"Hm?" Hinata let out a puzzled sound. By all rights, no one should have been here at this hour. The maids should have been in another residence, looking after her younger sister.
The person before her was clearly not a maid. Standing amid the sea of flowers, her figure was hazy. Since she had her back to Hinata, her face could not be seen, but her white robes carried an ethereal, lofty air. Her long black hair draped over her shoulders and fluttered slightly in the breeze, like an immortal fallen into the mortal world.
The young Hinata stared at her blankly and unconsciously walked toward her. She felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity from the other woman, though she could not explain what it was. Instinctively, she wanted to draw closer.
Cherry blossoms drifted down like rain, creating a beautiful and harmonious scene. Hinata noticed that the woman was gazing absently at the largest cherry tree by the pond, as though she had fallen into some memory.
Following her gaze, Hinata saw an ancient tree—the first one planted in this courtyard. She had heard that it had been personally planted by a Hyuga princess when Konoha was founded.
Hinata had always found that strange. The Hyuga family did not have an obvious title like "princess"; most of the time, they were divided simply into the main family and branch family.
"Princess" seemed more like a personal title for that Hyuga woman from long ago. Hinata liked this tree very much. When she was younger, she had once asked her father about it, only to be sternly reprimanded.
She felt as though she would be scolded no matter what she asked, which made her feel terribly wronged.
Standing behind the woman, Hinata hesitated. Countless chaotic thoughts flashed through her mind.