Then what are you truly interested in?" Hinata asked gently.

"Well..." Sakura's eyes brightened. "I prefer reading!"

"I like reading all sorts of books! History and legends of the ninja world, local customs from different lands, and even some science books—especially those related to ninjutsu theory..."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, bookworm Sakura, you can end your academic report now."

"It is not an academic report!" Sakura retorted indignantly, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

Hinata chuckled softly from the side. "It's true, though; Sakura's passion for knowledge is truly admirable."

Reading books—not the cultivation experiences of family predecessors, but books that were useless yet personally enjoyable.

What kind of feeling was this, exactly? How would Father react if he knew I was doing this?

I'm so curious...

Sakura felt embarrassed by the praise, the tips of her ears turning red as she muttered, "It's not that impressive... I'm just interested in these things, that's all."

"Oh, right, right!" Ino suddenly clapped her hands as if remembering something important, her vibrant eyes fixed directly on Hinata.

"It's your turn, Hinata! Hurry up and tell us, what do you like?"