"Two large cotton candies are ready. Here you go."
The shopkeeper said with a smile.
Naruto took the two cotton candies, each several times bigger than Little Hinata's face.
He handed one to Little Hinata.
"How much do I owe you, sir?"
"Hahaha... It's an honor to have the Fourth Hokage's son visit my shop. You don't have to pay. Just consider it a small token of my appreciation."
The shopkeeper waved his hand with a smile.
Hinata looked slightly astonished.
The Hokage's son???
Was he talking about Naruto-kun?
But why was he calling Naruto-kun that~
Hinata's lovely face was filled with confusion.
There was no doubt about it!
The shopkeeper wasn't calling someone else, and he certainly couldn't be talking about her.
Her father was still at home.
Though he had accomplished plenty,
he hadn't done anything heroic enough to be called Konoha's hero!
So the only person the shopkeeper could mean by "the hero's son" was Naruto.
"You should still charge us. You work out here in the wind and sun every day, running a stall to make a living. It's not easy to earn enough to support your family."
Naruto said.
At that, ...
The stall owner's eyes welled with tears despite his best efforts.
"Waaah... No wonder you're the Fourth Hokage's son. You really care about us ordinary folks."
"If the Fourth Hokage could see how you're doing, he'd be very proud of you."
He meant every word.
When Minato Namikaze was in office,
he treated his subordinates well.
And he was even better to ordinary civilians.
He eased many unfair tax burdens for them.
The taxes had been collected to meet the needs of war, to buy enough ninja tools and equipment.
After Minato Namikaze took office, he was determined to resolve the conflicts between the village and its enemies.
There was less war.
Naturally, life got easier for the people.
They had more money to spare.
And their lives improved.
Simply put,
Minato Namikaze had been deeply popular when he became Hokage.
"The Fourth Hokage's... son?"
Hinata's little mouth fell open.
After learning this astonishing news,
she was bewildered.
She recalled how her clan members had whispered about the Fourth Hokage last night.
They'd been too far away.
Hinata hadn't heard them clearly, so she hadn't thought much of it.
Now that she thought back on it...
...So that was what everyone had been discussing!
Little Hinata's lovely face first showed shock, then turned despondent.
She had planned to marry Naruto in the future.
Then, through her own efforts, she would become the head of the Hyuga Clan.
She would change the Clan Rules!
And marry Naruto.
She was sure she'd treat him well.
To outsiders, it might even seem like Naruto was marrying above his station.
But... now!!
Naruto turned out to be the Fourth Hokage's orphan!
The hero's son.
That made things a little difficult.
"Hinata, what's wrong? You look down."
Naruto asked curiously.
"Ah~ N-no... nothing."
Hinata froze for a moment, then shook her head like a rattle as she answered.
"Go on, try it. This cotton candy is really sweet."
Naruto urged her.
Hinata gave a slight nod.
Shyly, she took a small bite.
The cotton candy melted in her mouth.
It turned into threads of sugar.
Wow... it was so sweet.
At first, Hinata managed to hold herself back a little.
But before long, her little mouth began moving faster and faster, beyond her control.
One bite, two bites, three...
Before she knew it,
she'd finished the enormous cotton candy.
When she came back to herself, Naruto was watching her with a smile.
Their eyes met.
Hinata bashfully turned her little head away in a hurry.
She didn't dare meet Naruto's eyes again.
Oh... this was so embarrassing.
She hadn't been able to hold herself back from eating in front of him.
Would Naruto-kun think she ate too fast?
What if he didn't like that about her?
What should she do? What should she do? What should she do?
Poof—
A cloud of white smoke
puffed out from the top of Little Hinata's head.
Her brain didn't have enough bandwidth to keep running.
It crashed.
"I don't mind~ Hinata, you can just be yourself around me. You don't need to hide who you really are."
"It wouldn't feel natural to you, and it wouldn't feel natural to me either."
"I want to see the real Hinata."
Naruto comforted her gently.
What was there to hide?
They'd be an old married couple someday.
They'd know each other inside and out.
There was nothing to be embarrassed about.
After the first time, it would get easier.
You got used to it after the first couple of tries.
"Naruto-kun... y-you're not lying to me, are you?"
Hinata suddenly turned back.
She held Naruto's gaze with her pale eyes.
It had taken every bit of courage she could muster!
She wanted to make sure Naruto meant what he said.
That he wasn't just teasing her.
She'd heard from the adults around her
that boys usually didn't like girls who ate a lot.
Unfortunately, she was one of those girls.
Strangely enough,
even though she ate a lot,
her body didn't gain weight from taking in too many calories.
Getting fat from eating???
Not a chance!
Hinata's special constitution would become the envy of most women in later generations.
Naruto's bright blue eyes were clear and luminous, like a vast ocean.
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Do you think I have any reason to lie?"
Hinata's shoulders trembled slightly.
Just as she thought!
Naruto was different from other boys!
He was exactly the kind of boy she liked.
"O-okay... I'll take it..."
"Here, have some."
"But..."
Little Hinata swallowed.
Her eyes were fixed on the spot where someone had taken a small bite out of the enormous cotton candy.
"Hm? Are you saying you don't want it because I've already eaten some? Then I'll eat it myself."
"No, no! That's not what you think! I... I didn't mean that... Ow, that hurts..."
Hinata had spoken too quickly.
She'd accidentally bitten her little tongue.
She cried out in pain.
His wife had been so shy as a little girl.
But so cute.
Before you continue