It wasn't that Hinata wasn't afraid. She had simply seen that expression on her uncle Hizashi's face so often at home that she was already used to it.
Uchiha Yin didn't pick Hinata up right away. Instead, he looked down at her, his expression softening despite himself. "Hinata, aren't you afraid of me?"
Hinata didn't withdraw her outstretched hands when she heard him. She merely stopped crying, seemingly unable to understand what Uchiha Yin meant.
Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "Lord Yin, didn't you come to save me?"
This time, Uchiha Yin was the one who froze. Then he broke into a smile. "Yes, yes. Come here!"
As he spoke, he reached out and gently lifted Hinata into his arms, his face filled with tenderness.
It seemed he really had been overthinking things. A child's thoughts were incredibly simple to begin with, and she knew perfectly well who was treating her kindly.
Holding Hinata, Uchiha Yin leaped lightly onto the roof ridge and coldly surveyed the Kumogakure ninja surrounding him.
With a cheerful smile, he said to Hinata, "Hinata, these people bullied you, so I'll teach them a proper lesson. In a moment, just close your eyes and rest your head on my shoulder, all right?"
Uchiha Yin knew very well that, as the Hyuga Clan's little princess, Hinata would soon have to face scenes like this.
Still, deep down, Uchiha Yin decided to protect a child's precious innocence and preserve a little more of the beauty she saw in the world.
Hinata was a very obedient child, too. "Yes, Lord Yin. I understand!"
With that, she buried her face against Uchiha Yin's shoulder. Since being abducted, Hinata hadn't had a single good night's sleep, and she was now utterly exhausted.
In Uchiha Yin's warm embrace, she felt safer